Quiet luxury as an unnamed concept has been around forever but it’s sure having a moment now sparked by the hit television show Succession. In interior design, quiet luxury embodies a refined and understated approach that focuses on creating elegant, serene, and sophisticated spaces. It is characterized by a harmonious balance between functionality and aesthetics, … Read more
Ok – Barbiecore has taken over the world at the moment – we’re awash in PINK! As a woman “of a certain age” Barbie has always been a part of my world since I received hand-me-down original Barbies from my older girl cousins. My Mom was not a doll person and not a pink person … Read more
I have a friend who is always commenting on my skills at mixing patterns and colors. She says that she’d never think about putting certain things together. There are certainly “tips” for how to do it – which I will list at the bottom. But mostly it’s just the feel of how it looks (to … Read more
Perennial design favorite Studio McGee has some pretty great pieces with Target’s Threshold collection. I’ve long loved the fun collaborations Target has had with higher end brands from Shabby Chic to John Derian. I recall many years ago that their collab with Missoni caused a near stampede! Studio McGee has brilliantly turned their design … Read more
What to do with an awkward living room? A few months ago I wrote about long and narrow living rooms which has turned into one of my most read blog posts. That post focused on living rooms where the fireplace is on the center of the long outside wall of the room with two doorways … Read more
Yes – it’s a new dollhouse project! Summer’s End Beach House! I had so much fun with my Georgian dollhouse that I couldn’t wait to start the second project. After thinking about doing a Boston brownstone style townhouse I switched gears and decided it was the perfect time of year for a cute little beach … Read more
Hello and welcome to another periodic Travel Tuesday! (Okay – very periodic – we sadly can’t travel every week!) I wanted to share The Redemptory New Orleans Short Term Rental – a fabulous newly minted (in an 1885 shotgun style) bed & breakfast property hosted by my friend Deborah Peterson Milne and her husband Graham … Read more
The 2023 Newburyport PTO Kitchen & Tasting was a couple of weeks ago and as always – a lot of fun! This is a self-guided exploration of historic and charming homes in Newburyport and surrounding community, featuring complimentary tastings from exceptional restaurants, chefs, brewmasters and bakers to provide a “taste” of all that Newburyport has … Read more
The 2023 Newburyport PTO Kitchen & Tasting was last week and as always a great way to spend a nice Saturday! This year there were 10 homes on the tour. I didn’t make it to all the houses as I had an unfortunate altercation with a berm on the side of a road. I didn’t fall … Read more
I’m thrilled to share the reveal of my Colorful Modern Coastal home project in The Pinehills in Plymouth, MA! My clients are active retirees new the area and wanted a fresh and clean style that is modern and colorful with a touch of glam. I think we achieved the objective! I met with them … Read more
I want to share a new sofa reupholstery project but first: the other day I attended a talk with decorator Alex Papachristidis and writer Mitch Owens (writer, editor Architectural Digest, Elle Decor and more) about their collaboration on THE ELEGANT LIFE Rooms that Welcome and Inspire, © 2023 Rizzoli, a walk through some of Alex’s … Read more
It’s spring and with the season comes a spate of new designer collabs (collaborations for us adults) from some one of my favorite designers and some new to me. Designer Collab: Mark D. Sikes x Anthropologie The king of all things blue, white and classic – Mark D. Sikes – has released a new designer collab … Read more
Are you looking to refresh your home for Spring 2023? Here are some tips I find make it quick and easy! It’s still frigid here in New England and I don’t envy those who attended the Red Sox Home Opener this week at all! But I sure am feeling springy nonetheless. Declutter I know, … Read more
Interior design and decorating is about problem solving and it’s all about getting the details just right. Some details are relatively small and others are large, but they all play a part in achieving the best look and/or functionality for the budget. Here I am talking about the importance of pattern matching in window treatments … Read more
When someone is asking for referrals for a service or goods, they invariably say they are looking for something or someone “reasonable”. But, what is reasonable? And, is this the question that we should be asking? This happens all the time in person to person conversations – the old-fashioned “over the backyard fence” type thing … Read more
So, a few hours of HGTV viewing, or a perusal of the real estate section, shows that the open floor plan is really hot. Scorching. And, who am I to tell people what they should want? It sounds lovely – the whole family altogether, kids doing homework and craft projects at the counter, Mom or … Read more