APRIL FOOD DAY - Bloggers Fighting Hunger

Thank you to Meg of Pigtown Design and Chris of Easy & Elegant Life for turning good intentions into action and organizing this blogger food donation drive.

Feeding America is the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity. Their mission is to feed America's hungry through a nationwide network of member food banks - a donation of $1 provides 10 pounds of food and grocery products for hungry children and adults. CLICK HERE to donate, even a small amount can make a difference.

What's the picture of? That's my mom in my hometown's soup kitchen at the Episcopal Church at SS. Peter and John, which she ran as a volunteer for four years before moving to the Cape. The local food bank was very important to their efforts. Here's an excerpt from an acticle about the soup kitchen by Christopher Caskey of The Citizen.
(photo by Chet Susslin)

"On Mondays, she calls food banks to see what is available and form a menu. Tuesdays are for defrosting. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, she hits the sales for cheap food, and on Friday she makes last-minute changes to the menu...Each meal has to be balanced, she said. Every person is served soup, a main course, some kind of fruit, a vegetable and juice. However, that doesn't mean there is no variety.Homemade Reuben sandwiches were a recent hit. And people always gobble up a recipe she once found for spaghetti pie, Ginnerty said.“I wouldn't offer anything to my guests that I wouldn't offer to my family,” she added

Back in 2006 they served 6,500 - 7,000 meals a year. I can only imagine what the need is in 2009.

DC Designer Series: J.D. Ireland

Here's to more talented designers hailing from our nation's capital and this duo happens to be native Washingtonians - an occurrence that is more rare than common in this transient city. Joe Ireland and Julie Weber of J. D. Ireland Interior Architecture and Design are the talent behind these beautiful designs. I think elegant, comfortable and timeless are good descriptors for the rooms featured here. Love the screen and the black metal side table in the room above. (Photos posted with permission. Photography above by Scott Henrichsen)
Love the grey blue upholstery on this intricately carved wood bench. (photography by Scott Henrichsen)

(Photography by Stacy Zarin Goldberg)
Crisp and hip. The horizontal striped pillow is perfect. (Photography by Stacy Zarin Goldberg)

(photography by Scott Henrichsen)

The symmetry of this design serves this stately room well. (photography by Stacy Zarin Goldberg)
If you would like to see more of their work in person here's some good news - J.D. Ireland are the designers for the Entry Hall, Stair Hall and Back Stairs in the upcoming 2009 DC Design House which runs from April 18th - May 10th. The design house is a three-story Victorian mansion located in Georgetown so I have a feeling the stairways are going to be quite impressive.

Fab Friday: My friend M's house - all about the details

My friend M's house is a lesson in details. When you visit you find yourself repeatedly exclaiming, "Where did you find this?!" A few years ago they embarked on a major renovation of the home, and without extending the footprint, completely transformed their 1950's interiors - all with an eye for the details. The kitchen remake included incorporating in this 100 year old stained glass cupboard, formerly used in a pool hall/tavern. An antique scale to the left of the sink holds fruit.
This silver and tortoise shell heirloom piece, found in London, is a gift from her father-in-law. Great taste runs on both sides of this family. This is the most stunning tray I've ever seen.

Love the backsplash tiles above the stove.
M found this antique Italian alabaster chandelier on ebay! That's another one of her talents - finding great pieces from all kinds of sources.

Another incredible silver piece from Portobello Rd. Check out the quality of the engraving below.

A signed Warhol on diplay in the billiard room to the left of the mantle The billiard room was a former sitting room entirely transformed to meet the needs of her two teenage sons and their friends. I wish I had taken a better picture of the lighting - there are three shaded fixtures centered over the pool table. The sword over the mantel is a civil war piece. To the right of the mantle, the strong coloring of the Warhol is balanced by a strong colored, graphic photo.



The cow fur on the cushion picks up on the cow skin accent rug under the pool table. The art on either side of the window creates an optical illusion - changing depending on what angle you view it from.

Love the red & white leopard print fabric on this chair. Unexpected and fun. The embossed leather foot stool picks up on the faux embossed leather on the recently reupholstered couch. More great details below - feather and moss balls in a silver dish.

