I mentioned in a previous post that I’ve always day-dreamed about a “morning room” — a place where I can read, write, and (though I don’t know how…yet) arrange flowers. I believe I plucked this fantasy right out of the pages of Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca, but, come to think of it — it must have also been informed by Virginia Woolf’s extended essay, “A Room of One’s Own.”
(You can read the text in full at UVA’s eText Center. It is a wonderfully articulate argument for a woman’s right to have the physical and creative space to do her own work, find her own voice, and exist on her own terms — in a time when such latitude simply did not exist for women.) Perhaps the essay resonates particularly deeply with me, as I am one of five children and I grew up in a house where privacy was at a premium and finding ways to make my voice carry — to make myself heard — was a routine challenge. When my elder brother visited a few weeks ago, he admitted to having claimed a small room in his house just for himself — a place he could retire to in quiet and solitude, whether to work or idle. I’m on the same page.
Setting aside the emotional and intellectual benefits that such a space would afford, you know at bottom I’m interested in the visual appeal. What would a Magpie Morning Room look like? It would begin with a soft pink palette inspired by my favorite flower: the peony.
I’d invest in some lovely Cath Kidston printed wallpaper — I love the rose print in either the stone or pink ($30/meter, Cath Kidston):
I might, for example, upholster a traditional Pearson chair ($199, BallardDesigns) in either a matching or complementary fabric version of the wallpaper above.
Sidenote: I bought one of the Ballard Designs Pearson chairs — mine was a slightly different model with a curved top/back — and had it upholstered in a prim ivory and neutral fleur de lys-style print. It is the perfect accompaniment to my room — it makes a statement but the palette is neutral so it doesn’t dominate. Love. And highly recommend. An easy way to give a room some feminine personality.
I’d add in a pristine white wood desk (“The Meredith,” $499, Pottery Barn):
I’d then accent with shades of pink — maybe this amazing Noury Meadow Rug in the pink ($299-$2,039, Horchow):
And, for a pair of lovely guest chairs (I’m obsessed with these Gentry Chairs by Hickory Chair — the lines, the shape are just perfect), some bright throw pillows (the peony print — $36 apiece, Nest Living; the geometric print — $118 apiece, Trina Turk; the poppy print — $185 for two, Etsy’s PlumCushion Shop):
I’d seat the chairs around this awesome apothecary-style mirrored coffee table by Jean-Richard (“The Galla,” $1,829, Horchow):
There would, of course, be a stack of requisite glossy coffee-table books — I’d want Jeanette Montgomery Barron’s My Mother’s Clothes ($25, Kate Spade); my copy of Impressionists in Winter: Effets de Neige, which contains perhaps my favorite painting ever — an Alfred Sisley portrait of a quiet snow-covered country-scape ($32, Amazon); and Jose Andres’ Made In Spain because — well, he’s from D.C. and I love his food ($23, Amazon). Eating at Minibar = apex of culinary life to date.
Alongside the stack of books, there’d be a constantly-replenished arrangement of fresh-cut peonies:
I’m crazy about the silver trumpet vase featured in the image above, though I’d likely use some of my monogrammed Pottery Barn julep cups for the same purpose — ($24 for plain; $30.50 for monogrammed at Pottery Barn):
For my desktop, I’m loving this stark white alabaster Ethan Allen lamp ($369, Ethan Allen):
Oh — and, of course, I’d need a favorite candle to scent the room. I alternate between Tocca’s “Florence” scent and Seda’s “Japanese Quince”:
On my bookshelves? The hundreds and hundreds of books I’ve accrued over the course of my 25 years. They’re currently scattered all over — some here in my cramped Georgetown apartment; others in the basement of my parents’ house; others in their garage; still others in a storage unit. I want to herd them all and arrange them, intermixed with my keepsakes — a sterling silver piggy bank I received at birth; various Sevres porcelain trinkets I inherited from my grandmother; little Dutch girl dolls my father brought me back from Holland.
And even though I likely own a number of the titles, I would love to buy the Harvard Classics collection — a 51-volume anthology of the canonical works of literature in English originally published in 1909 (by Harvard president Charles Eliot). They would just be an awesome heirloom-type collection to own.
On my beautifully wall-papered walls? I’d mat and frame a couple of Genevieve Woodford’s acrylic cameo prints ($25/apiece, Etsy):
She does them in all sorts of colors (I’m partial to the mid-blue color, but pink would be perfect for my room — lovely!) and I’m obsessed with the old school scrolled borders. I’m also sort of loving the idea of contrasting the rococo sensibility of the prints with some graphic pop art — not too much. Just a little shock of modernity framed on a bookshelf or hung (somewhat irreverently?) around the room. And because my fiance is pretty much hell-bent on having us buy a French bulldog once we tie the knot — this might have to be the one ($8 for an 8×10 print, Etsy’s ArtBarker Shop):
And then, of course, I’d need my reading nook — a cozy settee (this one is from Hickory Chair), likely reupholstered in a pink and white stripe, and a cashmere throw (on sale for $199, The Pashmina Store):
ADDENDUM:
My online Stella & Dot trunk show is still up — but today’s your last day!
For access, go to:
http://www.stelladot.com/sites/mbsp
At the top right of the page, click on “Can’t Make It to the Show? Find Your Hostess” and type in first name: “Fashion” and last name: “Magpie.” Shop away!
Read my “It’s a Magpie Mini Market” post for styling ideas.