New England Jackpot

New England Home magazine scores with this Litchfield County manor house, interior design by Carole Winer-Sorensen  Classic gets me every time. (More images here, photography by Miki Duisterhof)

1 yd of Peacock Mohair Does Not Equal 2 Headboards

Back in September I mentioned buying 1 yard of peacock blue mohair at Scotts. Originally the idea was to make two pillows but then as Thanksgiving neared the idea of decorating my son's vacated bedroom as a guest room took front stage.  However, 1 yard of mohair does not 2 twin headboards make!

I had some scraps of peacock blue mohair left from covering a bench but it was not the perfect match I thought it was, nor was it enough to be able to cover the headboard, but I was on a mission so out came scraps of a blue tweed.  Combined together there was just enough of the two mohairs, close enough in their peacock-ness, to make it work.

Carefully placed greek key trim hides the seem.

My son's former bedroom is now painted in Farrow & Ball French Gray (greener than the pics indicate) with the ceiling in Sherwin Williams' Fleur de Sel.  There's still more to be done:  faux roman shades, comforters (just ordered Sferra 1891's Arbor from ebay) and art but it's coming along.

Just two weeks ago it looked like this (above).

Here's his new room in our renovated basement (which is coming along...)  He requested yellow, which I wasn't sure about, but it turned out really well. BTW, it's so much easier painting before all the trimwork goes up.   His new bedroom is 13 x 12 1/2 ft  w/two windows that are fully above ground so there's alot of light.  More on the renovation in the next few weeks.

From the Stacks: Toronto 2006

This grand Toronto home by designer Joe Brennan appeared in Canadian House and Home back in December 2006.  One can dream, can't one?  (Photography by Ted Yarwood)

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving.  It's nice to have an extra week to get ready for Christmas.

The Scout Guide - Capturing the Best of Local

Have you heard about The Scout Guide?  Considering today is Small Business Saturday I thought the timing for this post was perfect.  Created by Charlottesville VA blogger Susie Matheson and Christy Ford, owner of And George, it's all about "capturing the best of local."  First starting with a guide for Charlottesville, they've expanded all across the country with local editors bringing you the best of their area.  Here in DC we're lucking to have guides for Washington, DC, Alexandria-Arlington-Mclean, Hunt Country VA and Richmond.  The Scout Guide's are small works of art and the photography and print quality is just gorgeous.  When they came in the mail, my 13 year old daughter remarked, "These are really beautiful."  Here's just a few of the businesses featured:

Here's just a few of the businesses featured.  Washington DC - dalton pratt in Georgetown

Hunt County VA -  One of my favorite designers, Wanda Crossley of Upperville, VA

Northern VA - Mystique, Custom Design and Jewelry, Alexandria VA

Charlottesville, VA - Rockpile Construction.  Isn't this an amazing space?!  Don't you get the feeling that this builder would understand a design blogger?

Here's a listing of current and future guides. Maybe there's one near you?

Someday When I'm Gone - a moment of thanksgiving

October 2012 - Corporation Beach, Cape Cod

We took a long night walk on the beach, almost a hour to the end and back.  Most of it spent in small talk,  commenting on the stars and leaping over inlets that made it impossible to keep shoes dry during this low tide.  As we headed back on the final stretch, I overcame my fear of being rebuked and asked my son, the college freshman with the newly started beard, if he'd hold my hand.  Just for a minute, I added.  Without an answer, he reached out and clutched my hand, holding on longer than I'd even hoped for.  In that moment,  I had the realization that no matter how long I had to live, brief or long, everything was good and as it should be.   A moment of thanksgiving.  


“One of the strange things about living in the world is that it is only now and then one is quite sure one is going to live forever and ever and ever.
One knows it sometimes when one gets up at the tender solemn dawn-time and goes out and stands out and throws one's head far back and looks up and up and watches the pale sky slowly changing and flushing and marvelous unknown things happening until the East almost makes one cry out and one's heart stands still at the strange unchanging majesty of the rising of the sun--which has been happening every morning for thousands and thousands and thousands of years. One knows it then for a moment or so. And one knows it sometimes when one stands by oneself in a wood at sunset and the mysterious deep gold stillness slanting through and under the branches seems to be saying slowly again and again something one cannot quite hear, however much one tries. Then sometimes the immense quiet of the dark blue at night with the millions of stars waiting and watching makes one sure; and sometimes a sound of far-off music makes it true; and sometimes a look in someone's eyes.”   Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden

Sublime

A sconce as a work of art, from  J.K. Kling Associates.  Hope you have a great Monday.

Eye Candy: Color Block

I know some people are adamantly opposed to accent walls but what about color blocking?  I rather like it, and this bedroom, and think the designer did an amazing job with the shock of strong yellow.

(My apologies -I have misplaced the designer and source and will try to post it as soon as I locate it. Thanks. Michele)

Sneak Peek - House Beautiful December

I'm very excited to share a sneak peek of The Next Wave feature in the upcoming December issue of House Beautiful. It features the gorgeous Georgetown apartment of Matthews Bees, a Washington based designer and owner of Niche Interiors.  Matthew refers to his look as Southern transitional and his space, bathed in a stunning deep green,  is a fresh mix of traditional elements with a dash of modern.

Family photos are mounted in floating frames, giving them prominence while allowing the green walls to keep center stage.  Love this!

Here's are just a few of Matthew's picks from The Next Wave feature.  Favorite lamp, Mary McDonald's Ondine and favorite coffee table, John Saladino's iconic three-legged table.

Now Accessory: CB2's Numi candlesticks.  

Cracking the Darryl Carter - BM Paint Code

In 2011 Darryl Carter teamed with Benjamin Moore to introduce a curated color palette grouped into six families - white, gray-green, blue, khaki, greige and accent.  The collection has grown to 48 colors and is prominently featured in his newest book, The Collected Home: Rooms with Style, Grace, and History .  The color choices reflect Carter's impeccable eye for restrained, nuanced color and the complete palette is harmonious and cohesive.

However, when I headed to my local Benjamin Moore store I couldn't locate the paints by their Darryl Carter names which all end with a DC code.  Luckily they had one pamphlet in the back and let me borrow the store copy to "translate" the DC (Darryl Carter) codes to  BM codes for future, easy reference.  As you can see above, Darryl Carter's Georgetown Blue DC-31 is Woodlawn Blue HC 147 in Benjamin Moore's parallel universe.

Moonlight White 2143-60 (and OC 125), a long time Carter favorite, is Huntington White DC-02.
Tamarack Gray DC-45 is aka Whale Gray 2134-40 and Bullock Gray is DC-46 is Anchor Gray 2126-30.

I don't think you could ever go wrong with a Darryl Carter color.  So, since it's a holiday and I have a little bit of time on my hands , here's the complete list if you're interested.

barcraft white DC-01  =  2143-70
huntington white DC-02  =  OC-125
bonifant white DC-03  =  White
crestridge white DC-04  =  Decorator's White
somerset white DC-05  =  OC-63
doque gray DC-06  =  2137-70
sheridan gray DC-07  =  OC-52
ashmead gray DC-08  =  OC-56
willard white DC-09  =  2122-70
grantham blue DC-10  =  2122-60
albemarle blue DC-11  =  2131-70
dalton blue DC-12  =  2131-60
mayfair white DC-13  =  2144-60
ellsworth khaki DC-14  =  OC-48
stratton khaki DC-15  =  HC-99
wythe khaki DC-16  =  HC-102
tennyson white DC-17  =  OC-22
falls white DC-18  = 2108-70
broxburn greige DC-19 = 2108-60
asford greige DC-20  =  2108-50
pinecrest gray DC-21  =  AC-27
phelps black DC-22  =  2132-10
marbury brown DC-23  =  2112-20
bayard blue DC-24  =  2129-30
leland white DC-25  =  2125-70
belmont gray DC-26 =  2128-70
delafield gray DC-27  =  2120-70
ashby blue DC-28  =  2128-60
dumbarton white DC-29  =  2123-70
whitehaven blue DC-30  =  2139-70
georgetown blue DC-31  =  HC-147
drummond blue DC-32  =  HC-146
cameron green DC-33  =  2145-60
linnean green DC-34  =  2144-50
clarendon green DC-35  =  2142-60
denton gray DC-36  =  2141-50
hanover white DC-37  =  OC-45
fenwick white DC-38  =  OC-41
grafton brown DC-39  =  AC-1
brookdale brown DC-40  =  HC-82
decatur white DC-41  =  2144-70
essex yellow DC-42  =  2149-70
blagdon yellow DC-43  =  2149-60
dunmore yellow DC-44  =  2149-50
tamarack gray DC-45  =  2134-40
bullock gray DC-46  =  2126-30
chase green DC-47  =  2135-20
vinton brown DC-48  =  2134-30

The Collected Home: Rooms with Style, Grace, and History  


**I've received a few emails from readers asking about the type of BM paint.  My BM store told me it can be done in any of the BM paint types while other stores have said to use the AURA base.  Just mentioning that so you'll have this info when you make your choice. 

Weekend Eye Candy

TGIF.  Hope you have a great weekend. XO Michele

 (architect Ricardo Elizondo and designer María Lladó, image via Nuevo Estilo, more here)

Mauve

Am I right to call this mauve? Not sure, but I very much admire this color study and design by Donald Schermerhorn for the 2009 Kips Bay Decorator Show House. 

Recessed Shelves

While similar to built-in bookshelves, recessed shelves seem to create a slightly different look.  Painted black, these create depth and drama in this gorgeous room with its perfect mix of mod and vintage pieces.  (Andina and Tapia Ponerl Chispa's home via Nuevo Estilo.)

Here  they also add one more layer of interest in Christine d’Ornano's home featured in Elle Decor via My White Room here

Here extra space between the studs transforms this wall.  Via Rosemary at the wonderful blog  Content in a Cottage.
I have built-ins but not recessed shelving here at my house.  Do you have any recessed shelving in your home?

Access "To the Trade" with JAMIESHOP

How often have you seen something you thought would be absolutely perfect for your home only to find it's "to the trade" only?  I know I have.

Well, interior designer Jamie Herzlinger, who participated in the 2011 Kips Bay Decorator Show House and was named as one of the Top Twenty Interior Design Firms in the country by Traditional Home Magazine, has launched JAMIESHOP.com to solve that problem.

This online buying service allows you to purchase luxury furnishings from any "to the trade" manufacturer.  All the furnishings, wallpaper, lighting, fabrics, rugs and home accessories seen in magazines, such as Elle Decor, Architectural Digest, Traditional Home and House Beautiful, are now available for purchase at up to 50% off retail.  Perfect for anyone who wants to manage their design themselves but really needs access to the beautiful products of to-the-trade sources.

How it Works:
"JAMIESHOP.COM provides exclusive access to luxury "to the trade only" manufacturers at designer wholesale prices. Our fee structure is 25% above our designer wholesale net cost, to facilitate orders for customers. You will receive a copy a copy of the manufacturer's original invoice.
JAMIESHOP.COM is happy to provide a scaled drawing showing the item or items purchased in an existing space. Please feel free to contact us for information on how this works. This is a service provided exclusively by JAMIESHOP.COM and is at no additional charge."

With offices in AZ and NY, Jamie has over 20 years of design experience and brings that perspective to JAMIESHOP.  One of the features I really like is the JAMIE LOOKBOOK, which features Jamie's designs and a listing of the featured manufacturers.  In this gorgeous bedroom, the chandelier is from Jan Showers, the bed is from Therien and the rug is by Mansour Modern.

I'm very excited to have JAMIESHOP as this blog's first sponsor.  As a special perk, My Notting Hill readers will also enjoy additional savings.  Join JAMIESHOP and use promo code “Mynottinghill 2012” when placing an order and save up to $500 in free shipping, restrictions apply.  Hope this helps you finally get that to-the-trade piece you've had your eyes on!

Jamie's incredible bathroom at the 2011 Kips Bay Decorator Show House