The Grand Salon

Previously known as "The Informal Entertainment Area" (which doesn't roll of the tongue with any elegance) the room between the foyer and the loggia has been renamed The Salon. The name salon comes via the French from the Italian Salone, meaning a large hall or reception room, and was also used to describe a  gathering of fashionable, like-minded people for discussion and entertainment - "to please and to educate".

So I think it is only fitting that the largest reception room of our house which is to used for the gatherings of fashionable people should be named The Salon. Peter and I discussed the pronunciation for a while and decided it had to be Sa'lon as in felon, not as in Ceylon.

Peter, Willoughby and I had previously chosen the carpet for this area (after much searching) only to be told by the manufacturer that there were only 5 metres left in the country and that they had no plans to make any more. Thus, we decided then and there that we had had enough of searching and would continue the marble of the foyer through the salon as well as through all the upstairs common areas. 

This we are sure will prove a practical move, as the salon will be a high traffic area, and it will contain a bar so spills and scuffs will be inevitable. 

The hard flooring may push the ambience of the room away from the cosy entertainment area that we were trying to create towards a cooler, larger feeling, echoing space. We are going to try to keep the room as warm and personable as possible by grouping the furniture around rugs on the floor, leaving the marble exposed for 'foot traffic through routes'. We want it to be the sort of room where a couple could sink into the comfortable arm chairs and have an intimate little conversation in the corner over an evening night cap.

Below: The Classic club-look that we were hoping to achieve with a carpeted space.

We have found some pictures which illustrate how we might try to create a comfortable ambiance in a large marble-floored space. Breaking the room up with furniture and a clever use of inviting textures and colours seems to play an important part...

Above and below: Back to back sofas are a popular way to separate large rooms into separate spaces.

Above and below: Almost all of these rooms seem to have a fireplace in them, which our salon does not. But their stud heights are also much taller than ours (the standard stud height in NZ is 8 feet. Ours is 12 feet. Some of the rooms in these photos have about 16 feet studs).

Above photos from Tumblr and Pinterest

Upholstered Walls...

Not having been able to find a suitable damask wallpaper that we liked for either the dining room or the gold drawing room, (and following some encouragement from Kirk), we looked into finding some silk with which to upholster the walls of these rooms.

And we have found some. There are some lovely silk damasks made by Italian fashion house and furniture textilier Etro.

Etro is more known for its fashion...

 It has some pretty out there looks, and is particularly known for its take on paisley.

 But they also make a range of upholstery textiles.

Here are the damasks we have chosen for three rooms. First the yellow damask for the gold drawing room...

Secondly a green damask for the Billiard Room.

Finally the red damask for the formal dining room.

The colours for the red and green damask are slightly darker than shown in these photos, but are just as vibrant. The photo of the yellow damask is pretty close to actual colour.

Now we just have research which is the best way to upholster a solid masonry wall!

Ray, a Drop of Golden Sun....

Welcome to The Yellow Post. Previously there has been a Blue Post and a Green Post. The yellow post is based around ideas and swatches for The Gold Drawing Room. Originally The Gold Drawing Room was going to be a beige-gold colour. But now that we have chosen the fabric and wall colour for the Brideshead Suite - which is a beige gold, and also for the master suite, which is a creamy beige gold, I am thinking we need something less beige, something a little bolder... I am thinking yellow.

It is quite funny really. I have never been a fan of yellow. I own only one piece of yellow clothing, I am not a fan of yellow roses, and the very first thing I did when we moved into Eden was to paint the custard yellow hallway beige. But, I have been researching Georgian colour schemes, and the I have to admit that yellow has grown on me. It is a cheerful sunny colour. I think the reason I loathed it before was that I found it unsophisticated and juvenile. I don't know why I thought that of a colour, but it did seem to be a childish colour but perhaps not anymore. So, out with the beige for this room, and in with a drop of golden sun! Here are a few ideas for the yellow drawing room...

Above: Custard gold striped curtain fabric. More yellow than beige, but not a bright as Nancy Lancaster's yellow drawing room below...

Below: Jasper Conran's yellow drawing room:

Below: Back to some muted custard yellows:

The white and yellow above reminds me of a lemon meringue pie!

Moving away from plain yellow paint on the walls,. bright gold silk upholstered walls are a very traditional and luxurious look...

Above Photo from The Devoted Classicist

Above photo of Goodwood House by Tim Imrie

Plain yellow curtains at Osbourne House...

Yellow accents in the White Drawing Room at Buck House...

Yellow wallpapers...

I would love to have a wallpaper like this swatch below, but alas I just can't find a nice bright yellow damask. This example below is actually a fabric swatch. Can anyone out there help me with this?

The closest I can find is this yellow gold Brocatello wallpaper by Zophany. It also has a matching fabric...

 Other choices include:

but they are all fairly beige. Even the metallic ones below are still too beige...

The only yellow paper I can find has white damask on it, and I would really love tone on tone yellow...

Worst case scenario I could always try papering with anaglypta and the painting it a bright yellow colour...

and the room will need some flowers...