I needed a little side table next to the chair in my Master Bedroom. Budget was an issue. Things add up after all. So I went hunting at the Sacramento Antique Faire the other weekend. I found this:

Cute huh? I thought a quick paint job would fix 'er right up.

I also found this:

After consulting my Mom, (who is a wealth of knowledge BTW), I found out that this company was producing high end quality furniture out of L.A. when she was a girl. So I did a little more digging. Apparently Cannell and Chaffin was/is a prestigious Furniture and Interior Design company started in Los Angeles in 1917.....and this is where my trail ends.

Does anyone have any more information about this company? I am quite curious.

I am planning to paint it gloss white with a pale turquoise top inside of the tray rim. I will show the "after" as soon as I can get all of the old lacquer sanded out of all the lovely little CREVICES!

What does one do when trying to update a space from an old ceiling fan to a new light fixture, especially when ceilings are not very high? This was a question posed to me by a very kind reader, Becky.

Becky is settling into her home and was asking me if I could help her with her lighting dilemma. We have been corresponding and she was kind enough to send me some pictures of the Living Room and Bedroom in question. I assured her that we would all chip in and give her some creative solutions. So I hope you all give your opinions and help here!

Here is the ceiling fan to be replaced....centered in a coffer in the ceiling. I think we might have a little more height to play around with here than in the bedroom below. The ceilings at the crown molding are 8 feet high. It looks to me like the coffer might go up another 12-18 inches higher.

Becky has gotten a good start with an English Country style in a camel, emerald and cranberry color scheme. She is craving a lantern style fixture, which I think is a great idea. We just need to make sure the height is appropriate. So here are some thoughts for the Living Room:

This lantern is one that Becky had found, and I think it is beautiful and would work very well if it were just a bit smaller.

Niermann Weeks is a company that offers fixtures in more than one size. I love that. This Chinoiserie Tole Lantern picks up on the red colors Becky has in her palette and adds quite a bit of style I think! It comes in a 15x15x25, which would make a nice statement, or a smaller size: 13x13x24.

Another idea besides a lantern style is this Armillary Chandelier, also from Niermann Weeks. It also comes in two sizes: 24d x 16.5h and 38d x 25.5h. Another eye catcher!

This Lantern is from 1st Dibs through Lumiere. Again, I like the idea of the red tole. This fixture measures 19" diam x 30"h. Perhaps a little on the large side. Becky might need to measure for this one!

I love the idea of this fixture perhaps with a red paint . Also from 1st Dibs through Brunelli Designs. 1950's made in Italy, the size is 13" diam x 15"h. It may be a bit too small for the space.

This is Becky's Guest Room. The ceiling here are 8 feet high, so options are more limited.

I think a semi-flush mount fixture is what is called for here. But to get the lantern look, I found a couple of options from Circa Lighting:

These work well for the height of the room and bring a little of that English Style to the room as well.

I hope these suggestions have been helpful! And please chime in everyone. I know there are many of you that will have more sources and great ideas.

OK....I may have to get this pillow, new from Wisteria. Is it "me" or what? $99

Wisteria just put out their latest and prettiest. The headboards, lamp, pillows, shell frame...yup...all new. But the cute kitty...you may be on your own there.

Here are a few more things among the many that I thought were particularly wonderful:

Driftwood Candelabra, $79

Suzani Pillow, 22x14, $99

Suzani Pillow, 18x18, $89

Botanical Salad Plates, $59....Not bad as wall decor either!

Chinese Teapot Lamp, $299

Architectural Window Mirror, $399

See... there it is in the backround on the left.

Vic's Ice Cream by artist Paul Guyer

Established in 1947, Vic's produces all of their own ice cream and serves 29 flavors all of the time. Best ice cream in NoCal. Perhaps the country. My personal fave? Cherry Ameretto, with peppermint chip coming in a close second.

I love that it has kept it's old time ice cream parlor style, and that it employs kids from the neighborhood.

Photo Credit: Jessica Larkin

The classic black and white checkered floor and counter seats....isn't it too perfect?

"Vic's for Ice Cream" by Raul Duffy, available through Soloman Dubnick Gallery

Located right in the heart of Land Park, one of the oldest and well established neighborhoods in Sacramento, Vic's has become a fixture in the daily life of many of us. So well known is it that many artists have taken up their brushes to capture it.

