empire delicious

come on over and see our new home...

2011-07-13T20:17:00.001-04:00

We've moved!

The Empire Delicious blog has moved to www.empiredelicious.com. Please stop by the new pad and say hello. We've now got a shop filled with all sorts of new deliciously fun, simple, chic accessories for decorating and entertaining. Subscribers to this blog can resubscribe here to continue getting posts from the new location.

Enjoy! And Yay!

we're moving!

2011-05-25T20:45:00.001-04:00

Change is afoot. The empire delicious shop is almost ready to launch and this blog is moving to its new home at empiredelicious.com

Things at the new site are still under construction--for the next week or so consider the blog over there to be like the eager homeowner who moves in before the renovation is complete. We've got a mini-fridge, an inflatable mattress, and a lot of pages filled with great stuff being built and tweaked behind the scenes.

I'll be posting a bit infrequently for the next week or two while we get things ready. I can't wait to share with everyone the deliciously fun, colorful accessories we've got for decorating and entertaining--letterpress cocktail kits, amazing original art, bold and colorful throws and pillows, beautiful gift tags and ribbons and much more.

Stay tuned! You can get the latest updates here, on facebook, or at empiredelicious.com

stopping to smell the tulips

2011-05-16T16:33:00.000-04:00

This past weekend W. and I decided we had to stop and smell the flowers more often. Luckily for us, the people we bought our house from, 5 years ago, planted all sorts of fancy tulips that are still blooming. So, we didn't have to go very far to literally stop and smell the tulips (they actually don't really smell--it's more a visual feast).

I love these frilly tulips! They remind me of fancy chickens. Planting bulbs is pretty easy and the reward is proportionately large--as long as you take the time to stop and admire the flowers. White Flower Farm has many beautiful tulip bulbs for sale. Here are fringed tulips, the tulip fabio, and this, the glorious parrot tulip. You plant tulip bulbs in the fall, but might as well order the bulbs while you're thinking about them and appreciating them in the spring.

love: yellow doors

2011-05-12T08:59:00.000-04:00

There's no question that remodelista is a fantastic resource for any re-dos about the house. And this post (it's kind of old but it just caught me eye, photo above) from them shows all these incredibly fantastic yellow doors. It would make my day to have a yellow door such as this. See the whole post here.

In general, it's a great idea to paint a door a bright cheery color. And, the ceiling! In my old apartment I had yellow walls and a pale blue ceiling and it was terrific. White ceilings are fine, a little ho-hum. It's much more interesting to do something else. The dining room in my parent's apartment when I was little had a hot pink ceiling and silver walls--it was great. Go for it!

coasters! dwri letterpress!

2011-05-11T10:24:00.000-04:00

Dan Wood of DWRI Letterpress at work printing coasters for the Empire Delicious shop. I'm so happy with how they look! And, they will be a great addition to our collection of cocktail party accoutrement. Dan does amazing work from fine art editions to invites and stationary. He recently printed CD covers for The Low Anthem's new album Smart Flesh, which looks great (beautiful cover) and sounds great--we listened to it over and over again last weekend.

loving: carlo bugatti furniture

2011-05-04T12:45:00.000-04:00

The details of Carlos Bugatti's furniture are amazing. It's more scultpure than just another settee. Carlo Bugatti (1856 to 1940) in some circles might be best known as the father of Ettore Bugatti, the car designer and founder of the famous Bugatti cars. Innovative design genes obviously run in the family:

Back to the furniture though. You'll find Bugatti pieces such as this for sale through 1stdibs:

Simply great design. Read more about the Bugattis here and click on photos for more info on these pieces.

cocktail culture!

2011-04-28T11:52:00.000-04:00

I went to the RISD Museum's Cocktail Culture exhibit the other day, which was very inspiring! Quick! Grab your big chunky necklace, your colorful cocktail dress, and get to it. Here are a few cocktail items I found inspired by pieces in the exhibit:

Designer Jens Quistgaard made some amazing ice buckets for Dansk, this one is available at the etsy shop Beggers and Choosers.

Anthropologie is carrying a new edition of the Savoy Cocktail book originally published in 1930.

This necklace from Kate Spade is the kind of statement piece that has "cocktail party" written all over it. And, stay tuned for the launch of the Empire Delicious shop in late May! We're going to have just what you need to throw your next cocktail party.

art: matthew cusick's map collages

2011-04-27T10:13:00.002-04:00

Some years ago, maybe six or seven, W and I stumbled across Matthew Cusick's map collages at the Kent Gallery in Chelsea. We were THIS CLOSE to buying one but at the last minute didn't and we've regretted it ever since. I recently found the postcard from that show, which reminded me again of how much I like Matthew Cusick's work. Above is a detail from Red and Blue, 2010.

These are collages made from maps. So the above (Geronimo, 2007), looked like this upclose:

I guess it's never too late--might have to see if I can make this mine:

Titled: Empire Revisited, 2009. I think that's a sign. He's represented now, according to his web-site, by the Pavel Zoubok Gallery.

etiquette dilemmas solved

2011-04-26T16:38:00.001-04:00

I've had so much fun reading through Didi Lorillard's etiquette web-site, NewportManners.com. There's an informative list of do's and don'ts and a great collection of etiquette FAQs. I particularly liked reading the "dilemmas" section which addresses such sticky issues such as what to say to a co-worker who doesn't bathe and what to do if you've made out with the married hostess at a party (do you send a thank you note and hope to be invited back?). Also, I found the e-world etiquette section interesting. See what you think!

loving: a room full of books

2011-04-22T05:00:00.002-04:00

The walls in our living room are filled with books, which looks so warm and cozy that I easily forget that all these books aren't just decoration but things I might enjoy reading, or I might learn something from, or else they are old friends that I haven't picked up in a while.

I stopped today for the first time in a long while and actually looked at our books. W. arranged them by subject when we moved into the house and they've stayed fairly well organized (OK, the medical encyclopedia is clearly mine and correctly placed in the "reference" section). W has a rule that all paperbacks go on the bookshelf in a hallway outside the guestroom and not in the living room.

Most of the paperbacks are guide books, or else Carl Hiaasen page turners for long flights. Looking at this shelf today brought back so many memories of places we've been and would love to get back to soon (Iceland is probably better than India with a 2-year-old).

W. and I each brought an atlas to the marriage. Oh, and there's Migrations by Sabastio Salgado who, if you're not familiar with his work, is an incredible photojournalist.

Migrations documents people in transition around the world with such beautiful photography and so much compassion it still takes my breath away to look through the book.

Finding this book, Requiem by the Photographers Who Died in Vietnam and Indochina, reminded me that when I got out of college I actually, deeply, seriously wanted to be a foreign correspondent covering wars and big happenings around the world like Christiane Amanpour or Carlotta Gall. I did actually file a story from Ho Chi Minh City on the 20th anniversary of the fall of Saigon for the paper in New Mexico that I was a contributing writer for (I was traveling in Asia at the time and went to Saigon see James Brown play, though the show was canceled).

Honestly, being a war correspondent was a romantic notion that I didn't have the nerves for. Or the moxie, or whatever it takes. I liked being at home too much to lead a nomadic life. And so, in a total reversal, became a decorator, by way of writing a book about decorating. So this will explain how thrilled I was today to find this book:

I didn't know I had it. I've been prowling around my parent's bookshelves to see if they had a copy but I guess I beat myself to the punch and then forgot about it. Well, anyway, I'm happy I took the time today to reacquaint myself with some of these books! Otherwise I might have missed this purple and brown classic:

what's on your krrb?

2011-04-21T05:00:00.059-04:00

Krrb.com was described to me as being like the love child of Etsy and Craigs List if Craig had jumped town and left Etsy to raise the site--which is a virtual stoop or yard sale. Krrb.com is all about neighborly living--seeing what stuff your neighbors have to sell and moving out into the world some of the things around your house that are collecting dust (like these candlesticks, above). Krrb as been set up so you use "credits" to posts things. You get free credits from setting up your corner (kind of like your stoop or yard) and you can also buy extra credits cheaply, a system designed to keep things more neighborly than Craig's List can be.

Am very excited that I've finally set up my corner! There couldn't be a better way to get some spring cleaning started than pinpointing things that we just aren't using and could get rid of. And, am also loving the Krrb blog--check it out here for tips on where to find great vintage stuff and more.

Send me links to your krrb corners!

classic: backgammon & dominoes

2011-04-20T10:06:00.004-04:00

When I first moved into W.'s bachelor pad in NYC we used to play either backgammon or dominoes just about every night that we were home. We had a shelf that held all our games and it was never dusty. Then we had a baby. And the shelf at our new house that held the games got very dusty indeed.

The other night after dinner, after bedtime for H, we dug out the backgammon board and it was great fun to play again. I think in general that it's always nice to have a small collection of classic games (mostly thinking of backgammon, dominoes, a puzzle, cards) and it's even better to remember to play them. Next step will be to learn mahjong or bridge.

five things that make me smile

2011-04-18T20:02:00.002-04:00

1) These tissue lined envelopes are on my desk awaiting further assignment. I love the little surprise inside an otherwise all white envelope, and the bright unfussy colors are plain old cheery. I love lined envelopes--they're like penny candy, you don't need them but they're a nice relatively inexpensive touch of deliciousness in a day.

2) My brand new yellow striped socks from The Gap. I'm not seeing them on the Gap website but I just bought them last week. Stripes are everywhere--any thin striped sock will do.

