The Look You Love

Do You Blue and White?

Do you love blue and white in all of its many configurations? It is a classic story - popularity waxes and wanes throughout the years and regions and yet it is always right. A friend tells me that a good thing is always a good thing - this is a good thing. These photos come from Blue and White Living by Stephanie Hoppen. It is an older book; one of those full of pictures of blue and white furnishings, linens, porcelains ( fine and run of the mill).The photos will tell the tale

Monogramed Table Napkins

Monograms are one of my favorite things. They are timeless,elegant and personal and they whisper down the years as things we treasure usually do. I have been recently doing a bit of a clean up and reorganizing and my white linens were in the line up of items to be sorted and their storage reworked. I got a bit nostalgic as I sorted through the damask napkins which were my Mother's ( we share the same initials) and was also touched by the other napkins with beautiful mongramns whose only identity are the initials carefully stitched - white on white - onto them. Little do we think when we put our personal stamp on an article that it will become an heirloom.

My new storage for napkins involves wonderful baskets and, as you can see,they fill the interior of this French sideboard ,using the space to a premium. The baskets are easily lifted out for access - and just as easily slide across one another. I am including a photo of some of the various monogrammed napkins.

In early October the Boston Design Center invited the talented and beautiful owner of Leontine Linens, Jane Scott Hodges, to share with us the story of her path towards ownership of the amazing and very personal world of monogrammed treasures. A far cry from the traditional white on white monograms, she and her team are able to create any combination of color, style and design for a personality hit. Here are a few pictures from her newly published book Linens for Every Room and Occasion.

In the world of beautiful, non - traditional and colorful napkins there are many choices:

Mark and Graham

...and,they make beautiful tabletops.

Pintrest via the French Tangerine

unknown source

Howard Slatkin

or a very traditional one.

Probably the most difficult part of choosing a napkin color and monogram style and color is just That. There are so many equally wonderful choices - then, commit to using them often. Have fun.

And....Spring.

Ah, SPRING is finally creeping into the cold Northeast and although we had snow - big,flat slow flakes - yesterday and today... they did not stick and now the bulbs are poking up confused by the warm and then cold days. Flowers always make us feel better and as I am thinking about them- I am also thinking about how to arrange the not so many we will have now. Numbers in arranging is always a good thing- so, if you don't have many flowers, maybe many containers is an option.

This Ritz lobby also shows the power of many containers sprinkled around although this one does have a larger centerpiece - beautiful and interesting.

A use for those votive containers... and then, a combination of small and large cotainers and single and multiple flowers.Other beauties include:

It would be hard to spoil the beauty of flowers - have fun with them and I hope I have provided a little seed of inspiration.

Mirror...mirror.

Mirror,mirror on the wall - the star mirror is the loveliest of - well, a lot. The shape of the star mirror is a bright spot in any home. Here are three in my house. This one is a little unusual and hangs in my office over my desk.It is a Victorian wooden star with a small,beveled mirror.

This mirror is an Italian one in my upper hallway. It was purchased at the Paris Flea market about six years ago.

Scotts Market in Atlanta (great shopping) is where I purchased this antique mirror. It is truly a star in my dining room and something I appreciate every day.

This mirror is a modern reproduction - but who cares? It can come in gold or silver and is sure to shine in any room.

.....and they shine on with this last snap of another reproduction in a soft gilt. Sure to be a light in any spot the star mirrors are a classic and I am not sure we can always tell whether each is a new star or an old one - they all do the job.

All About the Books!

I saw this lamp recently and knew you would love it too! Here is another!

I don't know where these will find their homes but I imagine that there final destination might be rooms that look like these:

I like the antique book press on the table here. It looks very library like...a big overstuffed sofa and voila.

All about the rooms...

Hickory Chair has included several shots of my design in their blog and I wanted to tell you about that and show you one. This is of the kitchen which includes one of my personal kitchen must haves if possible - a fireplace and a place to gather.

This is a gas fireplace which of course is a snap to have on or off. I find that it is a delight to ignite a fire,enjoy the coffee,meal prep,etc and then be able to cut it off and leave with no worries.Comfortable and durable furniture is another important concern and I find that leather does that well - aged doesn't hurt it in the least.

A large gathering table is also a delight if there is room. It is not only a social gathering spot,but a spot for all sorts of projects...homework, computer projects and so forth. Comfortable chairs at either end with sprung seats
and slipcovers make another gathering spot while antique side chairs complete the table setting. The chandelier is a French antique from J. Covington. Here is a final shot of the kitchen showing the center island with stools tucked underneath,and the composition of the cooks space which is a gallery which runs storage,ovens, counter with window, stove with hood, counter with window, refrigerator and storage. The fourth, unseen wall is a bank of windows which allow much sunlight and a view of foliage.