If It's Wednesday, You Should Buy House Beautiful

Oh, a tug at the old heartstrings. I was in Wal-Mart yesterday, attempting to locate a suitably chubby mum (mums are like chickens - thin equals bad), when I started flipping through the October House Beautiful and completely forgot about seasonal florals. It's a gorgeous issue! Loads of beautifully colored spreads, genius tips, chinoiserie everywhere, a dreamy tablescape by William Yeoward - and the Barefoot Contessa does kitchens!!! Seriously, why are you still sitting at your desk?

My favorite pick - this bedroom by Meg Braff. I have an abiding love of green and white. Feelings run deep. I saw this spread not 45 minutes after purchasing a 5-piece green and white overlapping squares patterned desk set. Coincidence? I think not.

Another Braff bedroom. The five reasons this room excels: 1. Chinoiserie. 2. Toile. 3. Zebra. 4. Sky blue. 5. All together. Beautiful! Visit her website for more wonder.

That's all for teasers. You'll have to buy the issue!

Recessionista Tips:

If you're not a subscriber, but you ARE a Sam's Club member, get your HB (and Vogue, Victoria, etc.,) at the same time you're buying enough kleenex boxes to supply Bulgaria. They offer a discount off the cover price.

Be sure not to miss the Technophobia article on p. 48 of this month's HB. It includes a special reader's invitation to join the FABULOUS home discount sites Gilt, One Kings Lane, and Rue La La, with none of the usual "wait list" time. I'm a member of all three, and believe me, it's worth it.

All images: House Beautiful.

Hermès Style Pavilion

Because it's Saturday, 

because it's a pavilion, 

because everyone needs a little happy orange and white in their day!

P.S. It's on SALE.

Pavilion for sale at zgallerie.com

The Coral Desk

I haven't posted on coral in a little while, and lest everyone think I'm slipping, here's a fresh dose. In the Summer spirit, I'm loving the idea of a matching desk set in coral branch patterns of orange and blue. My inspiration for this color combination is blogging friend Anne Harwell, of Annechovie, and her wonderful depiction of an antique French chair, available on Etsy. Anne is a gifted artist and does beautiful prints of homes and objets d'art. 

It's unfortunate that often we spend so much of our lives in the office, and so little thought on how that space affects us. Wonderful store, Iomoi, has the most beautiful office accessories (my thanks to Beth at Chinoiserie Chic for bringing Iomoi to my attention!).

Iomoi Shipping Labels

Business Cards

A Stylish Lucite Tray

A Personalized Paperweight

Stationary

And a Thomas Paul floor rug - just the thing to tie it all together!
Credits:  Chair artwork, courtesy of Anne Harwell. Office products, Iomoi. Rug, Thomas Paul.

coral, Coral, CORAL!

The latest from my coral addiction issues, which the home design and fashion industries have apparently conspired to support. My new favorite online shop is Z Gallerie. Because...

Tired of red? Try it in blue!

P.S. Does the coral pillow look familiar? The illustration is from Albertus Seba's book,  Cabinet of Natural Curiosities.

Images: Z Gallerie. Book cover: Amazon.com.

Crabtree and Evelyn

When I was a little girl, our house used to receive Crabtree and Evelyn catalogues in the mail. That was back before postage was as expensive, and catalogues and magazines tended to come in more irregular shapes (and larger sizes). The C&E ones were very wide, with lovely pictures of flowers and ribbons, and occasionally, an elegantly robed woman scenting a bath or cutting some flowers. I was always particularly enraptured with their best-selling fragrance, Evelyn, because the famed rosier David Austin had bred the Evelyn rose especially for the perfume (picture, left). It came in a cut glass bottle with a silver stopper, and was the shade of dawn pink. Years later, while living in England, I visited my first Crabtree and Evelyn store in Oxford, on Queens Street, and delighted in the wonderful scents of Lily of the Valley, Peony, and Lavender. Ironically, when I actually had a chance to smell the Evelyn perfume, I didn't like it, but by then, the full romance of Crabtree and Evelyn was well established for me.

So, at times like these (by which I mean: times when I have been suffering from the flu for three days, and wonder if life is ever going to get less wretched) I like to reach for a few C&E favorites. They revive the senses and smell marvelous. And, if you're under the weather, they'll cheer you up a bit too.

A friend of mine gave me a wonderfully scented candle by India Hicks for Crabtree (you know who you are, MM!) and I just love it. This is the fragrance diffuser of the same scent. The smell is of orchid, palms, jasmine, and orange blossom, and it is DIVINE. If you're a sucker for packaging like me, you'll also love the faux shagreen oval box it comes in. 
These beautiful shelf papers are scented with Lavender. Very cute woven short kimono robe. The Wakaya scented candle is meant to evoke a South Seas island.

Crabtree's Gardner's Cream is well known for being restorative to the hands - whether or not you've been using them to garden. Tote included. Beautiful Wisteria Eau De Toilette.

Images: Rose, http://www.flickr.com/photos/34226483@N00/544172215/; Products, Crabtree and Evelyn.

Tonic Home

Thanks to lovely blog, katiedid (of Katie Denham Interiors), for bringing our attention to the shop Tonic Home! They have everything from boxwood to lamps, and the website is a charmer. I decided to take a wishful shopping trip through the site, pretending I was decorating a black and white and gold sitting room with a touch of madness, à la Tony Duquette. Whip out the credit card! Here's the shopping list.

I think we need a horse on the wall (great conversation starter) and the three panel look keeps it from being stuffy: $3095.











Hmmmm... I'll bet Tony would like this fantastic coral lamp: $310, and faux snakeskin benches: $475.

Let's throw in this vintage Dorothy Draper chest - it's pretty fabulous: $1850.

A zebra rug is just the ticket: $585.

Guests would enjoy a drink out of these lion's head medallion glasses: $220 set of four.






We'll need some nice chippendale style chairs - with a few throw pillows too ($850 and $185). You can't have enough coral - Tony loves that coral (and so do I).

Don't believe me? Here's Hutton Wilkinson, one of Duquette's collaborators, wedging coral into every nook and cranny of the ballroom, Palazzo Brandolini, Grand Canal, Venice, Italy.






   

Shopping images: Tonic Home. Palazzo Brandolini ballroom, tonyduquette.com.

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Decorator's Show House at the St. Regis

The ASO Designer's Show House is less than a month away! I can't wait to go and see what these fabulous Atlanta designers have pulled together this year. It's a top-notch crowd. Below, a few of my favorites (from the portfolios - you'll have to wait to see the real deal until April!).

Mallory Mathison had me at hello. I am NUTS about coral. I am batty about coral. I have coral craze so bad it may be a disorder.


















Robert Brown Interior Design. This equistrian look is so chic. Love the extra little touch with the boots. Love the pillow even more. Is that Hermès?


















Essary and Murphy. Look at those stairs. The room is wonderfully staged, but the stairs are the star. Wish I could get my hands on that wallpaper.














Harmonious Living by Trish Mills. We're all used to seeing tufting on bedroom headboards or booths in restaurants, but it's a lovely touch as a wall in a home. And the soothing colors keep this space feeling private and not mass-produced.

























Images from the designers.