3) Our magnolia tree is blooming! It's exploding and it's beautiful. Is it going to jinx things if I put the snow shovel in the basement at this point?

4) These days I sometimes stumble across Harriet's animals and dolls all carefully tucked into "bed" in some corner of a room. I guess it's good to know she's taking good care of them--especially considering how down on "bed" she usually is.

5) Wes Anderson is shooting his next movie, "Moon Rise Kingdom", right here in Newport, RI. I am a fan of his movies and I love the idea of seeing his next one and recognizing the places in it like this, Trinity Church.

decorating kismet

2011-04-18T14:14:00.000-04:00

There have been so many exciting things going on with the Empire Delicious shop, which I can't wait to share with you soon, that I've missed a few blogs posts and now there's so much to say. With the warm turn in the weather I've been making note of so many things that make me happy, including this picture above and what is, I think, some mighty fine decorating kismet.

W. and I bought the Dash and Albert rug for our bathroom shortly after we moved into the house. I then painted the walls light limey green like one of the stripes in the rug. Shortly after Harriet was born a friend of my parents sent, having never seen our house, the little chair that perfectly matched the magenta stripe of the rug. To finish it off, Harriet got the pink duck the following Christmas. It all makes me happy, it fits so well, and it pretty much happened on it's own.

Talk soon!

TradHome

2011-04-13T20:23:00.000-04:00

I've really enjoyed reading the new TradHome--a collaboration between Traditional Home magazine and Lonny that just came out yesterday--they've got a video featuring Jonathan Adler and Charlotte Moss built right into the pages and some great design to boot. Check out the fab colors in this South Beach hotel.

looking for dining chairs

2011-04-11T13:11:00.001-04:00

A friend of mine is looking for new dining chairs and I couldn't recommend highly enough these ones, above, that I have. They are Jean Prouve "Standard Chair" which comes in a variety of colors. I find them very comfortable (and they are available at Hive Modern). They are pretty modern though. Some other ideas for dining chairs include:

These are the classic Francis Elkins dining chairs, which I love. The photo above is from the Antiques and Modern Design page at 1stdibs.com. Hate to say, but these chairs are sold--the style is classic though and you can find loop chairs at C. Bell in West Palm Beach.

Also from C. Bell are these bamboo chairs above.

Back to Modern...there's this classic Eames dining chair from DWR which again plays to my soft spot for "school chairs." I like how this chair, and my Prouve chairs, can be used for a real dinner party or else just day to day for sitting at a table and working.

This pony chair from cb2 is budget friendly and also good looking--am looking at the white chair at the head of the table.

a new sink project snowballs

2011-04-05T16:07:00.001-04:00

It's amazing how a little project can snowball. For example: we need a new kitchen sink (the enamel on the existing one has rubbed off down to the iron). Our current sink is 48-inches long, a size which would be expensive to replace and I'd like to reclaim a little counter space anyway by having a smaller sink. If we get a smaller sink though, we need a new countertop around the sink. And if I replace one section of countertop with a new material (I don't like our existing granite, it doesn't suit our summer cottage) then don't I have to replace countertop in the rest of the kitchen? And what if I deeply crave soapstone countertops, which don't come cheaply? Well, it looks like our new sink is going to be pricey.

Back to the point: I'm thinking, if not soapstone, of getting white-ish ceasarstone and having a Moroccan tile backsplash. There's a bar area where we sit on barstools to eat, which I think should be wood, not white or newsprint will get all over it and drive me nuts. Here are some kitchen inspirations shots that have caught my eye recently:

As seen on Lonny site, as is this below:

Ah well.

ArtWeLove--we really do.

2011-03-29T14:06:00.000-04:00

Limited edition prints, at affordable prices, by artists represented in museum and major gallery collections? Yes, it's true. ArtWeLove is a great resource for the budding art collector or the person just looking for something interesting to fill that empty spot on the wall. The ArtWeLove site gives lots of useful information about the artists, art, and collecting in general. Here are a few prints for sale that caught my eye: above is Fireplace Mirror by Francesca Gabbiani and below is SOS (350 Earth Project) by Mark Dion.

butterfly rug

2011-03-24T14:31:00.003-04:00

Ooh, delicious colors. Am loving the bug rug from designers Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby for The Rug Company. Yes please.

roundup of prints

2011-03-22T12:09:00.004-04:00

I love the idea of building your own art collection over time--it doesn't have to be super expensive or museum quality pieces just images that make you happy. As you build a collection, your house develops its own narrative--there's a story behind this picture and a that. Here are a few sources for prints that I've run across lately. Above, this image is the cover of an old seed catalogue available at the Royal Horticulture Society which sells botanical, animal, and vegetable prints.

This is sort of funny, from Keep Calm Gallery also in the UK, a circus print regarding the upcoming royal wedding. In general Keep Calm Gallery has some great stuff, all mostly typography prints.

The V&A, also in the UK, has a classic selection of prints, posters (you can get them printed on different types of papers) including this classic The Great Wave by Katsushika Hokusai.

The Marlborough Gallery Graphics has a fantastic collection of prints by well known artists such as the above by Ellsworth Kelly.

Panteek is a great source for a wide variety of botanical, bird and animal prints. I like these eggs, above, the prints aren't that big but I think would look nice if there were 6 or so of them hung in a collection on the wall. And, stay tuned, we're going to have a few great prints in the Empire Delicious shop when we launch later this spring.

inspiration: marc jacobs skirt

2011-03-21T14:31:00.001-04:00

Just love the colors of this Marc Jacobs skirt--image found in latest Bergdorf Goodman catalogue. Remember how in Domino magazine they used to turn an outfit into a room...well, I'd love to do that with this outfit. Delicious colors.

the year in pictures, a recommendation

2011-03-18T06:00:00.002-04:00

For anyone interested in photography, or art, or things in general, I recommend the blog The Year in Pictures by gallerist James Danziger, of Danziger Projects. There's great photographs, art, and he's got a pleasantly insightful way. Below are some photographs I love--real free-falling snowflakes!--by Japanese artist Yuji Obata, from the gallery.

Cheers!

inspiration: paint it black

2011-03-17T06:00:00.043-04:00

It always seems so dramatic, or dark, to paint something black. More like a Rolling Stone's song than something you'd do to your kitchen. Well, black paint has been looking really great to me recently. The picture above is from the March/April issue of Lonny, design by Christina Murphy and Meg Gabriele.

Black high gloss in a kitchen, very exciting. And then! A different project in the same issue of Lonny:

The art looks so fab on the black background in this room designed by Colleen Locke.
PS. There's also an interesting article on Kelly Wearstler in that issue. I have a new appreciation for tips on balancing work, family and an occasional trip to the gym.

thermal love

2011-03-16T21:28:00.001-04:00

The weather is finally getting warmer, which is deeply exciting. The only thing I might miss about winter is my thermos. Really. I have an all day tea drinking habit that started in the early 1990s on the Tibetan study abroad program I did in Nepal and India. With a thermos on my desk, I don't have to get up and turn the kettle on every 20 minutes. The tea is right there ready to go. It may not be chic but it's warm and convenient. I have this thermos, picture above, from Reduce and like it a lot. Anything will do, but at least 34 ounces is nice. In a moment of vanity, I removed the shoulder strap that came with the thermos. Do I sound like J. Peterman? Sigh.

love: the spanish wine glass

2011-03-14T13:38:00.001-04:00

These wine glasses from Spain are the best...we had a bunch of them but are now down to just one sole (chipped) survivor. Obviously, this means we need to go to Spain again soon to get some more. They don't tip over and spill, they fit nicely in your hand, and they have an easy casual way about them. If you can't get to Spain immediately, Global Table has them and I hope we can get some of these glasses for the Empire Delicious shop (stay tuned for a late spring launch of our shop...I'm having so much fun putting it together!).

love: magnetic bulletin board

2011-03-11T09:51:00.001-05:00

Instead of a corky bulletin board, I decided to go with a sheet of metal. I use little round magnets to keep papers (and metal key rings!) and photos and inspiration posted by my desk. I like how neat and tidy the metal is, unlike cork it won't crumble if it's overused. I recommend it!

surprise!

2011-03-10T13:33:00.011-05:00

I love that my winter coat has a hot pink liner. When I'm wearing it, no one would know but me. It's made my winter a little cheerier though. Generally speaking, it's so nice to have a little colorful surprise here and there.

Oh look! My springy rain coat (I optimistically got it out the other day) has a line of red at the seam on the inside--that could have been tan or black but isn't it nice they chose red?

We have this blue paper mache bull's head (from stray dog designs) hung on a funny bit of wall over the stair that most people will never see. It's our little secret, and a nice surprise for anyone who notices it. Surprises can include wallpapering the inside of a closet, having envelopes lined with stripes (see these at Kate Spade), or curtains made with pretty lining fabric (stripes? hot pink?) instead of plain old white liner.

hanging montages

2011-03-09T06:00:00.001-05:00

This is the last in my "Things I Liked at My Mom and Dad's Apartment" series. At least for right now. I think the way my Mom hung these prints over a sofa is a great solution to what could have been a problematic issue of how to fill the whole wall and also how to deal with both horizontal and vertical prints. Besides how they are hung, I just love all the animals--every night when we're staying in NYC H says goodnight to each squirrel, rhino, alpaca.

