Boxwoods in Atlanta

Yesterday I went to a favorite store of mine - Boxwoods in the Buckhead area of Atlanta - that makes me smile with all the pretty things they have. It was a glorious day after many wet ones…

There are several different rooms, this being the “trophy” room. It has all the accessories that would fill a “man-cave” but be pleasing to the mama bear!

I love anything silver or pewter and this is a lovely assortment.

Many clocks and weathervanes, great architectural pieces…

These bird houses are more like castles…

Now going into where I drool the most, notice the beautiful arrangement of hydrangeas. This is one flower I do not mind having silk or dried in my home. I’m a sucker for lamps too.

Satchels and monogrammed pillows made with fine linen….I like that big clock too. I may have to check into that further, I have just the right spot for it!

Oh my goodness, I feel like a little girl in a candy store…I can get the “I wants” at about every turn. Gorgeous candlesticks, and the mirrors…there are actually two here, one in front of the other .

Ohhh, the sideboard with a gorgeous marble top and the footed hurricanes, so beautiful.

Look at these pillows with the puppies, I think the Visual Vamp needs one of these! The little Louis XVI settee is ready to be upholstered, it is down to the springs with what appears to be very old burlap covering them.

More silver…a girl can just go crazy. Those lamps are to die for. Do you see the tall candlesticks to the right?

This chandelier looks very similar to what Julie Neill in New Orleans designs.

This is actually a sconce…isn’t it amazing?

This is another room…the wall color is my new favorite color of green. The pillows, linen, candles, and beautiful arrangement make such a nice display.

Now, into the greenhouse…they sell beautiful plants. The potted hydrangeas – fabulous.

And outside…

I just adore this stone pedestal sink.

I hope you enjoyed the tour of this beautiful shop, next time you are in Atlanta you must visit. Don’t forget to call me….there are a few other fabulous shops not too far away!

Happy Birthday Patricia van Essche!

A very Happy Birthday to my new blogging friend Patricia, PVE Design. She is a woman of many talents, has a quiet beauty about her and is a dedicated mother, artist and writer. Valorie at Visual Vamp captured the very essence of Patricia, I could not add anything to it. Have a lovely day surrounded by those you love!

Rain Rain Go Away

This is what I have seen out my front door for the past four days….makes me wish for the sunny California days I grew up with.

Bedded Bliss

How lucky was I to get my picture taken with Suzanne Kasler, Marcia Sherrill, and Suze Surdyk Jones? (I am second from the left!) Oh my goodness, 3 fabulous design icons who shared their time speaking at Atlanta’s Mart. They were mainly speaking to bedding retailers but I picked up a few interesting tidbits. I must say Marcia has a very witty personality. One of her suggestions was to take an old fur coat and make a throw out of it. She also said that she recycled her old wedding dress (post divorce) and made pillows for her daughter’s room. I thought it interesting too that hers and Suzanne’s daughters did not want their rooms “done”. She said she just purchased Manuel Canovas sheets for her bed, she likes color.

Suzanne showed her bed which has been featured in Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles magazine.

She used ivory sheets, and ordered cashmere fabric and trimmed it with black grosgrain ribbon. She used metelasse curtains and bedding. Isn’t the mirror above the bed fabulous? I like color, but I also adore black and white. The geometrics on the bench add such a nice dimension.

Suze, who has been named Southeast Designer of the year and lives in Atlanta, added that by changing a few elements in the room such as adding a candle, bringing in some china or a new lampshade can transform the look by not spending a whole lot.

They all agreed that a good foundation (mattress) is key and that mixing and matching the other elements is definitely OK. Just as in fashion we don’t necessarily wear the same designer, our beds don’t have to be dressed by all the same manufacturer…many different lines blend with each other.

I thought it interesting too for the retailer to partner with an antique dealer to make vignettes in the store, it makes a beautiful display of the product being offered. It is good for the retailer and for the antique dealer as it will create sales on both sides. Also, put items needed to complete a bedroom in a basket tied with a beautiful ribbon. Items such as pillows, throws, candles, and perhaps some shams. Price at a slight discount of what each item would cost separately. Customers want to see value. Maximize the square footage in the store, do not just look at floor space, but walls and ceilings. Add artwork, and lighting, so the bedding store becomes much more! Hold special events in your store to bring people in...it all creates sales!

One thing I appreciated the most was the reminder of the importance of personalization. It creates a meaningful room. One way to start is by using our client’s favorite color as a starting point and remembering to add some monogramming or embroidery somewhere. The ladies all agreed that lavender and magenta pink are the colors coming into focus now!

