Harold and Maude

This past weekend I was able to see a classic cult film, Harold and Maude (1971). While I loved the movie, what really caught my eye was the house of Harold's mother, Mrs. Chasen. The house really reminds me of the work of John Woolf: mainly because of that canopy over the front door. (Read this great article from Vanity Fair about Woolf by Matt Tyrnauer HERE). Classic Woolf, don't you think? From what I could find HERE though, the house is actually the The Rose Court Mansion in Hillsborough and many of the scenes were shot inside, even using the actual butler from the house in the movie!

The home is extremely eclectic inside, but French styles dominate. This study, seen above was off the main living room where all of the dates Harold takes, set up by his mother, take place.

1971....but this could be a home today for the most part, don't you agree? The classic white lenox lamps, the beautiful chair in the background, simple drapes, big windows. I just loved this room!

The classic lenox lamp is used throughout the room as are potted orchids. The couch is a bit dated but still stylish: simple white linen with an interesting trim. My poor pictures don't capture the beautiful painted paneling in this room either.

Here you see that chair again...the clothes are definitely dated even if the room is not...

I loved the pelmets over the curtains - so perfect for a mansion of this caliber.

Yes, the yellow ragweed flowers are dated as is the victorian style table but you catch a better glimpse of the beautiful paneling in this room and the chinoiserie statue. Check out the checked B&W marble tiled hallway! classic!

From the next room over, you get a better glimpse of the living room. I love the 2 stylish 20's era portrait as well as the game-table in the corner; Another great white chair as well! Just ignore Harold's fake suicide attempt here in this photo with his feet up in the air.....just like his mother did!

To end with , maybe not a really great interior shot, but I loved the gallery wall in the master bedroom hallway. Ideas just keep being recyled: Whats old is new again!

Please excuse the poor quality of the photos are they are my own of my tv!

Dan Marty, a pleasant surprise.

I was flipping through my Western Interiors saying silently in my head "love it, hate it, love it" but then I got to the Dan Marty spread and I started screaming, "LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT!" Dan Marty is a designer/showroom owner originally from Northern California. His style reflects his sophisticated and worldly upbringing as he went on trips to Europe at least twice a year growing up (psht, is that all?) with his family. He uses lots of eclectic antiques, yet his style is very original and surprising. This spread was of his apartment in Villa D'este in Los Angeles, an Italian Renaissance building built in the 1920's.

Here is the living room filled with eclectic style antiques and Chinoiserie accents.

The other half of the living room. I'm such a sucker for color but this room is mostly neutrals and I can't look away. There are so many subtle things going on here--the chunky sisal carpet, the three paintings stacked on each other, the blue and white urn on the brick hearth just to name a few.

Even though I can't stand the abrasive red color of those chairs, I still love this room. The framed antique maps mixed in with the drawings and the light yellow lantern over the gorgeous wood dining table.

This bamboo chest with the ebony lamp and pleated shade are like a work of art. J'adore.

Woah, Union Jack motif! I love the way he uses reds and blues...and antlers.

And at last the bedroom, I love the striped rug and my fave thing that you can't see is that he monogrammed the initials, DMD, on that blanket--it's genius. I love the inset arched moments on the back wall as well.

A lot of times, when you put lots antiques together it can either look too casual slash beachy, or too stuffy and museum-like. I think that Dan Marty conjures up just the right balance. He describes it as what "started out with a British Colonial feel, but I also mix in a French Indochine look." Take a look at his website too, it's amazing with so many things to look at: Dan Marty Design.


Alicia B.

Pretty Lovely Things

Last week I met Samantha from the blog 'Pretty Lovely Things' here in DC for coffee and to chat about design and blogging. She's a local interior design student and has recently started a really great blog about her many interests: fashion, art and design included. Read about our conversation online at her blog HERE
Thanks, Sam!

It's Time to Build!

