Unfortunately, he says, the execution of the design was not very good. Take the relationship -- or lack of it -- between the living room and adjoining TV/office space, which was accessed from a hall around the corner from the living room.

Or should I make that Hutton Wilkinson style? In the June/July issue of C magazine, there is a neat little article about the way Hutton Wilkinson and his wife Ruth entertain at their home "Dawnridge" (you know, Tony Duquette's former home). On the table above, set for a luncheon, Wilkinson chose an emerald green tablecloth for the table, which is adorned with Chinese figures and pagodas from Duquette's collection. I just love the ballroom chairs with their malachite-patterned chair pads. And continuing with the malachite theme are the plates by D.L. & Co.

And what will the guests eat and drink at this elegant luncheon in a rather exotic setting? Hibiscus lemonade, Fattoush salad, and fromage blanc with berries and honey for dessert. I don't know if the guests will get the chance to have a piece of the "coral" cake, seen below- it's too pretty to cut!

Finally, the satiated guests will get to take home a very stylish party favor- a D.L. & Co. Duquette candle. My luncheons and dinners tend not to end with favors, but I just might change my mind!


A cake too pretty to eat! Cake by Cake Divas in Los Angeles


I'm smitten with these malachite plates D.L. & Co.


The Duquette candle by D.L. & Co.

(Image at top and of cake from C Magazine; Peter Wintersteller photographer)

  

I really enjoyed checking out this house by Greico Designers/Builders. I get a lot of submissions with magazine-ready photos, but these non-professional photos are endearing because they are much more realistic. I like the “what you see is what you get” or “celebrities without makeup” approach.

http://www.greicohomes.com

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She wondered....about the inner lives of people.
If their insides matched their outsides....
If they were happy. 
Or if they were depressed.

She wondered....if he and she, and yes, they, in the corner,
                  if they had moments of [indescribable] joy, for no reason.
Or if they had regrets, big regrets...about which, they could do nothing.

She wondered....if they -- each one of them -- felt understood.
                                     And if they felt loved.  Enough.

She wondered.... Do you wonder, too?

i’m a sucker for a zig zag line (i’m always lusting after a full-sized version of this rug) and these new towels at williams sonoma home are calling me. i really love the persimmon/pumpkin combination (very fall) but the blues are perfectly summery as well. click here to check them out ($36 each).

ps: penelope green at the nytimes wrote a great article/at home with piece with faythe levine of handmade nation. it’s always inspiring to read about people like faythe in big mainstream news. click here to check it out.

It's Decorator Showhouse season again! Currently underway is one of the top showhouses in the country, the San Francisco Decorator Showcase. Benjamin Dhong, an interior designer who is designing for his very first showhouse, has created a really serene and elegant bathroom. Dhong was inspired by a trip through Sweden last summer where he saw rooms that were "a dazzling mix of high and low end furniture." Wanting to achieve a mix of traditional and contemporary, Dhong covered the walls in a very soothing, soft faux bois. But there's nothing rustic about this bathroom. I love the tailored shower curtain, table skirt, and curtain. And don't you just love the mirror and the smart little Saarinen stools? I think it's safe to say that Benjamin Dhong is definitely a designer to watch!

There has been much talk lately about the fate of Brooke Astor's apartment. I think many of us are on pins and needles waiting to see if the new owners (whoever they might be) will destroy the famous interiors, preserve them in all of their glory, or simply refresh them. But closer to my home there is another prominent house I'm worried about: the Goodrum House located on West Paces Ferry Road in Atlanta.

Built in 1929 by famed architect Philip Shutze, the house is considered to be a prime example of English Regency architecture. Before it housed its current tenant, the Southern Center for International Studies, the house was a private home. While growing up, I always heard it referred to as the "Peacock Mansion" because the homeowner kept peacocks on the estate. (In fact, I remember on a few occasions going to school and seeing traffic held up because a peacock had gotten loose and was wandering the streets!) There were many other wild stories associated with the house which I won't print on my blog, but needless to say they only added to the home's allure- at least to this wide-eyed gal.

And now the Southern Center is selling the home. My biggest fear is that whoever buys the Goodrum House will rip it asunder and remove anything original and unique to the home. Believe me, Atlanta is losing its beautiful old homes at an alarming rate. The whole thing upsets me, so perhaps I should put my money where my mouth is and join the Preservation Center. In the meantime, I wanted to show you a few photos of this beautiful home. They certainly don't make them like they used to. I just hope whoever buys this home realizes it.





A few shots of the entryway. Is that a banister or what! Wouldn't you be thrilled to have that in your home?




The dining room is famous for its glorious Chinoiserie mural painted by Allyn Cox.


The ceiling of this octagonal breakfast room was painted by Athos Menaboni. The effect is like being inside of a bird-cage. Menaboni also painted the niches as well. Can you imagine a better way to start your day than by having a cup of coffee in this room?



The living room. Although it's sparsely furnished today, the room has real potential. Just look at the molding and carvings.

Namba Parks is a really amazing piece of architecture, a place where you’ll spend half your time shopping and the other half admiring the design. It stands where Osaka’s baseball stadium used to be until 2003, and consists of a 30-floor skyscraper, Parks Tower, and 120-tenant shopping mall which includes many restaurants and a cinema. The eight floors of terraced gardens, boutique stores, big brands and trendy dining have been an instant hit in shopping-mad Osaka. In addition to providing a highly visible green component in a city where nature is sparse, the sloping park connects to the street, welcoming passers-by to enjoy its groves of trees, clusters of rocks, cliffs, lawn, streams, waterfalls, ponds and outdoor terraces.