Her husband's uncle's spurs on display above.
More finds from Portobello Rd - a tea box above. The pieces below are in narrow built-ins between the kitchen and dining room which was a great use of space.

Even blankets are housed in unique pieces. I love it when you visit someone's house and you find their personality and history all through it - I think my friend's house is a perfect example of that!
For great Friday posts be sure to check out Simply Seleta's Fabulous Friday here. You can also read about her recent visit with Eddie Ross too!

My Kind of Lawn Ornaments

Whimisical, sweet, lovely... (All photos courtesy of Haven in Paris)

Brilliant Jardin. Merci. (photos courtesy of Haven in Paris)

My husband went to New Orleans and all I got was...

No - not a lousy t-shirt - my husband brought home terrific things from his trip to New Orleans. (yes, that is a cabbage around his neck) But first can I indulge myself for a moment and nominate him for a "Blogger Husband of the Year" award? You see, I asked him if he would be willing to stop by Magazine Street and take some pictures of home design stores for me. I've never been to New Orleans and I liken my request to a Blogger Hail Mary Pass. Well, my wonderful husband said yes!! Then the very kind and gracious Valorie of Visual Vamp offered to show him around the fabulous store Perch where she pointed him in the right direction - and now I have a delightful yellow papier mache bird perched in my office.


Valorie very kindly let Dan see where she and her colleagues do their creative work for clients. I love the tweedy fabric to the left. You can see the headboard in the background is used as an inspiration board.


Looks like there's a beautiful settee in the making. Then Dan was off to take pics of some of the wonderful things in this store.


Valorie was mapping out the placement of these fab plates on the floor before hanging them up on the wall. Love the all the color and patterns.

A very dreamy swedish clock that has been the topic of some great blogger posts lately.
Love the lights and the narrow mirror over to the left. Isn't the mirror below really unique and interesting?

A preying mantis rocker - so very cool!

Gorgeous fabric.

This red and white chair is one of my favorite things featured in these pics.

Valorie - thanks so much for being such a welcoming host to Dan when he visited the store. You made the whole "Can I take some pictures for my blogger wife?" fun for him.

A leftover from an earlier in the week St. Patrick's Day celebration. This looks like my kind-of city!
Not that my husband wasn't busy enough giving two presentations at a conference - I had one more request for him. Would he please eat dinner one night at Jacque Imo's? But this request I had a hunch would make Dan very happy.
Jacque Leonardi is from the next town over from where I grew up and a long, long, long time ago I briefly dated his cousin. Dan had the alligator cheesecake for an appetizer and the Cajun bouillabaisse for dinner and it was terrific! I can attest to the alligator as Dan put some on ice and brought it home to us - delish!
Here's another pic with the chef who made Dan's bouillabaisse. New Orleans looks like such a great place!!

Some beautiful blue

Somehow I forgot to post this pic when I visited Shore Haus this past fall. They now have a blog where I found all these lovely blue and white jars mixed in with brown & white pillows and sandy brown upholstery (not sure what to call this color.) Love this room!

It reminded me of this Eddie Ross bedroom I found while checking out the terrific blog, Little Green Notebook. It's more blue, brown and a sandy brown somewhat similar to the one above. What a gorgeous bedroom.

Have a Happy Weekend!

Update: I've received a number of emails and comments about the sea urchin bowls featured in the first picture. They're available from Shore Haus, $28 small, $45 medium and $65 for the large. John -thanks for the info on these. Love them!

Bright & Light

Some lovely eye candy from Australian House & Garden - all bright and light. I'm loving these sunny and bright interiors as an antidote to our dismal gray weather of late. Hopefully the sun will be out tomorrow as promised! Love how the blue frames the door and the view into the next room. (Designer Richard Allen, photography by Rob Reichenfeld)



The gold framed artwork is perfection in this space.



