Decorating Dilemmas!

Hmmm! Just the other day, I was talking to my good friend Cruella and she was telling me about her sister’s new mega-mansion house. Cruella, who‘s decorating philosophy is “the more stuff the better “said that this house needed less than what her sister had and a few modern pieces due to the architecture of the house, which included lots and lots of windows! Cruella noted, “She could not believe that she herself was saying “less is more” --but this is what she was going to prescribe for her sister.

After Cruella uttered those words, I immediately had had visions of a clean, well-edited Barbara Barry look--which I personally love and I’m currently thinking of doing myself one day! Cruella thought that her sister should do away with some of her antiques and collectibles that would not work in her new house. Trust me, this is hard for us die-hard antiquers to admit to sometimes, but sometimes, certain antiques just don’t fit the bill. While talking to Cruella, we both surmised that her sister had her work cut out for her.

Image from Architectural Digest-Designer Barbara Barry

Afterwards, I thought about my own cottage house. We’ve lived in a few different styles of homes--a few of them we even owned. We currently live in a 1930’s cottage house that we’ve slowly been working on. So let’s see, I have some French pieces, a little bit of English; a few flea-market finds, and a tiny bit of IKEA. So if I had to tell someone my style I would be a little lost for words. If I could start all over like Crullea’s sister, I’d seriously consider it. Would the hubby let me? Definitely not!

This is my English dining room table that I stole from my inventory after I discovered we were heading to Charleston. The table is actually more for a breakfast room or large foyer (I have neither), and that’s how I, ineffectively, had tried to sell it. The table has always met my needs, and now I’m actually using it in my dining room. It’s small and I don’t plan on having a big Thanksgiving soiree any time in the near future!

The chairs need to be reupholstered!

This is my French daybed--after schlepping this around to an antique show after show and having people admiring it but never really wanting to pay for it, I decided to keep it for myself. The toile is vintage but one day I have high hopes to have it reupholstered! The mattress we got for it is quite hard, according to my mother-in-law, who tested it out when it was in our guest room.

Here’s my Federal style bench—this is a piece that I have schlepped around—Atlanta, Charleston, Nashville, et cetera, et cetera. I actually bought this as inventory (I got carried away one day at an auction one day) stole that from myself as well! In Charleston this was in my bedroom. I have high hopes of putting it in a foyer, and reupholstering it too, of course! It came with that fabric!

My French chair—I bought this actually for myself while out shopping with Cruella, and if I would not have bought it then Cruella would have. I couldn’t let that happen! When I bought it, it had a god-awful bird fabric. Nothing against birds, but it was awful! Cruella helped me pick out its current, red-checked, silk fabric which leads me to many more dilemmas. Hmmm: silk, three-year-old neighbors, dogs, and hubbies! Later!

Dressing up the Foyer!

A foyer, to me, is something very foreign and luxurious--in our first home (hubby’s & mine) I had one--and the hubby and I ended up moving to the suburbs in order to get it. My buddy Susan has asked me what I think she should do with her huge, long, narrow foyer. She also mentioned that she would love a big huge hall tree--and by the way--she only has a wee bit of funding! No problem, I said. I’ve done miracles with next to nothing for one of my other clients (the hubby). So, in my buddy’s case, she has a long narrow foyer--I don’t have the exact measurement--but it’s big! She has one huge wall that’s asking for a huge piece of art, or a mirror. Art work can be very hard to find, especially when you’re looking for it--so I would say go for a mirror. I also suggested a long table, or she could do a bench – something to sit on while taking your shoes off. Or, she could also do the long table with stools, or small ottomans, underneath!

Following are a few examples of foyers that I had in my files that I’ve always admired.

The first one: if Susan had more of a square foyer, I would tell her to go for a nice skirted round table. I love that skirt, with the books and the Benjamin Franklin bust on top. Also, it appears they have a nice huge mirror, and that, of course, opens up the room. And, I love the chairs. Susan may ask why I even brought this one out of my files, but, if she does a long table, then she can do a symmetrical look with the some antique or vintage chairs--Susan is more of a traditional type girl.

Images from House Beautiful - Designer Tom Scheerer - Photograph by Christopher Baker

The second foyer is by Michael Smith. I’ve always loved this look--light and airy--and I love the silk curtains, but Susan doesn’t have a window in her foyer. I had better keep looking!

Image from Michael Smith's Elements of Style

Now we are getting closer–I love this foyer, and there is the art work that I’m talking about, along with the bench and a nice long runner.

