{retail round-up}

The heat has been keeping me indoors more than I would like but it has given me the time and excuse to do a little online "window shopping." It may be hot outside but Christmas will be here before we know it and now is the time of year to purchase a throw blanket, as they are deeply discounted in the warmer months. I love the ones (pictured above) from William Sonoma Home.

Cavallini makes the most beautiful, handcrafted Italian picture frames. For years I could not find a source to purchase them online but I finally found them here. You can chose from a variety of styles and colors but my personal favorite are the gold and white.

This chest is the perfect "anywhere" chest . I love it's simple lines and elegant finish. It is on sale here.

Louis XVI furniture is always beautiful, and Wisteria does a great job of re-interpreting the style with this demilune console. Do you have a small entryway or foyer? This might be the perfect piece!

I love the new striped fabrics being offered at Ballard Designs. How handsome (and affordable!) is this "Colefax Chair?"

And I am especially this Cane Table Lamp from Ballard Designs. A pair of these would make great bedside table lamps!

I hope you are finding a cheaper way to pass the time indoors!!

{tory's new digs}

Tory Burch is foraging into the Asian markets, opening a flagship boutique and Seoul Korea. The shop evokes the feeling of a private home, filled with her signature pieces such as orange lacquer walls, fabulously trimmed out sofas, parsons tables and brightly colored x- benches. According to Women's Wear Daily, the boutique features a lifestyle section with rooms swathed in signature prints from Burch's clothing line. Can you say gorgeous?

{have a seat}

A reader mentioned that she was inspired to put a chair in her bathroom after viewing my last post. I am a big believer in treating your bathrooms as true rooms in your home. If you have the luxury of space, why not add a piece of furniture? A chair or bench will make your bathroom feel more welcoming and is the perfect place to sit to apply lotion or leave your towel while you soak in the suds.

{images: 1- david netto; 2 - charlotte moss; 3- via elle decor; 4- source unknown; 5- susan ferrier; 6- mary mcdonald; 7- via habitually chic; 8- via elle decor; 9- eddie ross; 10- home of francois halard via habitually chic}

{shower in style}

I am sure you have noticed that most of the bathrooms featured in today's shelter magazines are spacious spa-like oases with glass encased showers and free standing tubs. These personal spaces are beautiful, and many of them have made their way to my inspiration files. But they cause me to beg the question, what are those of us with small, humdrum bathrooms to to spruce things up without ripping out walls? Shower curtains are quick easy and affordable way to give your old or generic bath a new and affordable lease on life.

This is probably one of my most favorite "small" bathrooms. With all white walls, polished nickel hardware and a Porthault shower curtain (made from a sheet!) and matching towels who needs a personal spa?

This pre-war bathroom, belonging to Ralph Lauren executives Tom Bezucha and Margaret Hamilton, was given a fresh look with a cheerful red and white striped shower curtain and an antique side chair. I do love seating in a bathroom!

This tired tub was perked up by designer Sara Gilbane with a shower curtain made from Raoul Textiles fabric. Creating a custom shower curtain out of your favorite fabric is an easy way to personalize your private space.

This distinctly feminine bathroom was featured in Domino Magazine several years ago. It is hard to see but the shower is framed by two curtains that tie back on either side. This gives the tub a more finished and room-like feel.

Kate and Andy Spade's guest bathroom is punctuated by the bold black banded shower curtains that so beautifully complement the Scalamandre Zebra print wallpaper.

If you are searching for a shower curtain to bring new life to your bath, here are a few suggestions:

Target sells these polka dot shower curtains in black, red, or green. They have a "Kate Spade" feel at a fraction of the price. These would be prefect in a child's bath as they are fun without being too juvenile.

I am loving this red damask shower curtain offered through Amazon. It would be a stunning statement in an otherwise all white bath.

This Greek key embroidered shower curtain is a handsome classic. For a similar look you could apply a Greek key tape trim like this one to a plain white shower curtain.

Home textile company, India Rose offers this smart seersucker shower curtain.

