Nobby's Dining Room: Part I

When my dear friend Nobby told me she and her husband Rob were finally going to do something about the big blank wall in their dining room, I was psyched. They have a combination L-shaped living/dining room in their East Toronto home, and the wall at the end of the dining table is also the main view when sitting in one of the super comfy oversize chairs in the living room across from it. The wall was painted brown and used to house a practical but predictable china cabinet. There was nothing wrong with it the way it was, but Nobby wanted to brighten up the room and have it reflect the aesthetic of the rest of her mod 1960s back-split house, which is a blend of Japanese minimalist, contemporary Ikea and authentic mid-century styles.

In Nobby's email to me she said she wanted to do a "fauxdenza" on the wall, which I assumed was a word she made up (Nobby is witty like that) and which I took to mean she was planning to stencil the outline of a trompe l'oeil credenza on the wall then paint it (at first I was skeptical, but Nobby has great taste and I thought if anyone could get away with this, she could)! But after Googling "fauxdenza," I realized I am perhaps not as design savvy as I thought I was because, ladies and gents, a fauxdenza is a real thing. Picture an Ikea cabinet that has been mounted on a wall to mimic the look of that modern design staple--the Danish teak sideboard. Brilliant, if you ask me. This seemed like the perfect replacement for Nobby's china cabinet and I wholeheartedly approved of this idea.

To my delight, Nobby wanted to consult with me about what color to paint the wall behind the fauxdenza. Now, may I reiterate that Nobby has great taste and really didn't need my advice, but it made me so happy that she asked. If it was my wall, I knew I would be wallpapering it, but Nobby was leaning toward paint. After sending a few color options her way, as well as encouraging her to put in the extra effort and go with wallpaper instead, I'm so excited that she and Rob decided to go with this iconic birch tree paper! I have long loved this design and wished I had a place for it in my own home, but the next best thing is getting to see it in a friend's home every time I visit.

The version Nobby and Rob used is from Bouclair, although there are an infinite number of knock-offs of the original 1959 Cole & Son pattern online. Doesn't it look awesome? I am all over it. Stay tuned for Part II of this post, which will include photos of the aforementioned "fauxdenza." I, for one, can't wait. :)

My Dream Florida Room

...which is why when one of South Florida's top real estate companies, Douglas Elliman, asked me if I would create a style board for my ideal Florida Room, I immediately responded with a, "Heck, yeah!" Here are some of their Florida listings if you want to do some browsing!

A Florida Room is typically a screened-in sun porch or glass conservatory--basically any room that is surrounded by windows and can often be used year-round to give one the impression of living in sunnier, warmer climes. These rooms are a haven for indoor plants, and are typically decorated in Floridian themes ranging from nautical to serene to preppy/glam Palm Beach style.

I didn't have to think long or hard about what my Florida Room would look like if I was lucky enough to have one. All I had to do was essentially create my dream room, incorporating all my favorite design elements. Here is what I came up with:

My Florida Room would be a combination of my two favorite interior design styles: Bohemian and Mid-Century Chic. It seems to me that this would be the perfect space to combine these two styles, which already run rampant throughout my house. They both represent Florida in their own way: the laid-back vibe of the colorful, exotic carpet and pillows, as well as the piece de resistance, the swing hammock; and the Palm Beach-esque clean lines and pastel hues of the sofa and atomic tripod planters.

The wood coffee table brings the hit of rusticity that keeps the room feeling down to earth, and the Sputnik light fixture adds a dose of metallic and ties everything together. And, of course, this being a Florida Room, I could not help but throw in an ode to the Sunshine State in the form of the large flamingo print, which is actually my very favorite thing in the room.

One of the best things about Florida in my opinion (aside from its crystal blue beaches, tropical climate and plethora of outlet malls) is its breathtakingly lush foliage. And the number one element in my Florida Room would be a copious abundance of potted plants that, nurtured by the generous sunlight, would flourish into a veritable jungle where I could pretend I was living like Ernest Hemingway every day of the week.

Thanks, Douglas Elliman, for giving me this challenge that allowed me to dream! Until next time, I will be enjoying these unusually high summer temps that really are reminiscent of what you'd expect to find in Florida...