From our book The Pocket Decorator, we have this on how to hang pictures in a group:

First lay the pictures down on the floor and work on the spacing and arrangement, then you'll hang them accordingly. To hang the pictures on the wall you'll need a tape measure, picture hooks, a pencil, and a hammer. First measure the distance between the floor and where you want the top of the picture frame. Mark the wall lightly with the pencil where the center of the top of the frame should be. Next, take the wire on the back of the picture frame and use the tape measure to pull on the wire, as if the picture were hanging from the end of the tape measure. Measure the distance from the highest point of the wire to the top of the frame. If that measurement is, for example, 5 inches, then you will nail the picture hook into the wall 5 inches below the pencil mark you already made. If you are using a picture hook, note that it is the hook, rather than the nails you put into the wall that the wire will hang from so it is the hook that should be 5 inches below the pencil mark.

Okay!

classic: black and white checkerboard floor

2011-03-08T06:00:00.010-05:00

With all the zillions of choices for what to do with a kitchen floor, and all the zillions of dollars you can spend designing a new kitchen, I like this basic cost-conscious idea from my Mom and Dad's apartment (this is the week of my parent's apartment). Basically, using relatively inexpensive vinyl tiles in a checkerboard adds a great design element to an otherwise blah floor. It's more interesting to have the tiles installed on the diagonal, as shown above and below, instead of in straight lines. Instead of black and while tiles, the floor would have a more retro look with, say, red and black tiles, or blue and yellow.

In this photo H demonstrates how resilient and good for running a vinyl tile floor can be. The more ecological option for this kind of floor would be linoleum (Marmoleum is a popular brand) instead of vinyl tiles.

love: floor cloths

2011-03-07T13:23:00.001-05:00

Last week we stayed with my Mom and Dad in NYC while I helped out with the Tibet House benefit concert at Carnegie Hall (which was amazing!). One of the many things I love about their apartment is the floor cloths--I can't believe how pretty and how practical they are. Because the floor cloths are simply coated canvas, spills don't matter a bit, you can just sponge them off.

In our book The Pocket Decorator we wrote this about Painted Floor Cloths: They are literally paintings that go on the floor. Heavy canvas is stretched and painted, often using stencils, and coated with a protective finish. Floor cloths were first popular in the early 18th century England and America. Painted floor cloths offer a great opportunity to have a custom-made floor treatment with the right scale, colors, and pattern for a room.

Here's another one at my parent's apartment, the "wood floor" under the zebra is actually part of the floor cloth. Here's some how to info on making floor cloths, this how to from hgtv. Decorative painters can often make a floor cloth if you're not feeling artsy.

love: the bar boy

2011-03-02T08:00:00.001-05:00

I love my Verner Panton bar boy. It was perfect for a small apartment and now it also works beautifully in a larger house. The only downside is little fingers are apt to get pinched in it--which is actually no bad thing as little fingers shouldn't be playing with the bar boy to begin with. Bottles live in the bottom compartment, then glasses then napkins and such. Having the bar boy adds to our essential at home bar set up.

This is such a classic, Panton designed it in 1963, that is so great for a small space. It's available at domus design and other retailers. I got mine, years ago, on sale from a vitra store in NYC.

pretty my kitchen with weck jars

2011-03-01T10:00:00.005-05:00

We know plastic isn't good for us and that includes having to look at it all over our kitchen. In a decidedly Martha Stewart meets chez larsson (a blog I love) moment, I realized how much more organized and eye-pleasing our kitchen would be if I stored rice and whatnot in glass jars instead of those awful plastic bags. Weck Jars are the old canning standby and I can't wait until the ones I ordered arrive.

victoria amory's dinner party tips

2011-02-28T12:02:00.000-05:00

I was so thrilled to talk to hostess par excellence, cookbook author and writer Victoria Amory about some tips for throwing a delicious, fun and festive dinner party. Victoria grew up in Spain, she's the daughter of the count and countess de la Maza, the author of two cookbooks and a contributor to a variety of shelter and lifestyle magazines.

Q. Hi Victoria. First question is how can the hostess have fun at her own party?

VA: I love dinners at home to be cozy and comforting for everyone...including me. Preparation is key and making a few things ahead of time, setting the table and having the meal semi-prepared before guests come, gives me time to get dressed and be relaxed during drinks.

Q. How do you decide on the menu for a party?

VA: Choosing the right menu is what keeps me up and night; I base the decision on seasonal produce, the amount of time I have to prepare and how elaborate I want to make the dinner (not much, normally).

For a friday night, when everyone is exhausted from the week, comfort food is always best. I love "dressing up" everyday dishes, those that gives us comfort. Thus, I splash bib lettuce with champagne vinegar, add a few drops of truffle oil to mashed potatoes, rub the roast chicken with truffle butter, toss spaghetti with smoked salmon and serve berries with irish clotted cream. Just one or two over-the-top ingredients elevates mundane dishes into gourmet status.

I also like using simple ingredients and giving them an "up-twist": grilled romaine lettuces, crispy artichokes, fresh baby tomato salsa and an almond chocolate cake with no flour or butter that is out of this world.

Q. What's your recipe for a perfect dinner party?

VA: 8 @ 8 is the perfect combination.... 8 guests are easy to manage, and 8 o'clock gives me time to do all I need and still spend some time with the children. I like dinners at home to feel comforting and relaxed, easy and stress-free. A wonderfully set table, great, simple food, copious amounts of wine and a sweet dessert is all we need.

Q. What specifically would you serve at this dinner party? (Follow links to find the recipes).

VA: My favorite menu for this season is:

Drink
Grog, a super delicious lemon/rum drink that puts everyone in a great mood....instantly).

Hors d'ouevres
Meze, a tray with bowls filled with spicy hummus, fresh tomato salsa, artichoke and garlic spread, pita chips and rice crakers (all store bought).

Dinner
Green salad with Bibb lettuce, endive, arugula and diced apple tossed with champagne vinaigrette.
Polenta Lasagna
Grilled Baby Eggplants
Almond & Chocolate Cake

Thank you Victoria!

owl wallpaper

2011-02-24T13:30:00.000-05:00

I love this owl wallpaper by Abigail Edwards. Saw it on Design Sponge yesterday and am dreaming of all the places I could hang it. It could be a fun surprise for inside a closet. Hoot.

love seat round-up

2011-02-23T01:00:00.005-05:00

Maybe I was too hasty about Valentine's Day and not making a big brouhaha out of it. I've got love seats on the brain now and am looking for a good one. It's so nice to find a love seat with delicate proportions--here's what I've come up with so far:

Anthropologie has this, the Battersea Sofette (I call it a loveseat) for $2998. It comes with other fabric options and is a nice 5-feet long. I love the tufting.

This is a 1stdibs find from The Antique and Artisan Center in Stamford CT. The purple is sort of outrageous--it's mohair-- the price is listed at $2750. This one is 4-feet 8-inches wide.

From Design Within Reach, this Theatre Two Seater for $1950.

The Karlstad loveseat from Ikea is nice too--and the price is right at $479. Also, for a love seat--I'm inclined to look at auctions and consignment shops for something old that can be recovered which might be more economical and more interesting. Also, I'd like to think about a loveseat with a skirt. That's next on the docket.

one kings lane

2011-02-22T14:01:00.001-05:00

I'd heard of One Kings Lane before but hadn't fully appreciated the adrenaline rush of shopping there until I went a bit overboard on their John Robshaw sale last week. Who doesn't love a sale? One Kings Lane offers high end house things at incredible discounts for a limited period of time. So for three days, for example, a selection of John Robshaw, or, coming up ABC Carpet & Home, merchandise is available at huge savings while supplies last. It's genius--and addictive.

inspiration: colors!

2011-02-17T14:32:00.000-05:00

I love the color explosion coming from the Bergdorf windows! The backgrounds are balloon installations by artist Jason Hackenwerth.

It feels like spring is really coming.

Am wondering if I could make my own balloon color explosion at home? It would never look this organized and good, more like a kids birthday party gone awry.

inspiration: brilliant colors in everyday life

2011-02-16T12:02:00.002-05:00

I was going through pictures from a long ago trip to India, Nepal and Thailand and was struck by what brilliant colors there are in everyday life. The Buddha above, perched on the side of the Boudhanath Stupa in Kathmandu has an orange marigold tucked in his arm and is splashed in red.

A Saddhu in Kathmandu is wearing bright yellow and has a string of orange marigolds on his trident.

And, the saffron that young monks in Bangkok are wearing pops out from the city gray.

And this is Racer, the camel I rode in the desert in India. His saddle was yellow and red, and the bag on top was hot pink. It's so cheery to have excellent rich colors, no matter the setting.

tiny showcase

2011-02-15T11:29:00.002-05:00

It's so great to find original art that you can afford. I love the idea of building a unique collection of art, accessories that make your house feel like the one-of-a-kind masterpiece, or mini masterpiece, that it deserves to be. Tiny Showcase is a great place to start. Every week this Providence, RI based site offers up for sale a limited edition print. The prints often sell out and are pretty much always interesting. Take a peek at their gallery here. The image above is "Wolpertinger" by Anne Siems from Tiny Showcase.

city or country: the grass is always greener

2011-02-14T11:27:00.002-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day!! On an unrelated topic:

For years while living in my cozy (um, very small) apartment in New York I daydreamed about moving out of the city to a place where there would be grass, fresh air, and lots of space to roam about. Where it wouldn't be so loud and there would be a gentler, kinder way of life. Four and a half years ago W and I took the plunge--we moved more or less full time (we both still work in NYC) to the country and haven't looked back since. We have a guest room! We have a small garden! We think about getting chickens! We walk to the beach on a Tuesday evening! For the city dweller contemplating The Country I offer the following pros and cons in weighing on which side the grass is actually greener (figuratively speaking).

