Friday Finds: Nama Rococo, Dorm Room Makeover and Two Tastemaker Tag Sales

Nama Rococo: I found this line by way of Moth Design, who linked to an article in AT, called Wallpaper We’d Frame. I love the graphic David Hicks print in the article, but it is sold only by the roll. What a great idea to sell single sheets (or groupings) of graphic designs, so that you can use them as art. French Dot (my favorite) is shown above.

The Container Store: have a student heading off to college? Sign up to win a $1,000 dorm room makeover. In addition, May 9th, is the last day of the Spring Organization Sale. Lots of great items to store away winter!

 
One Kings Lane: Not one, but Two Tastemaker Tag Sales this weekend. And receive a $10 credit, if you become a member of OKL by May 30th.

 
First: Hillary Thomas, who describes her style as ‘Wabi-sabi’ (imperfect perfection), which marries her West Coast lifestyle with her traditional East Coast upbringing.

Second: Nickey Kehoe, L.A. designers Todd Nickey and Amy Kehoe, known for their eclectic pairings. I really like their sense of style.

Have a great weekend!

Jacques Pépin’s Perfect Summer Party

I saved this article last year from Food & Wine about Jacques Pépin’s Perfect Summer Party. I still regret the time I was invited to go to a lunch with him during the Housewares Show, and I declined as I was “too busy” (there is more to that story). What a treat that would have been!

He and his wife are are members of a club they call Les Boules du Dimanche (The Sunday Boules): “For eight Sundays every summer, our group of about 50 assembles at one of our houses to play the French bowling game boules. We share bottles of rosé, argue about the score and enjoy delicious dishes, like a refreshing watermelon salad with crumbled feta and fresh mint and a tart of sweet apricots and blueberries baked in a vanilla pastry cream. These parties have become the heart of our summers.”

It sounded so appealing to me since warm weather is here (and our friends own a set of boules), that I want to recreate a similar gathering once our yard is finished.

We made the tortilla pizzas the other day, and while I would have normally made pizza dough, if a tortilla is good enough for Jacques, then it is good enough for us. And in Texas, many grocery stores sell fresh tortillas (or Mexican food restaurants will sell them). We used some of our new crop of basil to make the pizzas – delicious!

 
Margherita Tortilla Pizzas

I will admit, I have tried watermelon and feta before, and no one was really impressed. However, I keep seeing this pairing and this recipe is different from the one I tried previously, so I will try again. The idea of sweet watermelon contrasting with salty feta, just sounds mouthwatering.

 Watermelon Salad with Feta and Mint

Lastly, look at this beautiful tart from chef Michael Keller, owner and pastry chef of Restaurant du Village in Chester, Connecticut. I will admit, complicated desserts (ones that involve making pastry shells) tend to be something that I avoid. However, I would love to master a fruit tart, and then use whatever fruits are in season. If anyone has made one and can offer suggestions, I am open to them!

 Apricot-and-Blueberry Tart

So, with warm weather just around the corner, how do you plan to entertain? I love to get creative ideas of fun things to do.

photo credits: Tom Hopkins

From the Archives: 50 Ultimate Bath Products

Have you ever had one of these weeks? I had such a productive day yesterday: ran errands, worked, doctor’s appointments, etc. Today, I have stared blankly at the computer, knowing fully well that I only had an hour to get things done before I had to leave the house, and am gone all day!

I hate when I don’t have something fun for you to read, so on days like this, it makes sense to go back into the archives, to share an older post with you. Way back when, I was posting more for myself and a small group of friends, so you probably haven’t seen these.

50 of the best items to makeover your bathroom: from 99¢ to $9,588 — these items will turn any bathroom into the ultimate retreat. It is interesting, how many of these I personally use.

 "Wash your face, pretend you're at a sauna in Finland. Great design for less than a dollar. Molger walnut soap dish, 99¢. IKEA

I have been meaning to buy this forever!! This week I will do it!
The enemy of every great bath is the overflow drain. Slip on this cover and soak all the way up to your chin. Bottomless Bath, $5. Slip X Solutions at Bed, Bath & Beyond.

So beautiful it hurts to unwrap it, but we promise no regrets. A hard-milled soap with a pistachio-oil base, in nine fragrances. Tuberose from the Classico Collection, $11. Claus Porto through LAFCO: lafcony.com. (My hint:  slice the soap into smaller pieces with a warm knife, it is easier to handle, plus the soap last longer).

There are a lot of great towels out there, but we always come back to the Thomas O'Brien Collection for softness, style, and price.  Target: target.com. 

 
This wood basin makes a strong spa statement. Moso Bamboo Vessel, $700. Stone Forest: stoneforest.com.

 
OK, a girl can dream. Your own private Bali. Ultra-deep, eleven bubbling ports, and — do we even have to say it? — it's big enough for two. Sok Overflowing Bath, $9,588. Kohler: kohler.com.

Art Inspiration: A Manhattan Apartment with Parisian Flair

Last week, before I had to dash and get ready for a weekend with one of my best gal pals, I posted about enhancing art and talked a little about wanting some statement art.

One of the most striking images to date, has been of the Manhattan living room of interior designer Paula Caravelli. The drawing featured, Trees IV, is by Joan Mitchell. While the art is definitely out of our price range, I love the presence of this piece. Throughout her apartment, Caravelli has striking examples of both art and furniture.

 Vintage vases are displayed atop a neoclassical Italian commode beneath a painting by Caravelli’s uncle Augustus Mino.

 
The collage in the office is by Robert Greene, the circa-1845 klismos chairs are Danish, and the laminate desk is by Caravelli.

The full article is “A New York Home with a Paris Accent” from Elle Decor.

