I Want

This:

Blue Bell Bazaar is a shop on Etsy that turns vintage frames into chalkboards. Beautiful huh? The one above is no longer available but the one below is. I think chalkboards are not only decorative but practical...especially in the kitchen. I can see myself scribbling out our shopping list for the week or favorite wines to buy.

Porter Chair

Isn't that a stately chair? I love the shape and drama these chairs invoke. Also the privacy. These chairs go by a variety of names; porter, balloon and canopy to name a few. The porter chair has a unique history to go with its unique shape. It was commonly used in medieval times by servants who were in charge of greeting guests at the front door of the estate. To protect the servant from the elements (cold wind etc), the chair was designed to envelope the servant to keep him ensconced at his station for long periods of time in relative comfort. It allows the person to sink back, out of the wind and cold. They were usually made out of leather or velvet but these days you see modern versions made out of cane. I would like one, in velvet please.




Photo 1 & 2 via Visual Vamp

The Industrious Tenant

Holy Schnikes! I'm still reeling from reading an article in the New York Times titled "The Industrious Tenant". It features the home of the very talented interior designer Grant K. Gibson and I think it's sheer genius. Why? Because he made his rental apartment look like a million bucks. It puts any of us to shame who think they can't make their own rental units look homey and beautiful just because you don't actually own it (that's me included). But what makes it even more special is that he did everything on a budget while making the apartment look luxurious, warm and inviting. Check the article out to find out how he did everything on a dime. Take a look!

Picardie Tumblers

Yippee! I just found out that my favorite all purpose glass tumblers are back in production. Duralex is a French company that has been making my favorite glass tumblers, the Picardie tumbler, for a long time. They are the iconic glass of French bistros and are prized for their durability and style. They are a favorite of mine for several reasons; they are made out of tempered glass making them very durable, they have a nice weight to them when you hold them (also my thumb fits into the side groove perfectly for a good grip- weird how that makes me excited), and I'm a sucker for the classic French bistro design. Duralex went bankrupt last year and the Picardie glasses were going for a fortune on ebay but thankfully they are back in production and you can buy them at Williams-Sonoma and other big retailers. World Market is selling them for the best price; a set of 4 12.75 oz glasses will run you $11.96- pretty good deal huh? I'm going to go ahead and stock up on some more glasses-we can never have enough in our home.

T.C. Donobedian

I'm totally crushing on T.C. Donobedian, a wonderful eccletic home decor store based out of San Francisco. The store looks like it is packed with a treasure trove of goodies. It's on my list of places to visit then next time I fly to S.F. Take a look at this darling "trolley" bar cart:

19th century produce scale. I'd would stash my bananas on this cute scale and hang it in my kitchen.

Gypsy Windchime

Panteek

I love antique hand colored prints, especially in beautiful old frames (yes, yes I know I love my prints!). It is a great way too add a little color and life to one's home. Panteek offers an amazing antique print selection that you should check out when you have time. It's amazing. The above print is titled Arabs & Moors by Charles Theodore Middleton, published in 1778. The camel reminds me of my honeymoon in Morocco!

Here's a map of the "colonies" dated to 1856 by Levasseur, a French engineer and geographer. What's so cool about this print is that it depicts little vignettes, statistics, topographical features and beautiful images of South America.

This is a beautiful print by Adam Perelle of the Luxembourg Gardens that was part of his series titled Veues des plus Beaux Lieux de France et d'Italie. The series were published in Paris circa 1690 by Nicolas Langlois, showcasing the glories of France during the reign of Louis XIV. I adore the jardins de luxembourg, probably more than any other park I have ever visited. Neat huh?

Just not that into you

I usually post about things that keep me inspired but today I'm going to go out on a limb and do a post about certain trends that...well....I'm just not that into. These trends are really hot in the design world right now and I have been quietly waiting for them to wane (well quietly no more). The overkill has gone on long enough. I may get flamed for this, but I'm waiting for the following trends to take a vacation and come back in a couple of years:

1. Zebra carpets: Originally I loved how zebra rugs would diversify a room, make them less stuffy and hip. Now all I see is a dead carcass on someones floor. Ok... perhaps I exaggerate:)



2. Suzanis: I love ethnic prints- love them. I love the workmanship, the history, and the bold burst of color suzanis give to a room. But it's like eating a deep dish Chicago style pizza- one slice is so good but if you grab another slice and another and end up eating the entire pie you are going to make yourself sick.


