Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Decorating With Cable Knit Sweater Accents



Hot chocolate, a cozy fire, a great read, warm blankets, and cable knit are all distinct pleasures of the autumn season. If you've ever had a favorite cable knit or Irish Fisherman's sweater, you'll agree that a sweater inspired sofa or bed throw is a welcomed home accent that never goes out of style.The cable knit craze which began a few years back shows no sign of slowing down as
this fall, designers and retailers are still serving up sweater motifs on an array of home decor.

Cable knit Aran fisherman sweaters originated in the Aran Islands off the west of Ireland. We are captivated by their wonderfully classic look. The many different  intricate patterns of these cable knit sweaters were linked to clans much like kilts and tartan plaids are. In fact the sweaters were often used in the identification process when bodies of fishermen washed up on the beach following an accident at sea.

 Today cable knitted home decor items enhance all styles of interiors from traditional, to coastal, to contemporary. This accent has also inspired many homeowners to learn how to knit as well as recycle old sweaters into accessories.



Cable knit sweater inspired home decor is still popping up everywhere.
www.weddingbells.ca

And I do mean everywhere!

ralphlauren.com

Whether it is a Ralph Lauren Cashmere Aran Cable Knit Fisherman Sweater Pillow in Heather Plum.......



or a do it yourself project, the cable knit trend is alive and not dwindling away this fall.
Lauren Liess

Beautiful cable knitted couch throws blend a variety of knit patterns to their velvety soft finish and superior warmth. Perfectly suited for curling up with a book on a rainy Saturday or for giving your home an added touch of elegance.

theberry.com

A chunky cable knit feels just right for fall. This cozy handcrafted throw is a welcome addition to a sofa or atop the bed.

Pottery Barn

Cable knit sweater decor and vintage style is a winning combination.

www.fargerike.no

You can cover your walls in sweater fabric  if you choose. This is a great wallpaper in a knitted design.

Cable knit throws are like chameleons that blend with their environments. Here the look is very elegant, but elsewhere they may take on a rustic look.

This cute cable knit lampshade is another do-it-yourself idea and great use of an old cable knit sweater.

via pinterest

Cable knit brings perfect rustic yet elegant warmth for the back of a sofa or layered on your bed. 


This cable knit blanket has a more open weave which gives a loose, softer appearance.

A chunky cable knit throw adds textural depth, something the neutral interior depends on for a successful look.

Melanie Porter

A cable knit pillow is a cozy addition to any decor plus it gives texture which when lacking makes a room look too flat.

via pinterest


This image definitly gives you many options for working cable knit decor into your home. Doesn't the chair look inviting for a good read? I especially love the rug!!

Pottery Barn

Anthony Como of Luxe Interiors

Cable knit looks wonderful even in warmer, coastal design. Remember that fisherman's cable knit sweaters started it all!

source unknown

Cable knit comes in all shapes and sizes.It must take some huge knitting needles to pull this off.

homestoriesatoz.com

Set your next table with cable knit place mats........perfect for holiday entertaining.


Makawao Photographers, Ashley Camper Photography

There are many lovely patterns  woven into cable knit sweater blankets and throws. On the Aran Islands where fisherman's sweaters originated, patterns were carefully guarded by individual clans for generations.

A plush, neutral hued pillow that provides a perfect complement to this cozy-chic bedroom decor.



Obviously the simplest change you can make to a room is adding some throw pillows. Next time toss some cable knit into the mix.

Old Lyme Architects and Building Designers, Nautilus Architects LLC

This bedroom features a pretty mix of patterns and a lovely grey cable knit throw.

livingpierside.tumblr.com

From the supremely soft ............

Pearson Design Group

to the chunky knit, there is a style to suit any room.


Light up any room with  cable knit elegance


Great sweater chairs but I will take the cable knit ottoman anytime, anywhere.

via pinterest

Another of the large, chunky cable knit throws in a lovely shade of violet.


Great stackable cable knit sweater inspired storage containers.

Cable-knit Pattern Decorative Light Switch Cover by Dressumups
Remember I told you cable knit sweater decor is popping up everywhere!
gif via tumblr

If you are interested in a cable knit do-it -yourself project, there are many instructional tutorials on line that will have you knitting in no time just like Cary ........

gif via tumblr

and Christopher.



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Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Decorate With Primitive Colonial Murals


There is a really special feeling to a room with a colonial folk art mural and decorative painting, particularly in the 19th century style. These primitive murals are elegant in their simplicity and the way the artist painted rural scenes with almost naive,childlike qualities. 

In the United States, scenic wallpaper had to be imported from England or France. It was relatively expensive and difficult to obtain. A few folk artists in New York and New England were quick to respond to the fashion and produced hand-painted landscapes in oil directly onto dry plaster to compete with imported wallpaper. Touted as "healthier than imported papers" (due to the fact that bugs often feasted on the wheat paste used in hanging wallpaper), the colonial primitive murals appealed to the less-wealthy who desired the "look" of the popular picturesque landscape papers hanging in more affluent homes of the period.