Almost every day I ask myself why more people are not taking advantage of this crazy building market.  By crazy I mean this is a ridiculous buyers market.  The answer seems to be fear.  We can't seem to get away from all the bad news.  Just turn on your tv or your computer and you get nailed with it.  I cannot say if the fear is justified or not.  Each persons situation is unique, and so it is up to them to determine for themselves.  But I can tell you that right now there are some really good opportunities for those that choose to pursue them.  

If you have been thinking of building a new home or remodeling your existing one I suggest seriously pursuing it.  If not, you may just be missing the opportunity of a lifetime.  I have been in this industry for more than a few years now, and I cannot remember any time that the market has been more favorable for the buyer / client.  Here are a few of the big reasons:

• Interest rates are ridiculously low.
  
• Contractors and subcontractors are highly motivated.  In many cases they are working with little or no profit just to keep their good people busy.  And since they are not that busy, they have the time to dedicate to your project.  An associate of mine has had a flood of very high quality contractors practically begging to bid on a bathroom remodeling project.  I have had numerous local contractors request to bid on a project that is several hours outside of our traditional building area.
• Lot costs have plummeted.  Developers are looking to unload.  Indeed the banks now own quite a bit of really nice land.  Call up a few of your local banks and ask for their property listings.  You might find a great deal by buying directly from the bank.
• Many material costs are at 10 year lows.  Since no one is building demand is very low and inventories are up.  Classic over-supply and under-demand.
• Everyone in the process is open to negotiation.  Realtors, Land Owners, Architects, General Contractors, Sub-Contractors, Suppliers, etc.  

Seriously this feels like the perfect storm - as in the perfect buyers market.  A great opportunity to do a beautiful project at the best possible value.  

How long will this last?

Nobody seems to know.  But statistics are beginning to show an improvement in the sales of existing homes and once inventory is diminished construction costs will begin to rise again.  Nobody knows how long this "window" will be open, but we all know it will not be open forever.  

Don't Feel Guilty!  

It is true that the current market allows the buyer to take advantage of the situation.  But at the same time the builders, vendors, designers, realtors that are surviving are truly appreciative of the work.  And if you pick the right team they are going to give you their best.  

Build Smart!

If you decide to proceed with a project, make sure you do it smart.  For instance "McMansions" have a bad name right now and the builders cannot seem to give them away.  This might not be the type of home that will be in great demand even after the turnaround.  Folks are starting to look for a more modest, smartly designed and quality constructed home.  The type of homes as seen below designed by Larson Brenner Architects.

Be Smart!

Utilize the expertise of your professionals (architects / designers, general contractors, realtors, etc.).   Don't try to design and construct the project yourself.  You will get a better outcome and will carry less burden if you have a good team around you.  And besides, right now you are practically getting their services for free!

SIMPLY ELEGANT HOME DESIGNS

Barry Dixon at Timothy Paul

This past thursday I attended the DC launch party of Barry Dixon's rug collection at Timothy Paul. I had been in the bedding and home store of Timothy Paul up the street but had never been into the carpet showroom so I was excited to see it! I had always admired their throw pillows they had in the window, I was happy to see them up close -so beautiful!!

We got there really early, straight from work, and got to take some pictures before the party started and talked to Barry Dixon a bit about his inspiration behind most of the collection. All of the different designs are very personal to Barry, picked up from his travels. Ideas came from pieces of tooled leather picked up in bazaars and the pattern of leaves on a forest floor.

The colors are all beautiful, muted tones without being bland. Many of the rugs are available in different color-ways as well.

His beautiful book was also on display: I was at the book launch party for that and blogged about it HERE.

While Dixon's were the primary focus, a few others not by the designer were also featured. I loved this deep rich reddish-orange rug.

If you're ever in DC, visit Timothy Paul -the rug showroom is only a block away from the bedding and home store. Visit them online HERE.

