Fit To Be Tidy Designer’s ‘Natural Home’ Makes Most Of Less-Is-More Concept

The term “Home Sweet Home” stirs images of warmth and coziness.

For Tricia Foley, that vision is romantic, which is not surprising since she is a contributing editor to Victoria magazine. But what is surprising is that Foley is a minimalist.

“When I studied interior design at Parsons,” Foley says, “there was a very strong Bauhaus influence.”

So Foley’s task was to reconcile the less-is-more philosophy and its often cold interiors punctuated by leather, steel and glass with the fuzzier, softer looks of gauzy window treatments, comfy sofas slipcovered in natural linens, or woods with time-worn patinas.

Foley’s design credo has taken more than 20 years to evolve, and she has named it “the natural home.” It embraces a variety of design styles, including Shaker, Japanese, British Colonial and an uncluttered version of country. The common thread tying all the styles together is simplicity, and it reflects a lifestyle rather than period decorating or a trend.

She sums up the philosophy in her book, “The Natural Home: Living the Simple Life” (Clarkson Potter, $22.50). The book, with its hard-hitting message, has catapulted her to prominence in the home design field because it sheds light on areas of concern to most of us: How do we downsize our living spaces, eliminate clutter and not become bound by possessions?

As a student of art and architectural history, Foley had a strong base in decoration, ornamentation and period styles.

“But I’m a career person living in New York City,” she says. “I don’t like to pretend I’m living in another era.”

Still, she has always loved collecting pretty things, sometimes old ones. “In college on Saturday mornings I’d be out antiquing and picking wildflowers.”

She got her bachelor’s degree in art history and photography at State University of New York at Fredonia, but was a social worker and teacher before finding a niche in home design. She worked in Bloomingdale’s design studio in Manhattan while attending Parson’s at night. Then she got a job as an assistant decorating editor at House Beautiful. She was involved as a stylist and editor for other home-furnishings magazines before settling in at Victoria, where she helped develop the magazine’s romantic style.

Her love of history led her to research and books, including the best-selling “Having Tea,” “Linens and Lace” and “The Romance of British Colonial Style,” which she researched over seven years during travels in India and Africa.

About seven years ago she opened a home-furnishings store in Long Island, where she grew up as the oldest of seven children, so she could spend more time at her weekend house in the country.

The shop, which she still runs, epitomizes her philosophy. Its appeal lies in the hallmarks of the style, as Foley has defined it. Simplicity is the keynote; nature, with its colors and textures, is the inspiration; comfort is the object of furnishings; and easy maintenance is a necessity.

The fact that there’s hardly anything complicated about putting the style together is compelling. A quiet corner in the living room of Foley’s weekend home, a small 1846 classic Cape Cod cottage, illustrates the point.

An all-ivory color scheme sets the soothing, relaxed tone. A dropped ceiling was uncovered, and now the weathered wood beams stand out with a natural sisal rug anchoring the space. A sofa slipcovered in khaki sits next to a wicker table holding a creamy tableau: a candlestick lamp, a crock filled with wildflowers and Queen Anne’s lace, seashells and a pair of baby shoes. The Queen Anne-style chair painted white is dressed with a delicately flounced gray-and-white-striped seat cover, and a rustic folding table is just wide enough for a stack of coffee-table books or a tray set for afternoon tea.

One pair of linen curtains, held at either end of the window, frames the sofa, giving an illusion of a larger space. Foley painted the simple wooden pole white. A painted white mantel is inviting, warmed with a mix of old and new. The sconce is a salvaged piece in a classical shape, painted Williamsburg buttermilk. A silver urn is an old cigarette cup that Foley uses for flowers or pencils.

“I think the mix is important,” Foley says. “These are elements I have found in my travels that I love.”

The old white wicker was bought at a yard sale for $75. A new lamp is classical and simple, yet modern, as is the urn. An antiques shop was the source of a Baccarat glass bottle. Shells were scooped up from the beach, and flowers were picked from the roadside across the street.

“They bring a room to life,” Foley says, “bringing in a bit of the outdoors and creating a focal point. There’s nothing too fussy here.”

Foley doesn’t like to dictate rules. “Your home can be modest and tranquil, a backdrop for your life, not a major statement. But it could be more formal, too, more expansive.”

The more formal manifestation of what Foley is talking about is the library of her New York City apartment. The space was rich in architectural detailing from the high Victorian period, with dark mahogany paneling, Waterford crystal chandelier, and sterling silver candlesticks and lamps with etched glass hurricane shades on the mantel, but Foley immediately fell for it.

To furnish the library, she treated the room with the restraint that characterizes her style. She set the stage with a sisal rug, giving the room a natural, textured look. Sofas and chairs are upholstered in flax-colored natural linen. (“I might do white canvas in the country; I do beige linen in the city.”) On the sofa are clusters of pillows covered in silk damask, white flowery velvets and silks. “They add richness,” she says.

Against a simple backdrop, antiques, even those with a little embellishment, stand out. The big mahogany chest, which dates to the 1820s, is detailed with inlaid mother-of-pearl knobs and ivory escutcheons. Foley chose the piece for its clean lines. The look is formal, but the room is livable and relaxed.

There’s plenty of room within her broad definition of simplicity. There may be the tone-on-tone quiet patterns of damask or there might be a subtle stripe. A stripe might even dominate, as in the den of a friend’s apartment on Park Avenue featured in her book. The walls and ceiling are tented in a classic navy-and-white ticking hung on hooks.

“It’s a great way to add interest, if there’s not much architecture,” Foley says, and it’s a wonderful way to hide walls that are in bad shape. “It also is a softening tool,” she says, “and it gives a tiny space a sense of drama.”

