white night

My dear friend and outstanding interior designer, Mary Roberts invited me to her home for a quiet evening with a few of our friends.During my year and 1/2 struggle surviving stage 3 colorectal cancer, Mary was there like a devoted mother. She came to visit me ever so often to check up on me. She and I would have wonderful chats.The encouragement she gave throughout this time truly gave strength in my horrible situation.
She was also a devoted friend to my friend and employer, the late Wayne Martin. The founder of Wayne Martin Inc,the premier designer's showroom in Portland, Oregon.
I remember when Mary and her husband Peter lived in the garden apartment in his building downtown, he would always rave about her wonderful dinners that she would prepare and bring up to him. The first time that I had gotten a hint of what white could do to an interior was when Wayne had asked me to return her casserole dish.

Her home is filled full of beautiful objects and furniture covered in various tones of white. benches covered in Fortuny, ottomans in simple white cotton, a french armchair in a subtle tone on tone stripe. The walls were a very pale grey almost white. She had antique botanicals in simple gold frames above the fireplace.

As anyone knows that has read my blog before I am all about colour, stripes and graphic patterns. That night I fell in love with white for the first time. These photos that I have included are not her home and do not do it justice. You will have to imagine the true beauty that is her home.
It wasn't the perfect amount of light that created the warmth in her white rooms. It was the warmth of her graciousness and hospitality that gave each room that depth of colour. The Vivid colour that flowed through her home was the enchantment of the evening, the conversations that were had by our mutual friends and of course the pale summery colours that we wore in our clothes.
It was a truly a beautiful evening spent with enduring friends.
thank you Mary for sharing the beauty that is your heart and your home.


love, john