Friday, October 11, 2024

What We're Writing--Debs Does Interior Design

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Rhys's post this week on researching the details of her book-in-progress got me thinking about what I need to see in real life versus what I make up out of whole cloth, or a combination thereof. Since I write about actual places, I usually stick pretty close to the real thing when I'm describing exterior settings, and I do my best to see the settings in person. I'm a big proponent of boots-on-the-ground.

But interiors are a different story! There is so much freedom there! I love writing about rooms, and I've often said that my fantasy job is to be a set designer for films or TV--what fun to bring characters and time periods to life through their spaces and belongings. Think about the new version of All Creatures Great and Small, for instance--I would watch that just to see the rooms in Skeldale House. They are so perfect, and they tell us so much about the people living there. 

We had parts of a movie shot in our house once and that was such an interesting experience. The film was low budget so I'm not sure they had an actual set designer, but whoever was in charge of sets brought in odds and ends of things, which they mixed with our stuff. In one scene in our living room, the actors drink tea from our Blue Calico porcelain, which I thought rather an odd choice for these particular characters, and it was bizarre to see our living room not looking quite like our living room! Our guest room became a teenage boy's room--amazing the transformation wrought by a few bits of sports memorabilia.

Some of my interiors are based on places I have been in person. The B&B in Now May You Weep, for example, with its over abundance of purple tartans, was based on a place I stayed (alas, now closed) in the village of Boat of Garten in the Scottish Highlands.

I'm addicted to British home magazines and I get ideas for rooms and houses from the feature spreads and even the ads. I wish I could show you the room that served as the inspiration for the gorgeous blue and pink sitting room in A Bitter Feast's Beck House, but I'm afraid I might get us in trouble for copyright violation.  (Also, I can't find the magazine!)

Sometimes, there's a fun inspiration within an inspiration. This is the corner of our sunporch. The poster features artist Stephanie Woolley, whose lovely work I attributed (with her permission) to artist Julia Swann in Leave the Grave Green. But it's also a nod to the sucession of gray tabbies in our lives--we seem to be magnets for them. (And please excuse my sad plant--that one is not doing the poster justice!)




And sometimes I just have a room in my mind, a place I've never been or seen in a photo, but that seems so real I can't believe it doesn't exist. Here's a very rough snippet from a scene in the book-in-progress (Kincaid/James #20) where we find Melody Talbot waking from a sleep in Hazel Cavendish's sitting room.

Hours later, it was sound that began to filter into her awareness first. There was the soft murmur of a radio, BB4, she thought, which made her think of her dad. Was she in the Kensington townhouse? No, the gentle clink of crockery brought it back. She was in Hazel’s bungalow, and there was the scent of something delicious baking—was it bread? And beneath that, something savory, perhaps a soup or casserole, that smelled of garlic and unfamiliar spices.

Tendrils of some pleasant dream still flickered at the edge of her consciousness, and her body felt heavy and languorous in a way she had almost forgotten. With an effort, she forced her eyes to open a fraction. The light in the room had changed, golden now rather than green-tinted as it had been in the morning, when it had been filtered by the potted lemon trees in the courtyard.

God, how long had she slept? What time was it? Was that the evening news on the radio? As her heart began its familiar racing, she struggled to sit up. Hazel had covered her with a red tartan throw blanket and the black cat had moved to the far end of the rose-patterned sofa, where he slept half on her feet. Tentatively, Melody extricated her right foot and flexed it—numb. No wonder it had felt so odd.

Edging free of cat and blanket, she swung her legs down and felt the rough texture of sisal matting beneath her bare feet. When had she taken off her shoes? Blinking her sticky eyes, she took in more of her surroundings. She saw now that Hazel had placed large potted plants either side of the tiny blue-tiled fireplace, a touch that made the bungalow feel as if the garden had been transported inside.

As if alerted by some sixth sense, Hazel came into the room. “Ah, you’re awake. I’ve just put the kettle on.”

Hazel's rose-patterned sofa I saw ages ago in an Ikea catalogue (most of Hazel's furniture came from Ikea) but the rest is purely from the depths of my subconscious.

