I had grand plans to do a wonderful retrospective post,  a fabulous forward looking post, a can’t -miss- it post, but I am bonelessly lazy right now.  So all of that will wait for the new year.  In the meantime, feast your eyes on this fun vintage piece from Janet Wiebe Antiques.

And what would it be without putting some of  this on ice?

And one can’t guzzle it straight from the bottle, can one?

I hope that your evening sparkles and bubbles!

Kristin

Hello!

Like many of you, I am busy decorating my house, shopping for presents, addressing Christmas cards and party invitations, and joyously participating in the mayhem that is the holidays.  Our Thanksgiving was spendiferous, with lots of laughter and good cheer.  We added to our already burgeoning stable of Thanksgiving anecdotes this year and I will take a moment to share it with you…

My daughter Darcy tends to like to stay in her room and away from all the fuss at Thanksgiving.  This year was different and she was so happy spending the entire day with us through the craziness of meal preparation and the excitement of the football games.  After I fed her her Thanksgiving dinner and was eating mine, she finally decided that enough was enough and that she was ready to take a break.  My son Connor obligingly took her to her room and came back down to join the table, but he forgot to lock her bathroom door….

( I don’t know if you know this about Darcy, but she thinks her bathroom is her own personal water park, so we always, always, always lock the door when she is unsupervised).  After dinner, I asked my son Cameron to check with Darcy to see if she would like to rejoin us.  A few short moments later, a panicked Cameron was calling us from upstairs.  It seemed that my darling diva had decided to give herself a bath!  Cameron found her fully clothed, shoes and all, blissfully swaying in the warm water of her tub as the jacuzzi merrily bubbled around her.  To make matters even more comical is that “the boys” – all the men in my family- were on duty for  child care and clean up after dinner.  To see them all racing around to get Darcy dry, the bathroom tidied, and throwing tons of towels in the dryer was hilarious. Good times….

Ok, if you haven’t already decorated your home for the holidays, I thought that I would re-run my Christmas post from last year.  It was posted too late to help inspire anyone, so this year I hope it will get your creative juices flowing.  I am doing the same decor this year as I am using all my creative energy just now for my clients!

Enjoy!

Kristin

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Hi,

This is going to be a long post, but I promise you won’t need to do too much reading!  I am just going to take you on a tour of the house decorated for Christmas ’10.  I had two great motivations for doing a bit extra this year.  First, I did very little decorating for Christmas last year as Darcy, our daughter, had been so sick.  So all that pent up decorating energy got a great release this year.  Second, Tartanscot hosted a fantastic decorating contest, and I decided it would be great fun to do some entries.  I have been quite a busy bee! And yes, I know I promised to announce the Design Online Giveaway winner – it’s at the end of the post where you can scroll through, if you must!

This Christmas the house looks extra festive and is a perfect haven for us as we celebrate Christmas early this year.  We just got news that after a year and three brain surgeries, Darcy is finally healed! We are profoundly thankful that our prayers have been answered.  So, welcome to our joyous and peaceful home….

This is really our only outdoor decoration this year.  I decided to start from scratch with our outdoor decor and I am going to add a bit at a time.

Rocket the Wonder Dog is waiting to show you around.

Our manger scene this year.

My antique French bookscase is bedecked for the holidays.  This year, I kept to a very neutral palette with lots of greens, ivories, chocolate browns, silver, and sea glass blue.  Again, I used my favorite natural elements, existing accessories, and one of my Russian Santas that I bought in St. Petersburg.

Here a feathery friend perches on a vintage wooden container and gray Spanish moss.  For some reason, the color of this moss felt fresh again after many years of me feeling that is was dated and old.  It is always interesting how textures and colors cycle through our decor.

My wonderful Russian Santa anchors an arrangement of greens, driftwood, finger sponges and mercury glass acorns.

I found this wonderful carved fragment at a vintage store and snapped it up.  He nestles among glittery branches, faux antlers and mercury glass pinecones.

Here is my Roundtop deer, sitting on my French ledger.  My Aidan Gray spire is decorated with mercury glass birds and more of that gray Spanish moss.  The pretty pale blue candlestick is a find from a trip to New Delhi several years ago.

This Chrismas, I continued the soft blues and greens from the hallway and entry out to the loggia.  I recycled the white pumpkins from Thanksgiving – and truthfully the big pumpkins on the hearth are from Halloween! – and used them with evergreen wreaths and bark chargers. I was hoping to do a fantastic tree out here this year, but the time just got away from me. This is our view from the family room, and this year I had great fun with the mantel for Tartanscot’s contest.

Here is Walker sporting a gag gift for his Dad – a leopard-print snuggie!  This is part of my collection of Santas.  You can see the loggia off to the right.

Here is one of my favorite Santas hitching a ride on my vintage suitcases.

Here are my bookcases decked out for Christmas.  I really like the plaid ribbon I found for the wreaths this year.

It’s hard for you to see, but there is a wonderful green wool bow attached to the trophy – it sort of looks like a Christmas-ey awaard ribbon.  I really just put touches here and there, as I couldn’t find my box of decor for the shelves from two years ago.  But I am happy with the way that they look, as the focal point is this:

This is the first year that Cedric the deer has worn a wreath and I am so happy with how he looks!  I made this wreath from two different garlands that I wired to an embroidery hoop that separates at the base, so I can easily slide it over Cedric’s neck rather than pulling it over his head.  Most of the objects on the mantel always live there, with the exception of the carved Bavarian liquer case.

I always add “skirts” of juniper greens to my sconces.

I used a garland, fresh greens, faux antlers, crimson glass ornaments, and jeweled berries for this mantel.

Here is the kitchen in the midst of cookie baking.  We have a North Pole village that Walker likes to put out and the zinc countertop is the perfect spot.  He uses a LOT of snow!

This is how I decorated the breakfast room for Tartanscot’s contest.  The canvas dropcloth from Tablescapes came in handy again as a tablecloth.  The floor cloth is a primed, but not yet painted project-in-waiting.  I really, really love how the bookcase looks with the garland and oversized mercury glass ornaments.  That great satin ribbon was a find at the new Wisteria Outlet.  I hung icicles and glitter snowflakes from the light fixture with vintage gray binding tape that I found at Roundtop.  I love the wintery whiteness of the room like this – it feels Swedish, yet also a bit French.

