eagle lake

“The lakes are something which you are unprepared for; they lie up so high, exposed to the light, and the forest is diminished to a fine fringe on their edges, with here and there a blue mountain, like amethyst jewels set around some jewel of the first water, – so anterior and so superior, to all the changes that are to take place on their shores, even now civil and refined, and fair as they can ever be. These are not the artificial forests of an English king, – a royal preserve merely. Here prevail no forest laws but those of nature.” ~ excerpt from The Maine Woods by Henry David Thoreau, published in 1864

photos by me, 7/27/11

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a misty morning walk

a misty morning walk along the shore path…the cool moist air was filled with the scents of maine ~ pine, salt water, a wood burning fire…it was a quiet, peaceful stroll with the ones I love…life is good

photos by me, 7/26/11

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summer vacation

Greetings from Bar Harbor Maine!!! An idyllic world filled with blueberries, lobster, ocean views and soaring pine trees…this is our 21st year coming to Bar Harbor but my first as a blogger…I look forward to having you along for the ride! Think of this week as a postcard a day…some of my favorite moments from one of the most extraordinary places on earth

Today’s postcard is a view from the shore path…fishing boats, the porcupine islands and a Bar Harbor sky…the only thing you’re missing is the smell of the salt air…heavenly

photo by me, 7/24/11

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versailles

What would it feel like to wake up at Versailles? Imagine opening your bedroom window to a view of the sun rise over the Orangerie or maybe your room offers you a view of the castle bathed in morning light…this dream will soon be a reality…you may be asking yourself “how is this possible?”…Versailles doesn’t have the 7 million dollars necessary to restore the crumbling Hotel du Grand Controle, a mansion built in the 1680s about 100 yards from the main palace…rather than have the building fall into further disrepair, Ivy International, a Belgian hotel company, will renovate the mansion and turn its 23 bedrooms into a luxury hotel…a percentage of the profits will be paid back to the Palace of Versailles in rent…”It’s quite a pioneering initiative in France for somebody to be able to have the right to take on a project like this in such a historic momentum and transform it into an economic project,” says Louise Grether, who manages the project for Ivy International…slated for completion in January of 2012, the renamed Hotel de l’Orangerie will allow guests to drink champagne and stroll the gardens of Versailles for the first time in 300 years…start saving now! Bon weekend!

above ~ the Hotel du Grand Controle soon to be transformed into the Hotel de l’Orangerie

below ~ spectacular images of the fountains and gardens of Versailles

photos and resources from NPR.org and Photographic walks

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laduree

You may have noticed a few colorful Laduree macarons (french spelling!) in yesterday’s post…this is my inspiration for today’s post, to explore the history and beauty behind the world’s most famous macaron…Laduree

“The story of the Ladurée macaron starts with Pierre Desfontaines, second cousin of Louis Ernest Ladurée, who at the beginning of the 20th century first thought of taking two macaron shells and joining them with a delicious ganache filling. These small, round cakes, crisp on the outside, smooth and soft in the middle, are made every morning in Ladurée’s “laboratory”. The pastry chefs measure out very precisely the required amounts of almonds, eggs and sugar, before adding one final ingredient, a pinch of unique “know-how”, essential to the making of such a delicacy. Once cooked and filled, the macarons are put to one side for 2 days before going on sale, the time it takes to achieve a perfect balance between texture and flavour.”

With shops and restaurants in cities such as Paris, London, Milan, Istanbul and Dubai (just to name a few), this century old creation is cherished by people worldwide…please enjoy these photos from Laduree Royale, Champs-Elysees and Bonaparte…wishing you a sweet and colorful day!

above ~ the first Laduree at 16 rue Royale in Paris…opened in 1862, this historic tea salon maintains its original wood paneling and hand painted frescos of angels and gourmet fairies on the ceiling…the decoration of the pastry shop was entrusted to Jules Cheret, a famous turn-of the-century painter and poster artist…he sought his inspiration for the frescos from the painting techniques used for the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and the Garnier Opera

above ~ Laduree Champs Elysees at 75 avenue des Champs Elysees opened in 1997 by David Holder, the current Chairman of Laduree

above ~ Laduree Bonaparte at 21 rue Bonaparte opened in 2002…located in the Saint-Germain neighborhood, this famous store with the black storefront was opened by Madeline Castaing in 1947 and attracted the likes of Soutine, Chagall and Modigliani

photos and resources from Laduree

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hotel champs-elysees plaza paris