It is hard to tell how many beautiful murals were painted during 1815 -1840's which was heyday of the colonial mural It is unfortunate that so many of these beautiful primitive murals have been demolished or buried under layers of plaster, paper and paint.

Do you have a wall that is just begging for some decoration? There are still folk art muralists that paint in the Rufus Porter style. I have gathered several pictures to show you some of Porter's original primitive murals plus the work by these present day artists.



Rufus Porter was top of the list of part of a definitive group of itinerant folk artists who travel and lived in people’s homes while crafting their murals. Porter's achievements are monumental and unique though none had the impact on redefining the direction of American decorative painting quite like his New England colonial primitive murals. Porter painted walls along the Maine coast and into New Hampshire utilizing the surrounding New England countryside as a backdrop ­ not the foreign scenes popular in the wallpaper versions.

Rufus Porter mural in the Daniel Carr house in North Haverhill, New Hampshire

 Porter also borrowed techniques common in furniture decoration such as stenciling and stippling and used them within his mural design applications. Porter applied time-saving practices in his mural execution by working rapidly with stock stencils, and repeating the same elements, rural scenes, harbor scenes, views with houses, ships and islands, over and over. Mountains placed in the distance are common with elm trees dominating the foreground.

Rufus Porter mural

His smaller overmantle works include farm scenes, villages, fields, fences, roads and his trademark foreground elm trees.


Rufus Porter (1792-1884) , Hunting Scene, Oil on canvas, 68,6 x 170.4 cm,Delaware, Henry Francis Dupont Winterthur Museum

Houses and boats were executed rapidly using stencils and the leaves of trees were produced using the stippling effect. With the help of stencils, Porter could paint a whole room with a fanciful scene in about 5 hours.


Porter sometimes painted an entire room in a single day, in exchange for goods or services, not cashA typical landscape mural painting by Porter or his disciples might depict a waterfront or agrarian scene. Trees tower in the foreground, with a few small buildings planted in the distance, along with perhaps a boat or two, or farm animals. The colors are often vibrant and the detail is impressively sharp.


Porter's nephew Jonathan Poor kept up the tradition. He was one of a half-dozen affiliated folk artists who traveled the region doing their best (if largely unsigned) work behind closed doors, creating beautiful interior landscapes and seascapes.


One of the nation's premier primitive colonial muralist for the past 40 years has been David Bradstreet Wiggins. His Porter-style wall murals abound in New England and New York State. What makes him my favorite is the way he creates his murals to look like hey have been there for a long time. His colors are muted and soothing and his scenes simple. So many of the colonial murals today look too thought out and over styled. His do not.


Wiggins also painted the wall mural in this upstairs bedroom, working in the style of legendary 19th-century New England muralist Rufus Porter.


According to Wiggins (and I fully agree) the primitive murals "define the space and create an enclosure, but they don't really dominate a room."


David Wiggins also painted this primitive mural. "The trees, with their free brushwork, are very characteristic of Porter's murals," Wiggins says. "They're important because they lend movement to the scene." The diamond pattern Wiggins painted on the floor is also typical of the mid 1800's.

via pinterest

Another Wiggins designed primitive mural at Wayne Pratt Antiques.

A handsome harbor scene primitive style mural


The colonial primitive mural sets up such a warm background for decorating the colonial home.

aprimitiveplace.org

oldhouseonline.com

Huge trees in the foreground of these primitive murals bring the outside into the home's interior.

source unknown 
 Fireplace walls are wonder spots for a primitive mural. Also they are pretty when painted above wainscoting.



This dining room features a beautifully executed primitive colonial mural by the artists at Pine Street Studios.


This image and the one below show the same room and how a beautiful primitive mural enhances the home's charm.




via pinterest

Since the greens and blues of this folk art mural are such natural colors, almost any color combination looks fine against it.


christophergurshin.com

Christopher Gurshin is another folk art muralist whose paintings look aged and authentic.

source unknown

staublechambersantiques.com

I think you can agree that antiques look fabulous against a primitive mural!

Twin Farms Inn, Vermont.

You saw many of these murals painted on the walls of taverns, inns, and other meeting places. Can't you just see the artist working for his bed and board while traveling the countryside painting murals.


Primitive colonial murals make a room so very warm and cheerful. The subtle richness of the colors generally used in these painting and the simple elegance are most inviting.

via pinterest

Home of Susan Spirlet via Pinterest

I love a primitive mural that starts in the foyer and sweeps up the stairs.


A typical primitive landscape mural painting by Porter or his disciples might depict a waterfront or agrarian scene. Trees tower in the foreground, with a few small buildings planted in the distance, along with perhaps a boat or two, or farm animals.


This is a lovely colonial style mural....just wish I could have found a larger image.


Be creative if you are painting a mural yourself. Bring your painting up onto the ceiling at opportune times!


Rufus Porter style colonial mural from a house in Eliot, Maine, via pinterest

Via Linda Rudman -Behind My Red Door

source unknown

Homes don't have to be entirely colonial to sport a beautiful primitive mural. There are also wallpaper murals available and I believe this is an example of one.




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