{Home} The foyer

10 Thursday Nov 2011

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Wikipedia describes the foyer as follows: A foyer in a house is usually a small entry area or room by the front door. Other public rooms such as the living room, dining room, and family room typically attach to it, along with any main stairway.

I generally refer to that particular space as the entry. It probably doesn’t matter but foyer sounds so much nicer, doesn’t it?

This is one side of our foyer (entry). The walls are Dunn & Edwards "Inside Passage" even though in this image the one wall looks lavender!

This is the other side. The front door is to the right of this French shelf.

I’ve seen some beautiful, grand foyers via the blog sites I visit and I’ve also seen some amazing foyers in some of my friend’s homes. Bottom line, I really find this space to be an important first impression for me when entering a home. Granted, the exterior front entry and overall curb appeal counts, but once you’re inside the house, I look around and delight in a creative use of space for the foyer.

This lovely foyer is part of a beautiful house my friend's daughter built in Newport Beach

This is an all time favorite foyer by Carol Glasser, Houston

another favorite…via Cote de Texas. Don’t you love the fishing baskets and the antique piece on the left (not to mention the clock).

Windsor Smith Design

I don’t think you have to have a large space for the room to have the wow factor. In fact, some of the smallest entry settings are some of the most intriguing and inviting.

Some of the best foyer images I’ve seen have come from talented blogger’s own homes, or those that they’ve designed for…

for the love of a house (below)

Slim Paley

the adventures of tartanscot (below)

Amy Meier Design

This table and mirror was attractive to me, even if this is the wall of what may be a living room rather than a foyer. The table could certainly do double duty.

via Cath Muscat Interiors

via John Gruen

unknown, but isn’t this a lovely vignette?

I sometimes wish I had a mudroom, I wouldn’t want the relentless rain that causes the mud, but a mud room entry would be nice.

and since I don’t have a mud room, I guess I’ll have to line my boots up like this homeowner…

sorry, unknown source…and this has been one of my favorite images for some time. {I think I must have been a skilled equestrian in another life}

I love the use of space in the image below. The little portrait painting and side table creates a welcoming vignette.

via Elle Decor

via Pottery Barn

And for the streamlined, simple lines, uncluttered fan…

via Better Homes and Gardens

via Notebook Magazine

What do you like to see when you enter someone’s home? Do you utilize this space in a particular way? I’d love to hear from you! Happy November.

{GHP} Fall installment #3 and introducing my pheasant

08 Tuesday Nov 2011

Posted by Karen B. in Dessert, Drink, Entertaining, Fall Entertaining and Decorations, Family, Flowers, Food, Holiday/Seasonal cooking

≈ 6 Comments

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fall, Thanksgiving

So how are we doing? Is everyone happy with the season so far? We’ve survived Halloween and now it’s onward and upward to the best holiday of the year, turkey day, otherwise known as Thanksgiving. I am grateful every day for so much, but I’m especially thankful that there’s a specific day during the year when we can reflect on the people and things in our lives we feel fortunate to enjoy.

via the little book of secrets

via vignette designs

unknown

My friend Carla told me she put pumpkins in her bird bath this year. I’m going to try the same thing (copy cat? why yes, there are only so many original good ideas out there). 🙂

What I love about Thanksgiving is there are no presents to shop for, just ‘splurge on calories’ food. Even if you don’t love turkey (I know folks that feel that way), you have to admit, it’s a holiday that easily adapts to whatever “traditions” in menu selections you and yours decides to embrace. Branch out, try at least one new dish, maybe create a dish that is similar to the annual _________[fill in the blank] …it will make cooking so much more fun.

We’re fortunate enough to be hosting our future daughter-in-law, Sarah (Kevin’s fiancé {he’s the baby of the family}) and her very fun family. Kathy, her mom, Tristan, her brother and Charles, her grandfather are delightful, and we’re thrilled to be able to share Thanksgiving in our home, with soon to be family, for the first time in a few years.

via Ralph Lauren

The past few years have found us at a dear friend’s home and one year was spent in Arizona, which turned out to be my mother’s last Thanksgiving, so I’m so happy we made the trek.

