My vacation in the Hamptons, for lack of a better word, has been simply MARvelous! It’s hard to believe that September is almost over. As October draws near I relish the last warm beach days, throwing the ball to Violet, and dining al fresco. Friends have come and gone and some have even returned by popular demand. But all good things do come to an end, so I’ll enjoy my last weekend with my New York friends and say goodbye to this charming 100-year-old cottage next week.
That said, since my departure from my home in Connecticut (Rosebrook Gardens), I had a set of recycled French doors cut down to size, turned sideways, and installed to become windows on my shed; I had the lawn reseeded; I even had the trees trimmed. All while I was here enjoying the ocean air. I also coordinated this time to have my hardwood floors re-stained a dark ebony color; the Garden Studio became the storage unit while all the work was being done. I was only back to Connecticut for a day or two when needed, as Southampton’s “Casa Del MAR“ was home base through it all.
As I was kept up to date on all the progress, I decided that perhaps with the house empty I should use this opportunity to freshen up the interiors. The idea of painting crossed my mind. But what color? The answer would come quickly that afternoon while walking on the beach.
Mother Earth has many ways to communicate – directly with me through my garden is her usual way – but a few days ago a piece of driftwood resting on the sand caught my eye. As I held it in my hands I noticed the variety of colors it bestowed; light slate, blue, brown, cream, and olive were all so clearly noticeable. This found wood “would” be my new inspiration for my design scheme – and thus the new slate blue wall color was decided. Hmm, the brown and cream remind me of some amazing new seagrass sisal carpet I’ve had my eye on…should I?
What began with just redoing the hardwood floors transpired into several new projects. Truth be told, with the house already empty wouldn’t you do the same?
