Habitat for Humanity Builders Blitz Week!

This week began with gray skies, torrential rains, swirls of wind and chilly temps ... so unseasonal for the beginning of June.
But on location at the Merrimack Valley Habitat for Humanity Builders Blitz project, I have heard that volunteers arrived wearing sunny dispositions, and were immediately warmed by the positive energy surrounding the Market Street jobsite in Lawrence. When the planning for this type of multiple-contractor project begins almost a year in advance, the actual coming together of all the parts – in the span of one week – is a sight to behold. It is almost like a choreographed dance (don’t tell the guys I said that!) Tomorrow I am visiting the site to help out my logistics team members and snap some progress photos for New England Finery Magazine. Although truth be told, I really just want to soak up the good karma and see for myself the house that hope built.

Share your NYIGF favorites with me!

New England Finery Magazine, Issue One, February 2011, pages 58-59

Last year I attended the New York International Gift Fair with my good friend, designer Rosanne Palazola. We stayed at her friends place in New York overnight and we walked the Javitz and the Pier on both Saturday and Sunday. I have to say it was quite the whirlwind of idea generating window shopping! I chose to feature some of my favorite items in the premiere issue of New England Finery Magazine.

This year the show falls on my son’s birthday (a big one – his 10th!), so I’m asking all of you who do attend to please post a link in the comment section and share YOUR favorite picks.

I will certainly miss the creative buzz from the event (I know there will be a lot of design bloggers in attendance) but I hope to plan an adventure-filled field trip somewhere fun in the very near future ...

A green point-of-view

Designer: Lisa Kauffman Tharp : Window Treatments: Acorn Interiors

Photo by Eric Roth: Design New England Magazine Jan./Feb. 2012 p.82

Have you seen the latest issue of Design New England Magazine? This lovely space designed by Concord, Massachusetts designer Lisa Kauffman Tharp was featured inside, plus the equally gorgeous bath from this eco-friendly home made the cover.

Lisa, an expert on incorporating green choices into her interior designs, was one of our eco-links in the April issue of New England Finery Magazine. She was actually brought to my attention by Paula Bakies of Acorn Interiors, who has done window treatments for my own design projects. Paula did the treatments in the above photo. I love the clean, quiet, textured look of the space.

Enjoy reading the entire article by clicking here. 

Costumes and couture ...

Photo credit: Alinka Amoroso

Need some last minute inspiration for your Halloween costume? Here are a few ideas that I have collected recently ... although truth be told these are not outfits that you can whip up in a day!

Photo credit: Alinka Amoroso

Knoll Studios in Boston created these costumes out of textiles from their furnishings collections to represent the Beatles for the IIDA Iconography Fashion Show held in mid-October. From left to right: Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, Strawberry Fields Forever, Yellow Submarine and Octopus’ Garden. Models were from Spagnolo Gisness & Associates and Knoll won “Best Use of Materials.” Very Project Runway!




I got to take a tour of the Knoll showroom while they were preparing for the show. I promise to post more about Knoll later.

Click here to see a video clip from the IIDA show.
Video by Pixelwiremedia

Steam Punk image via Wikipedia

Steam Punk by ModVic

Have you ever seen or heard about the Steam Punk movement before? It is a hot new (?) design trend that combines modern technology with Victorian-era antiques.

Computer transformation designed and executed by
Steam Punk expert Bruce Rosenbaum of ModVic

Above is an iMac that has been modified with a creative array of vintage artifacts. Yes, the old-school keyboard actually works! Along with this mash-up of old and new, there is also a fashion component to Steam Punk. Check out the video clip below that shows a parade of Steam Punk enthusiasts masquerading as VictorianProper-meets-ModernDay citizens. Curious to see more? You are in luck because starting on Halloween, there will be a Steam Punk extravaganza and exhibit at the Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation in Waltham, MA.
Click here for more info.

Click here to view video on YouTube

Alexander McQueen: Girl in Tree/Red Coat
photo credit: Metropolitan Museum of Art

And we can’t talk out-there fashion statements without a sincere nod to the late Alexander McQueen. If I were to dress up for this “come as you wish to be” holiday, I would want to wear McQueen.

New England Finery Magazine, Autumn 2011
photo credit: Metropolitan Museum of Art

Read more about how McQueen created high-fashions designed to empower women in the latest issue of New England Finery Magazine. Now that is what I call dressing up!

A creative collaboration ...