So, let’s get going on the planning, shall we? Oddly, as important as the menu is, and believe me, it is, I think of the table first. This year I’ll have my early Christmas gift from future DIL…“Redfern”, the pheasant, to decorate the room with. I have mentioned to anyone who’ll listen that I’ve always wanted a taxidermy pheasant. (I understand if you’re asking, why?!). Fortunately, my sweet DIL-t0-be surprised me with this in October, assuming (as only a thoughtful person would) that I would want to use him for the fall decorations. Note: he’ll be out year round, he just may move from one piece of furniture to another.

It took me a few days of walking past the dining room table and my new friend to not jump (we have all kinds of critters in our neighborhood and it made me think a giant bird had landed, uninvited, on our dining table!

Redfern, the pheasant

via Party Resource

I happened upon a Pottery Barn sale on their fall linens (the only silver lining to the stores rushing all of the holidays by starting to sell fall items in August, by September they want to usher in Christmas and you can often find some pretty hefty cuts in pricing for the items you want/need for Thanksgiving). I found the table runner in our local store and then a very nice sales person helped me by ordering the 8 napkins to match and having them delivered to my house. They came from Minnesota (I live in California).

I’ve always thought this (above) was a very nice way of using a place card that adds to the seasonal feel of the table. I really like pears, can you tell?

*Turkey plates were purchased years ago through a Ross-Simons catalog for a song.

I’ll use my white chargers and the PB table runner with Churchill’s Thanksgiving plates.

As far as the menu, it’s still in the works. I know I’ll prepare Creamy Mashed Potatoes, I salt the turkey (as opposed to brining) and I’ll prepare stuffing. Kevin has volunteered to prepare a side dish and I’ve given some thought to a gingerbread trifle that my friend, Linda, introduced me to. Beyond that I’m still in the planning stages. I’ll keep you posted.

There’s a truly clever and delicious sounding recipe for a Deconstructed Pear Salad HERE:

Happy fall, I’d love to hear from you regarding some of your favorite sides for the Thanksgiving feast!

I’ve joined Sherry for her Open House at No Minimalist Here…stop by for a visit.

{Home} Adieu Pierre Deux

03 Thursday Nov 2011

Posted by Karen B. in Decorating, Designer, Misc

≈ 29 Comments

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French design, Pierre Deux

This past June, Pierre Deux filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy; 22 Pierre Deux stores will ultimately close although some stores remain open to sell all remaining items in the store.

The brand has long been the go-to purveyor of French country style in the States. From their patterned duffel bag to the classic French provincial printed fabrics for chair cushions, lamp shades, desk accessories, upholstered furniture and wallpaper, they have given us a glimpse of life (as we imagine it) in the South of France. I was always drawn to their pewter frames and tableware, even though the cost was sometimes a little excessive in my opinion, but it was always the best of quality and beautiful in its simplicity.

A History of Pierre Deux

In 1967, a shop opened in Greenwich Village in New York City that would soon bring the beauty of French Country decor to America. The shop was opened by two men: Pierre Le Vec, an American of French background, and Pierre Moulin, a native Frenchman. Their passion for French art de vivre and the French country way of life drove them to establish Pierre Deux as a name synonymous with French Country décor in America.

Their antique furniture imported from the provinces sold well, but the curtains, pillows and fabrics they used to accent the furniture sold spectacularly. The business evolved to include décor for every room in the house. With guidance from our President and Creative Director, Hedwige Cointreau de Bouteville, and her husband, André Cointreau, the President of Le Cordon Bleu, America has rediscovered that the French Country style is a centuries-old one that is perfectly suited to adding warmth, charm and sophistication; the perfect complement to the American home.

It would appear you can still buy their wallpaper and fabrics from a variety of vendors that sell it. I’m not sure if they will continue to produce the line of these items, it sounds like they are financially upside down, but it would be nice if one could still get the timeless provincial fabrics.

But with fierce competition in the market place via sources like eBay (for French antiques and decorative accessories), lots of online sources like Etsy, and a host of independent business people selling authentic French accents via their blog site, the end may have been inevitable.

If you’ve never had the good fortune to visit My French Country Home blog site, do so, I guarantee you will enjoy the stories shared by Sharon Santoni of her life in Normandy on a farm with her family. In addition she has a Brocante where you can purchase wonderful French items, such as these wonderful candelabras, antique confit jars, a French door bell, and the occasional novelty, an agricultural prize plaque.