I was honored to be in the company of such fine business women, creative, vibrant and down to earth.

Not Decor, but a bit of Me!

The part of my life outside design and decor is road cycling (skinny tire). I am not talking "toodle" around the neighborhood, I am talking distance riding. When I lived in DC, I rode with a group of gals called "Babes on Bikes" a group dedicated to fitness and fun (I'm in that picture, can you find me? Not a beauty queen that's for sure!). We biked from Arlington to Bethesda and beyond, from Bethesda to Mount Vernon, out to Herndon and Leesville (time to get out your atlases!) and all around our nation's capital usually riding anywhere from 35-50 miles. I had been a mountain bike (fat tire) girl for years, riding in Alaska up and down mountains and all 15 miles of paved road, well that is a wee bit of misleading, 15 miles from end to end, but there were some paved roads going across! :>). My first ride with the "Babes" was 45 miles and due to moving had been out of the saddle for a while, I was a bit rusty and thought I was going to die....well, I wished I would anyway. As time went on 45 miles became a piece of cake (depending on how many hills were on the ajenda for the day) and ventured to train for a century (100 miles....in one day) for my 50th birthday. My DH and I along with several of the other Babes and their DH's did the ride and had a blast.
I am so excited because the weather has warmed up, and it is riding season again! DH and I are training for a ride the first week in June that starts in San Francisco and goes up into the wine country and does a big loop and ends back in San Fran. A week long of riding 45-65 miles per day....so my fanny needs to hit the saddle and get those callouses in place. I am going to meet up for the first time Tuesday evening with a group of women in Atlanta, should be interesting...
Did you notice my two fave colors on my bike? Black with pink etchings...pink jersey and pink and white socks!


Ok, I wanted to let you all know that I rode 18.5 miles of KILLER hills, was the oldest in the bunch by 5 years and held the middle of the pack of about 18 women. There were so many beautiful homes, I am surprised I do not have a neck ache...can't wait until next week.

The perfect bed!

I love making guests in my home feel really special and one way I go about it is making sure when they slumber they are as comfortable as they would be in a Four Seasons Hotel.

I start by putting a mattress topper – a featherbed equivalent – (I read something about featherbeds once, but that’s another post) over the mattress, either under the mattress cover or encased in its own cover before putting the sheets on! So good that the sheets these days have such deep pockets!

I love sheets that are crisp and need ironing before putting on the bed and really do like predominately white with a slight bit of detail. Yes…I DO iron them…not only for my guests but for me as well. I heard it asked once, “how do you treat your guests? Why would you treat yourself any different?” I love that and it has always stuck with me.

How about finishing them off with some beautiful coverings such as these? That crinkled bed skirt….so different… with the quilted blanket and all those pillows, beautiful duvet…mmmmm. How about a place for your reading materials at the side? Or maybe, the linen and white?

I do love black and chartreuse…adds a bit of whimsy wouldn’t you say? Look at the pleated bed skirt and love love love the tufted headboard. The blue and beige is soothing…don’t you just adore that ruffle-y pillow?

I like duvets as the inserts are an easy fix when the seasons change. What do you like?

Camping Anyone?

My darling husband (DH) loves to camp and my idea of camping since my Girl Scout days is at a lovely hotel with room service and lots of champagne. I do, however, think I might join him if I could have these digs!

Do you remember when all the campers had this exterior design and every grandma and grandpa had one? I remember going with my paternal grandparents somewhere (can't for the life of me remember where) when I was about 8 or 9. I do remember it being really hot and since they were from Texas, it was probably in the south.

Now, this is the way to travel! It would have been so much fun to jump up and down on this pink tufted bed with all the pillows...my sister and I could have had the most awesome pillow fight! Oh, but we would have had to have been very careful not to bump our heads on the chandelier above. I do love the dressing area with the pink (such my favorite color!) wallpaper with bustiers and lacy panties and a service for tea. The built in picture board is perfect for all of the pictures we would take. Right behind is a contemporary bath with a counter top basin.

This airstream is actually part of the Grand Daddy Hotel "penthouse" trailer park in Cape Town, South Africa, where a collection of vintage Airstream caravans nestle beneath the backdrop of Table Mountain. There are 7 two-sleeper trailer suites that have been designed by local artists to make the most unique accommodations. My pink suite above was designed by Tracy Lynch and named 'Love of Lace'.

Pictures from Elle Decor