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Say It Isn't So!

One of my readers just informed me that Charlotte Moss is closing The Townhouse and WWD confirms the story.
Almost a year and a half after opening her East 63rd Street flagship to much hype, interior designer Charlotte Moss is closing the shop at the end of next month. “This was a difficult decision based on personal considerations,” Moss said. “While the interest in the store was gratifying, the demands of running the boutique and at the same time maintaining my interior design practice, licensing product and other aspects of my business were crowding out all of the other facets of my life — time for myself, my family, and my philanthropic and community work.”

So sad that she has to close before Christmas. I was looking forward to heading over there to do some holiday shopping. I wonder what will become of the space...but what I really want to know is if there will be a closeout sale!
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Fashion is Everywhere

"Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.” - Coco Chanel
This is one of my favorite quotes because I always think the same can be said of art and design. Learn more about this amazing designer and her rags to riches life story when Lifetime finally airs Coco Chanel staring Shirley McLaine this Saturday night. Or set your TiVo since you probably won't be home. Why they chose to air this on the biggest going out night of the week is beyond me but...c'est la vie!
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Corazón de melón, melón , melón........

Entonando esa canciocilla me he quedado después de dejarlos colgaditos.

Ha sido una forma de aprovechar esos restos de telillas de patch que van quedando.
Uní los trozos y luego recorté el corazón a partir de una plantilla que saqué a ojo . Coloqué las cintas de raso a una medida adecuada para ser luego colgados . Ningún lado es igual. Un lacito sujeto con un alfiler de cabeza blanca fue el toque presumido.

Móvil de corazones

Me encantan estas cintas de cuadritos y me parecieron ideales para el estilo de éste móvil. Asi que las entrelacé por la anilla de mimbre ( comprada en Bricor , apartado de manualidades ) y luego añadí otro toquecito con un par de lacitos en raso sobre uno de sus brazos y de nuevo sujetos con un alfiler largo de cabeza de cristal blanca.


¿ No son una monada ? Ya véis que no paro últimamente de darle vueltas a la cabeza haciendo cosas.

Así se ven desde abajo.

Móvil corazones desde abajo


¿ Te animas a darle salida a esos pequeños restos de tela que nos van quedando ? Ya ves que es la mar de sencillo y queda muy vistoso.
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C'est Magnifique!

Last night, I had the privilege of attending a little soiree at the showroom of Belgium born fashion designer Jonathan Riss who's label is named Jay Ahr, after the phonetic pronunciation of his initials. Most of the guests were speaking en français since Mr. Riss also works and has a showroom in Paris. The most amazing part of the space is that he had the plasterers who work on the restoration of Versailles come and do his plaster! How does one even go about doing something like that?!

I was able to chat with the designer and learned that he loves the period of Louis XV mixed with modern elements like the custom designed side chairs and massive marble dining table in another room that he designed. He also mentioned that he is planning a book that will chronicle the evolution of his showroom. I will keep you posted as to when it is published. Oh, and did I mention he also creates beautiful dresses and jewelry and was serving Dom Pérignon?! Très chic! I know I will definitely be keeping my eye on this inspiring designer and you should too!
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Chic New Fabrics

Celerie Kemble's new line of fabrics are up on the Schumacher website and look amazing! I especially love the Hot House Flowers pattern in Spark as seen on the pillow above. According to the website, "Celerie’s look is based on beautifully refined traditional design with a reinterpreted and updated approach that speaks to a new generation. It combines classic looks with very modern details and geometric patterning, using unexpected metallic finishes, exotic touches such as ikats and embroidery, as well as glamorous moiré, silk and velvet all in a rich and sophisticated color palette of saturated hues and subtle neutrals." Sounds and looks good to me! I may have to make a run to the D&D this week to check them out in person!
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Attic Transformation!

What to do with that unused attic space? Here is a space that Lyman Perry Architects have transformed into an owners retreat. In the third floor attic space, they have created a den that resembles a yacht's cabin. Above is the staircase entering to the new retreat- it gives you at hint at what might be above. I love the rope handrail and varnished nautical woodwork.Built into one dormer is a day bed with chart storage space below. What a great use of under bed storage space. Notice the teak floors resembling a boat hull.

An instrumentation panel hangs near the helmsman's desk, whose bookshelves utilize the nautical details preventing falling books as the boat tosses at sea. The final touch of a light hatch in the ceiling completes the scene, creating the experience of spying views of the port from the sea.
All photos Lyman Perry Architects

A wonderfully creative use of an attic! And, all the small details really add the the authentic feel. Lyman Perry Architects - Artists at work!
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Belgian Inspiration

Someone recently suggested that I should visit Antwerp so I've been considering it just so I can figure out for myself why a little country has such a large influence on the world of design. I'm also attending a fashion week party for a Belgian fashion designer tomorrow night. Maybe that will give me a little insight. I was also recently looking at a home designed by Kay Douglass in the south that was influenced by Belgian design and Axel Vervoordt that was published in the October 2007 issue of House Beautiful. There is something about this look that seems perfect for fall. I can just picture sitting in one of these rooms on a chilly day in front of a roaring fire.

The sunroom with its brown slip covered chaises and windows dressed in Belgian linen is one of my favorite looks in this home. I love how the bright yellow metal antique table, art and pillows provide pop of color.

Wood and linen seem to be hallmarks of Belgian design and in the family room that is accomplished with a media console hidden behind huge doors, a natural wood coffee table and linen upholstery.

Belgian style also always seems to be clean and spare but yet incorporate interesting antiques such as here in the entry.

"In the dining room, the unexpected textures of the raw wood ceiling and timeworn Belgian dining table add a lived-in European romance. Mirrors are custom-made to seem "crusty and old," says Douglass, and curtains are crisp oyster-colored silk from J. Robert Scott."