3. Trellis: I still love the trellis design but on a small scale, say a throw pillow. Or outside in a garden. Just not an entire wallpapered hallway.


4. Keep calm and carry on posters: I pined for the poster at one point in time and then the poster turned into a mug, then to a t-shirt and now to an entry mat. I wonder what's next?

I hope I don't get hate mail from this post! (j/k). I really used to love all the above before they became too trendy and mass-marketed. Any trends you wish would go on vacation?

Foo Dogs

I've always wanted to participate in an auction and I finally got my chance this past weekend. I signed up to place an absentee bid at the New Orleans Auction Galleries and I ended up winning an item! I had my eyes on a pair of really cute and sassy antique ceramic Foo Dogs that both Jack and I fell in love with. I had to bid against several different people (both online and on site) but I came out ahead. Bidding live time is really, really fast and a little intimidating. Luckily the Foo dogs were towards the middle of the auction so I had some time to get a feel for the process.

So what are Foo dogs? Foo dogs, or Chinese guardian lions (lions of Buddha), are believed to have powerful protective powers that have traditionally stood in front of places of import in pre-modern China (Imperial palaces, government offices etc). Foo Dog statues are always created in pairs and carved out of expensive stone or cast in bronze and iron. Because of the expense and labor to produce the foo dogs, they were usually reserved for the very wealthy. The dogs always come as a pair, one male and the other a female. The male plays with a ball under his left paw that represents the flower of life and the female holds a cub under her right paw representing the cycle of life. Here is some other interesting mythology associated with the foo dog:

-The female lion protects those inside the dwelling, while the male guards the structure
-If the lion mouths are open it symbolizes the enunciation of the sacred word "om"
-According to feng shui the lions should face the entrance with the male on the right and the female on the left.

My dogs are obviously not gigantic statues but little ceramic ware statues for the home. The pair are glazed in a"Kingfisher" glaze and they only stand 10" tall on top of open plinth bases. I highly recommend New Orleans Auction Galleries. They had some amazing stuff up for auction and I'm already anticipating the next one! I'll post pics of my Foo dogs once I get them:)

Favorite Bed: Lit a la Polonaise

I've been busy organizing and cataloging all of my tear sheet and saved images and it dawned on me that I've saved way too many images with Lit a la Polonaise beds (I also love the campaign beds). I'm obsessed with these beds. I don't know that much about them but I do know they are french styled 18th century beds that were usually prettied up with luxurious fabrics and trimmings. They are fanciful and eye-catching and they definitely give the four poster a run for its money! If only my ceilings were tall enough for my dream polonaise! The above image is my favorite bedroom of all time designed by Mary Evelyn McKee. The soothing creams and blues with touches of pink, the dressed bed... all put my heart aflutter. I did a little research and a couple of companies carry the Lit a la Polonaise and campaign styled bed: Anthropologie, Beaudesert Beds and Niermann Weeks.

Here's a pretty room designed by Miles Redd with a unadored campaign bed. No need for adornment when your walls are covered with such beautiful wallpaper!

Domino


Maire Claire Maison

Charlotte Moss

Favorite Nurseries

I thought I would continue with my favorite tear sheets by posting about nurseries. I never really thought about what my "dream nursery" would look like until I saw Father of the Bride II. The nursery that "Franck" designed is timeless, classic, comfortable and kid friendly. The color scheme could be for either a boy or girl. I think what I love most is the amount of light that comes into the room. It's amazing how natural light can really alter the senses and make a room cozy and warm. Ok, well this is more like a suite than a room!!! Images via Silver Screen Surroundings.

I love the rocking chair! And don't get me started on the fireplace:)

Perhaps a little too girly and formal but I love the color scheme for a girl. Nursery in Southern Accents by Suellen Gregory

Nursery images via Cote de Texas. I love the murals, comfy chairs, and color scheme. I had a teddy bear just like the one in this photo (before I ripped it to shreds!)

