above and below, jeffey bilhuber
above, anne coyles interiors
miles redd, via peak of chic
miles redd
whitehaven interior design
wallace bryan interior design, photo by erica george dines
billy baldwin
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Happy Halloween!
above and below, jeffey bilhuber
above, anne coyles interiors
miles redd, via peak of chic
miles redd
whitehaven interior design
wallace bryan interior design, photo by erica george dines
billy baldwin
Monday Music - Elmo's Ducks!
Music is SO important to the happiness of my home. :)
Now most Monday mornings when the working week looms I'll try to post a fave song or some music I'm listening to at the moment to provide some musical motivation.
So my little groovers......... here's today's installment!
*****************************
Today we have something special for the kids (and 'big kids' amongst us) who happen (as I do), to like The Muppets! I found this song a while back whilst I was re-accquainting myself with The Swedish Chef, and it was sooooo cute and funny, that I couldn't resist saving it for one of these Monday morning spots!
So, without further ado, I give you Elmo and his ducks!!
The lovely Bec over at Memory Garden also usually has some great 'musical magic' happening on Monday mornings, so check over there if you're in the mood for more!
And, as always when thinking of our 'Musical Must Haves' section...
Ask yourself: 'Do I L.O.V.E music?'
Which leads to: 'Have I got enough of it in my home and in my life?'
Because: Good interior design caters to ALL our senses, not just our eyes.... that's why I call it 'Atmospheric Design' instead!
Linda. xox
******
The Original Musical Must Have:
******
♥ Let's talk on Twitter!
♥ Straight from me to YOU - subscribe!
♥ New to Heartfire At Home? Start here.
♥ And if, perchance, you BELIEVE.... join here.
******
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Do We Lose Our Way In The 'Middle' Somewhere? Another Wonderful C.S. Lewis Quote To Ponder...
Sad we sometimes lose our way in the 'middle' somewhere.
There's been quite a few posts on here lately about keeping your inner child alive and decorating in a way that caters to that magical part of you, because I really think it's important.
Maybe we get too 'prim and proper' or too concerned with following 'those who know' or 'the experts' in our middle years.
Maybe we become too much a 'slave to trends' and not enough a 'liberator of our own passion and curiosity'.
Whatever it is...... I think we should all read our own versions of fairytales, (and decorate like we're in our own fairytale - whatever that looks like), our whole lives through.
What do you think?
Linda. xox
******
♥ Let's talk on Twitter!
♥ Straight from me to YOU - subscribe!
♥ New to Heartfire At Home? Start here.
♥ And if, perchance, you BELIEVE.... join here.
******
Friday, October 29, 2010
Top art clock images
In honor of the Pink month of October, interior photos of the Pink Palace
The pink month of October is winding down, but my last post of the month is in honor of all the brave women who face breast cancer, the doctors and nurses who treat women with breast cancer and the researchers who search for a cure. I give you the interiors of the Pink Palace, previously posted about here, designed by Neel Reid, Philip Shutze and the firm of Hentz, Reid and Adler. This is the Calhoun house in Atlanta, also known as Trygveson.
At right are doors in the living room, also called the ballroom.
detail from the entrance hall or loggia
Allyn Cox mural from the entrance hall
settee below the mural in the entrance hall
main stair detail in the entrance hall
the living room, also called the ballroom
detail from the living room
another set of doors in the living room
the library
magnificent library ceiling designed by Neel Reid and Philip Shutze
dining room mantel and plasterwork medallion of Michelangelo
view of the mantel with chandelier in the dining room
an upstairs room over the porch - I love the coloration of the plaster
This wonderful house is for sale, listed by Beacham and Co. - click here to see the listing.
Have a great weekend everyone!
all photos by Whitehaven
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Wall Art With A Painted Black Backdrop... And Upcoming News...
How great does this wall art look displayed on this painted black background!?
Great idea, and so simple.
The collection of art itself is also lovely, and of course.... I really love the splashes of red on the wall and in the room. I have three red lamps in my own living room, not to mention red curtains. :) The red curtains in this pic look yummy - just my type.
The red doily is more the type of red I don't use much of (orange tones), I prefer reds with blue undertones.
Happy weekend everyone!
I hope you find something blissful to do, and get spoiled just a little bit (or a lot).
Linda. xox
P.S: There's some exciting things coming up next week...
Now I really am finished. :)
******
Great idea, and so simple.
The collection of art itself is also lovely, and of course.... I really love the splashes of red on the wall and in the room. I have three red lamps in my own living room, not to mention red curtains. :) The red curtains in this pic look yummy - just my type.
The red doily is more the type of red I don't use much of (orange tones), I prefer reds with blue undertones.
Happy weekend everyone!
I hope you find something blissful to do, and get spoiled just a little bit (or a lot).
Linda. xox
P.S: There's some exciting things coming up next week...
