Many of us are feeling grey today.

 

It is hard today to post something cheerful in color today.  My heart goes out to Boston after the Tragedy of yesterday.  My husband is a NYC marathoner....how different life would be if you couldn't keep up your 10 minute mile through out the course....instead of coming in at 4:00 hours, you came in at 4:09...Life is forever changed.  Blessing and Prayers Boston!

Photographs by Ariele Alasko

Sculptor-turned-furniture-maker Ariele Alasko, who creates furniture made of reclaimed wood in her Brooklyn studio.  To learn more about Alasko's DIY project, go to Brooklyn to West (her blog and shop). And see our studio visit at A Sculptor Turned Furniture Maker in Brooklyn.

I found these rugs, that would work really well with Ariele's piece - rugs : : artilleriet

art : : stephen croeser

Is Your Collectibles Taking Control ?

Vintage Vases in our Cottage House

There is a lot to be said for a great collection....It is also so much fun adding to your collection...but after a while the collection can be a bit overwhelming and what do you do with it all?  Over the years I have collected "Wee Folk", Old Sprinklers,  Flower Frogs, White McCoy Vases....on and on....I still have some of them, however, they are spread among two houses....  

Flower Frogs on a garage window sill

Collections can get overwhelming and can take over.  So consider the following 6 points when displaying.

There are lots of ways to display depending on the collection.
1.  Consider the Collection - Vintage Plates would be great in a kitchen
2. Find the right spot - Think of who visits each room - If it is something that you want to share with everyone - Make sure it is in a room where visitors can appreciate your collection
3. Group for color - Like colors or complementary colors make a beautiful display
4. Pay attention to Texture - A mixture of textures is very ecstatically pleasing 
5. Create a Vignette according to theme - Collections can be built around an era, it does not have to stay in one theme
6. Let the design evolve - Let your self add and subtract to the collection

Here on some great Kitchen collections....I hope you enjoy... Send me pictures of your collections and I will share in my next blog...

Everyone Needs Bathrooms

 Everyone needs Bathrooms in their homes.....and in my house I could use a few extra.  We are in the process of converting a summer home into a functional full time residence.  This past Easter we had 14 people staying at the house with ONE BATHROOM!!  We had to turn the outdoor shower on for bathing purposes....chillllly.....

I've been collecting pictures of bathrooms that I like with the hopes of coming up with an idea for an additional bathroom at some point in time...

I am noticing more and more that simplicity and wall paper seems to be in the NOW....hope you enjoy the pictures...

loved the craw foot tub and floor

found the tile work interesting

loved the farm house fell to this one

Thought the addition of the beach chair was a great idea

love the blue and white tile work

Great paper for a powder room 

This looks very French to me??

Another great powder room look

This would probably be a space in our house that we could use as an extra bathroom area

The baskets underneath is a great look

I took this picture of a bathroom at a Inn that we stayed in on the North Fork of Long Island....Interesting??

Which one was your favorite bathroom???

Do you like Chintz??

"Chintz fabric is a glazed woven textile bearing bold printed or floral patterns. The word “chintz” is a Hindu derivative of the Sanskrit word “chitra,” meaning spotted or bright. The unique patterns and production process associated with chintz fabric have helped it endure the test of time to remain in production today."

I recently worked with a lovely client that had a beautiful two beautiful chairs covered in chintz ....She was told by a another designer that Chintz was out!    It is NOT OUT ...and back in a big way....

My Clients Chairs..

Bowood cotton, in green, gray, #1020-01, by Colefax and Fowler, to the trade from Cowtan & Tout.

Garden Club floral cotton, in Porcelain, LCF60423F, $51/yd., by  Ralph  Lauren

Eileen cotton, in blue and in white, #0112, by Rose Cumming (and named for the decorator’s sister Eileen Cumming Cecil), to the trade from Dessin Fournir.

Jacobean Tree cotton, in aqua, #980003-135, to the trade fromLee Jofa.

Fuchsia cotton, in blue, 1070-02, by Colefax and Fowler, to the trade from Cowtan & Tout.

Mario Buatta 

Mario Buatta

 

Here is a link Shopping with Mario

Staging Your Stuff

Many Baby Boomers are now at a age, where they have downsized, moved on to a new homes.  Once they have entered their new living environment they are overwhelmed on how and where to located some precious items that they had backed and moved with them.   The wall space isn't the same, the floor plan is open, there are fewer and in some cases additional spaces that they did not have before.

I am a firm believer and making what you have work in the current living area....Here are a few examples on how items can be beautifully arranged...

Use a foot stool as a coffee table

Add some artwork to the kitchen why not?

Place some odd and end tables in your seating areas for display

Make a  beautiful display of left over artwork 

Use an extra table as a display and extra seating for games

Make a office setting in one room and display some odds and ends that you have that make you smile

If ceiling heights are much higher, layer at various heights

Display your collections on your mantel....