Art in the House

Our local Main Street Program sponsors an event in the spring called Art Stroll.  This event invites artist to display their work in Main Street businesses while listening to a variety of music and sipping something cold and refreshing.  This event is an opportunity to discover artist both new and old and perhaps purchase a new piece to display in home or office. 

This is an example of an oil painting I purchased last year from a local artist, Gail Ford.  She does wonderful animal portraits and contemporary pieces as well.    I am too embarassed to tell you how much I paid for such a fine piece of work.  This work reminded me of the same views I had of my grandfather's horses as a child.  It is right at home with the metal lamp, dog pills, dog treats and family photos.  Many clients ask how and where should art be hung.  Art can be displayed almost anywhere.

This art hangs in my black and white bathroom.  The upper piece of photography was done by my daughter at a very young age.  She used our labrador as her subject.  The lower photograph is a piece from the 1940's and depicts a two foot snow on my grandparent's Mississippi farm.  The piece was professionally done as two foot snow falls were not common on a Mississippi farm in the 1940's and I venture to guess not now.

This is another area of the black and white bathroom.  The piece to the left is a pen and ink done my daughter.  It is a piece depicting an apartment buliding in the city.  Each window has a view of the activity in that apartment.  The small piece on top of the bookcase is a piece done by Jonesboro, AR artist Sara Howell.

Both of these are small pieces by Sara Howell.  One sits in my office bookcase and the angel resides in the living room on an antique bamboo bookcase.  Both were bought at a street fair in Jonesboro. 

This vingette contains a variety of original art by women I know.  There is another Sarah Howell in the bottom left hand corner.  There is a watercolor by my friend and artist in the right hand corner.  She photographed the hydrangeas in my yard to do this piece.  The others were done at different times by women I know.  The large piece is titled "The Raining Queen".

Here are two French art prints.  Antique French art prints are very colorful.  Both of these are so prissy.  I smile everytime I look at these.  They were not expensive.

This poster is a souvenir of a road trip I took my daughter on during her freshman year in college.

These two works hang on either side of a secretary in my dining room.  The one on the right is a watercolor of a photograph I took in Venice, Italy.  My friend, Pat Case, surprised me with this as a birthday gift.  How she obtained that photo is still a wonder.  On the left is an acrylic done by Otis of Little Rock, AR.  The title is "Baptism".  My husband purchased this one at a Duck's Unlimited event.  Works by Otis  have become quite collectible now.  I am lucky to have this piece.  I love the color and the theme.

This is a mother's day card given to my husband's grandmother by his favorite aunt.  It is a beauty as many post cards from the turn of the century are.  It is one of a series of seasonal cards I have had framed to put out when appropriate.

This vingette is packed with emotion.  At the top a Walter Anderson print given to me by a dear friend.  The parrots were done by Maggie Crocket of Red Barn fame.  In the small frames, a note from a dear housekeeper, in her beautiful hand, when I was having a particularly bleek go of it.  She has gone on to a better life but the note means the world to me.  The larger note was written to me by my daughter when away at college.  She sent a tape with it and it is  cleverly made up of different song titles.

The point in all this is that art can be many things.  Find what you love or frame those things you already love.  It takes many years to accumulate a collection of art.  Take it slowly.  A good place to start is a local art event.  The Art Stroll in Paragould, AR  takes place Thursday, May 6, 2010.  You will have the opportunity where you live or where you travel to pick up all kinds of art.  If you purchase what you love it will work in your environment and make you smile everytime you see it.  Every picture has a story.

There is more art in the house which I am saving for a future blog.

Morning Coffee at the River and Some Fabulous Finds Too

I had the great privilege of being invited to stay for two nights and two days at my friends' place on the White River.  This is the view that greeted us every morning.  She had available all flavors of coffee and instructed us where all was so that we could enjoy the view if all were not awake.  I, sleeping soundly,  was the last one up both mornings. We spent the mornings watching the birds and beasts and learning about the latest apps for the IPhone.   I wish I taken photos of the interior of their river home.  She and her husband have done a fabulous job with painting, furniture placement and all other interior work.  The interior is so serene.  Visiting is like staying at a high end retreat with the best hostess ever.  We slept late, had lunch at unusual places and shopped the area's antique shops and boutiques.  The antique shops are wonderful in the area.  