~or~

French Garden House, a site that has new and old French items.

~or~

Griege is another wonderful blog site with the added benefit of shopping for beautiful French design just a click away.

That said, I will miss them (Pierre Duex). Not because I purchased so much from them, I truly thought so many items were overpriced for what they were, but because there was always something appealing about their stores. They did a wonderful job with the décor of each store. Once they closed the Orange County store, I only had opportunity to shop when visiting Carmel, California. The store in Carmel, before it moved to a much larger site, had a little French garden area where they sold an outdoor furniture line (I don’t believe it was their brand, but it was charming and suited a cottage garden). I never drove into Los Angeles to shop the store located there.

So, I’ll miss you Pierre Deux and think fondly of your style when your name comes up. Au revoir, dear friend.

{Thank you, Linda, for requesting this post, it was fun!}

I’m joining Sherry at No Minimalist Here for her Open House Party. Be sure to stop by.

{GHP} Engagement Party pics

01 Tuesday Nov 2011

Posted by Karen B. in Dessert, DIY (do it yourself), Drink, Entertaining, Fall Entertaining and Decorations, Family, Food, Outdoor living

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Engagement Party

My friends in Turtle Rock and blog land will know that we hosted an engagement party for *Kevin and Sarah (formerly Son #2 and his darling fiancé).

*I’ve decided to use first names in my posts. What are your thoughts on this? Am I crazy? (Please don’t answer that last question) I’ve noticed most bloggers that I read use pseudonyms for their family members and friends. I’m not sure I like the pseudonym for Lyn, my husband. I found “Hubby” too cute and decided I’d make the leap and use first names. I could have created other names for loved ones but decided against that in fear that I’d need a key to keep them all straight. So as of now, first names will be used unless I hear from people that they really would prefer to stay completely anonymous.

Anyway, I digress, here are some images I took of the party and while I didn’t get nearly as many pictures of the actual event as I’d hoped, it was a success and I’ve been told a good time was had by all.

By hosting this party in late October, decorations were easy for me. I love fall and everything about it. In Southern California the season is generally mild, weather-wise. I was hoping for sunny day-time temps in the high seventies and for nightfall to bring just a slight chill to the air…we were lucky. That is exactly how the day turned out.

Guests included dear friends and family, Kyle (Son #1) flew in from Austin and Sarah’s family and friends were in attendance along with long time friends of Kevin’s. It was so much fun celebrating the engagement with everyone.

{pumpkins in the birdbath, thank you for the idea, Carla}

Our home is small but we were able to utilize the yard. We moved furniture to create seating areas all around the back yard. One thing I failed to take a picture of (darn it) was a picture of some Ikea lanterns I hung at different levels out in the trees that border the back yard. Ikea had little battery operated strands of LCD lights that I bunched into each lantern. Because the LCD bulbs are so much brighter than regular twinkle lights, the little lanterns illuminated the outer reaches of the yard.

I had 3 of these larger lanterns and hung a couple of them on hooks near the ground with candles.

I made the burlap pillows with burlap from JoAnns Fabrics and some down pillow forms I had saved from old pillows. I used an acrylic paint and Martha Stewart stencil from Michaels. I gave the pillows to Sarah and Kevin for their patio after the party.

Meanwhile, the menu for the evening was as follows:

Teriyaki Flank Steak Skewers

Herb-Marinated Chicken Tender Skewers

Roquefort Tartlets

Tapenade & Crostini

Salami Bites

Skewered Italian Salad

Feta w/ Caramelized Onion

Mushroom Turnovers

Brandied Sausages

Humus & Pita Chips

Mixed Nuts ‡ Potato Chips ‡ Pretzels ‡ Cheese Platter

Chardonnay ‡ Cabernet ‡ Beer ‡ Soft Drinks ‡ Water ‡ Pink Margaritas

Dessert (cookies, See’s candy and blueberries, strawberries and raspberries)

{we offered some wonderful cheeses, thank you, Julie; it takes a village to throw a party!}

Deadly, but delicious Pink Margaritas (from Barefoot Contessa’s latest book, “How easy is that?”.