New England Finery, Autumn 2011, p.14
Photographer: Michael J. Lee
Design: Marcye Philbrook

Now that the autumn issue of New England Finery Magazine is complete, I can sit back and flip through the pages, which in retrospect are like a scrapbook of my summer. One of my favorite aspects of my job as editor is planning and attending photo shoots. This summer, I had the pleasure of working with Michael J. Lee on three feature stories. After individually scouting a few locations, we put some dates on the calendar when we could get together to capture the desired shots.

New England Finery, Autumn 2011, p.24
Photographer: Michael J. Lee
Design: Jane Derby, J. Covington Design

The York Decorator Show House is an annual favorite of mine. I took in the show with a couple of friends in early August then came back with Michael a few days later to shoot “Focal Point.” This property was graced with many fireplaces and each offered a creative design solution. It was so much fun to have the show house pretty much to ourselves before the Sunday crowd came in! I was able to get a close up look of each of the spaces and truly appreciate the fine details of each room.

New England Finery, Autumn 2011, p.34
Photographer: Michael J. Lee
Designers Phoebe Lovejoy and Gerald Pomeroy
at Studio 534, Boston Design Center

Michael came up with the idea of getting two local interior designers who had not met before together for a shoot at the Boston Design Center. Phoebe and Gerald were a pleasure to spend time with, and Michael staged this shot perfectly. All I had to do was show up : )

New England Finery, Autumn 2011, p.46

Photographer: Michael J. Lee

Design: Suzanne Iovanna

I am especially proud of the OMG decorating story that we shot in late August (I scouted it in June). There were so many beautifully decorated rooms to choose from, but as editor I had to pick the ones that I felt readers would respond to the most. When Michael and I were setting up shots in each of the spaces, it was easy to imagine how much fun this family must have entertaining in their “great” rooms.
Since the issue launched, I have received a lot of positive feedback on the spaces we featured including comments like “I wish I lived there!” And that is what the magazine is all about -- providing a bit of visual escape from our every day, along with some inspiration on how to incorporate what we see on the pages into our own lives.

Fall at New England Fine Living ...

Last week, New England Fine Living celebrated one year of being open for business. Owner Linda Smith hosted a wine tasting event with some local blends from Mill River Winery of Newburyport. I have to say, the Chardonnay was exceptional!

Read more about Mill River Winery here.





The Write Expression, which shares retail space with NEFL, had a lot of gorgeous fall invitations on their shelves like the one above.

photo courtesy Lorna Bird Hood


One year ago at the New England Fine Living grand opening

It’s hard to believe that the store has been open for an entire year already! One of the best experiences I have had over the past few seasons was creating New England Finery Magazine to promote the vendors inside this charming historic property.

While the format of the store has changed slightly over the course of the year, it still stands as a home base to New England-inspired design. If you are looking to host a fall or winter gathering, stop by the store for seasonal home decor items or to have an invitation made up specifically for your list of guests. And if you need help styling your home for the event, Linda can help you with lots of great ideas. She has some neat autumn vignettes set up in the store so go check them out for yourself : )



This week I will be busy wrapping up the autumn issue of New England Finery Magazine. Look for it online by Monday, October 10th. Sign up here to subscribe and you will be notified by email when it is released. I can’t wait to share it with you!

Simply Cool Stuff ...

Seen on Simply Cool Stuff: a design coaching project of mine

While I am often interviewing others for design stories that I write for New England Finery Magazine or the Lynnfield Patch, this week, I was the one being interviewed by Maria Wheeler of the blog, Simply Cool Stuff. I met Maria when she was offering some of her vintage treasures for sale at New England Fine Living. Along with collecting and selling antiques (find her shop on etsy), Maria is also a talented landscape designer. She shares what she knows about both of these subjects (and so much more!) on her blog.

Simply Cool Stuff in the summer issue of New England Finery

I recently featured Maria’s A, B, C’s of Antiques series in the summer issue of New England Finery, and then she turned around and interviewed me for letter I, “Interior Design Coach.”

Visit her blog and you will discover a few things you may not have known about me : )

Next week: a Brimfield tweet-up

New England Finery, issue 3, page 63

Next week from September 6th through the 11th, the Brimfield antique show will be open for the final time this season. And for the second time, there will be a Brimfield tweet-up held on the premises! To view photos from last May’s tweet-up, check out pages 63–69 of New England Finery, issue 3.

New England Finery, issue 3, page 67

Once again, celebrity guests Kelley Moore and Brian Kelsey will be there to dazzle visitors to the VIP tent with fabulous do-it-yourself projects featuring vintage finds from the grounds of what is known as the largest outdoor antique event in the USA.

