Visual Treats / Design Tips from Wise(r) Voices -- Day 5/ Jamie Drake

photocourtesyaccessdecorati.com

Peeps,

This evening there was no mistaking the fact that fall is upon us.  Grey skies and swollen clouds hovered above, and a cool morning of 40 or 50 is predicted which should make a very pleasant soup-and-sandwich day tomorrow.  I splurged this evening and bought a beautiful orchid to sit next to my bed.  The bedroom is painted chalky white, with a dark mahogany chest of drawers and glass-front display cabinet filled with carved animal figures/lacquer boxes/Burmese water bottles; for some time now I've used accents of blue and orange, and today while out grocery shopping without much thought I selected a small phalaenopsis from which tall spires of magenta blossoms seemed to delicately hover, almost like butterflies.  I am so pleased with the effect that I almost expect an editor or designer from Elle Decor or House Beautiful to spring from behind the wall-screen and pin a gold star on me.  Also proud that it only took this little plant (bought for 13 dollars at Trader Joe's), switching out bed pillows, re-arranging some framed prints, and a little tidying up to give my tiny, walk-down apartment such a cosmopolitan feel. With numerous lamps providing soft illumination, the mood is inviting and sensuous.  Oh, la, la!!

Speaking of an Elle Decor designer, the incomparable Jamie Drake comes immediately to mind.  Superb at color, and a true master at mixing periods and styles, he is the featured designer for the last day of this week's peep-show devoted to design tips from wise(r) voices.  On the matter of color, he states, "My take on color is painterly.  I find unusual shades and juxtapositions intriguing. Each room and each project offer different opportunities--sometimes I employ colorful accents in a more neutral space and other times a room will be slathered with color in a variety of tones and shades.  Every surface is absolutely considered even if its one that's off-white or gray--it's all part of an overall vision."  

Please enjoy today's visual treat, and have a wonderful weekend.

Sincerely,

Shane  


PS:  On yesterday's drive home, Primitive Radio Gods' Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth  (courtesy of WRNR 103.1 FM) was still magical after all these years....