According to Vogue's Book of Etiquette and Good Manners, 1969, "A guest room should, above all, look welcoming. It should have that indefinable quality of aliveness, rather than emptiness. It should somehow suggest that it is accustomed to making visitors happy and is not a seldom-used 'spare' room. A hospitable guest room is essentially gay, and completely comfortable."

"A tall order, you may say, but you can have a lot of fun filling it." Like many decorators today, the book says go with the mad wallpaper or print fabric you love but could not abide for more than a month. Your temporary guests will enjoy the change of pace and sense of adventure.



Vogue prefers two twin beds in a guest room with a generously scaled night table between the two. Each bed should have one very soft pillow and one firm.

The lamp should be very easy to reach, and easy to read by without strain. If the floor is not carpeted, provide plush bedside rugs.

Don't forget the filled cigarette box, ashtrays and matches.

A clock with a quiet tick, a pin cushion and sewing kit, a well-lighted mirror for makeup and a full length mirror too.

A good, "brisk" book of fairly new short stories, a carafe of ice water with two glasses, and always fresh flowers.


Also include:

A chest of drawers with at least the top two largest drawers left empty.
Half a closet pole
A closet shelf
A pretty luggage rack -- not Hotel-ish
A couple of chairs, "Guests should not have to sit on the bed to read or file their nails."
A variety of wooden hangers
Shades, shutters or lined curtains that block out light
Biscuits or fruit "can be appreciated."
Facial tissues

And, Vogue says, if you live near the water or have a pool, tuck some whimsical straw hats or Japanese paper parasols in the closet.

I think I have a lot of work a head of me.

Credits:
Bedroom one, Chloe Warner
Bedroom two, Kate Spade
Bedroom three, Kate Spade's guest room courtesy M. A. Belle, via Town & Country

Bedroom four, (images four through six) Peter Dunham

Bedroom five via Domino

Clock is from High Street Market
Carafe and glasses are from Park Avenue Gifts

Without meaning to sound hoaky, I have to say some of the most beautiful things occur when different cultures come together. Khotan rugs are an example of this.

With a mix of Far Eastern and Central Asian design details, the rugs traditionally have been handwoven in Chinese Turkistan, in or near the old city of Khotan. Scholars may have different views on the fine points, but some core characteristics of these rugs often include: triple-medallion patterns with stylized vases; borders with a Chinese wave motif; and in some cases stylized chrysanthemums that almost "read" as a geometric.

Historically the dyes were quite vibrant; softer pastel shades -- so pleasing to some decorators -- are the result of fading.

Image at top is from a Dan Carithers-designed library courtesy Southern Accents;
Image two is a 1930s example courtesy Allan Arthur;
Image three is from Hali, May-June 2006.

My friend B sent me a link today to this photo on Flickr, by kaylovesvintage, saying she saw it and thought of me. She knows me well. It's so cute I had to share.


While on the subject of cats, I know some of you were concerned about my friend's cat Binky who needs a new home. Sadly, she hasn't found anyone willing to take him. She has an appointment at the Humane Society Monday. I'm just praying he doesn't mind being in a cage, or they will put him to sleep. (That happened to a stray cat I took there once). That will totally break Jenny's heart, and mine. I told her if I can manage to make it through the front door (although I will be a blubbering mess, I am just typing this for crissakes), I'll visit him since I live just around the corner. I really wish I didn't already have 6 cats.

We are very excited to start a relationship with a new vendor, Masland Carpets. While we were in Las Vegas, we saw all the carpet samples that Masland offered and were amazed at the quality, colors, designs and prices.

Maybe, you are holding off to make a major furniture purchase, but want to add a little zing to freshen the look of your home. Maybe, you are a designer and are looking for a carpet to begin or complete your customer's design. Maybe, budget is a consideration. We have the perfect remedy!

Here's the Masland Zulu look, that is "what's new" at Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery:



This is Zebra and will be featured in our showroom:


Look at the range of colors:






Zulu's contrasts in texture, color, and surface luster combine to produce over-the-top comfort and visual stimulation in this innovative hand-knotted rug made of 65% New Zealand Wool and 35% Art Silk.


Standard Rug Sizes are:

5' x 8', 8' x 11', 10' x 14'

Custom Sizes Available

Bev & Mike
LandfairFurniture + Design Gallery

On a side note, today one of the most talented sports figures turns 21 and as a hockey fan I couldn't pass this milestone up. Sidney Crosby, who plays for my Pittsburgh Penguins, is the next great one, even according to Wayne Gretzky, and if you haven't seen him play you should make a note to check him and his other team mates out when hockey season begins this October. It's amazing to watch. Sid is the new face of hockey in North America and is helping bring this sport back in the US. As the youngest captain in NHL history, record breaking seasons, spreads in GQ and Vanity Fair before starting his rookie year, a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals and major endorsements that include his own Reebok clothing line, this handsome, well spoken young man is a joy to have in Pittsburgh. Happy 21st Sid and best of luck this season!

i love autumn!
its my favorite season of the year... mother nature just transforms into a dynamic blend of colors and shades that bring a smile to my face. it's the only season when our family gets together - for thanksgiving and then for our annual trip to the pumpkin patch right before the end of october. this season, i'm going in for my surgery the day after thanksgiving so i have a lot to be thankful for!

and while i'm laying in the hospital bed i will be dreaming of fall decor i can start working on while i recover!

