Back in the spring I received an email from a woman in Vancouver who had inherited a 1860's square timbered log house in Quebec. It had been in her family for 8 generations! She was interested in a design consultation so she could figure out room layouts and what new furniture to choose. She emailed me several photos and we had a good phone conversation. After that, she was on her own and I think the results are amazing.
She had several great pieces already but just needed to fill in some of the blanks. Getting everything to Quebec was a concern so we had to think about stores and websites that would ship there. I suggested this Diamond patterned light blue indoor-outdoor Dash & Albert rug for her dining room. It's perfect for under a table because they are easy to keep clean.
She found the living room tricky to place furniture in so I suggested creating two seating areas. We went for fail-safe white Ektorp sofas from Ikea with West Elm's jute boucle area rug to create one seating area. Her husband made the coffee table out of 100 year old pine they had found lying around the property!
She had her grandmothers chaise that was recently reupholstered in a rust/olive pattern. At first I thought it was going to be hard for me to incorporate into a space that she wanted to be light and bright but I suggested moving it across the room to create the second seating area. It looks great in between the two built-in bookcases. She found a pair of cane chairs at Pottery Barn which I think are perfect. She's still looking for a console table for the stair wall.
It a perfect example of that classic old and new formula. New (and moderately inexpensive) pieces mixed in with old ones can create a relaxed and fresh environment-with lots of history!
