Do mountain houses have to have brown leather sofas?  Where are the rules that state that taupe, tan and muddiness are de rigeur in today's contemporary mountain design?  And yet, for the last few years that's what I see in new homes.

Oddly, I have recently been in some older condos from the 70's.  They have brightly colored sofas.  Reds, oranges and even purples were much more common than they currently are.

If you've got a room with a brown leather sofa what can you do?

Well, I say, why not use a little color?  Here are a couple of eye-popping fabrics that are sure to brighten up your mountain day. 

Above, Brunschwig and Fils Gilly Cotton Print in Red on Dijon.  I love this bright and cheerful pine cone print.  With a print this gorgeous, the more the better.  Use it for fabulous curtains in the living room or dining room.  You might want to pair it with this beautiful New London Plaid by Diamond and Baratta for Lee Jofa, perfect to upholster your favorite chair.

Then just toss around a few brightly colored pillows.

And add a gorgeous colorful carpet underfoot (like this Safavieh Ganges River wool carpet). 

That's the way to take ordinary to fabulous.

Fabrics and pillows shown above are available in the Dragonfly Designs online store.  Just click below:

To view other versions of the Gilly Cotton Print, click here.

If you are a regular reader, you may have noticed that I have been developing an online store.  You may have even clicked over to check it out.  Our old online store URL was a little long so we have changed it to www.dragonflytahoe.com.  We hope this will make it easier for you to find us. 

By the way, the store is steadily growing.  I hope to eventually have all my favorite mountain fabrics and furniture lines included.  This will make it another wonderful place to find inspiration and ideas for anybody out there who is trying to decorate a mountain house on their own.  If you haven't been there yet, I invite you now to take a look.

Contemporary Rustic is the term I've been using to describe today's most popular mountain building style.  Spaces are large with big ceiling volume.  In fact, almost all new mountain construction features a Great Room configuration.  The emphasis is on the views and windows are stacked to the rafters.  Materials are rustic and include lots of wood, stone and metals. There are lots of references to the Arts and Crafts movement.  Hand crafting is important.   Reclaimed materials are popular, especially in wood floors. 

How do you decorate a Contemporary Rustic style house? 

Of course, I like to fill these rooms with luxurious comfortable large-scale sofas, lounges and sectionals, but it's a little tricky finding just the right tables and case goods to use in these large rustic interiors.  I'm a big fan of some of the Artifacts International line of furnishings for contemporary Mountain Houses. Their pieces have the weight and size to anchor big volume rooms.  And importantly, they feature natural woods and materials which are hand-crafted, highly distressed, and rustic in design.

Artifacts makes a Mill Valley line that I especially appreciate.  Here are some of the pieces in this line.

Mill Valley Chest  50"wide x 33 high   You usually think of a chest as a piece of furniture best used in the bedroom.  In this case, however, bring the piece out into the main rooms and show it off!  I love this in the entry way, or for under the big screen TV as well as a substitute for a sofa console table.  In all cases the drawers provide extra storage for games, DVD's, winter throws and other Great Room paraphernalia.

Mill Valley Cocktail Table  Huge.  Stunning.  Not too delicate to put your feet on!

Canyon Mirror   Huge at 66" high x 48" wide. Some rooms just need this kind of scale.

Mill Valley Amoire  Here's the answer to the question of what to put on that really tall wall. 

Mill Valley Console  A great piece to fill up an empty wall space. Just put a pair of large lamps on either end and a fabulous piece of artwork on the wall behind it. 

Pieces from the Artifacts International Mill Valley line are available in the Dragonfly Designs online store.  Click below to shop! 

We are blessed with an early spring this year.  Most years we don't get any spring at all.  Come June 1st, winter ends and we have summer.

Usually in April and May when all my friends "down the hill" are enjoying their gardens, pulling out their flip flops and hiking and biking, we are buried in snow and living under gray skies and snow flurries.  This time of year I dream about sunshine, gardens and being outside.  I just want a few pansies!

Well, this year we are getting daffodils!  It's actually springtime.  Oh, joy!!

The other day I picked up lunch in town and took the dogs to the beach.  Here's my lunch spot. 

Springtime in April....bring it.

Gotta run....Luna and I are taking the dogs for a hike!

Over a year ago I posted some Martis Camp photos.  Since that time, further work has been completed (the main club house is now open) and I have been able to locate some better photos of the Family Barn.

I like to keep an eye on what's happening at Martis Camp because the bulk of the construction money in Tahoe is currently going there.  Martis Camp requires that each lot be 4 acres and there is a thick and highly detailed manual outlining complicated construction requirements.  As a result, all of the homes are multimillion dollar projects.  The best local talent and artisans are all there, so a quick tour of Martis Camp is a way to keep abreast of what the latest and greatest in mountain construction looks like.

I am a huge fan of the Martis Camp Family Barn.  It is a warm, welcoming and beautifully crafted space.  The design team for the project was Kim Anderson and Donna Vallone.  I think their work is terrific and I especially love the Family Barn.  Take a look...

The building's exterior is actually designed to look like a barn.

