I really went gaga over legendary magazine editor Mary Jane Pool's apartment that was featured in the March Domino. I thought it was such a beautiful mix of graceful antiques, 20th century pieces, and gorgeous fabrics and wallpaper. So, while I was reading Tiffany Taste(aka Table Settings of the Rich and Famous) the other day, I came across a chapter on Ms. Pool and her style of entertaining.

According to the book, Ms. Pool has a fondness for all things Venetian (this is confirmed by the Domino article, which notes that Pool has a decent sized collection of 18th and 19th c. painted Venetian antiques). For a summer lunch, Ms. Pool would likely start with a salad of shredded celery, mushrooms, Gruyère, white truffles, and a vinaigrette of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The main course might be a pasta gratinée of green tagliarini, béchamel, prosciutto, and tomato. For dessert? Chocolate twigs or truffles, grapes, or strawberries accompanied by mandarin orange tea. Oh, and no wine- "nothing dangerous"- with lunch, only San Pellegrino. After all, when you're an editor of a magazine, you have to stay on your toes!

What I enjoyed most were the photos of Pool's Sutton Place apartment circa 1986. Author John Loring wrote that Pool "knows as much as anyone about the domestic pleasures that make life sweet." I wholeheartedly agree.


What a sumptuous mix of yellow satin curtains, yellow walls, and red satin(?) chairs. In fact, those chairs appear to be the same ones that were featured in Pool's Olympic Tower apartment, although at that time they were covered in orange cotton pique. The mirror is 18th c. Venetian. And notice the pedestal table, which Pool still owns today (see image of Pool at top). According to Tiffany Taste, the base is in the shape of a neoclassic Italian urn.


Another Venetian piece- this time an 18th c. painted commode. The tea service is Royal Berlin, and the silver Tiffany basket is filled with chocolate twigs.


Tiffany's classic "Chrysanthemum" flatware and "Nymphalidae" dessert plates adorn the table. Strawberries are nestled in a Tiffany sterling basket.

(Image at top of Pool- photographer Annie Schlechter)

As my week has turned out to be a bit crazy, I decided to dispense with a lot of the chit chat and simply show some photos of big and bold striped walls. I think I first fell in love with stripes after seeing some old photos of Dorothy Draper's work (that woman certainly influenced me and legions of others!). I like stripes of all kinds, but particularly a wide stripe in a graphic color combination- think green and white, red and white, and of course black and white. Of course, with striped walls it's advisable to keep the rest of the room a bit simple. Too many prints fighting each other is guaranteed to give you a headache. That said, you can introduce some pattern into a striped room. Just look at Draper's florals and Redd's animal print below.



I have always adored Dorothy Draper's living room. Those bottle green stripes are beyond snappy! (Image courtesy of Condé Nast Archives)


A striped room by Anne Coyle. I love how the stripes are reflected in the mirrored cocktail table.


Miles Redd used one of his favorite striped fabrics for the walls of this living room. (I know, you've seen this room a million times before, but it's still gorgeous!)


How smashing is this bar in the home of designer Sam Blount? The black and white stripes mixed with red curtains and flowers is bold and snazzy.


My, oh my! Are these some stripes or what? Here, the stripes are railroaded rather than vertical. Although a bit too gutsy for my tastes, I just had to show you this photo. (Design by Melvin Dwork, whose work I do like!)

Photo at top: A Dorothy Draper designed room at the Arrowhead Springs resort. Unfortunately, I don't know if the stripes are pink and white or blue and white.

Domino, The Guide to Living With Style, is a magazine and website I visit frequently.

Domino is published by the people that publish Concierge, Epicurious, Men.Style.com, Style.com, Wired.com, Lipstick.com, NutritionData, YM, Allure, Architectural Digest, Brides, Condé Nast Portfolio, Cookie, Glamour, Golf Digest, Golf for Women, Golf World, Gourmet, Lucky, Men's Vogue, Self, Teen Vogue, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, and W.

Most of us subscribe to one or more of those magazines or pick up a newstand copy from time to time.

