How The West Was Fun

Yipee-i-o! Southwest and Western decorating has become an iconic American classic combining the rich hues of the desert with cultural influences of Native American, Mexican, and Spanish design to create comfortable and inviting living spaces.

Inspired by nature, earthy neutrals, warm reds, rich browns, sage greens, and classic golds mixed with bold and interesting textures come together to exemplify a style reflecting the timeless beauty of the great American West.

You don't have to live in the southwest to enjoy southwestern style. Whether you choose classic western, cowboy chic, territorial, or a combination of styles, this casual and eclectic decor can be adapted to any home and any lifestyle.

Citron-elation

I love color! Color makes me happy and color makes me smile! And, there is no livelier color than Citron. Citron is a hybrid of color blending spring green with a dose of sunny yellow. It is bright and perky and can punch up and invigorate almost any color pallette.

For a vibrant and fresh look, this traditional stylized floral pattern has been updated with citron and dose of coral, rasbery, and cool whites.

To add a bit of contemporary sophistication, pair citron with seal brown and aqua blue.

From grassy green to chartruese, citron can update and enliven almost any room decor.

The Princess and the Worm

I would like to take a moment to honor the lowly silkworm who toils endlessly throughout its short life to produce the beautiful silk fabrics we love to drape around ourselves… and our homes.

According to an ancient Chinese legend, around 2640 B.C. a princess named Xi Ling Shi was sitting under a mulberry tree when a cocoon of silk dropped into her cup of tea. Fascinated, she watched as the cocoon unraveled into one shiny long thin strand. She then pulled the strands from several cocoons through her ring to form a thicker thread. If that wasn’t enough, Princess Xi Ling Shi is also credited with inventing the silk loom and introducing silkworm rearing to the Chinese aristocracy. Although my brother, Harold, accuses me of being a princess, I have yet to invent anything really cool - like silk production or the silk loom.

For over 2000 years, the Chinese authorities were able to keep silk production a secret by imposing the death penalty for revealing the techniques surrounding silk production, or smuggling silkworm eggs or cocoons out of China. Eventually silk worms and their only food source, mulberry leaves, were smuggled out of China and silk production was introduced to the rest of the world.

Other fabrics are nice, but nothing beats the look, feel, texture, and luminosity of a beautiful silk dupioni or silk taffeta. Whether used in draperies, bed fashions, or upholstery, silk has a timeless appeal that

never goes out of style.