A Room of Her Own

Here's another great small space for a lady's office.  Notice the art work on the door behind the desk - she's taking advantage of all the space in order to surround herself with the things she loves.  Just lovely!

Have a wonderful weekend!  

Eye for Design

A Little Jewel Box

Good morning!

We're having another beautiful morning here on the island.....it's been raining and incredibly mild this week, so our snow is quickly disappearing.

I have a little 'jewel box' for you today.  At about 500 sq. ft. it covers this empty nest couple's needs perfectly.

Downsizing from a large five bedroom home, this couple required a small space in the city during the week.  They retire to their larger home on Cape Cod for their getaways and family gatherings.

Interior designer, Mary Douglas Drysdale, was given the task of turning this small space into a cozy and welcoming haven for two.  

This row of Georgetown townhouses were built around 1900 as living quarters for people working at the larger homes in the area. Initially, there weren't even stairs to the second floor - just a ladder. The upstairs consists of two small rooms and a small bathroom.

Their home is on the left.

Sunny yellow is the homeowner's favorite color.  The chair by the door is a place to drop your keys in a bowl.

The opposite end of the living room is just off the kitchen.  The Madeline Weinrib area rug is very similar to the damask on the furniture.  Notice the dining area off the kitchen.

The stylish shelves with white dishes are easy on the eyes.  Notice the painted floor.

The bed was painted to match the chest of drawers which was painted by the lady of house's grandfather and given to her when she was a little girl.  Drysdale loved the headboard motif and transferred the design to the painted walls.  The wedding quilt is from Stella Rubin Antiques.

The floral, handpainted detail.

Wedding quilt detail.

The chest from the homeowner's childhood.

The sisal rug was taped off and sprayed with acrylic paint to form the stripes.

Chest of drawers detail.

The bath between the two rooms upstairs.  The second room was was turned into a closet and dressing room.

Sometimes I do posts about larger and very expensive homes, but only if there is something particular I like about them, such as the color scheme, the prettiness of the rooms or perhaps because they were done by one of my favorite designers.  And while decorating ideas can be gleaned from any space, it's the small spaces that I really love and find the coziest..........always have loved small spaces and would take a small space anyday over a large space. They also offer the biggest creative and organizational challenges, but it's been proven over and over again that it can be done and done beautifully, as shown above.

Hope you enjoy the ideas in this home and that you have a great day!

Kay

Winter Whtes

All of the above by Ralph Lauren

A Beautiful Garden

When jewelry designer, Elizabeth Locke, returns from her trips around the world searching for rare coins, gems and other elements for her jewelry designs, she can't wait to get to her Gothic styled greenhouse to see what's blooming.

After living in their home in the Virginia countryside for over thirty years, Elizabeth finally bit the bullet and signed the check to have her long dreamed about greenhouse built.  And it has become the "joy of her existence".

And what a pleasure it would be to walk into a back yard that is so beautifully thought out and to be rewarded constantly with the fruits of her labors in the greenhouse.

Hope you enjoy a stroll through this green garden on one of our wintery days!

Veranda

Veranda

 Veranda

Orchids from the greenhouse.

Veranda

Veranda

 Notice the lily pond in the backyard.

1st Dibs

 The Queen Victoria silhouette gate was found in India years ago during Elizabeth's travels and was incorporated into the new garden design.

1st Dibs

Elizabeth enjoying the greenhouse.

1st Dibs

Moodboard Monday - A Dog's Life

Happy Monday Morning!

Did you all have a nice weekend and get some chocolates or roses for Valentine's Day?  Or perhaps dinner out or a quiet dinner at home by the fire.  Whatever you received or did on this special weekend, I hope you enjoyed it and were pampered just a little!

Today's moodboard is all about dogs!  Also known as "man's best friend", I prefer to refer to them as a "girl's best friend".  No matter who the master or mistress is, a dog really can be the best friend one has ever had.  Not only do they offer unconditional love, loyalty, pure joy and enthusiasm, they can also offer a calming influence and lower a person's blood pressure just by being there.  I could go on endlessly about the joys of ownership and companionship, but the point of this post is to see how dogs have been loved, adored and memorialized through art, sculpture, design, poetry and books with some of the most decadent homes, beds and jewelry one could imagine!

And even though man and dog have been living side by side for over 15,000 years, never before in history has there been such an infatuation, or plain old love affair, with dogs!  While some may serve as service dogs for individuals, military, police, etc., most are just plain old pets who are there to offer us comfort and amusement. Whatever the breed or need, once they sneak into your heart, they are there forever!  

Pampering dogs has become a multi billion dollar a year business. The smitten dog owners just can't spend enough money on their best friends.  Let's take a peak at what's out there for those very lucky dogs and see how besotted owners decorate their homes with dog paraphernalia.

Let's start with dog art.  Dog art has been around for thousands of years and owners today like nothing more than to have portraits done of their pets.

Veranda

John Emms

Landseer

William Trood

Click for William Secord Gallery

Tade Syker

Mary Sparrow Smith

Carolyne Roehm's home

Decorator Robert Kime's home

Brooke Astor's Foyer

Interior Designer Mario Buatta's living room

Brooke Astor's glass dachshund

Jeff Koon's puppy at the Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Spain

Ai Weiwei's dog sculpture

(I saw this installation in front of the Plaza Hotel, NYC, in 2011)

Dog sculptures Anna Huntington

Museum of Fine Art, Boston

Garden statuary

Source Unknown

Jeff Koons' puppy vase

Wallpaper

Wallpaper

Textile dog screen in home of Furlow Gatewood

Toile dogs

Toile hunting scene

Hooked rug by Claire Murray

Peter Bowron & Carolyn Rose Rebbert

Tamsin Pickeral

Tim Flach

William Secord

Paul Nathan

Judith Watt

Celia Haddon

Joanna Sandsmark

(The last 3 books above are mine)

Saks

Boston Terrier - Raymond Yard

Grace Kelly's Cartier Poodle

Betsey Johnson

All of the above is an example of how we honor and memorialize our beloved pets with personal favorites like jewelry and in our homes with decor.  Now, we'll see how besotted dog owners adorn their dogs and dog quarters.

Tumblr

Modenus

Dog bed

Taillardat.fr

Jean Baptiste Sene

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Mahogany dog bed Pawsh Magazine

Faux fur dog beds Frontgate

Frontgate

Domaine Home

The Cottage Market

Traditional Home

Google

Paris Hiltons $300,000 dog house for her nine dogs.

Dog food station

Domaine Home

Google

Bejewelled collar Sassypup

Sassypup Diamond Tulip $150,000

Sassypup

Sassypup

So you can see what's happening in the world of dogs.....there's no end to what you can find for your pampered pet or how much money you can spend.  According to Wikipedia, "the list of goods, services and places available for dogs is enormous - from dog perfumes, groomers, therapists, trainers and caretakers, dog cafes, spas, parks and beaches, dog hotels, airlines and cemeteries."  And don't forget dog jewelry, couture and gourmet food!

But in the end, all your beloved pet needs or wants is to feel loved. And money can't buy that!

“A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.”

—Josh Billings (a.k.a. Henry Wheeler Shaw; humorist and lecturer)