Designers take to the road.

Furniture by Sebastian Carpenter Design
I love how the round feet contrast with the
straight edges of this chair and ottoman set,
which are dressed in a new-to-the-line geometric
print and trimmed in chocolate brown velvet.

I had the opportunity to get a sneek peak at this warmly modern furniture vignette that was set up over the weekend at the home of architect/furniture designer Sebastian Carpenter. These pieces (including the very cool sculptural green wall) will go on the road to the Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Show being held in Providence, Rhode Island this weekend from Friday, October 23rd to Sunday, October 25th at the Rhode Island Convention Center.

Admission is only $10 to view over 100 American artists showing and selling handcrafted furniture, accessories, fine art and craft. Get a chance to see a wide variety of pieces – from traditional to contemporary – and talk to the designers themselves, just like I did (I love to hear the stories behind the design process). Here is what I saw this weekend:

Sebastian’s pieces are strongly influenced by his architectural training along with an inherited artistic eye (see my previous post from June ’09).

He strives to create furnishings that honor the use of natural resources. Many of his techniques, like the rich patina achieved by actually burning the wood of the sofa frame as seen above, employ unique methods to create aesthetic pieces in a “green” way.

His lamps, with shades from Blanche P. Field, are elegantly sturdy and would certainly fit in the back of most cars if you are lucky enough to make it to Rhode Island to see the show. These pieces are also available through the Boston Design Center or contact SCD directly to plan in advance for your next fine furnishing purchase.

These always make me smile ...
a pair of Pony Cubes from SCD.

Also at the show (among other exhibits) will be some incredible work presented by students that are currently enrolled in 3 furniture making programs throughout New England (one being at Rhode Island School of Design). I always wonder if my life would have been different if I had gone to RISD when given the chance way back when. Perhaps one of my boys has inherited my artistic talent and will take that route (although to be fair, BC was very good to me!) Either way, I guess my husband and I should start saving ...

“Mom and me” by Ben, age 5


As for me, this weekend I will be in Reading, MA for
the opening of my friend Beth’s new design shop:



Check out her new website and blog (which I designed for her) and be sure to stop by some weekend to see the great stuff that she has put together. She has taken antique paper (that she has been collecting for years) and has combined it in the most amazing ways to create jewelry and home decorating items that are simply inspiring. Beth will also be offering fresh floral arrangements “to-go” along with vintage treasures. Her shop already feels very “Beth” to me. I find that I feel more creative just being around her!


This week, I will be helping with some prep work on the display areas in the shop for the Trunk Shows that will showcase guest designers over the nine weekends that the studio is open. As I have mentioned, design items from my collections will be on display in the store (thanks, Beth!). These pieces have been my own personal field of dreams (if you build it, they will come). In my case, if you are compelled to create art out of fabric and wallpaper, a store will magically appear to sell them!

From my “Best Friends” collection.


Items like these are looking for a good home ...
come check them out for a limited time at:


Beth Hylan Design Studio
159 Ash Street, Reading, MA
Open Saturdays from 10 am – 5 pm
Sundays from 12 noon – 5 pm
Call 781.246.8552 for more info.


PS...
If you stop by the store, please sign my
guest book if I am not around to say hi!

Field trip ... fairgrounds as inspiration

Fall’s Bounty at the Topsfield Fair, 2009
Topsfield, Massachusetts

This weekend, my “boys” and I took a short ride from our present day farmhouse to see what working the land is really like by way of The Topsfield Fair. Started in 1818 by the Essex Agricultural Society for the purpose of promoting agricultural interests, The Topsfield Fair still educates and amuses visitors of all ages with its colorful displays, adorable creatures, and food you know you shouldn’t eat but what the heck! Although I have to say, even the prize-winning vegetables were tempting ...

In case you did not get a chance to go yourself, here is more of what we saw while walking the fair grounds.

A beekeeper vignette ...


I loved the sweet honey-yellow
painted floors in the bee house ...



Colorful coats ...

Designer-style coats ...

Of the hundreds of bunnies that we visited in the Rabbit and Cavie House (a cavie is a guinea pig), not one was as darling as our family pet, Lucky Charm. Lucky is a Giant Flemish rabbit – the largest rabbit species there is (he could weigh in at 20 pounds or more when he is fully grown). We obviously chose a bunny big enough to survive four boys ... who actually treat him like gold!

Lucky at home.


I did take home this cute bunny business card holder (to add to my rabbit collection). I think I will bring it over to Beth’s shop when it opens in a couple of weeks. A small lucky charm for our new venture!

Speaking of collections, now I know what to do with all the found-on-the-side-of-the-road chairs that I have been “saving” in my garage ...

Chairs exhibited at the
Grange Building.

Chairs displayed by:
Norman’s Chair Caning & Upholstery
Ipswich, Massachusetts

The flower exhibit (my favorite) ...


“New England’s Premier Flower Show”
“Special Days to Green Up”
in conjunction with the
Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts


A color trend for fall, inside and out ...
lavender with green.

Central Park Clover wallcovering
from the Designers Guild

Ornamental cabbage always steals the show ...

A pretty window box idea ...

I wish my fall garden looked like this ...

This unusual floral mobile reminds me of ...


Pearl Lotus Flower Chandelier
from VivaTerra

Love the flower pots stacked one on top of another. Very sculptural. Almost looks like the carved wooden urns below from The Furniture Institute of Massachusetts.

