Just Add Flowers........

You need little more than a vase full of one type of flower to dress a table or other empty surface in a room. When in doubt on how to address the empty surface, add a vase of flowers and a stack of books or a few other objects. Vary the heights if adding 2 or 3 vases of flowers and you will have a lovely little vignette without much effort. Simple, beautiful, elegant and easy. Add flowers to your Friday, it is an effortless luxury!!

Photos from Sarah Richardson, Mariette Himes Gomez, Decorpad and my house!!

Have A Settee At The End of My Bed.......

Yesterday I blogged about my fondness for settees at dining tables. My other favorite place for a settee is at the end of a bed. I love this look!! An upholstered headboard with a settee acting as a foot board is such a chic, luxurious and functional look!! A bedroom is a room for relaxing, why not add another space to lounge? I always imagine a glamorous scene, sitting on the settee, at the end of the bed having a cocktail before going out for a fabulous evening..... having a romantic chat with a significant other while seated on the settee at the end of the day..... starting out the day with a cup of coffee and a book while lounging on the settee.... I have a settee at the end of my bed and have done none of the above on it, but a girl can dream, can't she?; and what better place to do it than at a settee at the end of your bed.......
Enjoy the pictures to follow!!

This room, by Frank Roop, is one of my all time favorite bedrooms!! It's chic, sophisticated and urban feel makes me want to put on a jazz record and have a cocktail. I would have friends for cocktails in this bedroom!!

This bedroom, by Mariette Himes Gomaz, is another of my all time favorite bedrooms. It's soft tones and upscale furnishings would be like waking up in a luxurious hotel suite everyday!!

Photos sourced from Elle Decor, House Beautiful and Vicente Wolf

Dining on a Settee......

I love settees!!! A settee is a small or medium sized sofa for 2 or more people, with a back and usually with arms. Settees date back to the 17th century Europe, which shows that well designed pieces or archetypes never go out of style!! I think that settees are appropriate in many settings (foreshadow to future blog....), but my favorite use is at a dining table.
I first became enthralled with the settee when I first moved into my house; I have a kitchen with a breakfast nook that is also open to a dining room. I didn't want to enter the kitchen and see a table with chairs looking onto a table with chairs. I thought a settee would be a perfect solution for this space; as luck would have it, the day I moved in there was an estate sale in my neighborhood and they had 2 settees available!! I fell in love with one, it had wood arms and legs and a simple straight lined upholstered back. It was from the 1950's and the price was good, but alas, sigh, it had a big stain on the seat. I was planning on having it reupholstered anyway, but the owner had several cats and I was afraid it was a urine stain and I would never be able to get rid of the smell; I could get new stuffing, but was worried about the wood and the springs being sprayed also. On to settee number 2 - it had a wing back and was quite charming. I bought it , took it home and it sat in my basement for 2 years until I found a Mitchell Gold settee that sits in my breakfast nook now. Settee number 2 ended up at Goodwill and I hope it found a good home!!
There are several reasons I like settees in dining areas: First of all, I love the look of them, I like the soft upholstered surface in a kitchen area, I like the unexpected element of it at a table, I like that they add a pop of color or pattern to a space, I like that they are comfortable and people can lounge when watching you cook, I like that they remind me of dining in a restaraunt (in my own home) and I like the fact that they encourage people to linger after a meal and have a glass of wine or coffee. In short, I am a big fan of the settee!!
Below are a few photos I found of settees in dining areas (including mine). Enjoy!!

My Breakfast Nook........

All other photos from, Elle Decor, Canadian House and Home, Sarah Richardson Design,

Decorpad, Barbara Barry and Frank Roop Design

Chris Coumo's Hampton House From Elle Decor

I was really impressed with Chris Coumo's, from Good Morning America, Hampton home when it was published in Elle Decor a while ago. I came across the photos and thought I'd share.

The color palette and materials suggest a relaxed comfortable and breezy space. It reminds me of a lazy, breezy summer day!! (To put it in "designer" lingo :) ). One thing that I would love to see accompanying all interior photos in magazines, is a floor plan. I try to piece the homes together in my head, but sometimes they photograph portions of the rooms and I would like to see the progression of spaces!!

