for sale

The London townhome from the remake of Parent Trap is for sale and it reminded me how much I l.o.v.e. the foyer--especially those Hermès orange walls!  Would love to do this color in my own entry hall but I have too much red in my house.

selling new york

Selling New York is the sexiest show on HGTV and I have become an avid fan.  It is fascinating to be able to take a peek inside these amazing properties throughout New York City.  The brokers are excellent at what they do and very likable.  It's impressive to see how hard they work and the time it takes to match the right home with each client.  Now if only I had a few million to spare . . . ;D  The show airs Thursdays at 9pm.

all images from HGTV

 the Kleiers

new york times

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for some reason, all my comments got erased today . . . mmm

satc 2

Elle Decor is a favorite of mine so I am sharing images from their website today.  As a movie buff, it is always fun to see the interiors and details of the houses, apartments and set designs used in favorite films.  All images are of Carrie + Big's apartment.

Love the colors in this room and the views through the double doors.  The yellow artwork is striking.

Terrific neutrals used in this dining room--chair fabric, table and light fixture are gorgeous. 

This room looks so luxe with the layers of patterns, fabrics and window treatments.

Who wouldn't love this closet?  Beautiful!

mirrored furniture

Mirrored furniture keeps jumping out at me.  When done on a traditional profile, it looks so glam and adds something special to a room.

 image from decorpad

Candace Bushnell's home via Elle Decor

image from horchow

image from House Beautiful via Habitually Chic

Scott Sanders luncheon

Scott Sanders is an interior designer based in New York City.  Yesterday I attended a luncheon where he spoke about his early years in Ohio and the path that led him to where he is today.  He began the interior design department at Ralph Lauren and that influence can be seen in his work.  I really like his fresh, comfortable American style.  The rooms are created to be used and lived in and are very welcoming.  His book, Picture Perfect: Designing the New American Family Home, "documents Sanders’ inspired youth, his accomplished career, and a project that represents the culmination of a four year adventure in interior design and catalogs in detail-from tile samples to bed linens- the myriad of choices that transform an empty house into a wonderfully functional family home."

 Sanders was very personable as he shared about himself and some of his design projects.

 the book is available at amazon

 Two of my favorite rooms from the book--the yellow toile is beautiful and looks so cheerful in that room.  And how amazing to mix zebra and plaid--this really reminds me of Ralph Lauren.

etsy

etsy is one of my favorite sites for finding unique items.  The colors in our guest room need a change, I'm going from black + white toile to a grey + mustard color scheme in a mix of fabrics and accessories.  The fabric swatches have been in the room for a couple months now, it's time to make some decisions.  Today I discovered this print from a shop called oh, kirby! it will be darling on the wall above the bedside table.

Appealing rooms

photo by timothy kolk via elle decor

Although I have only one blue room in my house, (the guest bath is a french blue) I found this one to be charming.  Even more than the color, I love the ceiling texture and the way the space is layered.  After living in our current home for over 7 years, I am still layering the details as we acquire items we enjoy.  One of my instructors tells me I like clutter--my husband would agree!  Things I find appealing or sentimental certainly give me comfort and pleasure as my eye travels around a room.

Virginia Johnson, textile designer

Recently, I pulled out one of my Kate Spade books to re-read and was reminded how much I enjoy Virginia Johnson's illustrations.  She also designs clothes and has a shop in Toronto, Canada.  I love her watercolors!  This is just a sampling--so simple and chic.  For more information click here.  

Outstanding in the Field

This post has nothing to do with interior design but is so worth sharing.  When I first read about this organization and their events, I thought it was one of the best ideas ever.  It's called Outstanding in the Field--

Our mission is to re-connect diners to the land and the origins of their food, and to honor the local farmers and food artisans who cultivate it.

Outstanding in the Field is a roving culinary adventure – literally a restaurant without walls. Since 1999 we have set the long table at farms or gardens, on mountain tops or in sea caves, on islands or at ranches. Occasionally the table is set indoors: a beautiful refurbished barn, a cool greenhouse or a stately museum. Wherever the location, the consistent theme of each dinner is to honor the people whose good work brings nourishment to the table.

Ingredients for the meal are almost all local (sometimes sourced within inches of your seat at the table!) and generally prepared by a celebrated chef of the region. After a tour of the site, we all settle in: farmers, producers, culinary artisans, and diners sharing the long table.

