Fairytale wedding

Photo by Wynne & Mintz Photography
from The Summer Nursery

What was your favorite part of the Royal Wedding? I *loved* the Queen in yellow and Princess Catherine looked understatedly elegant. Not sure about the red on Prince William (seems like it took away from the bride) but it was a lively combination. I only watched a quick recap, so if you saw a blog post that covers the wedding well, please leave a link in the comments. I saw a fun post recently on Katie Rosenfeld’s design blog Bogle Street which featured a guess at what Princess Kate’s royal interiors might look like. How would you decorate a space fit for royalty?

This month @NewEnglandHome

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New England Home, Jan./Feb. 2011

Cover photo by Laura Moss

The January/February issue of New England Home magazine just hit the newsstands and guess who’s in it? Actually, a lot of local talent is featured throughout, but I felt especially honored to be included in a shout-out to the Danvers Historical Society summer design show (see pages 122 and 124).

From New England Home, Jan./Feb. 2011

There are a lot of local design event photos in this current issue, making it easy to put a name with a face in the Boston design community. Also in the magazine, this month’s feature articles include some really neat spaces that are a twist on the traditional. In fact, New England Home seems to be on the verge of redefining itself, and is apparently catching on to the value of today’s social media driven design scene.





I was happy to discover this week that they just launched a daily design blog that will feature behind-the-scenes glimpses of magazine features, editor design pics, designer interviews, previews of upcoming events, and much more. Today, editor Stacy Kunstel wrote a post referencing the dramatic cover photo of this month’s magazine and the current trend of designing with black (check it out by clicking here.)

I am particularly interested in tuning in for the “guest blogger series” which will begin next Tuesday. Linda Merrill of The Skirted Roundtable and Surroundings will share this series for the month with Leslie Fine of Leslie Fine Interiors. More bloggers will follow. Sounds like something I would be interested in ...

I am slowly transforming my new office into a
grown-up space. This Pottery Barn bookrack used to
hold the kids picture books and now it holds mine.

To view the digital version of New England Home online, visit their website. This month’s issue is not up yet, so you will have to get a copy the traditional way or wait until the end of the month to view it in it’s entirety. I have one print copy of my own, but I just might have to run out and pick up a couple more copies to have on hand as keepsakes : )
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Preparing for the holiday season

Vignette by Ann Chapdelaine
for a recent design show
“Reflecting on Danvers History
through Interior Design”

As many of us enjoy the day off in honor of our Veteran’s, I figured it would be a good time to start thinking about those just-around-the-corner holidays! With this in mind, I will be presenting some weekly posts that focus on traditions, unique gifts for giving, and how to enjoy the holidays with the least amount
of stress so that we may get the most out of our
cherished time with family and friends.

Original art by Mark Grundig of bostonartist.com
Arrangement by Fiddlehead Flowers of Salem
Pottery by sculpter Michael A. Guadagno of Danvers

Today’s tip involves shopping at unexpected places and I am featuring the boutique at the Danvers Historical Society (which also has items for sale online). As many of you know, this summer
I participated in a design show to benefit DHS, and many items from the numerous vignettes are now for sale in the shop, along with a variety of designed objects from local artisans. If you live in or close to the North Shore area, this is a great way to shop local
and support the talented artists that are
in our neighborhoods.

Below are just some of the items being offered ...

From my design collection: Nursery toile
fabric art in linen adorned wooden frames

Modern floral arrangement from
Sandra Biondo Interiors of Danvers
(seen below in design show vignette)

More arrangements from Fiddlehead Flowers paired

with carpets from First Oriental Rugs of Danvers

Permanent flowers are a thoughtful hostess gift
that will last long after the holidays.

This large organic wreath would add a subtle
and sophisticated touch to winter decorating.

Offering old-world-style blown-glass holiday
ornaments designed by The Merck Family is
an annual tradition at the DHS boutique.

This year’s ornament is the “lucky” Double Mushroom in honor of The New England Mushroom Company which provided this “versatile vegetable” to the Boston and Salem markets back in the mid-20’s to mid-30’s. Ornaments from
years past are still available for purchase.

From 2009:
Patriotic
Remembrance
Heart

The Danvers Historical Society boutique is
located at 11 Page Street in Danvers and is open
Monday through Friday from 9am to 1pm
or shop online by clicking here.



Danvers Historical Society
upcoming events ...

Parade of Trees at Tapley Hall
November 27th and 28th from 2pm till 6pm
December 2nd from 3pm to 7pm
December 3rd from 10am to 5pm

All donated and decorated trees will be
raffled off to benefit the Danvers Bi-Peds.
Raffle tickets are available for purchase
through the Danvers Historical Society.




The Annual Holiday Soiree at the
Endicott Mansion at Glen Magna Farms
December 3rd from 6pm to 10pm
For event information and tickets, click here.

I am in Coastal Home!

This past summer at a preview party/press event
for the Danvers Historical Society design show Reflecting on Danvers History through Interior Design, I had a nice conversation with Coastal Home publisher Keith Lemerise. He liked the room I designed and I mentioned how I knew some designers that had recently been featured in his magazine (Nicole Yee was in the summer issue). Upon leaving, he gave me his card, so I began to follow this fairly new magazine on both Facebook and twitter.

