Today is the last day to take in the Old York Decorator Show House in York, Maine and I highly recommend it! This has always been one of my favorite shows for its coastal design combined with New England charm.
Two designers who participated in the Wenham Museum North Shore Design Show last May also have spaces in this show. Patricia Finn of Finn-Martens Design composed a graceful foyer and stairway with an Asian flair (see the luxurious spa retreat she designed for Wenham in New England Finery Magazine). Mary O’Neill created a serene home office in the colors of the ocean for the York show (get a glimpse of her North Shore Design Show afternoon tea vignette also in the summer issue of New England Finery Magazine).
There’s lots of other great spaces with inspired design including a black-and-tan study by Boehm Graham Interiors in honor of this historical properties former life as a local tavern, a stunning library by Boston designer Frank Hodge that elegantly combines antiques with modern cabinetry, and not one – but two kitchens – with some unique custom treatments. That is what I love about design shows – there are always some new ideas to take home as a souvenir : )
Let me know if you get a chance to make it to the show and what your favorite space was!
With Linda Smith and Rosanne Palazola atFirst Oriental Rugs Spring Floral Splash
photo credit: John LeJeune
So today I went back to the Wenham Museum to meet friends who were coming to visit. Can I just tell you how nice it was to entertain knowing that my space was going to look exactly the way it did when I left it? Besides watering the topiary rose trees, I did not have to pick up or straighten out or hide the stuff of life which is typically what happens before guests arrive in my house! While I was there, I did pick up a copy of New England Home Magazine in the entry way of the museum. NE Home is the media sponsor of the North Shore Design Show, so each visitor gets a free copy with admission. I had heard rumors that the New England Fine Living girls were somewhere in the party pictures, and I found us on page 124. Fine carpets make the best photographic backdrops, don’t you agree?
The Roman Folly Garden designed by Gallery Della Piana
Happy to see: Dorothy, Marianne, Christine, Shirley and Susan
Spending the day with my good friends took away a bit of the sting of not being able to attend Blogfest 2011 in New York. Back in January I had signed up for this design-and-lifestyle blogger behind-the-scenes tour of the New York design world. Even though my usual travel companions weren’t able to attend the event, I still put my name on the list and was able to secure a spot just before admission to the event was closed. At the time, I had not received confirmation of participation in the design show at Wenham, so I figured I would sign up and see what happened. Then when my submission was accepted at Wenham I figured maybe I could still squeeze in a few days in New York during the middle of the show.
But the truth is, I love every minute of the Wenham show and couldn’t leave it even for the incredible opportunity of meeting some of the best magazine editors in the industry (Veranda, House Beautiful, Town & Country, Architectural Digest) and many incredible design professionals and bloggers who I follow online.
Afternoon Tea: Mary O’Neill Interior Design
So this year I will be enjoying Blogfest vicariously through the posts and tweets of my online friends who are there right now, while I am entertaining IRL friends back home : ) I hope whoever got my relinquished (and coveted) spot is having the best possible time being inspired (and going to some really great industry parties) in New York!
Maybe when my Boston friends return home from this whirlwind trip, we can sit down and brainstorm some type of Boston Blogfest? There is a lot of great design happening right in our area (especially on the North Shore this week only : )