What I Miss About NYC:

1) Walking everywhere. In the country you are almost entirely reliant on cars which sometimes break down and cause troubles. I miss the exercise you get going about your day in the city and seeing all the different people and things.

2) Not shoveling snow. Snow shoveling was taken care of and you didn't have to think about the luge that is your driveway and front steps.

3) The huge variety of restaurants and shops. There are many great restaurants and shops outside of NYC, of course. It's just that there are fewer choices and they tend to be farther away.

4) Having the D&D Building and so many fantastic design resources right at your fingertips. In NYC if you want to go look at a specific piece of furniture, a fabric or whatever, it's easy to do.

5) The variety of neighborhoods. Little Italy, Indian row in the East Village, Chelsea, Smith Street in Brooklyn, it goes on and on...

What I Don't Miss About NYC:

1) The expensive-ness. It really is easy to spend money in a city.

2) Parking. It seems crazy now to think about having to pay a lot to park your car or else to take on street parking as a project. Or to not have a car.

3) The Culture Vulture stuff. Believe it or not, I think we have many more cultural adventures now that we're not in the center of the cultural universe. We rarely went to the theater in NYC, we go more often here. We see just as much music, we go to museums on weekends, and so on.

4) The Rat Race. It seems farther away now, which is nice. There's more space in life for general musings.

5) People have more time outside of NYC. H's pediatrician never seems rushed when I ask my 11th question. Generally, it is slower paced and more friendly, which, going back to the top of the list, is so great until find yourself standing in line at the bank, waiting for your turn, while the person in front of you chitchats for what seems like a very long time.

some smallish ceiling fans

2011-02-09T11:18:00.003-05:00

Every morning, this is the first thing I see when I wake up. The ugly ceiling fan over our bed. Do you ever just snap? This morning I decided that something had to be done. We need the fan in our un-air-conditioned house, but a more streamlined fan would get the day off on a better foot. Here are two that I've found:

From the Modern Fan Company and available at Barn Light Electric this Cirrus Hugger Ceiling Fan which comes in white, with a 36-inch diameter (also 42-inch and 52-inch) and only hangs 13-inches from the ceiling. How low it hangs is important because W. is very tall and would get whacked in the head by anything much lower.

Also from the Modern Fan Company and available at Barn Light Electric is this, the Ball Hugger Ceiling Fan that comes in at 42-inches (and 52-inches) and also in white. I think one of these two will do nicely.

classic: the rigaud candle

2011-02-08T13:44:00.002-05:00

They say that smell is the sense that best triggers memory. For me, the smell of a cyprus Rigaud candle burning still brings so firmly to mind the sensory whirlwind of a party about to happen at my parents' house when I was little. One whiff and I can hear the clinking of the glasses being put on the bar, the ice being thrown into the ice bucket, I can feel the cool air from the open windows, and smell the fresh flowers and cheesepuffs being prepared. Luckily, W. came to the marriage with his own green Rigaud that he'd inherited from his parents. Generally I don't like strong smelling candles, but this is entirely different. Lighting the Rigaud an hour before a party starts is key to setting the stage and the trigger for such pleasant memories. How nice that W. had a Rigaud, and that it was green.

impromptu dinner

2011-02-07T10:54:00.002-05:00

My sister-in-law and niece came to visit this past weekend which was great fun. They arrived on Friday evening but weren't sure exactly what time they'd get here. The plan was to all have dinner together; so, the big question for me was what to make for dinner that was easy and wasn't time sensitive. Basically, I look for any excuse to have hors d'oeures and snacks for dinner and this was a terrific opportunity. Deviled eggs, tomatoes drizzled with olive oil and Jane's Krazy Mixed-Up Salt, and a big salad were just the thing. It was all super easy to make in advance and then just ready to go.

I'm a purist when it comes to deviled eggs. To the yolks simply add mayonnaise, salt, and a touch of curry if you like, then sprinkle paprika or something colorful over the top (could be chopped chives or dill). In my experience deviled eggs are a huge crowd-pleaser--straight from the waspy handbook and rather filling to soak up the gin and tonics (or whatever). These cherry tomatoes with Jane's Krazy Salt are so easy, the smaller the tomatoes the better, and again I've found them to be very popular. It's a summery dinner in winter, which is nice for a change.

love: how to cook everything by mark bittman

2011-02-03T08:00:00.011-05:00

For years I've been depending on Julia Child, the Silver Palate, and the Barefoot Contessa. I've been operating under the mantra that one should never have too many cookbooks, just a couple of the best. Then, this past Christmas season I bought Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything with the full intention of giving it to someone else as a present. How it happened to be under the tree, quite nicely wrapped up and addressed to me from H who is two, I cannot say. Whatever happened, it's my new go-to cookbook; I've been using it non-stop for all of January. What really won my heart was the following sentence regarding a brisket that I was stressing out about this past weekend:

"...You can skip the initial browning if you're pressed for time or don't want to bother; the difference, in the end, will be minimal." Page 743.

How liberating! I hate "browning." I never want to bother with it. And, Bittman was right, the un-browned brisket was delicious--everyone told me so. How to Cook Everything has so many variations for each recipe that you're bound to find something you can do with what you've got on hand. It's my new favorite. Yay!

classic: the bar

2011-02-02T11:05:00.001-05:00

One thing I love is having a bar set up and ready to go. It's welcoming for guests and it makes it easy to have a last minute spontaneous party, even if it's just a couple of people who pop by. Think about the old fashioned movies, there's always a bar in the living room. And when someone comes to deliver a difficult piece of news, they just help themselves to a drink before spilling the beans. It feels kind of grown up and elegant to have a full bar right there and I like that.

The ingredients for a good bar set-up include: a tray, an ice bucket, tongs for grabbing ice, bottle opener, cork screw and a thingy for measuring shots. I have a couple of John Derian coasters by the tray because they are pretty and they help to preserve my grandmother's old table. I have two brass bowls that I fill with peanuts for a party. The glasses are on shelves within easy reach and on two smaller trays I keep some coke, diet coke, tonic and selter (small glass bottles, no big plastic bottles) and ginger beer (because Dark 'n Stormies are the official drink here in RI).

When we got married we registered for a bunch of bar things including an Elsa Peretti bottle opener and the thingy for measuring shots. The ice bucket I've had for years, it came from Crate & Barrel. They still have some good ones--see here. The tongs for grabbing ice are old vintage silver.

West Elm has a few nice bar tables.

And these trays also from West Elm would be very good for a bar. Make sure the tray you use can stand to have some water, or whatever, spilled on it as it's bound to happen. Okay! Cheers!

spontaneous presents

2011-02-01T11:18:00.003-05:00

Spontaneous presents sounds like some great Buddhist moment of higher understanding. In fact, I'm just talking about how nice it is to receive a present for no reason at all. A little while ago my friend Lily gave me, for absolutely no good reason, a Dr. Hauschka Lip Care Stick.

I use it everyday and love it. Better still, there's the nice memory of being completely surprised on no particular occasion. I'm not a big fan of shopping specifically for Valentine's Day, but I do like the idea giving a friend or two a spontaneous present on, say, February 3rd, or the 5th or maybe March 3rd. Some ideas, it needs to be something relatively inexpensive, are:

Flowers for no good reason. I'm loving magenta so much these days.

A set of 14 sky-blue pencils for $12 at oimoi.
One could buy the set of 14 and divide it between a few worthy friends.

Or, also from oimoi a set of two chic little matchboxes for $12.

I do sometimes worry about giving people soap. Like they might think that I think they need it. Still, it's so nice to have pretty little guest soaps and I so rarely buy them for myself. L'Occitane has these which I like.

If in doubt, there's also a good old fashioned cupcake, and who doesn't love to get a cheery cupcake for absolutely no good reason?

off season travel: newport, RI

2011-01-31T11:23:00.002-05:00

In the summer Newport, RI is idyllic but crowded. In the winter, the small city is all yours. So this past weekend W, H, and I took full advantage of a winter weekend in Newport and left feeling like there's still lots we've yet to do. We started with Save the Bay's 1 hour Seal Watch Cruise aboard the Alletta Morris.

It was a glorious day and even H., who's two, loved being out on the water and looking through binoculars. We saw a bevvy of seals and felt revitalized by the fresh air on a sunny winter's day. Next stop, to warm up with some hot chocolate, was the recently opened La Maison de Coco on Bellevue Ave across from the Hotel Viking.

The hot chocolate was sublime, we had a choice between chili pepper or chai flavored and for good measure we shared a madeline.

It's not just the hot chocolate that's so good at La Maison de Coco, the decor and presentation add greatly to the experience. The big bowl, the wooden surfaces, the metal tins of tea, and the great wiry hanging light fixtures all work so nicely together. Then...

By popular demand we went to Save the Bay's Exploration Center at Easton's Beach (First Beach). The tank of jellyfish--aren't they gorgeous??--is just one of many treasures from the Bay. And, since we've all become connoisseurs of the carousels of New England, a mandatory stop at the Easton's Beach carousel was made. It's open on weekend afternoons through the winter. My favorite part is they were playing, instead of traditional carousel music, Randy Newman. Last time they were playing "Brick House" by the Commadore's.

