Charles Faudree - Charles Faudree Home

Charles Faudree Home

Charles Faudree with Francesanne Tucker

Photography by Jenifer Jordan

Digital Edition 1.0

Text 2012 Charles Faudree with Francesanne Tucker

Photographs 2012 Jenifer Jordan

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any means whatsoever without written permission from the publisher, except brief portions quoted for purpose of review.

Gibbs Smith

P.O. Box 667

Layton, Utah 84041

Orders: 1.800.835.4993

www.gibbs-smith.com

ISBN: 978-1-4236-2123-2

I dedicate this book to Nicholas, my loving companion for fifteen years.

I should learn never to say never. Over the last few years, I moved into a smaller Tulsa house and sold my second home. I was going to simplify my life. But then I found a wonderful new Tulsa house and a second home in Cashiers, North Carolina, that I simply couldnt resist. Ive started all over again.

My life as an author has taken the same path. My last book, Details, was to be the last. Then I designed more homes. They were so beautiful and exceptional and I learned so much in the process that I found myself thinking, Why, these rooms need to be published! And so, this book.

Charles Faudree Home gives me the opportunity to share more of my designs and explore in detail what Ive learned through the years about the ingredients of a home and its place in our lives. What is home? What makes it special? What makes it truly yours? These are the questions that make my life so interesting. Everyone has a different definition, and as a decorator its my job to help people find their perfect answer.

Over the years there has been a shift in the basic requirements for a home. Twenty years ago people wanted a good bar; now they want security and a simpler lifestyle. Transitional style with its pared-down design is a response to this change in preference. I respond to the idea of paring down, too, but I like my simpler life to include my favorite collections and a great mix of fabric and furniture.

On a practical level, individual needs vary widely, and those needs have to be fulfilled by the homes design. People use their rooms differently. Some people want to be able to eat in every room in the house. Some want to do jigsaw puzzles in a certain room and some want a piano. A lady with a spectacular collection of scarves must have a closet that is designed to accommodate them.

The trick is to satisfy these everyday concerns while creating an environment that is an expression of the people who live there. Weve all known someone who seems ill at ease in their own skin. Unfortunately the same situation can exist with people and their homes. The design of a house can be an awkward fit for its owners. It has to complement them and their lives or, no matter how polished and coordinated, it is a failure.

The single most important ingredient in a home is that it must have a soul. I might wind up in a single room one day, but it will be mine; it will represent me. My friend Miss Pam says my home is made up of playful arrangements of beautiful things that make my guests happy. It is a good description of what I want my home to be.

I am a big believer that a home should have humor and not give you the feeling of being wound up too tight. It should reflect your whole life. It will change because your life is changing. In Charles Faudree Home Ill show you how different designs can work to add convenience and beauty to every part of your home.

I am privileged to have friendsdesigners, artists, family and clientswho have the knack of creating wonderful homes in whatever space they happen to occupy. I have asked a few of them to introduce the sections that follow to add their unique insights on how to make the most of the rooms we live in. I hope youll enjoy and be inspired by what you see and our observations about home.

Entry and Hallway Design

by Francie Faudree

The entry is my favorite design space, the most frequented and observed of all the public spaces in a home. It is the first and last place your guests see and the area they linger in the longest. A visually stunning entry not only welcomes and wows your guests; it defines your aesthetic as an individual.

May I offer some suggestions?

• Make it beautiful and warm.

• Dont make it bizarre or shocking.

• Offer your best, but not in a pretentious manner.

• Use original art that speaks to you personally.

• Dont make it a dark place unless it is a tiny, jewel-box space.

Your entry says hello in your best-dressed way and good-bye in a memorable way as well. First impressions are lasting.

I like to tell people that I taught Charles everything he knows about decoratingI am his sisterbut in reality, my suggestions for designing entry halls come with the advantage of years spent watching Charles work his decorating magic.

The entry in my home is an example of his core design principles as my husband, Dale, and I have interpreted them. A fine antique French commodeCharless favorite entry hall furnishingholds two French oil lamps that contribute the symmetry of pairs and a large painting by Zoun that reflects our taste in art. A Swedish sofa offers temporary seating, a nearby end table is available to hold a package or purse, and a giltwood mirror is handy for checking lipstick.

Undoubtedly the standout piece in our entry, a sixteenth-century carved wooden blackamoor reflects Charless taste, because for twenty years it belonged to him. Every time we visited my brother, Dale ask him to Put my name on this piece... just in case you go first. Charles is a kind and generous man. He relinquished the coveted blackamoor to Dale on his sixtieth birthday. The gift illustrated another of my brothers design credos: One of the best ways to enjoy your design treasures is to share them with others.

Personal items add flavor to decorating. In Darwin and Linda James home, I used the owners riding boots beneath a painting of hunting boots to create a wallscape that draws the eye to the end of the hallway. An antique French horse head from a butchers shop enhances the equestrian theme.

Hallways can be more than bypasses used to avoid tramping through every room in the house. They can be functional as well as beautiful, offering temporary resting places for packages, purses and even people. This long hallway gave me the opportunity to include two iron consoles and a chair in addition to the bracketed painting wallscape. A lovely antique French clock defines the far wall.

A landing in Darwin and Linda James home has the charm of a small room. The French commode holds a custom pewter lamp that adds warmth as well as lighting to the setting.