Adrienne Vittadini in Florida

What a wonderful life!

Adrienne Vittadini, former fashion designer, designed her family getaway in Florida several years ago.  Coming upon it recently, while perusing some of my Veranda magazines, reminded me just how much I liked it when I first saw it and I can truthfully say I like it just as much today!  It's timeless!

Using a mostly white background in her interiors, Adrienne added splashes of color with earth tones and the beautiful citrus and green tones of nature to help bring the outdoors in.

It certainly offers a serene sense when looking at each of the rooms and I can appreciate why the Vittadini's decided, upon settling into this vacation home, that they didn't plan to be uprooted any time soon!

Enjoy!

Adrienne in her Mini Cooper with pet, Pici

Veranda 2007

Loving the Sculptures of Margaret Keelan

Perusing the beautiful blog of Coty Farquhar over the weekend and was introduced to the ceramic art of Margaret Keelan, which I found absolutely fascinating.

Made of clay, these figures are stained, glazed, fired and stained, glazed and fired again which develops the final patina.  Using 18th and 19th century molds for the doll heads and torn bits of fabric for the clothing, Margaret's clay figures come to life.

To see more of Margaret's exquisite work and to read about the process involved, go here.

And to check out the beautiful blog of Coty Farquhar, go here. Styling by Coty Farquhar is a never ending feast for the eyes.........her styling and detail is incomparable......

Enjoy!

Little Dancer in Blue Dress

Journey 2

Cardinals

Girl with Brown Hare

Hopscotch

The Cockatoo Has a Secret

Pose

When We Were Young.......

Styling by Coty Farquhar

Margaret Keelan Sculptures

Styling by Coty Farquhar

A Chic Kids' Guest Room

The other day, I posted about chic kids' guest rooms - since then, I've come upon another one that just has to be shared.

Betty Lou Phillips, an icon of French interior design and author of eleven books on the subject, has done this multi-guest room/ensuite bath for her four granddaughters.

At a glance, it is the ultimate girls' guest room, but look closely at the detail - patina beds, the monogrammed bedding for each girl, birds on the curtain rod, and what appears to be hand painted birds on the bed cushions, the smocking on the window treatments and the bathroom to match! Absolutely gorgeous!

A dream room for any girl!

Enjoy!

Betty Lou Phillips

Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady's New Home

The long awaited home of Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady has finally been completed and thanks to Architectural Digest, we now get a peak inside.

Designed by Richard Landry, with interiors by Joan Behnke, the home is a wonderful blend of old and new - using some reclaimed materials, but adding the very latest in eco friendly design, they now have a home that will provide them with the space, sustainability and livability they desired.

With eight sisters between Gisele and Tom, and constantly growing families, not to mention their own three children, they have built a home with enough space to accommodate extended family at any time.

And you would think at 20,000 sq. ft. the house would be cavernous, but not so.......as you can see, the rooms appear to be a comfortable and cosy size for day to day living..........

The neutral tones throughout the interior are very calming and add a more spacious feel.   The whole feel of a room can be changed by the accent color in the accessories - note the different colored accessories in each room.  The master bedroom with the green pillows and plants adds a note of serenity (green is serene), but the pink and yellow on and above the mantle add a dash of sunshine......

For more information on some of the sustainable features of their new home, read Architectural Digest to check out more of their green-living tips.

Enjoy!

The koi stocked moat.  Love the bronze trimmed windows, railings and the stone construction.....all such low maintenance.

Tall windows, high ceilings and dual glazed windows add lots of light and temperature control.

Beautiful loggia with Restoration Hardware wicker sofa and chairs.

A touch of green in the master bedroom and a bit of color on the mantle warms this room up beautifully.

Gorgeous shower and nice to have a fireplace in the bath.  The picture above the fireplace is of 

Gillette Stadium.

Gisele's dressing room.

Architectural Digest

The Monteceito Home of Designer Lee Kirch

Last year, I posted (here) a Monteceito cottage owned by designer Lee Kirch - an antique dealer who was (at the time of this article) part owner of an antique shop, Rue de Lillie, in Summerland, California, as well as a shop owner in Vail, Colorado.

As a French country enthusiast, she travels regularly to France to collect antiques.  She completely revamped this house and her passions are evident in every room.

Enjoy!

Lee Kirch Designs

Meredith Specials

Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones' Bermuda Home

Hi Everyone,

I was totally indisposed yesterday while my hubby was having some major dental surgery (extractions and implants).  While he was unconscious and zipped through it all (never felt a thing, he said), I was on high alert and had to ensure he got from the surgery to his regular dentist for adjustments (in a very groggy state), pick up the prescriptions at the drug store and make sure he followed his doctor's orders to a 'T'!  Make sure he did his rinses, took his meds and prepared lots of bland food.......by the end of the day, he was feeling really good and I was about to collapse from it all - totally drained and exhausted.  So much for another quiet day.

Anyway, throughout the day I kept hearing snippets of news about Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones separating - which everyone pretty much already suspected - it was only confirmed yesterday.  After reading about their homes in Majorca, Spain, New York city, Bedford, NY, Swansea, Wales, Hollywood and Bermuda, I recalled the Bermuda home from an Architectural Digest years ago.

They sounded so excited about their family home in Bermuda when this article (here) was written - a real home for them to bring up their then 2 year old son among his cousins, aunts and uncles.........a sad state of affairs today for all involved.

Nevertheless, here's a peek!

Nice Dutch door in their master bedroom.

Architectural Digest