Elle Decor, September 2008, Photo by Grey Crawford

What struck me about this space was not just the beautiful tub (Waterworks Candide tub), but the very beautiful and witty tub filler dreamed up by the home owners/designers Fisher Weisman. A stream of water flows down from a shell encrusted "chandelier" reminiscent of the unique creations of Tony Duquette. Question....just where does one turn it on? No matter...this is my idea of luxury.

Another of my favorite bath spaces was created by Vicente Wolf. I think that combining different styles and periods will always make a space more interesting, and Mr. Wolf accomplishes this with great style. His Baccarat sconces and English eighteenth century mirror are the perfect foil for the blue glass walls and contemporary concrete tub.

Another designer who never disappoints is Michael Smith. This example of his authentic style takes me to another time.... one where things were slower. And isn't that what one would want when trying to unwind in the tub? Look at the details: the basket of magazines, reading glasses on the stool, the fresh towels, slippers at the side of the tub. And of course Rover waiting patiently. Perfection. (All bath fittings and fixtures designed by Smith for Kohler).

House and Garden, December 2000, Photo by Melanie Acevedo

Veranda, January-February 2005, Photo by Hickey-Robertson

This bathroom has all of the elements necessary for a long relaxing soak. Designers, art dealers and home owners Cynthia Cage McClain and Robert McClain thought of everything: candles, reading material, a little wine, flowers. Mix these with such personal, beautiful art and photography, and one feels like this is really home.

House and Garden, October 2005, Photo by Francois Halard

Milan based designer Roberto Peregalli created this amazing Master Bath for Claudio and Maria Luti of the famous family firm Kartell, most well known today for the production of the Philippe Starck Ghost Chair. I love the Robust-patterned marble flooring with the striped Venetian stucco walls. The dramatic Carrara marble tub surround contrasts so wonderfully with the Kartell Eros chair here.

Veranda, September-October 2006, Photo by Alec Hemmer

This bathroom just says "California" to me. Designed by Napa Valley designer Barbara Colvin this space is beautifully done. I love the French Doors off the garden and the stone floors. The simple elegance and connection to the outdoors creates such a wonderful spa-like atmosphere.

House Beautiful, July 2006, Photo by Karyn R. Millet

One of designers I am following lately is Ken Fulk. This California designer created such a pleasing space here using the Vintage Bath form Kohler, the owner's leaded glass pendant, and the Greek Key trimmed Roman Shade. Victorian side chair from Swallowtail. Very pretty!

Southern Accents, September October 2008, Photo by Pieter Estersohn

I love this bath with it's Loius XIV mirror and antique Swedish chandelier. Designed by Amelia Handegan for a couple in Charleston, it has a very European flavor. The pale gray-blue and white palette with the pewter and gold metal colors seems to be something I am drawn to time and again.

Southern Accents, July-August 2008, Photo by Roger Davies

Phoebe Howard decorated this beautiful bathroom for a vacation house in Ponte Verde Beach, Florida. A custom mosaic floor and hand-painted mural are what make this bathroom unique. So very pretty. The tub in this room seems to show up quite often in bathrooms that catch my eye. It's classic style works in so many places. Like in this all white bathroom:

House Beautiful, November 2006. Photo by Pieter Estersohn

Sally Markham created this vision in white for a couple in Connecticut. White glass mosaic tile line the walls and the floor creating quite an ethereal effect. One could float away to dreamland here. The heart shaped chair becomes an exclamation point against this white palette. Lovely.

House and Garden, July 2005, Photo by William Abranowicz

In contrast to the more traditional western aesthetic, this bathroom incorporates a decidedly Eastern influence. The architect William McDonough creates a sanctuary in the style of a Japanese country house. One could sit forever in this custom tub from Concrete Works looking out at the meadow of native grasses on South Carolina coastal island.

House and Garden, July 2005, Photo by Jonn Coolidge

The Master Bath in this Spanish Colonial Revival home takes on the California Craftsman flavor through the artful use of custom tile by Ann Sacks. Designer Jarrett Hedborg created a wonderful, cozy bathtub alcove here. I love the arched window echoed on the interior with the tiled arch. Beautifully done!

Elle Decor, July-August 2005, Photo by William Waldron

This is such a fun loving design for a bathroom by designer Robert Couturier. He combines glass tile and mosaic pebble floors with fresh and vibrant colors. This tub is is the Paris tub by Water Monopoly.

Elle Decor, July 2003, Photo by Dominique Vorillon

Then we have the classic claw foot tub. There is a nostalgia about it that cannot be put aside. This beach house bathroom in Malibu designed by Kerry Joyce is brightened by the sunny yellow-painted tub. I love the mosaic floor with the label identifying it as the "boys" bathroom. The surfboard is a fun touch.