The shops were full of unique, inexpensive, beautiful finds.   I found the Moroccan table, some floral frogs, a set of  china, linen napkins, a pair of vintage cotton gloves and  a necklace made by a local artist.  The china is Johnson Brothers, a service for six and I paid $ 40.00 for all.  I can't imagine finding anything nicer that is new.  I am going to recycle and enjoy setting my table as well.  The beaded necklace was only $ 10.00.  How could someone spend so much time to create such beauty and sell it so inexpensively?  The set of hand embroidered linen napkins were $ 1.00.  Such loveliness  and such love in the workmanship for so little.  The previous article features the Moroccan tea table (some of you are holding back your opinion, don't). 

My two friends and I had so much fun at the antique shops purchasing those items.  We returned to this fabulous view each evening to have our wine.  We caught up, told stories,laughed.  The first night our fabulous hostess had Eggplant Parmesan and Asparagus bundles prepared for our dinner.  The second night we had all sorts of fattening appetizers.  I can't say when I have been so relaxed.  What a generous friend to share such a peaceful place.  I miss my friend often because she and her husband spend most of their time at the river now.  Having experienced their place first hand, I have no jealousy and more understanding.  They have worked hard to create their oasis and may they spend many peaceful moments there.

Moroccan Dilemma

I love these Moraccan tea tables.  I have had the rectangle, long narrow one for years.  It sits in front of my sofa and has held many a cup of coffee or cocktail.  It is easy to move for dancing or a card table.  It follows the line of the sofa.

I purchased this round Moroccan tea table at an antique shop last weekend.  I love the shape and size of this one.

Moroccan Dilemma:  Should I replace the long, narrow one with the round one?  Should I be selfish and keep both so I can change them?  Help me solve this dilemma.  Please comment and let me know which you think I should keep.  Let me know if I should keep both or sell one.  I await your advice.

Frogs: This Just In

This is an example of the use of a frog in a simple kitchen bowl.  My friend and neighbor used left over flowers from an arrangement.  This was her first experience with the use of a floral frog. 

Here is a bunch of azaela plucked from her yard and placed in an open mouth bowl with the help of a frog.  Another earth friendly arrangement compliments of a floral frog.  Please send photos if you experiment with the floral frog.  Arranging flowers is good for the soul, a great outlet for the artist in us all and the end result makes us all smile.  Using the floral frog is one more way to go green.

Frogs

Frogs may seem a strange topic for an interior design blog.  I feel compelled to write about frogs today and this blog has nothing to do with the little green creatures that are abundant this time of the year.  The frogs I speak of have to do with holding flowers in a container.  Without a frog,  floral foam must be used to hold floppy arrangements up.  I am not in favor of adding any more styrofoam to the landfill.  As many of you know styrofoam is composed of material that will not decompose over a period of time.  I think there should be a movement to buy vintage or antique frogs and stop the use of floral foam.  We can all be a little more green and still enjoy flowers in an unlikely container.  This photo is of flowers in a wide mouthed silverplate container. 

One could have used floral foam to hold the droopy flower's little heads up but I chose to use an antique frog.  The idea is that the stems fit into the holes of the flat glass piece and then the stems and flower have support to stand in an open container and receive much needed water.  Until you get used to using the frog it can be tricky but I think our earth is worth the effort.  I also have a couple of wire frogs that work rather well

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I have frogs that I inherited but this set of frogs was purchased at an antique shop.  Prices vary but I paid $ 4.50, 5.75 and 6.50.  The beauty is that these are washed, stored and used over and over again.  No landfill waste. 

Flowers are abundant this time of year and fill our hearts and home with beauty.  I hope everyone will investigate the use of frogs.  Lets save the earth and use frogs like the garden club ladies and florist of long ago.

Now it is time to go out and plant again so that I will have flowers to cut and fill my frogs.

Baffles Me

Did you know that on many interior design blogs the authors are using photos of work they did not do from the latest magazines or catalogs?  I am trying to only post photos of my own work.  My photography skills are elementary but they get the point across.  I figure most of my friends and clients see most of those photos in Pottery Barn, West Elm,  William Sonoma Home , etc catalogs as well as photos in House Beautiful, Architectual Digest, Elle Decor, Traditional Home, etc magazines. These photos can be great inspiration for both client and designer, but should never reflect completely the finished design product which I believe should be personal.  If I see a fabulous find in a magazine or catalog I will post for friends and clients but the writing experience is so much richer if I am familiar with the interior or item.  I will post web sites that offer good design ideas or product.  I think it would be confusing to my friends and my clients if I only posted photos done by professional photographers of another person's work.   It baffles me that a talented designer using the current technology can not post his/her own work.  I do admire other's work. I also am inspired to use ideas I have obtained from other's work and hope other's have been inspired by my work.  I can only write about what I know first hand.   I have other words for commentary on another's work.  Editing.  Editorial comment.  Baffling.

