Patio Perfection

We have been seeing a lot of pictures of Reese Witherspoon's Ojai, California home in the blogosphere of late. As taken as I am with the entirety of the house, I cannot get over this beautiful patio. I am trying to work on my patio here in Charleston - and I am taking this as my inspiration photo. Love the look of the entire experience. Now on to achieving that here ... 

photo courtesy of Elle Decor

Scape Smitten

I am completely smitten with this Tennessee landscape that was recently featured in Elle Decor. I have never been particularly interested in gardens or gardening, but now that we're in Charleston I am trying to beautify my own garden. I have always loved the symmetry and clean lines of boxwood hedges in different shapes and sizes - as in the third picture. But I also love the free-flowing nature of some of the grasses in the final photo. Those flowering trees are absolutely beautiful. The hard thing about Charleston for me is that we are in a tropical location. So much of the gardens that I love are English, or located up North. So now I am trying to focus my attentions to gardens down South ... But unfortunately, even this one is in a different zone than we are in downtown. So maybe I have to look to the caribbean for my inspiration. But for now, I'll sigh and look at this one ... 

Fig or a Palm?

Grant K. Gibson

A fiddle leaf fig? 

David Lawrence

Or a palm? 

A fig has a more free-flowing unruly vibe ... 

Tom Scheerer

Whereas you can pot a palm, or palm leaves. Tropical but restrained. 

Palm leaves are heavily featured in all types of design - and with good reason - they look fantastic. Like this "Southwind" wallpaper by Meg Braff. 

Or in these now famous walls designed by Tom Scheerer at the Lyford Cay Club. 

I don't know what it is about a Fiddle Leaf Fig though ... unrestrained and wild, architectural.  A bit trendy these days, but I think there will be no beating it against a grasscloth backdrop in the study in Charleston. 

Because that is one thing to keep in mind in the discussion of palm v. fig. If you're talking Charleston, there is no escaping the palm leaf. The palmetto tree is featured on the state flag of South Carolina, and palmetto trees line the streets (and our porch). 

Now that I think about it, for me the discussion of palm v. fig is over, because when you walk out the study door onto the porch, you're staring right into these leaves. So I guess I already have my palm. 

Photos courtesy of Grant K. Gibson, House Beautiful & Town and Country

... And May All Your Christmases be White

I'm so sorry that I have been neglecting everyone! Work has been busy, and traveling, and Thanksgiving - again, no excuse. Although I usually resist decorating for Christmas early, there is one thing that I don't resist that says Christmas to me - paperwhites. Growing up, Christmas in Connecticut was always about smells: the smell of the tree, the garlands that my mother draped over the mantelpiece, bowls of clementines, and my favorite, paperwhites. Every year around Thanksgiving, my mother places these delightful bulbs all over the house, filling it with the most enchanting aroma.

For me, paperwhites smell like "home for the holidays," and purchasing my own paperwhite for my first New York apartment was almost ceremonial. The simple green and white will complement the color palate of any room--but for some additional color you can tie a ribbon around the stems of the flowers. Last year, I bought a thick chocolate brown satin ribbon from Kate's Paperie and tied it around the stems of my paperwhite--it was like putting a great necklace on over a little black dress.

One of my favorite things about paperwhites, is how inexpensive and easy to maintain they are! The most beneficial thing to do for your paperwhite is to put it outside for the evening. Don't worry about them getting cold, they like it, and the hit of cold every now and then prevents the stems from wilting. In New York,  I put my paperwhite on our balconette every night, and this ensures that its stems stay straight for the duration of the holiday season! If you don't have a mini balcony like WWB and I, use your fire escape! 

I bought my paperwhite last week for $8 at a market on Lex , and it is still going strong. Check out your local market or Trader Joe's, and if you don't have one in your area, typically Whole Foods or other grocery stores stock them this time of year. Merry Christmas!

Here's a tip: if the stems of your paperwhite begin to wilt, use the ribbon suggestion to tie them up. This way, you are supporting your paperwhite whilst adding some color.

Think Pink!

Everywhere I look I see pale pink peonies!--and I absolutely adore them. Not the dark pink, not any other color, simply the pale pink, almost white, peonies.  At the wedding I attended in Charleston two weeks ago, peonies were the flower in the table arrangements, and they looked so beautiful. 

Peonies say spring and early summer to me, part of the reason I love them is probably the time of year that they are in season! You have heard me talk about flowers that I love in previous posts ... hyacinths, paperwhites ... but peonies are right up there with those two flowers. I love how big and free form they are. 

I love putting peonies together in short arrangements (as seen here). The beautiful blossoms create gorgeous mounds of that pale pale pink that is absolutely to die for! Over the weekend I bought some peonies and arranged them in a Ball jar, and I love how the short arrangement looks! They are great for a bedside table.  

House Beautiful

So go out and get some peonies for your home and let them brighten up your day ... I bought a beautiful bouquet for only $10 at the deli around the corner, and they are great. I am pretty sure that I have said it before, but decorating with flowers is really cheap and easy and they can make such a huge difference in a space. 

Topiary Tales

House Beautiful

I love it when I get emails from blog readers asking me to fill them in on my opinion on a given aspect of design or certain DIY projects--its so flattering! This one comes from one of my favorite readers who wanted to know about house plants ... when to use them, where to put them, and which ones to pick out. Unfortunately for my reader, I am not a huge fan of the house plant. Do you ever walk by those apartment windows where you just see a chaos of plants that are clinging on for dear life? That is my fear with house plants, so I tend to stay away from them as a general rule. Additionally, try keeping anything alive in an apartment! But one thing that I would advocate if you are looking to add something green and living into your decor is the topiary. 

