Dining Room Renovation: Finishing Touches

I have finally had a chance to change the chandelier in the dining room.  This Supernova light fixture was made by Lou Blass from Adlib Antiques in Hudson, NY. Longtime followers of the blog know my minor obsession with light fixtures in general, and this one, in particular.

 Thanks to my mom, I was reunited with this self-portrait done in 1985.  Always fun to rotate the artwork-- don't you agree, modernemama?

After a frenetic rug search, I took a leap of faith with this one from Crate and Barrel. The Chrysanthemum rug, which seemed to have a mid-century feel, reminded me of the circular shape and spindles of the light fixture.  Better yet, it was the only 6' x 9' offered.

And finally, Jackson shared his heart with us all-- the ultimate finishing touch.

Tween Decor

Olivia Bouler is turning ten this year and has informed me that since she is now going to be a 'tween' she wants a room to reflect her new status in the world. Spoken like the daughter of an architect and a blogging maven. Her room, an enormous space, is currently rather bland. It's not sure what it wants to be-- girly? No. Childlike? Sort of. Colorful? Sorely lacking. In search of inspiration, I went on line to get some ideas. Since Olivia is a bird lover, she wanted to do a mural, so I started looking around for some Scandinavian-inspired graphic images. This print by Jane Foster definitely caught my eye as a starting point. Then I found this great pattern from Carolyn Gavin on Print and Pattern's blog. Finally I bought these notecards at Target which may just have enough color variety to give us some options with her bedding. Overall it is a direction Olivia really likes, and she asked if she could get a lamp like my George Nelson Bubble Lamp. I found this pendant lamp at Ikea-- more reasonable in price for the tween set-- and a bean bag chair to enhance the lounge-y atmosphere the room seems to be taking.

Scandinavian Design

I've developed a love of Scandinavian design as of late. There's something about the clean, round forms that seems both modern and inviting. Unlike strict, stark modern surfaces, Scandinavian design seems softer, more accessible, and easliy integrated into an eclectic decorating style.
Ever since I missed out on scoring a Malm wood stove on Craigslist, I've been in search of one for our covered porch at Potic Cottage. The mid-century design seems to fit the ski lodge aesthetic perfectly. Perhaps it is the nostalgia of it that adds another level of attraction. Author and humorist David Sedaris wrote about his parents' Scandinavian dining room set as one of their most coveted possessions. To them, it meant grown-up sophistication, but Sedaris remembers wondering how long the Scandinavian designers plotted against knobs.
I'm not alone. The blog world is abuzz with contemporary decor derived from this style. Modernemama had an entry today comparing a flower to the Egg Chair-- and Style Files shared some recent Dutch finds. Design Within Reach and Hivemodern are both really great sources for new Scandinavian pieces to readily add to one's current decor. I may just get that Malm stove yet.