I don’t really like my refrigerator.  In fact, I admit that I sometimes watch cooking shows, just because I like to see their appliances. Never, ever do I see one that has a refrigerator like mine; their’s are always saturated with color, vintage, or lusciously new in stainless steel. Which leads me to think that most people  secretly crave a beautiful refrigerator, we just can’t justify the expense. Personally, I believe that there are good, logical reasons for me to be slightly fridge obsessed, and I choose to ignore the fact that my mom once had to physically restrain me from buying a 1950′s yellow refrigerator at the local thrift store. Honestly, I still don’t understand why she wouldn’t let me buy it; when you opened it, it was a designer’s dream – chrome baskets that begged to be filled, and all sorts of levers that twisted and turned to open the drawers. So what if it needed to be re-wired, and would cost insane amounts of money to keep my food cold, we were talking about instant happiness. After being denied the yellow refrigerator, I forgave my mom, and decided that the least I could do was to make mine look better. Now, I justify my slight obsession with my own version of common sense. – I decant my milk into glass bottles. (It stays cooler, and has no plastic taste). – My eggs sit in a metal basket, on the counter. (I can bake at a moments notice, and they are always at the right temperature). – Mushrooms are kept in labelled, brown paper bags. (They can breathe, don’t get soggy, and last longer). – Vegetables are placed in vintage mixing bowls and dishes. (I can see them, and therefore I will eat more of them?). –  I line up yogurt’s in a square container. (Easy to grab, and don’t fall over). – Orange juice is in a clear jug. (I can see when it is time to buy more). See, to some people, it is just a way to keep food, but to others it is a reason to decorate. Right now, I don’t have my favorite refrigerator, but there is no harm in dreaming, and adapting what I already have.  One day, I will have a wonderful, vintage inspired refrigerator, and it will be pale green (or blue, or maybe yellow… or pink). Photograph borrowed, with envy, from the Big Chill website. For more by Wendy and the Blue Giraffe, go to: http://www.thebluegiraffe.com/ #EasyOrganizing #KitchenLove #OrganizingyourRefrigerator

My mom has a Red sofa. One of the few things that she has bought, on her own, in over 30 years. It was a transitional time in her life, when she walked through a home furnishings store, and fell in love. Red and gold damask, beautifully upholstered and ridiculously expensive. She had to have it; no planning, no second thoughts, just pure happiness on four wooden legs. A friend was recently going through a change in her life. She decided to go on a major spending spree – in Red. Small appliances, rugs and pillows were all bought in Red, replacing the traditional yellow and white that had been her norm. Her only explanation was that it made her feel happy, the color of the Red coffee maker made her smile every single morning. Years ago, I went to an Estate Sale with a good friend of mine. I was going through a difficult time, and shopping was not high on my “to do” list. But, my friend and I both have a love of antiques, so we try to spend a few times a year together, wandering through places that feed that part of our soul. That day, was one of those days. I had never been to an Estate Sale before. It seemed a bit sad wandering through someones home, knowing their belongings were being sold because they were moving on. It felt quite voyeuristic, even though the owner knew we were there. The lady who owned the home was an artist, and a couple of rooms were filled with her paintings. Not planning to buy anything I came upon a canvas of a woman painted in Red. At the time, my life felt very beige; old furniture, too many antiques, and a certain tiredness had overtaken me and my home. The painting was an unusual pick for me, but I loved the color, and I liked the serenity on her face; she had an old fashioned dignity that was nicely at odds with the abstract pieces of paint. I decided to bid on the painting, and was told I could come back the next day to see if my bid had been accepted, or if she had been sold at full price. The next day I returned, and she was still there. My offer was accepted, and I drove home with her. I put her on the wall, and she didn’t quite match my dull living room, but just looking at her cheered me up. Within a few months I had decorated my living room around her, bringing color and absurdness wherever I thought it should go. I wrote to the artist and thanked her for the painting; I hoped that her move had gone well, and I wanted her to know how much I loved her work. All of these stories come together with a color and an emotion. Red seems to give a healing energy to many people, unconsciously giving us a strength to move forward when we are emotionally drained. Scientifically, it may not be a proven theory, but from what I am learning there is definitely something that makes us feel better when we are around certain colors. Perhaps, it’s the boldness of Red that makes us feel powerful, or maybe it’s as simple as embracing a color that is the opposite of what we are used to. Whatever the reason, it is important, because it makes us happy. (Or, maybe, it’s the shopping that makes us happy, and not the color after all 🙂 With gracious thanks to:  Rosa Maria Thummel  http://www.rosathummel.com/ For more by Wendy and the Blue Giraffe, go to: http://www.thebluegiraffe.com/