I really like the angle the photographer chose for this shot.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!! Erin Go Bragh - Ireland Forever! Hope you have a happy and luck day! Michele


Rossbeigh Strand, Glenbeigh Co.Kerry, my grandmother's birthplace

DC Designer Series: Lori Ludwick of InDesign

I'm very happy to have Lori Ludwick of InDesign as the fifth designer featured in my DC Designer Series. Lori's work is eclectic, easily moving from Belgian inspired traditional to a modern aesthetic with bold color use. The following bedroom ranks up there as one of my all time favorites, magazine pics included.

The first time I looked at this picture I thought I saw curved wooden panels behind the bed - but then realized instead there is a wall sized photograph of stone columns with trees in the distance. What a creative way to add depth and interest to a small room. Serious wow factor!

The bedside tables don't take up alot of visual space. Note the pull-out extensions to increase surface size.

Love, love, love the accent pillow and the buttons on the bedspread.

This is my kind of media room. For me, many media rooms run amok when they feel too much like a piece of a Regal Cinema broke off and landed in your house. Check out the brick wall and the pipes running along the ceiling, this is a terrific conversion of a basement space many of us can identify with. Love the leopard print carpeting and the simple panelled gallery wall.

The built in storage and the framed movie screen are additional nice touches to this space.

Love the choice to keep the exposed brick in this home, it's very pretty. Interesting box shelf below the window.
Stainless steel counters and the decision to change-up the cabinetry fronts by the window keep this small kitchen from feeling too small.

What little kid wouln't love this porthole built into bunk beds? A small, creative touch with a big impact. Oh, and how could I forget the slide too!

Cool fish. Also, notice the demi-lune lucite ledge mounted to the wall.
Alot of bold pinks with touches of brown to ground them. The chair is a terrific choice for this room.

Lastly, a fresh and airy bathroom. I like the curved frosted glass divider wall that blocks the view of the toilet. In the distance you can see an outdoor shower too. Head over here to view more of Lori's work. Thank you Lori and Laura for sharing these pictures with me.

Thank you Washington Post!

Thank you Terri Sapienza for choosing my bathroom makeover post for Blog Watch's pick to click this week.
You made my day!


If you're looking for that post it's just below the one on the new book, Downtown Chic.

Downtown Chic

Lately it seems that Rizzoli is publishing some of the best design books and is about to add one more to their impressive list - Downtown Chic by husband and wife team, Robert and Cortney Novogratz of the innovative firm SIXX Design. The book will feature before and after shots of ten projects - revealing the ups and downs and the decisions made to create the final design. If you check out their portfolio you'll recognize their work -which routinely catches the eye of bloggers. I couldn't help thinking that many Domino Magazine lovers will find this book a real treasure. Right now I'm coveting the pillows on the bed above.


Love the light fixtures in these two rooms.
The book is slated for release April 28th. Looking forward to it!

My Inexpensive Bathroom Makeover - goodbye seafoam green

This is not my former seafoam green 1950's sink but it might as well have been. Unfortunately, I don't have photos of my hall bathroom as it looked 10 years ago - or of the unfortunate temporary cosmetic makeover I lived with for years. So, just imagine seafoam green ceramic floor tiles, sink, and tub combined with a 1970's avocado replacement toilet and you have the picture.

Since I didn't want to spend alot of money ripping out perfectly good tiles I decided to paint (more on that later) the seafoam green trim tiles Benjamin Moore Coventry Gray HC-169. Luckily the remaining tiles in the bathroom were white.

This is the view from the hallway, as you can see it's a small bathroom. I had high quality vinyl plantation shutters ($250) from Next Day Blinds installed. They've been there for 2 1/2 years and show no signs of adverse effects from the shower. I also had the green tub reglazed gray ($300) I went with gray, as opposed to white, because I didn't see anyway to match all the different whites - 50's white wall tiles, Toto Aquia dual-flush white toilet ($392) and the Home Depot white sink that we installed back in 1998. Plus the gray serves as a softer contrast to the gray/black mini-mosaic floor tile.

This sink was a quick replacement back in 1998. It originally was a Home Depot pedestal sink purchased for $38 (not kidding) However, after removing the pedestal for the floor installation we discovered it wasn't providing any support and liked how it opened up the bathroom not having it there. It's a small sink but there is a heating vent lower down in the wall that really limits options. The Delta faucet ($60) was also purchased back in '98 - eventually I'll replace it with something more stylish.

