Do you hear that, Gentle Readers? No? Exactly. It’s the sound of summer.
My daughters finally got out of school last Friday, we had their birthday parties (please note the plural; no shared party for THESE twins), and on Saturday, we drove them to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where they’ll spend the week with friends.
Last night, back in DC, I was wandering around the house, marveling at the quiet, and I decided to do a bit of mindless tidying. Bossy color’s Katherine has been telling me about that all-the-rage book about Japanese decluttering she’s been reading, so I moseyed over to the front hall table, that dumping ground for mail, keys, earbuds, library books, and homework assignments.
And catalogs.
I started strong, Gentle Readers! Out went the homework (was it ever handed in? Too late now!) and into a tote bag went the library books. But I was powerless to resist the catalogs, which seem to be more fun, more colorful this year. Down the rabbit hole I went.
Here are some of the liveliest, most fun, colorful things I found.
You know I’m a fan of Dash & Albert rugs. Well, I’m happy to report that they’ve expanded their indoor/outdoor offerings dramatically — and in such amazing colors! (These are terrific for dining rooms as well as porches, by the way…) Put this rug in front of Crate & Barrel’s yellow-cushioned Morocco sectional and call it a day.
Missoni Home’s outrageously colorful outdoors collection doesn’t disappoint, either. Imagine how THESE would brighten up bleak teak garden furniture.
I’m always a fan of bringing indoor dishes outside, and I fell in love with these sweet plates from good old Sundance.
To augment those, there’s no store better for simple, colorful (and, as a bonus, inexpensive) ceramics than Fish’s Eddy. My favorite serving bowls are from there.
And finally, look at these Tamiami Chairs from Brown Jordan! How fun! How unexpected! How bossy color! Obviously you choose the frame and webbing colors, and they have tables that you can match…or not…
Bottom line: there’s no excuse for a color-free summer this year, Gentle Readers. None at all.
Bossy color | Annie Elliott interior design creates outrageously beautiful homes for fascinating people — starting with color. Be sure and read our recent interview with The Huffington Post about wallpaper!