Fellow writers, where do you get the ideas for the interiors you describe?

Readers, do you pay attention to these details? Do you feel they give you a sense of the characters?




87 comments:

  1. Thanks for this glimpse of Melody . . . .
    I definitely do pay attention to the room details in a story; I think they bring a depth and a richness to the character(s) that inhabit it . . . .

    ReplyDelete
  2. A lot of details at once don't catch my attention, but bits and pieces worked into the story definitely give me a feel for the characters.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think they seep into your perception of the characters, Mark, even if you're not consciously aware of it.

      Delete
  3. Hi Debs! I like the poster on your porch, along with the stained glass panel and the cushion that looks like it's covered with a William Morris fabric. Very cozy. In my second book, Sons and Brothers, there's an elderly Swiss woman, a wealthy aristocrat, who lives in a castle. I had a great time describing her sitting room with French doors leading out into a walled garden; I placed every piece of furniture with care. And I created a portrait of her mother hanging over her desk by a Swiss painter I like, Cuno Amiet (1868-1961). I decided it made sense for her family to own
    a painting that would normally be in a museum!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kim, I'd so love sitting in such a room. It sounds very pleasant.

      My mother's maiden name is Amiot, a name that comes from 16th century Normandy, also spelled Amyot (we pronounce it with three syllables; the French pronounce the "i" as the beginning of the second syllable). Now I am intrigued by Cuno Amiet, and wonder if there's a thread of connection there. My daughter has done a ton of genealogy, maybe I'll send her down the rabbit hole!

      Delete
    2. Kim, where is the castle in Switzerland? Karen, isn't genealogy fascinating?

      Delete
    3. Kim, I remember that scene in your book! I loved it, so vivid!!

      Delete
  4. Years and years ago, Hallmark was filming near us and asked to use my parents' house in the movie. My dad said no, and I still don't know why. This was a movie starring James Garner and Joanne Woodward for crying out loud! The stories we'd have had to tell about two of my favorites in my childhood home! But Dad was not to be swayed.

    Anyway, my fictional interiors are sometimes based on actual rooms I've been in, but my love of HGTV often plays into a house's layout and furnishings.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can tell you that even a couple of days of filming was a huge pain, Annette. Not only are you moved out of your rooms, you can't do normal things in your house. It was blazing hot here and the AC had to be shut off whenever the cameras were rolling. It was miserable. But for James Garner and Joanne Woodward, I'd have suffered!

      Delete
  5. Yes and I love how descriptive that passage is. I was right there in the room with her. And thanks to following crafty people on fb I even know what sisal is; that was a rather recent addition to my vocabulary.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sisal flooring is big in the UK, Brenda! I hope other American readers will know what it is.

      Delete
    2. When Pier One and later World Market were the choice of the post-hippie era, so many people had sisal rugs. They were cheap, and you could fold them up and take them to your next apartment or other home.

      Delete
  6. This is wonderful Debs! Can't wait for the book...did you get any photos of your house as the movie set? My process is like yours because Key West is real, the outsides must be real in my books.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We have the DVD somewhere, Lucy. We should dig it out. The movie was called Sweet Hideaway but I doubt you could even find it online. It was so low budget that the producer even stiffed us on our location fee! The check he wrote us bounced! A lot of filming is done in and around McKinney, with our historic homes and town square. Most of Walker, Texas Ranger was filmed here, and Benjy--remember Benjy? And that prison break show... Etc., etc.

      Delete
  7. Yes, I do pay attention to details...sometimes they are prudent to how the scenes will play out.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Good Morning all: Debs, when Melody leaves, can Amy and I move in? Your interiors are so wonderful that I find myself inspired to change things in my home. Alas, other than moving the litter boxes, furniture tends to stay put.