The sunroom. The Gray and the yellow are surprisingly fresh together!! Love the white trimmed furniture with the gold table; the warm color of the gold works so well with the cooler tones of the grays and whites because of the warm honey tone of the floor.

I love a settee!!! The fabric used here is sophisticated enough to stand up to the ornate trim on the settee, but modern enough to feel bold and fresh!!

What I love most about this living room is that it is a bold choice of colors, but it works because they are all in the same tonal family. You would not think that brown, magenta, olive green, yellow and soft grey would produce such a warm and sophisticated room, but they work very well together!! Notice how the drapes, wall color and the furniture and accessories along the wall are soft muted tones that blend well together as a backdrop; the furniture and accessories in the front are all rich tones of color that pop in the foreground. This careful and clever color play makes this a playful, yet very sophisticated room.

This is such a lovely vignette!! I wonder if this is the eating area and the chairs are pushed away for the photo, or if this is a display table and there is one beyond...... this is why I'd love to see a floor plan!! I really like the idea of having a "display" table between the kitchen and the eating area, it is very charming!!

Beautiful kitchen!!!

Tickled Pink.......

Canadian House and Home

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month; Its purpose is to increase the awareness of the disease and raise funds for research into its cause, prevention and cure. I have two survivors of the disease in my family, thanks to early detection. My Great Aunt Ginny was diagnosed at age 69 and this past July turned 100!!! It has been 7 years since my Grandmother's diagnosis and she is healthy and happy. This is a great cause to get behind because being aware is the first step to early detection.

The color pink has become synonymous with the fight for the cure for breast cancer as its symbol is a pink ribbon. Pink is associated with femininity; although I read that until 1940 it was used for boys (because it has a base of red, associated with masculinity) and blue was used for girls (because it's associated with the Virgin Mary and thus virginity)(I thought this was an interesting aside). In home decor pink is mostly thought of in little girls rooms or in outdated accents in the form of mauve (you remember mauve, that bluey pink way over used in the '80's). But pink can be flirty, soft, feminine, bold, electric, fun and sophisticated dependent upon its use. Pink can be a wonderful accent to a room. A brown sofa with soft pink pillows can be sophisticated and chic; bright pink upholstry on dining room chairs can be a bold and fun accent; Pale pink glassware, napkins and flowers can make a table girly and sweet; Pink peonies always add a pop of color appropriate for any room!!

Below are some photos I found of rooms with pink accents. As you can see, they all look fresh and inviting. Add a little hint of pink to your decor for October as a reminder of the good fight being fought against breast cancer and the brave women who have faced the disease. This can be as simple as a vase of flowers, a few accent pillows or glassware. Make pink your October luxury!!

Sarah Richardson Design

Elle Decor

Country Living

House Beautiful

House Beautiful

Canadian House and Home

Designers Guild

Decorpad

Sarah Richardson Design

Traditional Home

My Perfect Fall Sunday........

To me, Sunday is all about family, friends and self reflection. Sunday is a day to enjoy your home and family, the one day of the week that everyone has fewer obligations and is able to spend together in the space you have created together. I love the thought of a leisurely Sunday lunch that is spent with the people you love, eating the food you love in a space that you love and make ready for that time. It is a day to relax and recharge for the week ahead. It is a chance to reflect on what you want the new week to be. Sundays should be filled with love, laughter and good times. I love Sunday!!
Here is a pictorial of how I dream my Sundays to be:

Living Room by Barbara Barry
Wake up to a beautiful room where I have sometime to myself while the house is quiet to have a cup of great coffee and read a book.


Pancakes by Martha Stewart
Have a breakfast of big fluffy pancakes with my family.

My Backyard
Spend sometime outdoors to enjoy the beauty of nature!!

Nino Salvaggios
Take my time at a great market browsing and collecting for a feast ahead!! Then spend the rest of the afternoon in the kitchen, lovingly preparing comfort food for my family to enjoy.

Salad by The Barefoot Contessa
We would start off with a simple salad

By The Barefoot Contessa
Then indulge in a big portion of cheesy lasagna.

By The Barefoot Contessa
Finish the meal with a decadent cake.

By The Barefoot Contessa
Served, of course, at a beautifully set table filled with laughter and good food.

Relax enjoying my favorite TV show, Madmen, before going off to bed.

I wish you a great Sunday!!! Enjoy!!