And then it was time to go home for a long winter's nap. But on the list for next time are the following:
A trip to the Newport Art Museum
Lunch or Dinner at Castle Hill which is deeply delicious.
Ice skating by the water.
A movie at the Jane Pickens theater.
And a tennis lesson at the Tennis Hall of Fame

resolution no 3: Polish till it dazzles

2011-01-28T08:00:00.009-05:00

I know, it's kind of late to be making New Years resolutions. Better late than never, right? I have these old brass candlesticks and I never use them because they are tarnished and covered in wax. Whenever I'm setting the table and think it would be nice to use them, it's ten minutes before friends are arriving. And so they've sat.

No longer! My new goal is to have everything taken care of and ready to go. Last night I put these candlesticks in a pot, poured boiling water over them, and watched the wax melt off. I took them out after about 5 minutes and wiped the rest of the wax off with paper towel. Then, I found some Flitz in the cabinet that my mom had given me for Christmas some years ago. And voila! Not perfect but I will actually use them now:

This resolution also includes taking my best sheets to the cleaners to be properly washed and ironed. Good sheets are so nice when ironed, though I'd never find the time to do it myself. And, they come back from the laundry in such a great tidy stack. Delicious.

Some time ago I did a q & a with Elizabeth Hargraves Mandy, who restores and refinishes antiques. We talked about the best ways to maintain antique furniture. Read what she said here. Here's to the New Year and making things just right!

classic: leather animals

2011-01-27T08:00:00.088-05:00

Photo: Lily Malcom

As you can see, our leather piggy footstools had a wild New Year's Eve a few weeks ago. We felt so left out, just standing around taking pictures while they fell over laughing about the good old days. The big pig, we call him Sneffy, was William's parents'--they got it as a wedding present. The little one, we call her Priscilla George, we received as a wedding present. These leather footstools aren't cheap but they are so classic and so handy to have as an extra seat. Children love them--I clearly remember the leather elephant we had when I was little.

An English company called Omersa makes these leather animals and started importing them to the US in the 1960s. The photo above is from American Vogue, found on the Omersa web-site, of Edie Sedgewick standing on the back of a leather rhino. It's possible to order the animals from Omersa, or they are also available at Jonathan Adler, or Scully and Scully. For the old and frail leather animals who can recall the go-go years of the late 1960s, there's an animal hospital for repair work.

Besides pigs and rhinos, there are camels, bears, sheep, elephants, dogs and much much more.

matchbook magazine is here

2011-01-26T19:45:00.003-05:00

Here it is! The premiere issue of Matchbook magazine is now out. It's very exciting to have another on-line design magazine, the "field guide to a charmed life." Check it out here.

5 tips for brilliant furniture layout

2011-01-26T08:00:00.004-05:00

The furniture layout and lighting can make or break a room. So, with that in mind, here are a few tips (from The Pocket Decorator) on getting a conversation grouping in a living room, sitting room, or even a bedroom just right.

Tip #1
It's always a good idea to have a piece or two, such as an ottoman on casters or a Moroccan pouf or a leather footstool, that can easily be pulled up when a few extra people pop by.

Tip #2
Place side tables and coffee tables so that you can conveniently pick up your drink. You can't relax if you have to keep getting up to retrieve your wine glass. Put approximately 16 inches of space between a sofa and the coffee table in front of it. Side tables should be quite close, a few inches, to the sofa or chair they belong to.

Tip #3
Every room needs at least one good reading lamp. This lamp is ideally close to a chair that's nice to sit in and read.

Tip #4
Create ambiance. Wall sconces, overhead lighting, and even lamps can be put on dimmers. No one looks their best when lit only by overhead lighting, so mix it up.

Tip #5
This is a two part tip. 1) sometimes the best way to find a better solution is to nudge around what you've got. Try moving a coffee table closer to a sofa, pulling arm chairs in towards a coffee table, and dressing up an arm chair with a small side table and a standing lamp next to it. 2) It's never too early to start figuring out your furniture layout. The earlier the better. If don't have all the furniture yet for a room, you can figure out what the ideal size is for the missing pieces, which will make shopping much easier.

Let me know if there are any questions.

5 brilliant things

2011-01-25T12:26:00.006-05:00

I'm feeling happy that there are so many things I can think of that make me happy.

1) Maira Kalman's "And The Pursuit of Happiness"
It's filled with perfect bite-sized vignettes that are touching, funny, and pretty to look at.

2) My clog collection
Sven is my brand. I like them best with a flexible sole so they bend at the ball of your foot. You could climb a mountain in these. Or just wear them around the house, which is what I usually do.

3) The Round Ottoman on Casters Painted by Peter Fasano

This ottoman, and it's twin, were originally my parent's and I happily inherited them when I moved to RI. Peter Fasano painted the fabric and Mom had these ottoman's covered in it. They're pretty old, I'd say close to 25 years old, though haven't they held up well? First, I urge you to look at the great fabric designs that Peter Fasano is doing up in Great Barrington, MA. His fabrics are in showrooms. See his website here. Second, consider the possibility of using hand painted fabric like this. Whether you do it yourself or have someone else do the painting, it's a way to get the exact colors you want and a truly original piece.

4) Old Photobooth Pictures

I keep these above my desk.

5) Peonies
And, it's really not that long before they pop up and start blooming.

love: worn in cowboy boots

2011-01-24T08:00:00.003-05:00

There's something about an old pair of cowboy boots. They get wizened like a face and each line has a story. They've got attitude and a bit of a slouch. If I'm not wearing my old cowboy boots, and I'm usually not wearing them these days, I like to have them out, standing in a corner, so I can see them.

These, above, are my friend Lily's (her mother's originally) and I remember them from so many places and parties. I got my cowboy boots, below, one sweltering August day at Billy Martin's which was then on Madison Avenue. It was ridiculous to even look in Billy Martin's because everything was so jazzy and expensive. Then, off in the corner of the store, on sale, I saw these plain-jane boots and it's been love ever since.

They're falling apart now, so I almost don't dare wear them. I guess it's time to think about a new pair, it will only take a decade to wear them in.

inspiration: vladimir kagan & erica wilson's house

2011-01-21T10:00:00.059-05:00

Here's another terrific piece of inspiration from The Selby, it's the furniture designer Vladimir Kagan and the embroidery and needlework designer Erica Wilson's apartment in NYC. I love the colors--green walls!

And this beautiful chair. And the nice old fashioned wood floors.

And the picture hall. It's a perfect idea for a back bedroom hall--a collection of photos that grows through the years.

Pretty wallpaper! Montage of pictures!

Love the colors of this embroidery. Do go visit The Selby to see more of these great images.

resolution no. 2: buy a piece of art

2011-01-20T13:05:00.000-05:00

I don't think it's too late to make a New Year's Resolution, I see January as one big grace period.

In December, my thought was that in 2011 I wanted to buy a piece of art--nothing wildly expensive, but something that would be nice to look at and also would give us a story. Then, as luck would have it, W and I went to our friends Jane McNally Wright and Sue McNally's art show in Bristol, RI. We both fell for so many of the amazing prints, paintings, and drawings they've done. We had great fun with our friends and Harriet, who's two, danced her little heart out to the music.

Then, some weeks later, W. surprised me with this--a monotype by Jane that I adore. It works brilliantly in every room of our house. It's called "Orange Sky Swell" and I like to look at it up close, there's so much to see:

It's everything I'd hoped for, a beautiful thing to look at and we have a story to remember of going to the art show and the excellent surprise some weeks later.

classic: bakelite phone

2011-01-19T13:10:00.001-05:00

I saw it from across the room, my heart started to pound, and I swore to myself "one day that phone will be mine." It's my friend Chrissy's orange bakelite phone that she got on ebay and I saw it at her house on New Year's Day.

I don't want to have her exact phone, that would be stealing. I can imagine though having a very similar phone on my desk. Bakelite phones remind me of my grandmother's old house, though her phones were all black and at the time seemed terribly new fangled. And you used to say into the receiver: "Hello operator, butterfield eight seven oh eight oh please." Or something like that. These days you can find less expensive modern takes on the old phones like this:

The Crosley Kettle Classic Desk Phone , which is best in black and is not a rotary but looks it. Or on eBay there are vintage bakelite phones like Chrissy's though be sure what you get has been restored. See more on bakelite phones here and here.

love: wallpaper inside closets

2011-01-18T12:30:00.002-05:00

I love my parent's apartment in general. My favorite particular detail is that my mother, Pamela Banker, wallpapered the inside of most of the closets. They've lived in their apartment for years, but it's still such a great surprise to open the front hall closet and see....stripes!

The wallpaper inside a closet is different than the wallcovering in the room outside the closet--it's a little secret hiding behind the door.

Shelves for shoes are painted but the wall in back of the shelves has paper on it--very sensible, so the paper doesn't get damaged by the shoes. My father's closet, below, is not completely wallpapered on the inside, but the inside of the closet door is covered in the same grasscloth as the walls in the room which has the effect of making the closet feel like a nice finished space and a part of the room.

The amount of wallpaper you need to cover a closet, or just the inside of a closet door, isn't much, it's really the labor of hanging the paper that would bring the bill up. Still, if you've got a wallpaper hanger coming in anyway, it won't take too much time to get a closet or two covered.

throws, the best and the brightest

2011-01-17T22:32:00.000-05:00

Again, it might be the cold icy weather talking, but I find myself drawn to beautiful and cozy throws. Like throw pillows, a colorful throw is such a great addition to a room. Folded on the back of a chair or across the foot of a bed, it adds a splash of color and texture to a room--then, of course, when you're curled up watching a movie it's actually useful for keeping warm. Here are a few of the ones I've been wanting to throw about my house:

Above is the herringbone throw from Serena and Lily that I saw in the new issue of Lonny Magazine. It's 50-inches by 70-inches (it would cover the foot of a queen size bed) and 100 percent cotton. What I really love is the colors they come in.

