Simply Stunning Shades of White

I love getting Traditional Home in my inbox.  Each room is a dream and I want them all.

My favorite rooms are enveloped in calm, neutral colors.  I think it's because my work as a journalist moves at such a frenzied pace and I want home to be a place of serenity.

So when I saw these rooms in the latest email from Traditional Home called Showhouse Rooms Bathed in White, I immediately fell in love with each of them. 

These are my top three favorites.

And, then there's this also from Traditional Home, one of many Stunning Master Bathrooms. This is the bath I want to relax in at the end of every day.

And what better place for such a beautiful chandelier than above a tub?

I guess some folks might find white to be either bland or colorless. I think both colors can be an exciting start to stunning rooms. What do you think?

My New Favorite Thing!

Michaels is clearing out some of its products, including its shabby chic Ashland accessories. 

PhotoCredit: SanFranciscoDays.com

The Queen of shabby chic, Ms. Rachel Ashwell, is extremely talented and I loved visiting her Fillmore Street (San Francisco, CA), pictured here. The store was a cool and restful retreat from the hustle and bustle of the Fillmore Street shopping district. I visited here a couple of times and maybe it was me but I found the staff snobbish and not very helpful. However, on a recent visit to the City, I was saddened to see the store closed.

PhotoCredit: fillmoreshop.com

Mureta's Antiques is one of my favorite Fillmore St. stores. They have a wonderful selection of vintage and shabby chic tea cups, which you can see here in the window.

I can't afford to buy shabby chic. I guess it takes a lot of money for new furniture and accessories to look old, lived-in and comfortable. So it was time for my happy dance when I saw Michaels was having a clearance sale on the Ashland line.  They were already marked down 40%, BUT Michaels had a four hour sale going on and everything was marked down an additional 15%. 

I picked up a pair of these quatrefoil candle holders.  They are my new favorite thing. I don't know if you're supposed to use them for potpurri or for candles. I put a pair of jar candles in them, also from Michaels. Caveat: Yeah, don't put the top on when the candles are lit. (I'm not pleased with the silver leafed lamp here on the entry console but can't figure out where to put it or if I should craigslist it.)

P.S.: Here a couple more little pretties I picked up at the Michaels sale. Although I think the birds will have to go back. They stare at me all the time and it's starting to freak me out!

Another of my Favorite Things

I absolutely adore the style and craftsmanship of the old-school Duncan Phyfe cabinet and furniture makers.  But, not all DPs are real DPs.  Learn more about Duncan Phye here and here. To learn how to tell the real DPs from the fake, read here.

You can find Duncan Phyfe pieces (and reproductions) for sale just about anywhere including Ebay or craiglist. Interestingly the prices are higher in the North and on the East and West coasts!  I wonder ... is a couch more valuable because bottoms North, East and West have occupied the space?

I recently spied this Duncan Phyfe sofa on Craigslist (Atlanta). Here's the URL if you're interested: fwbkb-3565103693@sale.craigslist.org. BTW: I haven't seen this piece so I don't know if it's an original or a talented reproduction.  Caveat emptor!

At first glance, this looks like something to pass up particularly because the upholstery on this sofa is not my favorite. It's not even in the top 100 fabric choices for me. But, upholstery is a quick change. 

You might wonder what I could possibly like about this sofa. Well, look closely at those clean lines and that gorgeous, exquisite, extensive nailhead trim! And, just take a gander at the gams on this dame. Legs are to die for!

If I possessed the matching pair I covet I would: (a) darken the wood -- I'm thinking deep mahogany and (b) recover in a natural duck cloth.  I like the formality of the lines, but I want to be able to curl my feet up without worrying about destroying the fabric.

My favorite blogger -- renewredo.blogspot.com -- recently scored her own DP. I can't wait to see what she does with it.  Check out the rest of Sammi's blog when you can b/c she's got mad DIY decorating skills.

Sooner or later, I will own two of these darling little sofas. In the meantime, I'll keep searching craigslist for a matching set of these exquisite gems.

 

What Makes a House a Home?

A chair is still a chair
Even when there's no one sitting there
But a chair is not a house
And a house is not a home
When there's no one there to hold you tight,
And no one there you can kiss good night.

A room is still a room
Even when there's nothing there but gloom;
But a room is not a house,
And a house is not a home
When the two of us are far apart
And one of us has a broken heart.

...

Songwriter(s): Hal David, Burt Bacharach

Copyright: Sony/Atv Harmony, Casa David Music

I don't know who sang it best -- Dusty Springfield, Shirley Bassey, Dionne Warwick or Luther (no last name necessary). I simply love this song, although admittedly Luther's version remains my all-time favorite.

 

Often when I look at the rooms of professional designers, there's no indication that the space is a home.  Yes, there are beautiful houses created by very talented people.  But, where are the photos of family, the pets, the memorable occasions? Where are the grade school projects that remind us of how quickly the years pass?

Several times throughout the week, I get my e-copy of Traditional Home, showcasing some of the most beautiful rooms I've ever imagined.  Perusing the pages of Traditional Home is one of the things I look forward to each day.  Although a lot of folks are addicted to pinterest, I prefer to save copies of the photos on my desktop and savor them at leisure.

Earlier today, I ran across this room.  The designer is decorator and designer Joanna Poitier, wife of venerated actor and civil rights crusader Sidney Poitier.  It is IMHO, an unequivocally stunning room. 

Take a moment and look closely at Joanna Poitier's desk and what do you see?  There are photos of her family proudly displayed, yet this is a true working office, not a showroom to be ooh'd and ahh'd over.  There is proof here that you can have a stunning room with a bit of personality proudly displayed. 

Photograph: Edmund Barr
Designer: Joanna Poitier  

This house is truly a home!  The rest of the Poitier home is equally stunning, including an art collection that will likely blow your socks off.  See it all here in Traditional Home, including sources for the furnishings and fabrics.  

Add this home to the ever growing list of my favorite things!