Decorating for Serenity & Reflections on Creating an Inner Landscape of Beauty
Decorating for Serenity & Creating an Inner Landscape of Beauty is a tall order. Especially since I am a student of these disciplines more than a seasoned creator of them. Curating beauty is one thing. But creating it? Add to that, I am not terribly credentialed. I’m destined to fail and have only a short time to pen this. But this fairy on the prairie is no longer young enough to wait for full ripening, enlightenment, or more sessions of Wisdom School. In fact she’s naive enough to believe there is genius right here. Right now. Within messy miraculous moments on an epic journey of the heart.
From Patina Homes (Gibbs Smith, 2021) – a kitchen with architecture by Steve Giannetti and Brooke Giannetti as interior designer
Decorating for Serenity & Personal Reflections
Do you long for beauty as I do? Are you aware it’s moving toward you? Do you need to be reminded you are orbiting and spinning in outer space this very moment? That you are in fact made of stars and reliant upon a gorgeous ball of fiery hydrogen and helium rising in the East?
Elegant Simplicity & Patina Perfect
How strange and awe-inspiring is it to connect in spirit here in spite of vast physical distance?
Velvet and Linen…decidedly serene and lovely indeed. For years I have admired this idea from the Giannettis who at Patina Farm applied a skimcoat of plaster (Kal-kote) to drywall for the appearance of Old World style plaster.
Living in such a state of awe and learning to somehow hold paradox and not grow bitter is where I most belong.
Naturally Warm & Unfussy Serenity
It’s where I find purpose.
Chateau Domingue – What a serene interior and home! With Pamela Pierce, Ruth Gay’s home became a vessel where exquisite reclaimed materials sourced in Europe could find new purpose.
The first half of my life in so many respects was a feverish rush not toward awe as much as respectability and a unique identity.
Chateau Domingue
Toward work and achievement that would someday lead to a destination where I imagined I would feel free, content, comforted, and integrated.
Nordic French Vintage Romance
Such imagining, however romantic and soothing, can steal decades and even full lifetimes if left unchecked.
My Petite Maison – huge admirer here of the way Tracie mixes serene whites with an ethereal touch.
Now I see how the rush can become intoxicating.
Serene white decor in a lovely cottage by My Petite Maison – effortlessly and with restraint, one of her secrets is rotating decor. With an evolving shop inventory, there is always freedom to create fresh looks!
I see how slow, sobering, surrendered, spiral-like moments create an inner landscape of quiet, elegant, tender beauty.
Chateau Domingue – Rustic elegant French farmhouse inspired ideas, white interiors, and quiet country style in case you are an admirer.
When Old World Feels Serenely Modern
How right where I am, alive and woundable, fierce and unprotected, majestic and mixed up…right here is where a timeless tranquility can permeate my presence within the present despite any present circumstances.
Giannetti Home/Photo: Velvet and Linen...the softness of a skirted vanity! When you aren’t a fan of dusty unused antiques and understand how to mix new with old, a serenely fresh mood emerges.
Even as my brain ages, my immune system malfunctions, and my vision blurs, I can see with fresh eyes the miracle of our being here in this crusty thin layer upon Mother Earth.
See how each new day: blooms for us as God in disguise, breathes with possibility, and beckons us to surrender to unknown blessing already on its way.
Velvet and Linen
Calm Blue and White
But creating this inner landscape of beauty, how does it begin?
Photo/Design: Pancake Hill…quiet blue and white in a country style utility space feel peaceful indeed.
Vivi et Margot…rugged pale stone in pale tones sets a quiet mood. Mixing whites without much fuss or overthinking always works. Warm toned whites with cool whites plus lots of texture. Try it!
With consent to be changed.
Perhaps the ground will need to be hollowed and seeds sewn.
Hello Lovely – What is more serene and simple than white flowers and boxwood sprigs from the garden?
To offer your YES is not a small thing. It’s holy ground after all.
Giannetti Home -Velvet and Linen
White Ethereal Elegance
Maybe the most challenging part of becoming fertile ground for an inner landscape to grow is how it is difficult to become still and silent in a modern world of distractions.
The Fox Group…I could stare at this marble wrapped bath forever, not just because of the high end finishes. Notice how light grey skinny French doors make a statement while remaining understated. Read more about light grey paint colors in THIS.
There are tasks to complete, concerns requiring our presence and mental attention, jobs to work, and relationships to nurture.
See the tour of this Houston home for sale HERE…a spare and lovely house with timeless style as well as calm interior design.
All White Kitchens With a French Accent
Where will we find time to offer ourselves to meditation, prayer, contemplation, and solitude?
Watch any HGTV design show and at some point hear a discussion of what you MUST add should you choose white kitchen cabinets or white countertops for your kitchen design. Talk will turn to contrast, color pops, and a sea of white. However, if you want to quiet a space and minimize the drama, choose gentle quietude with confidence.
The answer is different for each of us.
There are no rules! You need not show off if that is not the statement you wish to make. Also see white kitchens paraded HERE.
For me, a daily spiritual practice at home in the early morning is what works.
For someone else, the golf course or garden or chapel provide such holy space.
Interior Design: Giannetti Home/Photo: Velvet and Linen – Rustic elegant French farmhouse inspired ideas, white interiors, and quiet country style in case you are an admirer.
Humble Symphonies of White
Time where you can exit your thoughts and allow your mind to fall into your heart is precious.
My Petite Maison…certainly tugs at the heartstrings indeed! Are you too dreaming of a white Smeg frig? What a thrill to change out the styling on top of it like a shop owner!
For even though it may feel as though nothing is happening, plenty is.
It can be shocking to discover the clutter and flurry of thoughts, worries, and judgments that arise when we become still enough to observe them.