This lambswool throw, above, is from Terrain. It's 57-inches by 72-inches and looks very country cozy.

This nice stack of fringed wood throws comes from Fjorn Scandinavian via remodelista. Top three colors are my favorites, though a white throw might be great in a very colorful room, or a very white room.

AND--these Yves Delorme mohair throws (available at the picket fence and other places) are so excellent--I have one in "buttercup" that my mom gave me years ago. The mohair is nice, not too shaggy, and the colors are brilliant. I grew up with mohair throws in the house, so I guess they remind me of curling up on the sofa and watching Grease for the 13th time, but really besides that they are very elegant and super cozy.

inspiration: breakfast at tiffany's

2011-01-14T16:00:00.003-05:00

Have a great weekend! Let's throw parties this winter. And watch Breakfast at Tiffany's again and again. I love it. The novella too, but it's a lot sadder than the movie. Oh, isn't Audrey Hepburn chic, and doesn't her party look like fun? Everyone is dressed up, which is nice.

5 brilliant things

2011-01-14T08:00:00.006-05:00

It's this time of year when the snow has been falling and Easter seems miles away that I wish I was en route to my imaginary apartment in Rome (or my imaginary house in Jerez, Spain) to wait out the winter with some semblance of sunshine and a general change of pace. Alas, here we are though. I need to remind myself that the snow is indeed very pretty and I should get out sledding and have hot chocolate more often. To keep spirits up, I like to make lists of things I love. This is what comes to mind today--all warm and cozy things.

1) Hot Baths
We keep the heat in our house at about 60, so a hot bath is the best way to drive the chill from your bones. I think that a good slope on a bathtub is the difference between a plain old bath and a mini-vacation. If you're looking at a new house, I seriously recommend getting into the bathtub for yourself to check out the slope and how comfortable it is. The image above is from the Blue Lagoon, which is one big hot bathtub Scandinavian style. More about it here and here. I've been talking a lot about Iceland lately, one major reason for this is the Hotel Borg in Reykjavik has the best bathtub I've ever been in and, clearly, I think about it often.

2) Porthault Tiger Towels
We received a few of these as a wedding present. Until recently I saved them for guests, or the eventual time when we'd be grown up enough to use our best stuff. Then, honoring my New Year's Resolution to use the good stuff--I pulled these tiger towels out. They have trimmed and scalloped edges and that makes me happy. They are incredibly thick and luxurious and that is very nice after a hot bath. My parents have tiger towels in orange, given to them as a wedding present in the 1960s.

3) Stripes
Stripes of almost any stripe make me happy these days. Particularly thin stripes in pretty colors. I just bought H five striped shirts from Old Navy that were on sale. I'm wishing I had a striped turtleneck. Not sure why.

4) Hot Water Bottles
Oh my goodness am I a convert to these. W. grew up in England where, I guess because they hadn't embraced central heating yet, hot water bottles are in constant use during the winter. The trick, I have learned, is to put the hot water bottle into the bed an hour or two before you retire. We have two of them, one for each side of the bed--can you guess whose is whose? Find hot water bottles here and here.

5) Wallpaper
It's not particularly warm, but it's certainly cozy to have wallpaper. I love wallpaper in a bedroom, a bathroom, or even a closet. How cheery to have prancing zebras, flowers on the wall in the winter or whatever you choose. Striped wallpaper? Be still my beating heart. Some favorites here and here. The image above is a Neisha Crosland design.

the front hall basket

2011-01-13T11:29:00.000-05:00

I feel particularly happy about my front hall basket, it has solved a great organizational and clutter problem in the house. This basket, pictured above, used to be a hamper in the bathroom, then it was repurposed to stand near the front door and hold hats, mittens and scarves in the winter and beach towels and sunscreen in the summer.

It is a good size, 15-inches high and 12-inches in diameter. Also, the changing of the basket from mittens to towels and vice versa each spring and fall adds some nice punctuation to the year. I can't remember where I got it but here are a few ideas for basket shopping:

This, above, is a nice looking basket from Peterboro Basket Company that's about the right size. It takes up more space than my basket does so would have to go in a relatively roomy front hall.

This is also from Peterboro Basket Company . It's a good vertical shape, a little bigger than mine which would be fine for a family bigger than 3.

inspiration: the royal tenenbaums

2011-01-12T08:00:00.001-05:00

I watched The Royal Tenenbaums the other night which reminded me how deeply I love the sets. Oh, the Gino's wallpaper (pictured above) with the zebras that is in Margot's room. Thank goodness that wallpaper has had a second act at Scalamandre. When I was little, we used to go to Gino's just for the wallpaper. The pasta was pretty good, the waiters were ancient, but the wallpaper could cheer you out of any funk. The old typewriter in the photo above also reminds me of my childhood. Those things weighed a ton and all of them were beige.

A walk-in game closet?! Genius.

Everyone really should have a skeleton in their office, who knows when a question of anatomy will be raised or a memento mori will be called for. Look at the big yellow row of what must be National Geographics. I love the sets for their quirkiness, the amazing attention to detail, and that they remind me entirely of growing up. Do you think?

classic: slipper chairs

2011-01-11T13:39:00.001-05:00

"It is a small, low, armless chair, but with remarkable versatility," wrote the legendary decorator Billy Baldwin in his book, Billy Baldwin Decorates. "Small women and football linebackers find it equally comfortable. It can be covered in anything from leather for a man's study to pink flowered chintz for a lady's bathroom and still look good."

Ain't it the truth? Slipper chairs are so nice and comfy yet they don't take up a lot of space. I love them for New York apartments where every inch counts and also for a cozy corner in a bedroom or a bathroom.

Slipper chairs from the Billy Baldwin collection are available at Ventry LTD. The form has gotten so popular these days you can find slipper chairs in many places. A few favorites are:

These above from C Bell found on 1stdibs.com. Below is the Ikea Stockholm chair:

More on Billy Baldwin here.

wobble glasses

2011-01-10T12:03:00.000-05:00

My mother gave these wobbly glasses to me for Christmas. At first I was a little unsure, they do wobble, but they've grown on me and now I really like them. Maybe it's my small hands, but the glass is a good size and shape for holding. The colors are terrific to boot. Yay!

some pretty photographs

2011-01-07T08:00:00.035-05:00

I just noticed that Lonny Magazine had an etsy shop with a bunch of nice photographs. Who knew? I'd like this in a kitchen:

And this next to my closet:

And W, my resident pig fan, would I think like this in his office:

the perfect piggy bank

2011-01-06T08:00:00.004-05:00

I hate to say it, but you're probably not going to win the lottery. And those scratch cards? Yes. Just stop, it's too addictive and really not elegant. Instead of throwing money out the window on lottery tickets, how about buying a piggy bank that's nice to look at and which might inspire saving money? The real reason--for me at least--to have a piggy bank is my change problem. I have pennies and nickels at the bottom of my bag, in my pockets, and on my dresser. They need a home, and I'm considering the following:

Okay, so these are bird banks rather than piggy banks--but I like the pigeon in the middle. These are Porcelain Bird Moneybanks by Pols Potten from The Future Perfect.

Also at The Future Perfect is this--another pigeon--the Nickel Pigeon Moneybank by Pols Potten.

This Bank in the Form of a Pig by designer Harry Allen was cast from a real live sucking pig that had died. Needless to point out, it's very realistic. And, also from The Future Perfect. Below is a cuter piggy, maybe good for H.'s room:

These are more budget-friendly piggy banks from Elegant Baby. I like the green one.

off-season travel: iceland

2011-01-05T08:00:00.002-05:00

New year, new thoughts...I'm starting here a series on off-season travel ideas--if for no other reason than to fill my own notebook. I have a small obsession with the "off-season". I like the beach in October, drinking coffee in a nearly empty town square, and I don't mind packing a sweater and an umbrella. Oh, and the deals, sure those are nice too. But really, there's no better way to feel a tiny bit like a local than to be somewhere when the masses are back at home.

We kick this off with Iceland in March. Why? Because I really want to go to Iceland this March. I already posted about the Iceland travel fantasy here. Let's talk about March though. In the summer in Iceland, their main tourist season, it's light just about around the clock (who can sleep if it's light all night?!). And in November, December, and January it's dark just about around the clock. March is right in the middle. W. and I got engaged in Iceland in March and the lighting situation was perfect--it was light all day and into the evening.

Iceland Air has deals in the winter (I will recommend staying at a hotel right in Reykjavik not outside of town.)

This is me having a picnic in March 2005 in Iceland. I still dream about the incredibly deep bathtubs at the Hotel Borg. For our trip in March I might book at Hotel Arnarhvoll which is less expensive than Borg and comes recommended by friends. TARGET: ICELAND in MARCH.

Les Lalanne

2011-01-04T10:54:00.006-05:00

I'm adding to my one-day art collection at least a few pieces by the late Francois-Xavier Lalanne and his wife Claude Lalanne. Their work is surreal, wacky, wonderful and beautiful.

