Pink Guest House of Martha Stewart

With Valentine's Day fast approaching, I thought I would feature some pinks and reds in the coming days.

I wondered how many of you have seen Martha Stewart's pink guest house at her Skylands estate on Seal Island off the coast of Maine.

Martha purchased this estate about 10 years ago and it came completely furnished.  Since it had formerly been owned by the Edsel Ford family (that's right, Henry's son), you can only imagine what treasures it beheld.  The vintage wicker itself is to die for.  The laundry room in the main house is unlike any laundry room I have ever seen (I will show you that after Valentine's).  Not only were the linens and china from all over the world left behind, but an original Edsel car was still parked in the driveway........like new, of course.

Martha has worked her magic on the estate bringing it right up to snuff.  The mile long crushed pink granite driveway is raked, washed and stored every winter and laid again every spring!  The main house has pink granite fireplaces, as well.

So, in keeping with the pink tones already installed in the guest house, Martha worked with it and embellished it as only she can.  Pure decadence!

Enjoy!

Pink dining area

Pink and gold is always perfect!

Pink porcelain tea service

Pink and gold Venetian canal art commissioned

by Martha

Venetian glass candleholders

Vintage wicker - gorgeous!

Mismatched pieces were spray painted gray to co-ordinate

Pink linens

Bedroom corner

Bedroom wicker desk

Pink Venetian mirror picked up

at an antique shop to go in the pink bathroom

with the original pink glazed tiles

Pink bath with pink embroidered hand towels

All images via Martha Stewart

Ali Wentworth

Anyone who watched The View or Good Morning America this morning would have seen Ali Wentworth and her antics.

She is truly one of the funniest people ever and I always enjoy her sentiments.  Last night, I was browsing through the current issue of Town & Country when I came upon an article written by her about her mother, Muffie, who served as Nancy Reagan's social secretary during Nancy's White House years.  Muffie sounds like quite the character, as well, and apparently thinks very highly of the Four Seasons in New York as the balm for everything and anything that ever happened to them - good, bad or indifferent!

Ali is promoting her new book, Ali in Wonderland, which also sounds pretty funny.

Ali and her husband, George Stephanopolous of ABC, have their New York apartment featured in the current issue of Architectural Digest (the celebrity issue) and I thought you might like to take a peek at it.

Michael Smith, the White House decorator, is the designer of this apartment as well......a beautiful home for a family with two young girls and two dogs.......pretty, functional and cosy with low maintenance materials (like the leather upholstered dining rooms chairs and leather banquette), a huge bulletin board for the girls' artwork, library, desk overlooking Central Park.......something for everyone in the family to enjoy!

Foyer

Living Room

Living Room

Dining Room

Breakfast nook with Charlie and Daisy

Kitchen

Library

Master bedroom

All images via Architectural Digest

Quilt Decor

As mentioned yesterday, here are several ideas for displaying your beloved quilts......all are beautiful and it doesn't matter if you have a quilted pillow or you are a collector of many full sized quilts......put them out there for all to enjoy!

Drapes - Wendy Valliere

Upholstery

Cabinets

On walls

Tablecloths

On chairs

More upholstery

Draped over an ottoman

Another quilt on an ottoman

(Mary Douglas Drysdale)

In baskets

Pillows

Over chairs

(Have loved this room by Justine Cushing since I

first laid eyes on it years ago!)

And on bannisters!

Image 1 Lux Interior Designs, Image 2 BHG,

Image 3 Pinterest (southernsavvygirl), Images 4, 9 & 13 Traditional Home

Image 5 Judi Boisson, Image 6 Unknown,

Image 7 Diamond & Baratta, Image 8 BHG,

Images 10 & 11 Victoria, Image 12 House Beautiful

Quilt Comfort

What could be more comforting than a warm quilt during these long, cold days of winter? 

Except for Image 2, all of these quilts have shades of pink and red - two of the warmest colors in the palette! 

In any color, though, a quilt often offers more than just comfort - if vintage, they could very well be a treasure inherited through the family, perhaps lovingly quilted by a mother, aunt or grandmother which also offers memories of another time and place.

Sometimes, quilts are used for decorative purposes only and hung on walls or draped across furniture and used for furniture upholstery, for effect. 

Whether used for comfort, color, effect or as a collection, a quilt in any room adds a certain sense of charm and hominess!

Tomorrow, I will offer ways of decorating with quilts!

Enjoy!

Click on each image for larger detail

Image 1 Veranda, Image 2 100 Ideas, Images 3 & 5 Bedroom & Bath

Image 4 (Betsy Speert) & 7 Traditional Home, Image 6 Better Homes & Gardens

Image 8 BHG, Image 9 Bedroom and Bath

When My Baby Dreams

I saw Adele Enersen being interviewed on The Today Show this morning and fell in love with her creativity.

Now expecting her second child, this very artistic Finnish mother said she missed her baby Mila so much when she was sleeping, she began watching her and moving items of clothing around her as she slept to create small scenes.  Using old socks, sweaters, scarves, books, flowers and whatever else she can put her hands on around the house, she comes up with the most charming scenes. 

Her first book, When My Baby Dreams, has just been published this month and she is already working on a second book.

Enjoy!

Bookworm

Darling!

Cotton candy

Tree trunks are husband's socks!

Elephant (old blue cardigan)

Love it!

She loves me, loves me not

Surfer girl

Up and away

Images 1 - 5 Time magazine

Image 6 Amazon

Merry Christmas to all................

Merry Christmas, Joyeux Noel, Feliz Navidad, Frohe Weinachten, Vesele Vanoce, Feliz Natale, Hyvaa Joulua, Buon Natale to all of my readers and supporters with best wishes for good health, peace and serenity in the new year.

I will be back in a week or so!!

Holiday Havens

When the holidays become just too much - too much food, too much activity, too much noise, too much anything - a retreat to one of these rooms would be heaven sent!

Images 1 & 2 Traditional Home

Images 3 & 4 Southern Accents

Image 5 Country Living

Images 6, 7, 8 & 9 Country Home