Giannetti Home/Photo: Velvet and Linen…a beautifully underbaked decor story as well as simple sophistication. Isn’t it restful and inspiring to see this bedroom’s walls the same color as the ceiling? While most of us lack the architectural wonder in this bedroom at Patina Farm, a limited color story may help. (See this post if you’re looking for a similar white.)
I watch them float by and keep returning to the empty.
Velvet and Linen
Sincerely Serenely French
As the spaciousness grows, maybe this is where the soul may rest.
Vivi et Margot…when tranquility begins at the front door, surely the rest is destined to be an ethereal delight. The French expertly create peaceful, serene looks with pale colors that appear faded by the sun. Oh the beauty of a pale French green with warm limestone…get this green HERE.
Where the tangled parts can untangle without interference from me.
A popular green in France, Tollens VERT OLIVIER is a hushed yet lively tone indeed.
Are light and rain able to reach the seeds as obstacles move? Who knows?
Brooke Giannetti – Velvet and Linen
White is Simply Timeless
But what feels true is that the True self underneath the rubble of my ego, defenses, and delusions can safely come home.
Farrow & Ball Pavilion Gray (at 66%) on cabinets and SW Eider White on walls – Hello Lovely. Heard whispers that white kitchens are five minutes ago and all wrong for resale? Don’t fall for marketing hype designed to keep you changing what you love. Plenty of us love the timelessness and livability of white done right.
In my willingness to simply let go of attachments in order to align with Love, God, the Divine Mystery, the Holy (you may call it by another name) something new grows within this landscape of beauty.
It’s different than learning a new coping mechanism or a way to calm my nervous system.
Hello Lovely – It’s easy to seasonally decorate with a neutral foundation. At home, I don’t need pops of color…give me tone on tone and tranquil vignettes.
While helpful, I’m not sure they bear the same holy fruitfulness I seek.
Shades of stone, natural linen and light grey-ed whites work wonderfully with brighter cool whites in this Houston home.
Emptying myself in quiet contemplation and prayer is not an agenda to prosper or draw more love into my sphere.
Velvet and Linen/Design: Giannetti Home. While black framed botanicals would stand out in this serene laundry room by Brooke Giannetti, the serene art whispers instead. (I have been crushing on a country style sink like this for so many years
I empty without expecting an outcome or blessing.
My Petite Maison
Those are attachments too.
French Gustavian Interior Design Inspiration
Rather, as I allow something new to be born…
Chateau Domingue – Say what you will about the trouble the internet causes in modern life, but don’t you appreciate the access to fine design? The fact we can study expertly designed rooms (this one is Pamela Pierce for Ruth Gay) and glimpse collected antiques is a modern marvel.
as I welcome a Love beyond words…
Velvet and Linen/Design: Giannetti Home…a repurposed antique, French baskets, and a vessel sink which doubles as a piece of art are lovely indeed. While Swedish painted antiques like this one (repurposed as a vanity) are tres expensive, don’t you adore the idea of actually enjoying your treasure and using it daily?
I become more teachable, more open for a landscape of beauty to emerge.
Unfussy European Decorating & Lifestyle
How does an inner landscape permeate daily life?
Vivi et Margot – For years now, I have been in love with Charlotte Reiss’ French farmhouse which she recently sold. Since she doesn’t fuss, the look remains authentic and relaxed but not messy. A mix of natural materials, aged objects, and simple touches keep the mood calm.
Hopefully it leads to greater wholeness and a life decorated with more mercy, compassion, and gentleness.
Beauty inside calls to beauty outside and finds it.
My Petite Maison – When objects are collected for their color, there is no worry about how the look will harmonize!
Life takes on greater purpose, and my lens is a new lens.
Giannetti Home/Photo: Velvet and Linen – For years, I have lived with an abundance of Belgian linen everything, yet it never feels boring to me! Belgian linen (such as panels for closets above) has character, texture, weight, and movement. For admirers like moi, it is a “for keeps” love affair.
Let’s face it. Transformation is the work of a lifetime.
Chateau Domingue…When you’re after a serene mood, it’s helpful to think about room transitions. Notice how the color palette continues and flows between these two spaces. Isn’t it a relief to see the rustic stone and antique doors without wood trim which could date the home?
Changes may come slowly and be largely invisible even to those who know us.
But little truly can become much when invested in what is good.
As we grow and heal and transform our pain, love flows into the world and begins to ripple.
My Petite Maison – Decorating for Serenity along with Personal Reflections on an Interior Landscape of Beauty
What does any of this have to do with feathering a nest in a serene way?
My Petite Maison – white French child’s angel wings, distressed finishes, and ironstone as well as rich Gustavian style. Decorating for Serenity along with Personal Reflections on an Interior Landscape of Beauty
Clearing away clutter and the unnecessary to make way for a pleasing spaciousness is also a gesture to welcome light.
Mindfully considering spaces, objects, and the emotional field can be an act of kindness…
My Petite Maison – Photos of French country, French farmhouse, French Nordic as well as European Country decor where white design and ethereal romance sing.
to yourself and to others.
Design & Photo: Chateau Domingue – Decorating for Serenity along with Personal Reflections on an Interior Landscape of Beauty
Divinely Crafted Spaces
An interior can become a landscape that supports you just where you are on the journey.
Chateau Domingue – Decorating for Serenity along with Personal Reflections on an Interior Landscape of Beauty
Is it a soft place you long to land?
Velvet and Linen – Timeless and tranquil interior design inspiration with white decor, decidedly serene decor, and neutral color schemes.
I independently selected products in this post—if you buy from one of my links, I may earn a commission.
Peace to you right where you are.
-michele
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