{The dessert table was a hit with everyone, thank you, Glenys}

Email me if you want any recipes or have any questions. Thanks for joining me at the party.

{GHP} Happy Halloween, a few days early

27 Thursday Oct 2011

Posted by Karen B. in Decorating, Entertaining, Fall Entertaining and Decorations, Family

≈ 8 Comments

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Halloween

Don’t you just love this time of year. Our neighborhood has come full circle and instead of young teens trick-or-treating we have toddlers and grade school youngsters, dressed as princesses and fuzzy farm animals and scary monsters or super heroes.

{thank you, Kevin, for finding this image}

When our boys were young we would have our friends over for chili and beers and then the dad’s would take the kids trick or treating...thank you Lyn and Dave! It was always so much fun. Now we answer the door in turn so we can see the cute little costumed kids!

Don’t you love this Better Homes and Gardens image…wired pumpkins. Love the blue pumpkins!

source unknown

I keep thinking I will carve our address into a pumpkin…maybe it’s too late for this year’s Halloween, but for sure next year.

via Miss Mustard Seed

Isn’t it amazing how many varieties there are? Pumpkins used to be just the large, orange pumpkins we all found in the market. Then one year there were these tiny orange and white pumpkins, now there are such a plethora of colors and shapes to choose from. I visited my favorite nursery, Rogers Gardens, the other day and a lady had her cart filled with white pumpkins, white hydrangea and white viola…I could only imagine what a beautiful display she was planning.

via Miss Mustard Seed

I also really like this pumpkin, surrounded in bittersweet and the inked name “Ichabod” by Miss Mustard Seed. Very clever and appealing.

via Party Resources

My grandmother lived in Connecticut for nearly a decade and when we visited in the fall it always warmed my heart that literally everyone dressed their front porches and yards with seasonal items…whether it was pumpkins and corn husks or man-made scare crows, everyone seemed to embrace fall!

via Decor Pad

In my neighborhood there are a lot of liquid amber trees. That is our best source for fall foliage. The trees come in a variety of colors, orange, amber or burgundy, and when the leaves turn it is a vivid shock of color. The sycamore trees also give me the sense of season, sometimes their leaves drop and dry to perfection and I’ll gather them for table display. We don’t have bittersweet in our area but the local florists sell it {for a pretty hefty price} so maybe I’ll look into growing it. It may need some frost, in which case, I’ll be out of luck, much like peonies

via Martha Stewart

I’m not sure if flowers in a pumpkin still inspires me but I have to admit, Martha does a good job with flower selection and table settings. Orange calla lilies and orange ranuculas with roses, a timeless combination for wow factor, don’t you think?

via French Essence

This centerpiece is more my style these days. Granted, I would have to grow an apple tree to get full branches of fresh apples with leaves attached, but it is fresh and lovely.

I really like this idea (above) for a fall buffet. How cute…I think you’d want to fun tack the plate on top of the pumpkin to avoid flying appetizers but it sure makes a pretty picture.

source unknown

Wishing you a Halloween filed with treats!

By the way I’ve joined the Open House over at Sherry’s No Minimalist Here

{Home} Snug as a bug…

25 Tuesday Oct 2011

Posted by Karen B. in Uncategorized

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cottage living, small rooms

Cottages hold a special place in my heart. I’ve tried to figure out why I’m drawn to small spaces, rooms that feel cozy yet inviting and comfortable, I don’t have an answer. Fortunately, Hubby is on the same page so we’re good to go. We neither one have ever wanted a super large home. I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t mind a bit more storage and a few extra rooms, even if they were small.

via Content in a Cottage

In the movie, The Holiday, with Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet, hands down, the Cotswold cottage of Kate Winslet’s character would be where I would want to live. Maybe that’s because the cottage was supposed to be in the Cotswold…for me that would be heaven, thatched roof and all.

