While the
architecture and decor of the houses I will be featuring may vary, what
they all have in common is an interesting story to share because it is
the story of the people who call it home.
Blending of Styles
For newlyweds, combining furniture and collections they each value, as well as decorating styles to create a cohesive home they both love, can be quite the challenge.
Blending two disparate looks, contemporary/traditional, masculine/feminine, can be a source of conflict for many couples. But, often coming up with an interior design that satisfies both styles can create some of the most interesting and satisfying results.
Gloria was married to her first husband for 45 years and had been a widow for six years before meeting Rusty, a divorcee for a number of years.
Gloria's late husband was very handy around the house, making and building just about anything Gloria wanted, but couldn't have cared less about the decor. Therefore, she did all the decorating according to her tastes and style, filling the house with traditional furniture and lots of blue and white.
Rusty was a landscaper for many years with an eye for design and love for original art. His former wife is an artist and they collected a lot of art together. After the divorce, Rusty kept many pieces that meant a lot to him and continued collecting art that caught his eye. He also has very distinct decorating tastes and ideas.
Rusty is not only a large man physically, but he also has a large personality, and leans toward large, masculine furniture suitable for entertaining.
So, how do two people with their own furniture and collections, and such different decorating styles, tastes and backgrounds come together in a new home and a new marriage?
Fifteen
months ago, Rusty and Gloria said their vows and for "better or worse"
began combining what meant the most to them. This blog post is not only
how they did that, but the results.
Prior to the wedding, they purchased this new home and began the process of furnishing it.
Upon entering the home, it becomes evident that art is the unifying theme and yet it was the most difficult thing for them to reconcile. Both Rusty and Gloria brought treasured paintings into this union. Yet, because of their diverse decorating styles, their art collections and family pictures have become the common denominator in decorating their home.
They have learned the best approach to pleasing both of their
individual tastes is to purchase only those items they both love. Of
course, another secret is compromise. The result celebrates both
favorite possessions and a mutual respect for each other.
Because the couple does share a love of antiques, before the wedding, they made a trip to Arkansas where they found many antique pieces they both liked. One such find was the dining room furniture. The ends slide out making it easy to entertain large groups.
The compromise started in the dining room with Gloria displaying paintings by her paternal grandmother over the antique sideboard that Rusty especially loved.
Gloria found this information about her artist grandmother and put it together with this treasured picture.
The antique Tea Box was a gift from Gloria's former boss of many years. Inside the sideboard, along with Gloria's china is her mother's crystal stemware.
A Plain Dealing, La. artist, Beverly Anderson, and a distant cousin of Gloria's painted this depiction of her paternal grandparent's home in Plain Dealing. Her grandfather actually built this home in 1906 and it still stands.
Gloria honestly confessed that when Rusty brought this painting into the house, her initial feelings were, "Not in my house!" But, after learning that the painting was done by a local artist friend of Rusty's, Mike Dean, whose talent was well known and respected in the area, she now loves having it hang in the entry.
In the living room the curved sectional sofa covered in brown leather, is not only practical for Rusty and his LSU buddies who love to have game nights here, but also its shape and color play perfectly with the artwork above and the color balances the dark wood of the mantel and built-ins.
The gallery wall in the living room has been a joint effort between them and contains mostly favorite paintings from Rusty's collection. On the far left is one they purchased together in New Orleans.
The large oak coffee table was another joint find from their antiquing trip. It was once a library table that had been cut down. I love the rich details.
The beautiful table in front of the large windows was another piece they both loved. And here you begin to see some evidence of Rusty's willingness to compromise with Gloria's love for Blue Willow.
The focal point of the master bedroom is this huge cypress, king-size headboard that Rusty purchased many years ago from a skilled craftsman in Natchitoches, La. They have recently commissioned him to make specially designed night stands to match the headboard.
Gloria's eye for detail and need for order is exemplified in this room. I could be so happy here!
One of the changes they made to the house was to add a door from the closet into what was a bedroom, turning it into a work-out room. This expanded the master suite to include that entire side of the house.
A Jack-and-Jill bath connects the workout room to another bedroom that Gloria has made her own personal space. Here she displays art, family pictures and memorabilia that is especially meaningful to her.
In a bright corner is a table laden with family snap shots. Above it hangs a painting also done by Beverly Anderson of Gloria's family home in Plain Dealing, La.
Above it hangs Gloria's favorite painting done by her artist grandmother. This horse painting is the only watercolor they know of that she did.The staircase landing is an open gallery space for Gloria's on-going display of favorite pictures from both their families.
Love Your Home.
