Downton Abbey Club: Season 4, Episode 5 : Putting on the Ritz

There are things afoot for virtually every Downton Character. The plots are building.

But I still found things that were just as intriguing in the background last night!

Check it:

FERNS: Yup, not just the 'it' plant of stuffy Victorian sitting rooms...Ferns are still hanging around in the roaring '20s and they are still a fabulous addition to liven up any room TODAY. They are helpful with indoor air quality..hmm, maybe those Victorian's were on to something. House plants are fabulous in both form and function. Go to Gardening Know How for "How to take care of a Boston Fern" and BloomIQ for easy tips.

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TOILE: {Pronounced "T-WALL"}. Toile de Jouy. We were able to head into the nursery with Isobel, Mary and Tom, who had an impromptu broken hearts club band meeting while waiting for little Sybie and baby George to return with their Nanny.  Red Toile has had it's moments of popularity, most recently in the mid-90's when red + toile were both popular and existed in many a suburban dining room. Somehow seeing it in new light, Toile doesn't seem trendy, but CLASSIC and PREPPY. I've mentioned before that PREPPY is coming back as a major force in design.  Although I wouldn't recommend the full on wallpaper treatment in this red Toile pattern unless you have an architecturally interesting home, used in accessories or in unexpected color ways in larger applications, Toile is hot and here to stay. Those unexpected color choices make Toile fresh and funky. I'm a sucker for all things Toile.

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WINDOW SEATS: What a lovely glimpse we had into Cora's room last night. The scene where she and Baxter were chatting away while she was sitting in her window seat was so lovely it could have been a painting. I've loved window seats so much that I've built them in every house we've owned. There's nothing better than hiding out with a good book in a window seat. Bet it helps to have a view of the Downton Gardens, too.

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Check out my other Downton Abbey Club Season 4 posts!

Season 4 Premiere:  "The More Things Change the More They Stay the Same"

Season 4 Episode 2: "House Party"

Season 4 Episode 3: "It's all Behind You"

Season 4 Episode 4: "Oh Stop Moaning"