John Robshaw offers a variety of beautiful block-printed shower curtains with a global flair.

Anthropologie is another great source for unique shower curtains with a romantic vibe. This Flamenco curtain would be perfect for a teen's bathroom.

{shutter bug}

{Charleston home restored by Gil Schafer}

Being both a Virginia native and a history major, the love of traditional architecture and architectural history runs deep in my blood. Give me a classically built house with symmetry and proper proportions (big or small) and I feel right at home. It's no wonder then, that we bought our house sight-unseen. A few photographs that showed the architectural details both inside out gave me proper assurance to close the deal.

While we have a great deal of aspirations for the house, including a kitchen addition, painting the brick a warm white, a slate roof,and copper guttering, this major overhaul is a few years off. Thomas Jefferson spent 40 years renovating Monticello, which gives me great hope and patience for our home!

Aside from proper maintenance and some interior decoration, we plan to live in our home for the next few years "as is." The "proper maintenance" for this year includes a fresh coat of exterior trim paint to protect the wood trim, the replacement of rotten 80 year old shutters, and minor landscape upgrades in the fall. When the painter removed the old shutters and proceeded to paint the trim, many of my friends commented on how much they liked the house without shutters. I prefer the warmth that the shutters added and do plan to replace them but the discussions led me to look at other classic homes with and without shutters.

The Carlyle House is a beautiful historical home located in Alexandria, VA. It is the only stone 18th century Palladian-style houses in the area. It was obviously designed without shutters and looks stately and grand without them.

This grand white Georgian homes is one of my favorite homes in Nashville. I love how beautifully grounded it is to its surrounding environment. The black shutters punctuate its beautiful wide windows.

Martha Stewart's Connecticut farm house, Turkey Hill, went through major transformations both inside and over the years. The removal of the shutters, exterior paint job, and updated landscaping gave the home an entirely different look. I wonder what the new homeowners have done with it today?

This Williamsburg-style home is also in Nashville. The owners recently removed the shutters during renovation.

This beautiful Atlanta home was featured on the architecturally savvy blog, Things That Inspire. Designed by Architect Stan Dixon, looks as elegant today as it would have 300 years ago. I love its purity of form and perfect proportions. Shutters would take away from its simple beauty.

Gil Schafer, one of my all-time favorite architects, designed this beautiful farm house in upstate New York. Most of Schafer's projects include the use of shutters which give his grand homes a warm and inviting feel.

This gracious Colonial revival was built for heiress Alice Astor by renowned architect Mott B. Schmidt in the 1926. Again, the lack of shutters seems appropriate for it's Palladian lines.

Here are images of our home as it was before the shutters were removed. It is hard to tell from the photographs but the wood trim and shutters were in need of repair. I do love the warmth and depths that the shutters add to the exterior facade.

Here is our home as it sits today, midway through its mini-facelift. The clean and classic lines of the home are more apparent without the shutters and I can see how some prefer the more formal feel.

Do tell, which do you prefer? Is there a particular style of architecture in which you feel most at home?

{I Digress}

Sorry for the sporadic posts as of late. With summer break in full swing I find it harder to get to settle into any sort of routine. I need to depart from my usual topics of choice to give a shout out to my amazing brother in law R.A. Dickey. He is pitching this year for the New York Mets and his performance thus far this season has been outstanding. His story is incredible and if baseball is your thing, I encourage you to read it here. He is pitching tonight and the game will be on ESPN. Go R.A.!!!

(I promise to be back with the regularly scheduled programming soon!)

{Happy Father's Day}

I am blessed to be celebrating not only my own amazing father but my devoted husband who loves my children so very well. Happy Fathers Day to you and yours!

{50's fashion feature}

I am dying over the Peter Lindberg photos in the July 2010 issue of Vogue featuring Ewan McGregor and Natalia Vodianova. Styled by the amazing Grace Coddington, the images depict a 1950's domestic drama and give us a first editorial look at the fall collections. The results are a stunning! I for one am welcoming the lady-like glamour coming our way. To see more click here or pick up the new issue of Vogue.