The vignette above is my idea of perfection. It might possibly be one of my favorite compositions ever, if not the favorite. The house belongs to Birmingham, Alabama interior designer Betsy Brown & was featured by House Beautiful in the Summer of 2007. I remember it clearly: I was on the beach in the Outer Banks, my baby was only 3 weeks old & asleep in his seat under the umbrella & I had an unopened issue of House Beautiful featuring neutrals. Could life get any better for me? (Ha! Yes! I could have been back to my pre-baby size already! ;) But I opened it & saw this & was in Heaven. (Check out the Queen Ann's lace in the beakers!!!)I love this vignette because I feel like it has everything. The lime washed oak plank floors, the antique demilune table, crazy ornate mirror, modern art & a little piece of nature, the seashell. You're not forced to choose between wood finishes & this shows you can have it all! I think it really pulls you outside of the box. It's so perfectly "off." Sometimes people fear the mixing of all the woods & this shows just how beautiful it can be.
Above, she created a modern boxwood garden. The roof is gorgeous. Below, Betsy Brown's use of all-white with restrained accent colors is amazing. The tiniest pop of green in the living room, below, gives a playful edge to the room (as does the huge wooden ball!) The best part is, you could change your color scheme at any time!
How simple & practical is her kitchen? Check out the saw horse legs under the table. She used a limewash on all the oak throughout the house.
Oh wow. The table top is a massive piece of weathered wood. You know that's on my COVET list. ;)
The bathroom is just so fresh!!! Again, her limewashed oak is gorgeous. I love it paired with all the white. It's so sculptural.
Her family room is laid-back yet kind of glamorous. I love all the layering: the fur throw and all the art:
Check out these magnolia blooms!! I can imagaine how good they smell & can't wait for spring!! (I def have the bug already!)
Her daughter's bedroom is the perfect teenage girl's room. The purple pops so much against all the white, yet it's still not crazy... Just fun & a little swanky!
How great is her office? She had this Moroccan design stenciled around the room & puts her inspiration photos in the lines. Talk about a blank slate! What a great inspiration room. Even her piles of magazines under her desk look good in there!
Some drama:
But you could just sink right in that bed. And, shes got a little bouquet of peonies. Maybe she's getting it ready for me?? ;)
How simple & practical is her kitchen? Check out the saw horse legs under the table. She used a limewash on all the oak throughout the house.
Oh wow. The table top is a massive piece of weathered wood. You know that's on my COVET list. ;)
The bathroom is just so fresh!!! Again, her limewashed oak is gorgeous. I love it paired with all the white. It's so sculptural.
Her family room is laid-back yet kind of glamorous. I love all the layering: the fur throw and all the art:
Check out these magnolia blooms!! I can imagaine how good they smell & can't wait for spring!! (I def have the bug already!)
Her daughter's bedroom is the perfect teenage girl's room. The purple pops so much against all the white, yet it's still not crazy... Just fun & a little swanky!
How great is her office? She had this Moroccan design stenciled around the room & puts her inspiration photos in the lines. Talk about a blank slate! What a great inspiration room. Even her piles of magazines under her desk look good in there!
Some drama:
The floating vanities in the bathrooms are just incredible. The gray veins in the marble floors & countertop looks beautiful against the limewashed oak. It's just so pristine & simple & raw.
Her bedroom is so luxurious. I love the juxtaposition of the modern nightstands & headboard against the chair & the ornate gold mirror. (I also love that layered effect of the mirror in front of the draperies... I like it with art too.)
But you could just sink right in that bed. And, shes got a little bouquet of peonies. Maybe she's getting it ready for me?? ;)
When asked about her predominantly neutral pallete, Betsy says, "To me it just feels appropriate and comfortable. I love color, but I think it should either declare itself as the major player in a composition or quietly add the crucial notes that balance a room and make it intriguing. I usually opt for the latter."
Go Betsy!
As a decorator & a textile designer, this is my place to muse... perfection doesn't interest me; Reality and charm do. Fresh floppy flowers from the garden over long-stemmed roses any day, I love it when things are slightly off and tell a story. 
21 comments:
Where do you find all this amazing stuff?!? Awesome pictures, my favorite is her daughters room, so fun! And that dining room table is huge, I can imagine a fab Thanksgiving dinner there...so great!
Thanks for reminding us what perfection that issue was...It's going to be my most worn out issue ever!
I loved revisiting all of Betsy's pretty interiors. Her vignette's are gorgeous- I especially love the one with all of the dark plummy fruit.
The boxwood garden is definitely on my "covet list"!
I remember this home! Thank you for posting it. It is so beautiful. I love the gorgeous bleached and limed floors.
That's definately the way I would live sans kids.
Lovely images!
I actually cut out the picture of that vignette and I keep it in my "book of inspiration". LOVE it! Have been looking for similar vases ever since. Impossible to find here in Norway, though!
What a beautiful home. I especially love the living room with the luxurious fur throw - and your description of this room: laid back glamour.
Enjoyed your last post on Honning & Flora, think I'll go have a look at their website now.
This still is one of my favorite homes. The picture of her kitchen table hangs above my desk. The green painted design is still in the back of my head as something I may attempt to do (one day). I love this post, I feel calmer already!
I love the boxwood garden and the Moroccan stenciled room!
love this house, and you totally beat me to posting about her!
I totally remember this spread. Damn Jon for making me throw out old copies of magazines. Now I just hide them throughout the house so he can't find them.
Love the pictures. I even spotted some more of beloved cowhide.
This makes me want to paint my whole house white!
Yeah, I definitely think Betsy Brown's house is unforgettable. Does anyone have any more pictures of her work? I scoured & came up with a few from a beach house she did with Bobby McAlpine but not much more.
I love the floors too! And, I love that quote. I agree, a neutral palette makes be feel comfortable. I look at pictures of colorful rooms and I feel anxious.
There are so many things I love about Betsy's home I do not have the time or space to list them! Lovely, lovely, lovely!! Great post!
The look is is clean but so pretty - love it, the flowers in the last image, to die for! xx
the table in the first picture is gorgeous!
There is something really great about her living room that I need to figure out exactly why I love it so much. This post is going on my list of favourites! Thanks.
I know this house. You would not believe how small the rooms are. Her color choice, or lack thereof is perfect. Outside, there is also a larger hedge that give the front garden privacy.
I so love this space...I remeber seeing it (especially that office!) and coveting just about everything!
I love this home so, so much. It is so serene. Though honestly, I don't think I could live there very long. I need some color in my life! :)
Just discovering this. Amazing...
You have a very good eye for interior and exterior designs. The colors you used on the outside match well with the colors used on the inside. Even the color of the garden looked well when matched with the color of the roof. The simplicity of the colors make your house pleasing to look at.
Richard Boles
Post a Comment