Elle Decor, August-September 2003, Photo by Simon Upton

Another example of the classic claw foot provides quite a contrast to the way it is used above. This elegant New Orleans bathroom was designed by Ann Holden of the two Ann's of New Orleans: Holden and Dupuy. I love the New Orleans feeling here of the rustic painted wood plank floors paired with the silk drapery panels. The claw foot here was found at a salvage shop. The sink and fittings were original to the house. I love the photo reflecting the room through the antique mirror.

This is a round-up of some of my favorite tubs and the spaces they occupy. To get going with your own private sanctuary, you can start by looking at the Waterworks website. Many of the tubs can be found there. And for those on a budget, salvage shops are a great way to go. I hope this room, one of the most often used, can become a place for more than just the everyday chore of getting "ready". I hope it can become a place to relax and spend some down time.

Sigh, she loved eating - her waistline was visible proof.  And she poured over cooking blogs.....dreaming, dreaming.   One of her favorites was Winos and Foodies, by the lovely Australian blogger, Barbara.  So she asked, Please Barbara....would you, could you do a guest blog for me on some Moroccan dishes?

And look what arrived on her blog doorstep! Mmmmmmm......

All recipes on Barbara's delicious blog, right here.......

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If the blogging fairy came along and tapped you on the shoulder and said "you can choose to spend the day with any blogger in the world " - who would you choose?  I'd choose to spend the day with Maryam in Morocco. 

We'd sip mint tea and eat stuffed dates while she showed me all the pretty rugs and fabrics and glass jars she has collected on her travels.

Stuffed Dates

Remove seed from fresh dates and stuff with cheese and nuts of your choice. I like the salty feta cheese against the sweet date with the crunch of a pistachio nut. A soft brie with almonds also makes a tasty filling.

I'd ask Maryam to introduce me to her favourite couscous maker so I could I'd learn to make perfect couscous.

Plain Couscous

Add 400 ml of warm water to 350grams of couscous and 1/2 a teaspoon of salt. Rest for 10 minutes, then rub 2 tablespoons of olive oil into couscous to break up lumps and aerate the grains. Place in an ovenproof dish, dot with 20 grams butter, cover with foil and heat in 180C (350F) oven until the couscous is heated through, about 15 minutes. I often add brown flaked almonds. Pine nuts and dried fruits also go well with couscous.

Left over couscous is the perfect filling for stuffed vegetables. 

Stuffed Tomatoes

Remove insides of tomatoes and cook to reduce to a sauce with onions, spices and preserved lemon. Mix with couscous and fill tomato cases. Bake in a 180C (350) for about 25 minutes.

Naturally we'd spend the afternoon shopping. When we returned to Peacock Pavilions we would enjoy a refreshing glass of pomegranate juice..................

Pomegranate Drink

Put some ice in a glass, add a dessert spoon of pomegranate syrup and top with soda water. For a sweeter drink replace soda water with lemonade. I'm sure a shot of vodka would work in this drink.

.................and some local olives. 

Orange and Rosemary Olives

Crack olives with a meat mallet to split skins slightly. Marinade olives overnight in orange zest, rosemary spikes and olive oil.

In the evening we'd sit under the olive trees and eat platters of watermelon.

Citrus Watermelon

Remove skin and cube the watermelon. Sprinkle with freshly squeezed orange juice and scatter mint leaves over the platter.

Then just before midnight the blogging fairy would re-appear and it would be time to say goodbye to Maryam.  I think I'd need some help to get  all my shopping home.

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See full recipes right here.  And Shoukran, Barbara!

From Julie:

Fernlund + Logan—a New York City firm that counts design god Ted Muehling among its clients—creates a thoroughly mod interior within a classic Manhattan townhouse, mixing classics (a Le Corbusier LC4 chaise) with future classics (Jasper Morrison Glo-Ball lights and a Marcel Wanders New Antiques table). Candelabras and a ghoulish crucifix over the mantle add an edgy note. Photos by Herman Verne.

Below: Recreate the look with the Le Corbusier LC4 Chaise Longue in natural canvas with black leather headrest and matte black enamel steel base; $2,585 at Design Within Reach.

Below L: Felted Wool Stones, $298 for small, $495 for medium, and $595 for large at Viva Terra. Below R: Gray Ludde Sheepskin, similar to the one draped on the Le Corbusier chaise; $39.99 at Ikea.

Below: Marcel Wanders New Antiques table for Cappellini; $2,529 at Unica Home.

Below: The Moroccan Zig-Zag Rug, handknotted in ivory and chocolate wool, starts at $1,825 for the 9-by-12-foot size at Williams-Sonoma Home.