Sunroom: Just Can't Wait to Share

The sunroom is 90% complete.  I can't wait to share with you the results.  Photos were quickly taken, some a little fuzzy  and text could be brief.  My camera skills and equipment are amateur.  I am posting the good and the bad as there is no ugly in this room.  This room is long and narrow and I had no wide angle lens.

The above chair is an antique wicker.  Our extraordinary  upholstery guy, Roger Beck, did an excellent job fitting and making the new cushion out of that fabulous Lee Jofa  http://www.leejofa.com/ fabric.  The morning sun was just right.  The chair sits in front of the client's computer desk area where she can sit enjoy her geneology work and the flora and fauna.

This antique bench cushion and rocking chair cushions are covered in antique ikat silk pieces from Uzbekistan.  The green in the fabric is the exact green of the kitchen walls. 

This new Pearson http://www.pearsonco.com/ chair and ottoman are done up in a lively, dramatic floral linen.  A new durable, indoor/outdoor rug from http://www.shadesoflight.com/ was well worth the wait.  You can spot a brick we used to hold down the edge of the rug until the corners are flat.  As I said I was anxious to post these photos.  We were hoping the Danes, Maggie and Ella, would not be able to sit on the furniture.  Ella and Maggie are the only dogs I know who might weigh more than I do.  The client was resting in her chair and Ella was able to curl her massive body up on the ottoman and lay her head in the clients lap.  Just proves to me that man and beast are both comfortable with the new digs.

The view into the magical spring back yard is framed by the antique bench and rockers.  They do not disturb the beautiful sight.

Two of the chairs sit on either side of an antique mirrored backed cabinet full of the client's crystal.  The new Shades of Light rug ties the whole area together.  Our plan is that the rugs will be dog friendly.

This beautiful antique bar sits between the two sitting areas.  You can see one of the dog's beds in the bottom left corner.

Another shot of the Pearson chair.

These are the owner's wingbacks that were covered in the Lee Jofa fabric.  They sit on either side of an hierloom, maple bookcase.  Bird watching books and binoculars are handy to the client's favorite chairs.

This is the best shot I was able to get of the entire room.  We continue to search for the perfect lamp and as the owners and Maggie, Ella and Priss get to know the room once again, there may be some changes.  All in all,  I think the project was a great success.

Favorites: Things That Make Me Smile

This is a great Babette Holland  Design lamp.  A pair  of these hand spun aluminum lamps sits on a vintage Henredon cabinet behind a sofa to help illuminate a living room.  These sport a warm, copper finish.  I understand the family cats love to curl up by this modern lamp to enjoy the warmth.

This little antique Oriental vanity lamp just makes me smile.  It has character and color one expects to find in handpainted antique lamps.  This lamp actually shares the same space as the contemporary Babette Holland.

Those of you who follow this blog might have spotted this before.  This is an antique French fashion porchoir from the 1920's.  Fashion designers had their sketches for the season hand retouched by artist and then presented their better clients with a portfolio of the sketches so that the client could select new garments.  Those lucky enough to own these will discover they are quite collectible and have become difficult to obtain.  Oh la la.

The toad and the frog are the cutest characters.  They hang in a client's kitchen/breakfast room.   The series of insects hangs in a client's condo guest bath.  I have two monkeys hanging in my powder bath.  These are all hand retouched prints by the artist Kathryn Clark.  We bought these twelve years ago and all who own them still love them today.  Can't find her art for sale anywhere today.

This room invites me to sit down and take a load off.    The antique fern prints are from the 1800's and were framed as two sets.  The metal lamp is from Arteriors Home.  Chairs and ottomans are Hickory White.  Silk plaid drapery panels are hung from antique brass doorknobs.   

Detail shot of window treatment hung from antique brass door knobs.

This stately beauty is from  Wildwood Lamps.  It is called a temple lamp because of the intricate detail including hanging bells.  It sits on a Globle Views Brass end table.

