Summer Playhouse...

This is adorable… Featured in today’s House & Garden section of the NY Times, it belongs to Maxwell Gilliam Ryan, the founder of Apartment Therapy. Built for entertaining, it’s part of his extended family’s weekend home in the Hamptons (Mom on one side and his brother on the other).

I’ve always thought this alone would be enough for a get-away space, as long as it was wired and plumbed. The layout is great – high ceilings, open space, and doors on both sides to let the outside in. This is simplicity at its best – not too big or too fussy, just relaxing and fun. I Love, Love, Love it.

See for yourself:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/21/greathomesanddestinations/in-east-hampton-the-founder-of-apartment-therapy-learns-from-his-design-mistakes.html?_r=1

Embossed...

I Love stationary and especially anything personalized.  I have a few custom embossers in my card making collection and also like to give them as gifts.  The same is true for towels I guess… 

I found these in the back of Homes & Gardens in one of their promotional ads.  How cute.  As an alternative to monogramming, specify a letter and get yourself a custom embossed towel – face, hand or bath.  I want one, or two maybe… I only wish they had a bath mat option. 

Take a look:  http://www.balineum.co.uk/bath-towels/auberge-monogram-towels

Some Serious Drama...

I know nothing about this image aside from where it came – House Beautiful. I also have no clue when it was featured. So how did an issue slipped by me? I can’t remember when I wasn’t a subscriber, and my Mom one before me….

Anyway, it tickled me that someone put their laundry behind all this drama. I’m sure you would think, if you saw these doors in any space, that something way more than an everyday chore would be back there. But why not? I wonder what else is back there?

Honestly if these doors can’t make doing laundry fun, nothing will.  I Love it BUT laundry on the other hand….

On the Edge of 50’s…

I went to an Open House recently with a friend of mine looking to buy. The apartment was a fixer-upper with a 50’s style kitchen. The counters were white with speckled Formica and a chrome edge detail all the way around – very retro diner-ish. So what ever happened to this way of designing counters because it looks great...

I ran across this kitchen recently on Desire to Inspire, which I love, and here it is again. Hmmmm could this design trend be coming back? I certainly hope so - I love it…

PS: The only hold-back – I need to figure out where to have this done.

Anything But the Blues…

This blue bedroom is calling my name… It’s so casual, you can’t help but want to be right here in it.

I’m working on a beach house at the moment with 3 such bedrooms. Each has its own unique personality, but I’m hoping “ this” is the way guests will feel when they come to stay.

Beach house bedrooms should be relaxed – giving off that air that you’ve left your everyday life for something without any fuss - stress-free, fun, and high on casual style…

Well this is crunch time…the painting and floors are done, the wallpaper goes up this week, along with custom curtains, bedding, lighting and accessories. Nobody but me will ever understand all that went into making these rooms special, but I certainly hope anyone staying in them will feel absolutely 100% so…

Seal of Approval…

This vintage bench just arrived for the entry hall of my client’s beach house. It’s so cute I wish I could keep it for myself. And it’s not just me, clearly it has kitty’s seal of approval too…

The shape is a keeper – I Love the detail on the front of the seat and the double seat design on the back. The orange won’t work in the room, so off it goes to the upholsterer. Well that is if I can get my little orange guy to move – he’s enjoying it from every angle.

I now know one thing for sure: this kitty has an appreciation for design, no question…

Trove Showcase...

This is not your Mama's wallpaper - that's for sure...  I'm always on the hunt for my next paper fix, and since ICFF is just around the corner I'm hoping to get one very soon... 

When searching on Trove, as I'm about to hang another of their papers, I found this image.  A picture's worth 1000 words they say, and sometimes it tops even pure imagination.  Concentrated in one horizontal band, the pattern orientation in this paper is unexpected and very cool -  a room maker... 

PS: This last few weeks have been the craziest I've ever experienced yet...  With so many projects happening at once, every day is scheduled to the minute.  How many things can I get done in a day - lately more than even I can imagine.  Soooo I suppose that explains it - my less than usual posting recently.  I'm hoping things will slow a little soon, so I can get back on track, and come up for air... if only for a minute to post an inspiration or two.           

Unseen...

Now this is something I’ve not seen – waterproof art panels.

Studium, a favorite tile stop of mine, will be carrying them – whatever they are… I need to find out more about this new art form and what the options are. Very cool…

This one reminds me of some stunning coasters I’ve seen in Anthropologie, but supersized. The colors are soothing, like the ocean, and the pattern is reminiscent of the inside of a shell – for sure a must-see on my next trip there...

It’s That Time…

It’s that time of year again when house tours are in full swing and I’m the happiest of girls…The NY Times ran the full list of local tours yesterday - I wish I could hit them all...

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/03/garden/home-and-garden-tours-around-the-country.html?_r=1&ref=garden

Tomorrow is the Junior League Tour, a fav of mine. A year seems like forever ago, when my apartment was on the tour, and honestly not a minute too soon - ever since then I’ve been boarded up behind tall scaffolding. If only it had gone up while the work was going on. I’m truly counting the days until it’s gone…

Anyway, let’s not forget, it’s also Kipps Bay season – another not-to-miss event. It’s usually hosted in an amazing townhouse or mansion, which in my opinion is half the fun, but not this year – this one takes place under new white box construction. That usually means out- of-the box kitchens and baths that all look the same, but I REALLY hope not. This bath btw was designed by Larry Laslo for a previous Kipps Bay Decorators Show House and it is a keeper. The tile is 5-star, as is everything really. I Love, Love, Love…

http://www.kipsbaydecoratorshowhouse.org/index.htm

To Dye For...

In one of my recent trips to the D&D, I stumbled upon a GREAT hand dyed linen at Designers Guild – a tie dye-ish color-faded fabric covered one entire wall of the showroom. Honestly, it was a “love at first sight” moment…

I have always been drawn to tie dye, and this is no exception. Lucky for us, DG offers it up in several colors.

What could be more crisp and clean than a fade from vibrant color to bright white? For curtains this fabric is a home run. Look - Home & Gardens featured this very thing in their most recent issue.

http://www.housetohome.co.uk/room-idea/picture/design-ideas-dip-dye/5#./1?&_suid=133597090458308020493868469385

Years ago I bought a similar fabric from DG and upholstered 4 French dining chairs. I still have them. They were gorgeous and I would buy it again in an instant, if they hadn’t discontinued it. I sooo hate when that happens…. In the spirit of this resurgence, we really need a comeback.