The importance of being blue

29 Wednesday Apr 2015

Posted by Karen B. in Accessories; details, Decorating, House and Home

Happy Wednesday! Before I begin on my topic for this weeks post I want to share some exciting news. I’m sure you already follow the wonderful blog, Design Chic (authored by mother and daughter talents Beth (mom) and Kristy (daughter)) which provides us with fabulous design and fashion features each week. Kristy is publishing her first novel next week. I was privileged to get an advanced copy, and I’ll be sharing my enthusiasm for the book on next week’s post, but I wanted to give you the advanced link to order, Dear Carolina.

The colors blue and white are classics where home decor is concerned. There is no shortage of this color combination featured on blog sites, in magazines and books. I’ve talked about my love of the fusion of the the pairing at least four times on Garden, Home and Party, [1, 2, 3, 4} and since repetition seems to be a curse in the blog world, I’m going for it once more.

Blue is an alluring color even when the focus isn’t on home decorating.

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Have any of you grown blue tulips? Are they truly this blue?

alexapulitzer.com

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So buckle up…let’s look at a few rooms I’ve recently found online, starring the one and only blue and white.

{Instagram: juliocesarlimaudia}

{agiftwrappedlife.tumblr}

This bedroom almost looks like a painting to me…its so perfectly inviting.

{anantucketstateofmind.tumblr}

{Black&SpiroInteriors.com} ↓↑

{PrettyPetals.com}

{SouthernLiving.com}

{our mantle}

Oh, for this view. It’s even relaxing for the dog—nap time?

{TraditionalHome-Eliza Gatfield’s Oyster Bay Home}

{KelleyInteriorDesign.com}

{KembleInteriors.com}

Do you have any blue and white in your home’s decor?

Gardening through a drought

22 Wednesday Apr 2015

Posted by Karen B. in Gardening

≈ 41 Comments

Tags

drought

I have been a garden enthusiast since I was a child, working beside my mom in our garden was always fun for me. My maternal grandmother used to say she thought we picked up our love of gardening from her mother, my great grandmother. I’m passing my joy for the garden to my granddaughter(s). {Olivia loves working in the garden with grandma, Fae, at 6 months is still young but I hold great hope she will have fun too}.

Olivia and I planted these petunias on her last visit in March. They have really taken off, it’s been fun sending her pics of the flowers as they’ve grown.

Long time readers may remember that a friend and I had a small gardening business for many years. Cottage and English gardens were are speciality. I still love boxwood borders, roses, lavender, penstemon, camellias, all varieties of perennials. Borders of primrose, pansy or violas in the cooler months and impatiens or lobelia in the warmer months were icing on the garden cake. Seasonal bulbs and other plants that catch my eye at the nursery are also welcome.

Changes may be coming to our garden. We are in the 4th year of a severe drought. Many, who study such things, say this has happened before. I remember! Having lived in SoCal all but 2 years of my entire life I can remember carefully cutting back on water usage indoors so that I felt less guilt watering my garden.

I have a neighbor who has taken advantage of our water district’s rebate plan. If you remove grass and replace it with drought tolerant plants, they will reimburse a certain amount of money per square foot. Our water bill is calculated using a tiered plan. If you go over the amount of water usage they have calculated for your lot, you are charged a premium, each tier (overage) raising your rates higher.

Below is a recent pic I took of my neighbor’s yard. There seems to be several plants in bloom each month of the year. The plan she’s installed is thriving and looks good.

Garden, Home and Party: Gardening through a drought

Here’s my issue. I don’t think I’ll be happy with xeriscape, and budget constraints insist I stay the course. I simply need to think “drought tolerant” when I buy new or replacement items. I’ve started a list of plants that will be happy in my garden and crave less water. This is only the beginning…I hope to learn more throughout this season and into Fall. I’ll keep you posted.

For a starter list I visited the Sunset Magazine hit list of drought tolerant plants. I was surprised and pleased to see that for my particular zone ZONE 24: Marine influence along the Southern California coast [as the crow flies we are about 6 miles from the ocean, but there is a ridge of hills blocking us from the full blown coastal influence], I can grow some of the same plants I currently have, in some cases certain varieties are stronger against drought than others, but it’s an easy fix. Such as: Lavandula multifida [a variety of lavender, common name ‘Spanish Eyes’] that will grow 3′ wide.

