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Modern Economy Online Sample Sale - October 8 and 9
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Original Site: designer's library
Sorry, I've been away from this blog. The biggest thing coming up is Modern Economy's (first ever) Online Sale starting Wednesday, October 8, 2008 at 9:00 AM (PST).
After getting many requests to bring this sale to cities everywhere, I figured the best thing is just to put practically the entire sale online to give everyone a taste of what our sales are like. As usual, everything will be up to 80% off. Although this is a sample sale, much of our merchandise is first quality overstock. And just like our regular city-based sales, it's only for a limited time. Originally, I had planned for it to be 24-hour sale, but I've extended it another day. This sale is now only 48-hours long. So arrive early to our website for the best selection!
And join our mailing list, too. Individuals on our list will get special privileges and will also be entered in a drawing to win $200 in merchandise.
Here are some of the products you'll find at the sale:
A selection of cotton and wool rugs and bags from Angela Adams.
Tablecloth, napkins, dishtowels from Simrin
Adorable and stylish vases from Joana Mendicino.
Eco-friendly hemp and linen pillows by
Balanced Design.
Windsor Smith on Design
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Original Site: The Peak of Chic
Windsor Smith is a designer whose career is on fire. In addition to her interior design work, she just debuted a fabric collection, a furniture collection, and a rug line as well (whew!). I recently had the opportunity to speak with Windsor and it was quite a treat. Her personality is as warm and sparkling as her interiors.
To borrow the tagline from the National Enquirer, "Inquiring minds want to know", and that's the way I feel about design. So I decided to get Windsor's thoughts on anything and everything design related.
On Her New Fabric Line:
Windsor's new fabric line for Kravet has received rave reviews, and it's not hard to see why. The fabrics that caught my eye were her bold and graphic prints. But don't think that these are "in your face" prints. Windsor likes the snap and pop of strong pattern, but she chose to render them in soft colors like celadon and clove. And she wisely chose to use no more than two colors per print. The result? Prints that are classic and easy to live with. (Fabric available through Kravet showrooms and through her website.)
"Insignia" in Seafoam
"Continuum" in Chestnut
On Mixing Prints...With Style:
One question that I am asked often is how best to mix prints. I'll be the first to tell you that I'm not completely comfortable with doing this myself. Fortunately, Windsor shared some tips. First, mixing florals can be difficult, so you might want to stick with just one. Also, stripes, especially tone on tone, can work with a variety of prints. And if you're mixing multi-color prints, proceed with caution! Windsor advises using no more than two. Interestingly enough, Windsor gives the green light to mixing vintage fabrics, saying "anything goes". Her rationale? Vintage textiles become found objects and art and should be displayed almost like a collection. In her mind, Lynn von Kersting's work is a great example of this kind of mix.
See how well this gray and white striped fabric works with the pink and white paisley print? Windsor obviously practices what she preaches!
And look at the smashing combo of the green tonal stripes with the punchy pink print.
On White... and Blue:
It seems that every designer has one color which they add to every room. For Albert Hadley, it's red. For many others, it's black. For Windsor? White! As she says "the absence of color makes other colors sing!" That said, she also admits that she has a weakness for blue.
Blue and white in an East Coast Traditional home à la Windsor Smith.
On the Stars of her Collection:
So unless you've been hiding under a rock, you know that Windsor recently introduced her new furniture collection. And just what are her picks for the stand out pieces?
Brittany Secretary. Works as a TV cabinet, desk, or in bathrooms to hold makeup and towels.
Slim Chaise. Looks especially good nestled at the foot of a bed.
Entry Round Settee. Looks very "Grand Hotel" to me!
On Her Dream Clients:
(Jane Birkin- in case you're wondering)
Legendary style icon Slim Keith
On Her Current Favorite Design and Architecture Books:
An Affair with a House
Vogue Living: Houses, Gardens, People
On the Details that Make a House a Beautiful Home:
1) Art and found objects that reflect the personality of the homeowner
2) Large bundles of the same type flower in a casual vase
3) Lighting that makes a room come alive day and night
4) Floor plugs
Windsor has some wonderful Found Objects for sale on her website, including this Early Chippendale Table and the Antique French Fireplace Canopy
On the Future:
So what's next for Ms. Smith? Plenty. She's working on some amazing projects including a late 1940's equestrian estate. And, big things are in the works for her website. In addition to her online shop, there will be decorating advice, newsletters, and video. I'd say Windsor is in need of a vacation.
First Ingredient: Personal Warmth
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Original Site: style court
It will probably be a week or so before my Cecil Beaton book arrives. In the meantime, I thought I'd share some more enduring advice from Vogue's Book of Etiquette, 1969. The tips are universal and relate mainly to the concept of home, rather than to decorating. And they apply whether you have endless resources or a tiny budget, so I think the guidance is timely.
Vogue says houses that are well-mannered and harmonious tend to put people at ease and evoke attractive behavior. Four essential ingredients contribute to this type of home: personal warmth, sincerity, understatement, and consideration. "None of these has to do with formality or lack of it. And none is a matter or money."
According to the book, "Personal warmth is the most appealing element in any room and nothing -- elegance, drama, enormous expenditure -- can take its place...it is the sum total of many things, all of which indicate that people really live in a room, and do not merely pass through it."
Vogue stresses the presence of truly meaningful objects over a contrived arrangement. The wildly different homes of Aerin Lauder and artist Konstantin Kakanias contain layers of meaning, and both exude warmth. Kakanias' bohemian digs are in the hills of Hollywood, carved out of part of actress Barbara Stanwyck's former playground. Lauder's inherited weekend home, in contrast, is stately. But each house is filled with mementos, not trendy accessories.
