Veranda, Sept-Oct 2006, Photo by Peter Murdock

Phew! What a spooky week! So many strange blog happenings. I think my blog is happier with it's original color. I am happy to be back to normal.

Fall is my favorite season, and it has been a beautiful week here. A bit of rain to cool and freshen the air, and the leaves beautiful. So here are a few Fall Color photos to celebrate the season. I hope you enjoy.

I can't imagine a more serene and joyful place than this front porch. All of the details: the fall fruit on the table, the red barn and stone wall in the background, the fall leaves. Heaven.

House Beautiful, September 2008, Photo by Thibault Jeanson

This room is perfect for curling up with a book and a glass of wine. This house was designed by Mother and Daughter team, Hattie Wolfe and Abby Rizor for Abby's young family. It is about the bold gestures set against a calm background of ivory and beige.

House Beautiful September 2008

What a wonderful place for a casual dinner. The table and chairs were custom designed by mother and daughter.

California Home and Design, November 2008, Photo by Mark Darley

This bedroom designed by Jay Jeffers exudes a cozy warmth with it's amber mohair upholstered headboard (custom by Jeffers) and bedding. The unusual starburst mirror is a striking focal point against the warm grey walls.

Architectural Digest, November 2008, Photo byErhard Pfeiffer

I love the Autumn colors of this study in the home of actor Dennis Quaid. The black and white portraits of the actor hang above the bone inlaid desk. Interior Design by Everage Design.

House Beautiful, September 2008. Photo byWilliam Abranowicz

This foyer by Jeffrey Bilhuber just says "welcome!". The French tortoiseshell mirror is perfect against the backdrop of embroidered and hand-screened wall fabric. The red lacquered boxes lend a beautiful extra touch of color next to the pewter colored lamps.

House Beautiful September 2008, Photo by Simon Upton

Another entry hall with a lighter, brighter feel. I like seeing a hint of the table under the tablecloth. Details like the French enamel pitcher, white carved mirror, the painted paneling and the wood ceiling all lend texture and character to this casual, relaxed home designed by Jason Bell.

Architectural Digest, November 2008, Photo by Scott Francis

I love this kitchen designed by Stephen Shadley for actress Diane Keaton. Casual and unique, with it's inverted stitched lampshades antique table and chairs and plaster hood, I could spend many an hour enjoying a meal with friends here. I am sure Ms. Keaton does quite often.

I hope your Fall Season is filled with color, warmth, and friends and family.

Chairs were a reoccurring theme this week. For domino's Daily Dose, Peter Dunham suggested ways to use textiles of varied scale and style on different pieces of furniture.

Many thanks to Anne Harwell for contributing the renderings. And of course a huge thanks to Peter Dunham and his team (Joel, Shaun, everyone) for their help too. My guest blog posts have second parts, so I hope everyone caught that "continued" sentence at the bottom and clicked for more.

Perry Walter created a fresh dining room for a young couple using only the client's existing furniture, rugs, a little new paint, and some beautiful high end upholstery. Due to reader request, I added this under $20 per yard "Fretwork" fabric as an alternate choice. (Available at Lewis & Sheron. Type "Fretwork" in their search box.)

This weekend on domino's Daily Dose, New Orleans tastemaker Fifi Laughlin and Atlanta boutique owner Lee Kleinhelter share some "keep forever" chairs. I think you will like their picks. Thank you Perry, Lee and Fifi!

Reminders:

Tonight at 7 p.m. at the High, Patrick Bensard, Directeur de la Cinémathèque de la Danse, will screen and discuss three historic film shorts tracing the images and impact of early African-American artists and performers who found acclaim and notoriety in France, such as Duke Ellington and Sydney Bechet.

Creative in-store holiday craft demonstrations will be going on throughout the weekend at Paper Source on North Highland Avenue in Atlanta, as well as at locations across the country.

Just in:

Here's how Peter Dunham's new velvet stripe looks made up. Visit his shop for details.

Bold, bright, and full of whim...
Cool custom wallpaper by Rollout in Vancouver
Forest Paper (so Spring inspired), Assembly Point, Warbabies 2, Kelpy, and Sentence Structure

Softness, affection, innocence, and love...
Hues of carnation, fuchsia, cherry blossom, magenta, lavender rose, puce, amaranth, cerise.
Oh the beauty and bliss of being tickled pink...