Wall-to-wall carpeting seems to elicit strong reactions. Especially when it is a deep, solid color. (Yes, there are certainly more pressing issues in the world today, but among some of my friends and relatives a minor debate has been launched by the wall-to-wall "Augusta National green" seen in the October Domino -- the Sommers nursery.)

Whether you think it is bold and graphic, or you just are not a fan, wall-to-wall was used in some of the most celebrated mid-century American homes. Above is a fun image I stumbled across: Babe Paley at Kiluna Farm as seen in The World in Vogue.

If the carpet here is not literally wall-to-wall, the impact of an almost completely covered floor is similar. What strikes me about the interior -- apart from masterpieces by Matisse, Toulouse-Lautrec, Cezanne and Rousseau -- is the mix of colors. Softer versions of the primary hues red, blue and yellow are coexisting. And that tufted yellow sofa is a real standout. Paley's dress is by Charles James.

I went to ROme - what a wonderful city! - and when I came back, Summer just barged in and claimed me. Perhaps it's the Roma tempo I got accustomed to after just three days of leasurly long lunches in the sun, strolling in unknown charming streets where history is ...

This is the Apoll table top fireplace from Carl Mertens, makers of tastefully designed items for dining. It sits about 13 inches high and 11 inches long. Perfect for small spaces other than your dining table such as a bathroom or living room coffee table.

I really love this nesting coffee table I found over at Burke Decor.

http://www.burkedecor.com

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I wish I could afford these pieces! Such a beautiful take on scientific glassware by Esque.

I also love the logo, which I think is new(ish)--reminds me of the logic behind Vignelli's design of the Bloomingdale's logo which takes advantage of the circular forms of the letters.

Fun, whimsical display made from dried tree branch and paper clips to hold favourite photos and treasures...
Idea from Pottery Barn

You must take a look at Quazen.

Quazen is a user powered website dedicated to providing you with the highest quality general oriented content on the web. Our community of writers strives to deliver the most coherent and up-to-date articles on a variety of general topics including Recreation, Kids and Teens, Arts, Shopping and more.

The post that drew my attention is titled 10 Funky Modern Table Designs This one below, I'll show you as a homage to the Olympics:


Click on image to enlarge.

They say at Quazen, "These tables, I'm afraid, are so impractical that no one will ever pull up a chair." We will, we love them all!

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Look at these beautiful botanical watercolour flowers which date back to 1606 which BibliOdyssey recently featured from Scrapbook Florilegium. Head on over there for the full scoop. I was particularly taken with the vibrant colours. So very pretty and inspiring!!

Things are a little nutty at my house, as I'm trying to get some projects finished before the kitchen renovation work needs to start. I had 2 things I was determined to complete, the renovation of my staircase to the second floor, and my basement.

I took Friday off from work to start the stairs and I managed to get them pretty much done. A couple paint touch ups and a few nail holes left to fill but I am too tired to finish it. I thought I'd show some before photos first so you can see what I've been living with since December. This first photo is what the stairs looked like for about a month after I moved in.


I ripped the carpeting off because it was so dirty (from moving in a snowstorm) and not installed properly - I almost took a tumble down them a few times. This is the horror that was underneath. Linoleum tiles, aluminum trim and lots of paint splotches.



I am dying to paint all the floors in my house white, so the stairs were no exception. I painted them white, and the staircase is now so much brighter than it was. Now if I could just figure out how to get them to clean themselves...


Here is why I am too tired to finish the stairs. Below are photos of the remnants of what was on the floor in my damp and leaky basement (there's more that has to come out but I'm too tired and need help with the rest). I am so pissed off that someone was stupid enough to decide to hide leaks by putting down layer upon layer of plywood on a damp floor. The smell once the top layer of linoleum was removed was so disgusting. The wood in some places was BLACK and crumbly. I am afraid my cats and I will get sick from the mold. I wore a mask while I was working down there but the smell was so bad I can still smell it, and I feel kind of nauseous. There are alot of annoying and poorly executed things I keep finding around this house, but this one definitively tops the list of bad judgement.

We took an unexpected and unintended hiatus for the past few weeks.

Will be up with a fresh idea from Lena shortly.

http://www.andreyi.net

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made from recycled skateboard via 2ReVert.

via otsutree.

Dessert. Midsummer was really great - a wonderful little mix of people of all ages and backgrounds collected at my favourite place in the world! We had time to enjoy ourselves and relax and eat and drink. I don't know what time the sun set, but it was after a very ...