The latest issue has an article that caught my eye: domino's Top Ten Decorator Tricks. Here are their ten tips:

1. invest in the best
Instead of filling a room quickly with things you can afford, enjoy the process and slowly add pieces you absolutely love.
2. borrow your own clothes
If you love the hue of a blouse (or anything smooth-textured), bring it to a paint store to be scanned and reproduced.
3. lighten up
Reflective, sparkly fabrics and wallpapers draw light into any space.
4. work with what you've got
Play up a room's assets. If it has high ceilings, put up really tall curtains. If it's a dark box, don't try to alter it—painting it bright white will only make it seem dingy; instead, go for cozy.
5. lights!
Even in small rooms, aim for at least three light sources—ideally a floor lamp and matching table lamps—to banish gloomy corners.
6. go antique-chic
Invest in one fabulous antique per room, to set the tone for the entire space.
7. think outside the welcome mat
Don't neglect your entryway! Think of it as an appetizer for what comes next. It should reflect your home's overall style but also contain something special, so guests want to see more.
8. collect more
Collect something that speaks to you. No matter what it is, there's impact in numbers.
9. skirt the issue
Skirted tables in offices or entryways can hide all manner of ills: shoes, kids' backpacks, mail—even filing cabinets.
10. beyond wallpaper
Upholstering, rather than papering, walls yields a layer of softness and luxury for about the same price.

I particularly like 8. collect more. We recently had dinner with Cheryl and David Leland in their beautiful condo. In every room are framed art pieces or art pieces from places they've visited. The design of the rooms reflects colors of their favorite places in Mexico.



When Mike and I visited Italy we purchased a small painting from an artist in Florence. It was titled "Door of the Supplicant". We had it framed and it hangs in our living room. Not only is it a wonderful painting and not too expensive, the framing was more, but it brings back fond memories.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Lalainya’s Weblog caught my eye with Feng Shui for Summer! My first thought was "I didn't know we could use Feng Shui for a season." My second thought, with the cold spring we've been experiencing, "What's summer!"
Dragon devas writes

When a residence or business is blocked by clutter, emotional residue, incompletion, or actual furniture placement, a less than excellent quality of life is experienced.

The blogger Vikki Anderson writes about chi or positive energy that needs to get stirred around. Here are some of Vikki Anderson's summer tips to bring about positive energy:

• Keep a small overnight bag packed for you and your family and place it in your car’s trunk. If an unplanned getaway or you get an overnight invitation for your kids (or an emergency arises), you will have all essentials already in the car and ready to go.

With all the earthquakes in some parts of our country, this is a great idea for any time of year.

• Let the light into your home. Put up sheer curtains or pleated shades that can be opened from the top or bottom so you can maximize the sunlight and immediately feel re-energized.

• Hang beautiful chimes from your deck, trees or house gutters for a melodious sound to relax and calm you. Always have a book on hand that you’ve always wanted to read and didn’t have time. The sound of the chimes will de-stress you and you will be learning from or enjoying a good book at the same time.

We have a wonderful wind-chime on our deck outside our bedroom. Every time Mike hears the soft, gentle chime he gets a smile on his face.

• Have your home and deck power washed. Then you can seal your deck for many hours of fun without damaging it.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

I was really excited when I received an email from Anisha Ghosh of Saffron Marigold.

Saffron Marigold~ The words that bring to mind vibrant colour, fragrance and textures...
Ruby Kilim ~ Designer Red Black Queen Duvet Cover
That's the name of this amazing online 'Luxury handcrafted Bedding & Linens store' that is owned & run by Anisha from two home offices, one in California and the other in India.Starry Nights ~ Modern Contemporary Blue Queen Duvet Cover Purple Moon ~ Floral Indian Print Luxury Queen Duvet Cover

Anisha designs and prints traditional blockprinted home furnishings working closely with artisans in India. Saffron Marigold is comitted to the fair trade movement & revival of arts & crafts of India.Spice Route ~ Red Orange Exotic Queen Duvet Cover

Saffron Marigold has a range of products from Bedspreads, Duvet Covers, Sheer Curtains, Pillow Covers, Table Linen, Cushion Covers & many more.
Ivy Lace ~ White Tab Top Cotton Voile Sheer Curtain Panel Ruby Kilim ~ Red Cotton Dinner Napkins & Purple Moon ~ Floral Cotton Dinner Napkins
Tropical Garden ~ Floral Decorative Cushion Cover & Memories of Shalimar ~ Green Gold Decorative Cushion Cover

I am absolutely in love with the beautiful blockprint motifs and the rich colours. If you love a specific print, you can also shop by print...wow, now that is awesome:-)

Do check out Saffron Marigold to bring in that Indian luxury & elegance into your homes...

(images from Saffron Marigold.com)

...sheer white curtains with a touch of gold.Two posts in a day, I must be certainly very inspired! It was very exciting to receive an email from Chitra Gopalakrishnan, informing me about a new venture. A venture with a social cause of giving a boost to the Kerala handloom industry.

KARA- Weaves of Kerala is an endeavor by a group of very enterprising women who work with weavers fom Kerala and create high quality cotton handloom furnishings for the home.Woven linen and gold cushion covers
They have a range of curtains, cushion covers and some super soft cotton towels.Do check out their online store here.