House Beautiful
(top) Style at Home
At Home with Color
House Beautiful
Steven Miller
Canadian House & Home
Madeline Stuart
At Home with Color
Drake Design
Mrs. Me Bedtime Stories
House Beautiful

Normal Room
Robin Pellisier
Shootfactory
Tom Scheerer
Ghislaine Viñas
Living Etc
Kelley Interior Design
Continentale in Florence
Jane Churchill
Jan Showers
Ikea
Ghislaine Viñas
Artus Hotel
Jeffrey P Elliott
Manuel Canovas
Boligtorvet
Betsey Johnson
Better Homes and Gardens
Home Cheap Home
Living Etc
Country Homes & Interiors

Steven Miller
House Beautiful
Miles Redd
Shootfactory
Ruthie Sommers & Chapman Radcliff

My wonderful assistant Nicole went to Gotland over the weekend and she came back with some beautiful photos, above is one. Now, I wouldn't have come up with the idea of going to Gotland in wintry, windy November but after seeing Nicole's pictures I want to throw myself on a ...

Merry Xmas loyal Kstylers. I'm giving you all the gift of "New Shoes"this year by fabulous artist Paolo Nutini. Just click on the pic above or here to collect your gift. I really think Paolo is the next big thing and remember you heard about him here on Kstyle. Have a wonderful holiday and while I will be taking a xmas break be sure to check back in. I'm sure I will have some candids of the "2nd annual sorry tree party" and who knows what else. take care and talk soon, k

His assignment??? Go out into the chaos, find a good "it's a snow day" in Ashland shot, and try to avoid getting into an accident in the process. So this is one of the shots that will appear in our paper tomorrow and thankfully J survived another dicey assignment of which their are many.

It's been a very busy week for me so hopefully will be back in design swing soon. k

It's grey and dreary these days as winter approaches, and while I prepare to hibernate, I look for inspiration in homes like this one. It's bright and warm and eclectic which I am always drawn to.

crafter and all around awesome-girl kate pruitt will be joining d*s this month to share some fun, material-themed diy projects. she’ll be focusing on one material for the month and using it in a variety of different diy projects. for this month kate has chosen a material both she and i share an obsession with: ceramics! if you’re like us you probably have a surplus of cute cups and bowls sitting around the house, and maybe would like to refresh them. these teacup candles are super easy to make and would be nice little handmade gifts for the upcoming holidays…if you can bear to part with your treasures! click here for the full post and instructions or just click “read more” below happy crafting!

Kate’s Teacup Candles:

What You’ll Need

1. teacup (saucer optional) - i found most of these at a thrift store
2. wax (i used microwaveable soy wax from a craft store, but they sell all kinds)
3. candle wicks (at least 1″ taller than your cup)
4. candle scent or dye (optional)
5. microwaveable container
6. hot glue gun
7. thermometer

Directions:

1. Clean your cup and saucer thoroughly and dry completely
2. Place your wick in the center of your cup and glue the base down with a dab of hot glue. You can also purchase sticky wax for this step, but glue works fine.
3. Heat wax and add in dye or scent according to package directions. Pour into container. You can gently adjust the wick to make sure it is straight after you poor the wax in.

4. Let sit until the wax is cool and solid
5. Trim wick down to 1/4″.

FIN!

: : hello friends : :
I don't usually like to share my politically viewpoints on the blog. but it is election season, and a very important, historical election. since I can't vote, sharing my opinion is the only way that I can participate in this election. .Obama. is the natural choice for me. NOTHING else makes sense to me. maybe it's cause I'm European.....like the cab driver in Geneva told me two weeks ago;"if the election was going to be held in Europe today, there would be no question about who would win". OBAMA. The fact that it is not a clear cut choice in this country amazes and scares me. Most of all, Sarah Palin scares me. I want to share a brief quote from an email I received this morning.

Perhaps like us, as American women, you share the fear of what Ms.Palin and her professed beliefs and proven record could lead to for ourselves and for our present or future daughters. To date, she is against sex education, birth control, the pro-choice platform, environmental protection, alternative energy development, freedom of speech (as mayor she wanted to ban books and attempted to fire the librarian who stood against her), gun control, the separation of church and state, and polar bears. To say nothing of her complete lack of real preparation to become the second-most-powerful person on the planet.

