Belgian Style Part 3: Texture

Word for today: texture.

Texture in Belgian interiors.

Texcha.....

Tekkkk-sssss-chhh-aaa.

Well, waddayaknow?

The word TEXTURE is onomatopoeic.

I love that. Feel those sounds.

********************

Did I just catch you mouthing it? Did I? Did I?

You know, talking to yourself is the

first out of three signs of

total addiction

to

Modern Country Style, don't you?

The second sign is smiling.

;-)

Now, for those of you who found the Belgian colour palette a little too drab, this post is for you.

 

The reason why I think a Belgian Style Interior can get away with such a limited range of colours is because it uses masses and masses of different textures to add interest, instead of bombarding you with a riot of colour.

Why don't we take one room and see the variety of texture that's used?

Ready? You have thirty seconds to

spot as many textures as you can.....

......I'll see you on the other side.

How many did you spot?

Here's my list:

the cool-to-the-touch floor tiles, the wicker chair, the wooden door, the cast iron door knob, the gleaming Venetian mirrors, the rough stone walls, the soft throw, the shine of the chrome taps, the smooth sheen of the santiary ware, the moulded bath legs, the matte smoothness of the fabric in the corner and the steely bars of the radiator.

That's quite a quota for such a small space, isn't it?

I bet that when your eyes

looked at the picture they wanted to

flicker and fly all over the room

examining every texture.

Even though there's very little contrast in terms of colour, nevertheless the huge array of texture means that the room is a visual feast.

And, really, who doesn't love a feast?

Coming up soon, I'll take you on an

intimate tour of how I've used texture in our master bedroom to make it a romantic haven. Aaaaaaah! 

Are you looking forward to it already?

And that's the third and final sign of complete addiction to Modern Country Style. What to do now? 

Surrender is the only option.

Oh, and I'm guest-posting at my lovely friend Chris' blog Pick Up Some Creativity on Saturday. I love Chris' incredibly clear tutorials...and she's incredibly talented too. I was so proud to be asked to be part of her Sewing 101 series. See you there?

Have a WONDERFUL weekend, chickadees.

Images via: Unknown, Chatta Fabulous, Unknown, Perfect Grey, Homes & Gardens, The White Company

Belgian Style Part 2: Muted colours

Hello again, rabbits,

How was your weekend? Guess what? We had some fantastic weather yesterday and even went to a friend's barbecue. Yes, a real, live barbecue....in March.....in England. Unheard of, I tell you.

I couldn't quite believe I was there. But there I was.

We had such a fun afternoon.

What a heady excitement Friday was with interviewing Christina from Cabbages & Roses. I'd thought really hard about the questions I wanted to ask her and making the post look just right; it was amazing seeing it all come together.

High as a kite, I was. I genuinely thought I would pop.

So...........are you falling in love with Belgian Style too?

Each week, in this series (click to see more posts from the series), I'll break down one element at a time, from what I consider to be the very best of Belgian Style.

{Not literally break down, obviously.

That would be hideously messy and

the Belgians would come after me with sticks.}

And then, if it's okay with you, I'll share how I've tried to incorporate that particular look into our home.

Now, please do remember that while

Belgian Style is totally my current Style Crush,

it's not a look I'd *actually* choose for my home. 

This is about taking aspects of the look and making it work for you.

The series is all about looking at a style

you have a crush on and making it YOUR OWN.

In your house - big or small, old or new.

This week, the design element that I've picked out is.....

muted colour schemes.

Shall we delve in? Shall we? Is a fox sly?

Look at these images? Now, let me see, what about them calls out to me?

I love the relaxed sense of calm:

 the mood of languid loveliness

that this palette creates.

White, cream, grey, brown and black.

And that's it.

So restricted, and I like that.

I'm not sure I'd like *just* that in our house but I love this
selection of colours as a starting point.

Now, do you fancy seeing how I've taken this concept of a restrained palette and applied it to our renovation?

Drop by again and,

if I think you've been good,

I'll give you a peep.

{Ha! As if you'd be anything but good.......right?}

Images via: Cassan Versa, Maison Boheme, Drummonds, Belle Inspriations, The White Company, Dan Mayers Photography, Molly Frey, Anthracite, unknown, unknown, House To Home, 25 Beautiful Homes

Belgian Style: Raw Wood in our home...and an announcement....

Hello chickadees,

I'm linking up today with Laura. Here's her button for those of you who haven't had the pure pleasure of seeing her blog yet.

On Monday, I was very excited to start a new series on Belgian Style where I'll be revealing my inspiration images, which highlight one element at a time, before sharing how I've tried to bring in the gorgeousness to the renovation of our home, using easy-peasy steps that you can follow if you'd like.

Please remember that this series is the

antithesis of

slavishly copying the look. It's about

finding a style that suits you

in your home and in my home, and

in our every day lives.

First stop: raw wood.

{For a peep at my inspiration, click here.}

*************************************

Here are three short steps to

adding touches of Belgian Style

untreated wood

to your home.