    As of this morning 545,913 people have reported power outages in the TECO (Tampa Electric) service area. This does not include anyone in Pinellas County to our west or Manatee county to the south. I assume most of you have followed the news. We are saddened, but also very grateful that >15 lives were lost -to date. Our home sustained minimal damage, the sub flooring that replaced the termite problem is soaked with rain water. It probably will take weeks to be completely dry. Very oddly, water filled our washing machine, and a very slow drip continues. A major limb about 8-10 inches in diameter fell onto the street blocking access, and a very confused bee was flying around the computer room. By sundown yesterday both the tree limb and the bee were removed.

    Due to a quirk in geography and the jet stream, Tampa Bay has not suffered from a major hurricane in 120 years. We were long overdue. I am so very grateful and know we were lucky. Please believe that your good thoughts and prayers did help us through the last 60 hours.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Coralee, I'm so glad to know you are OK! (Selden)

      Delete
    2. Coralee, I have been following your comments on Facebook and was so relieved to see you posts.

      Delete
    3. Sorry, that was me following you on Facebook.

      Delete
    4. Gratitude for your safety, and Amy's, and the kitties, Coralee. Following you and my cousin in Port St. Lucie had me on the edge of my seat all night. She's 53 and lives in her parents' old house with her daughter and pets, and would have had a very hard time evacuating; she just can't afford it. Their house has the best hurricane shields her fussy day could afford, and I wasn't worried about the hurricane itself, but all those tornadoes along the coast made for a harrowing night. It was a miracle more lives were not lost.

      Delete
    5. Coralee, Gratitude for your safety. Thank you for letting us know that you and Amy are ok! We have relatives in St. Peterburg / Orlando and we hope they are okay.

      Delete
    6. Coralee. I remembered that you’re in Florida but wasn’t sure exactly where. It’s a relief to hear that you’re okay. One of my Florida cousins had a tree on her property come down in the middle of the night, but it caused minimal damage. I had been quite worried about her because her 90- something mom lives with her and has some dementia. If they had to leave their home, it could have been confusing for her.

      DebRo

      Delete
    7. Coralee, I had been following your posts on Facebook, too, and was so relieved to know that you and Amy and the kitties were safe. Hugs!

      Delete
  9. Debs, first, thanks for sharing some of your process for creating rooms. I do like to see a room that characters are in and your descriptions are always superb. I love your attention to fabrics, colors and styles. Now, I cannot wait to read this book and find out why Melody is sleeping on Hazel's couch. It is out of the blue! Two of your best characters together in some subplot and I am so hooked!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yay, Judy, I'm glad you're hooked! I really didn't intend to be such a tease, I just like the description in this passage, but now I don't dare say more!

      Delete
  10. I lovely to read interiors and I often make internal judgments about characters based on where they live. I am so much more careful since I was once caught by a beta reader for moving the door in a fictional room from one scene to another.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ah, a very observant reader! My husband always notices the continuity mistakes in the TV shows and movies we watch, too. And now I'm thinking I need to go back and read all of my descriptions of Hazel's bungalow, as it has appeared in previous books!

      Delete
  11. I love place, settings -inside and out! I think it makes the characters and the story even more real to me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've always been drawn to books with rich settings, which is probably why I enjoy writing them. Although I must say, I do love a good bit of dialogue!

      Delete
  12. Debs, I love this snippet. I feel like I'm really there witnessing Melody’s awakening in this relaxing setting.
    I admit that I don’t always pay attention to decoration’s details, it depends how it is brought by the author. But with you, no problem, your descriptions are so vivid .
    Danielle

    ReplyDelete
  13. I do love to imagine the interiors, but sometimes I am reading very quickly to find out what happens next and the description goes by without much notice. I love the snippet and can't wait for the book!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I do the same, Gillian, so sometimes have to go back and reread. But I think even if you skim, you're absorbing the details into your subconscious.

      Delete
  14. This is a delicious passage, Debs! Now I wonder what Melody is doing napping at Hazel's.

