Jane’s House

The following is an excerpt from my article for our local paper, The Leaf Chronicle.   In the article promised I’d post pictures of Jane’s house on my blog, but I wanted to get this posted before I leave for church (several of my fellow parishioners are kind enough to read my article).  I’ll be visiting Jane’s house this afternoon and will add the pictures then.

I have a friend whom I think has an enormous amount of talent in many arenas.  Many of you know her as the owner and chief in the kitchen of Lovin’ Spoonful Café on University.  As near as I can tell, she knows most of the population here in Clarksville—natives, anyway!  What I wanted to share here, however, is her incredible talent as a decorator.  I wandered through her house the other night (yes, she was there) and marveled at her unique style and her ability to pull together a collection of livable items she and her husband enjoy and find completely comfortable.

They live in a wonderful 1940’s Cape Cod bungalow, yet she has decorated it with her flair and love for all things from the 1960s and kitschy.  She told me the other night, not realizing at the time that I would be making her the subject of this article, “I’ve gotten rid of the things I don’t love and replaced them with things I do.”  And it shows throughout their lovely home.
She has decorated one of her guest bedrooms with a wonderful 1960’s bed with the attached bookcase and nightstands.  She has a pair of swag pendant lights hanging over each nightstand.

She just recently purchased a wonderful green sofa that looks as though she grabbed it from the Dick Van Dyke show!  The facing chairs are newer construction, but have the retro lines which make them work with her sofa. There are elements of bamboo in almost every room, my favorite being the bar she purchased at Traditions a few years ago.

If you’ve been to the Café, you’ve experienced her affinity for paint-by-numbers.  There are hints of the collection throughout the house, but she displays the majority of them at the restaurant.  A collection of items like these misfits of the art world are wonderful expression of appreciation for the time people take to create.    Jane has a definite appreciation for creativity.
She has made nearly every curtain hanging in the house.  Her passion for fabric is off the charts!

Not even her love of wallpaper—and she l-o-v-e-s wallpaper—is stronger than her need to incorporate the right fabrics into her design mix.

She has a delightful array of bark cloth beauties throughout the house—curtains, shower curtains and chair cushions have been fashioned from vintage or reproductions fabrics she is able to sniff-out at flea markets, antique and fabric stores.  The graphic impacts of these fabrics bring her pleasure and complete the story of Jane’s House.
That’s what I’m talking about.  Being true to yourself—defining your own style.  I’ll repost part of this article, along with pictures of Jane’s house, on my blog, so please visit and leave your comments!  I’d love to hear about how you’ve defined your own style. 

Thanks for your indulgence.