They say that the world is divided into two types of people; those who collect, and those who don’t. I never thought of myself as a collector, but I do know that I accidentally accumulate things, and I am sometimes reluctant to let some of them go. Never a fan of sameness, I tend to like things for all different types of reasons. I buy necklaces for their uniqueness, used-worn-down pencils (not sure why, but they always make me smile), photographs of people being happy and spontaneous, and old childrens books (I love the stories, the care with which they were created, and of course the words…). I also like to see, or use what I have, so I don’t buy something unless I really want it. I guess it still counts as a type of collecting, but I rationalize that if they are labors of love, and in neat little categories, then I am not really a collector. (Sometimes, when I am having a moment, the word collector conjures up visions of a Star Trek Convention, with grown men wearing plastic, pointy ears, waiting for Captain Kirk to sign their original lunch box from 1969). Although I am a big fan of William Shatner, I don’t fall into this category of collecting. If you are a person who does, then collecting is probably a constant quest to accumulate everything connected to your favorite subject or hobby, and where you will put it is a secondary thought in the process. The fun thing about this type of collecting is that it is never-ending, and the joy is definitely more about the chase than how you intend to display it in your home. Some collections often start out as gifts. We might notice that a friend likes to drink tea, so we buy them a new teapot for their birthday. She loves it so much, that we decide that surely she would like three even better than two. Before we know it, other people have noticed, and they are thrilled to give her a gift that she will automatically love. We remember that she always wanted to visit Paris, so we order a Parisian teapot for her online. Before you know it, it has become a bit of a gift-giving game; we discover the wonderful new world of teapots, and we present her with a new one for every occasion.Years later, she still looks at them fondly, but realizes that all she really wants is a cup of tea (made with a teabag) not 57 teapots scattered throughout her kitchen… Whatever may have prompted you to collect, here are some thoughts on living happily (and decoratively) with your favorite obsessions: – If you don’t absolutely love it, store it, sell it, or give it away. – Be realistic. Don’t hang onto it just because “it may be worth money some day”. It may, but will you, or your children, ever really sell it? – If it’s very important to you, label and date, or catalog, each item when you get it. – Choose one or two areas in your home for your collection; a shelf, a room, a basement, a wall etc. Don’t expand these spaces as you collect; just pack away what doesn’t fit, and rotate the items every now and again. – Be creative, not formal, with your displays. If it is something small, consider piling them in bowls, jars or boxes. Layer items on shelves, instead of lining them up like soldiers. Not every single thing has to be seen completely at all times. – Don’t be afraid of change. If you are getting bored with your collection, store it away for a while. If you miss it, bring it back, if you don’t, then don’t. – Store it properly. If it is worth taking up space in your cellar, then take care of it, and invest in proper containers and packing materials. – If it is useful, use it. – Tell your friends and family, kindly, if you are getting tired of collecting something. They won’t know unless you tell them, and no-one wants to give (or receive) gifts that are no longer appreciated. I have to confess, that sometimes I buy fruit just because I like the way they are going to look in my cast iron bowl. Perhaps this could be called a temporary collection? Would love to hear what you collect. Drop me a line, and I will post it on my blue giraffe Facebook page. For more by Wendy and the Blue Giraffe, go to: http://www.thebluegiraffe.com/ #clutterconfessions #CollectingThings