Bunnies, Chicks and Haviland

 This is our first Easter without  mother.  When my sister and I began to talk about Easter it was all about the china our mother and grandmothers  had used and what flowers would be used.  We decided to borrow mother's Haviland that she received when she and Dad married in 1950.  The pattern is Rosalind which is frilly, soft and feminine.  Not many folks now like or use these frilly, old fashioned patterns  but it seemed perfect for Easter.  It is pictured here on mother's vintage embroidered tablecloth with embroidered napkins.  The crystal belonged to my paternal aunt and is delicate enough to be used with the Haviland. 

The flowers in this antique silverplate bowl,  which belonged to my mother-in-law, were cut and given to me by a very generous friend.  Flowers and Easter, both symbols of new life.   It was necessary to use one of my vintage "frogs" in this container to hold the flowers.  For those of you unfamiliar with "frogs", they are what preceded florist foam.  Each may be made of wire or glass and they help to hold flower stems  in containers that would otherwise be unsuited for a flower arrangement. 

Here is the Haviland again on a cutwork vintage linen tablecloth.  This was set up in the kitchen as a table for two for the kitchen help, my sister and myself.  The flower arrangement has had some of the neighbor's jonquils added.  They are arranged in an antique oriental container. 

As we did not have enough Haviland to seat all our guests at one table, we decided to also use mother's Nortake China.  This was china my dad sent to my mother when he was serving in the Korean Conflict in Japan.  It is much more modern in appeal.  I think this china is much more suitable in my dining room because of the strong colors.  We also used the crystal that mother had to match the china.  I think it set a beautiful table and since there were lots of family members present the use of it sparked many memories of meals shared around other tables with this china. 

The strong china patterned demanded a stronger floral arrangement.  I used discount store gerber daisies along with some of my friend's viburnum and bridle wreath  in comtemporary white vases.  The orange of the gerbers was the perfect compliment to the strong green in the china.

Another photograph of the table for eight.  I think eight is the maximum number of guests to seat comfortably at a rectangle table  A table with more than eight can become noisy and clumsy.    You may notice the use of the individual salt cellars.  These were inherited from my paternal aunt.

This hollow, chocolate, foil wrapped Easter bunny became my place marker.  I used hobby store adhesive letters to monogram each bow tie.

For dessert, a magical carrot cake with edible grass, Cadberry eggs and Peeps on the pineapple, butter cream frosting for dessert.  A friend and myself spent a good part of Saturday making these cakes and they were a big hit with the old and the young.  We had fun in the process.

The menu was simple fair.  Smoked ham, hashbrown casserole, fresh aspagagus roasted with garlic and olive oil, hot rolls with carrot cake and coffee for dessert. 

Here the silver platters are laid out on our antique desk awaiting the arrival of food and our guests. Each piece of silver was inherited from my aunt or mother and are used with joy and memories of the many meals we shared together.    The foil bunnies are old fashioned and await the guests as well.  The antique parque desk sits between the living room and dining room and serves many purposes.

This Easter was made special by the attendance of some family and some good friends. There was much laughter and good conversation.  The weather was perfect.  Richard was the perfect host.   My aunt, Lillie, who this blog is named in honor of, my uncle, Lindsey (Uncle) and daughter, Caroline; they came bearing a beautiful bunch of red tulips which we are still enjoying.  Our friend, Barbara, she of the magical garden and kind heart and our friends and neighbors, Donis and Bonnie; they brought two bottles of a wonderful German wine.  Our daughter, Katy and our son-in-law, Shawn,.  Our special guest of honor, my father, Jimmy and his sister, Bibbie.  My sister, Lindsey; my cohort in planning.  My Aunt Lillie whispered to me that my mother and grandmother were watching from above and that they were pleased.  Our friend said it was the perfect party.  My neighbor/friends stayed until every last piece of china and crystal were handwashed and dried.  I slept soundly that night after a lovely Easter day having had bunnies and chicks and having had the opporunity to use my mother's Haviland.

Each person we shared this Easter day with has in some way shared a  meal and their home with us.    They have laid the table, cleaned the silver, prepared the food, arranged the flowers, bought the wine and/or earned the money to pay for the food  just as we did today.  What a joy to be able to share in the same way with them.

Here are  some of my favorite things from Easter day.

This is an antique Easter card that I had framed 15 years ago.  I have a series of these representing different holidays.  This easel sits on my desk.  The next to go out is the Mother's Day card.  The Mother's day card was one that my husband's aunt had sent to his grandmother as a child. 

Cute little foil bunny couple.

Flower arrangement in white ceramic bird vase.

Wine and coffee.

Cute white bunny napkin ring.