Here is the bookcase in a closeup.  I re-used the glass cloches from Tablescapes to highlight a great big weathered jingle bell and a forest Santa.  I have every single antique red book that I own on display.  I do so love them.

Recognize these?  They are from the post I did on Wisteria a while ago.  I said that I really wanted to buy some, and so I did at their wonderful new outlet store.   Don’t they look lovely lit from within?

This is a close shot of the wreath, bark charger – another vestige of  a previous Tablescapes table – my oatmeal linen napkins, Christmas china and more patinated jingle bells.

This is how our table will be set for Boxing Day dinner – the day after Christmas when my sister and her family join us.  For Christmas dinner, we will be in the dining room proper, which looks the same this year as in years past.  ( I confess I have wonderful plans for it for next year – a Chinoiserie Christmas fantasy….)

This mantel is all chocolates, silvers, and chartreuse greens.  It’s a completely new design that I conjured up with things I gathered from the house and combined with previous mantel decorations.  I almost never get an unsolicited comment from my husband about my decorating – he and the boys just accept the ever changing vignettes and arrangements in the house – but this really drew a great response from him.

I use on of my Pier One trees in the living room year round, and I put it in the antiqued mirrored container which is now filled with pine cones.  The other tree was tucked away in storage.  I don’t like their bases at all, so I glued some glittery snowflake ornaments that I had to them and voila!

More antique books made their way into the Christmas decorations this year – a trend, I know.

One of my favorite Santas anchors this side of the mantel with frosted grapes and chocolate glittered sprigs and sprays.  And speaking of Santa, it is now time for me to get out and take care of my Mrs. Claus duties.  Northpark Mall, here I come.

But not before I announce my Giveaway winner – Garrett!  I am so excited to begin working with him on his project, whatever it may be.  I hope to be able to share progress updates with you.  Thank you so much to all of you who entered the contest.  I hope that you will contact me if I can help you with your home.  Let’s have fun together!

I will probably only post one more time before Christmas.  In the meantime, have a blessed holiday week, full of joy and grace.  I know that we will.

Kristin

Hi!

Welcome Cote De Texas readers!  I hope all of you that visit decide to enter the Giveaway.  All you have to do is leave a comment with your favorite post and you can win a free room design for the room of your choice.   It would also make a great Christmas gift for someone on your list.  And remember, if you send a friend to the post and ask them to mention your name,  it will be entered each time, increasing your chances of winning.

But I thought that you might like to see a Design Online project so you can see just what can get accomplished from a distance.  This client came to me as a Cote de Texas reader from Pennsylvania and asked me if I could help her with her house.  I will call her Mrs. R.  She sent me some pictures and I have to tell you that I did wonder what she needed me for!  I loved her house and style, but she was ready for a completely different look.  She just wasn’t sure how to get there.  Mrs. R loved both the Belgian style, but she also was inspired by Darryl Carter.  Her children are grown, and she doesn’t have a dog, so we didn’t have to child and pet proof the decor.  Lots of inspiration images and photos were e-mailed back and forth.  Here is one image that we both loved:

And here are the before and current photos.

I loved the color in Mrs. R’s living room and thought that with a tweak or two it would be fantastic, but Mrs. R wanted something more tranquil, peaceful, edited and neutral, with some smaller pops of color.  As you can see in the photos, Mrs. R does not have a great deal of architectural interest to draw upon in her home, other than her windows and great shutters.  Everything has to be layered in with furniture, rugs, accessories and art.

Here is her living room furniture without the white linen slips that she had made before we started working together.  Also, she had not yet painted her shutters black.  Mrs. R was definitely on the right track, but wasn’t sure how to get the look that she really wanted.

This is her dining room before we started working together.  How many of us have had red dining rooms in our time?  Lots, I bet.  This room is well proportioned, traditional, but Mrs. R wanted something completely different.  I do love the chandelier, though.  We talked about a variety of options for this room, and one big change that I urged her to make was to remove the wainscott.  I am not a big fan of this architectural feature in rooms with 8 foot ceilings – which is most of America!  I think wainscotting cuts the room in half and right now at least, feels somewhat dated.

Here is Mrs. R’s entry.  One thing that kept nagging at me was the stain color on the floor and some of the trim.  I must confess that this color feels very prefabricated to me.  I have never been a fan of honey finished new oak or new pine.  Now vintage pine or vintage oak in a mellowed, characterful honey color is stunning.  But Mrs. R and I both agreed that the color somehow did not work well with the direction that she wanted to take things.

Here is another view of Mrs. R’s entry looking into her living room and from the entrance of her dining room.  I really loved the kilim on her floor but the size of it didn’t work in the entry way.  Classic center hall Colonial architecture can be so much fun to work with.  And Mrs. R is an adventurous soul.  Truly, genuinely adventurous.  Because once I realized that she was ready for a big change in her decor, I made a daring suggestion, followed by one that was truly radical.

Daring suggestion number one was to paint her pretty hallway bench black and to upholster it in that stunning kilim.  Here it is with the kilim tucked around it before it went to the upholsterer.  Mrs. R is handy as well as daring and she painted the bench herself within a day or two of our conversation.  I love her enthusiasm!

This was her cozy study.  I laughed out loud when I saw this.  That golden retriever dog pillow sits on my family room couch.  And that plaid on her chairs is darn similar to the plaid fabric I used on my window treatments in London.  Don’t you just want to curl up here?  But Mrs. R had plans for the sectional to go to her son and was ready for this room to get a radical change, too.  I urged her to keep the walls dark – as my living room attests, I do love a chocolate brown on the walls.  But she wanted to go lighter and in the end, she was right.  The finished room looks beautiful with a different color on the walls.

So, what was the radical change that we made?  We painted the floors a beautiful, luminescent white in all these rooms.  First, I’ll show the entry so you can see what a difference it made.

