River House Diary

We have a watercolor painting of the creek behind our Oakton house that we bought from a local artist. We love it but finding a place for it in River House has been a challenge. If we don't use it in the back guest room, then it really doesn't have a home. So that's what we're going to do.  Bull Run Creek by M. P. Strickler; personal collection It's has lots of blues in it which would continue the blue theme of our coastal home, but it also provides the opportunity to go in a different direction. I think this is okay in guest rooms. Fabrics from Eastern Accents; personal collection And a better swatch of Sloane Prism -- the floral/botanical print: Sloane Prism; courtesy of Eastern Accents We have decided on the Eastern Accents Carmine upholstered headboard -- fabric yet to be determined.

 I've decided to move the Thurston Wing Chair from Ballard Designs that lived in our Oakton house master bedroom to the guest room that overlooks the water. That means I need a club chair for the great room. I think I've decided on the Maggie Chair also from Ballard Designs in the Gabrielle Chambray fabric. Maggie Chair in Gabrielle Chambray; courtesy Ballard Designs

 The date for the delivery of our long awaited sofa is growing closer and closer so I am thinking about the finishing details of the great room more often. I've started collecting art for the mantel and the gallery wall above the bench. I also purchased a floor lamp to place beside the chair (yet to be purchased) that will be placed near the fireplace. Crossing at dusk; courtesy Pottery Barn Secluded Coast 1; courtesy Pottery Barn Kate Spade Walker Floor Lamp by Visual Comfort; courtesy Lumens

 Fishing boats are apparently my new thing. This small oil painting is by a Russian artist, who sells through the GoArtAbstract Etsy store. Evening fishing; courtesy of Etsy GeoArtAbstracts

 While waiting somewhat patiently for our sofa to be delivered, I've been spending time looking at original art. This watercolor reminded me of the many shrimp boat fleets in our area. I'm hoping we can find a good spot for it in River House. Tybee Shrimp Boats by Derek McCrea

Not everything goes according to plan at River House. Yesterday the Kenneth James Juan Chan grasscloth wallpaper began falling off the walls in the half bath. Thankfully, the installer is coming this afternoon to repair it. But we are very curious as to why several piece decided to let go at the same time. Falling wallpaper; personal collection

In 1984 my grandmother and grand aunt took my cousin and me on a Caribbean cruise. Our first port of call after leaving Miami was Port-au-Prince, Haiti, during the administration of Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier. He was overthrown two years later. Haiti is known for great art and crafts though perhaps their metal art is most famous. Most of which is made from the steel of abandoned 55-gallon oil drums. When we were there I purchased a wall sculpture of sea turtles. When we moved to Oakton, I hung it above the sliding glass door in our kitchen. We found another one in a gallery in Swansboro, North Carolina, for the sliding glass door in our family room. Haitian metal art above sliding glass doors; courtesy MLIS I planned on hanging them over the two French doors in the great room in River House but those doors are 6 feet wide and will not have drapes. In Oakton the sliders were 5-feet wide with drapery panels covering parts of the windows. When we tried out the scu...