Barcelona Chairs

I think I'm going batty because everywhere I look I see the Barcelona chair. I think I've just trained my eye to spot them out in magazines and blogs. The Barcelona chair was designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929 and its design is iconic. I would love a pair... but alas they come at a hefty price. Knoll manufactures these hand made beauties in a variety of colors and metals. I think I would go with a burgundy red or black but the white as you can see is quite nice. They just add a flair of style and a touch of modernity to any room. *sigh* (photos from Southern Accents and Simply Seductive)

Favorite Formal Dining Rooms

Ever since I discovered the wonderful blog world of interior design I have been saving images at an alarming rate with every click of my mouse. Each day I open my google reader and I'm inspired to provide a stylish but comfortable home for my family; a place of refuge that exudes our personality and style. Although these blogs have helped me hone my taste there are certain tear sheets that I have accumulated since college that are dear and near to my heart. And most of them are from Southern Accents. Here are some of my favorite dining room images I have collected: (the last two are from style court and cote de texas)

Perhaps its the soothing green color on the walls or the misleading simplicity of this room but I love it. Even the little tassels on the silk curtains (not a big tassels fan). The chair covers steer the room from being too dated and I just dig the bowl of lemons. Why? I don't know. The double chandelier is the statement piece; anything more would make the room fussy. I would kill for those parquet floors!

I love, love, love Aerin Lauder's formal blue dining room (yes, I do deviate from taupe). It reminds me of a dinner party I was invited to by a friend of mine whose sister had a home near Tulane's campus. Her dining room walls were painted peacock blue and it was the first time I ever saw a dining room painted in bold color. It made a big, bold beautiful statement that I would love to emulate one day.

I love this dining room because it looks comfortable and elegant all at the same time. I love the upholstery on the chairs, the antique barometer on the wall and the lovely provencal feel to the room (perhaps its the flowers?).



I love the mix of the formal trumeau and fancy chandelier with the more casual pedestal table and chairs. Don't get me started on the parquet floors! Perfect for a small dining room.

Aldo Tura

A bar cart is in order. It really would be nice to have everything in one place that we could move from room to room if need be. We love to entertain and Jack makes a mean cocktail. I did bartend in college (but I was horrible at it) and the best I could do was pop the cap off a bud light. But I digress:). At least Jack would make the most use out of it!

When I think of cocktails I think of Aldo Tura's 50's mod furniture with Frank Sinatra tunes in the background. Aldo Tura is an Italian furniture design firm that has been in business since the 1930's. Their design aesthetic ranges from classic to art deco to fun 50's mod. Besides loving their vintage bar cars I'm also digging their current furniture line. Here are some collectible discontinued bar carts from 1stdibs that are sadly out of my price range but perhaps I can find something similar elsewhere? Anyway take a look:

Script

I love Style Court. It's a fabulous blog filled with wonderful decorating ideas and written with much style and panache. So my heart went a flutter when Courtney Barnes did a post on Carolyn Quatermaine, a textile designer, artist and stylist. Her "Script" styled textile designs immediately reminded me of the calling card designs featured in New Orleans artist Angele Parlange's book called Creole Thrift. Unfortunately Angele closed up shop and her designs are not available anymore but I'm so glad I came across Carolyn Quatermaine! I'm also a sucker for her flower designs as well. I would kill to have a pair of bergeres in her fabric! (Image via Oh Joy!)

Here are two designs from the calling card line by Angele Parlange (Images via Style Court):

Love the hot pink!

Domino Magazine

Almost all of the design blogs out there are bemoaning the demise of Domino Magazine due to lack of advertising support. I am too. I really admired how this wonderful magazine provided so much inspiration and made style attainable for anyone; even for the likes of me. They made decorating small spaces on a budget seem doable. As much as I love Architectural Digest (and others) I always feel like everything is priced out of my tax bracket. Not so with Domino.

Perhaps a way of keeping things afloat in these tough economic times is moving the magazine solely to a online format. I already think Domino's online site is fabulous. From the moment I found out the magazine was closing I've been on the domino site saving as many images as I can in case the website shuts down. Here are some of my favorites (classic style with an edge):