We painted the honey stained newel post black and the door black as well.  Remember this is what is looked like before:

Amazing what paint can do!

Here is the floor freshly painted in the study before Mrs. R decided to take on the walls.  We reupholstered her plaid chairs, brought up an old pine table for a desk and recovered her red sofa from the living room and moved it into this space.  Here is what is looks like now.

We used a soft gray linen on the sofa and a great gray and white ticking on the chairs, and accented the chairs with a pop of red trim.  The sample on the floor is a rug possibility.  I love the Windsor chair at the desk.

This is the view into her new dining room.  We put up Phillip Jeffries linen wallpaper and painted the shutters in this room black.  Mrs. R had these chairs in her breakfast room.  I love them as they are, but she is thinking of painting them.  And yes, we do need different cushions for the chairs.

I still love the chandelier!  Doesn’t this room look fantastic though?  Serene and yet bold at the same time.

This is the living room with a new charcoal gray linen sofa.  This room still needs some tweaks and changes, but it looks dramatically different than it did!

I must close now and get Darcy to school.  I hope you enjoyed this peek at Mrs. R’s house.  I have loved working on this project.  And remember that we did it all long distance!  Lots of e-mails, photos, bundles of fabrics and goodies.  So, if you like what you see, enter the Giveaway or contact me to help you with your project.  I would love to!

Kristin

First, if you haven’t gone to my Facebook page yet to leave a comment to enter the latest Giveaway, please do.  If you are having any problems, e-mail me and let me know so I can enter you anyway.  I am going to draw a number on Monday and show pictures of the winning table.  So far, #8 is in the lead….Go here to see the rest of them.

My previous two Tablescapes tables were planned out to the tiniest detail.  I added background, too, with my mahogany shutters one year, and a bamboo library ladder turned shelf piece in another.  I wrote posts about each table here and here.  I fussed and fiddled each year, making sure that not so much as a petal of a flower was out of place.  Well, this year was different.  I almost didn’t do Tablescapes.  I had so much going on with my daughter Darcy’s surgery and many projects heating back up after a summer siesta that I just did not have the time to approach it the way that I have in previous years.  But my friend Charlotte – the dearest person imagineable- really encouraged me to do a table again, and even offered to help me get it set up!  So, I decided to go ahead, although with a more streamlined approach.  I started out with this wonderful screen sculpture that I found at the White Elephant and use on my patio and I began to imagine a sort of Amazonian potting shed.  There would be lots of flora under glass cloches, a few creatures that make their way into and on top of things, and candlelight to keep insects away.

On set up day, there is usually a glitch for me.  The first year it was the my shutters were too tall for the space I was allotted.  The second year it was that a huge gazebo like structure jutted very far out in front of my table and I was located right next to a kitchen door, so people kept knocking things over.  This year my glitch happened before I ever got to the event.  I rented a large square table and when I went to go pick it up, it wouldn’t fit in my Expedition for love or money.  Yikes!! They were nervous about tying it to the top, but eventually they were able to secure it after about 45 minutes of tying, retying and triple tying.  So, I was behind schedule when I began to set up.

I had this tablecloth made from chartreuse linen – I do have a thing for that color!  I had to stand on the table to lower the screen over the orchids.  So glamorous I looked, I am sure!

In came the chairs from my loggia.  The little amethyst bubble glasses are from an accidental shopping trip to Paris.  How does one shop accidentally in Paris?  When you go with your mother, who becomes ill and can’t leave her hotel room, doesn’t want you hovering, and you have nothing to do but shop since you have already seen all the tourist attractions several times over.  Poor John, that was a very expensive illness for him!  As you can see, a collection of cloches and vases are beginning to populate the table.  I decided to make each place setting its own vignette, which you’ll see below.

That striking lady on the right is Charlotte Comer.  I asked to be next to her since I wasn’t sure whether I would need her help with set up or not.  As it turns out, she was holding the back of my shirt while I scampered up and down and on and off the table.

You have seen a lot of the things on this table before.  The screen here, the tall vase here, the teal books here, and the plates here.  I always try to use as many of my own things for this event as I can.  But every year, people try to buy my things and since they are some of my favorites I never part with them.  Next year I am actually going to borrow and buy so that I can sell with abandon!

This cloche displays a piece of distressed wood that usually lives in a glass ginger jar in my bedroom.  I tucked some orchids into it and surrounded it with chocolate brown reindeer moss.  I found the hotel silver at Roundtop, and the Les Singes ( the monkeys) plates are by Juliska and they sit on top of my wonderful Match chargers.  The cut crystal is by William Yeoward.

I brought along a wonderful egg from my neighbor’s chicken and nestled it in some black loose leaf tea.  The tea looks so much like soil, but it smells ever so much better.  A feather winged butterfly lights upon the vintage book.

These orchids had such beautiful color.  This vignette is sort of a paradigm of my design style – I do so love to mix the humble with the extraordinary.  My “vase” is an olive oil container that I liked and saved and it sits very happily with the pricey William Yeoward crystal.

This tall vase caused Mr. John some heartburn.  I laid all of my vignettes out on our table before I packed them up, to be sure that they were balanced and to give me an idea of what should go where.  John asked me if he could move everything so we could sit at the table for dinner, and I said no.  John being John, he decided that he would go ahead any way and crash!  That vase bit the dust.  Hysteria ensued on my part – it was Saturday, the event was Monday, and I had purchased the vase months earlier.  In the end, I found the vase and John was a very, very grateful man.  Anyway, isn’t that fern lovely?  It’s from my fern basket on the loggia.

This is a wonderful plant.  It has no roots and looks like a dried up tumbleweed, but when you immerse it in water, it comes back to life.  It is fittingly called “Rose of Jericho”.  I placed some orchids on this plant.  I love how a slight sheen of moisture is building within the cloche.  Very realistic!

More tea serves as a carpet for a tiny gray pot – another Roundtop find – and a faux succulent.

