Fauteuil Pacha by James Duncan Collections

Cane /kan/, n.: stems of bamboo, rattan, or wicker used as a material for making furniture or baskets.

Fauteuil /fo-te'y...for us Americans, it sorta' sounds like "fo-toy"/, n.: an upholstered chair with open arms and a wooden frame.

I love this chair because it proves my theory on caning. It looks better painted, rather than stained. Its more graphic and fresh when its painted a solid color. Love it. Also, contrary to popular mistake, this type of chair is not a Bergere. A "Bergere" is an enclosed upholstered arm chair.

Perhaps people call it a Bergere because its easier to pronounce than "Fauteuil", but technically, an open arm chair such as this is a Fauteuil. Or, perhaps people think these are Bergeres due to sites like this. No matter- now you know! Impress your antiques dealer and your interior designer next time you discuss chairs.

For those of you who are desperately bad at French, like myself (due to four total years of Spanish in both high school and college- I just mix up all the rules and pronounce French words like a train wreck), just take a stab at it. Its better to call it what it is, rather than call it what its not.

"Hot Surface Houndstooth Set" by Jaime Salm @ Mio

Cork /kork/ n.: A sustainable natural material harvested from the outer layer of the Cork Oak tree.

I have to admit that I pretty much relegate cork to the bulletin boards in my studio. I appreciate it, but I don't employ cork all that often. But here is a cork I am loving. Houndstooth pattern cork pieces that interlock! Novel! Its meant for a table surface, such as a trivet for hot things. I would like to consult my favorite GC to see how I can do this for flooring...there has to be a way to use these little pieces as flooring. Or....I can houndstooth cork a large portion of a wall in my studio, frame it out and have a cool new inspiration board. Although, I may not want to cover up the pattern!

DWR (Design Within Reach) is having a sale. March 5-18th get 15% off of EVERYTHING, plus FREE SHIPPING! If you aren't on their mailing list, you can sign up here.

Think there is nothing at DWR for your classic house and lifestyle? Think again. Here are my top ten picks from DWR. Perhaps they are classic because they would fit in both modern and traditional spaces? Its another example of "classic knows best".

My Top Ten from DWR

1. A Classic Kitchen Scale.

Even if you don't normally weigh anything, a beautiful scale would look great on the counter or in the butlers pantry. Scales are more handy than you think, so chances are- if you have one, you will start to use it.

2. Glass Apothecary Jars

These jars are all about utility, which means you can actually use them (good luck with all the pretty, fancy shaped apothecary jars out there! I've broken one and it wasn't very hard!). Think about jars for storage in the kitchen cupboard and bathroom. If you want to get really neurotic (like me), these would make gorgeous containers for nuts, bolts and odds & ends on the workbench. Who says the garage can't be pretty?

3. Adirondack Chair

This is a streamlined take on the truly classic Adirondack chair. If you want to be unconventional, it comes in a choice of colors. I would have custom seat cushions and a kidney pillow, both with contrasting welting, made for each chair. Think navy blue, hunter green or black fabric with white welting with this white finish. Fresh and classic.

4. Shaker Settee

A very classic and iconic style that is suitable for colonial styles (think cape cod and dutch colonial revival, and even more casual American Federalists styles). Great for an informal entry, a bench in the mudroom, or a settee for the morning room table.

5. An hourglass

Or, in this case, a 45 minute glass. This would be great for a study space for the kids or your office.

6. A Murano Glass Chandelier

Comes in other colors. Fantastic foyer or dining room light fixture.

7. A shave set

I love this one. My husband uses an electric razor, but I would still get this- even though it would be for display purposes only. Its gorgeous. And classic. And a true luxury. Perhaps a great accent for the guest suite bath?

8. A Teak Tree Swing

Honestly, this one makes me a bit sentimental. I picture a big lawn with a mature oak tree and this swing hanging down. I am totally romanticizing this swing, I know- but its pretty cool (and classic).

9. A teak Croquet Set

I have great family memories playing croquet on my father's perfectly manicured Bermuda grass lawns. Get a croquet set and create family memories for years (decades with a teck set- its made to last!).

10. Glass Tumblers

Perfect for everyday use. Juice. Water. Soda. Very multipurpose, very classic.

I'm off to Arizona!

Normal blogging will resume late next week.

Cheers!

I have another front page article published on AvaLiving, "Green for Everyone...Not Just the Modern Folks!". Check it out.

NEW Porcelain Pearl Lamps from Williams-Sonoma Home

How to Use them: I love this new glazed porcelain lamp from WS Home (check out the acrylic base, too!). I wish they also offered it in butter yellow (my favorite color), or, better yet- Orange (everyone knows I'm going through an orange phase). This would make a great bedside lamp for a monochromatic room that needs a subtle shot of color. Equally lovely options would include placement in the Living Room, Family Room or Foyer.

