Throw a Pillow Party!

Our homes reflect the seasons of our lives. Seasons change, and a room that sparkled for you a few years ago may, in time, lose a bit of its shine.  Whether it needs a new splash of color or a touch of cozy comfort, you can easily elevate its style. There’s one room accessory that can do all that and more:

pillows!

When clients ask us to revitalize their beautifully designed rooms, without changing the form and function they love, the simplest idea can be the most elegant one. Throw pillows in new fabrics, patterns and colors can add back pizzazz–and  pack a powerful design punch. Want to learn how?

Read more…

Make Your Home Merry and Bright!

Come on a house tour with me! We often see photos of decorated rooms for the holidays in our favorite magazines, but we don’t see the rooms before the twinkle was sprinkled. So I thought I’d show you just how I take a a room from every day lovely to holiday fabulous in three very different homes. Let’s go!

 

Your holiday greeting begins at the door. I love the cheeriness of red bows, but you can use any number of colors: red or green, blue or white, silver or gold. Let your own holiday spirit shine!

Let’s head inside!

 

Photo Credit: Durston Taylor

The foyer of my home in Connecticut is serenely welcoming, with soft neutral shades, and three wooden newel post lighthouses, all fiber-optically lit with softly changing colors at the base of the staircase. See the entry go from this…

 

 

…to this! For Yuletide, I’ve twined brightly lit garland and colorful ornaments around the staircase and added two more bright red bows! I believe in selecting a color theme and staying with it from the front porch throughout the home for sumptuous simplicity.

 

Photo credit: Durston Saylor

My eco-elegant home is the deepest shade of “green,” with everything selected as natural and close to toxin-free as possible.

 

 

But for the holidays, my favorite color is red!

 

 

Using red pillows behind the “Merry” pillows adds a touch of cozy warmth. The letters are embroidered with colorful threads from a local artisan.

 

Photo credit: Durston Taylor

The rattan chairs by McGuire and white skirted side chairs by Giorgetti provide comfortable seating and a tranquil setting in my everyday life. At the holidays, though, I’m going for the glow!

 

 

What I love best is preparing to host friends and neighbors–old and new– for an evening of food, music and merriment. Fa la la!

 

 

Don’t forget to decorate the dogs!

 

Photo credit: Erik Rank

Now we’re off to Greenwich, Connecticut, where this lovely estate seems ready made for Christmas decorations, with its stately fir trees and columns begging to be covered in greenery and lights.

 

Photo Credit: Erik Rank

Wrapping columns in evergreens is always an elegant touch, and brings life and color back when the flowers are long gone.

 

Photo credit: Erik Rank

My team and I take rooms from daily…

 

Photo Credit: Erik Rank

..to dashing! (Dasher, Prancer, and Vixen would be right at home here.)

 

Photo Credit: Erik Rank

We always want to dine in style–

 

Photo Credit: Erik Rank

but as the holidays arrive, we need a festive flourish! Gold stars are snug in evergreen beds on the mantle and in the wreath above, adding a golden shimmer to the evening. Brown pinecones blend naturally with gold.

 

Photo Credit: Erik Rank

A love of music was behind the design for this room, as you’ll see in the framed awards on the wall in the next photo.

 

Photo Credit: Erik Rank

Now the melody is enhanced with gold and white decor: a harmonious palette accented by the bouquet of elegant Green Parrot tulips.

 

Photo Credit: Erik Rank

One more example of adding boughs of greenery to bannister and stairs! The gold theme is added to the red: the two-colored bows with seasonal evergreens are an eye-catching display!

Ready to head to Nantucket Island? Let’s go!

 

Photo Credit: Terry Pommet

It’s hard to improve on a Nantucket harbor view.

 

Photo Credit: Thibaut Jeanson

But I think these evergreen swags just might do it. Slipcovers on chairs and matching shades on the light fixture add holiday warmth!

 

Photo Credit: Terry Pommet

Time to add some comfort and joy here…

 

Photo Credit: Thibaut Jeanson

with red slipcovers and floor covering, plus poinsettias festooning a corner! We’re ready for a visit from Santa and his elves.

 

Photo Credit: Erik Rank

Don’t forget to put out the cookies…whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or the beauty of the winter season!

 

 

Our three-house tour has come to an end, but when you step outside, be sure to turn and take a closer look at this beautiful wreath. More is more at the holidays!

 

 

 

And if you have a little boat, by all means, decorate that, too.

 

Wishing you the happiest of holidays!

Watch for my new blogs once a month, and Instagram (@dujardin_design) and Facebook (@DujardinDesign) posts on Thursdays. Once a season I send a newsy email letter to you, too! Be sure to subscribe to get all the best design advice and beautiful inspiration through photos of our projects. I want all of us to live in happy, well-designed, healthy homes!

Inspiration Starts Here

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On my new Dujardin Home website, I say that “Inspiration Starts Here!” I want to inspire all of you to see your home with new eyes, to be delighted with the very special items we’ve searched the world to find, and to find new ways to bring elegance, beauty and health to your lives.

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I thought you might be interested to see where my inspiration comes from. My life and my work have taken me to some of the most wonderful places on earth. I have seen so many beautiful sights just this year, from the shores of Long Island Sound where I make my year-round home…

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…to the harbor of Nantucket Island…

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…from the excitement of New York City…

Brooklyn Bridge and the New York Financial District at dusk

…to the town of High Point, North Carolina…

 

… from the castles of St. Andrews, Scotland…

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…to the canals of Venice.

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Add to that the many showrooms I visit in the Decoration and Design Building and at 200 Lex in New York City, and in Design Centers in other cities around the country. I see and handle sumptuous fabrics, brilliantly designed lights and chandeliers, hand carved wooden case goods and deeply comfortable upholstered furniture. All of it becomes part of my thoughts and my dreams.

 

Now I’ve realized one of my dreams, which is to bring this beauty and elegance to you. Our curated collection is inspired by the best of what I see and live every day, and the many creative and talented people I meet and work with.

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 Here I am with John and Chad Stark, of the Stark Carpet Corporation

 And we’re just beginning. Stay with me. We’re going to some wonderful places, and I have some more wonderful things to share at Dujardin Home!

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A Splash of Yellow: Daffodils on Nantucket

 

From early April to mid-May, Nantucket bursts into bloom with millions of daffodils across the island  To celebrate, the island throws itself a party:  its annual Daffodil Festival!

 

This year, the festival takes place from April 26 to 28.  More than just a weekend of flowers, islanders enjoy an antique car parade and tailgate picnic, art shows, a Daffy Hat contest, contests and lectures.  It’s a beautiful time to be on the island:  my husband, Frank, and I never miss it!

 

The splashes of yellow from coast to coast are pure inspiration after a long colorless winter.  Think about the ways you might use yellow to enliven your home and lift your springtime spirits.  Of course, bringing bouquets of fresh flowers inside is a pretty touch in any room.

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Touches of yellow are also playful and bright when used in fabrics and upholstered furniture.  A small dash of yellow can go a long way.  In the photo below, yellow is used in the plaid upholstery fabric and in the trim on the ottoman.

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This month, celebrate the yellow in your life, wherever you find it!

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