And here is the Giveaway.  This cloche and stand sit on top of some vintage books.  The little pot houses a wonderful mushroom species called, I think, cauliflower of the forest.  I found it at Whole Foods.  It just goes to prove that lots of different things can make an impact at the table.  Anyway, I can’t send you the mushroom, but if you win the Giveaway, I will tuck a little succulent in your pot so that the whole thing is ready to perch on a shelf or a table.

This tall vase normally lives in my bathroom and it also usually has cut wisteria in it, which lasts forever.  It’s sitting in some green tea.  I wish it were a darker green, but I went with what I had and I doubt seriously anybody looked at my table and thought “What a shame that that tea isn’t a darker green!”.

This is a closeup of the screen encasing the orchids.  The mason jars hanging from the crossbars hold votives.  What a huge design flaw, though.  I had to stand on the table to pull the jars up link by link to light the candles and then very, very carefully lower them back down.  Now some designers might not have told on themselves, but what’s the fun in that??!!

Here it is lit up.

That’s Darcy’s Ipad to the right.  I used it to show my portfolio to the Tablescapes guests.  The napkins are mine, also purchased during the accidental shopping trip.  You cannot see the pattern, but it’s a macaw, a monkey, and some tropical foliage.  It sort of ties everything together.

The changing lights really change the look of the table.  Here are two more and then I will stop going on and on…

I almost forgot to tell you another humble touch.  The ivory tableskirt that you see underneath the linen one?  It’s a painter’s dropcloth that I bought from Lowes.  Fun, huh?

I did make one last minute change to the table.  It felt a little sparse to me – especially compared to the many luxurious and opulent tables surrounding it.  Also, I did not know that my plant was called a Rose of Jericho until one of the other participants told me.  I was enchanted by the name and story and decided to label the plants, much like one would find in a potting shed.  Here is a closeup of my last minute change.

These are Latin translations of the plant names printed on a label and tied to the cloches with an orchid ribbon. I had so much fun doing this table this year.  It was simpler in many ways than my previous tables, but still a joy to imagine and create.  But my most favorite part of Tablescapes was meeting this lovely lady here:

This is one of my readers who lives here in Dallas. She e-mailed me when she read that I was going to be at the Kappa Tablescapes event this year and we arranged to find one another.  I am so glad that Deni e-mailed me!  We had the most wonderful conversation and she is such a treat.  As a matter of fact, I am going to be seeing her later today to see if I can help her with some spiffing up she’d like to do.  It’s just so gratifying to talk with someone who reads the blog because pretty much I am typing into infinity when I do this, and meeting or talking with someone who connects with me through the blog is just an amazing experience.  I had the same wonderful connection with another reader several months ago.  Thank you to all of you who e-mail or comment or even call – I do love hearing from you.  More about that very soon!

Does this lovely lady look perfect sitting at the Ceylon et Cie table or what?  Her dress and jewelry match the decor perfectly.  She was just sitting here, minding her own business when I asked to take her picture.  She looked surprised and then, very gamely said, “Sure, why not?” . ( I am sure that she wondered what possessed this crazy designer to come up and start talking to her and asking to take her picture for my blog,  But seriously, how could I resist taking this shot because how perfectly does she coordinate with that table!! ) I started chatting with her about her necklace and found out that she made it herself and that she has her own jewelry making business.  Her name is Betsy Simpson and she is just so much fun. I visited her website and her things are just as much fun as she is.  The website is here.  Her daughter and daughter in law are her models and they are so pretty!  Her necklaces range in price from $110 to $300 and that is a BARGAIN!  Her earrings run from $40 to $85.  Betsy does trunk shows and she also has her pieces at the gift shop at the Meadows Museum and at Beretta at Highland Park Village.  Of course, you can also order from the website by contacting Betsy.

Remember to comment on my Facebook page ( click on the link to the right ) and vote for  your favorite table from Monday’s post.  You have until this Monday before I draw a number and a name!  Can’t wait to announce the winner of the Giveaway and our readers’ favorite table.

Kristin

I must make a confession.  I have been putting off this post, which has meant that I haven’t posted at all, which is really very bad of me.  Why have I put off this post?  It’s because it is going to be long, so long in fact that you might grab a glass of wine or coffee or whatever is appropriate to the time of day you are reading this.  I make no judgment.  Why will this be long, you ask?  Because the amount of talent, creativity, and just plain show-stoppingness of Kappa Tablescapes this year is not easy to condense.   First, the theme was Tony Duquette’s more is never enough.  Dallas designers, shop owners and florists took this credo to heart.   There were lots of tables with an Asian theme this year, which was fun.  There was one table that was supposed to be an homage to Duquette, which included a stuffed ( yes, real )  fox wearing a rhinestone tiara.  I did not take the picture – I just couldn’t bring myself to snap the shutter.  And no, the fox is not the giveaway.  You will have to get to the bottom before you see what it is…

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They were going a little wild with the lighting when I was taking some of these.  This table by Charlotte Comer was just gorgeous.  I loved the leather chairs and the stone fish.  You can hardly see them, but she used mason jars for her glasses, with beer bottles at each place setting.  The burlap table closth was fun, and the Ralph Lauren grainsack inspired fabric was used as runners.

Here it is during set up.  You can see the pops of color with the Gerbera daisies.  The paper bags are favors that many of the designers leave for luncheon guests that come the next day.

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This centerpiece was so lovely.  Very autumnal, obviously, but I really thought that the inclusion of the pumpkins with the flowers was incredibly well done.  While this is probably not ideal as a centerpiece, as one could not see across the table, it would be lovely as an anchor to a buffet.

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Here is another table where the centerpiece steals the show.  I saw lots of different napkin placements at Tablescapes this year.  I do think some of it stemmed from there not being enough ROOM to put them anywhere else.  In any case, it’s fun to see and to file away for future reference.

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This was out and out spectacular.  Yves Delorme did this table.  I loved the white peacock and the ostrich eggs mixed with the shells and coral.  The apothecary jars were pretty nifty too. I didn’t love the samovar with it, but that’s just me.  And yes, I noticed that they didn’t bother with plates, napkins and silverware, etc. but isn’t it dramatic? ( And this is really odd, since Yves Delorme has the most wonderful linens. )

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Making lemonade out of lemons.  An ostrich egg or two obviously broke and I love how they used the shards in the display.  Also, did you notice how lovely the etched crystal glasses look with tealights in them?  So very, very pretty.