    Your interior descriptions are great, always. And I want to come and hang out with you on your sunporch. Love the Strawberry Thief cushion, and all the books on birds and flowers, and the pretty stained glass. So inviting. That says a lot about you, if you were the character in question: you make an environment that is cozy, harmonious, and welcoming.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I just had those cushions redone in the spring, Karen, and that fabric was jaw-droppingly expensive!!! We only covered the fronts of the cushions! I love the cording we (that being my interior designer friend and my seamstress friend) picked for them, too. The shades are new, too, and they've made so much difference in this room. I'll post a pic when we bring the hanging ferns and the big potted plants inside soon.

      (Not dropping any hints about Melody, you notice!)

      Delete
    2. The estate of William Morris must be doing a good job of keeping control of his work. That print is so perfect for your Arts & Crafts house!

      I did notice!

      Delete
    3. What a smart move to put the expensive fabric in just the front pillow!!

      Delete
  15. Fresh off the plane from London and Sussex, your interiors do ring true. When I saw the private gardens encircled by houses in London, I remembered several of your plots set in similar gardens.

    I'm writing the part in my next book where my amateur sleuth evaluates a row of MCM brick ranches and how they could be updated without losing their character. Pink, blue, and yellow bathrooms, anyone? And I use blueprints for specifics like Craftsmen bungalows.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've enjoyed your trip photos on FB, Margaret! As well as Craftsman bungalows like ours, there are some beautifully updated mid-century-modern ranches where we live. I wonder what they've done with those bathrooms!

      Delete
    2. Margaret, I just saw that colored bathroom fixtures are now all the rage. After thousands of pastel bathrooms were ripped out and changed to blinding white.

      Delete
  16. Debs, I love today's topic, as well as your snippet. I do pay attention to interiors and I recall years ago when we first got a color TV set. We had been watching All in the Family in black and white and it was amazing to see Archie and Edith's furnishings in color! I could actually tell what it was I was looking at.

    In the first season of Last Tango in Halifax, I think there were 2 episodes where a cat wandered through the room. It was just a brief glance and so the first time I saw it I wasn't sure what it was. I think I read later that the cat belonged to the actual owners of the house where they filmed and so it was allowed to come and go. It certainly gave a more real feel to the home, even though it was never mentioned by the characters.

    Probably more than interiors though, I pay attention to what the characters are wearing. Since you mentioned All Creatures I must comment on the beautiful knitwear so many of the characters own and wear often. They are usually beautiful and look like they came fresh from the knitting needles, not even slightly worn. As someone who prefers to work with wool, I know that it requires careful, and time consuming care when it comes to laundering. I would expect to see some of their garments a bit stretched out of shape, with many a stain or two, or even worn out elbows.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love that the cat was a walk on! It's been a long time, but it seems like one of our dogs was a walk on in the film in our house, too. Now I'm going to have to find that DVD!

      Such a good observation on the clothing in ACG&S. I have noticed the beautiful knits and wools--Seigfried's tweed suits are fabulous! But it seems like I read somewhere that they were using a lot of vintage clothing. I'm a season behind--ack--so am going to catch up and pay more attention to the details.

      Delete
    2. I love ACG&S too. I think it can be watched starting in Jan 2025 on PBS? Usually PBS runs British shows a year behind. So not sure but I think I read the Jan 2025 show will be the final one?
      The clothes, cars, barns, homes, countryside, farms are so real feeling. And, of course, being Britain they are very authentic. I feel I am there sitting with the characters at the kitchen table or the comfy sofa

      Delete
  17. Quite often my rooms are a combination of things I'd love and things I think would fit the character. After Jim Duncan's house was trashed in ROOT OF ALL EVIL, I got to redecorate it. Now that Sally has moved in, I get to do a little more.

    I do think the details of living space can reveal bits about the characters who reside there.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is fun when we get to put little bits of thing WE love into our characters' lives, isn't it? And vice versa. I wish I could say that was the case with Gemma's Clarice Cliff teapot, but I've never been able to afford one!

      Delete
  18. Debs, what a wonderful topic this morning! I get emails from Havenly, an interior design service that collaborated with Reese's Book Club. It is fun looking at how the rooms are set up.