How to get them: Williams-Sonoma Home

Retail Price: $495

Set of Six Mahogany Side Chairs by Andre Arbus via Vintage Modern

These are vintage French c.1940's. These graceful chairs remind me of a tuxedo...the dark and light juxtaposition, the button tufting details, the bow-tie like curves at the bottom of the chair back. The details amount to the right amount of "pretty" without becoming too fussy or feminine. Get the lot from Vintage Modern. Hurry...once they're gone, they're gone!

If I told you this bedroom was from the 80's, would you believe me?

Guess what- its from the 80's! Pretty unbelievable, huh? This is a perfect example of how classic interiors can be enduring and relevant, even decades past their "designed on" date. I came across this clip in my files and had to throw it up on Maison Classique. A few years ago, I cut this out of an old Arch Digest from either the mid or late eighties. I still remember marveling at the year of issue.

Today, perhaps you would switch out the lamps (or forego the trim), and perhaps throw the flowers in the foreground into a crystal vessel. But everything else, even the color palette, could pass for today. I love the bold stripes and the shape of the head and foot boards. I even love the fun pillow shapes. And I especially love the diamond-pane window, (but I have a feeling it was like that before the designer got there). It all works. This room and design is going on 30 years old.

Will your interiors look relevant in 30 years? Do you want them to?

To all you readers with classique tastes and households- this is what you have to look forward to. Constant style, an enduring investment, and an aesthetic sensibility that reaches beyond trends of the moment. What a way to be chic and timeless.

Fun Fact About Limestone....its actually harder and more durable than marble flooring. This is the shipment we have been waiting for since mid 2008. Its almost completely installed in one of my projects and my Client, as I knew he would, LOVES it. I ran 16" x 24" pieces in a running bond pattern for about 1,100 sq. ft. of the downstairs. Gorgeous. When viewed from a distance, the coloring is so even that it almost looks like concrete. Its smooth like butter. Its cool to the touch (which is welcomed in our southern CA climate). When you look at it up close, you can see all the subtle characteristics of this particular type of limestone. Little fossils and shells and natural bits. It took a bit to get it right. The first shipment didn't match up correctly. It went back. Then we waited a long time for a new batch. It was worth the wait.

I heart Limestone in a huge way. HUGE!

I love this beautiful fabric by Pollack. Very pretty and feminine. I see a Celtic knot in there. I would love to this fabric on a vanity chair or a bed bench.

Where would you use this fabric?

These super fun lamps come to us from Bermingham and Co. by way of France, c. 1950, (I realize their date makes them more "vintage" than proper antiques...but still). I would be willing to venture no one else you know has these lamps. Perfect for a statement in the Foyer- where they can happily greet guests upon entry. Get them fast if you love them! Once they're gone...they're gone!

Lately, I have this irrational affinity towards orange which is nearly saddening. Clients are (very) hard to sway and my husband insists he hates the idea of orange in our home; therefore, I have nothing orange in my life save a few vintage Gucci scarves and the trim and monogram on my canvas "designer bag" (the bag that goes with me everywhere...tape measure, notes portfolio, client files, samples, paint decks, trace paper, pencil pouch, etc.). Oh yeah, and a small enamel frame from Z Gallerie that displays an inspiring fortune from a fortune cookie (which sits on my desk, out of the way from my husband). I have this fantasy of painting my kitchen orange. I picture cararra marble and soapstone counters, a vintage black and white checked floor and brass fittings on glossy white cabinetry. *Sigh*.

Since I can't convince my other half (yet!), and I'm still waiting on a client who wants orange- I have these gorgeous (and orange!) rooms* for satiation. Enjoy!

*Note: these clips are from my personal files, which I have maintained since I was a teenager. I have no clue who designed or photographed these rooms. If you are the designer or photographer of one of these, please let me know so I can lend the proper credit!

This so cute fancy edged "Blanc de Chine" (hey, it IS made in China!) porcelain plate can be yours for, wait for it....two bucks! Target, baby! They also have a large one. too. Find it in the dishes section in the ala carte aisle. This is a new style. I love their ala carte porcelain aisle. I buy so many pieces that go nowhere near food. Jewlery trays, matches tray on the toilet tank, soap dishes, desk tray, little dishes for my paperclips and sticky notes. The ala carte aisle is where its at, people. It's probably my single most favorite aisle at Target.

In case anyone is wondering- the lovelieness underneath the dish is Kravet Couture chenille "Constellation" in Pewter. I need to return soooo many memos right now. I love the good people at Kravet for their patience. =)

Last week I received a call from the NY showroom informing me that Bunny's Beeline Home line will be available at Hollyhock in West Hollywood. I can't wait to see it...oh wait! I already have! (Thank you, advanced copy PDF catalog!). Sicne the line isn't out yet... I won't spoil the release for them and post pics. That would make me a bad designer, a very bad designer!

Click here to bookmark the page so you can check in around March to see the line in all its glory.