New England Finery, issue 3, page 68

This season’s tweet-up, hosted by The Daily Basics and Gretchen Aubuchon Design, is being sponsored by favorite interior design sources Benjamin Moore (paint), Company C (fabrics and more), Pandora de Balthazar (European luxury bedding), and Aubuchon Hardware. There will be a trash-to-treasure shopping spree event with a pretty amazing giveaway (click here for details) and the unveiling of a design-inspired fashion contest winner (to see entries, like #brimfield on facebook).

Who will be in attendance? Look for lots of media presence including media partners Better Homes and Gardens and Traditional Home, not to mention a rocking list of design bloggers, industry professionals and twitter personalities. Put your name on the list by clicking here. It is sure to be a fun couple of days filled with treasure finding and connecting IRL!

Time for the NYIGF

Dunes and Duchess International Life Saving Orange 4-arm Candelabra
paired with Diane James Home Fall Rose & Gardenia Bouquet
photo credit: Elizabeth Wertz Photography

If you are attending the New York International Gift Fair this week, be sure to stop by and say hello to my friends at Dunes and Duchess and Diane James Home. I hear they are side by side again, at Pier 94 in booths 41059 (DandD) and 42059 (DJH). Read more about them in the summer issue of New England Finery on pages 29 through 31.

New England Finery Magazine, summer 2011

Curious about the NYIGF? Check out my related post from when I attended in January and see some of my favorite items from the show in the first issue of New England Finery.

UPDATE: And here is a post on the Hamptontoes design blog with photos from both the Dunes and Duchess and Diane James Home booths this year. Thanks for the visual tour, Lisa!

Last day of the show ...

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!

A dozen+ digital design magazines

Cover photo: Elizabeth Wertz Photography

Looking for summer reading of the eye candy variety? Below is what you’ll find in my digital library. Most of these were released over the summer and a few are from late spring. I am already working on the fall issue of New England Finery and I love to look at what other editors of digital magazines like to present in their feature stories and of course, on their covers! Maybe some of these are already your favorites? The local issues like Perspective and Surroundings are always a treat for me because I get to see what some of my design friends (and photographers) have been up to lately. Let me know what you like about digital magazines – their covers, their stories – and please share what you’d like to see improved upon by visiting New England Finery on facebook and leaving a comment or two. I’d love to hear your thoughts! Click on each of the covers below and enjoy ...

Cover photo: Grey Crawford

POST UPDATE: On August 11th, Paloma Contreras, the editor of High Gloss Magazine, posted online that they will no longer be publishing this digital magazine. The team no doubt has new creative ventures on the horizon and I wish them much success in whatever they tackle next!

Cover photo: Greg Premru

Cover photo: Michael J. Lee

Cover photo: Durston Saylor

Cover photo: Jose Villa

Cover photo of Mayme Baker Interiors

Cover photo: Carol Dronsfield

Cover illustration: Julia Denos

Cover photo: Patrick Cline

Cover photo: Patrick Cline

Cover photo: Frances Janisch

Cover photo: Simon Burn

Roundtables and discussion of NE Finery

Recently there have been a number of blog posts highlighting the summer issue of New England Finery. Check them out for some background stories about the creative people and design businesses featured in issue 3. And if you spot any mentions online, please let me know in the comment section. I love to read what others have to say about some of my favorite New England design discoveries!

photo credit Michael J. Lee

Michael J. Lee discusses setting up this summer vignette with designer Robert Brown and tells the story behind a favorite poem.

photo credit Sally Wilson

John Kelsey has some nice things to say about being featured in New England Finery issue 3.

photo credit Michael J. Lee

Diane James Home: The Buzz Blog shares their thoughts on being a part of my space at the North Shore Design Show and admits that they have an “orange crush.”

photo credit Rosanne Palazola

Marie Maguire of Holly Lane Antiques expresses her appreciation of being included in New England Finery’s feature article on antiques at Elm Bank.


Thank you, bloggers, for sharing your points of view!


{See the entire issue by clicking here.}

Inspired by the coast ...

Temperatures rose above 100 degrees in New England today. It is the time of year during mid-summer when one longs to spend it cooling off along the line of the seashore. We are very fortunate that there are so many beaches within driving distance that we can visit to find relief from the heat. It is always worth the trip (as long as there is parking available ; )

Interior designer Katherine Hawkins enjoys the beaches of New England not just for their ability to cool, but for the inspiration that she finds there. An avid collector of sea glass, she is constantly on the lookout for these ocean-hued treasures. Read her article on incorporating the colors of the seashore in her article “Sea Glass Serenity” in the summer issue of New England Finery Magazine. And when you click on her illustration, you will be directed to the decorative pieces she has chosen to represent her vision of a room inspired by the water’s edge.

photograph by Katherine Hawkins

Abalone Waterfall Chandelier
from Cottage & Bungalow