Image from Traditional Home Designer's Mary Ames & Mark Ashby Photograph by John Granen

Here is a foyer just like my buddy’s--so she could do something similar. I’m not too crazy about the red mirror, but I’ll find her a good one! I do like glass lamps and if Susan chooses more traditional pieces, then the glass lamps are a great way to update her setting. So I will keep looking , but I do have a few ideas on what she can do, and a few places she can go, so she won’t have to mortgage her house to dress up her foyer!

Image from Domino Dec/Jan 2007 issue

I think we can squeeze Susan in a coat rack as well! And I'm going to tell Susan to cut some of her beautiful Hydrangeas; they will add a lot!

Yummm Blackberries!

Summer is indeed here--the lightning bugs are out, the mosquitoes are biting ( the Hubby and I have a few bites already) and the heat is starting to swelter! Yesterday, while driving home I saw a big sign that said Fresh Blackberries--Yummm! Good reason for me to turn my car around! I told the hubby earlier that we are going to enjoy summer even if it killed us, and that includes making a fresh baked cobbler. After all, it’s the weekend, and the perfect time to try this recipe. They said you could use any fresh berry that looked good to you, so I’m using blackberries.

Ingredients:
2 lb. mixed berries
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup plus 3 Tbs. granulated sugar
2 Tbs. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
For the cobbler topping:
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed golden brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 egg
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup finely minced crystallized ginger
Vanilla ice cream for serving (optional)

Directions:
Preheat an oven to 375°F. Lightly butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. In a bowl, combine the berries, lemon juice, the 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the cornstarch, cinnamon and ground ginger and toss to coat the berries evenly. Pour the berry mixture into the prepared baking dish, spreading it evenly. To make the topping in a food processor, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda and pulse briefly to mix. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and cream. Pour the egg mixture into the food processor and pulse just until the topping mixture holds together. Remove the blade from the food processor and stir in the crystallized ginger. To make the topping by hand, in a bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Scatter the butter pieces over the top and, using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and cream. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture, stirring and tossing with a fork until the topping mixture holds together. Stir in the crystallized ginger. Using a soup spoon, place dollops of the topping evenly over the berries, leaving a 1-inch border uncovered around the edge of the dish. Sprinkle the 3 Tbs. granulated sugar over the top. Place the dish on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake the cobbler until the top is golden and the berry filling is bubbling, about 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Using a large spoon or spatula, scoop out the cobbler onto individual plates. Accompany with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Serves 8.

Receipe and image from from Williams-Sonoma website- adapted from their book Williams-Sonoma Entertaining.

Enjoy!

Bathroom Visions Continued!

Last week I wrote about how the hubby and I are quite ready for a new bathroom, and if we don’t get one soon we may have to split! This past Sunday, while trying to garden and clean house at the same time, I noticed that one of my favorite bathrooms tear sheets was in my kitchen file. So here it is—another bathroom I would love to have, right down to the silver and the monogrammed towels.

I’ve also been lobbying for a claw-foot tub. Last year when we were remolding our downstairs bathroom I had wanted to yank out the disgusting tub, but to keep the price down (and knowing it would be hubby’s bathroom in the end), I kept it. I have done a little research on claw-foot tubs and I know that they can be quite expensive.

For me, I will probably go the route of getting one pulled out of an old, torn-down house. I know a guy in Atlanta who buys them from demo houses, and he better have a good one when I get ready for it or heads will roll. I was going to buy one from him last year but feared asking my in-laws to store it for us. That would have been bad, despite their 3 story house! The bad thing is, at one time, there was one in our 1930’ s house where we live in now. I cringe every time I walk into one of our neighbors’ open houses and see an original claw-foot tub still sitting there! Oh, in case you are looking for an old tub, let me know, and I’ll share.

All images from Southern Accents - Designers Nikki Baron & Wendy St. Laurent photograph by Carlos Domenech.

Charlotte York's Bedroom

Three and a half years ago I was on a huge mission to find Charlotte’s wallpaper from her bedroom in Sex and the City. After looking high and low and searching on the internet the only thing I could find were some pictures from HBO’s website. Her apartment happens to be one of my all time favorite set designs. You may say—who would not want a huge Park Avenue apartment. But trust me, it’s not about that. For me, it’s really about simple, clean, traditional elegance.