One day, CH editor Lynn Felici-Gallant posted on Facebook that they were looking for some inspiring photos and design ideas for the upcoming fall issue.
I sent over a list of content ideas that I knew I had photos to (I always try to use my own photos on my blog) and guess what? Lynn looked over my ideas and then my blog, and chose an image from one of my posts to feature in the current issue!

I took the photo above (top right hand corner) on one of my trips to the Boston Design Center, in one of my favorite showrooms, JANUS et Cie. Read my “Must Do” article in the online version of Coastal Home by clicking here. For my full post with photos from the JANUS et Cie showroom, click here.

And to subscribe to Coastal Home magazine,
click here.

Just another cool example of how easy it is
for social media to connect people with ideas –
and opportunities!

A few words from a friend ...

My friend, Rosanne Palazola of Tuttle & Co.
in her designed space at Tapley Hall for
Reflecting on Danvers History through
Interior Design, July 2010


Portrait of Louise Thoron Endicott
by John Singer Sargent


Rosanne’s space at the summer design show at Tapley Hall paid tribute to Louise “Lulu” Thoron Endicott, who while a privileged resident at Glen Magna Farms during the early 1900’s, was not afraid to get her hands dirty, and spent much of her time tending the gardens.




Inspired to bring the outdoors in, Rosanne created
a thoughtful vignette that combined items from
the Danvers Historical Society collection with
a handful of modern elements for this indoor
version of a gardener’s potting shed.


Carpet from First Oriental Rugs of Danvers

Rosanne combined richly textured fabrics,
simple burlap walls, and artful images to
create a charming and memorable space.




The sentiment on this accent pillow was
appreciated by many visitors to the show.



An historically patterned floorcloth created by
Lisa Curry Mair of Canvasworks Floorcloths

Please visit Rosanne’s design blog, Focus on Design when you get a chance. Her recent post on a canvas floorcloth presentation that we both saw while at Glen Magna Farms for our Designer High Tea includes a lot of the information that I have been meaning to share (it is so nice to have friends who participate in the same events and then write about them in their own blog!) Since I have been noticing floorcloths a lot lately – chevron patterns seen on numerous design blogs and a large scale shell painted on one at the York Decorator Show House – I thought it would be nice to share a bit of this conversation with you ...

Click here for more about floorcloths
in the words of Rosanne Palazola

Question: What would your floorcloth look like if you were to commission (or make one) for your home? Click here to add your thoughts on the Canvasworks blog, or feel free to share your comments here!

The Summer Nursery: Design in Detail

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Wertz

When I design a space, my goal is to weave together fine details to create a grand picture that is both beautiful and engaging. For The Summer Nursery at Tapley Hall, I chose details that reflect a story book theme, the spirit of adventure, and the tender touch of mother nature. It is an imaginative space that honors the classic relationship between parent and child.

Natural textures played an important role in telling this
story by-the-sea. Linen. Wicker. Rattan. Grass. Seashells.

I picture this nursery in a grand Victorian, somewhere along the ocean’s edge. A true respite from the city.
A quiet place to relax and enjoy the natural rhythms
of the ocean while celebrating the ebb
and flow of motherhood.

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Wertz

This is a story of juxtapositions where visual
contrasts create symbolic interest ...

Traditional styling paired with modern fabrics.
Fine art sharing space with story book illustrations.
Tailored pieces with a hint of youthful exuberance.



Bright pops of color and playful patterns infuse
this vintage space with modern freshness.

Favorite characters add visual entertainment while
preserving cherished memories from “story time.”

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Little Bear by Elise Holmelund Minarik
A Frog in the Bog by Karma Wilson
Zen Shorts by Jon Muth
Anything by Eric Carle





A story to ponder is woven in wool.

Zebra and leopard prints pay homage to
the wild adventure that is parenthood.

Expectations, a collection of candid photographs
and reflective stories from new mothers,
reads very much like a blog. It was published
in 1998, the year I had my first.

A little boy charms.

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Wertz

A charming little boy, illustrated by my
all-time childhood favorite, Eloise Wilkin.

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Wertz

A wildly adorable visitor finds a perfect place to sit.

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Wertz

Simple dressing of a palladian window
includes a summery sheer that
captures light and softens the view.




Dragonflies, tassels, and garlands of pearl add
a touch of whimsy to the traditional valance.



More tassels are repeated on
a vintage reading lamp.



And one more tassel
decorates a doorknob.

A crown because every child is royalty and
every mom should be treated like a queen.

Stars from the sea as a reminder
of a child’s limitless potential.

A mother’s pearls add natural sparkle.

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Wertz


A sequined pillow shines brightly.
Truly, a baby is a blessing.

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Wertz

Sweet dreams ...




Special thanks goes to:

Bassinet: Danvers Historical Society Collection
“Summer Sky” oil painting: Mary Taggart, Wakefield
Valance: RDR for Yvonne Blacker Interiors, Lynnfield
Upholstery and Sheer: Acorn Interiors, Andover
Persian Tabriz: First Oriental Rugs, Danvers
Flowers: Fiddlehead Flowers, Salem
Elizabeth Wertz Photography



And of course, I can’t forget ...

My husband, John, and the stars in our sky:
Zachary, Dylan, Owen and Ben



xoxo
Thanks for all your love,
support, and inspiration!