California Home and Design, June 2008, Photo by Ed Ritger

We see alot of various dining chair styles brought together in one room and united through uniform paint color. I love that idea. I thought this was a great new take on a that tried and true method. Roy McMakin of Domestic Furniture in Seattle found vintage American chairs on ebay and accented them with white paint. Just on the top. Clever.

I have to say I was pleased, yet again, to see that Metropolitan Home was thinking outside the glass box when they included this home in their June issue. While there are many contemporary elements to this Neptune's Palace, such as the bare terrazzo floors, there is also an abundance of traditional and whimsical luxury.

Can you just see Ariel sitting here cooling her flippers while sipping a Blue Hawaiian at the bar?

The Master Bedroom is a bit more subtle, yet still contributes to the overall undersea effect.

The Master Bath has just that right mix of antique and contemporary, high and low, that makes it perfect in my eyes. (The lantern is only $29!)

All photos above by Colleen Duffley

Artisan Cathy Jarman was let loose in the Powder Room and created a true grotto effect.

Oh, BTW, Barry Dixon has a new book scheduled to be released this fall. For Info, click here.

Photo by William Waldron

Elle Decor featured another Palm Beach house in their June issue. Owner Jack Staub just threw this little shell mirror together. Just another little weekend DIY project. Seriously, he has to be one talented guy. When describing the house, partner Renny Reynolds says: "Have you ever seen so many Buddhas? It's not exactly Zen austere." My kind of guy.

Photo from "Tony Duquette" by Wendy Goodman and Hutton Wilkinson

So just who started all of this shell underwater cool craziness anyway? Was it Tony Duquette with his over the top fabulous creations like the chandelier above? You'd have to go back a bit farther back than that. This tradition of creating beautiful objects out of shells dates at least as far back as the Renaissance. Rich merchants and scholars across the European continent were collecting and trading shells in the 1500's. Rooms were encrusted with shells, mirrors and boxes and furniture as well. Some wonderful examples:

A La Ronde, a late 18th century English house, shells were displayed in a fireplace. House and Garden November 1992.

Festoons of Shells at Walton, c. 1748, House and Garden November 1992.

Frederick the Great's grotto hall at Sanssouci, November 1763-70. House and Garden November 1992

Bonnet House in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 1932.

A few objects of interest to feed that seaside obsession:

Early 20th century shell table from Linda Horn through 1st dibs.

OK....I just included this cuz it is so .....well...crazy bizarre fabulous. Dolce antiques, 1st dibs.

There is alot to choose from in the way of sea shell decor. Here are a few of my favorites:

Oly Studio Neptune Mirror

Oly Studio Jenny Chandelier. Designer Emma Jane Pilkington used this for a home in the latest Elle Decor.

Oly Studio Wellfleet Sconce

Sweet shell creamer and sugar available through jettmodern.

OK...enough. I am ready to go back to work now.

New from Emma Gardner: Chinese River

Hand tufted wool, it comes in 6'x9', 8'x10', and 10'x12'

I can imagine this in so many places!

Roy McMakin originally started the company Domestic Furniture in Los Angeles and San Diego. Joining forces with talented craftspeople, his designs are now realized by the company Big Leaf Manufacturing in Seattle, Washington.

These are but a few of his playful creations.

Now that summer is on it's way, these pieces conjure images of beach cottages.

The colors are strong and clear, but the forms are described as "temporally ambiguous".

Architecture has also found it's way into the company's repertoire and goes by the name Domestic Architecture. While utilizing recognizable vernaculars, whether it be Tudor, Spanish, or Cape Cod, Domestic Architecture tweeks things just to keep you on your toes.

A remodel of a Tudor Style house carries it into another realm.

This house reminds me of a family house at Balboa Beach California where I spent every summer growing up. Perhaps this is what draws me to it, especially this time of year.

I can just see this space filled with kids in bright bathing suits and striped beach towels. The perfect backdrop.

Be sure to visit the Domestic Architecture site. The images there are wonderful, but not downloadable.

Book Group.....really just an excuse to get together with friends I have known for 10 years or more. Ever since we met when our kids were in preschool. The kids ended up in different schools with different friends and interests....but we Moms just kept getting together. Once a month. We have long since abandoned any sort of Book Group protocal. We do assign a book, but whether it is read or not is not really the point. Sometimes we discuss it...somtimes we don't. Mostly we just get the temperature of what our kids are going through and what we are going through as a result. What our relationships are doing...where they are going or not going with our spouses. We have talked over the divorces, the new boyfriends. Two of my friends have weathered bouts of breast cancer and all that that entails. There have been career changes, parents passing, exciting travels, kids' high school graduations. You know....life.