Photo credit: Simon Upton

Perfect Day for a Pimm’s

I had my first Pimm’s Cup, many years ago, at the Napoleon House in New Orleans. So, with the warm weather last week, a Pimm’s on the porch sounded great.

Here is the recipe, with the caveat that “home concoctions of the Pimm's Cup, no matter how accurate, for some reason, never taste as good as those at the Napoleon House.”

I’ll drink to that!

• Fill a tall 12 oz glass with ice and add 1 1/4 oz. Pimm's #1 and 3 oz lemonade.
• Then top off with 7up.
• Garnish with cucumber.

I decided to set up a home bar again, and think that the afternoon light in our living room makes for excellent close-up shots.

Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona

My brother-in-law is stranded in Barcelona due to airport shut-downs. Of course, there are worse places to have to make an extended stay.

It might be too late, but I should have suggested that he visit the fabulous Mandarin Oriental for a drink in the Bankers Bar

 
or to have dinner at Restaurant Blanc. 

 The interior of the hotel was designed by Spanish-born Milano-based architect, Patricia Urquiola.

Of course, he wants to return home, so let’s keep our fingers crossed that he gets on a standby flight tomorrow. Especially since it is their 10th anniversary. Happy Anniversary to them!!

I guess a trip to Barcelona will have to be put on our agenda. Maybe for our 10th anniversary next year? However, if my husband has his wish, any trip to Europe would coincide with a Grand Prix event.

Photo credits: George Apostolidis for the Mandarin Oriental

Tastemaker Tag Sale: Kendall Wilkinson

Make sure to head over to One Kings Lane this morning to check out their second tag sale, this one featuring picks from San Francisco interior designer Kendall Wilkinson. She is known for bold color, brilliant accents, and a passion for Parisian interiors.

Tag sales feature hand-picked pieces from each designer’s collection. As always, quantities are limited, so first come, first serve. Sale starts at 11:00 am EDT. Of course, I will be looking at the Saarinen table featured below!

 

 

How to…Enhance Your Art

Decorati had an interesting article on the Best Color Choices to Enhance Your Art.

Especially helpful, if you are going to invest in some statement pieces, like the one shown above. I love this bedroom! In this case, the wall color is the same as the predominant color in the art, with the accent colors in the room pulling out the accent color in the photograph.

The author, Pangea, shows some other examples using different wall colors for €the same piece of art.

I have been looking at art for our living room, and am interested in a statement piece, versus a salon-style arrangement of smaller pieces. I need to run for today, but later, I will give you some pictures of art that inspires me.

In the meantime, if you need inspiration and ideas, check out these informative guest posts from my friend Kellie, owner of Cashon & Co. Interiors, and our series All About Art.

photography courtesy of Decorati

Landscaping Adventures: Second phase

      

We are now in the second phase of our landscaping project. Starting last May, we did as much as we could, then less than ideal weather (hot summer, wet fall) made it hard to start doing any of the hardscapes until this spring.  But here is a peek of our backyard last year, in phase one. We are lucky to have a really big yard, as some in our neighborhood are tiny!  Here is our landscape design, drawn up by my friend Laura, who did a guest post last fall talking about the first principle of landscape design. Hopefully, when her life allows it, we can get some more guests posts from her. The very large bench surrounding the new patio area has been built, and the gravel has been laid. Pictures to come later.

Most of the plantings were done last year, other than some plants that we have had trouble finding here. One garden center ordered some of the plants after we came in searching for them! Hooray! Of the trees planted last year, they survived the summer and are blooming! Pictured at the top of the post and below is our Redbud. Did you know that their leaves are heart-shaped?

So now, we need to let the wood cure for the bench, and finish adding rocks and the final plantings. The deck may wait, as we might need to incorporate a sandbox or other play area for kids.

But, I am always compiling images of outdoor spaces I like, and have featured some of them below. Once all the hard work is done, then comes the fun part – decorating!!

      

  
 

photos courtesy of House Beautiful, other images My Domicile Style

Sweet Spot

I don’t normally keep candy in the house, as it is way too tempting! Especially those little Jelly Belly’s.

However, over Easter, I decided to use some of my crystal and put out a little bowl. While perusing the bulk section at my local store, I loved the pastel colors of this salt water taffy, and thought that they would be pretty all piled up. Plus, their little wrappers make it harder to just sit there and mindlessly eat them. Here they are, on my bar next to some groovy inherited pieces.

Do you keep candy out? If so, what is your favorite?

photographs: My Domicile Style

Designing Moms: Moth Design (Mom of 5)

Family room detail

When I did a post about Designing Moms, I was looking specifically at designers who had really large broods! Not to slight moms of smaller families, but I think there are challenges, especially spatial, when you have to you try to fit many children in one bedroom, etc.

My interest was driven by the fact that we had submitted for a group of 7 siblings (you read that correctly), so I was in a tizzy trying to figure out how to fit all of them in our current house, picking out cute names for a reality show (Laurie & Kevin plus 7, tee hee), wondering if I could pimp out a conversion van (the thought of driving one almost sent me over the edge) and other random thoughts.

We weren’t chosen, which did bring feelings of relief, as being mom to seven all at once gave me a little agida. We are right in the middle of a big landscaping project, so moving would have an issue. Now we are back down to looking at 4 siblings. Still at lot at once, but I feel much better about that number. It is funny, we started at saying we would take a group of 2-3, then 4 which turned into 7!!

But, I digress. All of that back story was to say that I got a comment from a stylish single mom of 5 boys! So adorable! Erica Cook owns Moth Design in Calgary, BC. She shares the same philosophy that I hope to embrace: having a very large family does not preclude stylish living.

I think you will agree after seeing images of her house!

 Foyer

Family room

 Master Suite, picture #1

 Master Suite, picture #2

 Master bath #1

 Master bath #2

 Her stylish office

Great artwork over desk