Take a spin around designer Kathryn M. Ireland’s site and you’ll probably put her new book, Creating a Home, at the top of your wish list. Love the beautiful saturated color and casual bohemian charm. Many of the photos in the book were taken at her home in Ojai which she just sold to Reese Witherspoon (including the cute kitchen below – that looks like a Reece room). The all white mixed with just a couple of red pieces looks so cool and a really great showcase for all the pretty dishes and cups. This is exactly my kitchen’s layout (sink and stove location) and I adore those open shelves. Big inspiration from this!
OK – I’ll admit it…I’m a dish-aholic. I just adore tabletop prettiness of all types, vintage, ceramic, fine china, melamine … I can look and be enthralled with patterns for hours. As far as I’m concerned most designs are true works of art suitable for framing or at least hanging. If I had room I’d have dish sets by the hundreds. I’m seriously not exaggerating.
I think the prettiest tables have gobs of different patterns all mixed and matched with just the right touch. I’m indulging my fetish with the virtual table above made up of some of the prettiest autumn themed patterns: clockwise from upper right: Quail Plates – Pottery Barn; from ‘Winter House’ by Charlotte Moss; Tracy Porter ‘Vivre’; Baroque Salad Plates – Pottery Barn; from ‘Winter House’ by Charlotte Moss.
For various reasons I’ve been waging what feels like a war with my basement over the past few months – one that I’m fairly sure at this point that I’m losing.
Where I come from on the West Coast we really don’t have basements unless they happen to be small crawl spaces or garages – everything is more or less built on slab. So just the notion of descending into an underground cement bunker seems unnatural and a bit spooky to me.
Then, to be frank, I have terrifying, unseen visitors down there that simply refuse to vacate. And in their refusal they leave behind horrific evidence of their dreadful basement dwelling lives. I would elaborate but I don’t want to give you nightmares. (Ask me and I’ll tell you if you’re really curious).
So today, when I was haunting House & Home’s website looking through post after post of gorgeous rooms I came across the site’s new video station.
They have an amazing feature about the magazine’s senior editor Meg Crossley’s basement renovation. (To my relief in the video Meg does say it was a scary basement before she made it over) – but it certainly is gorgeous now. You have to drop over to see the description of how they faked a fireplace, beadboard, wood floors, and more you’ll have to take a peek – you’ll be amazed – I guarantee.
So I’m thinking there might be hope for my beleaguered basement after all.
When I first moved to New England I was really impressed with the area’s true commitment to historical architecture and design. As a California native I came to view anything designed before 1980 as something from “olden times” – but here the residents take their antiques very seriously – even contemporary interiors seem to have a twinkle of the colonial somewhere just near the surface.
So it’s no wonder that the country’s foremost designer and creator of faithful historical lighting is here in Yankee country.
Scofield Historic Lighting has become a “fixture” for New Englanders – creating remarkable pieces for hundreds of distinguished homes and businesses in the area.
Their designs reflect popular lighting styles of both Europe and America from the past several centuries. Each meticulously made using the same materials and tools as those created two hundred years ago – but with modern safety and savvy in the mix.
“We’re interested in a material quality proven for centuries,” John Neely of Scofield says. “The patinas we use are hand-mixed casein, applied in layers to get that buildup as if it were painted over two centuries or more. Our glass is hand-blown. The chandelier turnings are hand-turned, never mechanically duplicated.”
I’ve chosen a few of my favorites above – check out all the designs on their website.
Have you checked out Interiors Magazine lately? I rarely spy the actual book on the stands but the online version is quite spectacular. The Oct/Nov issue features page after page of interesting design – most projects splashed with vibrant color. The issue features a gorgeous residential project by Orlando Diaz-Azcuy, an apartment in Hong Kong by Miles Young, and a home in Portugal designed by Vera Cristo – all extensively photographed and documented. Shown here are some images at random – to see them all check out the digital version of the magazine here>>
November 11, 2009
in Food
Whenever I start to feel a little under the weather – like a cold coming on – I turn to this soup. Not for the faint of heart – it’s packed with goodies like garlic (a great antioxidant, and natural antibiotic), ginger (a marvelous detox agent and digestive aid as well as anti-inflammatory), onions, and loads of veggies. All that and it’s really easy to throw together in about 30 minutes. Adjust the amount of garlic and ginger you can handle in my recipe (below). [click to continue…]
Some people swoon over expensive cars, limited edition handbags, and/or a perfectly mellow Merlot. Me – my heart skips a beat when I see mid-century modern furniture arranged with that certain casual air. You know the one – it welcomes you to sit while at the same time commands you to stand back in awe.
So when I first saw images of the Decoratum in London a smile came to my face immediately. I read about them on 1st Dibs awhile back but just recently took in their virtual tour on their website. This, in and of itself, is quite revolutionary. We’ve all done the online 360 tours of houses and apartments for sale, and even a few hotel rooms – but a store/gallery that changes inventory quite often – well you’ll just have to try it yourself to see how interesting it is.
If it’s the job of the retailer to motivate the shopper to buy than the Decoratum has the practice down to an art form – literally. Owner Jeffrey Salmon obviously has quite the curators eye – that combined with a knack for putting together room after room of vignettes striking enough to make you want to book a flight to Heathrow immediately just to go window shopping. Salmon told 1st Dibs that he sincerely loves each piece – and from what I can see it must be true. I’ve lined up a few of my favorite shots from the store below. And yes you can buy this gorgeous stuff in the US without getting out your passport through their online shop on 1stdibs.