A New York Times Style article from April 2006 says the following:
The Lalannes came of age in the 60's, but disdained the abstract art that then ruled supreme. "They live in an artistic world that is full of living organisms," says their London dealer, Ben Brown, who expects to mount a Lalanne show in 2007. When you see their work in situ — a mirrored room adorned with tendril-like bronze "moldings" that Claude designed for Yves Saint Laurent; François-Xavier's donkey desk in the decorator Jacques Grange's bedroom; or Claude's bronze lily pads in a fountain at [Peter] Marino's country house — their special blend of luxurious sensuality and earthy irreverence becomes even clearer. The Lalannes' most avid admirers are those who buy into François-Xavier's credo: "The supreme art is the art of living."

I'd like to buy into that credo. Yes please.

The above photo is from a recent exhibition in Paris at Les Arts Décoratifs, Paris.

More about them and their incredible work in this book:

resolution no. 1: use the good stuff

2011-01-03T14:38:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year! I'm so excited for 2011 and all its possibilities. My first resolution is to use my good stuff more often. These beautiful William Yeoward champagne flutes that we got as a wedding present just sit and collect dust. Life's too short. What am I waiting for? The Queen to visit? It doesn't have to be champagne, prosecco will taste brilliant in these glasses.

These are Michael Aram tea cups and saucers that we also got as a wedding present and which I only use when guests come over. The other day I made myself, little old me, tea in one of these cups and it felt more like a mini-vacation than just another mug of tea.

I made some mediocre split pea soup last week and W. and I had some as a quick dinner one night. I decided to set the table with my grandmother's old silver spoons which I never use unless it's Thanksgiving or something. Why not? This year every day is going to be a special occasion.

merry christmas!

2010-12-24T08:00:00.003-05:00

Wishing everyone a jolly, merry, relaxing and lovely Christmas. Here's to 2011, I'm looking forward to it.

We'll be taking the week between Christmas and New Years off, so we'll see you back in January for lots of new and exciting things that are coming up. Stay tuned. xo Leslie

loving: brooklyn heights

2010-12-23T08:00:00.020-05:00

I took a stroll through Brooklyn Heights the other day and loved seeing all the pretty buildings and Christmas decorations and the cool yellow car and the lower Manhattan skyline.

travel fantasy: vieques

2010-12-22T08:00:00.031-05:00

OOOh, it's cold outside and I really truly would rather be here, in Vieques at the W Retreat & Spa (Spa!!). It just was put on Conde Nast Traveller (UK)'s "Gold List 2011." Sigh. First thing I would do after arriving is lie down on the stones next to the pool for a few hours to shake this darn chill. Next, fruity rum drinks. Then, maybe tennis, or spa? The rooms look nice too:

looking for: 24" round coffee table

2010-12-21T11:27:00.001-05:00

I'm looking for an approximately 24-inch round coffee table for a charming, cozy Brooklyn apartment. It's smaller than the average coffee table...first thing that caught my eye was, above, this Cascara Side Table from Anthropologie. It's 22-inches in diameter but, since it's a side table and not officially a coffee table, it's 23.5 inches high (higher than most coffee tables). Still it could possibly work.

Above is the Trollsta Tray Table from Ikea. It's 22.5 inches in diameter and 17.5 inches high--perfect dimensions. "Trollsta" sounds to me like Hobbitt gangsters. Anyway, it's something to consider.

Sorry, small photo, but this table from Jonathan Adler is perhaps the best so far for this situation. It's the new Moko Table that's 21-inches in diameter and 12-inches high. Simple, not too big, made with ceramic so it's more interesting than another wood table.

The Lattice table by Tucker Robbins, above, could be perfect--they make it in a variety of sizes. I think this could be splurge-worthy. Okay! More later.

throw pillow talk

2010-12-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

I like that a throw pillow can tie a room together and make it look finished. It can add an esstential splash of color and pattern to a room...so without further ado...here are some of my favorite pillows I've seen around. Above is the Orb by Vivienne Westwood available at the Rug Company. I LOVE it though it doesn't fall into the budget category.

Orimono pillow at Anthropolgie

New from Jonanthan Adler the lucky strike pillow navy and orange. These are available in a few different color combos and also custom colors--could be perfect!

Madeline Weinrib's pillows are deeply wonderful--above is the Amagansett zig zag red which comes in a variety of colors and sizes. Also the ikats (below) are lovely--they're around a lot these days also available in lots of colors and sizes and patterns.

The above pillows from Wisteria would suit a neutral colors library or living room. Lastly, John Robshaw has an excellent and varied selection of pillows, a couple of favorites are:

From the hand painted animals series the Indian Elephant pillow. And, the moth decorative pillow.:

kraft paper and beautiful ribbon

2010-12-15T08:00:00.002-05:00

Last Christmas I couldn't find any wrapping paper that I liked and it turned into an eleventh hour crisis. Not this year! Earlier in the Fall I ordered 825 feet of heavy-weight kraft paper on a 24 inch roll from paper mart and started collecting colorful and pretty ribbon. Voila, am so much happier now than I was last year AND I can also use the kraft paper squinched into balls as padding in boxes as well as just for the outside of boxes.

Since it's kind of last minute--you can also find kraft paper at staples. For ribbons, I recycled from presents we received for Christmas last year, Harriet's birthday and so forth. Also found these lovely organdy ribbons and more at Raffit Ribbons and even more at Hyman Hendler & Sons. I think the key is to find bright lively colored ribbon. Happy wrapping!

classic: zebra rugs

2010-12-14T08:00:00.007-05:00

Looking at the pictures of Albert Hadley's apartment in Lonny's December issue yesterday gave me a mini-obsession on zebra rugs. We had one in our living room when I was growing up (Our dog Charlie fell in love with it). Zebra rugs definitely go in the classic file, they are elegant & timeless--don't you think?

The one above is from dwr and is an Edelman Leather zebra cowhide rug.
ABC Carpet has zebra rugs--though I admit to being a purist--not sure about the gold and disco zebra look. 1stdibs has some old real zebra rugs such as the one below:

And for the vegetarians out there....Jonathan Adler carries a more animal friendly zebra rug made with llama's wool as pictured below:

Also, to note, a zebra rug can go on the bare floor or else over a floor covering such as sisal or something pretty bland.

lonny december issue

2010-12-13T10:10:00.002-05:00

I'm loving lonny magazine more and more--it's filling the domino void so well. In particular, in the just out December issue, loved seeing Albert Hadley's apartment and the accompanying article. Zebra rugs never get old!

TeuxDeux

2010-12-10T15:18:00.007-05:00

My New Years Resolution to get organized is coming early this year. I just downloaded the TeuxDeux iPhone app after reading about it on swissmiss. Must say so far am loving it, just have to get cracking on the teuxdeux lists now.

My list at the moment reads:
get christmas tree
send christmas cards and presents
world peace and so forth.

classic: the parsons table

2010-12-08T12:31:00.002-05:00

It's such a classic design, I keep coming back to the Parson's table again and again--we all do. The Parson's table, which has straight square legs that are equal in width to the apron of the table, can be made in any size with any finish, that's the beauty of it. Here are some on-the-shelf P-tables that have caught my eye and a little bit of history about the Parson's table and how it got it's name--taken from our book The Pocket Decorator.

These in the photo above are from west elm--which has a really great collection of the Parsons table in a variety of forms--desk, coffee table, dining table and so forth.

The furniture designer Jean-Michel Frank (1895 - 1941), who taught at the Paris branch of the Parsons School of Design in the 1930s, introduced his students to the Parsons table design. The students incorporated it into their projects and when the students' work from Paris was exhibited in New York, local furniture makers began to reproduce the design, which was named the "Parsons table" and became widely used in the 1960s and on. Here are some more Parsons tables in the wild: These designed by Karl Springer from Fat Chance in LA on 1stdibs.

Oh my goodness are those Karl Spring side tables lovely. They're covered in goatskin, which sounds so exotic. And this one below, also from 1stdibs though Dual in NYC, in a great olive ash burl.

books for christmas

2010-12-07T15:02:00.002-05:00

Don't forget about books this Christmas season! Kindles are great and all but there's nothing like flipping through a real live luxurious book. Books are good for the mind and good for decorating--no better way to make a library cozy or a bedside table look finished. Here are some on my wish-list. (Links are to amazon, but don't forget your independent booksellers.)

The Finest Rooms in America by Thomas Jayne

Timeless Elegance: The Houses of David Easton

Mary McDonald: Interiors: The Allure of Style

Lars Bolander's Scandinavian Design

And another, smaller in scale:

Looks funny: The Snark Handbook: Insult Edition

And well, who can resist: for the anglophiles on your list:

Our book Britannia in Brief is a brilliant stocking stuffer.
So there! Wow them with books this Christmas--that's my plan for the most part. xo

rene stawicki paintings

2010-12-06T14:18:00.001-05:00

Liv's Artifact Remained Stable 2009 10" x 10" oil on board

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to stop into painter Rene Stawicki's Buzzpie studio the other day. Oooh I do love her paintings and wish I had a few for my walls. I first saw a full exhibition of her work, “AirBorn” Ovid’s Avian Changes, at the Newport Art Museum last spring. There's a beautiful catalogue from that exhibition, AirBorn, available and her work is currently hanging in a group show at the Hope Gallery in Bristol, RI. Brilliant!

Shiva One - Dance the Once and Future Singularity 2010 34" x 20" oil on linen

Ambiguous Summons 2010 16" x 22" oil on linen

round coffee table roundup, part I

2010-12-02T11:24:00.003-05:00

I've been keeping my eye out for a round coffee table, about 44 to 48 inches in diameter, for a project I'm working on. Here are some of the interesting ones I've come across. These first two are from Tucker Robbins.