I've always loved a good dinner party and these sound amazing.  I would love to be seated in a field/beach/museum by candlelight with lots of new people around all sharing the same exquisite experience.  For more information and tickets click here.

photos from outstanding in the field

Restoration Hardware

While shopping for preserved boxwood topiaries over the weekend, I visited Restoration Hardware.  They have some really beautiful linen furniture and their displays have a very European style.  Generally, I like more color, but I found their neutral palette to be really lovely.  The french linen pillows are my favorite.

some of the topiaries I purchased, the urn is from the write occasion

Sister Parish Design On Decorating

My husband gave me a bookstore gift card recently and this is one of the books I purchased.  It is written by Susan Bartlett Crater + Libby Cameron and has these amazing watercolor interiors by Mita Bland.  Susan is the granddaughter of Sister Parish of Parish-Hadley Associates.  Just reading the introductions was really inspiring--there were several quotes I want to remember.  Since I just completed my color class where we had to paint interiors, it gives me a better appreciation of the excellence of these watercolors.   A great addition to the library of those who have a love of design.

The book is available from Amazon.

"Creating an imaginative and welcoming refuge for your family and friends, as well as a wonderful diversion from the sometimes tough realities of our world, is a worthwhile pursuit that can only enrich the soul." Susan Bartlett Crater

"After all it is our private worlds that instill us with a sense of comfort, of happiness and peace, and give us pleasure." Libby Cameron

Gadabout Stationery

how cute are these? love the clever names as well--
WHY PUT OFF TOMORROW, WHAT YOU CAN DO TODAY,
LIFE STARTS ALL OVER AGAIN WHEN IT GETS CRISP IN THE FALL and SITTING PRETTY.

they are so stylish and come personalized with your monogram.  at $45 for a box of 25, it's a lot of style for not a lot of money.  to see more designs here is the link

Sarah's House 3 Living Room

This addition to the farmhouse was quite the undertaking! Several things went awry and had to be addressed but in the end, everything turned out beautifully as always.  Love the mix of old and new in this room and the fabulous piece above the fireplace.

The mix of color used in the pillows was so interesting--from neutrals to a rose print to garnet to soft orange and burnt orange.  Very unique, but it worked.

Love the touch of orange on the walls and the grasscloth wall covering.

Mercury glass lamp

Today I stopped by Pottery Barn to see what I could see and voilà! isn't this a great lamp!? It's even more striking in person. 

Love the mercury glass and the burlap shade--it's a great contrast.  Now, where could this go in my house?

:D

Amy Butler

Patterns are a favorite of mine, it's really fun to mix them to achieve a rich, layered look in a room.  Amy Butler is a textile designer based in Granville, Ohio.  She is known for her wonderful patterns and has now added wall coverings to her repertoire.  Here are some samples of what she's designed--pretty gorgeous!  I have to admit, I love that she's a Midwesterner too ;D

images from Graham & Brown

“Wallpaper, for me, is something so perfectly suited to my own personal style, and something I’ve wanted to do for many years. I’ve always loved Graham & Brown’s quality and expressive point of view. The idea that we could team up and create ecologically-sound wallpaper is something I’m very proud of and extremely excited about.  I’ve designed the collection to mix and match to allow for countless combinations.” Amy Butler

love this!

This is a great rug for the right space.  Originally produced as a poster by the British government at the beginning of World War II, it was rediscovered in 2000 and has been commercially produced in many different forms.

miller house

The Indianapolis Museum of Art is a beautiful institution and the gardens, grounds and additional buildings make it priceless.  Recently, the IMA acquired Miller House in Columbus, Indiana.  It is a very modern house and garden--not my personal style but I think it is beautiful and inspirational.  It will be restored over the next year or so and will open for public tours in 2011.  Columbus, Indiana is a very interesting town and is ranked 6th in the nation for architectural innovation and design by the American Institute of Architects on a list that includes the much larger cities of Chicago, New York, Boston, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.  Even if you are not an architecture buff, the story about how this small town strives to be its best is both interesting and inspiring. The Columbus story has been featured in dozens of regional and national publications, including National Geographic, The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, Midwest Living, Dwell and Wallpaper.  Here are some photos of Miller House, enjoy! :)

Beautiful!

yellow doors

They say houses with yellow doors sell the most quickly.   I can see why, these are charming.

photo from Michael Gebauer photography

photo from Hooked on Houses

photo from architectual classics

photo from black.white.yellow

photo from Blueprint