{Stencil} Lust!

Researching stencils for a client's walls the other day I found these light hearted and uplifting Asian inspired flowers that are so chic and pretty! Many of them are oversized and look fabulous in modern and transitional interiors.

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Below are stylized Asian medallions and borders to be interpreted in any size, color and configuration that you (or your designer/artist!) desire. Make no mistake, these are not simple, do it yourself stencils. It's difficult to get these right but in the hands of the right artist, they are worth the effort.

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And still more stencils in a Chinoiserie mood below. In the hands of a great decorative artist, you could have the look of custom wallpaper (think DeGournay) for a fraction of the cost.

If you are interested in using stencils in your design, contact me at kit@kitgolson.com. I can help you with obtaining stencils, designing the room, and finding a great decorative artist to work directly with you.

Most flower stencils here can be seen at Henry Donovan.

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Kit Golson Design

for elegant, sustainable and pragmatic

Chic Provence Interior Design

Ambling On Down to Savannah Today

"Savannah wears her past like a fine old cape,

draped in Southern graciousness,

pockets filled with treasures of a rich, proud history."

An Early 19th c Mansion on One of the Twenty-Two Squares in Savannah

Arched Gateway to One of Savannah's 18th c. Plantations

General James Ogelthorpe's Plan for the City of Savannah, c. 1733

The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Founded

by the French in the Late 1700's

"The most beautiful city in North America,"

is the way Paris's famed Le Monde newspaper describes Savannah

Today I make the eight hour journey across America from San Francisco to Savannah, Georgia, the city that General William Tecumseh Sherman, the father of modern "scorched earth" warfare, thought was too beautiful to destroy during the War Between the States. (It was the only place in Georgia he left untouched.)

I'll wander through the wide open streets and moss-shaded squares laid out by General James Ogelthorpe in 1733. I'll visit the grand mansions that grace the squares including the Owens-Thomas House, considered one of the finest examples of English Regency architecture in America. I'll check out the cutting edge contemporary art at the Jepson Center for the Arts while enjoying the Jepson Gospel Brunch on Sunday with live performance by area church gospel singers.

A Map of Bonaventure Cemetary.."The Garden of Good and Evil"...

in Savannah Where My Ancestors are Buried

I'll pay a visit to my many ancestors in Bonaventure Cemetary in this, the place where my mother, my grandmother, my great-grandmother and my great-great-grandmother were born.

I'll go out to Coffee Bluff, the site of my ancestors' home, and visit my dearest and nearest cousin, Claire McCluskey, a lovely, funny, intrepid Savannahian who built a home for herself and her two strapping sons, Will and Ben English, out there on that spit of land near the shelter islands.

There I will design a new kitchen for Claire that speaks to her, that draws on her spirit and her place on Coffee Bluff. I am so excited to do this; there is nothing more fun for a designer (me) than to create a unique space that resonates with the area and the inhabitants.

Especially when you consider that my great great grandmother probably stood on that very spot trying a century or two ago to decide just where to put the hearth and just where to put a window looking out onto the garden.

It's good to know just how deeply my designer roots grow.

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Kit Golson Design

for elegant, sustainable and pragmatic

Chic Provence Interior Design

{*Liberte * Egalite * Fraternite *}

Today, Bastille Day,  is the one day of the year that you really see all the French happy at the same time. For a sweet moment in time, summer is at her fulsome peak, work is forgotten (again!), children have no school, strolling around with bare legs is de riguer, the troops are marching their colors, the Marsiellaise is playing, the tricolore is flying, speeches are made and lots and lots of vin is uncorked for the occasion!

Let's take a peek at our beloved France on her special day, and let's raise a toast to our singular friends whose cry of  *Liberty, Equality and Fraternity* garnered much of the world's admiration. 

Ah, Provence!

The Proud Tricolore

Le Deux-Cheval, High on Charme, Low on Mileage!

Love In Paris

The Ubiquitous Bicyclette, Ridiculously Adorable

All of My Favorite Colors

All Photos Courtesy of

Barbara van Zanten

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Kit Golson Design 

for elegant, sustainable and pragmatic

 Chic Provence Interior Design

Banishing the Blues: Before & After's of a Washington Townhome

He was her sunshine; his southern charm never failed to chase the blues away. For forty years she thrived on the joy and light he brought into her life. When Michele lost Tom, she lost her world. We needed to create a cocoon where she could retreat, heal, live and thrive again. Her friend Julie helped her invest in an historic building minutes from our nation's Capitol, and I was brought in to help with the redesign.

Michele travels the world over; she loves all the fuss and liveliness of entertaining and planning the next big adventure. So we chose vibrant and uplifting colors that were at once feminine and sophisticated: coral, soft jade, honey, cream, soft ochre. When she fell for a gorgeous Italian paisley in these sunny colors of Provence we had our design inspiration.

First, the AFTER pictures. I hope you like them! The BEFORE's are at the bottom of the post.

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{ A F T E R }

Her "Mas in the City" Living Room

The Beautiful Coral Hallway That Greets Her

When She Returns Home Each Evening

A View Towards Her Cozy Media Room From the Living Room

We Loved This "Fortuny" Silk Chandelier

Coco Feels Right at Home as She Heads for Her Kitchen!

Coco Definitely Approves of the Paisley!

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{ B E F O R E }

When we found the townhouse, the decor and colors were anything BUT soothing and feminine. See the strong masculine lines and colors, below:

The Media Room Before...We Removed the Fireplace,

Creating the Perfect Place for Her Big Screen TV

I Can Hardly Bear to Even Look at This Before Picture of the Living Room!

Another View of the Living Room and French Doors

Before We Worked Our Magic

We turned her Old Town hideaway into a sunny slice of Provence that reflects her vibrant and lively personality perfectly. She and Coco are very content with their new digs. Michele says that every time she comes home to the beautiful colors it makes her heart sing. We know that we have invoked the magic of color once again.

She is quite sure Tom would love it too. What more could we ask?

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in 2010, it's:

Kit Golson Design

for elegant, sustainable and pragmatic

Chic Provence Interior Design