Modern Nostalgia....

I was searching for some modern prints that were fresh and modern but conveyed a certain nostalgia...that's what really compels me about design...the odd combinations of periods, themes and styles. I recently did a house where I needed to combine, Colorado rugged ranch with Victorian and Mediterranean. AHHHHH I thought. What do these have in common? How will it not look pieced together? Then I thought about the common thread in all theses styles...iron work, scroll work, florals and little critters -like tiny iorn squirrel resting on a painted scrolled shelf, aged pots, rich brown, yellow and creme...once I established this basis, the rest just flowed.

These 10-8 polaroids are fantastic. They remind me of botanicals from the early part of the century, marbles from the 30's and 1960's batik and yet they are fresh and modern...mmmm
pinholesand poloroids from the UK! On ETSY, baby!



We went to Brenckenridge recently on our 2nd annual family trip. I spotted these flowers in an old mining ore box....new hybrid? Love the combo! Love the colors!
On a hike recenly I came across this old latrine...it cracks me up.
I took this photo from my bathroom window...my grassland has been transformed. The field looks like a computer card from the late 70's!

Cosmopolitan Dining Here and There

Last week we went to my all time favorite dinner spot in Telluride, Cosmo, for a pre-theatre meal. We saw a fantastic local production of the Sound Of Music. All the kids were spot on- my six year old ate it up. She was completely riveted by the costumes, the songs and the sets. It also helped that one of her classmates was in the cast.
At dinner I ordered their BBQ salmon w/mango/red pepper relish and jasmine coconut rice. It was divine. Never have I had a just so-so meal there. They always out do themselves in the service department, the wines, the fresh offerings and they do it all in their welcoming upscale but casual atmosphere. I'd live there if I could. Their fresh bread is completely out of control. Better than any bread west of PARIS!! I tried to recreate the dish on Tuesday night and I think I came close...my little crew scarfed it down like it was candy. Delish. I had to do the dishes though at home and no one scraped all the little bread crumbs off my place setting when I went all Cookie Monster on the fresh focaccia....


All these gorgeous photos are of Founding Farmers restaurant in Washington DC...we leave next week! I really hope we'll dine here at some point. The rustic modern decor and approach move me to mouth-watering joy!



I need to towel off, the salivating is getting to be too much.

Modern, cold? Not here. Look how cozy these diners look!

So fantastic. I have a pantry at home in which I keep the preserves I made last summer(their number slowly dwindling) but to display them like this, back lit and bold? Yes, I would enjoy that immensely!

Washington DC .... help me Nancy!

Huevos anyone? Should I drag everyone to Perry's?

Elliott Teel Photo
We are going to Washington DC for spring break!!! I'm embarrassed to say I have never been there before. We have so much snow right now in Telluride and Ridgway that it's hard to believe there might be cherry blossoms only a short plane ride away. I miss the dahlias, the hydrangeas, the tulips, and the cherry blossoms the most since moving from Seattle...love being so close to skiing/hiking/here though.

A good friend of mine who is from D.C. suggested the following itinerary. It is a fantastic spring board. Too bad we can't get tickets to do the white house egg roll on Easter! We'll be bringing my Mom who is full of fun and curiosity and our sweet 6 year old...Scott and I might go out for one fancy schmancy dinner. We'll need to see the mall lit up at night...

Here's where you come in!
Where are the modern boutiques? The great furniture places? The funky shops? I'd love to hear your "musts"! PLEASE!!!!
M.'s recommendations:
Day 1
The Mall and the Smithsonian Museums (be sure to see the Natural History Museum)Korean War Memorial/Vietnam War Memorial Tidal Basin at the Jefferson Memorial (lined by the cherry blossoms)Eat at Tenh Penh or Michel Richard's Central?

