In my last post, on the Dutch fashion house of oilily, I mentioned that I have always thought it would be fun to decorate a gypsy caravan, in the South of France. That got me thinking: a gypsy caravan loaded with oilily fabrics and accents - how amazingly GREAT would that be??!! I could imagine a smattering of other designers I'd add to the mix.
Before I get to my caravan, here's a little historical background color:
For many, many generations, there have been gypsies (les gitans) in the South of France - throughout Provence, and most notably, in the Camargue region, in the Rhone delta, near Spain. The Camargue is a beautiful, mostly marshy, area - a land of white horses, pink flamingos, black bulls and rainbow attired gypsies.
Cowboys of the Camargue (les guardians in French).
The gypsies' religious ceremonies become must-attend pilgrimages for many who live outside of the Camargue (above postcard from 1925).
The two main groups of gypsies in Provence,
the Roms (short for les Romanies) and the Manouches,
are fervent Catholics who worship their local patron saints,
two Marys (les Saintes Maries de la Mer) and the saint called "Black Sarah".
Throughout the region, old gypsy caravans (les roulottes) can occasionally be spotted, some of which have been renovated for use by homeowners - some even for rent as part of bed and breakfast vacations.
Paintings by Henri Manguin (above) and Vincent Van Gogh (below).
If you are interested in buying your own fully decorated roulotte in Provence, there are none better than those offered by boho clothing and interior designer, Jeanne Bayol. Here are some of Jeanne's inspired interiors for caravans:
How could anyone not be happy surrounded by these glorious colors?!
A selection of Jeanne Bayol's funky clothing designs.
And it's the perfect gift for the man or woman who "has everything"! The Rolling Stones' Ronnie Wood received this caravan as a birthday gift from his wife. How is she going to top that one next year??
This brand new model was recently shown at Paris's Maison et Objet show.
(photo from the blog, Belle Maison/Chez Catherine)
The following are some basic design principles for creating glorious gypsy caravan interiors:
Colorful walls and accessories...
Hand-crafted pillows, rugs, patchwork...
I love the skirt under the sink (more opportunity for color and pattern!)
...and I've always wanted a cupboard bed. Look at the gorgeous, old wood carving. I especially love the modern periwinkle blue walls with the antique cabinetry.
...More antique wood panelling and doors.
Dining by candlelight is de rigueur for caravan owners.
Colorful wicker furniture...
A mix of gutsy hues...
Cheerful accessories...
Eclectic art and objets...old shawls as tablecloths...and fresh flowers.
...Lanterns!
Rugs and floor pillows for picnics...
Bright quilts...
Over-the-top trims: tassels, pom poms, fringes...
Exotic items reminiscent of foreign travel adventures...
Vintage dishes...
Bohemian light fixtures, bright ribbons and beads...
Painting and poetry on every surface!
With inspiration like this, I am now ready to design my own virtual caravan, so let's go shopping!
Paint colors:
Anything bright and cheery - the more bohemian combinations, the better! I would use primaries sparingly, opting in favor of secondary & tertiary colors such as violet, saffron, raspberry, turquoise, lime, periwinkle, kumquat...
Fabrics & trimmings:
Traditional block printed cottons from Souleiado
(middle image courtesy of Beaux Mondes Designs blog)
If I remember correctly, we have a scarf in the above print, packed away with our saved oilily clothes.
Bedding:
Souleiado quilts
(photos from Diane Kappa's blog)
Bedding from Souleiado
Bedding from John Robshaw (above & Below)
Bedding from Anthropologie
Furniture:
A MacKenzie-Childs bed (above) or either of these custom upholstered headboards from John Robshaw (below) would be great in lieu of a built in cupboard bed.
Dining table, chairs and end table - all from MacKenzie-Childs
Antique chairs upholstered in ikats and suzanis are essential.
All of the suzani-covered pieces (below) are from my friend, Pat Stanton of Stanistan Design, in Newton, MA:
Side tables from Moroccan Prestige
Leather poof from Moroccan Prestige
Lighting:
The popular Turquoise Empire chandelier from Marjorie Skouras...also available in these other yummy colors.
Candle sconces and lantern from Moroccan Prestige
Horse lamp from Jonathan Adler. For my roulotte, I would cover this shade with a bright ikat silk, trimmed with glass beads.
Rugs, pillows and curtains:
Kaffe Fasset hooked rug from Dash & Albert
Two woven carpets from Madeline Weinrib
Missoni rugs - the Lucca carpet (below) is available at Colony Rug Company, in the Boston area.
Bedouin rug from Urban Outfitters
Missoni-like pillow from Urban Outfitters
Woven throws, pillows and rug from Missoni Home (above & below)
Sheer Missoni curtains at the windows
Traditional Provencal bead curtains at the door
Silk pillows from Madeline Weinrib
Vintage suzani pillow from John Robshaw
Kitchen & tableware:
Tile backsplash (above) and fish sink (below) both from MacKenzie-Childs
Cabinet knobs from MacKenzie-Childs
Serving pieces from MacKenzie-Childs
Dishtowels from John Robshaw
Akiko glasses from Kenzo Maison (above) and Moroccan tea glasses (below)
Pierre Deux demi-tasse cup and saucer.
Souleiado placemats, napkins and tablecloths
Polka dot tea set and dishes from oilily
The official oilily cookbook!
For our grandchildren:
