A Bit of NE in DE

I've lived in the DC area since 1990 but last week was my first trip to the quaint beachside town of Lewes, DE. It's like a dose of New England in the Mid-Atlantic.


A great place to eat - Striper Bites. Seems that Ty Pennington went there when he was in town.
The infamous Cannonball House. It was built in 1760 and acquired its accessory in 1813.
A church - birdhouse.
A duck nestled among the clams. There were two flanking the entry and they made me smile - credit where credit is due.

Cheery Eye Candy

Hope you have a cheery start to your Monday. I thought these interiors by Kelie Grosso of Maison Luxe matched that sentiment.

More images here.

Thom Filicia's American Beauty

November is too long to wait for the release of Thom Filicia's book dedicated to the transformation of his 1917 house on East Lake Rd in Skaneateles, NY = American Beauty: Renovating and Decorating a Beloved Retreat. I've posted about Skaneateles a number of times, having grown up in the town next door to this picturesque village on the lake. While we've seen snippets of his house published in magazines over the years, the thought of a complete book on his endeavor has me eagerly awaiting November (and I hate the thought of the end of summer!)


A Syracuse native, Thom has been active in the community, including opening up his home in 2011 to raise funds for the Skaneateles Historical Society’s Creamery Expansion Project (image via Skaneateles Press here, photography by Tanner Scarr) Here he is with the home's previous owner, Steve White.

If you've never been to the Finger Lakes and Skaneateles, consider a trip. Maybe you'll even run into Thom! American Beauty: Renovating and Decorating a Beloved Retreat

Sunny Seattle's Great Jones Home

Last week I was in sunny Seattle for work - seems like everytime I go there the weather is just gorgeous. Luckily, I can usually squeeze in a visit to Great Jones Home - a store that always celebrates color and pattern.

Mood Rooms

Looking at this Charleston home, I'm struck by how much each room/photo invokes a mood. The first one in particular could be the subject for a beautiful painting. Is it just me or do you find these rooms invoke a sense of mood and feeling?



More images here.

Blue Doors on a Renovated Barn

A few weeks ago my husband and I went for a weekend getaway to St. Michaels, MD on the eastern shore. Saw this great renovated barn with these beautiful blue doors. I pretty much love anything with a blue door. Hope you have a great weekend.

Moveover NY - It's Selling London!

Have you watched any of the episodes of Selling London? I happened to catch an episode while surfing the channels in a hotel room last month. I LOVE this show! Not only does it take high-end to a whole other level, it seems that the rooms are more beautifully and tastefully decorated than the homes of its sister shows on HGTV. Sorry NY and LA but London has you beat.

Now my dilemma. We don't have cable and have no intenton of breaking down and getting it now after a 25 year no-cable track record. Luckily there's a hotel stay in my future that coincides with the next episode. Can't wait!

From the Stacks: MetHome 2007

Not sure I should even refer to my short lived series, From the Stacks, but here's the refined and elegant home of designer Andrew Flesher from Metropolitan Home's March 2007 issue. (Photography by Susan Gilmore)

Flowers for You

Waited a bit too long to snap these pics but this bouquet, thanks to the phlox and russian sage, smelled so good! My ceramic blue bowl was found for $2 at an estate sale. Hope you have a wonderful weekend. Michele

Charleston Jackpot

At first glance this looks like a courtyard in Provence, doesn't it? Usually when I start perusing Charleston homes it takes a bit of time to find one to feature in a post. While they're all beautiful and classic, not all have a current feel to their interiors. This time, the first home I clicked was full of eye candy. My version of a jackpot.
A lovely kitchen and an adjoining family room. Notice the contrasting fabric on the sofa seat cushions.
Pale yellow kitchen cabinets, not something you routinely see.
A very pretty dining room with shells and crystals.
Magazine worth living room with multiple seating areas, abstract art and beads draped across a chair back.
Den with ticking striped furniture and a surf board. I spy Saladino's Villa on the coffee table and a faux bois table in the distance. Hmmm, does a designer or fellow design addict live here?
This bathroom and its showpiece patterned floor deserves a post of its own. (All images via Carriage House properties, for more go
here )