WOW!!! Nancy, what a BEAUTIFUL home! I've got nothing on you, girl! I LOVE your Bouillotte lamp in the bathroom.

And the study, wouldn't I love to have those built ins. I am supposed to be working and have a meeting soon, but I'll look at paint colors later. I have seen your fabric (or a very similar one) locally in a colorway with red designs, but not the blue, which is also gorgeous. I'd be tempted to take it to my paint store and ask them to match the background color...and I'd want to use it for valances and a window seat cushion cover.

Gee, I don't know what to say, my3dogs! Your house is so lovely and warm--that's what I want to do with this study! The lamp is in the bathroom because I took the light fixture down (more indecision!).

I have the same fabric in the deep red and beige in my master bath. The walls in that bathroom are a red strie' Waverly wallpaper that also needs to come down. I thought about matching the beige and using the blue toile in the study. I had one yard for about 2 years that I bought off a table in a fabric store and have been searching for some more forever. Two weeks ago, nine yards turned up on eBay for $9.95/yd. so I had to get it! How can I tie the bathroom in with it?

I'm looking forward to your thoughts and anyone else who would like to chime in because I am in decorating limbo!

Nancy

Lovely home, Nancy. I trust my3dogs' advice on paint for the study and would definitely use the lovely toile as a window seat cushion and as cushion fabric on the chairs. Would a toile valance compete with the transferware.? If so, perhaps a solid blue cornice edged 2 1/2" in the toile. Until the exercise equipment finds another spot, consider a whimsical touch by using the toile on the bike seat cover, a cover for what appears to be the bench pad and as basket liners. All of these can be made from scraps so you're not wasting material. Don't want to put the equipment where you lose the incentive to use it, so have fun with it.

In the bath, you can provide DH with his earth tones with a warm stone ranging from Dark Emperador to Light Rosalia countertop. Find a stone which speaks to you before continuing with the paint swatch on the wall. I'd be tempted to use the toile only as accent, perhaps at the top 20% of the shower curtain, perhaps with a matching blue ball fringe, and as the loops on Roman shades, with both curtains in a solid or tone on tone stripe in the toile background color. I too love real lamps in baths, and hope you keep one there even if you add a sconce or cans. Add a real rug if the bath doesn't get abused, and you have an inviting place that both you and your husband will find comfortable.

Nearly twenty years ago I had a wonderful red textured paper (vertical ridges so likely your paper gives a similar impression from a distance) in a bath. I'm sure your toile is lovely with red wallpaper although my look was quite contemporary. Four years ago I fell in love with a tone on tone island toile I used in a guest bath in a previous home. Again, a more contemporary twist, but toile is always elegant.

It's easy to get stuck if you try to focus on several areas. I understand the importance you may place on keeping a sense of cohesion, but it may be easier to start with the stone, finish the bath, then move on to the study. Trust your instincts as they've already served you beautifully.

I really like the material and you should use it for sure. I agree with 3dogs that the background color of the fabric would be lovely and very serene.

If I used the toile and a beige paint in the study/computer room, what should I use in the adjoining bath? Should I go with less pattern and maybe a richer gold?

Sorry I'm so late getting back! And, I had a reply typed up, and scrolled back up to your fabric and lost it all..Bugger!

Anyway, I always like toiles done in monochromatic rooms that blend with the fabric. I think they look rich. I'd head to my favorite paint store with a sample of the fabric, and pull out as many chips as you need to find a good match to the background. Be sure to view them under natural light, as the fluorescents in the store do very strange things to colors.

Your idea of a slightly deeper color in the bathroom, sounds just gorgeous. It would go nicely with the natural colors your hubby wants, too.

Here is a link to 3 yards of the toile on eBay if you need more, but no guarantee that it's your dye lot. I know the fabric I have seen is more 'golden' in background color than the one on eBay appears. I'm going to root around the web to see what there may be for coordinating fabrics to use in the bathroom!

Here is a link that might be useful: link to fabric on eBay

My3dogs,
What a coincidence! That's the same eBay vendor that I bought the yards from and it arrived last week! The first yard I bought was about 3-4 years ago off of a remnant table in Raleigh, NC.

I'm wondering if I use the toile in the study/computer room, should I go with something solid or perhaps striped in the bathroom or vice versa. I don't want it to look too girly! (Believe me, it would if DH wasn't around!)

Your house is beautiful!! I think of English country with that great bookcase ^ blue/white collection.

I love the toile you have, too. I would use it all.....window seat cushion, valance for bathroom & shower curtain. Maybe a deep blue for the bathroom since it has a window for natural light with the earthy granite your DH wants. Deep khaki on the walls in the office. Maybe get some framed bird prints with dark wood frames(don't I see a pheasant or something in the fabric?)

Can't wait to see it!!