bee happy

The garden was buzzing with activity today! Bees in all their glory savoring the sweet nectar of our butterfly bush, roses and basil…the large bees are such a pleasure to watch and listen to…they adore the butterfly bush…as many as three bees can be spotted on just one bloom…I must have experienced the music of hundreds as they flew from blossom to blossom…pure delight…the smaller bees prefer the basil…imagine how their honey would taste? African basil honey! Must be amazing!

The fall solstice is only a few days away but today’s afternoon sun still felt like summer…warm and satisfying…flowers still fragrant and lush…how magnificent and fleeting summer is…may you soak in the last of its warmth and beauty…wishing you a very happy weekend!

top photo ~ a glorious bee on our butterfly bush

morning glory

the approach

visit from a friend

 lovely white roses

thai basil

a small bee enjoying the african basil…I wish you could smell this with me…it’s simply divine!

I just love the curvaceous shadows it casts on our stone wall…

Gary’s pepper plant…aubergine at its best!

photography by danielle boudrot for a thoughtful eye

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my front door

The September 2012 issue of House Beautiful features eleven fabulous front doors from the likes of Miles Redd, Windsor Smith and Lars Bolander…having just completed a major outdoor renovation this summer, I thought it would be fun to feature my front door today! Freshly painted with a coat of high gloss blank paint and adorned with an antique English door knocker, its masculine weight provides a lovely contrast to the beachy bramble colored shingles and clean white trim…the lantern is a new addition to our door-scape…during the day, it offers a much needed sculptural presence, balancing well with the color and texture of the twig wreath…at night, it glows with a soft warm light, perfect for drinks at the cafe table or for welcoming dinner guests!

photography by danielle boudrot for a thoughtful eye

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gray slipcovers

This morning, my sectional sofa received a winter make-over…a gray slipcover! Soft and sexy, it gives the living room a more masculine and cozy vibe…can’t wait to curl up in the corner with a cup of tea and a great design magazine! Till tomorrow!

photos by me, 2/2/12

custom slipcover ~ Weissbach Slipcovers

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new acquisition

Saturday was a glorious day in the Northeast…sunny with a touch of spring in the air…I decided to take a drive to Concord and explore some of my favorite shops…my first stop was an antique store called North Bridge Antiques…with over 20 dealers, it is filled with unique treasures and surprises…I took my time and let my eye lead me through the maze of silver, glassware and vintage jewelry…before long I spotted an unusual set of footed glass bowls…simple and beautiful, they each had a small glass cloche placed inside…I read the tag and was surprised to learn they are vintage 1930s and are meant for serving shrimp or caviar…the ice is placed in the bowl with the shrimp or caviar in the cloche, upside down…wow, I had never seen such a unique serving piece! Of course the bowls can be used on their own, maybe for a lovely dessert (I like the idea of berries with cream or sorbet!)…I decided they were too wonderful to pass up, so today, I present you with my newest acquisition…

Happy Monday!

photos by me, 1/30/12

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neta bench by oly studio

The first time I noticed the Neta Bench by Oly Studio was on January 15th, 2008…the source, Habitually Chic by Heather Clawson…the interior designer, Nate Berkus…Nate’s stylish interior (pictured below) stayed with me long after that cold winter’s day…though petite in scale, the bench played a starring role in Nate’s wall composition…it balanced with the weight of the dark door and added some playful curves to the right angles of the frames and architecture…a timeless vignette with a fresh new perspective…it immediately became one of my “go to” design inspirations! In the coming months, I spotted the bench in other publications and in Oly Studio print ads…its unique personality mixed effortlessly with antique furnishings and/or contemporary decor…clearly, I was not alone in my passion for this piece! A year later, as luck would have it, I happened upon a Neta Bench for sale at a local store in Boston called Husdson…they were having their big winter sale and the floor model was 50% off the retail price! It was love at first sight! The natural wood finish, carmel tones of the goat hide and sultry horn shaped legs were even more beautiful in person…wow, what timing! So here it is, (pictured above) proudly perched below the framed photographs in my home office…a perfect compliment to my antiques, art and color palette…thank you Heather Clawson and Nate Berkus for inspiring my purchase…I couldn’t have done it without you!