Nancy Meyers, genius

Sometimes with small comes sacrifice. I was blog-surfing and stumbled upon a feature story of a very small, NY apartment. The kitchen sported a washing machine where one might have expected a dishwasher. That got me thinking, which would I rather have, a dishwasher or a washing machine? [answer: washing machine] by the way, have they invented a combination washing machine/dryer combo yet? However, I do believe small spaces can drive innovative ways to maximize space. This window seat (above) could do double duty, in fact we built a window seat when our dining room (which is now our reading room) was a candidate for a new window; we installed a bay window that was the standard chair seat height. We used to have our two young sons sit in the window at the end of the table for family dinners. Now that window seat provides extra seating in our reading room. (To read more about our room switch visit HERE).

via Nest Egg

Same with storage space, small homes are usually short on storage. I think it’s what keeps my acquisitions in check. Seriously, if I had a huge space to store stuff I could easily be a compulsive buyer in some arenas…dishes, flatware, decorative accessories! Yikes, there would be more than I need if storage wasn’t an issue. The above laundry space reminds me of my friends laundry room, which isn’t short on space at all, but she has the stackable washer and dryer {great call, Linda} I like the idea of this as a great space saver. The black fronts on the washer/dryer are really a nice contrast to the white cabinetry, don’t you think?

Small kitchens are especially challenging and I confess, if I could add square footage to any part of the house it would be in our kitchen. Still, I find our lilliputian space forces me to buy only what I need in the way of electronic kitchen gadgets.

And there are clever storage ideas for this room as well, like…

via Coastal Living

Built-in shelves also add space and design value. I love the camera c0llection featured along the upper most shelves, where you might not want to have to reach for an essential item you’ve stored there, but the look is very pretty…I think this might be a bathroom, based on the towels and bath salts on the shelf. I have a friend that has a very small cottage on Balboa Island and the person that renovated her house (before she moved in) used a similar technique in the dining room. They built a group of shelves between the studs and framed out the space. My friend stored her wine glasses there and it looks very nice.

Layla Palmer at The Lettered Cottage designed this tiny space in their home to work as a reading room/guest room. They used reclaimed wood on the walls and added a twin mattress. Very clever and cozy! If you’ve never visited Layla and Kevin be sure to stop by, you’ll get all kinds of ideas for maximizing your home.

Another Layla Palmer room, a beach cottage bedroom on Tybee Island

Using a chest of drawers in the closet saves floor space in a small bedroom. Creating a comfortable room with the space you have can be challenging but doable. There’s a lot of help with space-saving ideas in design in the world of blogs.

This (above) little sitting area may be just a small vignette in a much larger living space, but I like it. The neutral palate and clever use of like-prints in the wall gallery won my vote.

Do you like small spaces or begin to feel claustrophobic in a cottage? There is no right or wrong answer, it’s all a matter of personal taste and preference…hopefully you’ll drop by my cottage for a visit even if you prefer a spacious home.

By the way…Melissa at The Inspired Room is coming out with an ebook. I can hardly wait. Read all about it HERE.

{Home} I need a nap!

20 Thursday Oct 2011

Posted by Karen B. in Uncategorized

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day beds

I’ve never been much of a napper (not sure this is a word). I believe this is because growing up I was always afraid I’d miss something, and I am pretty high energy.

As I’ve gotten older and life has gotten more hectic, I’ve gotten wiser and can now see the benefit of a little snooze when the mood strikes. I don’t really like to lie on my bed when I want a nap, although I understand Winston Churchill often napped, and if he took one he believed you get in bed and under the covers! {I wouldn’t want to mess up the bed mid-day, it’s a Type A thing}.

I do love to “rest my eyes” in a comfortable chair, usually my library chair with ottoman after reading a bit late afternoon when the sun beams into that room. I could see myself napping on one of these…

This may actually be a bedroom, which is really great if it is, but with the un-shuttered glass doors, I thought it looked more like a parlor.

Now this is so inviting, who could pass up the chance to relax and rest in this lovely white wicker?

via Coastal Living

Witth this view (above) I’m not sure I could actually nap, more like watch the water and hope for a school of dolphins!

This is lovely, but not sure it’s conducive to a truly, comfortable nap, what do you think?

…again with the view, is it me? No, it can’t be, the view is too wonderful, how could you sleep with this view?

and an all time favorite (below) I’m shown before…I could really enjoy time here, napping or reading or relaxing!

via Coastal Living

Can’t you imagine yourself curling up with a good book, some Camomile tea (confession: I don’t care for Camomile tea, more of an Earl Gray gal myself) and allowing yourself to nod off if the urge hits you?

Happy Thursday, only 1 more day until the weekend! Do you nap?