Day 2 Breakfast at Eastern Market (Saturday morning) on Capital Hill Capitol and Library of CongressNational Archives The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

Day 3 Spy Museum (http://www.spymuseum.org/)Lunch at Full Key (Chinatown) or Jaleo (right by the Spy Museum)Newseum (http://www.newseum.org/)

Day 4 Sunday drag queen brunch at Perry's in Adam's MorganNational Zoo and Dupont Circle. Don't know whether you want to see the Holocaust Museum (http://www.ushmm.org/)? Amazing, but definitely adult content.Also to fit in: shows at Folger Theater or National Theater.Neko Case (ALT country) is playing on the 9th at the 9:30 club. She's awesome. Not COUNTRY, COUNTRY, twang, twang.

This sounds like a good restaurant. Any one been?

Hi and Lo! Always big fun!

I gave my husband the quiz and he failed! If you saw these pieces- I don't think you'd know which was high and which was low! I'm not picking on VIVAVI! I love their philosophy and designs. I also know not everyone can afford them. It is possible to have champagne on a beer budget! INDEED!
above: HIGH! Over 13K!

Surprisingly LOW! Under 3k! If you have "children with fur" or allow food anywhere near this sofa you need not consider either one of these pristine beauties.

High! Over 2k

Can you imagine the marks this would make on sweaty thighs? This might require a clothing non-optional clause.

LOW! This is under $650!

It actually looks comfortable too.

Function over form-no. Form and function, no?

High! Over 1K

LOW! This is under $300!

GREEN TOO! Both bamboo!

I fell for the Strip tease

Who needs a new spring Trench coat when you could get this little sweet pea of a waterproof dress? One of my girlfriends has had one for a few seasons and EVERY TIME she wears it I coo. Do I need one of my own? No. Do I want one like a the octomom wants more stretch marks? YES!
So let me ask, is it made from post consumer recycled products? Why, yes it is! Thanks for asking.
Is it good for traveling and the climate that you live in? Yes, yes yes!
Is it infinitely versatile? Mmmmmmmmmhmmmmm! Ok, well is it made by an environmentally friendly, philosophically conscious company,Yes, yes, oh yes!
Calm down...usually this euphoria is reserved for shoes...
Is it affordable? Oh hush! It's an investmentt piece.

Hmmmmm which color?

The truth is I don't usually spend this much on jackets but I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO tempted. This dress/jacket with removable sleeves is like a siren....MUST STEER SHIP AWAY....Can't. I'll soon be fed grapes by those removable arms I just know it.

NAU

They have a cool little blog too called the thought kitchen.

When mimimalist goes bad...and what to do when it does

I like to call this look, "prison cell chic"....I think the company refers to it as Zen something. It needs a charming color behind it...maybe sparkling mosaic tile, or beautiful wood planking.

Another example of punitive design. Do you remember that ornery kid at school, the one the teacher had to install a tri-folder (or Knightrider Trapper Keeper) on his desk so he wouldn't "bother his neighbors?" That's all I see when I look at that desk fencing...

I think the concept is light and airy but the effect seems a little "when bad billy grows up". Perhaps it just needs less than minimalist neighbors...although I can really see an acrylic ghost chair really enjoying it self paired with this desk.

I had a client that needed an office staged in a tiny balcony level area , perhaps a lime green laptop and a silver slinky cascading to the floor would bring out the fun....who knows...

Valentine's Day Advice

This eco-friendly gift from Velocity might say, "You light up my life!"
While...

Saw it first on Notcot

these send an entirely different message. 7 deadly sins glasses say "We all want to celebrate with a little naughty and a little nice... however...

you may want to stick with this...or...
perhaps you may want to convey a message about the security and bliss you maintain with domestic and affordable design....

HOWEVER...My advice to the fork:

Love her well or the dish might run away with the spoon!

Rustic salad servers by Horne

Base desires, perfect banquette seating

Banquette table bases are as varied as table designs in general. The interior above by Frank Roop
is a play on the trumpet style base.
I have a client who will be installing a banquette dining table. She will have the typical built in seat in the back and several chairs in the front and at the head of the table. It may not be immediately clear to everyone but certain considerations apply when choosing the perfect table to create comfortable banquette seating.