In her bedroom in the country, she introduced pattern subtly with a remnant of an old paisley shawl covering a footstool. The room is sparsely furnished with a mahogany sleigh bed from the 1820s, which she found at an estate sale. The bed is made up with muslin sheets and draped with mosquito netting. The windows are cloaked in sheer white linen half-curtains. Covering a round table is a marseille spread topped with a white painted lamp and a glass decanter filled with Queen Anne’s lace.

Similar in feeling is her city bedroom. Here the walls are covered in a beige-and-white Laura Ashley stripe. The bed again is netted.

“I love them,” she says of netted beds. “They soften a space and I prefer them to fussy bed draperies. It’s rather ethereal and a finishing touch that’s easy and affordable.”

The bed is made up with white linen sheets and plumped with lots of down pillows. A slipcovered skirted chair and skirted table are the only other pieces of furniture in the 6-by-9-foot room, punctuated by wicker baskets that are not there only for their look and texture, but for function, another important element of her design.

Foley also likes to use pattern to expand spaces. In her sister’s kitchen in a ‘20s vintage Connecticut farmhouse, te existing linoleum was peeled up and replaced with a gray-and-cream vinyl covering.

“It’s practical - low-maintenance - and by painting the beadboard, trims and furniture white, we gave it an open look.”

The look now is crisp and inviting. Shirting stripe wallpaper adds a touch of pattern. Blue chambray staple-gunned to the painted tag-sale dining chairs introduces color. A contemporary white metal light fixture hangs above an old farm table given a sturdy coat of white deck paint. White oversized platters hang on the wall until pressed into service.

“People look at this room and say, ‘Oh, it looks so Swedish,’ or ‘It’s so English,’ or ‘It’s so American,”’ Foley says.

In this room it’s also clear that although Foley favors the use of white on white, color is not ruled out for the natural home. The inspiration, after all, is nature.

“That may mean shell pinks, lettuce or spring grass greens, buttery yellows, sky blue, hydrangea blue or rich autumnal colors,” she says.

Color may be introduced on the walls or floors or more likely in accessories, such as pillows or natural treasures to set the table and reflect the change of seasons.

In the winter, Foley suggests ivy woven around a candelabra or a grapevine wreath studded with rose hips. Branches of forsythia or apple blossoms, flowering Angelique tulips (a pretty blush pink) or paperwhites reflect spring. In the summer, just about any wildflower or garden bloom and herbs look lush in a variety of containers, even simple creamware pitchers, beakers, etched glass bottles or tin watering cans. And autumn vegetables such as rich purple eggplants, flowering cabbages, bright peppers or squash make bold (and edible) decorations.

Foley believes the connection with nature helps us rediscover our sense of well-being and centeredness. To her, that sort of feeling is far more profound than keeping up with decorating fads.

“People’s lives have been spinning out of control, maintaining and keeping up with what’s new - having to have this and have that,” she says. “It’s over. Comfort is about ease of function, living with the simplest, most classic pieces. Weed out things you don’t need and keep things you love - family pieces, pieces with personal meaning. That makes life easier.”

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: FOLLOW BASIC TIPS TO A SIMPLIFIED INTERIOR To achieve the look of a natural home, you must first embrace certain basics. Tricia Foley outlines some tips, all of which revolve around simplifying objects and surroundings. Be appropriate to the architecture of your home. Determine how the space will be used - how it functions and is organized - not just how it looks. Eliminate clutter; reorganize. Get rid of objects that overflow your life by passing them on to family or friends or having a yard sale; with the proceeds buy one good thing. Make the most of natural light and ventilation. Don’t cover windows with expensive heavy draperies. Use simple sheet cottons and linens, shutters, shades, paper, bamboo. Choose low-maintenance materials to simplify housekeeping, things that age naturally and beautifully, such as washable fabrics and woods that can be maintained with lemon oil and beeswax. Use multifunctional pieces. “In the living room, I have a chest that I’ve used for linens or clothes,” Foley says. “I’ve used the top as a buffet for dinner parties or as a desktop for sorting papers.” Don’t settle for things. Let your home style evolve as you find the pieces you love. Don’t succumb to the trends of the moment. Furnish with timeless classics: a Shaker-style table, a four-poster bed, a linen tablecloth that you’ll have forever. Use natural colors to create a soothing background. Against the serenity of a neutral shell, furniture and accessories can be appreciated for their form and textures - like wickers or patinated woods - and a cacophony of patterns doesn’t compete for attention. Make sure furnishings are comfortable. Try them out. Something may look wonderful, but if you can’t sit comfortably on it, don’t buy it. Collect things that have personal meaning, things from your travels, family mementos or legacies. Use photos, don’t just tuck them away in a drawer. Develop a personal style. Be environmentally aware. In her book, Foley lists houseplants that make your home healthier (Boston ferns, English ivy, Gerbera daisies and chrysanthemums help filter air pollutants), natural insect repellents in the home or garden (peppermint discourages ants; French marigolds, nasturtiums, chives, garlic, parsley and basil keep aphids away; lavender, mint, fennel and tansy discourage fleas; basil is also good to shoo flies and fruit flies; and chamomile, rosemary, sage, lavender and mint repel mosquitoes), paints and finishes (those free of toxic chemicals, preservatives, fungicides, water-based rather than oil-based paints and old-fashioned milk paint), recycling tips and natural cleaning materials. Foley also suggests working with design professionals to lay the groundwork for interior layouts, structure, lighting and exterior landscaping. And she’s high on mail-order catalogs like Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel, which she says are full of elements that fit nicely into her natural home theme. “Don’t forget to indulge the senses,” she says. “The smell of bread baking, herbs, scented candles, wonderful music - all help create an inviting mood for the natural home.”