Signs of the artist's fascinating globe-trotting life are clear throughout his home, and Lauder keeps her grandmother's spirit completely alive rather than worry about being hip.
"Warmth is an inviting, disarming quality that must originate in a person's or family's sentiments and way of life." Examples include:A collection of mediocre drawings by a long-dead relative grouped without apology over a pedigreed antique.
A worn Oriental rug that children and dogs cannot really harm.
Paperbacks on the shelves alongside the better-bound books.
Lamps in the best spot for reading as well as for decoration.
A pile-up of magazines rather than a careful arrangement of this month's issues.
A lovingly arranged vase of inexpensive flowers.
"Warmth can begin with sunny colors or big hospitable sofas and chairs, but in themselves these are not enough. A warm room suggests in all its parts that comfort, affection -- even personal whim -- are more important than effect." It makes people feel contented, "just as they do in the presence of a warm individual, and they tend to be their best selves because of it. "
Images two through seven show Kakanias' home, as seen in House & Garden
The exterior of the Lauder home is from Vogue Living
Blog Block & Pink Vases
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Original Site: absolutely beautiful things
Well, I seem to be suffering from a little **blog block tonight so unfortunately I don't have anything very exciting to share with you except for this beautiful pair of Antique pink Bristol glass vases from Windsor Smith. Oh how I love these vases which have two major things {I am currently obsessed with} going for them - they are pink and they have birds painted on them!! Then again I have always loved pink but birds are a reasonably new {within the last 6 months} obsession!! I promise I'll be over my blog block tomorrow!!
**Blog Block Definition - Blog Block is a phenomenon involving temporary loss of ability to begin or continue blogging usually due to lack of inspiration or creativity.
A Pretty Field of Flowers
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Original Site: absolutely beautiful things
Steal This Look: Ochre Table Setting
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Original Site: RemodelistaFrom Julie & Francesca:
Last month in New York we admired this table setting at our favorite interiors shop, Ochre. The pale blue farm table paired with black Hans Wegner wishbone chairs is a combination we wouldn’t have come up with on our own. We also love the matte black candlesticks, the simple white tableware, and the blue tinted glassware.
Below: Original Painted Farm Table from Pennsylvania from East Meets West Antiques. Also consult Joseph Spinale Primitive Furniture. 
Below: Hans Wegner Wishbone Chair with natural cord caning; $599 at Hive Modern.
Below: Lacquered Wood Candlestick in satin-black finish; on sale at Gump’s for $29.99 (down from $40).
Below: Barbara Eigen designed the cream-colored Studio Dinnerware line for Pottery Barn; $144 for a 16-piece set.
Below: Dibbern Glass Odeon Tumbler from Bavaria; $12 each at Rose and Radish.
Below: Studio Large Pitcher by Barbara Eigen; $49 at Pottery Barn.
Below: Hand-made, satin-finish stainless-steel Lambert Flatware with black Bakelite handles from Germany; $58 for a four-piece setting at Terrestra.
Below: Kenyan Salad Server made of coconut wood and bone; $55 at Ochre.
Below: Vintage hand-woven napkins of organic boiled linen; $25 at Ochre.
Below: Natural Rush Round Placemats
The Beautiful Baby Blues
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Original Site: * Terramia *
I love the captivating beauty of baby blue... and it simply shines in Sheila Bridges' apartment in New York. A spacious, airy and elegant space... the sophisticated blue and the complementary soft green provides a perfectly classy background for her collection of antiques, collectibles, artwork, and favourite quotes.
Definition of the Day: Khotan Rugs
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Original Site: style court
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.
Classic Godparent Presents
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Original Site: style court
Today these little twins had their first official social engagement: a baptism followed by a special luncheon. This reminded me of my own godmother and the countless presents she's sent me over the years following that first christening gift, which was a porringer.
In the image above, it looks like Ruthie Sommers' daughter Eloise has a porringer in her nursery (Domino, October 2008). These modest shallow dishes with flat handles were originally used centuries ago by adults and children to hold porridge. (Pewter and silver versions were often saved and passed down in families.) In the modern era they continued to be used as practical bowls for babies, and in Vogue's Book of Etiquette from 1969, porringers are mentioned as a useful, enduring, and elegant baby present for godparents to give a godchild.The idea is that the dishes are easily washable, can be engraved, and can be used throughout one's life to hold jewelry or odds and ends. Tiffany's sells the sleek style also shown above, and the 18th-century piece below is from the Brooklyn Museum.
Sippy cups are far more practical than traditional sterling baby cups, but I still think the silver versions are nice keepsakes that make pretty holders for Q-tips or flowers. Other timeless christening gift suggestions from my old Vogue book include forks and spoons, and combs and brushes. Lasting value is the key, so clothes are not traditional presents in this instance -- although fun for godmothers to give later. Piggy banks and classic picture frames can be more affordable, yet wonderful, options.
Anything that the recipient will hopefully save and use one day on a desk or shelf, or for her own children, is nice. The banks shown at the top of this post and below happen to be from Tiffany's. But consider browsing estate sales and antique shops for other similar items. The vintage and antique silver cups are from Beverly Bremer and start at around $100.
BTW: If you are a goddaughter and wondering what to give your godmother, Vogue 1969 recommended the following. I think they've stood the test of time.
Classic, good-looking stationery (G. Lalo.)
Books with general appeal
White guest towels
"Go-with-anything" home accessories such as a letter opener, simple highball glasses, a clear glass vase or a stamp box.
And finally, while we are vaguely on the subject of nurseries, look at this pretty turtle hardware from Anthropologie. I'm not usually the biggest fan of novelty knobs but these might be perfect on a simple two-door cabinet. Wonder if they could be made into magnets for an inspiration board?