I got the new William Sonoma home catalog yesterday in the mail and it's full of beautiful things. However, I'm not here to talk about how great they are or how wonderful the catalog is this time (I swear they don't pay me!! But if someone there reads this and want to send me a gift certificate, I won't argue!), but on the cover was this beautiful scene with large barndoors. The tradition of converted barns as living space goes back a long time. Remember the movie, White Christmas (my family's favorite movie, I've seen it 1,000 times).
In this fantastic movie, a retired general opens up a ski lodge, in an old barn: complete with a big theater in a barn where bing and rosemary put on some fantastic shows! This look with barn doors goes way back here the 40s and 50s -but they were harking back to America's past. It's all part of the American tradition -and it's back yet again! I think this recovered barn look is very similar to this industrial craze we've been going through, only more grounded in history and homey. Warm woods, large windows, open spaces -whats not to like?
Another similarly great movie is Holiday Inn. In this movie Bing Crosby tries to get away from show business by opening a dinner theater only open on holidays out in the country (was it Conneticut?) out on an old farm. The house looks very similar to this WS home look - good taste never goes out of style and neither do these great old movies!
I got the new William Sonoma home catalog yesterday in the mail and it's full of beautiful things. However, I'm not here to talk about how great they are or how wonderful the catalog is this time (I swear they don't pay me!! But if someone there reads this and want to send me a gift certificate, I won't argue!), but on the cover was this beautiful scene with large barndoors. The tradition of converted barns as living space goes back a long time. Remember the movie, White Christmas (my family's favorite movie, I've seen it 1,000 times). 
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8 comments:
absolutely- good taste never does. I like the WS look, even if its staged to the hilt :)
haha, it sure is, James. Some of the photographs in the catalog were SO fake, especially the fireplaces -but like you, I love the look!
If you like barns - did you have a chance to visit Stone Barns while you were here? It is not far from Kykuit.
I love barns too and dream of living in one.... one day.
No, P, I don't even know what that is! The carriage house / convention center now at Kykuit was really lovely though!
Every Christmas season, when I start to make my world famous and oh so secret recipe fudge, I get out White Christmas and slap it in the DVD player. That means the season has commenced.
And, I'm like you, the big carriage house in the movie was very inspirational to me during my formative years!!
Did you ever find the basket from the WS photo?
PD, I got some great places to look -none of them mass-market / cheap - so thats waiting till i'm not broke! haha
Oh, my gosh, these are two of my favorite movies of all time! Like you, I've watched them a thousand times. They are both must-viewing for me every Christmas and have been since I was a teenager. I wanted to live in a Connecticut inn just like theirs. And ride around in horse-drawn sleighs, of course! -Julia
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