Remember the stairs that I painted a few weeks ago? Well, I finally finished them. But, in my haste I forgot to plan the rest of the space; the space that also had a blue and red hutch, directly beneath the newly painted red stairs. When I was done I was left staring at two painted pieces that were very similar – a bold red and blue. It just looked like I had spent an afternoon with a lot of extra time and paint on my hands. Together their extreme “paintedness” overpowered the room. At that point I could either go in the decorating direction of a cartoon, or try to scatter the color throughout the room, incorporating the other, more subdued pieces that I had. So, here’s what happened. I had a glass fronted hutch and a green, distressed buffet. All in different corners of the living/dining room. I moved the green one out and replaced it with the glass one. Moved the blue one where the glass one had been and the green where the blue one was. The green one was too small, so I bulked it up with vintage hats and accessories until it looked like I lived in a millinery store. Lived with it for a few days and decided the scale and content was wrong, I hated it. The next morning, newly inspired, I moved the blue hutch back to it’s original home. Pushed the green dresser into the place where the blue one had been (formerly home of the glass hutch). The blue was still too jarring, but the scale was right. I painted the blue hutch cream! After painting it cream it became more of a country piece than an art piece, which led to another reassessment of the room. The balance was off again, and I needed to balance the negative spaces with the vintage and colorful. Less than an hour later and I was done. The room looks refreshed, and there is a good symmetry that flows around the space. I didn’t buy anything new but I did bring another chair down from upstairs, to give me more seating. Like a lot of my decorating, I didn’t intend to write about this, and I didn’t plan on redecorating my home, but sometimes it happens. Painting the steps seemed like a very small, innocuous thing to do, but the depth of color became an additional strong element in the room that threw off the entire space. When I realized what it had done (admittedly unimportant in the larger scheme of life) I thought at first that I had made a horrible mistake, and I would have to repaint them. Then, as I lived with it, and went through the process of redoing the room, I knew that it was the right thing to do; a learning process to help me make the space more of what I wanted it to be. For more by Wendy and the Blue Giraffe, go to: http://www.thebluegiraffe.com/

This time of year just begs for us to go outside. For me that means just another excuse to decorate! Before the daffodils have finished blooming my head is reeling with ideas and dreams of what I would like to see in my garden. Not surprisingly, most of my thoughts turn to nooks; places to sit, read, sleep or eat. I covet outside rooms where I can be with friends or just sit and watch the day go by. My grandparents lived in a row house when I grew up. The garden behind the house was a perfect rectangle, about 20 feet wide by about 40 feet long. Little concrete paths leading to compact, tidy shapes that were filled with vegetables and flowers. A compost pile and a greenhouse were neatly placed at the very back, next to a wooden gate that led to the neighbor’s garden. My grandad would be considered a Master Gardener by todays standards; it came easily to him, and he knew instinctively how to combine the art of design with the necessity of function. I loved that garden. To me, it was crammed full of adventure, constantly changing and filled with places to explore. In the middle was the perfect patch of mown grass, often scattered with daisies and the occasional toadstool (just enough to keep the fairies occupied). But, the most special part of all was the secret garden.When you walked out the back door, to the left you were met with a rose-covered wooden structure. Another turn led you to an opening. Inside the opening was a room completely filled with roses. I can still see the room in my head. There was a bench inside, and I would sit and try to break off the thorns on the roses without hurting myself; when successful I would drop them on the ground, forgetting that later on one of us would probably step or kneel on them. When Summer was at its fullest the room was like a beautiful cave that transported you to another world. You were hidden from view, surrounded by the almost overwhelming scent of tangled roses. Winter made it harsh and cold looking, still beckoning, but not quite as friendly to small children. All it takes to create an outdoor room is an idea. It doesn’t have to be literal, it just has to have a feeling. Think of what you would like it to be, then dream about how you will get it there. (of course, if dreams don’t do the work for you, feel free to use plants, furniture or structural pieces) For more by Wendy and the Blue Giraffe, go to: http://www.thebluegiraffe.com/