Like I said....the books are a great excuse, but hardly the point.

Here was my pick for the book group we just had last night at my house:

A wonderful perspective on this woman's life and her courage, joys and sorrows in living it.

Enjoy your weekend!

Castleberry Hill in Atlanta is in a warehouse district undergoing a Renaissance. Walt Bilinksi and Steve MacNeil are making it happen. Read more here.

And then there is this Dining Room from another Atlanta Loft project known as the "The Stacks at the Fulton Cotton Mill"

When I saw this space, I wanted to have those light fixtures for myself! Read more about this project here.

And it's not just about Interiors....there is also a bit of style and living to make you come back for more:

I think I could be convinced to be a subscriber.

And the best part? You can sign up to get a FREE ISSUE here. I love free stuff.

Congratulations LoftLife on the launch!

I would rather go here! My husband has taken over building our deck on the back of the house. I am sooooo lucky to have a very handy husband. He has been doing such a beautiful job it makes me want to cry for joy.

He is modeling the pickets after the front porch railings and has copied our 1911 detailing to a tee. It's a long story, but the posts are higher right now than they will be after inspection, so we can match the height to the front of the house (no longer "to code"....shhh!) The wood on the deck is Ipe, AKA Ironwood....which is a rain forest wood like teak, but much harder and is actually fire-rated. It is so dense it will not burn like other woods. You have to be careful to buy it from a source that is certified farmed wood so as not to harm any rain forests. The good thing is, it lasts so much longer than other woods, it is not necessary to replace it for the life of the home.

Here...close-up of the detailing...primer coat on. Each picket has a piece of molding on each corner....Every time I look at this my husband gets to deposit more coin in the relationship bank.

Our next challenge: the backyard. I am going to sketch it out for you and post our "vision", perhaps tonight! We are going to stucco the existing concrete block wall on the left and make a water wall there. The back fence may eventually also become a wall with a fireplace. We will hard scape most of this area and have planting beds around the perimeter...a tree in the back next to the fireplace. These "city" homes do not have gigantic yards, but it is plenty for us. We also have a side yard that will get lawn and raised vegetable beds (someday!)

Our detached garage is on the left here, porch on the right. This will have a path over to the side yard. There will be a gate from the garage to the end of the porch so we can keep the dog in the side yard if necessary. I want to put an arbor with roses over the gate.

This is looking down the other side of the house where we will have a stepping stone path and alot of shade plantings.

So if any of you out there are garden aficionados, please chime in! We are always looking for suggestions!

After the cold and darker days of Winter....after the last blazing fire of the year....after the embers have cooled and the ashes have been cleaned out during Spring Cleaning, it's time to figure out what to do with that empty space where the firewood used to be. So....do you just put some new wood in and call it a day? Or do you get more creative? It seems that many are "scaping" their fireplaces these days.

House Beautiful, July 2004, Photo by Charles Maraia, Home of Chris Madden

It used to be that a fern in the fireplace was the expected solution during the warmer seasons. But you would be hard pressed to see a fern in a fireplace these days. The options are only limited by one's imagination. I have collected a few photos that caught my attention.

Domino, December/January 2008, Photo by Annie Schlechter

The style team at Domino got creative using wallpaper to line a non-working fireplace, then added some fuchsia painted logs. The wallpaper is "Summer Palace" by Osborne & Little. Andirons by Lyle and Umbach, who are kinda known for cool andirons btw.

House Beautiful, June 2008, Photo by Eric Piasecki

Christopher Maya used art to enhance this fireplace. The vibrant colors of the Picasso above the mantle are balanced beautifully by the metal shield sculptures in the fireplace.

Elle Decor, May 2008, Photo by William Abranowicz

Art collector Beth Rudin DeWoody collaborated with her designer friends Randall Beale and Carl Lana of Beale-Lana Interior Design to create this fantastically artful display with the tortoise shell front and center.

Elle Decor, March 2007, Photo by Simon Upton

I love this stark white castle against the black interior of this fireplace. Simple and very striking. It is small wonder I discovered that this house was also put together by Beth Rudin DeWoody (socialite, philanthropist, and real estate executive). A woman after my own heart. A collector of art and and anything else that suits her fancy. This house is her Southampton retreat, and this single photo is far from doing the whole article justice. So please do check out both stories (this in the Elle Decor March 2007 issue) to get a picture of this very interesting woman.