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The photo does not do this table by Donald Moore justice.  It was truly gorgeous.  I really like how he placed the napkins, don’t you?  They are resting on little boxes or books, with the monogram facing the diner.  Also you can barely make out the porcupine quills in the stirrup cup and the wonderful antler centerpiece.  Another autumnal feeling table and very nicely executed, in my opinion.

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This was an extravaganza of blue and white, with pops of color from persimmons thrown into the mix.  They definitely took the more is better approach for this table.  My sister was puzzled by the inclusion of the persimmons, but I thought that it added a bit of zest to the ensemble.  Also, I am not sure if I like the candle emerging above the hurricane or not.  It’s out of the box, for sure, but maybe some boxes are meant to stay closed.   What do you think?

The blue glasses are really divine.  And the artichoke as placecard holder is always a great idea.  And I have a soft spot for bamboo flatware…

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This was so lovely in person.  I do like the mismatched chairs at a table – I have done that every year for Tablescapes, as much because it’s what I had as anything else – but I think it adds a nice touch of informality, don’t you?  The concrete urn with the flowers was absolutely stunning.  Again, the lighting makes things look a bit odd in the photos.

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This was one of my favorite tables.  It was so fresh and vibrant.  The use of the trays as placemats was inspired.  The hot pink ikat with the chartreuse green on the chairs, in the glassware, flowers and candles was just lovely.  The china was fantastic, too.  This felt casual and sophisticated all at the same time and made me feel like I was a dinner guest somewhere wonderful like a private island in the West Indies.

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This was show-stopping.  The centerpiece was unbelievable with the orchids, mini calla lillies and hydrangeas. The container was fantastic, too.  Clear glass with moss and a gardenia, I think, in the middle.  I am not sure how this was done technically, but it was beautiful.  The antiqued mirrored glass, the silvery succulents, the white roses and sterling were all heavenly.

The votive holders are so lovely, aren’t they?  And it’s interesting how every other place had a succulent placed on the plate.  Also, if you look closely, you can see that they used a trick to “blow” the roses so that they would open up more.  They simply pulled back the outer petals on the roses bit by bit.  Although there is another trick for that – you can place roses in warm water near a sunny window and put a plastic bag over their heads and tie it up loosely.  The moisture and heat will force them to open up.  The things you learn on the internet…

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I am heartbroken that the darn lights are so wacky for this shot.  This was another of my favorite tables.  The centerpiece is so amazing.  It is a gilded log with a profusion of orchids spilling from its center.  Here is a closer view.  Oh my goodness this was just mouthwatering.

The bright fuschia is so distracting, but this table was done in moss green, gold, and white.  Isn’t that wood amazing?  It makes me want to run to my alley, grab some wood scrap and go to work with a spray can, although I am not confident that I could get these results.  And the flower arrangement is certainly beyond my ability to imitate.  But, I really like the wired ribbon bows tying the napkins.  That is very easy to do and doesn’t it look fresh and fun?  Also, those wood trunk crosscuts underneath the napkin are a fantastic juxtaposition of the rustic and refined.

See what I mean?  Lovely, lovely.

-10-

This table was really fun, really detailed, and really over the top in a good way.  Gigi Lancaster with Leontine Linens collaborated on this one.  The napkins and pillows are divine, naturally!  But there was so much to take in that I took lots of shots.  Here you go:

I really loved the napkin rings, but my sister, not so much.  And the napkins are fantastic with the turquoise stitching.  I actually have that applique monogram my Leontine napkins.  I do love it – although it’s done in a neutral palette.

I loved the touches of the mah-johng tiles in the bowl.  Persimmons make another appearance, this time cozied up to a garden stool.

This is unaccountably blurry, but i really loved the arrage of blue and white and wicker on the fireplace.  It is just wonderful and this is one of those times when I really think more is more and most effective.

-11-

Here is another Asian inspired table.  The green glazed pottery made a beautiful centerpiece.  And of course, there is more ikat.  On a sidenote, I googled ikat for something last night and came up with blog posts from the last four years wondering when ikat was going to go out.  I am not sure whether it will or not.  It may become a new classic, something that we see more or less of but never goes away entirely.  But I digress.  There is another trend here – the wooden horse!  I started seeing them when Ralph Lauren featured a life-sized wooden horse in an ad, and then we started seeing the Swedish ones,  Willow features one on her blog,  and here is one more.  Although I am not sure about the mix of horse and pottery for this table, I will let you be the judge.

I really liked the Chinese calligraphy brushes.  I have one myself and got it before it became sort of trendy.

This table wasn’t quite finished yet.  But the table runner is wallpaper!  I have a post coming up about the designer, but I really wish that it had been used on a rectangular table for a start.  More on this later, though.

-12-

This table, by Patina Green Home in McKinney was a huge crowd pleaser.  The light fixtures hanging from the arbor were really magical when lit.  This was my sister’s favorite table, I think.  After mine, of course, she loyally hastened to add!!

This was so well done.  The old tray as plate, with the pressed glass compotes holding napkins and favors was really inspired.  Another fun placement for napkins! I also really like the centerpiece of white pumpkins, dried grasses and oats.  The burlap is a great touch, even if it’s one we have seen a lot of, it still shows no signs of abating in popularity.  The economy perhaps?

Another view.  Very, very pretty.

-13-

This is a very classic combination.  Blue and white with bright orange accents.  Nevertheless, it is elegant and approachable.  And notice the napkin under the plate, on top of the charger and draping down.  Another good idea.  As is the profusion of vases with poppies and berries.  This is so easy to do and inexpensive to boot.

-14-

This was another almost all white table.  Again you can see the silver succulents.  Those are sweet little white birds perched atop the dishes.  But what I really thought was fantastic was this:

The centerpiece is sitting on what looks like salt crystals!  These are just beautiful, aren’t they?  I also love the cotton bolls that have been included in the arrangement and would be fascinate to know how they made it look as though it was supported by those wonderful antlers.

