Gegan Day

It is my grandmother’s birthday today. As many of you know on instagram, I simply refer to her as “Gegan.” It is a term I created at two years of age after failing at my attempt to call her “Grand Dana.” If that doesn’t give you any indication, Gegan is a very grand person. She sees the world through her very unique lense. She looks at a color like purple, and sees “a deep orchid” or observes the color orange and refers to it as “a tangerine summer sherbert.”

I recently fell in love with a twin bed. It is an antique upholstered head and footboard with a lovely gray chonsierie vine pattern. I called Gegan and told her about how much I loved this bed, but yet do not have a place for it (nor am I willing to downgrade my comfy queen tempurpedic for a small twin). Gegan’s reply was shocking and insightful. She said, “Get rid of your sofa. Display the bed as a daybed, throw on a bunch of pillows, and use it right in your living room.” If you know me personally, you know I hate my sofa yet can’t bear to get a new one for fear of my “hot mess” pug, Emmie, destroying it. Gegan sees opportunity in the unexpected and uses small details to create grand design.

Happy Birthday Gegan! Thank you for teaching me that everything can be beautiful (and passing down a sliver of your good taste genes to me). I guess I am off to buy a twin bed!

Here are some beautiful images from her home and for her birthday inspiration. XO

 

The Potted Boxwood 10

Gegan’s dining area. So simply elegant and classic with lots of inspired Asian arts and antiques.

Beautiful sitting area by Charles Faudree

Gegan grew up in Tulsa, the base of interior designer Charles Faudree.

The Potted Boxwood 4

An aerial view of Gegan’s bedroom of John Robshaw sheets and a chinoiserie matilesse. Very soft and feminine. I am obsessed with her Russian Glass chandellier.

John Robshaw Pillow

Speaking of John Robshaw, he is one of her favorites. His pure use of colors and design always put a smile on her face.

The Potted Boxwood 6

A fabulously Floridian vignette in her home. She is playful with her placements, yet very intentional with their display.

The Potted Boxwood 3

An “eyes on me” moment I had earlier this month at her home. There are always things to notice for the first time at her home, no matter how long they have been there.

Jonathan Staub Marion Philpotts Miller fretwork daybed via the aestate

A room fit for Gegan by Philpots Interiors. A lacquered blue day bed with lots of texture and tones in accompaniment.  Via theaestate

The Potted Boxwood 8

A living room area in her home. She has the most beautiful screens and displays, none of them the same way. Lots of Asian inspiration.

The Potted Boxwood 2

Once upon a time she was quite the entertainer. Lots of fun treasures in there…. I love the bird that perches on the floor lamp as well.

Russell Page at the Frick in NYC

Gegan has quite the green thumb. This garden at The Frick is by Russell Page. She purchased a book of his garden work for me in Paris a couple summers ago.

The Potted Boxwood 9

Gegan’s desk area. Casually chic and surrounded by all things “pretty.”

The Potted Boxwood 5

Another glimpse of her coffee table display.

Blue and white display by Charles Faudree

A blue and white wall display by Tulsa designer Charles Faudree. Very similar in design to Gegan’s outdoor spaces.

The Potted Boxwood 7

A long mirrored screen in her home reflects the light of pretty blues and whites.

The Potted Boxwood 1

She even has a way with potted boxwood…Happy Birthday Gegan!