Below L: Designed in 1962 by brothers Achille Castiglione and Pier Giacomo Castiglione, the Toio Floor Lamp was inspired by a car headlamp; $1,212 at Design Within Reach. Below R: Jasper Morrison’s large Glo-Ball Basic 2 Table Lamp by Flos is $872 at Lumens; Glo-Ball Basic 1 Table Lamp, a smaller version, is $596 at Lumens.

Below: The formidable (and formidably priced) Dorian Table by Dominique Matthieu features curvy lacquered legs and a heavy glass top; $10,500 at Conran USA; available in black or red.

Below: Beech Black Enamel Bentwood Chairs; $79 each at Kurt Peterson.

I've been doing a bit of research on Mary Delany, the artist whose floral collages so inspired Sybil Connolly. It appears that Delany too was a fascinating and creative woman.

Born in England in 1700, Mary Granville Pendarves Delany was known for her wit, her charm, and her intellect. Like many well-bred ladies of the day, Delany became skilled in both needlework and shellwork, the latter becoming extremely popular in the 18th c. This detail-oriented type work, coupled with her knowledge of Botany, would hold Delany in good stead as she began creating her floral paper collages in the 1770s. As the story goes, one day Delany noticed the similarity between the color of a vibrant geranium and that of a red piece of paper. Delany began to cut the paper into petals and thus created her first "paper mosaick" (her term for her collage work). Until her eyesight failed her in 1782, Delany was prolific with her paper work. Her collection of work, which she called her "Herbal" or Hortus Siccus, was inspired by the numerous plants and flowers that her friends gave her. Or perhaps I should say that her friends were inspired by her work- King George III and Queen Charlotte so admired her work that they supposedly instructed the botanists at Kew Gardens to send Mrs. Delany floral specimens. At the time of her death in 1788, Delany's Hortus Siccus was comprised of ten albums of her work. These albums were later given to the British Museum in 1897.

You'll notice that her collages were pasted onto black paper (I can't confirm whether all of her work was as such, but it seems that most of it was). Occasionally Delany would embellish her work with watercolors, especially if she was having difficulty in achieving the accurate colors. This, however, did not seem to be the rule. Delany was able to source colorful papers, and she was also known to dye her own if particular colors were not available.

On the front sides of her work, Delany tended to include both the scientific and common names of the botanical subjects. You'll also notice that she usually made a cut-out of her initials- MD- on either the bottom right or left corners. From an artistic standpoint, I think it's incredible how detailed the flowers are. Most of her works incorporated hundreds of pieces of cut paper. But what seemed to astonish and impress botanists of that period was the accuracy with which she rendered the flowers. Delany was meticulous about rendering even the smallest detail- veins, stamens, etc.

Unfortunately, images of her work are hard to come by, but I was able to find a few on the web. If you would like to read more about Delany, there is a book that was published a few years ago by one of her descendants- Mrs. Delany: Her Life and Her Flowers. I've just ordered it from Amazon, so I'll let you know if it's a worthwhile book.



Winter Cherry, or Physalis, c. 1772-88 (image from the British Museum)


Bay Leaved (Passiflora laurifolia), c. 1777. There are over 230 paper petals in the bloom of the flower. (Image from the British Museum)


Asphodil Lilly (Crinum Zeylanicum), c. 1778 (image courtesy of the British Museum)


Sea Daffodil (Pancratium maritinum)


A stem of a stock, c. 1781 (part of the Royal Collection)

There is one design legend who I fear is slipping into obscurity, and it would be a dreadful shame if that happened. That person is the late Sybil Connolly. If some of you are not familiar with her name, I'm sure you would recognize her work.

Born in Wales to Irish/British parents, Connolly began her career as a clothing designer, first in London and later setting up shop in Dublin. Proud of her Irish heritage, Connolly worked tirelessly to promote the native crafts of Ireland. Many of Connolly's clothing designs incorporated tweeds, woolens, and most notably Irish linen. In fact, Connolly garnered praise and notoriety for her pleated linen dresses. The handkerchief linen was so fine that it took nine yards of linen to make 1 yard of pleated material. Much adored in Ireland, Connolly also developed a devoted fan base here in the States with Jacqueline Kennedy, Rockefellers, and Duponts becoming clients. (You might recognize the official portrait of Kennedy below in which she is wearing a Sybil Connolly design.)

As the swinging Sixties and early 1970s rolled around, Connolly's designs fell out of favor with the liberated woman. Refusing to capitulate to the latest trends, Connolly once said "There comes a time in everyone's life as a designer when you have to decide whether you want to create the beautiful or the merely fashionable. Sadly, there can be a conflict between the two." With her glory days of fashion design waning, Connolly ventured into designs for the home. And this, to me, is the work that is most striking.