This was growing in and among the roses last year. I unsuccessfully transplanted it, so I will have to buy another few for the garden this year.

Another plant that caught my eye off the Sunset list: Salvia Clevelandii [common name ‘Winifred Gilman’] This beauty really doesn’t want it’s feet to be wet so it must be planted in well drained soil or even on an embankment (we don’t have an embankment, but we do have one sunny spot in the back yard that drains very quickly). You can order this plant from Annie’s Annuals.

There seems to be a recurring theme of purple…I guess I’ll have to search out alternate colors to mix things up a bit. Next on my watch list is: Agastache rugosa [there are a wide array of plants in the species and in a variety of colors] The plant is know for attracting hummingbirds. All good by me! 🙂

Garden, Home and Party: Gardening through drought

Since this post is already longer than most, I’ll share one more plant that looked promising: Nassella tenuissima [common name ‘Mexican Feathergrass’] This grass seems to blend beautifully with other blooming plants and I may need to try some proven winners in this drought condition.

Garden, Home and Party: Gardening through a draught

If you would like to check out Sunset’s list visit HERE. Otherwise, maybe I’ll just do this:

I’d try showering less time each day, but I don’t think that would be nearly as much fun as the Champagne idea!

Cottage Living

15 Wednesday Apr 2015

Posted by Karen B. in Cottages

≈ 29 Comments

Hi, Friends. How is your spring going so far? Some of you are just now getting a taste of the season. Isn’t s p r i n g wonderful?!

I think I may have mentioned, I’ve been paring down. Mr. B. and I are trying to weed out items that we no longer use, neither family or friends want, and just generally getting rid of stuff we often wonder why we purchased it in the first place. {Does that ever happen to you, or am I the only compulsive buyer out there?} 🙂 Our home is more cottage than castle and we love it, but it has been stretched to it’s limit storage-wise so it makes sense to create a little more space through elimination.

Even when I realize that storage is critical to an organized life, I lean towards liliputin sized spaces. A tucked away corner brightened by family heirlooms and a bouquet.

I used to attend the annual Pasadena Showcase House of Design. The event provides funding for community music programs. Often the homes were historic mansions, and they were beautiful, but invariably, when one existed, I fell in love with the carriage house.

The romantic in me imagines living in a cottage the likes of which you might see in England or other historic European or U.S. locations. I wonder if I’ve pared down enough for one of these beauties…

Parts of Carmel, California offer cottage lovers a community of pure and simple cottage-paradise. One of my favorite areas in this seaside village is the Comstock Historic District. The wavy roof shingles provide a thatched roof feel and I absolutely love the charm they provide the cottage.

{The Grant Wallace Cottage}

Another treasure in the picturesque village of Carmel is the Tuck Box. I could live in this cottage. It was designed and built by Hugh Comstock, famous of his cottage structures. It is believed he used the Tuck Box as either his office or home (or both) when it was completed in 1927. It is now a garden and gift shop has been in commercial operation since 1930.

{Tuck Box, Hugh Comstock}

Before we leave the west coast, the final cottage from Carmel is the ‘Hansel’ designed and built by Hugh Comstock. This was his first cottage. You can read more about it HERE. The half timber, slightly crooked, stone fireplace is charm in itself.

{Hansel, Hugh Comstock – Carmel, California}

I’m moving on…The Holiday cottage, rom-com enthusiasts will recognize. This isn’t even a real cottage but a shell made for the 2008 movie. I don’t care! It embodies the image of an old cottage somewhere in the U.K. (where it snows a bit for the holidays) and is equipped with 2 fireplaces, who could ask for anything more?

{The Holiday – Kate Winslet’s cottage}

This English storybook cottage seems, from the exterior, roomier than most cottages. Ivy on brick is wonderful and the cottage garden is icing on the cake for me.