{Home} Guest bathroom reveal

18 Tuesday Oct 2011

Posted by Karen B. in Decorating, Renovating

≈ 11 Comments

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guest bathroom

Many of you know about the much-needed face lift we gave our guest bathroom. I know this is the part where I show you before pictures. Now that I look at them I’m really embarrassed at how bad this bathroom looked for far too long.

before

By way of an excuse, albeit feeble, the bathroom had been remodeled when we bought the house. The former owner put a chocolate brown tub, toilet and sink in the tiny bathroom. When we moved in our son was 3 years old and I soon became pregnant with son #2. We used the bathroom as-is for many years and at some point I wallpapered with a rich, wonderful Ralph Lauren paisley, which tied in with the chocolate brown theme already going. Over time the brown tub, much like a dark car, became scratched and unsightly. I was working for a local newspaper, writing advertorial, and a story I was asked to write was about a coating company that re-coated tubs, sinks and the like. They offered to coat our chocolate brown tub and sink and we purchased a new toilet. The bathroom, at that juncture, really did look much better. Unfortunately it didn’t last…and after hosting a baby shower one weekend I noticed a bubble in the sink. That was the coating finally coming off.

So, as home dreamers do, many months ago I began trying to figure out what I wanted this bathroom to look like should we get the opportunity to remodel. I knew I wanted a white vanity, tub and toilet and I wanted a Carrara marble floor. I kept coming back to a few of the Pottery Barn bathroom vanities and ended up selecting PB’s Lucca Simple Single Mini Sink Console. It’s on the smaller size but then so is the bathroom so they work well together. The vanity is free standing and comes with a Carrara marble top and a white sink…check and check. We knew from our experience remodeling our master bath that we wanted a Toto toilet. They are engineered to be very efficient using only 1.6 gallons of water; that and my LCD recessed light in the ceiling is my nod to being environmentally kind (baby steps).

after

When it came to the bathtub I knew we wanted a taller tub than we had. The look seems more custom to me and I was hoping to get a slightly narrower tub than the existing foot print the old tub had. We visited our local Pacific Sales and with Tao’s expert help selected the Arariana…it’s taller than the old tub and 2″ narrower. Believe it or not, 2″ makes a bit of a difference in this postage sized bathroom.

I realize it isn’t finished in this photo but I thought it would be beneficial to document the process.

during construction

after

The sconces are Pottery Barn, as is the Oval Lattice Mirror/Medicine Cabinet. I love the subway tile in our master bath (even though it was made from a tumbled travertine) so we went with simple white 3″ x 6″ subway tile (Daltile) {thanks Gretchen for helping me with the tile order} with a Carrara accent (Home Depot) at the ceiling. With a grand baby I discovered that when they are taking baths it’s helpful to have a hose attachment to the shower so we went with the Hansgrohe Unica wall bar with traditional trim and head in polished chrome. In fact I used polished chrome throughout. I really wanted to keep this bathroom timeless and simple. The walls are Benjamin Moore, London Fog {thanks Linda for helping with this decision}.

By the way, there is a towel bar beneath this picture but when I took these we hadn’t installed it yet. It looks like the shorter version of the towel bar on the side of the vanity…Restoration Hardware.

We interviewed 3 separate contractors and decided to use Martin who did a wonderful job for us.

Sorry I wasn’t able to get a wide-angle picture of this room, it really looks so much better than these images from my point and shoot. Nice to have the room re-do checked off the list.

{Home} It’s a man’s world

13 Thursday Oct 2011

Posted by Karen B. in Antiques, Collections & Accessories, Decorating, Designer, Fall Entertaining and Decorations, Family

≈ 11 Comments

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Ralph Lauren, tailored

I am often drawn to what some would call masculine lines of design, cars are one example. As a teenager I was into cars, I assume it was my generation and growing up in Southern California. My high school parking lot was filled with cars such as the ’57 Chevy and Pontiac GTO. Nothing as cool as the cars above!

Ralph Lauren Brookfield collection

In fashion the “preppy” trend captured my comfort zone and I’ve dressed in fairly tailored clothing ever since. (Am I beginning to sound dull or overly masculine?) I am definitely girly in lots of ways, but where design is concerned I truly love fairly tailored lines. This hasn’t always been the case. There was a time in the 80’s when cabbage rose chintz and even pink walls were the look, but after raising 2 sons and living with a guy’s guy husband, I’ve made the transition.

