Eclectic Design

Mother claimed our house always looked like “early attic.” Daddy said it was like living in a bathtub because all the the rooms were off white. However, the den in our house—that had a cool large pass-through to the kitchen—had big southern-facing windows on one wall with the other three walls wall-papered in National Geographic maps half way up the wall to the ceiling. The room was wainscoted and below the wainscote, the wall was finished with burlap. The maps had a coat of shellack which made them look old. It was a fun and educational room with overstuffed club chairs, Daddy’s rolltop desk and one wall dedicated to the family library. We were all voracious readers.

Mother had a talent for perfect placement so I never thought our house looked like an attic.