Today is Le Professeur Gothique’s Monthly Homework Assignment. This month, she has charged us with blogging about something that brings us Comfort and Joy.
I wanted to keep this post on-topic for a fashion blog, but didn’t have time to do what I had planned over the weekend. However, I still wanted to participate, so instead of a fashion-related post I present to you some interior decorating!
My greatest dream throughout my life was always to own my own house. When we finally bought the home of our dreams just over two years ago, Mr. Kitty and I wanted decor that was extremely elegant, dark, and reminiscent of the Victorian era without being a full-on Victorian reproduction. We wanted abundant details and texture. Most of all, we wanted something that would make our home feel like the most wonderful place we could possibly be. It’s still a work in progress (I’m dying for crown molding, which we plan to tackle in January).
I chose to feature this room for the Comfort and Joy theme because our home is our sanctuary. We are extremely busy and don’t get a lot of time to just relax, but when we do, this room is my favorite place to spend time. Snuggling on the antique couch (which desperately needs re-upholstered) with Mr. Kitty, Perseus and Prometheus, surrounded by tidy elegance is the greatest comfort and joy in the world!
Decorating this room has been a challenge, thanks to the modern style of the house. We’re actually not fans of today’s popular features such as bullnose corners, can lights and open floorplans. We’ve done our best to minimize those aspects in various ways, such as covering the pony wall with lush houseplants (see below) to help separate the dining room a bit and replacing some of the can lights with more traditional fixtures. We replaced all of the chrome doorknobs with new knobs in an oil-rubbed bronze finish. Thankfully, the entire downstairs had already been upgraded to laminate flooring by the previous owners. Laminate flooring is so elegant and clean: a much better option than carpet for pet owners.
Now, to get this post back on-topic: I got a new pair of slippers at Bed, Bath and Beyond last weekend. Don’t you love those 20% off coupons that always come in the mail? So, how do slippers earn a mention on a Gothic fashion blog? Well, these Dearfoams slippers were pretty boring, except for the fun velvety lining, until I went to work embellishing them. No tutorial, because all I did was take a couple of ribbon bows (purchased pre-made from eBay for pennies each!) and sheer ribbon rosettes (also pre-made from eBay) and stitched them on. Now they are the cutest slippers ever, and SO comfortable. Just what I need to help me relax in comfort and joy!
What brings you the greatest comfort and joy?
What a lovely home!
Bullnose corners drive me crazy. How do you decide where to change the paint colors? I like an edge!
What a beautiful home you've got! I love the way you decorated it. The slippeers are awesome, too!
Beautiful room, I love the color scheme and the little details you have incorporated! Great job altering the slippers too, they look super cute now! ^_^
Oh I love your furnitures! Sofas like yours are impossible to find here in Sweden. They look so comfortable and yet so victorian. And I know antique sofas can be very uncomfortable. My mother has tried several times to move her victorian sofa to my house but it's huge and I feel like Im sitting on a piedestal on it. Things that brings me comfort and joy are my beloved family; Johan and the kids. I also enjoy long walks in the forest, that gives me energy. But I got news the other week that they saw a wolf chasing a deer on "my path" a few weeks ago, and another friend told me that there is wild boars in this forest. The bear I've already met once. So it's both comfort and a thrill now.
I love your slippers, and I *adore* your home decor! Gorgeous!
HUZZAH! I was wondering what you'd come up with, darling! Perfect. And let me tell you, beautiful sanctuary you have there. Good job remodeling.
I love the photo of your boys on the soda. It really gives a good sense of how big they really are!!!
My house wants to be your house when it grows up.
The decor is exquisite. Cute slippers!
Thank you, ladies! Mr. Kitty and I have poured a lot of love into our decor. We are very lucky to have the same tastes. I am extra lucky, because when I suggested we go with various shades of purple for the interior I expected acquiescence at best, but I got complete and total agreement coupled with great enthusiasm! It was all I could do to talk him out of painting the outside purple, too.
linnea-maria, wow! Your nature walk doesn't sound relaxing at all, but it does sound adventurous!! Bane, lol! You are too funny. I totally love your decor. In a way, it has a warmth that we'll never achieve because it's so deeply personal thanks to all of the handiwork you put into it. And you have wallpaper!!! I want wallpaper, but we have texture and I'm not sure how well that would work out…
What a lovely room! I love the colors you've chosen, and it looks elegant and comforting to.
Thanks for sharing your sanctuary with us! It's as lovely as you two are! I especially like your conversational area with the love seats facing one another – perfect tea time spot! In our next incarnation of HOME I'm going to need something like that myself. When I have friends over to crochet and chat over tea the living room doesn't quite cut it (stupid TV!).
GothBarbie, Thank you for your kind words! Our layout was inspired by big houses in old movies, where large rooms are often split up into separate seating areas. It's wonderful for parties, so everyone doesn't have to sit in a big circle around the room feeling like they have to participate in just one conversation. Our TV is in the armoire opposite the sofa, so it's nicely stashed away when we have guests (we *never* use the TV when guests are over).
All my walls are textured (in an ugly pattern that reminds me of jellyfish). At some point, I'll post about the process I used to hang paper on the textured walls; it worked pretty well.
Ever since you posted that outfit with your couch I've been curious to see the rest of your home! It so exactly matches your clothing style–polished, reminiscent of the Victorian era, elegantly gothic, mature, and purple! In Australia, I have seen this type of furniture around but I never saw it in the U.S. You must have had to shop around to find it! What color to you want to reupholster? Thanks for sharing! I don't think it's off topic to show us the other areas of your personal style, which extends to decorating!
Even though it isn't fashion related, it is a great entry, I loved it. ^^ Your living room – probably, your whole house…;) – is absolutely pretty, it indeed matches you and your style. I especially love the little, white gargoyle on your railing, it's almost as cute as your kittens!^^ Wow, they're huge, and really beautiful…I can't stop staring at them, really…! ^^
Congrats on owning your own home! Dec 16th will make two years that I have owned my first home and it is an amazing feeling!Your living room is beautiful! Love the dark wood, furniture and of course the purple walls. It is indeed elegant. (And so true about the flooring and pets!)Your cats are absolutely GORGEOUS! And huge! haha Are they Maine Coons? They look like it. Love the BB&B coupons, was just there yesterday getting K-cups for the boyfriend. Jessica
Your house is fabulous. Are Perseus and Prometheus nice to the couch? Your house is SO tidy. I try and fail with tidy. I'm in total envy of your curtains. Those curtains are utterly fabulous. My partner and I live in a rented apartment, so we're limited on what we can do with the place. It came furnished, as well, and has modern furniture. My partner is a confirmed minimalist rivethead who likes stainless steel, glass, lots of light, no clutter, and lots of tech, and I'm a Romantic Goth who wants to live in a Victorian neo-gothic house full of texture, detail and things my partner would call "clutter", like cushions.
Oh, and bullnose corners are only useful if you're doing them from a health and safety perspective – e.g in the house of an elderly person that's prone to falling.
Awesome living space. I find homes very much related to fashion and love knowing how connected people are to their spaces. I think there should be some awesome (just for fun!) posts of you actually living in your living room.