When I gave my very first dinner party, I followed the instructions to the letter. I bought exactly a quarter of a pound of green beans (like the recipe said). I counted them out; there were 23 green beans – I needed five each for four people, so I threw the extra three away. I was so concerned about making such a good impression, that I cannot remember the evening at all. Years earlier, in school, we had to take Home Economics. For me, anything that took me away from Math and Science was a good thing, but gradually it started to feel too much like work. The cooking was the fun bit, but afterwards, we had to deal with the mess that we had made; washing dishes, cleaning ovens and putting everything away on neatly, labeled shelves. I know it took longer to clean up than it did to cook. We also had to learn how to sew (which I was miserable at, and still am) and study the anatomy of farm animals, all while being constantly reminded about manners and which fork to eat your fish with. At the time, I didn’t think I was really learning anything, but years later I found myself thinking of little pieces of advice that my teacher had given me. Of course, there were practical things, like, “Always use sheets and blanket’s that are made from natural materials”, “Take your time…” and, my favorite, “Never bang your whisk on the side of the bowl, always tap it on your hand”. (None of us ever knew why that mattered, but I still never bang my whisk on the side of the bowl without cringing and thinking of my teacher).  Several years ago, I decided to contact my Home Economics teacher. A couple of letters and a phone call became an afternoon, and a visit turned into a friendship that I now treasure. Her home is quietly beautiful and comfortable, and there is always hot tea and something sweet waiting for us when we visit. We sit with her and her husband outside in the rose garden, and we talk about where our lives have taken us. We laugh about banging the whisk on the side of the bowl when I was 13 years old. Life has moved on, but her priority is still having a loving home that people want to return to.After I had visited her recently, I went back to my mum’s house, we talked as I helped her hang the laundry on the washing line. “Don’t you just love my new laundry basket?” mum said. “I had to buy it the minute I saw it. I know it’s not practical (it was a small, wicker basket with a blue and white lining) but it makes me smile when I put the washing in it, and that’s all I care about!”. I knew what she meant. When we had finished, we sat on the deck with a glass of wine and a piece of warm cake. The cake was a bit dry, but we had made it fresh that afternoon, so it really didn’t matter at all. We wondered, outloud, about what we should do next; maybe we should re-pot the hanging baskets, or prune the tree, or maybe just walk to the beach and look for shells. That afternoon, two amazing women made me realize that being a domestic goddess wasn’t about the perfect house, or counting your green beans, it was about creating a home filled with love….  Photograph from Rosemary Washington’s Blog For more by Wendy and the Blue Giraffe, go to: http://www.thebluegiraffe.com/ #Memories

I love Fashion. From the Runway to the Shopping Mall I love to see what people are wearing. One of my favorite things to do on the weekend is to sit down with a cup of tea and a magazine. The other day I settled into the sofa with a gigantic fashion magazine (you know the one I mean – it has about 400 pages). I was trying to find the beginning of the magazine, sifting through literally a hundred pages of ads trying to find the contents page. As my mind started to wander I noticed how beautiful some of the pages were. I began to tear the advertising pages out of the magazine. I never read the magazine. Instead I spent the next two hours tearing out pages and looking at the fashion layouts. The obvious link between Fashion and Interior Design made my head spin with new ideas. The pictures that tended to have the initial shock value were the ones that were more eclectic. These tended to be filled with a mixture of color and styles. For example red leather shoes, yellow cotton pants with a ruffled purple blouse, bohemian necklace and a fedora! On a feminine shape this worked. Yes, it was eclectic but the styles were all so bold that they coordinated into an interesting and appealing picture. The other layout that tended to dominate the fashion pages was the monochromatic look. Layers and layers of clothes and accessories in the same neutral color palette. The key to this look was to use different textures. An example of this would be a brown and cream houndstooth skirt, brown leather boots, cream t-shirt, gorgeous layered scarf and a tiny caramel colored cardigan. As I looked through the torn out pages I finally understood why photographers and fashion designers were also artists. It was all about symmetry, shapes and color. These ideas are so easy to translate to our decorating lifestyle. If we want a more monochromatic look we should remember to layer the color with different textures. Similar textures of the same color can often look harsh and one dimensional but opposite textures create a subtle richness that makes it beautiful to look at. For a more eclectic and carefree look use different patterns and colors; pair unexpected items together but make sure they have some character to them. Fashion is just like decorating. Choose something you love, apply basic design principles and create the look around that item. For more by Wendy and the Blue Giraffe, go to: http://www.thebluegiraffe.com/

“It’s all very well being all “designery”, and living a Polly-Perfect life, but what about the rest of us? Those of us with four children, two jobs and a home that wasn’t our first choice. Never mind telling us to spray paint the brass chandelier with chalk-board paint, what are we supposed to do?” That’s a really good question, and, honestly, it’s not easy. None of us have charmed lives filled with matching doodads and champagne coming out of the faucet. Decorating a home isn’t about that. As our grandparents used to say, it’s about making do, but I prefer to call it “pretending as if”. “What Not To Wear” is one of my favorite shows, and having a home, to me, follows the same principles that they teach. Their credo is that you have to accept the body you have right now. Even if you hate every nook and cranny of it, it’s yours, and that’s what you have to work with. If you dress that body as if you love it, then you will get nice clothes that fit, you will look better and, gradually, feel kinder towards yourself. Maybe you will never, ever be the size you wish you were, but if you enjoy what you have, and take pride in it, you may begin to fall in love with it. Your home is exactly the same! Even if you are not happy about where you are, you could still pretend as if it is the most perfect place in the world to be. Make some changes as if you really do care; fix things that bother you on a daily basis, don’t cost a lot and can be done in an hour or two. Here are some quick fixes for “the rest of us”: Declutter your kitchen. It’s often the most used room in the house; keep the surfaces clean and remove what shouldn’t be there. This will make it a much happier place to be in (and it might be bigger than you think). Place a decorative bin somewhere for each of your children (and yourself). Toss in everything that should be put away. When the bin is full, empty it. Check your front door; remove dead plants and fix anything that is broken (doorbell?). Coming home should be a good experience. Buy everyday items (dishwashing soap, laundry powder and liquid soap) in colors, designs and scents that you like. Making daily decisions that please you will sneak into your well-being. See, nothing wrong with a little pretending…. For more by Wendy and the Blue Giraffe, go to: http://www.thebluegiraffe.com/