The dining table looks like still life out of a Jan van Eyck painting!

The chairs in the kitchen are Chinese but somehow seem to work with the design perfectly.

"The steely severity of industrial materials played against warm wood tones is something Douglass often sees in Belgian interiors. That aesthetic inspired her placement of Circa Lighting's industrial pendant lamps over the kitchen island and her use of metal tiles from the Walker Zanger Metallismo Collection for the backsplashes."

"In the master bedroom, an antique door is the headboard, a trick Douglass often uses to add interest while taking up less space in the room. Ivy-patterned pillowcases are custom-made from Galbraith & Paul fabric. The pair of Earl chairs are from South of Market. Walls are Seapearl by Benjamin Moore." I don't know that I would have ever thought of putting chairs like that at the end of a bed but they also work perfectly. I really love the pops of orange too.

The orange color flows into the master bathroom and plays well off the pale walls and dark floors.

At the stairway landing, outdoor-style half shutters dress the windows, as in a European house and definitely give it a Belgian feel. Now if I could just understand Ann Demeulemeester's designs, I'd be well on my way to figuring out Antwerp and Belgium's design influence!
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Garden Pleasures terminado

Creo que en más de una ocasión he comentado mi más antigua pasión : las flores y las plantas .
Ya apuntaba maneras cuando con tan solo 9 años tenía cuarenta macetas que había ido consiguiendo a base de trasplantar, sacar esquejes y rogar a mi madre que me las comprara en el super , de esas baratitas y que a mí tan feliz me hacía.

Así he ido recopilando con el tiempo algunos libros que por su belleza de imágenes o por su práctico uso , han ido cayendo en mi biblioteca. Aún hay alguno más que le he perdido el rastro......



Pero otras aficiones llegan...... y dejan a un lado el cuidado botánico hasta que de nuevo, y casi siempre con el buen tiempo , vuelvo a retomar con ganas .
El fruto llega cuando , por primera vez veo unas maravillosas dalias rosas que nacieron antes de lo que yo esperaba y me dieron la bienvenida justo cuando regresamos de vacaciones ¡ fue toda una sorpresa !....




...... O cuando me siento en el patio y la alegría y el color me rodea......


Centro de flores

............ O cuando veo ese pequeño rincón al que he ido cuidando durante el verano, da imágenes como ésta. La planta de la derecha , con hojas verdes y borde blanco , está preciosa. Es incienso y desprende un olor intenso cuando la rozas un poquito. No sabía que había planta del incienso. Me la dio uno de mis hermanos que también disfruta haciendo de jardinero. Por cierto ,viene de Murcia. Por aquí no la había visto nunca.

Incienso

¿ Y quién no ha plantado un hueso de níspero ?
Así de hermoso está el que tenemos en casa. Ya tiene 7 u 8 años.

Nisperero


Lástima que no tenga sitio para tener un huerto, si no ya me veía con sombrero de paja , guantes y unas botas...... y luego probando los manjares que da la tierra.
Me conformo con el pequeño patio al que dejo un poco abandonado durante los fríos y luego mimo cuando llega la primavera.Donde vivía antes no podía tener plantas de esta manera , asi que valoro mucho este trocito que tengo.

Por supesto, siendo un país de sequía, controlamos mucho el uso del agua. Es importante aprovechar los recuersos que tenemos y estamos bastante concienciados con su uso , incluyendo los niños.
Si te apetece te invito a ver un trabajo que hice sobre este tema en Alterado


Quiero dejaros un par enlaces que hace poco añadí a mis favoritos " Con encanto ". Se trata de Blomsterverkstand y Mias Landiliv, pura inpiración también en decoración para la casa . No os perdáis los trabajos de Mias en patchwork , a mi me tienen enamorada. Tendrás que echar un vistazo a sus archivos porque no tiene etiquetas.

.............. Y después de esta introducción y casi despedida floral del verano , te cuento cómo terminé el bordado . Aquí te doy una idea cuando lo empecé y aquí una pista en lo que se convertiría............ Y es que con el tiempo he ido recopilando una buena cantidad de fotos de flores tomadas de los lugares que hemos visitado en nuestras vacaciones estivales. No lo puedo evitar , allá donde veo una lindeza, "foto que te crió"...... Son ya , que recuerde, cuatro años de hacerlo con una intención y ahora , que mejor bordado que éste para para reunirlas en un album. Hice una funda con tela de patch. Para que quedara algo mullidito, añadí guata fina en las portadas que pegué al cartón de las pastas.





Casualmente encontré estos adornos en la tienda online de scrap que compro habitualmente ¡ Genial !

Garden Pleasures detalle

Las cintas son de mi visita a La Couserie Creative en Perpignan. Aquí contaba mi visita.
Los madroños son de Comercial Ubillos en la Plaza de Pontejos , en Madrid. Me encantan estos que vienen colgaditos de dos hebras.

Garden Pleasures


Seis páginas tengo ya hechas y otras tantas en marcha. Todo es ponerse......










Quizá te haya dado alguna idea para colocar tus fotos con un tema similar. Hay cantidad de bordados que pueden servir como portada para una funda de cuaderno o album a medida . Sólo hay que cortar las cartulinas o que te las corten a medida, encuadernar , coser al gusto y colocar.
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Abstract Obsession

I have been obsessing over abstract art recently and fell in love with the look of this piece in a room designed by Will Wick and seen in the August September 2008 issue of Western Interiors magazine. I actually bought one large abstract for above the bed in The Bachelor Pad but am still looking for one for above the living room sofa. If we can't find anything, his step mother has kindly offered to lend us some of her black and white photography to fill the space in the meantime. But I will keep looking. It will give me something to do while the thumb injury I sustained while working there heals. Who knew decorating could be so dangerous!
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