A Home as a reflection of self.....

All photos from Elle Decor's Metropolitan Home archives

I am a little nostalgic today for my favorite design publication, Metropolitan Home. The last issue was published in December of 2009; I have years worth of back issues saved to use as inspiration and reference. I loved the urban, sophisticated home decor that they featured. I fell in love with the aesthetic and was always in awe of the way that contemporary and modern were mixed with antique and traditional. Most people's tastes are a mix of styles and the homes featured in the magazine always reflected this character.

As I was looking through old issues, I came across the home of George Stephanopolis and Ali Wentworth. I love this home!! I could move right in. It was done by an interior designer named Elizabeth Martin. I love the way she balanced the masculine and the feminine. The living room is both sophisticated and playful. The architecture of the room is stately and traditional and she balanced it out nicely with some fun elements such as the carpeting (they said they painted themselves with fabric paint!!), fuschia footstools, the hints of lavender and the homeowner's shell collection.

I love the brightness of the living room contrasted with the warmth of the family room. A chance to express two different design concepts in one home but she did it in such a manner they don't feel so removed from each other. That is the beauty of home design; your life has many different facets to it and you should be able to explore this with your interiors. You should be able to combine different styles and design concepts to reflect your self and not think you need to stay with one style through your own home. Your personality is not one dimensional and your home shouldn't be either. Hiring a good designer, even for a consultation, can help you pull the different styles together. Working with different styles can be tricky!!!

I think the designer did a great job reflecting the different sides of the homeowner's personality. You can tell by looking at their home that they are fun, sophisticated and worldly. The mix of the different design elements makes their home both comfortable and beautiful. Think of the different sides of your personality, what makes you, you and how you can incorporate that into your home. Afterall, making your house your home is the biggest luxury of all!!

Fresh!!!

One of my all time favorite bedrooms by Frank Roop

All photos from Frank Roop's website

I am ready to change the pillows on my family room sofa. It is a beige chenille sofa and now I have brown silk paisley pillows mixed with a soft blue cotton fabric pillows. I like the mix a lot, but am thinking I want to infuse a little more color now that it's summer. I am going to take inspiration from Frank Roop.

I love the work of Frank Roop. He is a designer out of the Boston area who used to work in men's specialty clothing. He takes the design principals he learned in men's suiting and applies them to his interiors so they have a couture feel. What I love about his work is his fresh use of color. I am impressed how he subtly mixes palates of blues, greens, grays and beiges with pops of a bright. I am focused on his pillows. He always uses solids, mostly velvets and I think the mastering of the color palate is what gives them a sophisticate air, instead of coming off as cute.

Along with my beige sofa I have chairs that have burgundy in them, so I could get away with some of the soft blues and seafoam greens he has in his rooms. This will also give a new feeling of freshness to my room.

I just love the bedroom in the top photo. This room is what interested me to look at his other work. I love the soft mix of color, the eclectic mix of furnishings and the formality of the architecture against the relaxed feel of the furnishings; I think the room looks sophisticated and playful at the same time!!

I am going to look for fabric and have some new pillows made for my sofa. I will post when done. Today's luxury is to look for a way to add a pop of freshness to an existing interior. It could be adding a new color palate in pillows, candles, vases, pictures. Look for interiors photos that catch your eye and borrow ideas from them. I am certainly going too!!

A few minutes of bliss.....

An ideal room for me!! A fabulous interior by Vicente Wolf

I have a lot to do today!! I have many places to be and many people to meet with. I am absolutely grateful that my schedule is full today with design tasks, but I am already thinking about the end of the day when I can take, maybe 20 minutes to catch my breath before I'm onto dinner and taking my child to her swim practice!!

I am dreaming about lounging in the Vicente Wolf room in the photo above. I love everything about this room, the mix of the classic and contemporary furnishings, the mix of warm hues against the white walls, the mix of formal chairs and area rug with the more casual couch and chair, the horizontal mirrors that appear to be windows...... It is a well done mix that would be ideal for me!!

I picture myself lounging on the comfortable sofa, with a glass of wine and my favorite design magazines. The room is nice and clean, pleasant to look at and I'm sure the temperature is perfect!! Today, take a few minutes before your busy day starts and imagine yourself relaxing in your ideal room. Think about the elements that make up your most relaxing space, picture yourself there doing something that relaxes you. After all, isn't starting a hectic day knowing a break is coming, if only in your mind, the most luxurious thing of all!!

A Day Filled with Flowers!!!

Beautiful Peonies!!!

Happy Sunflowers on the deck

Poor little Gerbera at the end of her story, but still pretty!!

Above are pictures of my flowers left over from the weekend. I love peonies!! They are so delicate and lady like and smell so gorgeous!! I love the soft pink against the bright blue glass bowl and the contrast of the delicate petals against the woven mat and dark wood of the table. I love contrasts!!

The bright sunflowers and gerbera daisies were used on my outdoor table. The beautiful weather just screamed for a shot of bright color. I am going to post soon about my weekend outdoor table setting that was inspired from the pictures I posted the other day.

While I was walking thru the neighborhood yesterday, I stopped at a yard sale one of the neighbors was having. They had a beautiful set of blue and white Haviland china; 12 dinner plates and 12 salad plates all in good shape; only 5 teacups and saucers and a great price. My plan was to go home and bring back money for it later in the day; in the rush of all the activities of the afternoon I forgot and didn't think about it until it was too late!! A missed opportunity, but I'm sure I'll come across a deal like that again.

