Raisin' Cane

Decor Pad

A few months ago, I bought a set of French cane chairs on sale at The Kellogg Collection. Here are a few pictures of them (with and without the cotton slipcover that come with them; a really nice addition).  I fell in love with the little leopard print pillows and couldn't resist getting those too.

Authentic cane is a type of wicker that is woven and has been in existence since the 17th century.  It's earliest forms are traced back to Louis XIII of France where the invention of cane backed chairs (or in some instances the seats) still employed intricate carved wooden detailing, but made the furniture much lighter in weight. The chairs could be kept against a wall and pulled up to a table for grand banquet dinners. This is my intention for my new cane chairs which will serve as occasionals against the wall of my dining room and can be pulled up to the table, or moved into the living room, when additional seating is needed.   It's probably no surprise I like the white washed, French country style.

These Annette cane chairs make great occasionals to be pulled up to a dining room table

Cane chairs can be painted any color your heart desires and come in various weaves and shapes.  Ones that are more open in the back provide a lighter, airy balance to a heavy desk or table. A tighter weave is a more formal design, like my French occasional chairs.

Cane settee by Thorton Designs

cane chair with arms for a more relaxed, airy work space
Decor Pad

I love this robin blue desk chair balanced against a heavier desk
(image source unknown)

love the all white cane chairs constrasted against the dark flooring
Elle Decor

white geometric cane chairs lighten a dining room space
Decor Pad

dark cane chairs with a bold yellow upohlstery
Decor Pad

Apartment Spotlight: Elegant Electicism in Downtown Charlottesville

I couldn't think of a better Royal Wedding viewing party than the one I attended last Friday morning. Our gracious host's Charlottesville "flat" was the ideal enclave to gather and watch Prince William wed his beautiful bride.  Within minutes of our arrival and exchange of compliments on each other's hats, fascinators, and dresses, we were offered a festive cocktail of chilled champagne, a dash of promegranate juice, and topped off with a few plump blueberries.  Over the most delectable homemade scones, deviled eggs, and fruit salad, we commented (unanimous adoration over Kate's dress), and critiqued (did Chelsy Davy forget to brush her hair, or look in the mirror all together for that matter?).  It was indulgent television spectatorship like I've never experienced before.

While we were certainly there to witness the historical British event, I couldn't help but ask my friend if I could photograph her apartment for my blog.  She graciously agreed and below are the pictures (my best attempt at using our new enormous Nikon camera.)  Her apartment that sits just above the historic downtown mall in Charlottesville, embodies understated elegance with an electic flair.  Her pieces are a mix of antiques sourced from auction houses and rare finds from her studies and travels abroad.  I had the chance to ask a few questions about her design inspirations, her favorite places to shop, and the story behind a unique Turkish settee.

Where do you find design inspiration?

A lot of my inspiration comes from touring other people's homes. Both on house tours and of [people] that I know. I adore taking aspects from my favorite parts of homes I have seen and trying to incorporate them into our decor. Also, growing up my parents renovated and decorated a variety of homes in different locations, and their style and ways they used touches of color as well as mixed new furniture, antiques, and finds from second hand stores has also been a huge inspiration to my style and influenced where I look for furniture or accessories for our apartment. Lastly, I have a few favorite stores I love to visit frequently as their displays and selection are always impeccable. My current favorites are Caspari and Random Harvest, which is located in Old Town, Alexandria. 

There are a lot of framed architectural prints throughout your apartment; is there a story behind them? 

The architectural prints were a 25th birthday present from my parents. They are from an antique store in Alexandria, Virginia and are of different buildings in London, which is a city I fell in love with after studying abroad there in college.  

I think you said you found the Turkish settee at an auction; what is story behind it?

Yes, the settee was purchased from Leslie Hindman auction house in Chicago. One Sunday of every month she had a live auction called "marketplace" which was a compilation of furniture from a variety of resources. We have many things from the auction in our apartment including the settee, the bookshelves, and most of our side tables.

What is your favorite piece of furniture or accessory?

Our horsehair dining room chairs. We love to entertain, and when I saw them in an antique store in DC I immediately fell in love with them. They were unique, and also classic enough to work in a more formal dining room, or could be placed in a more casual setting, as we have them in our apartment now. They are also extremely comfortable, and show no dirt, or wear and tear, an added bonus!