Diane Von Furstenberg is my idol

My sisters have taken to mailing me little clippings of interiors, fashion, and other inspiring articles slash pictures. My most recent mailing was from my younger sister (thanks D!), of one of our favorite designers, Diane Von Furstenberg. It was an interview from the Wall Street Journal (boy, my sisters are into some serious stuff), called DVF: Mother of Reinvention about how she started in the fashion industry, her life, and her future goals (to pass the Design Piracy Prohibition Act). Born in Belgium, then moved to New York with her hottie new husband, Prince Egon Von Furstenberg who just happened to be the heir of the Fiat car fortune (they divorced 3 years later). Though she fell into amazing financial circumstances, she was determined to have a career. She said, "I think you have to want to be a success. It’s a lot of work and it’s a lot of perseverance." I've always liked her but now I'm in love slash awe.

This amazing dress is from her new collection. Love that hat.

Also from her new collection, how pretty is that dress? What a fun look.

This is just a rando pic of her in one of her beautiful dresses.

Mostly known for her signature wrap dress, she is constantly inventing and reinventing styles and coming up with new things. I admire her in so many ways. I love the fact that she wasn't one of those girls dreamed of becoming a fashion designer when they grew up because I certainly never wanted to be an interior designer until about 2 years ago.

DVF with her son, Alexander in 1970. So cute!

My favorite part of the article makes me want to totally throw out my old dreams of becoming a trophy wife on Park Ave. and instead be independent and successful. Did this get too girl-powery? Too bad. She says, "A man once told me, and his grandmother told him, you can lose everything in life, you can lose your health, your wealth, you can lose your partner, your child, you can lose your job. What you never lose is your character." Wise words Diane, wise words.

Alicia B.

Garage Sales

Here in Texas we call em Garage Sales- I know every other State to the left, right & above us call them Yard Sales. Nonetheless- they are awesome. I can remember as I kid going with my mom to Garage sales & cringing the whole time- worried someone from school would see me. Or worse-the house we were at was someone from school. Well those days are over & I fear them no more! In fact I heart them-"like totally" (a little teenage flash back). I will have to say there are days you "score" and days you "bomb". 2 weeks ago I had a "bomb" or shall I say "dud" day. I made the mistake of getting a little over zealous & purchased something my husband would call a silk handkerchief. A silk handkerchief is basically when you purchase something for a steal (like a suit) but with that suit you will have to buy the right shoes, shirt, tie and silk handkerchief-so your steal of a suit cost you more than you expected. Well my "suit" was a Peg Perego Polaris 700 ride on toy for my kids.




This thing is HUGE!! and they only wanted 2o bucks for it! It retails new for over $400! "Does it work?" I ask- "oh yea- you just gotta charge it up & go" ummm yea right! we charged, and we charged and we charged! no go. So I look up replacement batteries- "the shoes" $75 bucks! or it could be a switch "the tie" $15 bucks or it could be a wire "the shirt" $35 bucks- so my "silk handkerchief" sits in the garage collecting dust. But I have decided to get my money back! but in an honest way- (I decided against egging the sellers house) I have posted it on a local online website letting them know it does not work & would need a handy man who likes to "tinker" and willing to put $75-100 dollars into it. It would still be worth it to fix it up- but honestly I can think of other fun things to buy for $75. I have already had 4 people email about it- all of them men of course!
So thats my "bomb" story- but I do have a "score" story & this one only cost me $5 bucks- and the "shoes" "shirt" & "tie" will only be an extra $10! I will be posting about this one soon!

Gorgeous WWOOFer turns up, poor scorched ferns are retired

Tim the Tall. He is a WWOOFer I declined, as I already had a full house of guests. I asked him over for dinner anyway, and he ended up staying the night. I remember being a young world traveler, new to a city and friendless, and just how lonely it was to even think about sleeping in the park.
The next morning, clever, hardworking Tim offered to transplant my poor scorched ferns to the shady back garden, making way for the edible Japanese doorstep garden I am planning.

