Homage to Cote de Texas

I'm sure many of you are familiar with Joni of Cote de Texas. Her witty and informative blog posts are always well worth the read. She has a generous spirit and a knack for making all her readers feel as if they have been lifelong friends. After making us all a bit more than nervous during a rare absence last week she has posted pictures of her family room showcasing her new additions - a lovely new sofa and wing back chairs. In her post she writes about a subject that many designers are familiar with. The inability to make design choices for their own homes. Why is it that as professionals or amateurs we can make decisions for our clients or friends with absolute certainty but when it comes to our own design dilemmas we are crippled by indecision and doubt?

While I can empathize with her plight it is clear that she is making all the right decisions so I decided to post about her room as if it were a random space that had caught my eye in a magazine or book. so here goes:


Relaxed Sophistication - Texas Style


They say they do everything big in Texas and while this large family room is no exception it has the feeling of a much more intimate space due to the impeccable space planning. Carefully chosen furnishings are grouped together in cozy settings with larger pieces balanced by smaller more delicate items such as the little leather foot stool and the upholstered ottoman. The rustic coffee table is offset by the graceful silhouettes of the turned leg side tables.




While most of the furniture appears to be antique everything is given a fresh modern feel by the use of stark white linen slipcovers throughout. The sisal rug and and the generous spattering of baskets throughout reinforce the natural feel of the space.


The new sofa and wing back chairs are slip covered in a fresh linen. Typical of Joni's attention to detail she specified them to be sewn with French seams - a truly couture detail that is often overlooked.



That same impeccable attention to detail follows through to the seat cushions on the antique chairs. Notice the wonderful criss crossing of the chair ties down the leg of each chair. These are the types of finishing touches that really make good design stand out.



Throughout the room are hidden treasures ( I snooped in photoshop) and small groupings of collectibles displayed to add to the personal feel of the room. A wonderful family of Staffordshire dogs and a lamp with a great shade covered in an image of an old world map are true to Joni's love of French design.

Joni is obviously very skilled at the art of accessorisation (sp ?). As we all know Joni is a serious book junkie and you can see how cleverly she displays and houses her collection while avoiding the look of clutter or overflow. Books are placed in stacks on top of tables, in baskets , and in a gorgous hand painted container on the floor. She uses her book shelves as a stage to curate her favorite things. I love the paintings on easels and the special items displayed on top of stacks of books ( two of my favorite tricks as well) To me there is nothing more boring that an entire bookcase filled with only books.



I love the Bad President book and the back scratcher on the top of this stack of reading material. (Yes, I am a snoop)


I think that we can all agree that this is a beautifully decorated room that is worthy of a feature in any publication and Joni should be commended for her good taste and attention to detail that sets her apart from other designers.