The top one is the "oval" coffee table and the bottom one is the "bangle". These come in a variety of sizes. They can be the right size for what I'm looking for though the "oval" one seems--not shockingly--to be oval and not round. I really need round for this.

This is the Gueridon Bas designed by one of my all time favorites Jean Prouve. It's available through Vitra though is only 31 inches in diameter.

This is the Cone Table designed by Verner Panton and also available at Vitra. I love the design in general but it's not quite right (again 31 inches in diameter).

Well, here's another classic one that is great design but also too small (31-inches again). It's the Eames Molded Plywood coffee table made by Herman Miller and available though DWR (it's actually on sale right now).

Getting warmer with the Platner Coffee Table manufactured by Knoll and available through DWR. It's 36-inches in diameter--still small for my purposes but the look is good and maybe we can make the size work.

Another possibility from DWR is the Rubik Round Coffee Table, it's still just 36-inches though. I like the marble and the clean stainless lines.

This one above is the biscuit lacquer tripod table from Frederick P. Victoria & Sons who have such wonderful things. It's 36-inches in diameter (still looking for my 44 to 48-inch table!) and has such a great classic look.

A more traditional approach is the upholstered ottoman, this one from Avery Boardman. This one is 36-inches in diameter but could be made bigger. It's an English look to use an upholstered ottoman as a coffee table. Something like this could be custom made to any size and with any details--so this is a possibility. Will mull that over and keep looking for the perfect thing.

Inspiration: kate & andy spade's house

2010-12-01T09:32:00.000-05:00

The Selby did a great series of photos of Kate and Andy Spade at home in NYC--I love the old school-ness and the big-rambling-NYC-apartment vibe. Elegant, a little zany, and lived in. Also, great colors.

tiny houses

2010-11-30T12:31:00.000-05:00

Do you think you could live in a tiny house? I'd have to get rid of a lot of junk--which would be a good thing. As long as the house is tidy and everyone living in it has some personal space it could work out.

Tinyhouseblog.com has lots of info on mini-houses including the charming one below:

The idea of spending less to heat, to light, to insure, to build is certainly appealing. I might have to build an annex for my shoes though.

elle decor: look book

2010-11-29T12:50:00.001-05:00

It's not really rocket science to look to Elle Decor for inspiration, but I spent a bunch of this weekend poring through photos in the elledecor.com look book. It's a great resource for ideas and inspiration! Here are a couple of items that caught my eye:

happy thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T09:57:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving! I've hung onto this, the last issue of Gourmet that came this time last year. What a big beautiful turkey--I hope everyone enjoys the day and has lots to be thankful for. xo

sue mcnally paintings

2010-11-24T11:46:00.005-05:00

I'm adding these paintings by artist Sue McNally to my wish list for an art collection. The one above is Ice, 2010, oil on canvas, 36 inches by 30 inches. More below.

la sal view, 2010, oil on canvas, 60 inches by 72 inches

evening sound/ hay beach, 2010, oil on canvas, 6o inches by 54 inches

Sue, her sister Jane McNally Wright and her mother Mary McNally (all artists!) are having an open studio on December 4th

classic: moroccan rugs

2010-11-23T10:50:00.000-05:00

Not all "oriental" rugs are created equal, and I have a particular soft spot for Moroccan rugs, which were often used in Modern design. In particular, I'm thinking of the ones with fab reds and a short pile. Here's a detail of a pretty one from Brooke Pickering Moroccan Rugs:

Hannoun Rugs has a great collection of Moroccan rugs, see more here.

This photo of a more neutral Moroccan rug from Elle Decor via apartment therapy. See more pictures here of Moroccan rugs.

decorating by the numbers

2010-11-22T14:47:00.000-05:00

When it comes down to it, a lot of decorating is just getting the measurements right. I've often wished I had a trusty guide to what the standard measurements were for various furnishings that I could glance at on the go. How high is that side table supposed to be again? How much space should there be between a seat and the table? How wide is a European roll of wallpaper? To that end, I've started a library here at empire delicious of standard measurements. I've started with beds and bedding and will be adding more. You can access them here or look to the side bar on the right. Okay then!

inspiration: ocean blue dots & bean bag chairs

2010-11-19T09:15:00.010-05:00

How about kicking back in this room? The ocean blue in the rug is a perfect color as far as I'm concerned. You can't help but relax if you're sitting in a bean bag chair. Just love these colors here. This is a Rug Company "Room Set" photo with their Marni Collection Pepite 3 rug. I like how they have the flowers on the table matching the pink in the rug.

albert hadley tribute showhouse

2010-11-18T10:55:00.001-05:00

A couple of weeks ago my mother, Pamela Banker, and some of the talented folks in her office participated in the Rooms with A View Showhouse: A Tribute to Albert Hadley in Southport, CT. Here is a picture of the space they created--I think some day I'd like an office just like this one.

The desk, mirror, wastepaper basket, and chair are from Gerald Bland, who has a fantastic collection of antiques, furniture, decorative objects, and art. The etagere is an Albert Hadley design, the lamps are an Albert Hadley design from Christopher Spitzmiller, the ceramics are from Bernd Goeckler Antiques, and the floorcloth (it's all painted on canvas!) is by decorative painter Arthur Fowler.

What do you think? Can you see yourself sitting at the desk?

loving the moroccan pouf

2010-11-17T10:45:00.001-05:00

I'm having a moroccan pouf love attack. What better way to add a splash of color and some stackable extra seating to a room? Harriet loves our new black pouf that we keep in front of the fireplace or else tucked under the coffee table. The one above is $285 from John Derian. Other poufs out there include:

Imports from Marrakesh is where I got our new pouf, like the one above, it's a "traditional pouf" that is $200. Or, Apartment Therapy had this post about a DIY moroccan pouf.

Serena and Lily has the pouf above for $395. All in all, I like my poufs to be simple, without too much stitching and I adore checking out all the great colors they come in. We've seen a lot of poufs lately out there--instead of being simply trendy to have a pouf, I think it's more of a matter of rediscovering a classic.

inspiration: darjeeling limited

2010-11-12T09:14:00.000-05:00

Taped onto the wall over my desk is this poster. It's been there since the movie came out in 2007. I got so used to looking at it, that I forgot why I liked it. I mean, my movie star crush Owen Wilson is all bandaged up, which isn't too appealing. Anyway, today I took a good look at it for the first time in a while and I still love the color, detail, India-ness, and their hilarious earnest expressions. I think I'll keep it taped to the wall for a while longer. I've been thinking about taking a trip to India sometime soon--maybe it's the poster talking.

more cut flowers please

2010-11-09T09:14:00.002-05:00

I saw these flowers at the bakery the other morning and they kinda made my day. Having beautiful cut flowers in the house is such a relatively affordable luxury (especially if you pick your own!) and they make a space come alive. Must remember to fix flowers at home more often...

FD beautiful things

2010-11-08T10:49:00.000-05:00

It's so nice to see such a cozy boutique and, better yet, the jewelry and objects inside are all incredibly beautiful. See more on the just opened FD and the write up in yesterday's style section. Full disclosure: my mother, Pamela Banker, worked on the interiors.

museum of everything

2010-11-04T09:15:00.002-04:00

I want to go to the Museum of Everything in London. I love the web-site. Its exhibition #3 is a collaboration with Sir Peter Blake and his collection of art curios, taxidermy, and memorabilia--the exhibition is open now until December 24th, 2010.

Included in the exhibition is the work of Walter Potter, see below, who did these incredible taxidermy displays with mice, squirrels and so forth. My goodness. There's more about him here and click the image below for even more info about Walter Potter.

pigeon wallpaper

2010-11-03T10:11:00.008-04:00

I do have a bit of a fascination with pigeons, though I don't think that's the only reason I'm loving this "pigeon punch" wallpaper by Aimee Wilder. It's available at Aimee's site here by the roll and also as 27" x 36" sheets to frame.

My mom hung wallpaper inside her front hall closet and her walk-in closet. It is a personal goal of mine to one day have wallpaper inside my closets--it's such a nice surprise.

cheery prints

2010-11-02T10:38:00.001-04:00

I'm loving these cheery prints from Keep Calm Gallery.
You can see more on their blog here.
Click on images to follow links.

travel fantasy: Iceland

2010-11-01T12:05:00.002-04:00

W. and I have been to Iceland twice. The first time was the first trip we ever took together (I guess it went well) and the second time W. surprised me with a sparkly ring. I'm ready for trip #3 to Iceland.

The Blue Lagoon is near the airport, a kind of weird color blue, but incredibly relaxing and you can cover yourself in mud. After soaking you can have a yummy lunch and a glass of wine.

Splurge: Hotel Borg was so super duper old school, I'd go back in a heartbeat.

We stayed at Hotel Anna the night W. gave me the sparkly ring--and loved it. It's near the Westman islands where you can see puffins.

Thingvellir is the ancient site of the viking parliament. I've been twice. In Reykjavik, I nearly notified GreenPeace, when W. ordered whale at a restaurant. He said it was very good. OKAY. I had a bite and it was good, like a fish steak. Going to Iceland is like going to the mars--the landscape is crazy.

love: noguchi hanging lamps

2010-10-29T09:14:00.004-04:00

I still love noguchi's Akari lights, especially the hanging fixtures. Understated, organic shapes, they don't shout out too much in a room but are interesting. A regular old paper lantern will do, but when possible, particularly over a dining table, I'd go for the real deal. More about Isamu Noguchi here. And the Noguchi Museum which one day soon I'll get out to.