-15-

This looks like a Quadrille ikat on the table.  These fresh colors really popped at Tablescapes where many of the table designers used neutrals or deep colors.

-16-

Here is another permutation of the classic blue and terra cotta combination.  Those tall candles are wild, aren’t they?

Here is a closeup.  Now, many people feel a let down when they see a table like this, exclaiming, ” Well, I could do this myself!”.  Precisely the point, I am sure.  This should give you some ideas of how beautiful and elegant your table can look without all of the drama that the other tables present.  I mean, without clearing away a thing, you could sit down and eat here in fantastic style.

-17-

This was SO fun.  This is a plexiglass table with a moss garden installed underneath it.  It was sublime.  The branch that extends over the table emerged through a hole in the plexiglass.  I also really liked the grass wrapped chopsticks and napkins.

-18-

Here was another Asian fantasy by Glen Boudreaux.  This was a very elaborate table, so I took a few close-ups for you.

More succulents – they are so easy to use at a table because they don’t need water – and every manner of wonderful Asian accent.  I also like how the mouths of the green terra cotta square jars are topped with moss balls.

Orchids and proteas fill the lanterns that hang from the bamboo.  Even the lashing of the lantern to the bamboo is pretty.  You cannot see it in this photo, but the glass container which held the bamboo had a goldfish swimming in it.

The beautiful round plate snuggled into the square charger looks wonderful, as does the napkin tucked in between them.  More orchids and proteas.  The glass tea light holders are also very lovely.

-19-

This was Michelle Nussbaum’s table, of Ceylon et Cie.  This was the first thing that guests saw when they entered Tablescapes and the last thing they saw before they left.  And it was just wow!! (Apparently the Tony Duquette inspired “Malachite” fabric only covered the chairs as of about 24 hours before this table was put together.  She sounds like me!! I will be honest.  This fabric photographs beautifully, but it does not look so wonderful in person.  But I digress. )  This table took no prisoners, either you loved it or you really, really didn’t.  I thought it was incredibly dramatic, especially with the console tables styled so beautifully on either side of it.  Here are some more shots.

Of course, it also helped that the mural wallpaper’s color scheme accented the teals and emeralds of this table.  But the flower arrangements were a tour de force of drama.

And the lovely lad in the center of the shot is Michelle herself, chatting with that handsome gentleman.

I hope that you are still with me! I know I have gone on for a long time, but I did warn you.  Now, what is the giveaway and what do you have to do to win it?  Here it is:

This little cloche, glass stand and pot are yours for the winning.  All you need to do is this.  Please vote on which table was your favorite by going to my Facebook page ( the link is on the sidebar to your right) and leaving a comment and adding Covetable designs as a”like”.  You can start a conversation over there if you like, and I will definitely chime in.  I will draw a number from a hat, and that corresponding comment number on my Facebook page will win the giveaway, and I will e-mail/Facebook the winner.  One last thing – none of these tables were mine, so vote away with no fear or prejudice!  I’ll show shots of my table in the next post, along with some new friends.

Whew!! That was a long one. But so worth it – these tables were so very, very pretty.  It’s up to you.  There are 19 tables for you to choose from.  I can’t wait to see which one you like the best.

All my best,

Kristin

Hello!

When we first decided to move to Dallas from London, I was walking on air.  When I left Texas to go to school in Chicago, I never dreamed that I would be leaving it for so long.  While I never wanted to live back in my hometown of Amarillo, during the years we lived in Tokyo and New York, especially the early years of our marriage, I longed to live in Texas.  I missed the people, the food, the “big sky”, the sun that never disappears for too long.  But over time, I gave up hopes of living back in Texas.  As my husband’s job has always been on Wall Street, it looked as though we would never live any place other than a financial center.  Living in New York, Tokyo and London has been truly amazing, don’t get me wrong.  But those places never felt like “home”.  I had missed small things, like freshly brewed iced tea in bottomless glasses, the occasional country music song on the radio,  and the smell of pinon wood burning in fireplaces. And I had missed big ones – like being close to my family.  When we decided to move to Dallas, I was so happy that I teared up constantly because I couldn’t believe my good fortune.  The winter and spring that I commuted several times between London and New York was full of joy and anticipation.  We were looking at schools for the children, finding a lot for our new home, and beginning to draw plans for our house.  Heady times, indeed.  I was here when the crepe myrtles burst into bloom, of which Dallas has so very, very many, and the smell was indescribable.  Every spring since then, when that scents wafts in the air, I am taken back to that time of great joy and happiness.

So, as this is a new beginning of sorts, the crepe myrtle scent seems appropriate for my first reader giveaway.  This has been such a full few weeks for Covetable!  First, the post by Cote De Texas, then all the new readers, then some new clients, and all the while behind the scenes we have been working on this new look for the blog.  It is not radically different, admittedly, but it does give you some new links and features, and a little bit more of my style comes through, hopefully.  Because this feels like the beginning of some great adventures, I decided that it is high time that I preview for you a little bit of what is to come, take a quick peek at what has come before and ask for your input on what you’ve enjoyed reading and looking at, and what things you hope I write about more often.  So, please leave a comment and I will be using number three and four sons to fight to the death over who draws the winning comment number.  And what will the giveaway be?  This beautiful Nouvelle Candle Company candle pictured above, scented with that fragrance so evocative for me – crepe myrtle.

Now for a walk down memory lane.  It’s a short one, so no need to grab your sneakers.

This is the photo that opened my first blog post.

This was my “hello” to the blogosphere and it is a photograph of the Tablescapes table that I did in 2007.  Frankly, the photos from that event were the only halfway decent ones I had at the time.  I was waiting on the professional photographs I had taken of the house to arrive, which they soon did, thankfully.  Then, I was able to invite  you into my house….

And I began the “Story of a House” series of posts, which is ongoing.  And I think probably will be for quite a while, since I am always updating and renewing.

I wrote about gorgeous flowers,

Yummy food,

Shopping,

Primping,

and partying.

