Late one this morning, team drinks in a pub in Islington after work last night ended up with walking home in the swirling misty streets of London with Mungy and Maud at midnight banging on about how fun it is to tip toe home when the streets are quiet and the roads so thick with fog, you could almost cut them with a knife. Felt I was in some sort of Dickens novel as I sticky beaked my long way home peering into people’s home’s who were still up and running into foxes that sent the two M’s off into crazy barking mode.
Now I’m going to talk about layers again (please not again I here you shout) but listen they are sooooo very important and I reckon I should talk about them at least once a week until I see some changes happening! Walking back through Islington at midnight quite a few of the homes (being polite here) were minimally decorated by that I mean I could clock them in a second. Living rooms looked like so; single pendant, furniture around the perimeter, coffee table (if I am lucky) big TV over mantle or on wall. That’s it. That was it, promise not exaggerating. Now that is perfectly OK if you are happy with that scenario but I’m thinking NO ONE repeat no one could be happy with that scenario unless some sort of medication is being taken, no?
The thing about layers is that they are so transformative, they elevate a space to another level because as you will see in the image below your eye doesn’t quite know where to look. It darts from the painting, to the bar, to the yellow chair, to the corner of the coffee table,. Consciously or subconsciously your senses are more engaged and you feel intrigued, excited and tantalised! So easy to do no?
Right then I need coffee, times that by hundred and something to eat like a little home made granola, Greek yoghurt and poached fruits. Actually I need a chief a full time live in chief because the only thing in the house right now is apple juice, and a banana unless I tuck into the food of the two M’s, organic fishy pie anyone?
I love this Turner Pocock room, You and indeed it inspired me to paint my room F & B Hague Blue and I Luuuurve it. Now for a little Downpipe somewhere……….mmmmm
Welcome back Abigail – I missed you.
My days jsut werent the same without my Ahern fix!
i ‘reckon’ you’ve picked up a bit of aussie slang on your travels!
i sadly love little more than having a nosy poke into people’s homes when i’m out for walks & i found one recently you’d be very, very proud of… lamps, lamps & more lamps everywhere (in fact, no overhead lights on whatsoever!)… it looked delightful! btw, ‘get your house in order’ was on again last night (or rather, this morning at the devil’s hour of 3.30am)… sylvia & her conservatory… looked fab!
I have indeed, love aussie slang my new favourite word is daggy. Forgot about get your house in order,thanks for the tip
oh, in one word you’ve just transported me back to my youth! you can also call someone a ‘dag’, which comes in handy too!
Very handy will start using the word dag today, there are few people who need to be called such a word!
Hey abigail.. I know u want to make a point abt layering n I love reading abt them as well.. But I think if u really want to drive the point home maybe u should write more abt how to add layers.. Coz the ‘how’ part is where most ppl r clueless
Good point
beautifully observed; I think people are afraid to add lots of stuff and the easy way out of decorating is to create the ‘minimal’ look you describe… even done minimally (which IS my personal preference), layering is so important for texture and interest and life to a room… It can still be done tone-on-tone, if lots of different colours aren’t required.
IT can indeed very wise words
I SO agree about layers! What’s WRONG with the rest of the world?!?
I agree about having a full-time chef, too (but that isn’t going to happen for me, I’m afraid).
Me neither on the chef front x
ah, the yellow lampshade, the blinginess of it is just killin me. Like a little sparkly lapel pin on a fantastic coat.
Love seeing your daily eye candy Abigail, hope you find your personal chef.
Thank you, think the personal chef isn’t going to happen but shall dream
I love your blog…I found it by accident…it is so rich, intelligent, counterintuitive, luscious, wise, sarcastic and insightful.
Here you are remarking on what I see all over the blogosphere, a viral minimalism empty of intellect or life. I am thinking also of a loft I saw this morning, for sale, in NYC/Soho: white walls, acres of square footage, and not a single book.
Thank you for your kind words x
I was going through a minimalist phase and I’m afraid to admit that I may be guilty of what you’ve described above. However, a visit to a new friend’s house has my head in a spin about details. The whole house told a story about their life and interests and it was so intriguing. I didn’t know where to look, in a good way. That visit combined with this post and now I’m feverishly planning a less-minimalist approach to my own humble flat.
Very exciting indeed
I have desperately tried to be minimalist, but I fail over and over again. I love ‘things’ – old & new, things with a story and a soul. That’s why it has been so nice stumbling on your blog. I thought my ‘style’ was a little embarrasing in a world of slick. Thanks for your inspiration and layers a visual feast.
Ps a ‘dag’ can be a loving word as well (I’m an Aussie)
Thank you for the heads up on ‘dag’ shall use it both ways