A desk in the office, a dresser in the bedroom, and a hutch in the dining room. This is the way most of us live, and all of them are perfectly logical choices, but what if we decided to change it up a little? Redesigning a home is so much more than moving furniture and displaying your favorite things. It’s about seeing what isn’t there, and imagining what could be. To believe that a piece of furniture has a single place and purpose is  limiting its use, and denying you and your home a whole lot of fun (and function). When you take a piece of furniture out of its natural environment, not only does it continue to be useful, but it also appears more important, and the room that it is moved to becomes far more interesting. Take the photograph here for example; if that desk were in an office, it would look very pretty (but obvious). By placing it in the Living Room it continues to be a very practical piece, but it also brings an extra dose of personality to the corner. To be fixated on what we “should” do, restricts what is possible. Why not: – Have a desk by a window in your kitchen, a corner in your Living Room or on your sun porch during the Summer? – Move a hutch or china cabinet into a large master bedroom or family room. Display your family treasures in it, fill it with books, or take out a shelf and tuck a small television inside. – Use an end table, or vintage trunk, as a nightstand. –  Put a dressing table by the front door. The mirror is perfect for last-minute-checks, and the drawers can store gloves and hats. When you have time, take a few moments to think about your furniture – they are, after all, the ultimate working accessory. Thanks to Janie Hirsch for the beautiful photograph (check out her portfolio, it is very inspiring). For more by Wendy and the Blue Giraffe, go to: http://www.thebluegiraffe.com/ #BreakingtheRules #Unusualcombinations

When I first moved into my home, 20 years ago, the outlets and light switches were brown, plastic, faux wood. My walls were white. I kept them both, because that’s what you did. They came with the house, and, honestly, I thought I would electrocute myself if I removed them, so I didn’t. I didn’t like them, but I just accepted them as part of the decoration. Now, years later, they have been painted or replaced with something that either matches or coordinates with the room that they are in. It was so easy that I couldn’t believe I ignored these important, little pieces of plastic for so long. Sometimes we want them to be a feature, but often, most of us just want them to disappear, invisible pieces of necessity, erratically scattered all over our home. Make it simple – if your room is white or cream, match that color. If you have a colorful room, consider steel, black or wood for a subtle contrast. These basic styles can be easily (and cheaply) picked up at your local hardware store. Of course, there are many decorative ones you can buy online, but be wary of creating too much of a “theme”. In your children’s bathroom a fish may look cute, palm trees in your master bedroom, maybe not so cute? I often paint mine. Use the wall paint that you have, priming and/or sanding as needed. Just dab gently with the paint as you don’t want it going into the outlet (of course, removing the plate first would be the most sensible option, but I have done it both ways, depending on how impatient I am feeling). If you want to, add a matte polyurethane over it for durability. For less than a dollar let children personalize their room with their own design. As long as you can still move the switch, let them glue, paint or stick anything they want to onto the plate for a fun and useful accessory. Be creative. A beautiful home is composed of many things, please don’t let this utilitarian piece of plastic become an unwelcome detail… For more by Wendy and the Blue Giraffe, go to: http://www.thebluegiraffe.com/