Images above from HBO

One of the reasons why I liked her bedroom so much is the fact that green and white is one of my favorite color combinations. Last fall, when I first started writing my blog I talked about the wallpaper, and what I ended up choosing for my own bedroom from Farrow & Ball. Just this past January I found some big white ginger jar lamps --just like the ones from Charlotte‘s old bedroom at Crate & Barrel (on major sales, I might add). I think I got the last two, and I love them in my own bedroom. For me, finding end tables was basically taking longer than it should and I was a little tired of setting my morning coffee on the floor, so I ended up picking up the lack table from IKEA. The chest I have is 1940’s English mahogany inlaid which is a throwback from my antiquing career—but now needs some repair work done-- something for my handyman Andy to work on. And just this past month, I spotted some slipper chairs in the Restoration Hardware’s summer 2008 “Clear the Decks” section. I did try to order them, but no such luck; however, I keep their Atlanta outlet number on speed dial! Will keep trying, though!

Image from the SanFrancisco Chronicle - 'Sex and the City 'And the Walk in Closet by Anh-Minh Le.

Yesterday, while at work with way too much time on my hands, I stumbled on this picture of Charlotte’s new bedroom, which I’ve been waiting to see for before the movie was even released. I found it while reading an article in the San Francisco Chronicle. It seems Charlotte has new wallpaper, bed, bedlines, bedside table, built in bookcases, a new chest, mirror and the lamps appear to me to be Foo dogs. I love it, and maybe by the time I finish off the old bedroom I can start this one! Lucky me, I do have a small head start—I have a nice antique piecrust table (that is now in my living room) that I can use as my bedside table.

In case you’re wondering, I’m a huge fan of the show. I loved the movie and I even took the hubby and he liked it as well! Trust me, he did, or I would have heard about it and he would have made me sit through Iron Man a second time. He did watch the series with me as well and liked it ---If I had to speculate -- he gets it! Plus, after all, he should know what his bedroom is going too transformed into. The End!

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream For Hydrangeas!

Yeah, I’m so happy; I have blooms, yes blooms! Hubby and I planted seven hydrangeas last year- we planted a few Annabelle’s (they like a little more sun then other types), a few Endless Summer (they should bloom for me until fall), and a Lime light—he was on special. I had wanted to put in more but I figured I should probably wait to see how this crop did before I blew any more money. In our first house, I was not very successful with hydrangeas. But, this time, I was determined to get some blooms since they are my favorites! In the summer months, while driving home to Charleston on highway 17(one my favorite South Carolina Low-Country routes), I would always notice the beautiful Nikko Blue hydrangeas located near dilapidated houses loaded with big huge blooms just waiting for someone to cut them! A few times I even thought about pulling over and cutting a few, after all, the houses were abandoned—who would mind—but I always figured it was best to keep driving. Note, this is something that still puzzles me—why I had put some much work and effort into caring for my hydrangeas at our first house and never had one bloom, but here were these huge bushes, looking quite beautiful, and no one is around---harumph!.

The good news is, I now have my own and don’t have to think about thievery anymore. I have blooms on four of the seven shrubs. I planted last year–I guess you can’t have everything. However, I think I know why- they others ones are not blooming—our next-door neighbor Sandy’s house is blocking the sun and this puts me in a little bit of a quandary! Hydrangeas, after all, like their morning sun.

And for my lacecap –this was pink when I bought him-I have soil issues!

My neighbor's oak-leaf hydrangeas -which I admire from my porch!

The Dog Days of Summer!

The first day of summer starts today, Saturday June 21, and my twelve-year-old basset hound, Rolle, and one-year-old chow mix, Ellie, are already refusing to go outside in the sweltering heat. The real dog days of summer are still ahead of us, and they are already complaining. Just last week, Ellie, quite the little fireball, refused to go jogging with me! I’m speculating, since she can’t speak, it’s because of the heat. After all, her ancestors came from the Himalayas.

Since we adopted her this past January, I have taken her with me on my morning jogs, so she is very familiar with my routine. Not to sound like a doting parent, but I’m certain the word ‘jog’ and ‘walk’ are in her vocabulary. She knows that a walk is something she does in the evening with her elderly 86 (in dog years) year-old brother, Rolle, and with her Dad—who considers Wii Sports a strenuous workout. Now, when I head out for my mid-morning run with my sunglasses, walkman and keys, she just looks at me and lays very content by the sofa.

After I return home, complaining to them about the scorching heat and how they are very lucky to be inside the nice, cool house, Rolle typically decides he’s ready for me to let him outside so he can catch some mid morning rays—he has always enjoyed sunbathing. This usually lasts for about five minutes, until he’s roasted, and then he demands for me to let him back into the house so he can cool down and repeat the whole process over & over & over again!

Rolle catching some rays on the Isle of Palms, South Carolina

Happy Summer!