The door was painted white but I changed it to match the walls which are Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray, HC-170. It's a small room and I like how the gray door blends in.

Here you can see along the edges of the vent the green color I painted the bathroom when it was in its "temporary" stage. Below is the green tile color and an example of the original floor tile - only it was green.
Now, ABOUT PAINTING CERAMIC TILES...I painted these gray 5 years ago. Below is the damage that occurred when the new floors were installed. Prior to that, the painted trim tiles survived 5 years of use without any chipping. I didn't use ceramic paint. Instead I first applied 2 separate coats of Sherwin williams PrepRite 200 Interior Latex Primer and then regular Benjamin Moore semi-gloss Conventry Gray. The paint formulated for ceramic surfaces seemed to have more VOCs and I didn't want to use it. I think painting the trim tile worked because it is not subject to water the way a floor tile or wall tile in a shower would be. You can't clean these painted tiles by scrubbing them. Instead I use damp paper towels without any problem.


Here's my solution for covering my very 1950's looking mirror medicine cabinet. I found a lightweight 20"wide X 24" high mirror ($25) and attached it to the original mirror with eye screws and picture hanging wire. The cabinet still opens as widely as it did before because the mirror just clears the wall.
I painted the interior w/Sherwin Williams paint - Swimming Pool is the name. It's a bit aqua but my kids like and it was leftover from another project.
To make the trim appear more realistic, I painstakenly avoided painting the grout between each tile. Some people haven't realized they've been painted until I tell them.

Here I decide to bring the wall paint color right through to the ceiling. It adds height to the room and made the painting so much easier. The walls are in Pearl finish, Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray HC-170. Cost for all the paint was $90.

Up to this point, the total cost has been $1,155. Now time to fess up - the floor is where I splurged as compared to the rest of the bathroom. I chose the mini basketweave in St Regis Gray and Morgan Black from the Madison Collection - Renaissance Tile. The floor cost $1,100, bringing the total bathroom makeover to $2,255. Interestingly enough, almost every male guest who has visited our house remarks on this bathroom floor. They seem to really like it! However, I think with some careful shopping you could find a floor that makes a statement for less money than I paid.

The wreath is a leftover from Christmas. I need to find something else for this wall - round shapes seem to work the best and I"m thinking of something in a darker pink for some contrast to the gray. Also I think it's time to replace the yellowed rod cover w/either a white or gray one!

Here's a closer look at the Toto Aquia dual -flush toilet. I can HIGHLY recommend this toilet - it is like magic! I was quoted prices from $750 - 1,000 for it at local bath showrooms but purchased it from Cowan Supply in Atlanta for $392, free delivery. Besides working extremely well and offering a .9 GPF option, I love how the skirt extends to the floor. It covers the unattractive "tubing" of the toilet and makes for very easy cleaning. I plan to use this same toilet for the remaining 2 bathrooms - one of which has the distinction of being pink and black!

DC Designer Series: Vastu

There's something about the artful mixing of contemporary and traditional elements - it's sure to create memorable rooms. These memorable rooms are by the interior design firm Vastu and based on their work it's appropriate that their tag line is "An old name for a new way of living." Vastu, founded in 2002 by Jason Claire and Eric Kole, is also a furniture store located at 1829 14th Street NW - definitely worth visiting.

Love the serene colors in this living room designed by Jason - very peaceful - but it's the wall color of the dining room below that has me enthralled. Love it. The light fixture is not too shabby either! (all photography by Tim Bell of Tim Bell Photography, images posted with permission)




Love the wall color and the art -dreamy. Aren't those bedside light fixtures perfect in this design? (Designer Eric Kole)

A similar color appears in the furnishings of this library with the terrific floor-to-ceiling open shelving. Who could walk by this wall without grabbing a book or, at least, vowing to start reading more? (designer Jason Claire) A more traditional library setting is below. (designer Eric Kole)


I'm really liking the use of this color - it's a bit unexpected and very appealing. (designer Eric Kole for this room and the one below)
Who knew a corner could accomplish so much? Above there is a complete home office and below a corner becomes a very effective dining area with upholstered bench seating.


