A constant item on 'the list' since we moved in has been art for the dining room. I've pondered lots of options, but the Hubs and I recently settled on the winner.

The wall is big, so the art gets to be big too! But before pulling the trigger, I wanted to make sure the dimensions are right. So I did what any self-respecting decorator does - I taped it out. Might not look like the classiest thing in the world, but it totally helps get a sense for the scale.

Just to give you an idea, we are going for this vibe (over sized scenic):

via.

Think it's going to be goooooooooooooooooooooood. Now I really can't wait for the 'after'!

Probably not going to post until after the New Year as we will be very busy with travel and whatnot, so I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!! And thank you SO much for following along this year. It's been a great year and I can't wait to see what the next will bring :)

currently working on...

a master bedroom. Here is my first go at it:

As a courtesy to my clients, I will decline sharing source information. If you’re interested in my services - I would love to hear from you! Contact me at emilydavisinteriors@gmail.com.

Will also involve gold accents and some reupholstered vintage chairs. Lovin' it so far! Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and hope December is treating you all well :)

newest vintage find

I shared in this Insta snapshot on Friday that I scooped up some vintage Drexel Heritage chairs at a local antique store, and they now live happily in our formal living room.

@emilyswensondavis

The plan is to have them reupholstered eventually. Probably in a good neutral and have the frames sprayed black. Honestly, I would love to have them upholstered in the animal print that is on the ottomans that used to sit there, but I'm pretty sure it's been discontinued.

I liked the leopard ottomans that I had in that spot before. But after a while, I realized they weren't the most comfortable option for that space. And really, since this post, I've been searching for the right chairs to switch them out for.

Before:

Now: (nevermind that the lighting is much better in the before pic...)

I knew when I saw them that I liked them a lot. But I did take some time to think about pulling the trigger on them (even though they were very afforable) for a few days. I really could have missed out on them because after having them home, I realize just how cool and well made they are. When I find something that I don't know much about, I always do some Google searching to learn more about my find. Especially in this case because I hadn't seen this shape of chair very much before. This posting and this site call them Dorothy Draper style. This posting  and this posting call the style "Esperanto" chairs.

If any of you know any more background, I would love to hear it!

Another design side-note: most of the time, I try to keep a pretty good mix of old/new items in each space I decorate. In this room, the 'new' items are the banquettes, garden stools, pillows, cowhide rug and mirror. The 'old' items are the armoire (in pic below), white chests, coffee table and now the chairs.

So I'm feeling really good about the 'mix' in this room. More to come!

pretty much perfection

Over a year ago, I pinned this image of Brooke Shields' Manhattan townhouse:

here.

And earlier this week, I came across the original article on Architectural Digest. I'm not sure why I didn't originally seek out more photos of her stunning home. I think her living room is pretty much perfection, so it's no surprise that I feel the same way about the rest of the home.

What is so great about this home is that the design will stand the test of time. Had I seen it on it's original print date, I would have loved it. But it is just as fabulous and relevant today as it was a year ago. Great work by designer David Flint Wood. Classic, personal, polished but slightly quirky- exactly what I strive for in my own designs.

Hope you all are having a great Thursday! I'm working on finishing up the design of a living room and hope to share pics in the coming weeks!

our fiddle leaf fig: the 6 month mark

It's been about 6 months since our pretty fiddle leaf fig came to live with us and I am happy to report it is doing very well! I did ALOT of research on this plant, and others, before purchasing. Since I've never really had a green thumb I didn't want to make the investment in a big houseplant if it was just going to die (because it was definitely not what I would call cheap!). SO- I thought I would share what I've done thus far to keep this pretty alive.

Initially, I used this post and this post as a guide. I also talked pretty extensively with the gardeners at Southwood (where I purchased from) about their care tips. They told me pretty much the same things as the websites I looked at. Something that freaked me out before buying was this plant was listed as 'toxic' to pets. But after talking to the professionals, I felt it would be ok at our house. Daisy doesn't have a chewing problem and doesn't just stand there and lick the thing, so she's never been bothered.

ok- my tips.
1- Don't over water. I think I took this way too literally initially and almost killed the thing because I didn't water it for about a month when I got it. But thankfully, it rebounded well. I now water it every Friday morning, 6 cups of water. I do make sure the soil is pretty dry before I water and have skipped weeks here and there.

2- Get plenty of sunlight. Mine gets a lot of indirect sunlight throughout the day- it lives by a west-facing window.

3- I dust the leaves about once a month. Just like anything else, leaves can collect dust and that will not allow it to soak in the sunlight it needs. So ya, dust the leaves. I just use damp paper towels.

4- I've read differing reviews about rotating the plant so different sides get the most sun. I've rotated it here and there and it seems to do well with it.

5- I've only 'pruned' one branch. After extensive internet searching, I found that 'pruning' basically means 'cutting'. Who knew!? So ya- I did that to one of the limbs when it shot WAY out and started to droop down. It's done great after I pruned it. Stayed the length I wanted and has continued to grow leaves.

That's it! Yay for me not killing it!

in defense of beige

Am I the only one who feels like beige gets an undue bad rap? It seems so many bloggers proclaim their hatred of the color. And for a while, I somewhat agreed. Beige can be boring, too safe and I've seen it in just one too many spec homes.

BUT, recently I have changed my tune. When done well, I really love this sometimes frowned upon color! Beige is pretty much just like every decorating element out there- it can be bad or it can be good. Let me present my case:
 

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Sold yet? Here are some beige shades I think are great:

(all are Benjamin Moore)

I'm up for discussion- do you all agree with me or shall we just agree to disagree? In other news- I'm sure happy its Friday. Hope you all have a great weekend!