{I've listed them in order of the impact they'll make on your house. So if this is a look you love then go for idea One. If you just fancy a hint, here and there, then you could try idea Three.}

{One: Is there raw wood in the structure of the house? If not, don't be afraid to add it.}

When we moved in to our house, there were incredibly ugly modern doors. No redeeming features at all.

We've replaced those monstrosities with stripped pine doors, which have been gently waxed to provide protection. I can't even begin to tell you what a huge difference this made to the look of the house.  

Even with the most modernernised room in our home, the bathroom, hanging a door in natural wood gave the room a new depth.

We're lucky enough to have original beams on our top floor, which we've kept exposed. I love the attic-chic look that they create up here, giving so much character to what could otherwise be a cold top-floor space.

{Idea Two: Choose furniture in its raw state, or consider stripping back to the wood for a great way to bring in a bit of Belgian bling to your home.}

We have waxed elm chairs in out dining room. If they  become stained, we just sand them down - perfect for little ones.

My grandmother's settle, tucked in the corner, is one of my favourite pieces.

Look at the gorgeous detail carved into the wood.

  

{Idea Three: Adding Accessories}

This makes least impact but is soooooo easy to implement.

Here's one of the ideas I've used from around our house.

On top of the piano, in our dining room, I've placed two lamps made from old bobbins either side of my old Singer sewing machine.

Both the base of the sewing machine and the bobbin lamps have such a beautiful grain.

The exposed wood reveals the age of these beautiful pieces.

Seeing them there, imagining their past lives, brings a smile to my face whenever I see them.

Fancy a bit of Belgian Bling? Let me know how you get on.... 

Oooh, ooooh, and guess what I have to announce?

I have an interview coming up here on Modern Country Style. When I was asked to interview Christina Strutt of Cabbages & Roses fame, I was nearly beside myself with joy.

Is there anyone who deosn't appreciate their fanastic take on vintage florals?

*silence*

I thought not. We *all* love them.

Come back and hear what Christina has to say about designing fabric, decorating with Modern Country Style (*sigh*), what makes up her perfect room...plus much more.

Belgian Style: Make It Yours Part 1

I had a whale of a time on Friday. Did you enjoy yourself at the Inspiration Journey Link party, either as a linker or as a looker?

But, really, I think we were all lookers. So many beautiful dresses, I tell you. Goodness me, rarely have I seen so much loveliness in one place. You stunner, you. ;-)

I was going, and even started, to collate all my favourite images to show you in today's blog post but then I thought of all the prettification that I'd have to leave out.

Inspiration Journeys just seem too personal to pick and choose 'Best Of's, don't you agree? 

I hope that you got a huge dose of extra-curricular mojo-boosting activity on Friday, getting lots of inspiration from blogs you hadn't visited before, as well as haunting old favourites. I certainly did.

I said on Friday that I'd be looking in more detail at Belgian Style and breaking it down to make it more accessible for my home.

{While Belgian Style is totally my current Style Crush,

it's not a look I'd *actually* choose for my home.

Does that make sense?}

I love the feel of it, the mood it creates and the look of some of the images but I think my children, in particular, would find the look too austere and formal.

So I'll be doing a gorgeous series, which I can't wait to unfold for you, about how to take the very best of Belgian Style and add it, in little bits and pieces, in a way that works for YOU.

Not as a showcase for an

architect in Belgium,

but in your home and

in my home,

in our every day lives.

Today, I'm starting off with wood. It's on my list as one of the defining features of Belgian style.

Raw, untreated wood.

The lack of any paint or decoration draws attention to its natural beauty. The grain, the texture and the colour.

So, can we make this look work for you?

Is brass bold?

If you don't like the thought of bleaching and scrubbing then this isn't going to be your bag. But where there's a will there's a way, my friend. The question is: how?

Please meet your new best friends: wax, oil and matte varnish. These will give wood the look of seeming untreated but will protect your pieces from dirt and stains.

{In my case, little fingers covered with jam. Aaaargh.}

Just look at all the ideas there are here to add the warmth and tactility to your homes. Even small touches make a big difference.

chairs, trunks, shelves, worktops, floors, lamps, tables, mirrors, headboards, cupboards, baths....

You can weave untreated wood (or, at least, the impression of it) into so many looks. You don't need to limit this to Belgian Style.

In my next post, I'll be sharing how I've taken my love of untreated wood and made it work for me in my Modern Country home. I'd love to hear what you think.

Anne at Birdlike is hosting a fantastic mood board party. Fancy a peep?

Flamant, Kate Foreman, Lonny, House Beautiful, Homes & Gardens, Beautiful Kitchens, 25 Beautiful Homes, 46 Farmhouse, Anna Malin, Casaanversa, Cote De Texas, Drummonds, Living etc, House of Fraser, Homes & Gardenss, Ideal Home

I'm linking to my favourite parties listed in my sidebar.