You can view women's responses to this email on the blog womenagainstsarahpalin

The Obama buttons above are by New York Visual design shop Trollbäck. Email them and you might receive your set of free buttons. [via notcot]

Obama for change!

This lovely image puts me in the mood to start addressing holiday cards. (Note the Chiang Mai Dragon curtains?) The picture appears in the November/December Southern Accents, accompanying a nice story written by Beaty Coleman: Season's Greetings. Christmas card history is covered along with tips for sending tasteful notes. It's a good one to clip and save.


A few days ago I shared some favorite sources and bourbon-related presents from my Lexington friend, Cameron (a.k.a. "Carson"). Now I realize this sounds suspiciously similar to Jane Scott Hodges' gift suggestions featured on page 24 of Southern Accents. Jane Scott and Cameron are old family friends, so perhaps they are on the same wave length.


Another source that Jane Scott mentions is Sucre. Be sure to check out their mouth-watering seasonal offerings, and grab a copy of SA's holiday issue for many more ideas. (Hanukkah inspiration too!)


Update: Jane's company, Leontine Linens, just announced an extension on the deadline for holiday orders. Call 800.876.4799 or e-mail info@leontinelinens.com to be paired with a sales associate.

Yesterday my design blogging colleague and fellow adventurous spirit, Brilliant Asylum, was on assignment, gingerly walking through a grand Northwest Atlanta home that will open to the public for tours this weekend. Not wanting to spoil the surprise for all the prospective visitors, she proceeded with caution and snapped just a few vignettes. Below you can read her own commentary and see her personal pictures. Many thanks to Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles Editorial Director Clinton Smith for his hospitality. Here's BA:

As a Style Court "special correspondent", I had the opportunity to take a sneak peak at The 2008 Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles Christmas House. The entire showhouse is to die for, but I immediately recognized this particular room from the concept boards Courtney had posted earlier in September.

This year, designer Mallory Mathison proves that both the laundry room & home office can transcend their workhorse origins to become the most charming spaces in the house. Below I have posted a few details from these cozy adjoining rooms.

Blanc de Chine figures rest on brackets above a sumptuous, "Tigre" silk-velvet covered slipper chair. I believe all the fabrics, wallpapers and trims seen in this space are from Scalamandre.

This little niche is the perfect spot for "paying Santa's bills" as the designer says in the November issue of Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles.

Personalized writing pads match the monogrammed garment bags in the neighboring laundry room.

More luxe fabrics elevate the style quotient in an area usually reserved for mundane chores.

And to top it all off, a chic chandelier crowns the room with a dash of Chinese red.

To see the rest of Mallory's realized vision and the rooms of dozens of amazing designers, I highly suggest a visit to the  Christmas House (November 15th through December 7th). All items seen here are for sale with a percentage benefiting the Alliance Children's Theater.



BTW: Clearly Mallory is a fan of blanc de chine (all white Chinese, or Chinese-inspired, porcelain). Click here for related reading.

Beach Studios is one of my favourite locations websites. The homes are simple, organic, lived in and filled with lots of white. I gathered some photos that (I hope) we haven't posted before that I love. Inspiration runs amok.

Are you an Interior Designer with a desire to work in the Middle east?

Our client wishes to recruit a number of experienced talented INTERIOR DESIGNERS. They need degree qualified interior professionals who have over 5 years experience.

Some places are humming!

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Millie (Brilliant Asylum) says she is tempted to buy this headboard as a Christmas present for herself. Judy Bentley designed it for one of the bedrooms at the recently opened Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles Christmas House. And Santa could in fact bring the headboard to Millie because it is for sale, along with all the other items shown here, raising funds for the Alliance Children's Theatre.

The origins of the main geometric fabric used throughout the room --"Maze" in blue from Zoffany-- can be traced back to a 19th-century print in the fabric house's archive. It's interesting how geometrics feel modern and unfussy, even when they are centuries-old. Classic blue-and-white bedrooms have also been around forever, but the print Bentley chose here is a change of pace from the toile commonly seen in them.

The stripes on the floor add a certain crispness too. If you are thinking about having a headboard, chair or bedding custom made, Bentley has provided many pretty details to study.