{English Storybook Cottage}

Thatched roof, rose covered walls, leaded pane windows…do you think this might be too small? Maybe, but how cute is this? I’ve heard it used to belong to 7 dwarves. 🙂

{Fairytale Cottage}

{Cottage Garden}

I believe I could be happy on the east coast of the U.S. Jeffrey Bilhuber, designer, found (or rather it found him) this charming cottage on Nantucket (as a summer retreat for himself) as a result of an interview with Architectural Digest. Picket fence, shingled facade, and more rose covered walls…swoon.

{The Rose Cottage – Jeffrey Bilhuber – Architectural Digest}

The barndoor on this sweet cottage in Siasconset, Nantucket would be very inviting.

{Summer Cottages – photo by Thisisbossi}

Here are a few rooms I can imagine within any of the cottages above. The plaster walls and the rustic ceiling make this living area seem like it could be part of a cottage.

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A cozy corner of a room where you can pen a note or sip a drink.

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A small, but well planned kitchen with a dine in space.

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Could you live in a cottage?

If cottages capture your heart, like they do mine, visit Once upon a time…tales from Carmel by the Sea, you won’t be disappointed.

A Designer to Love: Joy Tribout

08 Wednesday Apr 2015

Posted by Karen B. in Designer, House and Home

≈ 29 Comments

Tags

Designer Joy Tribout

There are homes that you can view online, via a magazine, or in person, and appreciate their beauty. Then there are homes that speak to you, to your idea of a home you could love and live in. Designer Joy Tribout has a style that appeals to me. I’ve selected some of my favorite rooms from her portfolio.

Her use of black and white is stunning, never cold, Joy manages to keep a certain liveable warmth to each space. The rooms I’m sharing today are from two separate homes but just happen to feature a black and white color palette.

The black trim on the window is a favorite touch in this mostly white room.

Her design point of view is a simple one, but often challenging for many of us novice decorators. Tribout believes “…one’s home environment should elevate living on a daily basis…” It’s something that we all try to accomplish—making our homes inviting and comfortable.

My fondness of equine touches in a living space is part of what attracted me to this particular home in her portfolio. {I must have raced horses in another lifetime!} 🙂
She recently launched her own line of furnishings, the Joy Tribout Home Collection.

Her signature pillow design features an ‘X’. The pillow above has been adorned with a broach or some metal adornment.

The bed below features another of her pillows with the X.

In all of her dining spaces, whether its a kitchen or dining room, her chairs are swoon-worthy.

Garden, Home and Party: Designer Joy Tribout

…another pair of signature pillows

The cabinets in the kitchen below resemble an antique piece of antique furniture by the way they are finished.

…I love these kitchen chairs.

The mural on the powder room wall gives this room all the art it needs.

Such a beautiful dining room. Once again, love the chairs. I also like the dark walls in the room, it’s dramatic but has enough natural light to make a striking impact.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the work of Joy Tribout. Visit her site for more beautiful rooms.

Have a happy Wednesday, my friends. I always enjoy our visits.

Easter with Beatrix Potter 2015

01 Wednesday Apr 2015

Posted by Karen B. in Easter, Flowers, Holidays

≈ 42 Comments

No tricks, even though it is April 1st. I’ve never been very good at pranks.

Easter is on my mind. I’m not hosting Easter this year {Thank you, Sarah and Kevin} I still enjoy putting out a few Spring/Easter decorations.

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I set my table using my grandmother’s china…it reminds me of my grandma, and the violets are such a pretty representation of spring. The runner was made for me, and the fabric seems like it was made to go with these dishes. {Thank you, Gretchen}

With two granddaughters in our family, my thoughts have gone to Beatrix Potter and her cast of wonderful rabbits. When our sons were very young I collected, obviously more for me than for them, many of the Beatrix Potter Royal Doulton figures from her stories, as well as a complete set of her books. I would pick them up when I could find them at thrift stores or used bookstores. I eventually collected the entire set, although the final 4 needed are the new white cardboard covers rather than the little green books with slip covers, that I love.

The concrete planter is made to look moss-covered. I planted sweet pea, violas and lobelia to create the center piece. I move the planter to our atrium during the day to keep it happy, and provide a little sunshine. It lasts several weeks and then I plant the plants in my yard. Dual purposing, always good, right? 🙂