“Observation” is a new series of posts where we will all share our observations on the day’s photo. There is no expected, right or wrong comment. Just share what you see, what you notice, what you love, what strikes you, or what is something you might have learned about design from this photo. You don’t have to love the room to observe things about it.
This exercise is both to stretch our own creativity and to help ourselves and others see from a new perspective.
Need more help with what to look for? Read the explanation post here. Have fun observing!
This photo is from Country Home
I observed…
The stripes mimic the paneling on the wall…
The botanical prints are a group of 5 (odd vs even #)
The items on the table are varying heights to entertain the eye
The table is two modular cubes that can be moved around
Fresh pink flowers are also in the wall hanging
Sisal rug anchors the furniture group without being to heavy
Looks like a fresh, relaxing room in the spring/summer.
PS this was fun
Just stopping by to let you know how much I love your little messages you are leaving me now and then. It puts a smile on my face right away!
I hope you are having a lovely summertime!
Hugs, Aina
The room looks like a mix of “shabby chic” and beach cottage decor. The green and white couches ground the look, providing a focal point and setting the tone. The stripes lend a more tailored look, juxtaposed with the casualness of the walls and accessories. It’s a lovely room, inviting — reminiscent of summer days at the beach or lake.
At first glance, the pink flowers popped out.. I think it was nice. But then the more you look at the details, the more you find more interesting and beautiful accents. I think that’s what makes this picture a good one for the observation game…
Pretty and relaxing!
This is a fun thing to do Melissa! I will first observe, then read others observations.
~ This is a happy approachable room.
~It is comfortable, the chairs invite you to sit in them.
~Daring use of color yet It it soothing
~It is femminine
~ It would however, not stand the test of time.
Hope you had a happy day!
xo
Constance
I notice that the designer had a “problem area.” The wall with the window has a low ceiling height. The designer took focus away from the problem area by painting the ceiling and walls all white. And the vertical stripes on the couch draw your eyes up, too. So, problem solved!
And I didn’t read any of the comments about this room until I posted my comment. I didn’t want to have my observation influenced by the other comments. This was fun!
I, too, absolutely love the striking blue of the chest. It is unexpected with so little other blue in the room.
This looks like a perfect spot for friendly conversation. I think the narrow table is great. I noticed the touches of glass, and I always enjoy floral prints. The room feels sweet, welcoming and airy, while confidently chic.
This one is a real challenge for me. Look at the placement of the prints in the background. No rhyme or reason. I’m so symmetrical I’d want to change them right away. Yet the sofa is figuratively asymmetrical–meaning it’s really not harmonious with the rest of the room. It’s stuck there out of nowhere. But it all looks pulled together, modern and bold. I’d love to vacation there. The turquoise on the chest and baubles on the table lend the calm. The pink says “hello!”
This observation thing is a stretch for me, really. But I’m loving the opportunity.
Hey people! So glad you are enjoying (or at least stretching to learn from) this observation game! You are doing a great job of inspiring me! You see things I didn’t even think of. Excellent work!
I think I’ll leave this photo up on Wednesday and then give you another one for Thursday. That way everyone who wants to play on this one has a time to share and time to read the comments to see what everyone else saw. Then we’ll be on to another one!
Happy observing!
It is amazing to me that one can look at a photograph again and again and each time discover something new.
I like the contrast of the boldly striped sofa and the contemporary colors of bright pink and lime green against the rustic look of the walls, wood-topped table, wicker accessories, and those little drawers peeking out from behind the sofa. It looks like the sort of room you’d find in an old cottage that’s been decorated by someone who leans toward trendy. Charming!
I love the simplicity of the neutral flooring and the texture of the rug. The ironstone milk pitcher with monogram and vibrant pink flowers is so beautiful and feminine, yet balanced by the somewhat masculine mirror that anchors the room. Love it!
I love the pop of the turquoise lunchbox and how the mirror is casually propped against the wall.
This is fun. YOu always come up with the most fun and original things to do. I really like the aged wood wall and the bright green sofa. xoxoxoSu Ling
The room is pretty much in balance. I love the combination of green and pink in the accessoires. The colors are also in the prints. The wooden frame and the blue box are meant as a counterbalance for the green and pink. I love the wooden panelling on the walls. It is a nice room.
Take care,
Marianne.
This room really works. The green stripes are quite casual which goes well with the timber walls, but the actual room layout is quite formal which gives the room a strong sense of style. I love that everything is tied together with green a pink tones which really compliment each other. What a fun exercise Melissa. Tracey
I love the ” side table ” with green fabrics and nails!!
I’m with “the Farmers Wife” about the walls and the ceiling not working together. I like the lamps but not the lampshades and although I love the coffee tables they would be a bit useless: can’t stretch your legs and no room for anything with the large tray and bowl on them, especially with the studs on top. I would put the pink flowers on the console table (but it works well like this for the photo). Everything in this room is lined up in rows of similar sizes and shapes so I would try and break that up…. maybe with a round or oval coffee table or something. Generally I think this arrangement was for the sake of the photo and not for living.
Melissa,
Fun stuff, BFF! This room makes me think that it could be part of a cozy vacation home. There is nothing stuffy or too complicated about it. A lovely place to relax with a good book. I love the way that they light comes into the room. I also really like the shock of bright pink over the arm of the sofa. I also like that they used those little ottoman cubes as a coffee table. Good idea because they can always be used for extra seating.
Hope you are having a great day!
love,
Debbie
I love the obvious, beautiful bright rush of the flower bouquet on the table (and the lamp, love the lamp)… However, I am spying a contraption, with lots of tiny drawers?? Under the credenza (is that what it is called?) Type table way in the back.. See on the bottom left ??? Behind the couch!! OOOOO!!!!! xoxoxo
I am looking at this again and now I am bothered with the way the frames are hung on the wall. I would love a little symmetry. I love that the curtains are white and sheer, which makes it airy and light. Casual and serene looking. Though this is not my personal style, it works very well together.
