Traditions In Soho







If I could have a loft in the city, this would be it!  You know it's totally me right?  Rustic and reclaimed, antiques and classic tailoring. Mixed materials, like iron and wood, linen and velvet. Fancy, but somehow really laid back;  perfect for entertaining or just relaxing. Yup, this it.

Images from Rue magazine
Interior design by Noa Santos.

A Good Sleep

 
Elle Decor did a feature on celebrity bedrooms, and I couldn't resist peaking inside to the other half's sleep style.  Sarah Jessica Parke above surprised me with this really fresh, and simple retreat for her Bridgehampton home. 

 
Megan Mullally's master bedroom is super paired down with pure white walls and bedding, some great artwork, and rich wood night tables. 
 

 
I always wondered why Cindy Crawford had a furniture line, I am not quite sure how that happened, but I do know she has some pretty good taste.  She enlisted the brilliant Michael Smith to inject tradition, and even hits of Moroccan into this super cozy Bedroom.

 
This one belongs to Ivanka Trump. It has the Trump glam: the fur,  the touches of gold, but so simplified and tasteful.  She really has a fabulous sense of style! 
 
Do you have a fave - there are few more to see here!

Lugar do Cotariño, Spain



I am desperate for a trip to Spain.  I have never been, it's one the European stops I never made, and I long for  few weeks of it's culture, food and architecture.  When I stumbled on to this beautiful retreat, I was delighted to learn that it is in fact located in Spain, The owner originally bought the property to use as their private residence, but the architect convinced them they should turn it into a charming Hotel.  And indeed it is! Lugiar do Cotariño Hotel is a rustic relaxed retreat located in Galicia Spain.  Inside and out the property is filled with updated rustic charm.  Old stone walls, add to the historic charm while the crisp whites and clutter free style create a luxurious and tranquil space.  




Only seven rooms, including two suites, and two dining rooms, a living room and a lovely garden that smells of eucalyptus. If you have an hour to spare, visit their website, it isn't the greatest, but it has the most amazing music playing, and if you click on all the tabs, like surroundings or activities, you will start digging out the luggage! 





Found on HQ Room!
Thank the heavens for Google Translate, because it's in Russian! 

Pebble Vase by Kate Hume









I have a weakness for blown glass.  You may have noticed by a previous post if you have been reading for a while.  When these beautiful gleaming jewels caught my eye at design junction, it was love at first site.  Designed by Kate Hume for When Objects Work, these works of art are known as pebble vases.  They are delightful sculptures of blown glass, hand made into the most beautiful form. 

Arranged in a groups, the colours play off each other.  Here are few images of the display, taken in really bad lighting, with my mediocre photographing skills. I wish I could have packed these up and taken them home;  they are simply spectacular!





Classic Black on Black





 
I am probably one of the few people in the world who doesn't have a fully outfitted black wardrobe.  For years, I fought black. I thought it was too safe and didn't really fit my personality. I love the elegance of black and white, but not sure I can pull off pure black on black.  Well the tides have turned friends, I am so up for a revamp in some classic black outfits, and I am love the idea of throwing black leather in the mix!
 
 
Images Via FGR

Hamptons Charm









Interior Designer ken Gemes added comfort and elegant style to this Hamptons retreat with a generous dose of natural textiles, comfy sofas, and beautiful pale fabrics. Although the living room is a great room, it has a really cozy feel to it.  Placing all the furniture on a large rug, delineates the space and gives it a smaller feel. The dining room is really fabulous, especially the contrast of the warm and rich wood tones against the light white space.  And I adore that monkey painting!   The style carries right through the kitchen, and straight to the outdoors, where the invitation to enjoy and unwind is calling.

Images via Ken Gemes
Architect is Stuart Disston of Austin Patterson Disston 

The Art of Stone Masonry

One of the most delightful showrooms we visited while in London was Lapicida.  I was feeling under the weather that day, but I have to tell you, walking up the stone staircase and through this beautiful and inviting entry to the showroom picked my mood right up.  There was tea and coffee and cake awaiting, and while we sipped and nibbled, we browsed a glorious stone collection.  From antique reclaimed stone floors to modern computerized cut sculptures.

I have always believed that a company is only as good as the people who work for it.  When you have people who are passionate, and proud of the products they make and represent, it is reflected in every word they speak. The gentleman who guided us through the showroom, was really passionate about the work Lapicida created.  Every rock had a story!  Whether it was about a giant piece of marble with a pattern that carried through the depth of the entire block that would create a beautiful visual on a wall, or the hand inlay work of artists that create intricate mosaic patterns, or the work of a highly sophisticated machine that carves  intricate details into solid stone, suddenly we weren't talking about rocks anymore.  It was art, both ancient and modern.


Work of an inlay artist creates this beautiful stone pattern.

And example of a pattern created through natural stone by mirroring the sheets of stone. This one is quartermatched, and covers over 42 sq feet.


I fell in love with this pattern,  I had visions of it bordering an outdoor walkway, and it can be created in various tones.  Just beautiful!

Reclaimed Limestone floors from France between approximately 1820-1900.


This giant stone medallion was cut on an intricate CNC machine.


Thank you kindly Lapicida for the sharing your passion for stone, and for an inspiring afternoon of tea and treats.


All images via Lapicida and My own

Drive


I have the strange desire to lock myself up in a moving vehicle with the family and hit the roads for a couple of hours. My husband and I will argue over what genre of music to listen to; my eighties to his rap.  The kids will complain that it's to hot and that it is taking too long.  And I will stare gleefully out the window at golden fields and auburn trees, until we reach an unknown destination for a bite to eat, and some picture taking, before we set out again.  Driving is especially beautiful this time of year.

Updated Georgian

 
  

 



I love this house, I do.  It's actually a former vicarage. (A home for priests)  Located in Hampshire, it was converted to a tranquil family home.  The Georgian floor plan is my my favorite of all homes.  It's balanced and surrounded by large beautiful windows.  Forget stone and stucco, I love brick. There is an art to laying it, and creating the visual texture.  This home is perfectly aged with that white wash over it.  The scale is perfect too.  It's nice to have a big house, but I prefer something quiet and quaint.  Bedrooms for everyone and a spare, a place to cook, a place to eat, a place to gather, and a place to read.  It's not so much the size, as it is that it feels smaller than larger.  The inside of this home is decorated to perfection as well.  A few large scale antique pieces set the tone, and a neutral palette keeps the calm flowing from room to room.  With all it's updates, it manages to keep a historic feel to it. 


Images Via 25 Beautiful Homes