House & Garden, May 2007, Photo by Pascal Chevallier

Perhaps a set of extremely cool andirons is all you really need. Children's wear designer Cordelia De Castellane put this pair to great use in the fireplace of her Paris apartment. Sorry, no source information on these, but do check out Lyle and Umbach.

House and Garden April 2007, Photo by Jeff Riedel

This one I love because it so perfectly captures the personality of it's owner, Douglas Little. Mr. Little has a fascinating past, and his present is no less so. In 2003 he launched D.L. & Co.: Modern Alchemists and Purveyors of Curious Goods. To find out more about this eccentric and his candles scented with poisonous plants, check out his website here. But back to this fireplace: the red coral hints at flames licking the backs of these black owl andirons. Wicked fabulous!

AD, April 2008, Photo by Tim Street-Porter

Jewelry designer John Hardy simply places a huge piece of rock crystal in front of a beautiful metal fireplace screen. It also is reminiscent of flames as it catches the flickering light. Very effective in it's simplicity.

Domino, June/July, 2008, Photo by Paul Costello

And, yes, there has been much buzz about Katie Lee Joel's apartment in the June/July issue of Domino. But what hasn't really been discussed much is that Nate Berkus is behind the design here. From the article, I am not sure how much is Nate and how much is Katie, but for the sake of argument, let's assume this fireplace "scape" is Nate's brainchild. It does have his look about it with the tailored crisp black and concrete color palette. Again, I love the simplicity here. Each element is the stronger for it. The concrete garden urns, though perhaps not inspired on their own, are certainly beautiful in combination with the glass domes and olive branches creating a very pleasing whole.

So, you might be wondering where the photo at the beginning of this post came from? Well....maybe not, but in case you were, it is my own living room where I got really creative with a can of white spray paint and some fake concrete logs that I got for free at a garage sale. Although perhaps not as wildly creative as some of the photos above, I like 'em. They are sort of my own DIY version of the KleinReid Porcelain firewood, which you can read more about here on Apartment Therapy.

So....WHAT'S IN YOUR FIREPLACE?

Some of you may already know about this. But here it is again if you don't. You know that crazy, and sort of wonderful house flipping show on Bravo called "Flipping Out"? Well....Ryan Brown, one of the stars of said show....you know the calm one who partners with the very particular OCD-ish flipper designer guy? The one who whips his staff into shape and turns out some of the quickest and most well designed flips in the LA area?......well, I got a little email from them just to let me know he now has a blog with his brother Joshua. I'm assuming that I am not alone here. But thought I would spread the word along. Find out more about their blog, "Brown Design" here. They have some great posts about their work and .....AND you can visit their website here. These are just a coupla photos of their work I particularly liked. So go "checkitout"!

Welcome Ryan and Joshua! I wish you all the best with your new blog. And I look forward to another season of Flipping Out!

Also from The Source Perrier. Recreate that summer in the Adirondack's with this tables and chairs.

Happy Weekend! Happy Summer!

Sacramento has done some major changing since I moved here some 16 years ago. One of the best things that has happened has been the instigation of the Second Saturday Art Walk, We have an incredibly lively and pedestrian friendly night life in Midtown Sacramento, and people flock to the galleries every Second Saturday.

Here is a bit of info about the "scene" and what it's all about.

This photo is from the new website and truly does not do it justice. There are street bands and many streets are blocked off for entertainment venues. It is sooooo much fun. (And the art is not bad either!)

My friend Ted Weldon, who has worked with me on a number of restaurant projects, is having a showing at the new 500 N Street new "luxury condos". Please check out his website cuz he is fabulous!

Photographer, Jay Canter, is also showing. He travels all over to capture images like the one above. Quite impressive.

And I wanted to give a shout out to my new blogger friend Julie, who let me know about the event. Please say "Hi" on her wonderful blog JUST JULES AND YOUR AVERAGE JOE. You will not see a more beautiful couple....nope....not anytime soon....they should be models.....and he proposed to her on a dinner cruise on Lake Geneva.....I kept thinking George Clooney was gonna be in one of their slide show pictures....that's how gorgeous they are. SO, visit!

Why did I pick this photo to begin a profile on photographer, James Bleecker you may be asking yourselves. Having asked myself the same question, my answer has to be this: it seems to tell a poignant story. There is a path to follow, to a place that seems a bit other-worldly with a mysterious sort of beauty that calls for you to proceed even if you are unsure what might happen when you get there.