    Love your scene from your next Gemma / Duncan novel with Melody and Hazel. As I recall, Melody is a daughter of a wealthy publisher. Why did that scene remind me of Queen Victoria staying in a neighbor's cottage? (there was a scene from PBS' Queen Victoria with Jenna Louise Coleman).

    As a reader, I pay attention to details of the rooms. And the details give me glimpses into the characters' personalities and lives. I also pay attention to what the characters are wearing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'd never heard of Havenly. Thanks for the tip, Diana. I've looked them up!

      Delete
  19. I could see the room in your description! THAT is what makes good writing! Grateful for all of you.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Sense of place--exterior or interior--definitely reveals character, but also brings the reader into the scene as well. I'm a very visual person--this kind of description brings a book vividly to life for me. And how long do I have to wait to find out why Melody is sleeping in Hazel's bungalow?? :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am also very visual, Flora, and I have to able to see what my characters are seeing. As for Melody, you will see--eventually:-)

      Delete
  21. So fascinating to learn how writers create the environment in which their characters live. I like the details because I believe that if the writer took the time to describe it, it must have value. Also, it is interesting to read clothing descriptions. Granted, I'm your basic Walmart brand so I have to look up some of the designer labels, but that is half the fun. Many readers may never leave their hometown. Your details transport them to destinations and situations they will otherwise never know. So, yes! Bring on the details that matter to your character's background, growth and viewpoint. -- Victoria

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, yes, Victoria, clothing! Alas, I"m not as good at clothing as I am at rooms, so often I have to remind myself to describe the character's clothes. And, like rooms, the clothing is a great way to express character.

      Delete
  22. Wonderful description. So vivid! I, too, use British magazines to get ideas of interiors. One of my favorites is Country Life (yeah, country life for the very well-to-do!). Can't wait to read your new book.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That anonymous re: Country Life was from me.

      Delete
    2. Aren't they wonderful, those magazines! I don't usually see Country Life unless I'm in the UK, but our B&N gets Country Living (my fave!), English Home, and House and Garden. I should have posted a pic of my recent haul--a treasure trove that I'm still leafing through!

      Delete
  23. Your descriptions are always so full and real that I’m always nodding with satisfaction when I read your books. “That’s right. I know that place” I mutter to myself

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That was Rhys! Still a bit jet lagged

      Delete
    2. Aw, thank you, Rhys! That's the best compliment coming from you!!

      Delete
  24. Wonderful snippet. Looking forward to sinking into #20,

    Interiors are so much fun to create. Since my stories take place in areas of extreme weather (the Florida Keys and far northern Maine) I always try to bring in something that suits the setting - fireplaces in Maine with lots of deep reds, browns, and greens. Yellows, light blues, pale greens in Florida in rooms with lots of windows. Once I set the palate, I let the characters look around and tell me what's there. Then we negotiate.

    ReplyDelete
  25. I love this scene, Debs - yes, I wish I could be there, too. I've always felt like I was right there with your characters in the various rooms where your stories take place, and the streets and exteriors, too.

    Like you, I've been in a version of some of my interiors - the general store in Indiana that inspired my country store series, an actual Cape Cod bike shop, the Friends Meetinghouse where Rose Carroll worships - and others come out of my imagination.

    ReplyDelete
  26. I tend to pay more attention to descriptions of outdoor settings. If I reread a book (and I do reread my favorites!) I notice the interiors more than I did the first time.

    DebRo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's interesting, Deb. I think I pay more attention to indoor settings but am now going to have to check myself as I read.

      Delete
  27. Thank you! I’ve wondered for a long time where you got ideas for your interiors. I just love reading the descriptions and creating images in my mind. (I really loved the description of Betty’s house with the fabrics piled up and Charlotte curled up among them.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Not sure why that showed up as anonymous. I’m Claire, and I don’t post often, but when I do it usually shows up as MOTB … a 15 year old identity! 🧑🏻‍🦳

      Delete
    2. Oh, I love that one, too!! And Sandra's (sob) workroom. I had such fun with that. And Gemma and Duncan's kitchen. I could go on, lol!

