Guest Post: A place of one's own

I would like to introduce you all to Maria, from vintage simple. Quite simply, her vision of house style is the closest to mine of anyone I've found on the web to date. Almost every time I read one of her posts I find myself sighing with happiness. Somehow her posts create a sense of peace - and I can't put my finger on how or why. She writes from South Carolina, where, along with lovely curating of the Internet house style world, she shows us the process of restoring her family's 1920's bungalow.

Hello, my dears, Maria here from vintage simple, visiting LPC's lovely corner of the world with a little gift for her that I think will suit her spirit and calm her mind, as she looks back at her life in search of meaning and wisdom.

When Lisa asked me to do a guest post here, I must confess that I was a little bit nervous. Okay, I lie - I was terrified. We all know that she is the embodiment of good taste, blending (I think) a little bit of Grande Dame, Sturdy Gal and Artsy Cousin, plus a little something else all her own into the mix. And although she writes freely about these archetypes, she does not reveal herself completely....

And so it was that I was a little bit stumped. What kind of gift could I give her in exchange for this kind invitation? What gift, I wondered, would honor all these archetypes that Lisa has been exploring and that, to some degree or another, exist within her own self..?

After giving it some thought, I found the answer in one of my all-time favorite design teams: Atlanta Bartlett and husband Dave Coote. These two favor classic lines to suit the Grande Dame,


often use farmhouse settings (a choice the Sturdy Gal would have no complaints about),


and although they are rooted in tradition, they have a thoroughly modern approach and their interiors can sometimes take a more bohemian look, which I think would suit the Artsy Cousin perfectly.


Their homes are simple and sensible - never overly decorated or fussy and, I think, invariably beautiful. By far, the quality that attracts me to their designs the most is that no matter where your eyes rest, they are met with a certain sense of calm and serenity; Bartlett and Coote's interiors are sublimely relaxing. And so I thought, what better place to be than that when you are trying to take stock of your life and perhaps even redefine it as it where...?

So, I invite you and Lisa to take a little tour of what I think might be a lovely place for her to get away... won't you come and take a look with me?


This is a place with lots of soothing whites, beautifully aged mirrors, antique chandeliers and comfortable seating...


It is a place where soft sunlight bathes the floors in the most welcoming way,


and where Lisa can surround herself with beautiful things...


It's a place where she can dine indoors,


or outdoors if the mood strikes her, because - why not?

It is a place where she can place freshly-cut flowers from her garden in every room,


and take long baths in a most decadent of vintage cast iron tubs...


Perhaps, most importantly, it's a place where she can get away to write all the things that she needs to put down, now that she can...


It is, in essence, a place all of her own...because, really - who wouldn't want such a place after all...?

Thank you for spending some time with me today - I hope you have enjoyed yourselves... I know I certainly have. And thank you, Lisa, for this incredibly kind invitation - you have been very generous and encouraging, and I hope you know that I appreciate it deeply. I hope you like your imagined place of sorts and I sincerely hope that it will inspire you to follow your dream to write away... Your fans will all be here, waiting with bated breath, ready to read your first book and the many more that will come after that.

(images: via beach studios)