Rural Chic: Seeing Red

From houses and barns, to tartan blankets, reds are a reoccurring country theme. Historically, "barn red" was created by adding rust to a wood sealant made of linseed oil. While the rust would kill off the moss and fungi that might grow on barns, it also turned the mixture red...and created a staple color in the rural palette.

Seymour Antiques

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Rural Chic: Connecticut Cottage

We had a wonderful time this weekend, traveling to Litchfield County, CT. and the surrounding areas. We've written about local palates effecting decorative color schemes in Maine and Pennsylvania; though true in Connecticut, we think a consciousness of local history and an appreciation for textures is what is most apparent in the shops and homes here. Traveling along Routes 6 & 7, the abundance of 18th and 19th century homes was astounding. The next few blogs will be focused on the architecture and design we found...

Seymour Antiques

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Playfully organized, clutter

During our recent travels we stumbled upon a shop specializing in vintage toys in Wiscasset, Maine. The merchandising was so perfectly random, it got us thinking about how an amalgam of things can become a cohesive collection when it's collected by the same eye--not only on a shop wall but in the home. We find ourselves drawn to repetition, consistency in palette and a sense of curation--even in the most casual of forms.

Collections of vessels, tortoise shells and books fill the West Chelsea loft of photographer Anita Calero.

Old chairs and odds-and-ends from a time long past hang from the porch of a road-side antique shop in Adamstown, PA.

A neutral palette is the backdrop to "installations" in Danish set designer Leif Sigersen's New York apartment.

Lots and lots of stuff at the Wayside Tearoom House, Nobleboro, ME.