James Bleecker has this way about his art. He has a way of creating a story with his lens...of capturing a moment in time, that is yet timeless. And James has lived quite a story himself as well. James has been creating photography in his home state of New York since 1982. Having studied at the Rhode Island School of Design, James proceeded to gain prestigious commissions from The Frick Collection, The Morgan Library, the Rockefeller family and The American Museum of Natural History.

I am not just a little impressed with his skill. He has been asked to photograph some of the most beautiful and historic homes in New York, and particularly the Hudson Valley. I was lucky enough to get to spend some time with James and , his wife (and my cousin), Jenny and their son Jamie a summer ago at his country home in New Concord. There I got to see genius at work. With his studio in their red barn, James showed us how he printed his photos onto special archival paper. We got to see some of his very amazing work of prize livestock and stunning architecture that clients had commissioned.

Red Devon

We had begun a correspondence and James has been kind enough to agree to an interview about his recent projects, including his Tuxedo Park project for the Tuxedo Historical Society, as well as upcoming projects.

2) There are so many genres/styles of photography. What inspired your subject matter choices?
The subject chose me. Architecture created between the Civil War and the Depression – the Gilded Age – captured my imagination as student, and hasn't let go.
I don't give much thought to style. I did, however, stumble upon a method of producing black-and-white slides while I was in art school. If you projected them on a screen using two slide projectors hooked up to an electronic "dissolve unit," you could create the most ethereal effects. Often an uninvited ghost image would materialize as one slide dissolved into the next. If you designed a sequence in which every two images created a surprise third, you had something that was hypnotic. Set that sequence to music and now you had a show: a seeming story or poem, and quite haunting.

3)How did your career progress after after graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design?
It progressed from these student slide shows I made. Historical societies and museums commissioned me to make multi-media shows that communicated stories to visitors. My first and best show was Hudson River Gothic, produced for Hudson River Heritage in 1983. The subject was crumbling mansions along the river. Later I won several awards, including a Gold Award from the American Association of Museums, for my film, Up the River: Sing Sing Prison. Some of my commissions have been permanently installed in museums: if you visit the Frick Collection you'll see a show I made back in 1993.

4) How did you become involved in the Tuxedo Park project?
The Tuxedo Park project came to me by way of someone who attended a screening of Hudson River Gothic. This gentleman introduced himself as president of the Tuxedo Historical Society and said, "some day we'll do a book together." I didn't hear from him for several years. Then two years ago I received a call from his associate, who reminded me of that earlier meeting and said, "let's get to work."
Tuxedo Park: The Historic Houses was privately published last year by Tuxedo Historical Society, with money raised from homeowners. It's designed by a top graphic artist named Hilary Kliros and printed on sumptuous Italian paper. I've shown it to commercial publishers who said they couldn't match its quality. The project has changed my thinking about the potential of private publishing. (The book, co-edited by Christian R. Sonne and Chiu yin Hempel, is available at http://www.tuxedohistoricalsociety.org/.)

Tuxedo Park School

Allee

Tennis House Columns

Lake and Tennis House

5) What has been your favorite photography project/subject and why?
Tuxedo Park has been among my favorite projects. The place has a craggy, Picturesque character, with rustic stone houses designed by Bruce Price that seem to grow right out of the cliffs. I love rain, and it seemed to rain almost constantly during my six months of shooting there. The place became a rain forest. I was blessed each day with uncanny effects from the heavens: sun bursts through dark clouds, fog banks drifting up the steep hills; rain drops glistening on gardens. This atmosphere pervades the book. Another editor might have grumbled, "more sun." But my editors knew the Park and knew we had it right. A perfect project.

Hills in Mist

6) What is your favorite pastime after your career in photography?
Hiking with my wife Jenny, son Jamie, and our new dog. At nine, Jamie's just turned a corner: he now walks ahead of us, enjoys steep open faces, and is more or less fearless. New York City is not unlike San Francisco in that's it's surrounded with magnificent parks, mainly to the north along the Hudson River.

7) What are you reading at the moment?
The Intelligence of Dogs, by Stanely Coren. My puppy Retriever is resisting house breaking, and I hope this book will reveal whether her many accidents are truly those, or if she has, in fact, a cruel design upon our antique oak floors.
8)Where do you like to go to get "away from it all"?
We have a small Greek Revival house in the farm country that we escape to on weekends. Though it was surely built by a local carpenter, it has fine proportions. In its whiteness (no shudders) it becomes a gleaming sculpture. I can stare at it for hours. I've taken many pictures of it, some of which you can see on my Web site. (http://www.jamesbleecker.com/)

House, New Concord

9) What are you never without?
I should say my camera, right? I will correct that soon by buying a small digital camera that I can keep glued to my hand.

