KEEP CALM & DECORATE ON

I don’t know about you, but the drudgery of domestic life under quarantine has gotten REAL in our household, as laundry & “chores” pile up daily (if not hourly!:). SO with this backdrop, is it surprising that my mind drifted to images & practices of domestic order?? To get some inspiration, I recently spoke with Keiki Jordan of The Finished Seam, who creates beautiful ways for clients of top interior designers to elevate their day-to-day life at home. Many of the ideas are easy & inexpensive but add so much oomph, which I really need right now!

To set the stage, let’s peek at the gorgeous linen closet of Jane Scott Hodges of Leontine Linens, whom Keiki has worked with….

Photo by Paul Costello

The point is not for us to “compare” ourselves or our closets to this level of perfection, but just to appreciate the care and thought that went into it - & see how putting some attention into our most private spaces might give us a sense of ease & beauty too.

Enter Keiki & her magic for creating hidden luxury: the image above is a drawer she upholstered for a lucky client of Olasky & Sinsteden, all padded & complete with braid trim. A former textile designer for fashion designer Mary McFadden, Keiki stumbled into this line of work when interior designers started asking her to line clients’ closets with exquisite fabrics and papers….& the projects just blossomed from there!

The drawer above is her handiwork — how fun it would be every time you open it & see this whimsical pattern!

Another example, this one in a very David Hicks-y pattern - makes me think how accessible the idea really is….you could line a drawer with wallpaper odds & ends (or even good quality wrapping paper).

Credit: Nickolas Sargent Phtography

And if you want to feel REALLY pampered & well-ordered, look at all the accessories Keiki did for designer Meg Braff at last year’s Kips Bay Showhouse in Palm Beach! The scalloped wastebasket liner is charming - reminds me of something my grandmother might have had. I think all these little finishing touches are so nostalgic, harkening back to a time when women had much more time at home (for better or worse!:).

via Charlotte Moss

Two years ago at the Washington Winter (Antique) Show, I got to hear Charlotte Moss talk about how much she loves using and taking good care of her table linens. She mentioned then a system she created of padded linen boards wrapped with grosgrain ribbon which she uses to store her napkins etc. all pressed and flat, ready for use…

You might remember from a previous post that I emulated this trick at home in DC (haven’t done it yet here in NH). Charlotte Moss, the doyenne of all things beautiful & well-made, tapped Keiki to create the boards for her own home. Many of Keiki’s projects are done right in her studio in Tulsa, Oklahoma - which is of course a benefit during the quarantine when we can’t travel.

Her work has sent her all over the world - from Guernsey England to NYC, San Francisco (she also works with venerable design firm Tucker & Marks) & France - as she installs beautiful textiles as upholstery in armoires and linen closets, adding soft furnishings throughout grand houses to make them feel more like a home.

Well, I’ve got time on my hands these days, so you’ll find me sprucing up a la The Finished Seam - I’ll report back soon with visuals! You can reach Keiki Jordan directly via email - keikij@gmail.com. If you have any of your own projects to share, DM me on Insta! (@elegant.mayhem) - I can use all the inspiration I can get these days, as it’s rainy & cold up here in NH & our hearts are heavy with all the havoc this pandemic has wreaked for so many people. So Keep Calm & Decorate On.

Hope you & your family are doing ok!
Lee