Pamela Pierce

After I was married I noticed that I leaned towards a more “gentleman’s club” style decor. I like English country style and even though that style (at one time) included flowery chintz fabrics, it was the warm oak paneling and barley twist legs of a table that captured my attention. On my first trip to England we frequented pubs and cafes that were the very epitome of what I would call a masculine-looking design style.

via House to Home

via Elle Decor

via New Victorian Ruralist (Natasha Louise King)

A few years back I purchased an antique pair of antlers that, for me, add to the warm, English decor that I love. I’ve noticed an increased use of antlers in beautifully designed rooms, and while I know and understand the reason some people find it disgusting to display dead animal parts of any kind (for the record, I couldn’t hunt a furry creature if my survival depended on it), I must say I think it’s a nice accent!

via Traditional Home

via Elle Decor

via For the Love of a House

Ralph Lauren seems to capture the ideal “masculine” look with his rooms and lifestyle accessories. Maybe it’s a look that some would identify as an upper crust, blue-blood, tailored, thoroughbred, East coast vibe. In any event, I’m in Southern California and I’m on board with the look.

Ralph Lauren Brookfield collection

I’ve linked up with No Minimalist Here today, visit her site, it’s wonderful

What are your go-to styles for life? Is it a “man’s world” or are we just letting them think it is!

{Home} Kitchens to love

11 Tuesday Oct 2011

Posted by Karen B. in Entertaining

≈ 10 Comments

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kitchens

What is it about kitchens? When touring various blog sites that have become required reading for me I seem to gravitate towards kitchens. And from the number of images out there, I’m not alone. It’s the heart of the home and if you enjoy cooking, as I do, it’s always tempting to see what others do with such an essential space.

I can direct breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I take pride in my kitchen, but I’m not going to direct a movie.
Julia Roberts

Even though we’ve remodeled our kitchen and I love it…I still find plenty of kitchens to admire. I also find I lean (when looking at images) toward a white kitchen. We painted our cabinets white when we first moved into our house, primarily because we couldn’t afford the remodel of our dreams. By the time we could afford it we were both fairly tired of the white cabinetry and thought we’d try something different. I’m happy with the way it turned out and I figure if I truly get tired of stained cabinets years from now, we can have them painted…circle of life for the kitchen cabinets!

I think a lot of people have a misconception of what the kitchen is about, but you know the grueling part of it is also the pleasure of it. That’s why I think you have to have a certain mentality to understand what that is and be able to handle it.
Todd English

via Belclaire House

I think this is an excellent use of an island sink!

I’m a homebody, I’d rather be in the kitchen cooking than hanging out in a bar.
Milo Ventimiglia

via Cote de Texas, a Paris kitchen

I really like the long standing trend towards unexpected decor items in the kitchen, such as chandeliers, oil paintings and mirrors. I think it only enhances the warmth and inviting nature of the kitchen.

I was like any new bride, who said, ‘I’m going to cook for my man.’ In fact, once I started a small kitchen fire in a pan. Smoke was pouring from the pan, and I got really scared. Right next to our stove is a small fire extinguisher. You know, easy access.
Catherine Zeta-Jones

via Content in a Cottage

This kitchen is beautiful and I especially like the fact that you can see the dining area but it’s not right in the room with the cook. Oh, I also love this little dwarf lemon tree…where can I find one of those for my kitchen?

I’ve never cooked. I can’t do much more in the kitchen than make a cup of tea and some toast.
Ethel Merman

There is something appealing about a simple, but very functional kitchen. Short on bells and whistles of the typical kind, just hard-working efficiency.

In department stores, so much kitchen equipment is bought indiscriminately by people who just come in for men’s underwear.
Julia Child

via Elle Decor

A fireplace in the kitchen would be the ultimate luxury for me…but I’d like it situated closer to the area where you sit for your meal. This is a lovely kitchen by design.

It’s the sense of what family is at the dinner table. It was the joy of knowing mother was in the kitchen making our favorite dish. I wish more people would do this and recall the joy of life.
Paul Prudhomme

photo by Jennifer Rizzo