Today's little luxury is to fill your day with flowers, literally or figuratively. I have said it many times before, flowers can add so much to the mood of a room and a person. Just the thought of them makes me happy!!

Let me entertain you!! Outdoor table setting inspiration.

Image from Southern Accents

Image from Country Living

Image from MarthaStewart.com

Image from MarthaStewart.com

Image from MarthaStewart.com

I love a beautifully set table outdoors. There is something so lovely and indulgent about dining alfresco with all the amenities of dining indoors. Enjoying the company of friends, while eating a great meal and enjoying your favorite beverage in the fresh air, surrounded by vegetation, isn't that what summer time is all about?

Things to think about when setting your outdoor table:

• Pick a unique setting in your yard. Instead of dining on the deck or patio, set up a table by the garden or under a big shade tree for some variety.
• Think of your outdoor table as an extension of your indoor table. Use real dishes and glasses. Use cloth napkins and table cloths. Save the plastic for the kids!! Place a row of crystal or glass vases, with your favorite flower, down the center of the table with votive candles in between.
• Don't forget the lighting!! Hang a candle chandelier from a canopy, use lots of votive candles, hang rows of lights from trees or your umbrella, place votives around your deck. Candle light adds such a beautiful sparkle while outdoor dining. Search your space for areas to add the sparkle and drama of candles.
• Add a pop of color. It's the outdoors so have fun with the color. Use all white dishes with pink napkins and colorful flowers. Add a colorful table cloth. Have fun playing with color.
• Think about comfortable seating. Just like in your dining room, you want your guests to want to linger and converse after dinner. Having comfortable seating will keep them at the table longer. Add pillows to the chairs, this can also help to add a pop of color.
• Surround your table with a variety of potted plants.
• I like to set a smaller table for holding extra food and drinks. This way everything is at your reach, no running inside for extras. Cover with a table cloth and flowers!!
• Most of all, have fun!! Enjoy your food and friends!!

I hope the above pictures and suggestions inspire you to dine outside this weekend. I am ready to! Enjoying the beauty of the outdoors is certainly a luxury!!

Crazy days of summer!!

Photo courtesy of Southern Living
Doesn't this photo look inviting? Would love to have dinner at this clean, white and sparkly outdoor table!!

Summertime is full of activities!! I have been busy with year end school parties and preparing houses for guests and graduation parties. All fun, but I am anxious to post again!! I hope you will check back this weekend when I have sometime to post. Hope everyone enjoys the Holiday weekend, hope you find some little luxuries and hope the weather is fabulous for you!! And thank you for reading!! I am new to blogging and the world of blogs; have found inspiration from so many blogs and hope I am giving a little back too!! Cheers to you!!

Martha, Martha, Martha!!!

Martha in her guest house, courtesy of Martha Stewart.com

Just say the name Martha and everyone knows who you are talking about; she is a one name celebrity to the likes of Madonna and Cher. Her name conjures up all kinds of beautiful images of parties, flowers, home decor and clean organized spaces. She has become the world's best known lifestyle expert; Ask her any question about entertaining, cooking, crafting, decorating, home maintenance, and she has an eloquent answer at the ready!!

Martha wasn't always "Martha" to the world. Before she created an empire she was a student, a model, a stockbroker and a caterer. I am sure she wore all of these hats with as much finesse as the one she wears now. The one thing she has always had for herself was faith and a vision. I admire Martha immensley; not only for the empire she has created, but for the way she accomplished this. Her vision and her drive have kept her focused on her goal, no matter what was happening around her or what was said about her. She has always come back with such grace and a beautifully set table to boot!!

If you think about what she accomplished during the climate of late 1980's and early 1990's it's amazing. She built an empire out of "home making", during the era of the "super woman", who wanted to be out in the workforce, full time, and turning their backs on the "June Cleaver" days of their mother's. She made embracing the home and all the chores that come along with it, beautiful and graceful, instead of mundane. Woman everywhere wanted a little "Martha Stewart" in their homes. She is doing what she loves and in embracing that vision she has created a beautiful lifestyle for herself and has influenced countless millions of lives in the process.

Martha Stewart has the most "Luxurious Life", not because she has dined with Presidents and Kings, owns countless properties, has lots of money and lavishly travels the world; But because she dreamed a beautiful dream for her life that was so big that the world embraced it. She believed in her vision, stuck to it, had faith in it and has proven that if all her luxuries are taken from her tomorrow, she is still "Martha"; She will come back bigger and better than ever with even more fans!! Her faith and her vision is stronger than any detractor!! She is larger than life!

So Martha, I raise my glass of crandberry cassis, (properly aged for 22 days in my antique cordial glass bought at an estate sale), to you!! For you are a true inspiration of spirit. I hope to take your lessons of faith in yourself and vision with me on my journey, for they are truly something to be embraced.

Today's little luxury is to take a que from Martha's life. Have faith in yourself and who you are. Do what you love and be who you want to be. There will always be "nay sayers", but if you have a true sense of who you are, live your life to the fullest to please yourself and always have good in mind, you will have the most luxurious life of all!!