I hope you enjoy this photo essay of the Neta Bench by Oly Studio!

above ~ my office

below ~ nate berkus, photo courtesy of habitually chic

below ~ nate berkus, elle decor, september 2008

below ~ domino, february 2009

below ~ decor magazine, fall/winter 2009

below ~ pointclickhome.com, october 2007

below ~ cottage living, april 2008

below ~ connecticut cottages & gardens, may 2007

below ~ D Home, february 2008

below ~ house beautiful, july 2009

below ~ house beautiful, march 2010

below ~ southhill home, toronto canada,  photos courtesy of the world according to jessica claire

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a 6 by 9 foot room ~ part two

above ~ antique bronze and crystal basket chandelier

To follow up Monday’s post, I thought I would share with you my decorating ideas for the small room…for lighting, I’m thinking I would adorn the ceiling with an antique bronze and crystal basket chandelier I purchased at auction many years ago…one of a pair, I think it could be stunning on the ceiling…just the right amount of sparkle and the scale is perfect…I’m not sure what I will do with its twin but I may find a home for it in the office above the claw foot table…still thinking…the other interior lighting I’m considering is a pair of sconces for the back wall…I have 12 inches from the edge of the moulding to the corner of the wall on either side of the three windows, just enough space for a pair of skinny sconces…of course the chandelier and sconces will be on dimmers (like the rest of the house!)…I’m crazy for that golden light!

On the walls and windows, I’m thinking of using the same gold grasscloth from the dining room along with the same natural fiber roman shades…I love the warm glow from the dining room and believe it could be quite successful in the small room…I may even decide to paper the ceiling in the gold grasscloth…imagine the glow of the chandelier in combination with the warmth and texture of the paper…could be heavenly

below ~ photo of my dining room…this gives you some idea of the grasscloth and window treatments

For furniture, I’m thinking two comfortable chairs and a small table…one option for chairs is the English Roll Arm Chair from Restoration Hardware upholstered in linen…the down filled seat and back would be lovely to sink into and the low arm would allow for easy flow…another idea is to upholster my second pair of 1940s fireside chairs (they are stripped and awaiting fabric)…they are identical to the pair in my living room and are quite comfortable…

below ~ Restoration Hardware, English Roll Arm Chair

below ~ 1940s fireside chairs

For a side table, I would love a white laminate Saarinen table but they are quite expensive and not always in good condition…I might consider a good reproduction or maybe a variation on that theme…Brocade Home makes a sweet little end table that is affordable and petite in scale…

below ~ Saarinen side table, white laminate

below ~ Brocade Home, turned wood pedestal table

below ~ Jenna Lyons Brooklyn brownstone…one of my all time favorite kitchens!

Lastly, I have a 4 by 6 foot hand knotted wool rug that might work well with the color scheme (gold and brown tones) along with twelve lovely antique egg prints I have been waiting patiently to hang…they may work around the opening from the kitchen to the new room (possibly on both sides of the new wall)…the eggs are some of the most beautiful colors I have ever seen…petite in scale, I think they could be the crowning jewel of the new room…I’ll continue to keep you posted!

Thanks to everyone who sent me words of encouragement with this adventure! I truly appreciate your support!

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a 6 by 9 foot room

My husband Edward and I have decided to take the plunge…in the coming months, the petite pantry off the back of our house will be removed and replaced with a cozy 6 by 9 foot room…the new space will connect to the kitchen with a framed 60″ opening and will allow us enough room for two comfortable chairs and a small table…I designed the new space with three windows along the back wall to take in the views of our backyard and garden…the sides of the room with be symmetrical, each with a 32″ french out swing door leading to a bluestone terrace…on the exterior, each door will be adorned with a small copper overhang and a pair of sconces…it has taken me many weeks to finalize the design but I feel confident with the final measurements and overall aesthetic of the new space…in the process of designing the room, I found great inspiration from the Vale Garden Houses website…this site helped me visualize what our small space could look like from the outside…we do not have enough depth or width for a grand conservatory, but our small room will still allow us plenty of light, air flow and a cozy spot for a morning cup of tea…I’ll keep you posted with our progress!

inspirational photos from Vale Garden Houses

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