Eric Kole designed the foyer in this Ritz Carlton condo - simple, elegant with a bit of mod. Love the light fixture. Below is the dining room you see through the open door.

This streamlined bedding design is terrific. Really like the fabric selected for the headboard.

Vastu also has a blog, featuring more of their talented design team - you can check them out here.

Giveaway!! 9 Cartolina Cards Notebooks

Thanks to all the commenters and readers who emailed me. The winner of the random drawing for the Cartolina Notebooks is Rachael of Little Bites of Heaven. Congratulations Rachael!


Blogging has been so much fun and I appreciate all the comments and reader emails. As you know, I'm a huge fan of the very talented Fiona Richards of Cartolina Cards and would love to share a complete set of her recent notebooks - 9 in all! - with a lucky reader of this blog. Just leave a comment by Saturday morning, 9 am e.s.t. If you don't have a google account and can't leave a comment - feel free to email me at mynottinghill (at) gmail.com with Cartolina in your subject header.

These notebooks are also available online at Greet Q - and at $4 a piece they make the perfect treat for yourself or someone else.

Also, Fiona has the most lovely blog full of visual treats and interesting things that are really unique - check it out at Cafe Cartolina.
Here is one of my favorite notebooks spread out on Michael S. Smith's book without its cover.I love the colors contrasted here! I carry this notebook around with me and make notes and drawings in it too.

Tomorrow I'm headed off to the Philadelphia Flower Show with a friend. I've never been and am quite excited - especially since Spring here in D.C. seems to be on temporary hold. Here' s the view out my family room window. I was bad - never brought the umbrella in for the winter! The snow is covering our pool cover - can't wait till that is gone and we can get out there and enjoy the backyard. My kids, however, had a great time building this the other day!

Apartment envy

I must be going through a phase - finding myself drawn to some more traditional elements than usual and lighter, neutral colors too. This lovely apartment is in the Marais district of Paris. All photos courtesy of Haven In Paris.

It's a bit grand -
and charming too
Can't get over this pillow - a pom-pom extravaganza!



You never know what will catch your eye...or why or when. What have you found yourself noticing now that you didn't much before? (photos courtesy of www.HaveninParis.com)

Oh my...

Oh my...isn't it interesting how a picture can make you talk to it? "Oh my!" - just what I said when I saw this beautiful vintage desk featured in Living etc August 2008. This reaction was also quite similar to the one I had when I saw these antique Swedish bureau's from Brooke Giannetti's (of Velvet & Linen) store - click here to see more.



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Oh my - also my thought when the talented Michelle of A Schematic Life tagged me for 6 interesting things about myself. So here goes...

* I qualify for Irish citizenship as my grandmother was born in Glenbeigh Co. Kerry. My father's cousin still runs the family farm.

* I am frequently a procrastinator. That is why I still haven't filled out the paperwork to have my name added to the Registry of Irish Births. However, I feel some closure coming on and will get going on it this week - especially since a colleague of mine is currently pursuing consulting opportunities in Ireland and I'd love to work with him on some of those projects (if you're reading this D.D I'll get going!)

* I love snow. We just got 6 inches of it today - yeah!

* I can't sing at all but I can dance.

* Occasionally I can be a bit too frugal. One time I decided to save money by buying Just for Men instead of L'Oreal hair color. SO NOT GOOD! I looked like a woman who put shoe polish on her head. I guess there is truth in the advertising of that brand name - it really is just for men!

* I've never had cable tv and I don't plan on getting it. Our new HD converter box works great - we now we have 16 channels for free, including a winter sports channel that features European bobsled races. It's eight more chanels than we used to have.

Also, we don't have a microwave. My parents bought one of the very first microwaves and I used to entertain myself by standing right in front of it watching slices of cheese bubble up. I figure I received more than my lifetime allowance of radiation from that microwave!

Now for the 6 bloggers I'm tagging -

Grant K. Gibson - the blog

Charlie's Design Diary

the adventures of tartanscot

Alicia B. Designs

Soul Pretty

Decorology


Below is one of Michelle's rendering of a beautiful bedroom designed by Patricia Gray.