House Beautiful

These two pictures, from the foyer of decorator Windsor Smith's LA home, exemplify why I like topiaries. Green, clean, and architectural. Additionally, you have the opportunity to use a really chic pot, which can also enhance the room's design. 

House Beautiful

Here, in the Newport Home of designer John Peixnho, he uses a cluster of miniature topiaries on a hall table, which helps to create good height, as well as add some green touches to the space. 

House Beautiful

In this Steven Gambrel designed kitchen, the topiaries take on a more modern feel, and seem to mimic the vertical light fixtures in the space. The topiaries on the table have more of a free-form shape than round, whereas the topiaries on the countertop have a more traditional rounded shape. One of the things that I love about topiaries is that they come in all shapes and sizes. So far, I have shown you both boxwood and myrtle topiaries, which are my favorite. However, a topiary can be made of many other things such as ivy, rosemary, lavender, and even fruit!

House Beautiful

In this living room by Jonathan Rosen, he has added topiaries that use wire to create a transparent globe shape. 

Now if you want to add that green and architectural element to your space that only a topiary can provide, but you worry about your lack of a green thumb, Lexington Gardens in NYC sells preserved topiaries. They are not faux, they are simply dried and preserved to look alive--you just don't have to keep them alive. However, they are not giving these away ... the miniature start at $95! 

Habitually Chic

Next door at Trelliage, Bunny Williams shop, you can get inspiration from her abundant use of topiaries, and then move on. If you're anything like me, you cannot afford anything in there. People are typically not giving away topiaries,  at Lenox Hill Florist on the Upper East Side I was quoted a price of $45 for a small myrtle topiary, and at Century Florist in the same neighborhood I was quoted $50. This is not cheap, but could be considered reasonable, as places such as Plaza Florist, who are considered topiary experts, will charge far more than that. 

House Beautiful

If you want to add a topiary to your decorating scheme, I would go out and scour the neighborhood doing a price comparison. Call around and go to different places, but I would avoid the shops that advertise as topiary experts--that translates to expensive topiary! To my reader who asked me the question, I hope this helps!

Back in Bloom

Sorry about the lack of a post yesterday, I officially arrived back in Philadelphia and started classes again.  Its so good to be back in my little apartment.  First stop yesterday was Trader Joe's for hyacinths!  Finally back in season, these beautiful blue, white, and purple flowers have the most amazing scent and look beautiful in any space. 

I have previously blogged about paperwhites, and how their scent signals the holiday season for me, but hyacinths are the best, because they cheer you up during a time of year which can seem quite dreary.  

Hyacinths come in a variety of different colors, I am partial to the blueish-purple, however, the white are lovely too.  All have the same beautiful scent.  

There are also flowers called grape hyacinths, shown above, which are much smaller, and have a grape-like appearance.  Their thin stems and wild look is perfect for tumbling out of country containers throughout the house.  

Remember also that hyacinths are a bulb flower, and with enough patience, you can plant the bulb in autumn and wait for the flowers' arrival this time of year.  However, if you do decide to do this, be sure you store the bulb in a cool and dark place for the duration of the fall--this in itself can be quite a task in an old apartment building with radiant heat! 

One of my favorite things about cut hyacinths is that they require little or no skill in flower arrangement.  Flower arranging has never been my forte, and I have always deferred to those with more skill when it comes to cut stems, however, with hyacinths there is very little struggle.  Put haphazardly into interesting containers or simple vases, hyacinths always look pulled together and chic.  A simple clear vase, like the one shown above, is perfect for showcasing the bright green stems of the hyacinth.  I love the contrast between the strong purple-blue and the green.  

A small bouquet of hyacinths will not cost you more than $10 at your local Trader Joe's, or the corner store, and they are a cheap way to add some cheer to your space this time of year--not to mention the scent!  Here are my hyacinths in my Philadelphia studio, stuck into a vase from Crate and Barrel which was also under $10.  If you fall in love with the hyacinth scent, and crave it long after these beautiful bulbs are in season, check out my post on candles here.  

Photos courtesy of Google Images and Decorating with Blue and White by Gail Abbott-photography by Mark Scott

Vive la France!

Not to dwell on the topic of smells too much, but they are so important to the design of a space--with an inspired wall color, sumptuous fabrics, chic candles, a cool playlist, and good hors d'oeuvres, a guest is using all five senses to experience your home! In my opinion, Seda France makes the most amazing candles on the market. The signature Pagoda Box candles come in a wonderful variety of scents, so there is definitely a scent for everyone. Hyacinth is by far my favorite.

At a cost of only $32, these candles undercut much of the "candle competition," and they're the only candle whose packaging is a decorative objet in itself. The chic chinoiserie box with its gold tassel is too pretty to throw away -- the packaging for my Hyacinth candle lives on a shelf in my bathroom and adds a nice hit of teal to the space!

For those of you who are on a tight budget this year (I'm a student!), these votive size candles are a perfect choice! Currently on sale for $10, these allow you to scatter the scent throughout your home, and offer up to 15 hours of burn time per votive. These also make excellent hostess gifts for all those holiday parties this season -- what hostess wouldn't want to receive such a special treat? (And remember, keep that box!)

There are even travel sized candles, on sale individually for $6, which make wonderful stocking stuffers, and travel extremely well for those instances where a hotel room doesn't quite feel like home. Obviously these don't come with a box, so I would always advise buying the votives if you are planning on using it in your home -- you get a little more for your money.

Finally, for those of you who have the money to spend, and who love Seda France as much as I do, this three-wick candle, at a cost of $42, is the one for you! With a burn time of over 70 hours, this candle will be scenting your environs for many evenings to come. Happy Smelling!

Photos courtesy of www.sedafrance.com