Nostalgic Design Inspiration From When The Circus Rolled Into Town

Design Inspiration: 
Red & White Stripes 

According to the Smithsonian Museum-

"When Barnum and Bailey’s Greatest Show on Earth rolled into

American towns in the 1880s, daily life abruptly stopped.

Months before the show arrived,

an advance team saturated the surrounding region

with brilliantly colored lithographs of the extraordinary:

elephants, bearded ladies, clowns, tigers, acrobats and trick riders."

Mostly because I'm from a family of animal-lovers, I learned from an early age to dislike the circus.  While other kids were munching popcorn and watching the  lions jump through hoops ringside, my animal-rights conscious mom swore us off from participating in this quintessential American activity. It is true, the treatment of the animals at many circuses around the country was horrific. But, truth be told, I do love the drama of the circus, not necessarily the animal part but the costumes, the side shows and excitement from entering inside the red striped tents.  It's as if the circus taps into our daring side as we search for the unusual, the extreme and even if for only a few hours we escape the normality of life.

a lovely stay in this home in Morocco offered on Air B&B 
looks like a perfect escape with these red and white upholstered seating 

In light of some huge world issues we are collectively maneuvering these past few weeks, I'm feeling melancholy for days gone by when the circus came to small town America offering an escape from worry.  I wish for all my readers to be safe, healthy and get through these uncertain times relatively unscathed or if not unscathed, at least to come out of these times stronger, wiser and more resilient. The silver lining in all of this social distancing is it's time to take down the noise and it's an opportunity to settle into our homes relishing in the hard work we've put into making it a safe, beautiful space. Here's to red and white striped decorations offering us hope.  Check out three of my favorite interior designers who found inspiration in the circus stripe in their interiors...

Interior Designer Mark Sikes bring an American feel to this gorgeous space with his red and white striped sofa

 designer Ken Fulk created a dreamy porch in Napa Valley, California finishing it off with red and striped drapes

Leta Austin Foster's Palm Beach project
shows a sophisticated foyer with a hand painted ceiling channeling a tented feel. 

Happy Nesting

XO Tamara