Tuesday Tip

You can never have enough seating! So why not make it portable,  flexible and a little thrifty?

One of 2 benches in the client's foyer.

This is exactly what I did for a client and not just because I have a thing for benches, ottomans and stools. But because there was a need for additional seating for evening gatherings. However,  on a daily basis the room needed to be open for traffic flow, so to speak. The room, which I will show you in another post, was the first of it's kind I've ever done!

I recently saw this very similar bench at Home Goods.   I forgot to take "before" pictures of the benches I used,  so I thought this was a good reference since they too had faux leather seats. 

The solution? Add 2 benches to the adjacent foyer from Target! Recover them in a fabulous fabric that coordinates in 2 rooms so they can be put into service anytime. and look as if they belonged in either room here all the time.

The Great Pumpkin Craving And A Favorite Muffin Recipe!

I go through it every year, that seasonal addiction that has me obsessing over pumpkins. Don't you?

Bet you can't eat just one!

The origin of the original recipe is unknown, I tore it from a magazine long ago. Over the years I've  made changes here and there until it had that perfect combo of spice and moist richness. It's a holiday staple in our house and a family favorite. This is my first time sharing it...with anyone!

Rebecca's Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 12 count muffin pan with very soft butter using the butter wrapper or parchment paper.

In a medium bowl combine and set aside:
3 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1tsp salt
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves


In a large bowl, beat until creamy:
1 stick unsalted butter-softened
2 cups sugar

Then add:
1tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
1 C. applesauce
1 C. canned pumpkin

Plus:
2/3 C. apple cider*

Begin mixing in dry ingredients, alternating with the apple cider*.  Stir in nuts and raisins last.

And:
Add 1 1/2 C. golden raisins (regular can be substituted)
Add 1/2 cup chopped pecans (if you're a nut lover)

Bake 18-20 minutes.

Sweet Twist:
Skip the nuts & raisins and top with your favorite cream cheese icing and turn it into a cupcake! Or mix softened butter with a bit of maple syrup and spread on warm muffins. Serve with hot cider for the perfect treat sitting by a roaring fire!

Gushing Over Green!

While I normally don't care what the " in" color is for any given year,  I must admit to being quite smitten, once again, with emerald green. I'm sure there has already been a deluge of posts done about the "color of the year", but since life and work has kept me away from blogging, I just couldn't resist.  If for no other reason than to be able to refer back to these gorgeous images often!

When I was about 8 years old I was given an emerald green long robe that looked like velvet, though I am quite certain  wasn't. It had a row of gold buttons with green satin loop fasteners that went half way down the front- much like the buttons often found on the back of a wedding dress. It was a total pain to pull the robe over my head and fasten each button, and the static electricity that ensued was a sight to behold on my very long hair, but I loved that robe. It was the first time I can recall feeling glamorous.

This dress  by Ralph Lauren and is very similar in style to a dress I wore to a high school Winter Ball.  Of course the neckline was not plunging and it was definitely not satin! Mine had a matching shrug (only it wasn't called that in the 70's?) with bell sleeves with a little lettuce ruffle. This would be the glamorous grown-up version.



These earrings, from Christies, are among the most beautiful earrings I have ever seen!
 I would wear these with the Ralph Lauren dress.

Occasionally I will meet someone who says they don't like green! It always takes me by surprise that anyone can dislike a color so prominent in nature? I think so often it's more about a particular shade of green. But if it so happens you're having a little emerald envy, like me,  here's a sampling of my fantasy shopping!


Jump in,  it's going to be a beautiful ride...


I'm not a big sports car enthusiest, but the color could persuade me otherwise. However, a green SUV would make me dance a little jig- putting it on the list for my next one!

I'm am obsessed with green barns now and could devote an entire post to them!

E-bay find-  OZ for your tabletop!

Williams-Sonoma Home. The little green faux shagreen box now sits on a table at my house!



Actress Kate Bosworth. Dress designer unknown.

An emerald cut emerald, doesn't every woman want one?



Kelly Wearstler. In real life I could only handle one wall of this tile.

I've had this saved for so long- anyone know who to give design credit?

Not exactly in the emerald category, but I think I could make it work!

Tory Burch. I think I will always be in love with her living room, especially the upholstered walls!



Beacon Hill

Frank Webb

I really, really want this console.  More than the Porsche-way more!


Oh, and Happy St. Patrick's Day too!

Tuesday Tip

Tips on how to clean your goddess...or other stained marble.

In the spring, I did a post on busts with the intention of showing you mine and promptly forgot until now!

The owner from a favorite shop holding the bust for me to view all sides.
 Even though he said he had already vacuumed and wiped her down, she was still such a dirty girl!

This is how she looked in the shop after being outfitted with her new iron stand. The original marble pedestal
that surely once held her form was not found when she discovered in the celler of an estate in Europe by the shop owner. I actually didn't mind her sepia patina, but felt I needed to try and capture her original appearance.

I honestly didn't have a plan on where/how to start and just plunged in with what seemed reasonable and safe. Which ended up being mild dish detergent, baking soda, and lots of scubbing with soft tooth brushes and soft rags.

Though my cleaning method was working, I panicked halfway through and searched google for tips!
 It seemed this was okay. I also read suggestions to use hydrogen peroxide and chalk.
The hydo seemed to work a bit, the chalk was useless!


Add equal parts time and patience. And voila!

When the sunlight comes into the room in the morning, she glows!
 There is still some staining and discolorations, which doesn't bother me at all.
 Based on their location, I suspect she may have resided outdoors at some point.
She needs a proper name, but in the meantime I'll keep referring to her as the goddess.


Dear readers, if any of you have additional tips on cleaning marble, please share them!

