When I was asked to design a vignette for Rooms with a View at Southport Congregational Church in Connecticut, I was thrilled! It’s a showcase for charity and for the interior designers who are invited to participate - and it isn’t as easy as it sounds. We each had a 6’ x 8’ room - a small box really - that we needed to transform into a WOW moment!

Cynthia Ferguson Designs

I treated it like any room I design, and started with a sketch. I wanted a cozy breakfast room that would be perfect for gathering with family during the upcoming holidays! To create the coziness, I wanted to use warm colours and fabulous textures!

As you can see above, we really did start with a box. That tiny-looking space needed to be transformed - and quickly - into a showstopper!

The gorgeous Farrow & Ball colours were the first thing we put into our space - where I used a deep moody hue on the walls and a lovely blush-like colour on the ceiling! You can also see that the sconces are in place and the furniture has all been delivered at this point!

Cynthia Ferguson Designs for Rooms with a View

Finally, the big reveal - and I couldn’t have been happier with how it turned out! The warm colours, fabulous fabrics, and layered accessories definitely created that cozy effect that I was going for!

Cynthia Ferguson Designs

The glow in the room is enhanced by this gorgeous fixture from Circa Lighting and the light reflected off of that lacquered ceiling featuring a colour from Farrow & Ball that’s never been used in a showhouse before!

I was lucky enough to travel to North Carolina as I was planning my vignette, visiting Replacements Ltd. to select the tabletop I wanted to use!

You can see my final selections of stunning tableware from Replacements here on the breakfast table. I can’t tell you how much it means to have partners and sponsors for events like this! I also worked with Lee Jofa, Acquisitions, and Kravet to create this space.

So what do you think about my cozy little breakfast nook and the design process? Let me know in the comments section!

Until next time,

-Cynthia

Collections are a part of our family history. They are a part of our history as a society. I love to collect vintage pressed, for example! I also have a lot of clients who have gathered collections, but they’re often at a loss for how to show them off in their homes. So here are some tips you can use to artfully display what you love:

First, don’t hide them! There’s nothing worse than seeing a group of favorite things hiding in the back of a cupboard or a closet, just because you didn’t know what to do with them. Collections help show your personality - so bring them out front-and-center, like these sweet owls in a Nantucket store window! I love how some are facing in and those near the window are looking out!

Second, see if you can create a pattern with your collections. That makes it easier to display them on a wall or table, like the gorgeous pottery group I saw on a wall in Sarah Bartholomew’s Nashville design store! This is a great way to showcase a collection of plates, bowls, baskets, hats, and so many other cool things!

Third, whenever possible, group similar things together for greater impact. I like to put my collections of pressed glass in small groups by colour or shape - it looks more organized and artful!

Finally, the holidays are the perfect time to pull out your collections - they’re full of memories and nostalgia, which we all love this time of year. These little knitted guys always make me smile!

No matter what you collect, use these tips to create vignettes that will tell a story in your home of who you are!

Until next time,

-Cynthia