Brass and glass bistro shelves have definitely been having a moment in design recently. Think of the romance of an old back bar with tarnished brass hardware filled with bottles of tipsy goodness. The Bofinger in Paris just oozes old world charm doesn’t it?? I think this is part of the appeal of bistro shelves … Read more
What is it about stone wall? I don’t know if it was fictitious Rosehill Cottage in The Holiday that started a revived love of these natural beauties, but they certainly are gorgeous and quite popular. The English cottage, Rosehill, was built on site for the movie and the sets were shot in a studio. It … Read more
Hello! I’m always trying to figure out the best way of helping you find bliss in your homes. Sometimes, you’re looking for a full scale bespoke design and sometimes they live in another time zone and virtual design services fill the bill. But what happens when you’re DIYing it and you just need a quick … Read more
One thing I’ve really enjoyed are all the free offerings, performances, classes and YouTube programs coming from celebrities homes. It definitely feeds this nosy body’s curiosity. Yesterday I was thrilled to be able to participate in a hands-on distance learning program with one of the world’s foremost decoupage artists Jill Barnes-Dacey. Jill is based … Read more
There’s a strong trend these days for folks – from millennials to empty nesters – to want to experience urban city living environments. There’s a lot of building in the city going on – especially here in Boston. Millennials are looking to avoid what they see as their parents heavy burdens of the big house … Read more
I am just ending a lovely “staycation” week here in Boston. It was great! If you follow me on social media, you’ll know that I’ve been sticking close to home due to my dog’s recovery from IVDD surgery in July. So, once he was officially off bedrest, I knew I needed a break. Luckily, his … Read more
There’s something so enticing about cute little nooks and alcoves for reading, eating and napping. These secret alcoves can be tucked away around a corner or carved out of a niche or unused closet space (if there is such a thing). Bed alcoves have long been used as a way to keep inhabitants warm in … Read more
If you’ve ever asked yourself “How do I know how wide my drapery panels should be?” then this post will be for you! As a decorator, I take care of this for my clients, but if you’re doing it yourself, or just want something quick in the back spare bedroom, I have all the … Read more
Okay, a discussion about Form vs. Function is not exactly a design smackdown, but it’s a good jumping off point for a conversation. I was recently doing some research in quotes on design and realized that two icons of design – Steve Jobs and Marcel Wanders – had very different and very interesting views on … Read more
I saw this image on Pinterest and kind of fell in love with the magical woodland nature of its carvings and stained glass. It kind of reminded me of fantasy stories like Lord of the Rings or The Chronicles of Narnia. I also reminded me of: Game of Thrones character Hodor (née Wylis) who … Read more
I made my annual pilgrimage to the 2016 Newburyport Holiday House tour on Saturday and this year, we were treated to some amazing homes and lovely, though not ostentatious, holiday decorating. The House Tour is put on and benefits the Custom House Maritime Museum of Newburyport. The first house I visited was the 1774 Lowell-Tracy-Johnson … Read more
The other day I took a day and headed up to beautiful Ipswich, MA to visit the 2015 Boston Magazine Design Home. Each year, Boston Magazine along with many generous sponsors builds and decorates a home to raise money for Boston Children’s Hospital. 100% of proceeds from the tour will go to Children’s Hospital. It … Read more
The 2014 Boston Magazine Design Home will be open for public tours starting on September 10th. For the last ten years, the magazine has been teaming with a local builder, architect, designer and a charity to build a house that focuses on a specific kind of living style. This year’s house, located in Salisbury, MA, … Read more
One of the big trends I noticed in Maison et Objet accessories was the presence of white. I have to admit that I love the clean, bleached, feeling of this look. Two of my favorite stands were Guadarte from Spain and Woestijnroos BVBA – WR Collection – from Belgium. The bust above – surrounded by soft greens … Read more
This beautiful Nantucket dream home was in a feature photo spread from a 2010 New England Home magazine. The whole house project is just a beautiful example of fresh New England design style and you can certainly feel the ocean winds wafting through. Design credit goes to the homeowners themselves; Architects Lyman Perry and Scott … Read more