Sutherland Pond

10) If you could be anywhere anytime, where and when would that be?
I would be transported to the southeast coast of Maui in rainy season. That's the steep side of the island. The twisty road along the ocean threads in and out of the mountains and past innumerable waterfalls dropping hundreds of feet. It's all shrouded in mist and you can only imagine the height of the peaks above you. Rain and fog: is there a motif running through this conversation?
11) Who are your heroes and why?
While he was more of a grouch than a hero, I admire Walker Evans. His iconic photos of Depression-era towns stop me in my tracks. He brings dignity and stature to simple buildings like a vernacular Southern church or a gas station. It's partly his straight-on, no-nonsense compositions, and partly his soft Pictorialism: opposing styles brought together without irony. I feel his pictures are honest and ennobling. That, to me, is close to a heroic accomplishment – at least in artistic terms.

Barn, New Concord

12. What are you up to at the moment?
I'm working on my next show in Chelsea, which will feature giant prints of the High Line. The High Line is a massive, rusting elevated railway cutting through the Chelsea gallery district of Manhattan. It threads its way into and out of the old warehouses here, the buildings actually enveloping it. I suppose it was too massive for anyone to take on the task of demolishing it, so it sat idle for years. Now it's being adapted as a greenway park; imagine walking through thirty blocks of Manhattan at an elevation of 30 feet, like King Kong.
The High Line appeals to my love of old or abandoned structures – in this case one that cuts through some of New York's swankest new architecture, making for startling juxtapositions. New York's only contribution from Frank Gehry, the new IAC building, is the backdrop for one of my photographs.
It's fun not to be photographing houses for a change. But guess what? One building along the High Line is a semi-ruinous 19th-century office that someone has stabilized. They've built a modernist townhouse within – and peeking out from – the crumbling walls. Now that's a house I could live in.
(This show opens in November at Allen Sheppard Gallery, 530 West 25th Street. http://www.allensheppardgallery.com/)

Rockefeller Center

Please take a moment to check out James' website to see many more stunning photos and find out more about the book Tuxedo Park: the Historic Houses.

I went to see who it was that could be gracing this beautiful and edgy cover. The white upholstered sofas and daybeds (Room and Board), the ebonized floors, the black tiled fireplace surround...I thought I had found a new crush.

But then..... I knew it was you as soon as I saw the white sheers and your custom designed light fixture (ABYU Lighting) in the foyer. Yes...you had me at "Hello". Only you could have piqued my interest with the Country Swedish chair with the seat in Sacco Carpet goat hair!

One of the things I love about you is the way you mix up the high and the low. Like in this Dining Room: putting a Larsen Velvet on a Crate and Barrel chair. It makes my heart smile, like wildflowers in a silver vase. Zimmer + Rohde fabric used as wall art, it's wonderful.

They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Well men aren't the only ones who love the culinary arts. And to find a kitchen at the other end of the Living Room, well that's just magic. And then you go and make it look like this! That curtain of beads by BallChain around the stovehood, the Plexi-Craft barstools.... sigh.

I could lounge here for hours on this banquette by the window. Long relaxing dinners with family and friends. Maybe a little Jamie Cullum playing in the back round. You did this on purpose, I know it. (Chairs through Room and Board).

Then you got really glamorous, but I could expect no less. In the Master Bedroom, you went for the Swarovski crystals on the custom shade and Ostrich Pillow on the bed, both by ABYU. Jean Harlow would be right at home. So could I.

And there it was.... just what I'd hoped for. One of your iconic feather lampshades (ABYU) hiding in the guest room, perfectly juxtaposed with the Man Ray photographs.

What I love about you is that you inspire me. I can watch you make magic using sources available to everyone, like this bed by Room and Board, the Restoration Hardware Lamps, and the mirrors by Crate and Barrel.

I promise, I am not stalking you........yet......

All photos by Antoine Bootz for Veranda, May-June 2008

It's that time of year again. Time for the Spring Showhouses....and what better way to kick off the season than with the Kips Bay Decorator Showhouse? I had a really good read over at Habitually Chic, who was lucky enough to attend and take really fabulous photos. Then I was checking out the Washington Post Home and Garden section and was reading THIS.

Penthouse by Larry Laslo

It's seems the economy is hitting everyone pretty hard. According to the Post, the showhouse organizers had