A small confession: this month's Traditional Home is the first copy of the publication that I have ever read, let alone purchased. And I loved it. I've never really thought of myself as "traditional" but if the likes of Ruthie Sommers (and Kara Mann) qualify, than so must I. In any case, this gorgeous dining room by Ruthie Sommers is such a glorious example of how gorgeous (and unstuffy!) hand painted wallpaper can be. The seagrass rug and painted chairs keep the room feeling more casual and more approachable, but my favorite detail is the coral trim around the window frame.
Amanda Nisbet is one of those designers whose work just makes me smile -- and this teen bedroom is no exception. The hot pink is girly and youthful, but not babyish (very important when you're 14 and trying so very hard to be grown-up!). I particularly love the floor to ceiling drapes in hot pink and coordinating lantern.
I normally prefer my stairs left bare, but this cherry blossom runner is the icing on the cake in this gorgeous entryway from Jeffers Design Group.
A lot of little girls' rooms are too sweet/too precious for me. They're often over the top: too much fabric, too many frills and even too much pink. And yet, while this room theoretically falls within that "over the top" category, I'm really attracted to it. Perhaps it's the more modern floral pattern (that also happens to incorporate a lot of green) -- or the fact that the pink is bolder and more intense than the pale, girly pinks most little girls' rooms are doused in. I also think Palmer knew exactly where to draw the line with color when she selected a simple white coverlet: anything else would have pushed it over the edge.
A red and pink room sounds like a definite "don't", but the indomitable Miles Redd somehow makes it work -- and makes it feel sophisticated and even a bit masculine at the same time. I think the key here is the rather serious looking artwork.
The spread of Windsor Smith's house in House Beautiful ranks as one of my all-time favorite shelter magazine features. The house was just as beautiful, well designed and well lived as you would expect from one of the pioneers of new traditional style. Of all the rooms featured though, this salmon pink sitting room was my favorite. From the bright paint to the gorgeous white molding, from the chevron-patterned chair to the bright blue sofa, this room is absolutely perfect.
Berger's pink-infused townhouse was featured in House Beautiful in the July 2009 issue and this was another very memorable feature for me. I absolutely adore the bold fuchsia walls in the entryway (which continue up the stairs to the landing). The pink is such a bold, modern contrast to the very traditional furniture pieces and chinoiserie accessories. It's also a crisp counterpart to the white molding and the black stair treads.