Through it all, I have had a blast. And I hope that if you read some of these posts, that you did, too.

So, what’s ahead for Covetable?  I’d like to profile more designers.  I also want to show you more about Dallas architecture,

some client’s projects I am working on,

some gardens,

and some changes at Maison Mullen and the continuing “Story of a House”.

I am going to be starting a series about “The New Classics”, my very opinionated guide to what I believe is fresh and new, yet will stand the test of time.  Look for more “how to” posts on everything from hanging pictures to setting tables to updating photo collections.

So, here’s the deal.  You should let me know what you want to read more about, and I will be happy to oblige, if I can.  Leave me a comment about posts you liked in the past – and go back and read some if you like – and things you’d like for me to write about in the future.  Comments will close at midnight on Sunday, April 25th.  The boys will draw a number on Friday morning, and I will e-mail the lucky winner of this truly divine candle. ( if you are an anonymous commenter, I can’t e-mail you, so please let me know who you are…)  The candle is really a great shape and size – large enough to stand on its own on a table, pretty enough to put in any room, neutral enough that it will play well with others, and the scented in a subtle but unmistakeable way with a burn time of 160 hours.  Here it is again:

Kristin

P.S.  You can also let me know what you think of the “new” look.  I love input, even if it’s a critical comment.  Criticism makes us better, I think.

UPDATE:  You can see that the theme is changing almost before our eyes as my technological wizards are hard at work.  Thank you, Brent and Paula.  Which is VERY nice.  What is NOT so nice is that I have a person commenting persistently ( 33 comments and counting) with pornographic links that I cannot seem to block.  And I can’t stay by my computer all day to delete them as they come up.  So, I am going to have to turn on the comment moderation for this post.  All that means is that I will see your comment and need to approve it before you will see it.  No big deal.  But it will keep the offensive stuff from appearing even for a second.  So sorry!

Hello,

I have a wonderful winter supper that I love to serve and that my family loves to eat.  It’s called Poulet Provencal or Chicken Provencal.  And it is so easy to make but fanastically delicious to eat.

Image couresy of Romulo Yanes from www.epicurious.com

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

Preparation

Preheat convection oven to 400°F for regular oven to 425°F with rack in middle.

Toss together tomatoes, onion, olives, sliced garlic, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence, fennel seeds, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a 13- by 9-inch or other 3-quart shallow baking dish. Push vegetables to sides of dish to make room for chicken.

Stir together minced garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, remaining teaspoon herbes de Provence, and remaining tablespoon olive oil.

Remove excess fat from chicken and pat dry, then rub inside and out with seasoning mixture. Tie legs together with string, then put chicken in baking dish.

Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of a thigh (do not touch bone) registers 170°F, about 1 hour in convection oven; 1 to 1 1/4 hours in regular oven.

Let chicken stand 10 minutes before carving. Serve with vegetables and pan juices.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Braised-Chicken-with-Tomatoes-and-Olives-em-Poulet-Provencal-em-241766#ixzz0fescPKUD

I serve this with a wonderful crusty French bread to sop up the amazing juices and a frisee salad with chunks of bacon and dressed with a good vinaigrette.  The amount of effort involved is minimal and the taste is absolutely amazing.

Now wouldn’t it be truly transcendental to have this meal here:

Image via Elle Decor UK.

This kitchen is housed in a medieval building in Italy.  Isn’t it almost ethereal? I love the vaulted brick ceiling and beautifully plastered walls.  The stone floor is gorgeous, and who doesn’t want a stag’s head in their kitchen?  The juxtaposition of ancient and contemporary is very masterful.  This juxtaposition is something that we saw a great deal of when we lived in England and traveled in Europe.  I really became enamored with the notion while we were living there.  While I didn’t use this extreme contrast in my own home,  it was definitely an influence in the decisions that we made.

Or would you prefer to dine somewhere like this?

Image via Maison Cote Ouest

Isn’t this lovely, too? This has a bit in common with the other kitchen.  I do love the vaults in this ceiling and the beautiful beams and rustic stone floor.  But this kitchen is all warm and mellowed colors and textures.  The fireplace is just so beautifully proportioned and just magnificently weathered.  The cabinet to the left of it is stunning.  And in their own way, the slatted chairs are as much of a surprise in this setting as the black chairs above.  And I do seem to love multiple pendants or lanterns over a table….And yes, I am aware that neither of  these beautiful kitchens is from Provence.

I would love to sit down in either of these kitchens with this wonderful meal, a full-bodied red wine, and my amazing family and friends.  That’s a recipe for bliss.

Kristin

So, during the course of the photoshoot,  I was dispatched to get apples.  Not just any apples, but those with the right proportion of red and yellow.  And not just a few, but several pounds worth.  These are they, after several days of steady munching from my boys.  That’s still a lot of apples.

We also styled my kitchen with leeks, two really extraordinarilly good-looking leeks.  They sat in my refrigerator rebuking me for my laziness, until I finally did this with them.

And not be to forgotten we have these beauties here:

You are also seeing one of my husband’s favorite wine bargains – Windy Lane merlot.  It really is a lovely wine for the price.  But I digress.  Here is how we ate the props.  All recipes courtesy of Epicurious.com my go-to for quick recipes, shopping lists, and menus.  If you haven’t checked it out yet, you should, especially since Gourmet is closing up shop.

Apple Crisp

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/8 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/8 cups packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 cup walnuts (5 ounces), toasted , cooled, and finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and softened
4 1/2 pounds sweet-tart apples such as Gala
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar, or to taste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 12- by 9- by 2-inch glass or ceramic baking dish (3 to 3 1/2 quarts.
Stir together flour, oats, brown sugar, walnuts, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl, then blend in butter with your fingertips until mixture forms small clumps.
Peel and core apples and cut into 1/4-inch-thick wedges, then toss with lemon juice, granulated sugar, and flour in a large bowl. Transfer to baking dish, spreading evenly.
Crumble oat topping evenly over apple mixture and bake until topping is golden and apples are tender, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly and serve warm.