This week, I am happy to post a piece written by Sue West. Sue is a professional organizer whose company, Space 4U, specializes in helping people to downsize, organize and simplify their personal and business lives. In this excerpt, she writes about how to cope with clutter during a time of major change. As a special treat, Sue is offering a free copy of her book, Organize for a Fresh Start: Embrace Your Next Chapter in Life to one of our readers. Just submit a comment (make sure we have an email address for you) and all names will be put into a hat for the drawing. My daughter will choose the lucky winner, and you will be notified next Friday if you have won! External clutter is often a symptom of internal clutter. The mail that’s piled up is because your child was just diagnosed with a learning disability and you’ve got a lot on your plate now. Or your mom now needs caregiving and you’re trying to figure out how to make her a priority, and still give your all to your family and your business. Or a room no longer has a purpose. Or it has too many purposes going on at once. Major changes and life transitions often bring on distraction, intense emotions and some overwhelming feelings. And when that happens, whether the change has been of your choice or foisted on you, our stuff and our time can get a bit out of control. The good news is that reorganizing is cathartic, not just for your physical stuff, but also for your internal, emotional or psychological “stuff.” The organizing makeover—that big change you make in the beginning—can be quite a journey: one that is cathartic, sentimental, and treasure-laden. It can be a very useful processing time that helps you deal with the changes you’ve gone through or are transitioning into. Once you’re on the other side of that life change, you will think differently about how you use your time – what’s important now – and you’ll think differently about which belongings are most important to have around you. You’ve changed inside and gained new clarity. The Journey Starts with a Tour As you prepare to physically reorganize your house and your belongings, you’ll start by taking a tour of your own home. Bring your notebook or your camera because as you tour, you’re going to decide which belongings truly make home feel like home. You’ll want a record of this to help you move forward, after the tour. Sit or stand in each room and acknowledge what specifically makes the room feel like home to you. This will be your first cut at identifying what stays in your life and what you may be ready to let go of, as you move into your next chapter. Each room has had a purpose in the past, but each room can have a new purpose now. Use the questions below to help you decide which items from the past are still part of who you are today and which items are not so anymore. This reorganization is about having your home reflect who you are now and who you are becoming. We need to make physical space for current and new interests. You may not know what they are yet, but you will, soon enough. Questions to Ask Yourself What do you see? What do you notice first (and why?) What kind of energy do you feel in this spot? What’s in place? Out of place? Which objects have good memories associated with them? Which things do you not really see anymore? What did you love – awhile ago – but now feel differently about? What activities used to occur here and don’t need to anymore (but the stuff is still located here)? How would you like this space to be? Do you need space for something which is wedged in somewhere else in the house currently (“I wish I had space for …”) Do you enjoy the color scheme, décor, and lighting? Is it still your tastes? It’s a pretty exciting journey if you’re ready to get on board. So enjoy it and don’t rush it. It’s the journey, not the destination; the destination may change, as you make the journey if you let it. – Sue West, certified Professional Organizer and Organizer Coach For more by Wendy and the Blue Giraffe, go to: http://www.thebluegiraffe.com/ #EasyOrganizing

Did you know that Queen Victoria wore black exclusively for almost 40 years? She turned mourning into an Art form after her husband, Prince Albert, died. New fashions were created, and black jewelry (Jet, Onyx etc) were more popular than ever before. This trend continued until she passed away. Eager to leave black behind, the former Victorians celebrated with pretty furnishings and decadent lifestyles. But, their colorful reprieve did not last long; Wars began, and England entered a very turbulent time. Black became synonymous with grief, disease and War, extreme times of hardship. Now, many years later, women covet the LBD (Little Black Dress), but the color black, in furnishings, is still approached hesitantly. It sounds somber, and people worry that it will be too harsh, or overwhelm a room. But, used correctly, black can be one of our favorite accessories. Many designers swear that every room should have a touch of black, and, as I go through my decorating adventures I tend to agree with them. Black brings gravity to a room; even the smallest piece will provide an inexplicable anchor that pulls an otherwise humdrum room together. If you are adding it to a very light-colored room, then several small touches of black may be needed, one piece may not be enough to give you balance. But, in a more colorful home a simple picture frame or a lamp stand may be just enough. Even the tiniest black, brush stroke on a painting will bring more depth to a space. When England finally recovered from the Second World War, they celebrated with color! Black was almost discarded, and everything in their world became lighter (fabrics, colors, jewelry, shapes, furniture). We live in a time where color and design choices are infinite; a Queen does not dictate how we decorate our homes. Therefore, be bold, add a little touch of black, and watch your room come alive. For more by Wendy and the Blue Giraffe, go to: http://www.thebluegiraffe.com/