After work I met up with Sonal for a fun evening of shopping at Friendship Heights. At Banana Republic I got two pairs of oxfords (one pair in black, another in dark brown), each marked down fifty percent. So I guess it was like getting one pair free. Not bad at all. From the Traveler Collection, which the Banana seems to be phasing out, they’re a lot more comfortable than my current workhorse pair of dress shoes.
I also indulged another of my weaknesses, Pottery Barn. Right now the primary colors in my room are dark browns and reds. (I could use a third color to break it up a bit. I’ll do some homework.) Tonight I bought some dark red drapes, mostly sheer with a velvet pattern, which I’ll hang in my kitchen doorway to add some color and texture to that corner of the room. Previously in that doorway I’ve had white drapes with light striping, which is okay, but with the white walls, it leaves the room unbalanced colorwise: washed out on one side and saturated on the other. While at Pottery Barn, I also got an impulse (but practical) buy: coasters. It’s a set of four, each emblazoned with art from vintage champagne ads. Very cool.
We rounded out the evening at The Cheesecake Factory, one of my favorite dessert places, with its extensive menu the length of a spiral-bound novella. Quick aside: no sooner had I sighed to Sonal, “Wow, look at us, we’re, like, adults”–in our mid-twenties, living and working on a faraway, less-familiar (to us) coast, being all independent–than a pack of prom (or some similar event, who knows) revelers entered, seating themselves at adjacent tables. We were suddenly physically surrounded by the awkward exuberance of youth. I swirled my Chardonnay sinisterly. Oh fine, I didn’t really. (It was a Riesling.) Anyway. It was just a sight to see them everywhere, even at the metro station on the way home.
Okay, so very full. And tired. Parting thought: thank God it’s (almost) Friday.
3 replies on “Shop talk”
Okay, so I may not have the most… um… traditional or acceptable taste, but home decor is one of my passions! While you’re researching color choices, try caramel or gold, or maybe a silver tone — maybe nickel if you’re into contemporary, pewter if you’re into goth or renaissance [cheeky comment deleted], or chrome or brushed steel if you’re into modern.
As a fellow fan of decorating with deep red (I know the ottoman was a stretch — Mom as an intermediary was a bad idea!), I find that gold or silver tones lend a regal touch, don’t need to be matched well if used to accent, and are easily recycled into other rooms when you tire of them (especially if they’re flat finish).
If not those, try jewel tones.
Just my unsolicited $.02.
You read my mind! In fact I already have some silver metal accents–the stands of my lamps have a brushed-steel look, and I have a couple of dark wood vases with a shinier, chrome-like trim. So I can play that up. Maybe more metal accessories, like picture frames or a clock, etc. Thanks, Kesh!
Oooh…If you toss in a silver shantung pillow or grey cashmere throw, it would be to DIE for…