Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Leap Year!

Today is February 29!
We won't see another one for 4 years!
Let's enjoy the coming spring today.

Everything is blooming most recklessly;
 if it were voices instead of colors, there would be an unbelievable shrieking
 into the heart of the night.
 ~Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters of Rainer Maria Rilke


It's spring fever.
That is what the name of it is.
And when you've got it, you want
- oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want,
 but it just fairly makes your heart ache,
you want it so!
~Mark Twain

Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush.
~Doug Larson

Autumn arrives in early morning,
but spring at the close of a winter day.

~Elizabeth Bowen

Brown is not just for chocolates

This eclectic bedroom is a wonderful mix of worldly furniture and accessories.
 The enormous custom-designed headboard creates a romantic setting.
 African rain drum and inlaid bone chairs occupy the sitting area,
and a long console table is used as a his-and-hers waiting desk/morning table.
The finishes in this room exude luxury,
but the everyday fabrics keep everything comfortable.
This guest room offers sophistication to spare.
The deep chocolate walls are a beautiful backdrop for the crisp linens.
The graphic rug anchors the design and the chandelier adds a touch of elegance.
This eclectic dining room combines espresso-colored dark wood
with orange tones of pewter and gold for a warm and
inviting color palette.
Photography by Elliot Lincis
Even though this powder room is small in size, it visually appears larger.
By adding a counter-to-ceiling custom mirror
and choosing to accent the walls with a dark ebony wall covering
 with a bold print, the room feels spacious.
The custom-made chair adds to the luxurious feel of the master bedroom.
The reflection of the flames in the fireplace bounces off the glass-tile surround
and add an unexpected sparkle to the room.
This master bedroom suite is gifted with a great amount of space.
The very dark brown, almost-black walls make this lofty room feel more intimate.
 The fireplace and TV wall was reinforced as a focal point with free form-painted horizontal stripes.
The artwork, also in a horizontal format, helps maintain your eyes from perceiving the height of the ceiling. Such a bold combination takes a bit of moxie and faith in your designer's choice.


Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Solio Lodge, Kenya

While Solio Lodge may have just opened last week,  Kenya’s enormous Solio game
Reserve, where it is located, was established back in 1970. The ranch, which encompasses 45,000 acres with a 17,000-acre game conservancy, is home to more than 74 black rhinos and 155 white rhinos in addition to buffalo, giraffes, lions, leopards, cheetahs, and dozens of other species. With only six spacious rooms—each with an open fireplace in the sitting area—the lodge seeks to deliver privacy and personal service. The authentic thatched roofs are a nod to indigenous architecture, but the clean, minimalist interiors with expansive glass windows make a refreshing departure from typical safari fare. Even the dramatic design, however, cannot compete with views of animals coming to drink underneath the towering yellow-fever acacia trees.

Luxury on the Pacific

Condé Nast Traveler has named The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs in New Zealand
as the No. 1 Lodge/Resort in the Australia-Pacific Region
 on the 2011 Gold List, The World’s Best Places to Stay.

World-famous for its breathtaking golf course, Kauri Cliffs has also forged a reputation
 for excellence in dining and luxury accommodation.

Kauri Cliffs, a member of Relais & Chateaux, is the epitome of refinement
 in a distant corner of the world. The property has a variety of villas
dotted along the golf course, each with its own private deck
 and views across the Pacific Ocean.

$4.2 Million Stone Estate in Dallas, Texas

Completed in 2009, this traditional stone home  
is perched in the elite estates of Old Preston Hollow.
Cathedral archways, groin vaulted ceilings and
meticulous detail set the architectural tone.

Saturday, February 25, 2012

The Mediterranean Courtyard - For the Great Life


The Mediterranean Courtyard provides a place for life to be lived,
and as such must fulfill many roles....
It can be a place of comfort, a quiet haven, a shady retreat for an afternoon siesta,
a setting to eat in the cool of the evening.


It is a place in which one can prepare food
 and grow herbs for seasoning savory meals...

TIP: Wattling or the weaving of willows for garden perimeters
 is quite Mediterranean..and fun also
A courtyard must be beautiful,
and often with the most uncomplicated of layouts.

The Mediterranean Courtyard can be quite small....
but even though small, still quite effective.

TIP: See how a few small pots with topiary create a European feel to this court- yard?

For the Love of Outdoor Living

Front yard landscape design is often considered the most important component of complete home and garden planning. Your front yard is the first part of your home visitors see and may be the only portion of your residence seen by many. The design of your front yard also sets the theme for the rest of your outdoor space and should draw focus and attention to your home.










Simple Steps: Vegetable Gardening ©Dorling Kindersley Limited 2009


http://www.landscape-design-advisor.com/

Friday, February 24, 2012

Casa Chic

To Chevron, or not?

The chevron pattern, immortalized by Missoni, has been a strong design trend for several years. The ubiquitous zigzag design is a versatile print that's found its way onto pillows, lamps, rugs and accessories galore. Designer Madeline Weinrib celebrates the print on a popular rug collection, Quadrille's fabulous collection of chevron prints is very sought after and the retailer West Elm carries nearly everything else one would need in a cheeky chevron print. Is the love affair over? Have we had enough of the saucy stripe?

Ralph Lauren's Summer Home ~ Rosecliff

These images of the new spring Ralph Lauren Home line Rosecliff seem to pair so beautifully with the Summer Cottage A Wee Ly Mor, I featured yesterday. Lauren masterfully combines luxurious linens and cashmeres in subtle blues and whites, the perfect palette for a romantic seaside home.


Now for something sweet

The talented duo of Miche Bacher and Nanao Anton bring extraoridnary creativity and an eye for detail to every creation.