WWOOFers are wonderful. No matter how small your 'organic farm', even if just a balcony, even if you only have a couch for them to stay on, being a WWOOF host can make life like a box of chocolates, for everybody

Lavender and buttercup on the Victorian Veranda

The neighbor's angel's trumpet tree is now blooming, greeting visitors to his unique entranceway with its delicate, evocative fragrance.
The lavender-colored flowers on the creeper beside are an exact match for the paint on the door, which just sings out to me, as if it said 'we are in love here', we reflect each other'.

I'm so grateful to this man for rebelling against the prescribed heritage colors expected of us in this street, making me believe life can be colorful.
I'm now planning an edible Japanese garden to plant in my entranceway. Getting 'Japanese' to co-ordinate with my colorful front door is the creative challenge. Which plants to choose for love and connection, fragrance and deliciousness?

Balcony Garden cuisine of Autumn

Hot air balloon over Cecilia's balcony

This mornings balcony garden tasks, completed under the watchful eye of the hot-air balloonists, were these:
* Planting rocket seeds. Its at its sweetest when grown in winter, and needs to be sown every week, because it gets EATEN so quickly.
* Finished painting my irrigation pipes from black to pink
*Added liquid kelp fertilizer to everything. My regular supply of liquid fertilizer from the wormfarm has been suspended since the hot day in February, when all the worms mysteriously dissapeared. The Kelp is an innocent organic alternative, to tide us over till the new worms hit their stride.
On that topic, here is balcony Cuisine of the week, created by my beautiful housemate Hiromi, who works as a cook at Nobu:
The dish is titled 'Kombu beef with Japanese shiso-herbed vegetables, and a mushroom sauce".
We decided the Aussie word for kombu is rather less appetizing. Don't worry - ingredients from the balcony were only the chives, figs, and a couple of lettuce leaves.

Disclaimer: No Liquid Kelp fertilizer was used in the creation of this dish.

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend planned! These pictures were taken yesterday by a friend at work and I just loved how they turned out. We had lots of fog yesterday morning which is always thicker near the river and canal here in Georgetown. I love how you can see the fog lift in these photos when the sun comes out, all taken within a minute. So dramatic!

Happy Friday--because I'm back.

So, I'm back! I have lots to catch up on and over 100 posts in my Google Reader (yikes-ville) to read. Are there new trends that I've missed? Are butterflies still in? OMG so much to worry about! Here are a few pics from my awesome trip to Miami with my sister! It was warm (mid 70's) but pretty much one big wind gust the entire time. I powered through though and burned myself to a crisp and added a few more freckles. YAY.

I found this ridiculously Miami looking office building near where we were staying. Mosaic tiles meant to look like water and these cool stairs were surrounded by a moat.

This is an apartment building. Yes, it's light turquoise. EESH. I'm just going to say that I didn't LOVE the Miami architecture. I respect the art deco as a movement, but it's not my fave.

One of many shots of the beach. Here's the coast guard--swoon. Isn't the color of the water amazing? It was like that the whole time.

Yup, this huge margarita happened. Twice.

Though I'm back in frigid New York, it's a gorgeous day. Since I have the day off (because I took it off) I'm going to finally go to the Met! It's been probably 9 months since I've been there and I need some art. What are your weekend plans? I'm also going to head over to the Architectural Digest Home Design Show on the Piers tomorrow. I went two years ago and heard a talk by Vicente Wolfe! Has anybody been yet?


Alicia B.

Thank you Apartment Therapy!

I want to thank Leah Moss, an editor at Apartment Therapy, for the EXTREMELY flattering write up she did for my house tour!Leah came over last weekend to check out my place and chat for awhile. She's a great photographer and really captured my apartment well, no easy feat in such a small space! We had so much fun talking it hardly felt like an interview at all!

We talked a lot about small spaces and how to live in them, which is what 'Apartment Therapy' is all about. The challenges all are worth it though when you end up with your cozy cocoon.

If you are interested, check out the post! She's completely over flattering to me, I have to thank her for that. I know there are a lot of photos for my small space, but it's so fun for me to see it through someone else's eyes; a different perspective.

The post is online HERE