      Delete
  28. Thanks for the snippet! I look forward to the book's appearance. I love interiors, and yes, Skeldale House on All Creatures is just brilliant. Some of my other favorite tv interiors were the main characters' London townhouse in Anatomy of a Scandal and the whole house in The Dig (both visible on Netflix).

    ReplyDelete
  29. I love descriptions of interiors in your books. And I want to live in Hazel’s bungalow! Thanks for the peek of Melody - I’m on tenterhooks about her and Andy. I have a soft spot in my heart for Andy. He’s so vulnerable and adorable. I want to see them make it together - please!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I also want to live in Duncan and Gemma’s house! Want them to live there permanently.

      Delete
    2. I want to live in Hazel's bungalow, too. I have no idea now where the idea came from--maybe something I saw on a real estate site? But I know exactly where it is and what it looks like!

      Delete
  30. I love the snippet and accept that you can’t share more yet! Your descriptions are amazing in all your books.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Feeling under the weather today. And Deborah, I want to be tucked up on Hazel’s couch with the cat on my feet and the lovely aromas and Hazel making me tea. Elisabeth

    ReplyDelete
  32. That stained glass panel reminds me I have a couple in the garage, rescued from the pulling down of a lovely, sturdy 19th century house in upstate New York. When I lived there, these lovely, history-filled and gracious homes were being dismantled every week, it seemed, to make room for cookie-cutter developments and strip malls on former farmland. I bought a few panels less because I had a plan for using them than as a gesture of respect and love for the artisans and the farmers who thought they were beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You should find a place to use them, Susan. We have a bunch, as when we first moved here you could find them in all the antique shops and malls. Now I seldom see them and I'm not sure if it's because all the old houses have been torn down or because we are now too chi-chi for anything but boutique homegoods shops...

      Delete
  33. I do pay attention to details. I think that they're so important to filling out the character & mood. Keep them coming!

    ReplyDelete
  34. Hmmm! Let me think about interiors as I read going forward! In Fiona Davis' novels, the description of the interiors played a critical role and those descriptions are what I loved so much about the NY Public Library in The Lions of Fifth Avenue and the Mansion / Museum in The Magnolia Palace.
    As for following interiors in general, I guess it depends on how closely the primary character is aligned with his/her immediate surroundings and if that knowledge is critical to the plot. Now that my curiosity has been piqued by this discussion today, I will have to keep that in mind to determine how it impacts what I am reading!

    ReplyDelete
  35. So late today! Sorry… But this is the best topic ever. I have to say I love love love creating new homes and spaces, I am so happy with exteriors, and gardens, and interiors, wallpaper bookshelves, etc. And I’m great with silverware and plates and wine and linen. But I am terrible at furniture. Terrible terrible terrible at furniture. We all have our downfalls.
    But one of the joys of my life is to have people say oh, I could just picture that house! It must be a real place. And I get to say no, it’s only a real place in my imagination.
    And this is a wonderful snippet, Debs!

    ReplyDelete
  36. I am even more tardy than you, Hank :)....Commenting on this blog four days later. I agree...This is a great topic and I loved everyone's responses. The longer a novel is the happier I am and am always a bit glum when the final page is reached. Sometimes the thicker a book is the more descriptive it is as well. So I love when a story touches on every one of the senses; i.e.,When I can smell (and taste) the hot apple pie or the fresh laundry hanging on the clothesline. When I feel as if I am in an English Village or strolling the streets of Paris. Plus I especially love when the music fits the occasion. What would we do without music...it is the universal language of the world. I think descriptive writing is essential to a story and helps the reader put themselves right into the center of the narrative. When close friends of ours sold their first home as a married couple in Lexington and retired to their vacation home in Sandwich I told them that I would especially miss their dining room with its built-in china cabinet and cozy window seat. I always imagined curled up on that seat, snuggled under a throw, with a good book while it snowed outside or sitting around the dining table while enjoying a family Thanksgiving. Although their retirement home was renovated for their move and is absolutely beautiful the visuals I still hold in my heart of that lovely dining room in that small Lexington Cape house will stay with me forever.

    ReplyDelete