This Hicks glass top table works beautifully for banquet seating. It's ridiculously affordable and allows adequate clearance to swing one's legs underneath. The proper table base is key to the "scootching" in factor. The worse thing in the world is to bump your knee on a table leg like the modern farm table below -ouch! (Also by West Elm.)

work and design -

Another beautiful table but painfully wrong for banquette seating arrangements. This one needs to float in a room.

I really love the base on this cocktail table and don't see why the gravity defying base would work for a larger scale dining table. It also has that modern rustic, nature inspired, clean design that delights the shazam out of me!

Branch designed by Ruth Livingston

This very architectural number would also work for knee swiveling action!

Context Furniture

I Felt the Light! I heard the eco*

Great price, great design! 2Modern is having a fantastic sample sale right now! Have I told you lately how much I love a good bargain?

Felt lighting people! On sale too...you could do these MIO capsules for a while and then pass them on if grow tired of them... or you could buy more and cluster them for a really amazing effect.

My only issue- and it's a minor one, is that they are hung by a white cord. White cords can be clean, modern, whimsical; but more often than not, they look like college or post college home furnishings (obviously cheap). Can you believe I'm complaining at this price though? I mean HONESTLY!

I've saved the best for last. As all of the above these are eco products! Go green...or am I not allowed to say that in '09? Green is still good but I think the buzz word police have banned the term and are opting for simply "sustainable."

The Hightower Gallery Stool is truly brilliant. I'd love to have four. I'd drag them in and outside, stack them like sculpture and even let sticky hands touch them...nothing a quick swipe of zen cleaner can't fix!

Pretty aren't they?

Bloody BrillianT

The Everything is possible, Me in Cancun.

We stayed at the ME by Melia in Cancun for 3 days before heading down to Tulum. It was a concept hotel that I loved and cringed at simultaneously.


The first shot is of the restaurant called Salt. When we were there they had gorgeous white curtains separating the tables - it was very dramatic in the evening!
During the day they had a splendorous breakfast buffet. A buffet to end all buffets! Custom smoothies, crepes, waffles, 12 different kinds of cream cheese for artisan bread and lox combinations, fruit galore, regional Mexican dishes like a tomatillo enchilada that I am determined to re-create. There was every kind of egg dish, omelet bar, toppings for pancakes and waffles, Mexican hot chocolates, juices, pastries...it was obscene. I had to go in with a plan, a strategy reallyso that I didn't eat too much, yet sample as many delicacies as possible....ahhh vacation.
The lobby was magnificently modern. The pool with sculptural bathers was really stunning.

Sophia loved it too. It was good to stay a mere 3 days. Sophia could get used to being the Eloise of ME.




Really fantastic art installations everywhere.

Simple and elegant planters. These were about 3 feet tall.

The giant wood sconces were fantastic. They really glowed.

Cute, and fresh floral displays.

The furnishings were simple, elegant and clean. As you stepped out of the elevator a giant screen played a loop of a black and white version of Sex and The City. Fun.

Both the Me and Ana y Jose in Tulum were very international. We were definitely the minorities as Americans. It was kind of refreshing.

I'm sure many people wouldn't bring their children to this very chic hotel but Sophia would disagree. She loved it, the pool especially.



There were several hokey "concept hotel" quirks. For example, every time we passed a staff member they would make a hand over heart gesture that seemed a bit contrived. As I approached the spa desk after a grueling session on the stair stepper the desk clerk told me it was his pleasure to hand me a towel. Really? A pleasure?

It also seems high end hotels insist on piping in signature scents these days. The Me had a nice scent but it could be overpowering at times. I wish it had been more subtle.

Another favorite of Sophia's is room service. We indulged her one night. She ate bare naked and loved it.









The best thing for us? The hilarious button on the phone....the "Everything is possible" button. We only used it to get someone to come up and explain the remote control but just having it there, made me smirk.