She embraced a chinoiserie motif and ran with it. To learn more about chinoiserie, click here.


If you plan to be in Atlanta anytime between now and December 7th, you can check out this room, and many others, in person. Click here for more information.

Here's another view of "Maze" in blue from Zoffany.

Thomas Jayne Studio is a New York based design firm consisting of some very creative individuals. Their style is traditional, but with quirky touches in artwork, unexpected punches of colour, and distinctive furnishings. "...traditional and classic tenets can be seen and utilized in new ways. Hence, the Studio’s designers take inspiration from the past, but seek new meaning and relevancy in it. The rooms they create are grounded in tradition but feel original and modern in their outlook."

Unlike most affordable handmade pillows, Nora Janes' are made with unique fabrics and have a great finished look. These are a great find, and don't forget, the holidays are coming.

I recieved an email the other day bearing some of the best news I've heard in weeks.

One of my favorite culinary TV series, "Two Fat Ladies," is finally coming to DVD!

For anyone who doesn't remember this fantastic British show (which aired back when Giada's decollete was just a glimmer in some TV executive's eye), there's still reason to check it out.

Don't expect healthy twists or 30-minute meals here. Instead, prepare to ride off with Jennifer Paterson and Clarissa Dickson Wright (by motorcycle and sidecar, naturalement) around Britain (and beyond) to prepare seriously hearty meals.

How about joining a hunting party in Scotland for a menu that includes roast grouse and venison with blackberries (episode 5)? Or perhaps you'd enjoy making lobster for a sisterhood of Benedictine nuns in Ireland (episode 14). Soused herrings, Welsh rarebit souffle, onion soup with Stilton, fruit tartlets...the list goes on.

These aren't all recipes that you'd likely rush out and make, but that's not really the point. The settings are verdant and the ladies are undeniably charming, entertaining, and passionate about food.

Even though the show itself is dated, it's novel and refreshing to see them, polar opposites of the squeaky-clean, book-deal-sniffing personae of today's food TV stars, preparing honest food without pretension.

Welsh Rarebit Souffle
Ingredients:
    2 large slices of good-quality white bread
    1/2 pound of high-quality, aged cheddar cheese
    3 egg yolks
    4 egg whites
    1 level teaspoon dry English mustard
    1 vigorous shake of Worcestershire sauce
    1 vigorous shake of Tabasco sauce
    Salt and Pepper

Grate the cheese and place in a bowl. Beat in the egg yolks, a level teaspoon of mustard, a good shake each of Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco sauce, and salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Toast the bread; whip the egg whites until they stand in stiff peaks. Add a spoonful or so of the beaten egg whites into tothe cheese mixture then gently fold the rest of the egg whites into the bowl. Put the toasts into an ovenproof dish and pour the mixture over them. Bake in a preheated oven at 450 degrees for 10 minutes until browned and risen. Serve at once with a salad or spinach on the side.

Recipe reprinted from the Two Fat Ladies DVD box set, Acorn Media, 2008.

Love the serenity in this Nursery room. For more inspiration click here.

I feel like there are so many great shops on Etsy right now that to simply mention 5 is not enough today. I’m going for 10 if that’s okay with you (just for today!). Plus it’s a short work week, I’m taking Thursday and Friday off so I can give you a little extra since you’ll have to go without for a few days… Ah, it’s okay though! Logging off of the internet for a bit is super beneficial — I think we all should ’step away from the web’ for at least one day now and then. I’m stepping away Thursday, Friday, and all day Saturday and maybe even Sunday because I haven’t done that in a very long while and I feel like there is this need to do so. I’ve been feeling super inspired lately but like many of you, have lacked follow through so I plan to jump on some of my projects while I’m not blogging… I am very excited to take a brief pause you know? Can you relate to this need to step back for a few days and unleash your creativity? No Facebook, no email, nothing… I can’t wait. But I’ll have to wait… because it’s time for Etsy Take Five Tuesday! I’ve promised you 10 shops today so how ’bout I stop talking and let you start looking and clicking around. Ready? Go!

1. Lost Teeth - The art of Seattle based Natalia Czajkiewicz features slightly edgy illustrations of worldly girls on the go. I love the strong lines and colors. ::website::