Pear Tatin

1/2 cup walnuts
4 pounds firm-ripe pears (preferably Bosc; about
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons dark rum
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
pastry dough – ready made is fine

Preheat oven to 425°F. Coarsely chop walnuts and in a shallow baking pan toast in middle of oven until a shade darker, about 4 minutes. (Leave oven on.) Peel, quarter, and core pears.
In a deep 12-inch heavy skillet melt butter and sugar, stirring occasionally, and boil 1 minute. Add pears and cook over moderate heat, turning pears occasionally (be careful not to break them) and gently stirring syrup, until pears are glazed and syrup begins to thicken, about 20 minutes. Stir in rum and lemon juice and simmer, turning pears and gently stirring frequently, until most of syrup is evaporated and pears are tender and golden brown, about 10 minutes.
Arrange pears, cored sides up, in a 10-inch (1 1/2-quart) glass pie plate and sprinkle with walnuts.
On a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin roll out dough into a 12-inch round (a scant 1/4 inch thick) and drape over pears. Tuck edge between pears and rim of dish and with a knife cut several steam vents in pastry. Bake tart in middle of oven 20 minutes, or until juices are bubbling and crust is golden brown.
Have ready a rimmed serving plate slightly larger than pie plate. Let tart stand 5 minutes.
Invert serving plate over pie plate and, wearing oven mitts and keeping plates firmly pressed together, invert tart onto serving plate. Serve pear and walnut tart warm or at room temperature

Potato and Leek Soup

In a large heavy saucepan cook the leeks in the butter with salt and pepper to taste, covered, over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are softened but not browned. Add the water, the broth, and the potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice, and simmer the mixture, covered, for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. In a blender purée 1 cup of the soup, stir the puré into the remaining soup with the parsley, and season the soup with salt and pepper.

Yum.

Kristin

Hello again,

As I wrote before, Tablescapes is a great opportunity for designers to give their fantasies free reign.  So, lots of the tables that you will see below are a total confection, impractical in every way but just incredible eye candy.  Others have at least made an attempt to create a tablescape that can be carried out at home.  So, without further ado, here are the pictures.  There are a lot of them!

A local linen shop came up with the idea of dinner in/on bed!

This table was done by a college senior!  She is an aspiring florist/designer.  The centerpiece was breathtaking with the geodes scattered around the silver bowl complementing beautifully the hues of the flowers.

Luscious.

Very, very pretty in blue and white.

I thought the birdbath figurine on the lucite stand and filled with lavendar was charming.

I got so excited when I saw all the “vellum” books coming in, thinking that they were going to do a wonderful Belgian table, but I was wrong.  This is still very creative, though.

AND with a sense of humor!

This was stunning.

The black vines on the table were either inlaid or painted on.

Same color scheme, completely different approach.

Scrumptious.

The Suzani made a great, bold statement.

All at sea…

Detail shot – I only wish the tablecloth weren’t quite so bright as these colors would have been glowing on their own.

This was one of the first things you saw when you walked into this room.  Great tables.  I really coveted one of these obelisks below.  They just sparkled and shone.

Larry Whitely’s table.  He is Charlotte Comer’s son-in-law and a wonderful metal artisan.  His work is featured literally world-wide.

This bowl is just incredible and I love the hand forged nutcrackeer.  Do you see the leaves in the background?  Those are impregnated into the tabletop.

Speaking of Charlotte….This was her table.  It was just so lovely and a bit of a departure for her.

More Charlotte.  The mercury glass bottles in center really gathered the candlelight, didn’t they?

One last one of Charlotte’s table.  I actually bought one of these mercury bottles at Roundtop and it found a place in my son Cameron’s room.  It looks so fresh in this setting, doesn’t it?

If I post any more photos, I might exceed my bandwidth and crash, so I am going to sign off.  This was such a wonderful event, and all the money raised went to women’s and children’s charities, so I was honored to be a part of it.

Kristin

Hello,

I was paging through a back issue of Verandah, searching for an image that I wanted to show a client and I came upon the photos of this feature, titled “Fete Champetre” about a wedding at a French chateau.  The wedding reception was for 300, but what was amazing is that they had guests seated at one enormously long table.  This could present the floral designer with quite the challenge!  But as you can see below, the tables are absolutely luscious. 

 Where to start with what I love about this table…..First, the color scheme is sophisticated, yet very natural.  The combination of rustic and sophisticated elements is inspired, and a lesson for designers working on a room or tablescape.  Marrying patterns, textures and colors allows the whole to be harmonious.  The vase lined with white veined leaves is stunning, as is the arrangement of roses, grasses, sweet annie, hops, and what looks like white painted pomegranetes.  I do not know what the large leaves in the foreground are, so if anyone recognizes them, please let me know.

These beautiful scattered nuts are fuzzy baby almonds, nestled together with a sweet white porcelain bird, green pepperberries, birch bark votives, Laduree” confections.  Each guest has these sweet favors at their placesetting.

Look how beautiful the crystal glasses are!  Here is a better view of the glass urn with the leaf insert – I really am smitten with this.  This arrangment also includes dried mushrooms, sweet peas, mint, and those stunning white roses.  I am having a dinner here for 40 next week, more about which later, but I am doing yellow roses as part of the centerpieces.  Did you know that if you put your roses heads in water with a fresh cut, place a plastic bag over them and put them in a windowsill, that they are supposed to open more quickly?  I am going to try this trick for Monday and I’ll let you know how it works out.  Notice to the right the round of hewed birch trunk that is supporting the edge of a garden cloche. 

So enchanting!  The hand calligraphed paper is gorgeous, anchoring the vignette with the porcelain birds, real nest, eggs, and pepperberries.  I have a weakness for cloches  – I don’t know why- and I think that practically anything that you place inside them becomes infinitely more interesting. 

Wouldn’t it have been lovely to be a guest at this little soiree’?  Sigh. Not meant to be.

Off to work a bit on the concept for the centerpieces for the dinner.  As soon as I get my ideas gelled, I’ll post about them and so some photos of the tables set. 

Kristin