Wallpapering the dining room, Rustic French Chateau style and Monet's Water Lilies

 Monet's Water Lilies, painted in 1907, was just a fingertip away yesterday when I found myself chaperoning my son's high school class to Boston's Museum of Fine Arts.  There was an entire room filled with Monet's paintings, and I think this was my favorite.  We were told not to touch any of the artwork, and of course we didn't, but it felt so surreal to have this masterpiece right in front of my face without anyone watching.  It was a private moment, and quite luxurious for my soul.

Monet's purple, green and pink paint colors were luminous, and breathtaking. 

 I was very interested in how he painted his landscapes, as I relate to this stye of painting.

 Monet painted many other things besides his famous water lilies and Giverny gardens, including this "Ships in a Harbor" painted in 1873. The scene below is "The Seine at Lavacourt" painted in 1878.

 My eye was drawn to the French style at the MFA, including this ceiling treatment.

 An unexpected addition to this gallery, it was most impressive and beautiful.  

All in all, a very nice outing and one I should plan to attend on an annual basis. 

 As a college student in Boston,  I studied art, and some of our classes were held in the Museum of Fine Arts itself!  I remember learning many things, like the differences between the columns and capitols:  Ionic, Doric and Corinthian, all which came from Ancient Greek architecture.

A mini lesson for you!  

From top to bottom, Doric, Ionic and Corinthian styles.

 Moving along, I have been thinking about wallpapering or painting my dining room. 

 As I sit in the living room and look past my blue walls I can imagine a color or a pattern that pulls the robin egg color into the dining room.  Or celadon green...as the living room has both blue and green.   This paper by Laura Ashley is Summer Palace and has a background of robin egg.  It also has pink and yellow which would look really pretty with the new opaline glasses I have from the Martha Stewart sale.  But its not so hot with the purple transfer ware....and that is a dilemma.

The paper is fun and whimsical, but I fear upsetting my decorating applecart too much 

if I put it up in the dining room.  Its a paper best used for a space that doesn't need

 much decoration, and my dining room has a lot of decor packed into its four walls!

So maybe I will paint, or visit the wallpaper store in search of something that works with 

purple, green and blue.

Always decorating in my mind, its a pursuit I am passionate about. 

 My home will never stay the same, it will always be tweaked and get facelifts or minor adjustments.

I have seen pictures of it in the past and admired it thinking, oh that was so pretty, why

did I change it?  I know why, I just can't help myself!

I like too many things, and too many styles.  My current style dilemma is liking the 

rustic French country side chateau style of decor but I also am attracted to the fresher

whimsical French cottage style.  Maybe I just have to commit to one and swear off the other.

Let me show you some examples from friends and designers.

 This is the dining room of my friend from Chicago, Betsy Duggan.  She is the one who sent me some blue opaline chandelier parts years ago when I began my opaline obsession, you may recall.  Anyway, this is a dining room from her old house, and I thought it was so happy and welcoming.

A good example of Happy French Cottage style.

I loved her green Lilly of the Valley wallpaper, and the matching painted cupboards 

and  table set with pinks and blues.  Totally up my alley.

All of my opaline colors would fit right in on her table, and you can see what I mean

about them working with the Summer Palace wallpaper, can't you?

 This designer, Leslie Biggley, from thelesliestyle.com,  posted this photo recently. 
 I loved the fresh clean colors of the duck egg blue chairs and the lavender draperies 
with the floral mural wallpaper.

Its a tad too modern for me, but I love the overall look.

 Switching styles to the Rustic French Chateau look, this is a great example of what I LOVE.

But in reality I don't have stone walls (yet) and so that is mostly what is so appealing in this space.

I loved the pink touches and the overall soft French look and of course the arched windows and the genuine French doors.

This is a paired down version of the rustic French chateau look that I find appealing. 

This image is from Peeking Thru the Sunflowers.  I just wonder where all the stuff is kept?

I like a bit more decoration, but I love the rustic table with the skirted French chairs and of course the

French console with the Trumeau mirror at the far end of the room.

Hang up all my purple transfer ware plates and it essentially turns into my dining room!

Right?  I have a rustic table under the purple cloth, and a French console too.

 Imagine sitting next to me on my couch....this is what I look at. 

So I am pondering the dining room walls in my pjs.  Looking through books and old magazines

for something to inspire me...and then changing things up. 

 Two styles, two different approaches. 

 Which way will I go? I don't even know yet.