Volute /ve'loot/ n.: a spiral scroll charactistic

Volutes are often found on architectural columns and decorative accessories + antiques, such as this mirror. Next time you see a volute, you'll know what its called (better than refering to it as a scroll!).

This is brought to you from 1st Dibs via Dolce Casa.

I have an article published on the front page of Ava Living. Check it out.

I am quite sure this is the most charming residential architecture style of all time. Its called Storybook...and doesn't it evoke that childhood fantasy of Princesses (I don't know about you- but I think of Snow White in the enchanted forrest) and, possibly, Hansel and Gretel?! I've adored this style as a young person ever since a Storybook style roofline struck me as different (of course, I didn't know it was called Storybook style then!). This style was hot during all the Romantic Revivals in the 1920's, which explains why there are so many of them (well, relatively speaking- its not like there are entire neighborhoods of nothing but this style!) out here in the suburbs of Los Angeles. Just adorable.

This is a house in my grandparent's neighborhood (which is chalk full of revivals of all types- I love their neighborhood!). Its recently received a facelift and of course, I made a note to photograph it when it was completed! I love the roof, which also happens to (typically) be the most defininig element in Storybook architecture. Here is a close up:

How cool and intricate and amazing. This Storybook roof is more detailed than the norm.

I'm not sure if the photo is coming through all that well- but there are metal components in addition to the various size and shapes of the shingles. Just amazing.

Edited on June 14, 2010 to note that Steve Fuller of Storybook Roofs did this work. Isn't it great?! He contacted me after coming across this blog post. Im so glad he did....because now I know who to hire if I ever need his specialty service! He is the go-to "storybook roof man"! Click here to view more of his work on his website.

And, here is a book you may be interested in! I've had this one since design school- what a great addition to your library! I highly recommend it if you love revival style residential architecture (and, if you are here on Maison Classique...I would assume you do!). Book info: "Storybook Style, America's Whimsical Homes of the Twenties" by Arrol Gellner and Douglas Keister, Penguin Books, 2001.

A fun Link to check out if you want to learn more and some designer jargon regarding this style: StoryBookers.com

Resource for the go-to storybook roof contractor: Steve Fuller of Storybook Roofs

Domino is folding. I can't say I was a religious reader (I did carry a subscription, but I do admit I read look through my House Beautiful and Traditional Home first, in fact- I have a few Domino's in their plastic wrap sitting on the book shelf still!)...but I am a bit surprised! Doesn't EVERYONE love this magazine?! And isn't it always like, $10 or $12 a year? I know they just published a book, too...I feel like there is a disconnection in the sudden fold of the entire magazine.

I admit I know nothing about magazine publishing...but I'm confident (well, not really- but it sounds good) that the decree came from the publishing house (the official reason sited on Domino was their ad revenues were not up to par and they could not go on). I would imagine the writers and editors that work so hard on Domino probably would have done nearly anything to save the beloved magazine (and their jobs right now). Couldn't the higher-ups have adjusted the game plan and rolled with the punches? Or let the staff hash out some creative thinking?! Cut down on some overhead, maybe? Downsize the office and have everyone that can do so work from home? I mean...the economy will get better at some point! Can't they hang in there and tough it out?

I guess its just my optimism, and my sadness that such a prominent shelter publication- that everyone loves!- will be no longer. Bye, bye Domino! Its been a great 4 years! Maybe they will at least keep the site up...

{For the record, two other magazines I had subscriptions with, 'Home' and 'House & Garden' have also failry recently folded. I now have about three years of Met Home on credit. Good thing I didn't renew Domino! I had their renew notice in my sorter to be paid when I did my billing this week!}

I've wanted this poster ever since I spied it way back when. I think 2009 may be the year I actually get around to hanging it on my wall. I can't decide if I want tan, orange or light blue.

For all you designers out there, isnt this the perfect mantra to keep around the studio?!

Buy this tan one from this Etsy shop site.

Here's a list (sorry, I don't have the time to link them!) of mail order catalogs that sell home goods suitable for a Classique home. Pretty much any catalog is good for an accessory or two, but be weary of purchasing furniture through a catalog. In my opinion, upholstered furniture via catalog is either way overpriced, lacking in foundational quality...or both. Stick to accents and accessories and you will be a-okay! Please comment to add your favorite catalog to the list! (The * notes my top 5 personal favorites!)

Anthropologie (the catalog has some home stuff sometimes), Ballard Home, Brocade Home, Crate and Barrel, DWR (great gift items and fun mod lighting), Exposures, Front Gate, Garnet Hill, Gumps, *Horchow, Ikea, Illuminations, Maine Cottage Catalog, *OKA Direct, Pottery Barn, Red Envelope, Rejuvenation, *Restoration Hardware, Room and Board, Room Service Home, *Source Perrier, Sur la Table, Tiffany & Co., *Williams-Sonoma Home, Wisteria