Beneath the park, a canyon carves an experiential path through specialty retail, entertainment and dining venues. Namba Parks creates a new natural experience for Osaka that celebrates the interaction of people, culture and recreation. The project was so successful that Namba Parks construction is already underway for an extension - almost doubling the facility and due for completion in the middle of 2007. Finally this project is so amazing, that personally I would include it as the 8th wonder of the world. - Namba Parks on Wikipedia & Namba Parks website + Images at higher resolution - 1, 2

Post from: Interior Design, Home & House Design, Furniture

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

http://www.burkedecor.com

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Photo by wespionage

Have a lovely weekend!

I had the chance to visit the showroom of Joe Nye New York last week, and I was not disappointed! There are so many great pieces there that I was ready to ship half of the store home to Atlanta. Many of the finds can be attributed to Joe himself, while others are courtesy of the guys from Downtown. (I mean really, is this not a winning combination? Joe is the walking embodiment of style with a capital "S", while David and Robert of Downtown know what's going to be hot eons before the rest of us do.)

What really caught my eye was a new line of hand-forged wrought iron and steel patio furniture that is being sold at JNNY. The chairs, benches, and tables (the large basket-shaped one doubles as a planter) are powder coated in a choice of sixteen different colors, although custom colors can be special ordered (all pieces are made here in the States). And they don't rust! To me, the furniture looks a bit Elsie de Wolfe with some Mathieu Mategot and Rene Prou thrown in for good measure. How neat are these shield-back chairs?





Here is just a sample of what was in the showroom last week. If you see anything of interest, I encourage you to contact Karen at the showroom. She is really knowledgeable and nice too! (Tel. 212-486-7551)

It was hot in Marrakech.  Oh, very hot.  So she escaped to that town on the Moroccan coast, Essaouira, her favorite Summertime (and anytime) haunt. 

Now she was no longer a Spring chicken (sadly, so sadly).  And so she had stayed in quite a few guest houses and hotels in her time.  Some luxurious with down pillows and beautiful bath products and some......well, not much better than sleeping on the floor of the bus station (oh dear). 

But had she ever stayed anywhere - anywhere at all -  like Dar Beida?  No never.  It was organic and Moroccan and African and modern and high/lo all at the same time.  This was the sort of place that you could imagine yourself staying in, well, forever.  This little house on four floors was so lovely, that she promptly began thinking up all her best arguments to get the British owners to sell it to her.  (My, weren't they tired of Morocco yet?  What did they mean, No?)

It was all in the details, you see.  Now she couldn't possibly share them all in one batch.  But here's a few to start..........

A charming place to hang the house keys........Each key with a treasure from nature attached.

Two chairs in the entry where you could sit and gaze at.......

This darling little rustic steer display....The blogging girl was quite fond of cows, and this suited her to a tee.

There was an interior courtyard in the center of Dar Beida and African art placed here and there. (The girl had her very own body masks like the one in this image that she had collected in Tanzania, South Africa, and Kenya.)

Oh yes, please do perch on this little  stool and read from the enormous trove of interior design magazines...........Heaven!

This vintage African chair was covered entirely with tiny beads.  How very amazing. 

The chair was in this charming little bedroom.  The bed was covered with a fine wool vintage haik, worn by Moroccan women once upon a time.  (The girl had several of these horded for her shop.)

Oh the view from the roof terrace......She could smell the sea.  (And the girl had these very same mod chairs for the roof of Peacock Pavilions.  Could it be that Dar Beida had everything she liked?)

The girl sat and talked on the phone while checking her Blackberry.  She told everyone she might be staying in Essaouira for a good, long time...........Could she be a stowaway at Dar Beida?

***********

Dar Beida, Essaouira, rented only in its entirety (which is a good thing because you'll want it all for yourself...)

emma@castlesinthesand.com

mobile:  +212/67965386

While on way home from France last month I leafed through the Air France magazine (which was really pretty impressive for an airline magazine!) and stumbled upon these fantastic images of Panton chairs used in conjunction with The Wapping Project. As far as I can tell (feel free to shed more light if you know more than I do), the team associated with The Wapping Project have essentially converted an old hydraulic power station in London into a restaurant and art installation space. I wish I could “hop the pond” as they say and see the place in person.

Nonetheless, how amazing would it be to have the space to house an incredibly long table with rows and rows of Panton chairs? Ahhh, eye candy.

And while the adults are eating, the kids could sit on more Panton chairs (near the old energy converters, of course) and watch cartoons.

Photos courtesy of Air France and The Wapping Project

Before I left home for college, my mother warned me about mixed drinks and alcoholic punches- too much and I might end up with a lampshade on my head. Well, I heeded Mother's advice and thankfully got through school without any major embarrassments. But after seeing these lamps by mat&jewski, I say bring on the Hunch Punch! I'm ready to wear these lampshades.

Now, I'm not really a fan of flouncy or cutesy lamps and shades. And despite the whimsy of the mat&jewski lamps, they unfortunately would not work in my home. But I just couldn't help but think of those great feathered hats that women used to wear. You know, women like Doris Day, Audrey Hepburn, and the like. Maybe it's time for feathered millinery to make a comeback. And you can start with one of these lamps at your next party. Just don't say that my mother and I didn't warn you about the punch.

All lamps by mat&jewski; vintage fashion photos from Conde Nast Archives; images of mannequins with feathered hats by Stephen Jones.