Bright welcoming colors in the main seating area.

This mountain inspired soda fountain is the perfect place to take the family for a kid-friendly meal.

There are lots of nooks and crannies in the barn with game tables, dress-up toys, reading nooks, and a world class art loft.  Pretty much all forms of family recreation have been provided for.

A pool table next to the bowling alley.

The colorful swimming pool where red stripes match the red exterior barn paint.

And, of course, the theatre.

I think the Club House is also handsome, but frankly I prefer the warmth and whimsy of the family barn.

Beautiful. 

To view my previous posting on Martis Camp, go here.

In last week's posting I made mention of Axel Vervoordt.  It got me thinking that I had seen some beautiful images of his personal family cabin in the mountains outside of Verbier.  A little digging on the internet and voila!  Enjoy these photos of his beautiful chalet...but, first a little background on the man himself.

Since 1968, Vervoordt has been collecting, restoring and dealing quality antiques to high level collectors, designers and showrooms around the world.  His top-tiered clientele include Sting, Rose Tarlow, Bill Gates, Paul Wiseman, Bill Blass and many, many more names we all recognize.  Over the years his company has grown to include 100 craftsmen, restorers, designers and project leaders.  With the growth of his reputation he has become a world class interior designer and his unique style has influenced current popular design tremendously. 

"I consider myself a very eclectic collector and dealer, I treasure the timeless and disdain the trendy.  My taste spans centuries, continents and economic strata.  I love the tension between different objects and different cultures.  And I always let the space I am restoring inspire me."  --Axel Vervoordt

I think of this room as being classic Vervoordt style, the combining of the simple and the rustic with inviting linen covered seating.  With Vervoordt there's always lots of empty space and beautifully detailed architecture. 

This amazingly huge coffee table and over-sized upholstery works beautifully in an uncluttered room.

Vervoordt knows antiques and here, in this more traditional room, he adds valuable collected pieces and a little color for a cozy but sophisticated look.

A colorful collection of carpets and antique boxes line an enormous built-in banquette. 

Old stone floors, simple sisal matting, unique and rare antiques, neutral colors, exciting architecture.

 axel-vervoordt.com

I love the style of this charming Norwegian Mountain Cottage.  It is designed in a style made popular by world-renown Antwerp designer, Axel Vervoordt, although it is definitely a little more "funked up" than any of Vervoordt's work.  Even so, the simplicity, the natural materials, the occasional fabulous antique are all a trademark mix for Vervoordt. 

A few years ago my sister and I were in Brussels shopping for clients and we were bowled over by the then fresh-looking emphasis on nubby linens with antiques, industrial pieces and simple natural hand-made furnishings.  

A single but stylish light bulb hangs above a rustic coffee table, a shaggy fur sofa and a charmingly whimsical collection of mountain themed toss pillows.  (The wallpaper on the right wall is Pierre Frey's Salzburg, available at the Dragonfly Designs online store,www.dragonflytahoe.com.)

Rustic woods and finishes are spruced up with personal photos and artwork arranged artistically.  The rough-sawn kitchen wall is painted the perfect shade of dove grey, repeating the same tone in the reclaimed cabinet doors.

Rustic meets industrial chic in the dining room.  I love the way every piece is selected for character.  Simplicity and bare space is the key to making this style work.  The bittersweet chocolate wall is a great contrast to the rustic wood wall.

Nothing is particularly expensive here, but everything is perfectly edited.  Again, a wonderful paint color has been used.  The simple mushroom/grey paint sets off the nubby natural linen bed-skirt and curly lambs wool throw. 

My immediate response...my daughter and her friends would love this cozy but slightly goth guest bedroom.  Chic, sophisticated, simple, spare and natural. 

There's a lot more to mountain design than moose-themed chandeliers and plaid sofas.  And this sophisticated Taos boutique inn, the Bavarian Ski Chalet, proves it.

There's that word, "cute".  I try not to use it too much.  However, I just can't help it here.  These hand-made unique pieces from Willows are just....cute!  It's the plain and simple truth. 

Willows makes a couple of charming beds.  The Ardmore is one of my favorites.

And this day bed, above, is just soooo cute for a guest room requiring a pair of twins. 

I love this Willows vanity for a powder room:

They've photographed it with their stag mirror. 

I think this little telephone table, above, would make a great sofa side table in a camp style cabin.  Again, pretty cute!

This is the Willows Butlers Station, above.  And below, the 7 Drawer Chest:

The Hand Painted Gingham Table and chair, above, would look great in a breakfast room, as a game table in a great room, or on a covered porch. 

Speaking of covered porches, what porch couldn't be improved with the addition of this fabulous chaise lounge?  Also great in the corner of a bedroom with a side table, a stack of books and a good reading light.

Above, a Willows Lantern chandelier made of fine woven willow branches.

Cute, right?

Quirky affordable charm runs rampant in this fresh light version of Adirondack style.  The homeowner, Ann Stillman O'Leary, uses a playful style to breathe new air on mountain design. (Photos from Country Homes)

Photo credit:  AimÉe Herring