You know how sometimes you go on vacation, and you really get into the spirit of whatever place you happen to be visiting?
You feel moved to buy a little something. A memento of the wonderful trip you’re having. An attempt to capture that je ne sais quois and bring it home with you.
Buyer beware.
It is this relaxing of the defenses that can lead to unwise purchases. Purchases that don’t make the transition from vacation to real life. Purchases such as driftwood lamps, watercolor sunsets, or, as my mother once brought home from Santa Fe, bright red and blue necklaces made from odd looking beads.
I believe they were kernels of corn.
Pardon me. Maize.
Well, should you find yourself captivated by country house decor while you’re on summer vacation, you DO have bossy color’s permission to impulse-buy a Dash & Albert rug.
I saw a Dash & Albert display in Chesapeake Trading Company in St. Michaels the other day.
Even though I love Dash & Albert rugs and have recommended them for years, I hadn’t thought about them in a while. But a Gentle Reader just submitted a question about her small, style-challenged kitchen, and I found myself suggesting Dash & Albert once again.
Those lovely cotton wovens can pep up an entry hall, add coziness to a sunroom, or lighten up a stuffy bedroom. They also have a few wool rugs I just adore.
Dash & Albert even has a wide selection of tasteful indoor-outdoor rugs, which of course are all the rage.
Resist the pillows,
and say no to the bags…as cute as they are, they’re not so versatile.
But you can buy a delightful cotton carpet without a second thought.
We’ll find a nice spot for that country rug in your city house. I promise.
Annie Elliott – aka bossy color – is an interior decorator and design blogger in Washington, D.C. She has been quoted in publications from The Washington Post to The Seattle Times and is considered an expert on color, residential space planning, and telling people what to do in the nicest way possible.