Connolly designed collections of textiles for Brunschwig & Fils and F. Schumacher as well as tabletop items for Tiffany & Co. Ever the champion of Irish handiwork, Connolly incorporated Irish motifs- flowers, basketweave, and the like- into most of her creations. In fact, I'm sure many of you recognize Tiffany's classic Tiffany Weave China which was designed by Miss Connolly.

But her greatest work of all had to have been her beautiful home on Merrion Square in Dublin (in my opinion, one of the most charming areas in all of Dublin). With the ground floor dedicated to her design business, Connolly's private quarters were comprised of the upper floors as well as a mews house. Her home reflected her style, her elegance, and her passion for the best that Ireland had to offer. Connolly once remarked: "Perfection is not human and we shouldn't pretend that it is. The ideal house should look lived in, as if somebody reads the books on the shelves." This sentiment is one with which I agree wholeheartedly and one which I have tried to convey on this blog, although not as eloquently as Miss Connolly.

Back in the mid-1990s, I had the opportunity to hear Sybil Connolly speak while I was employed with Tiffany & Co. Unfortunately, a fellow employee fainted and Connolly's talk was cut short. It was something that I always regretted, especially as Connolly died a few years later. But, I suppose I can take consolation with photos of her work. As you can see, she had a varied, productive, and fruitful career, and it is one which deserves some posthumous attention.

(An aside: when I was researching this post, I came across a New York Times article from October 1980 announcing a buffet dance at the downtown Rich's department store here in Atlanta. The dance was a benefit cook-off for the March of Dimes. And...Sybil Connolly cooked a marinated lamb, Robin Roberts of Clarence House made deviled chicken breasts, and Mary Jane Pool prepared an avocado salad called riboon. Now that was a stellar event! Had I been older and known who these people were at the time, I would have paid my $100 to attend.)


The Mews House's cheery yellow Living Room. The plaster shells on the cornice were duplicated from some real shells that she purchased in California with Tony Duquette.


The Living Room in the main house. The curtains were made of an Irish floral fabric.


Connolly's bedroom which was inspired by her antique Angoulême porcelain. Connolly found the Angoulême patterned wallpaper in London, and she then had the Irish textile industry copy the same print onto linen. Nancy Lancaster was so taken with the charming green and white bedroom that she asked Connolly if she could copy it.


A table set for tea in Connolly's garden


The dining room of the Mews House. Connolly's collection of blue and white Irish delftware grace the walls. It also looks as though the panelling on the walls was actually painted on in shades of blue.


The dining room of the main house. The wallpaper's floral print is fuschia, which grows wild in Ireland.


A blue and white toile that Connolly designed for Brunschwig & Fils (Image courtesy of The Hunt Museum)


"Tipperary" wallpaper designed by Connolly for Brunschwig. Do you think this looks like the Angoulême print in her bedroom?


A glazed chintz pattern, "Lily of Galtee", designed for Brunschwig (image from The Hunt Museum)


Tiffany Weave china, designed by Sybil Connolly



The late, great, and discontinued china pattern known as "Mrs. Delany's Flowers". Designed for Tiffany & Co. by Connolly, the floral pattern was inspired by amazing collages created by Mary Delany in the 18th century. Delany was admired throughout England and Ireland for her charm, intellect, and artistic skills. She used thousands of pieces of colored paper to create collages of flowers.


A paper collage by Mary Delany, c. 1777. Delany's collages inspired "Mrs. Delany's Flowers". (Collection of the British Museum)


One of Connolly's famed pleated linen dresses (photo courtesy of The Hunt Museum).


Jacqueline Kennedy's White House portrait, painted by Aaron Shickler, features Kennedy wearing a Sybil Connolly gown. (Image courtesy of The White House Historical Association)

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.

The Edward P. Paul Company originally imported these gorgeous high-end lamps from the 40s, 50s and 60s, from the finest Venetian glass houses including Barovier & Toso, Barbini, Seguso, and Venini. They were marketed under the BALBOA trade name and were sold exclusively at their New York City store. Later, BALBOA lamps were offered at fine department stores such as Macy’s, Bloomingdales and Marshall Fields.

Changing tastes and mass production techniques in the 1970s compelled the Edward P. Paul Company to focus fully on their gilded iron furniture business, leaving hundreds of beautiful Murano lamps ...all but forgotten.

Oh, to be in New York right now attending the House Proud exhibit at Cooper-Hewitt. Hopefully I'll get the chance. But in the meantime, I did find some images on the web.

The exhibit celebrates the impressive collection of nineteenth century watercolor interiors assembled by Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw- one of the largest of its kind in the States. The rendered interiors include rooms at Carlton House, Buckingham Palace, and Schloss Fischbach (the paintings put my small collection of anonymous watercolor interiors to shame!) On display through January 25, 2009, the show is sure to be of interest to you collectors or those interested in design history.

(For additional reading, you may want to consider House Proud, the companion book to the show. I've got my copy on orde