Furniture Making Classes ...
Nights & Weekend Workshops, Fall 2009
with Philip C. Lowe, Master Furniture Maker/Director
Beverly, Massachusetts

I would consider taking one of these classes (perhaps as a night out with the hubby?) I always catch him whistling when he is doing carpentry work. We could make a pair of new chairs!

The rich colors of autumn ...

Fresh, stylish, gorgeous ...
Dahlias in a Perrier bottle.

More stand alone drama ...
a red Chinese Lantern Flower
gets a blue ribbon.

I love red paired with light blue ...

Pondicherry wallpaper from the
Cypress Collection by Thibaut

Funnie on a rainy day ..

Shade for a sunny day ...

How I felt after so much visual stimulation ...


Sand sculpture by Justin Gordon

The above images represent the work of many talented artisans and craftspeople. I apologize for not writing down everyone’s name and information, but I was doing my best to snap a few shots while keeping an eye on four boys (plus one husband) who were going back and forth between fried dough stands and petting zoos (I was actually handing out Wet Ones as a just-in-case back-up after they used the stationed-everywhere-Purell!) Overall, each of us enjoyed a fun day (something for everyone) courtesy of the Topsfield Fair (until the sugar kicked in on the ride home ...)


What inspired you today?

What is going on today ...

“Tweet” pin designed by Beth Hylan

OMG! I am going to be collaborating with my friend, designer Beth Hylan, on the launch of her new design studio coming to Reading, Massachusetts later this month! Some of you may remember Beth’s gorgeous floral designs from Sweetbay Flowers or have seen her line of amazingly creative jewelry called Petals to Keep. Well all I can tell you now is that what she has planned for her new retail space is going to be fabulous! And it gets better! I will have a corner in her store to market some designs of my own from my interior decorating collections (as any designer knows, these artful objects just seem to accumulate!) Stay tuned for future posts on this new design adventure!!!

Getting cozy in the kitchen.

A custom bench cushion with accent pillows that I recently had made for one of my clients to coordinate with a large but simple valance designed to showcase a dramatically scaled print from Stark fabrics.

Despite the pouring rain on Saturday, many showed up (in some very cute slickers, I might add!) to take in The Wenham Museum’s 2nd Annual Heart of the Home Kitchen Tour. Nine kitchens were showcased – and of the six that we had time to visit, each was unique and all were quite welcoming in their own way. Some were like walking right into a magazine spread (which I loved), while in others you could tell that these kitchens have been cherished by their love-to-cook owners (which I totally envied).

Here is what I noticed (but wasn’t able to photograph ...)

• The floors: lots of medium to dark hardwood on the floors. One that I really adored had beautifully dramatic extra wide planks. So unusual! I love hardwood in the kitchen (a farmhouse feature of my current in-need-of-a-renovation-kitchen that I am a-ok with). Hardwood has a slight give underfoot, which a cook who spends a lot of time in the kitchen can really appreciate.

• Unique materials: One home in particular stood out from the rest with its patchwork of earth-colored cork tiles, a center island topped with a genuine slab of pine (smooth and shiny on top, but still sporting its roughly curved edge), sparkly walls (I think there were shells ground up in the plaster?), and large rock finials on the stair banisters. This home, with its nod to nature, felt and looked “real.”

• In a big room, small cozy spots stand out. Who doesn’t love a secret hideaway? In some of these wide open kitchens, it was the pantry that stole the show. Pantries are my all time favorite ... I can just imagine sneaking away from a party to sip a drink with a friend and talk about the goings on in the quiet comfort of a stylishly decorated butlers pantry.

• Personality counts. I can’t remember how many burners each stove had, or who had the newest kitchen gadget (with the exception of the kitchen with two dishwashers — my dream!), but I do remember the framed photo of one homeowner with Julia Child, the collection of horseback riding inspired tea cups, the family portraits, and the boldly dramatic choices in lighting, wall coverings and fabrics that gave us a glimpse of the personality of those who lived there.

• Flowers make a difference! Some of my favorite spaces included beautiful flower arrangements. Even if your kitchen isn’t on a show house tour, you can give it some designer-love with a pretty vase of flowers. Even better ... make up three small vases with the exact same arrangement and place them side by side on your counter or dining table. People WILL notice, and they are great for taking the attention away from the have-to-live-with-for-now-items that you may not want people to see ... like Harvest Gold appliances, for example (I use a lot of flowers in my kitchen)!

You can actually check out one of the kitchens online by my friend, designer Patricia Finn of Finn-Martens Design. Her sophisticated design is both warm and thoughtfully modern, while still referencing the historical character of the home.


Photo from Finn-Martens Design website

End note: We worked up quite an appetite after touring so many gourmet style kitchens. In one home, we saw a plate of brownies that seemed to be taunting us from under the safety of its glassed dome! We didn't sneak one – this time – but I will remember to bring some snacks for the ride next year.

Maybe this recently renovated home overlooking
Chebacco Lake will be on tour next year?
I will post more pictures of the other
newly designed rooms soon.

In the meantime, if you are seriously considering a re-haul of your current kitchen, check out this great interview with Ina Garten of the Barefoot Contessa (one of my favorite people that I haven’t met!) by Christine Pittel of House Beautiful. Ina’s philosophy on what makes great kitchen design, and how to entertain at home without stress is a must read before starting any kitchen renovation ...

50 Kitchen Ideas from the Barefoot Contessa

Photo credit: Julian Wass