The Beauty Of The Bust

Ever since my first trip to Italy in 1984, I've been fascinated by statuary. It's one thing to see their pictures in books. It's a completely different experience to see them in person. It's both a combination of awe and admiration that someone can create something so beautiful out of stone.

19th century Italian marble bust.
My latest acquisition. 

I especially love to see the many ways that a bust can be incorporated into rooms of all design styles. I can't help wonder the history. Is it of an ancestor? Does it have a symbolic meaning to the owner or the property? Or did the person who owns it simply fall in love with the face?

In my case, I fell in love with the face. I've searched for a bust of my own for years. I've been to auctions, estate sales, antique shops and never found one I loved at a price I could handle. However, two weeks ago, while shopping for client projects in one of my favorite antique shops, I happened upon this bust of a young woman. Although I have always wanted a marble bust, I had always imagined it would be of a man? But she was so beautiful, even with her layers of dirt and significant discolorations. I've been "bathing" her the last few weekends. She will eventually reside on an antique mahogany pedestal in my living room.

Until then, here's a sampling of some of my favorite images showing busts and head sculpture:

And for those of you who can't pick a favorite? How about one for every season!
The bust in the lower right corner is so similar to mine. I combed the article in the
most recent issue of AD trying to get more details, but it only indicated these are antique marble.

Images courtesy of Architectural Digest, Traditional Home, Veranda, and many unknown from my files.

Sit On Your Tuffet!

Stool or ottoman! Many or you asked about the little tuffet from this post. So this seemed the perfect time to finally finish a post that's been sitting in a draft format. What is a tuffet? Depending on the source you check it's typically described as a footstool or low seat, as it regards to furniture. The word ottoman has become the universal way in modern decor for describing any type of low or movable seating. Any of you recall the word hassock growing up...what would Miss Muffet make of that?

Lightweight and it works for every room of the house. At just $60, what a find!

This particular little tuffet was purchased from Home Goods and was slated for my closet. It's yet to make it upstairs. While it is not sturdy enough for adult seating, it has become a great place to pile books by a chair or sofa , a tray with a drink and yes, a convenient place to put my feet on!

A very convenient perch for books in the library!

I can not think of a single other piece of furniture that has more attributes than ottomans and stools. They are simply the most versatile (and in my opinion, necessary) piece of furniture for every room. I thought to prove my point, I would list every function they serve:



My hands down favorite ottoman, in leather from WSH.
 It's usually in the bedroom, but makes apearances in the living room
 whenever the occasion calls for lots of extra seating!

A rest for tired feet
A perch to pull on hose and socks
An extra seat for conversations
A fireside perch
A coffee table when a tray is added
A holder of books, magazines, blankets, pillows, purse and even a stack of folded clothes!



I had  a pair of these hourglass shaped Courbe ottomans from Ballard done COM
6 years ago in a beautiful harlequin muted teal & peacock blue chenille. They were an
 inexpensive substitute for the pair I fell in love with, but were more than quadruple the price!
They've held up well considering how much they pushed around.

I have at least oneottoman, stool or tuffet in every room. Some are cover in fabric, some in leather. Some were expensive, some were not. When a room lacks atmosphere, there are two things that are often the culprit. One is lack of lighting, or the right lighting (a topic for another day) and the other is flexible seating. If people are not comfortable, no matter how pretty the room looks, they won't fully enjoy being in the room.


I saved this image for the variety of flexible seating options in this room. The big gray round is truly a tuffet.
I've secretly wanted a hoofed stool with faux fur, and have several examples saved. Mr. A&A is perplexed by my
 recent admission of this desire. He says if I get one, then he will put a 6ft bear he saw at Plow & Hearth in the foyer.
If it comes to that, I'll have no choice but to dress him in a gentleman's black suit, give him a silver tray and call him Carson!

While every room must have a basic furniture plan, it's usually the ability to move pieces for conversation that make the best rooms. Flexible seating includes lightweight occasional chairs and ottomans, especially those on casters are indispensable.  

The hardest working ottoman in our house, still sporting it's trendy houndstooth fabric.
 Two chairs share it, as well as the sofa on occasion and whoever may be trying to sit close to the fireplace.
 At 24" square, it's the perfect size to easily push to any spot in the room.

Whether it's during the holiday season, a cocktail party where multiple groups are mingling, or just for everyday living, it's so nice to be able to pull up an extra seat wherever the conversation or need takes you!

The Chaise, Make It A Double!

So, after watching hours of Downton Abbey re-runs and the 2 hour Season II premiere last night, it got me thinking about being pampered. And my mind turned to the chaise. While the chaise has long been considered the distant relative of the French Récaimier, it's really more similar to the French Méridienne, which translates to rest in the middle of the day.

They tend to be thought of as furniture for women, but when you pair them, they take on a completely different context. Pairs immediately feel gender neutral and conversational. I'd prefer my pair (that I don't yet own) to be used in a library setting. But, they certainly looK appropriate for the study, living room or bedroom. And, while we lounge and look at some of my favorite images that I've saved, could someone ring the bell and ask Carson, the butler, to please bring us some tea or brandy?

Couldn't you just spend all day here with a pile of books?
 I imagine their is a roaring fire opposite the pair of chaise's.
Betty Lou Phillips.

A definite masculine take. Mathew Patrick Smyth.

Suzanne Rheinstein

Bright, cheerful and elegant. Eileen Kathryn Boyd.

An advertisement for Stark carpet, but I fell in love the the leather tufted chaises!

  I prefer the left/right arm combination so I have something to lean into.
 As well as take a nap without falling off! Veranda.

I love everything about this room! Matthew Patrick Smyth.

This would be a good substitute. Identical chairs and ottomans pushed together.
House & Home-January 2012