I have a friend who just moved into a brand new home that she and her husband built. This is new construction – they were able to choose every nut and bolt that was used in the house and skew the materials used to their liking. It was quite an undertaking and was by no means stress free for them (talk about living out of a suitcase for months on end) but the end result was well worth it; they were able to create a home that is really indicative of their personalities and it suits them beautifully.

Of course once they were in the home the next part of the process ensued. They had a gorgeous house around them but now they had many rooms to decorate; and some where more difficult than others. In terms of the kitchen and more commonly used living spaces, there was little doubt between them regarding what they would choose. Most of their décor leans toward French country and the pieces that they have chosen – from tables and chairs to accessories such as mantel clocks and wall clocks – reflect this style.

But in more formal areas, they were more at a loss for how best to go about decorating the space. While these rooms were typically not places where people would gather on a regular basis, this was not their ultimate vision for the rooms and they wanted to create spaces – with the help of warm tones and comfortable décor – that would welcome people to visit.

One room in which they had quite a bit of trouble was their library. They wanted this to be a room in which you could come and sit in overstuffed chairs and read a book; but they also wanted to project sophistication through their décor. Ultimately, it was a grandfather clock that came to the rescue.

In the next post, we’ll discuss the ability of a grandfather clock to project high style along with accessibility.