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(c) Clever Carmella looped a flea-market ribbon
under
and around a seat back, securing it with a bunny-eared bow.
“I had to
put it somewhere—I wanted to look at it!” (d)
Blush-colored dahlias soften an
iron vase. (e) She
trim-med a filigreed church offerings box with a skirt made from
an old
curtain panel. (f) Embroidered French fabric spun with
real
gold thread sparks up these bolster ends.
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Text by Kim Ratcliff •
Styling by Kathy Curotto
Carmella Janssen credits her passion for sewing and textiles to her mother,
Walburga. “As a young girl, I’d lie in bed, lulled to sleep by the whir of her
sewing machine,” she recalls. A seamstress extraordinaire, Walburga not only cut
up her old party dresses to make fabulous frocks for her daughter’s Barbies, but
also made matching outfits for Carmella. “The need to create is part of me,” she
says.
From this love of sewing was born c. janssen, her very French, very
feminine lampshade collection. Concocted from vintage fabric such as mattress
ticking, embroidered sheets, tea towels, and trims, the handmade shades are sold
in California boutiques and antiques shows around the country.
Carmella’s Northern California home exudes the same whimsical charm. “Some
people shop with a specific object in mind, but I do the opposite,” she
says,
explaining her method for layering an eclectic mix of furniture
and fabric. “I
fall in love with something and buy it, and it
incorporates itself into my
design. You hear how matchy-match stuff is
a decorating sin, but when you pick
things you really love, they
naturally go together. It’s much easier than people
think.”
Her two teenage sons, Kyle and Tyler, feel right at home with her
cozy decor. Even their friends are fans. “One of Tyler’s buddies said,
‘I love
the way your mom tricks out the house!’’’ she notes with pride.
“It was the
ultimate compliment.”
(a) Carmella’s philosophy: If you love it (and it’s affordable), buy it. Find a
spot for it later. A gilded cornice she found at a flea market fit perfectly
over the living room’s French doors. Another piece she couldn’t resist, a toile
floor screen, dic-tated the room’s color scheme. (b) Carmella canoodles
with Bandit the Shitzu.
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