I’m observing the knotty wood that they white washed…selfishly because we “inherited” some bad 1970s knotty paneling that I’m toning down, so painted paneling is *always* the first thing I observe!! I’m also observing the random pattern the prints are hung in. Any time I try to go “outside of the box” by hanging things at unexpected heights, it looks like a mess! Here they look more well placed, but I have a feeling if I were actually “in” the room, they would bother me.
This is fun! I love the total room…reminds me of something I’d have in the country or at the beach. I love the use of colors, but what really stood out to me was the bright blue box, and the pink flowers and throw. It threw in some color that I think made the room pop! And of course I loved the pinstripe couches.
I observed the way the color pink was used all around the room for balance. The pink flowers on the table make the pink floral wall print stand out.
The mirror was placed to reflect the light from the window making the small space seem more open and larger than it really is.
xo
Penny
I love the simplicity of this room. It’s very cozy and invites me to make myself at home. This green is quickly becoming one of my favorite colors. The tripod lampstand is great too!
Hugs,
Cathie
I noticed the pink flowers first of all…then the sofas. I was more focused on the area around the sofas and the cube tables…I like the pink cushion and the throw..you can always change them maybe to go with different flowers.
Thank you for offering these little “lessons” – they are a great chance for me to work on something I’m not so good at….!
I noticed that what seem at first to be colours that don’t match – the blue and pink – are actually in a few different spots in the room and do work. The blue is on the small trunk at the back of the room and the glass balls on the coffee table. The pink is in the pictures on the far wall, the pillow, the blanket, and the flowers.
To balance those bright colours, the floors, walls, and curtains are all neutral.
I would think that you could do it the opposite way – have brighter colours on the floor and walls and use neutrals for accent pieces.
I’m not a huge fan of the green striped sofa, but I do love the way it’s accented by the other pops of color~the pink and the bit of blue. Lovely vignettes around the room and it’s cozy with the seating area pulled into a grouping. Looking forward to seeing more of this series of posts…..xo~ Janet
I really like this room. It tells me this is a second country home where life is all about being comfortable and relaxing. The one thing I don’t really like is the dark-framed mirror. My eye went right to it, and I felt it was heavy and oppressive. Other than that, I appreciate the hard work it took to make this room look like it took no work at all!
My observation: straight away – I love this! the green striped sofa is stunning to me. This is me! I love everything about this picture. Do you? If so, we share the same taste – I’ve thought that for a while because I almost always love the pictures you choose to post. thats the observation by moi!
great idea for a series. love it!!!!!
Joni
Hi! Nice to meet you! I love your blog! you have such a cute post! congratulation
visit me anytime…
I love the clean lines of the stripes and green has always been one of my favorite colors. I love the clean lines of the sofa contrasted with the rough finish on the wall. And the botanical type prints are really wonderful …my favorite thing about the room!
I think this room feels very soothing, a great place to relax on the weekend. I love the green striped sofas, they give the room a fresh, playful look.
initially i really like this room, but the longer i look at it the more uncomfortable i become. there is a LOT of stuff out, and i’m not sure why it was chosen. i get the depth, layering aspect, but there isn’t space to really live in the room. i don’t just sit in most of my rooms. usually i have something with me, and this room is so “done” that it wouldn’t accomodate whatever i wanted to do. i do like pink/green but not these particular pinks/greens. and there is too much on the walls for me. i guess i ‘m bothered by the bottle on the table. what does it contribute? i don’t like things for the sake of filling a spot, and that’s how this room leaves me feeling. HOWEVER the arrangement appeals to me, and i love the walls/beam/ceiling. jkj
I love the way that the mat on the floor zones the room. The pink of the homely roses brings out the cushion too. I’d be very happy sitting in the natural light of this room, reading a good book. So snuggly!
This is a fun study!! Ok, my observation:
The strong colors are in the foreground, bring the eye first to the sofa and then to the pillows. The background is basically restful to the eye, although there is a punch of color in the blue box. The floral photos bring your eye up on the wall and then the mirror and old bottles end the study – like a period in a sentence.
xo
Becky
I like how the green in the sofas and the flowers on the table seem to tie in to the pictures hanging on the wall. The green, the flowers, the natural woods all give it a feeling of bringing the outdoors in.
And I love the light coming in from the window. I am realizing that I like light coming in so much, that maybe I need to consider placing my furniture in such a way as to really take advantage of windows and natural light.
Thanks for a fun exercise!
I love this room. I love the pink accents and the tri-pod lamp near the window. The beams on the ceiling and the destressed? walls.. simply beautiful.
I love stripes but these are not very proportioned to the size of the sofas. Color doesn’t bother me it’s the scale. Love the walls, ceilings and floors. Botanical prints are ok but I’d've chosen something less rigid like framed mirrors to add depth to the space. I like the sofa table up against the wall that appeals to me.
I really am drawn to the wood walls. They have such a natural look. The turquoise trunk on the table is a nice bit of color that keeps the lime green from looking like too much. I’m not really partial to the striped slipcovers, maybe if they were totally lime green I could live with that. I think the stripes in the sofa compete a little too much with the vertical lines of the walls. Maybe I’m overthinking it here, but that’s what I’m observing.
The room works, it’s very cozy. I like many of the details. But it looks way too cluttered with small objects. I assume that some of these are props for the photograph. If you add in the actual things that people leave around — books they are reading, e.g., it becomes impossible. I don’t believe that every horizontal surface must be filled with things — after looking at this, I immediately put several things on display in my office away
. Thanks for this exercise, and hope you continue with it.