While researching yesterday’s post, I came across another chic Parisian hotel I thought you might enjoy…located just steps away from the famous Avenue Champs-Elysees, Hotel Champs-Elysees Plaza Paris underwent extensive renovations in 2008…this lovely 18th century hotel is now a skillful mixture of old and new…classical architecture with a contemporary touch…please enjoy!

above ~ roof of the restaurant

below ~ courtyard with roof of restaurant

below ~ restaurant

below ~ executive room

photos from Design Boom

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la maison champs-elysees

I recently discovered a story in the Style section of the UK Sunday Times that I just had to share with you! On 7/4/11, La Maison Champs Elysees unveiled its stunning makeover by French fashion house Maison Martin Margiela…the result, an Alice in Wonderland-like world where nothing is what it seems…from the monochromatic trompe l’oeil wallpaper of the hotel’s Golden Salon, which dates back to 1860, to the black, white and grey carpets printed with wood panelling , the effect is modern yet with a nod to the past…enjoy this wild ride!

above ~ a hall paneled in aluminum leaf

below ~ restaurant

“The Maison is delighted to reinterpret another maison as its first Paris hotel project. Maison Martin Margiela has created a dramatic world where reality and make-believe seem to blend. The decor is like a succession of stage sets where references are mixed so as to create an unusual atmosphere where past and present jostle harmoniously.” ~ Maison Martin Margiela

below ~ salon blanc

below ~ deluxe suite

below ~ lobby

below ~ door to reception

photos from Design Boom and Financial Times

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the ocean tides

love builds up the broken wall

and straightens the crooked path

love keeps the stars in the firmament

and imposes rhythm on the ocean tides

each of us is created of it

and i suspect

each of us was created for it

~ Maya Angelou

photos by me ~ magnolia, ma (7/12/11)

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nathan turner

To wrap up our Million Dollar Decorators week, let’s visit with the globe-trotting L.A. designer Nathan Turner…in addition to running a highly successful interior design firm, Nathan is the creative visionary and buyer for Nathan Turner Antiques, a beloved L.A. destination where he sells his eclectic finds from all over the world…you may have noticed his fellow designers on MDD shopping in his store for client projects! What fun! Fortunately, for those of us living a long distance from L.A., Nathan has a storefront on 1st dibs…I think we can all agree, nothing compares to the feeling you get when you walk into a perfectly styled store filled with beautiful things…the ideas and inspirations are endless…but until then, we can explore his worldly finds and study his educated eye with the magic of 1st dibs

Nathan describes his style as a mix of traditional and bohemian and is passionate about using color in his interiors…I love this NT quote from a recent interview with HGTV, “I find inspiration all over the place. I constantly carry a camera with me because inspiration can come literally from the color on the side of a building. I’m also insanely inspired by food and all things in the food industry. I enjoy cooking and the entire process of creating a meal, going out to eat or shopping for food.” This idea of finding design inspiration from the food we eat or from the color of a building is what “a thoughtful eye” is all about…opening our eyes to all the beauty that surrounds us…thank you Nathan for this little gem

The images in today’s post are some of my favorites from his portfolio…I adore the framed groupings and his effortless splashes of color…as they say on Million Dollar Decorators, “delicious!”

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

photos from Nathan Turner

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jeffrey alan marks

Los Angeles based interior designer Jeffrey Alan Marks started out as a model in Paris, London and Milan while studying design at London’s Inchbald School of Design…after graduation, he interned with the long-admired British designer John Stefanidis…in an interview with 1st dibs Style Compass, Marks describes his love of British design…

“Brit style is more accidental than what we usually see in the United States. Design is more colorful and layered-and it always benefits from the carefree look of a happy accident. John knew how to make formal feel comfortable-and, thanks to my training with him, it’s what I love doing in my own designs-that is, taking the traditional and not only making it easily livable, but a little bit sassy too.”

Two tidbits about JAM you might find interesting ~

1) One of his first clients was Michael Bruno, president and founder of 1st dibs!

2) His favorite place to stay is Blackberry Farm!

The images in today’s post begin with interiors from the Santa Monica beach house Marks shares with his partner Ross Cassidy…the stunning ocean views, sea glass palette, earthy materials and cozy spaces celebrate the very essence of California living…please enjoy!

below ~ Santa Monica beach house of Jeffrey Alan Marks and Ross Cassidy

below ~ JAM designed interiors

photos and resources from Jeffrey Alan Marks, 1st dibs, and Elle Decor

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