- First, I'm hosting a special guest post by Magpie Girl author Rachelle Mee-Chapman, who's going to be answering my question 'How do you go about creating a home that nurtures, nourishes, and supports you mentally, spiritually, and physically?' as part of her 30 Stories in 30 Days series.
I'm so excited to be part of this wonderful series put together by Rachelle. I've been a follower of her blog for some time (she's down there on my blog roll under 'Creativity and Soul Food), and I also receive her fab newsletters. - Secondly, October will be over shortly, so it's Lovely Links time again! Early next week I'll put up the Lovely Links post so you can all link up and show off your blogs.
This time, I thought rather than just getting you to link up your favourite post for the past month, I might actually pick a topic for us all to work with..... and, as I've been feeling very 'bookish' over the last week or so, I've picked 'A Bevy Of Bookcases' as the topic name.
So, if you've got a bookcase.... big or small, old or new... I'd LOVE it if you took a picture of it and got ready to link it up in a post next week. I'll let you know which day early next week. - Thirdly (phew, this is the longest P.S. known to man), it'll also be time for the latest Year Of The Hobbit give-away towards the end of next week. So, if you'd love to win a copy of The Hobbit, or know someone else who would, I'd really appreciate it if you join in the fun!
Now I really am finished. :)
******
What I'm reading right now....
I'm a book person. I don't have a Kindle. In know they are great for traveling, but I want to hold a book in my hands and turn the pages. I have stacks of books by my bed and magazines everywhere. It doesn't always have to be about the words - I like pictures of houses and interiors and cookbooks too! I recently read about these three books on other blogs and ordered them right away - and they are all wonderful! I recommend them all.
You can imagine how excited I was when I heard there was a new book coming out on Billy Baldwin! And the photos are wonderful. French cooking is my favorite and I have heard that this book is very cook friendly. The third book below concerned my husband who saw it and said "Oh no, now you have an excuse to be messy." Not true - the book is about balance and not obsessing on perfect cleanliness, but having a lived in, well kept, but not perfect, house.
Billy Baldwin: The Great American Decorator, by Adam Lewis.
Around My French Table, by Dorie Greenspan
A Perfectly Kept House Is a Sign of a Misspent Life: How to live creatively with collections, clutter, work, kids, pets, art, etc... and stop worrying about everything being perfectly in its place, by Mary Randolf Carter
All three are available at Amazon.
You can imagine how excited I was when I heard there was a new book coming out on Billy Baldwin! And the photos are wonderful. French cooking is my favorite and I have heard that this book is very cook friendly. The third book below concerned my husband who saw it and said "Oh no, now you have an excuse to be messy." Not true - the book is about balance and not obsessing on perfect cleanliness, but having a lived in, well kept, but not perfect, house.
Billy Baldwin: The Great American Decorator, by Adam Lewis.
Around My French Table, by Dorie Greenspan
A Perfectly Kept House Is a Sign of a Misspent Life: How to live creatively with collections, clutter, work, kids, pets, art, etc... and stop worrying about everything being perfectly in its place, by Mary Randolf Carter
All three are available at Amazon.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
A Quote Journey Around My Home - Part 5 - Favourite Verse
This is Part 5 of the 'quote journey' I've been taking with you over the last several weeks! You can see the other instalments at the bottom of this post.
This week we're at the end of our 'dining/kitchen' quotes. These ones are at the very end of the kitchen over the stove, and are mainly 'verse' rather than quotes. You can see them waaaay at the end in the pic below!
Now, let's get a bit closer.....
And, a bit closer.....
And, a bit closer!
This first one has a verse on it entitled 'Be A Winner'.
The text is still a bit small in the pic, so here it is:
Everyone's a winner,
If that is what they choose,
Unless their choice is something else,
Then of course they lose.
Winners always have ideas,
While losers fix the blame,
The two might seem to be alike,
They sure don't think the same.
All winners have a dream,
Of what they want to do,
Then plan their life to reach their goal,
And make their dreams come true.
Losers see a problem,
In every good idea,
All a winner sees, is another chance,
To further their career.
This was part of a calendar I had years and years ago, and I loved this verse and the next one below so much, I kept them and popped them into frames.
I love this verse, and once again it talks about 'planning' being an important part of creating the life of your dreams. I keep a manageable list of monthly, and yearly goals in 4 main areas of my life (home, relationships, work, and personal), and try to review them regularly.
The personal part includes things like exercise, general health, diet, leisure activities, things I'd like to 'have-a-go' at etc. I have to admit I've been pretty slack at it lately, so I must try and get back to it.... there'll be a few I've achieved, and a heap more to add - lol!
My daily and weekly lists of things 'to do' tend to be way more haphazard, and I travel with several 'post it' note pads where things get scribbled and stuck in various places! Then they just get removed and chucked in the bin when I've done them. (Or more often, carried over to the next day/week and stuck somewhere prominent so I get to them).
This last one is another one of my trusty greeting cards! The text reads 'do not go where the path may lead'....
And, the text on the inside used to say (before I cut the other part of the card off).... 'go instead where there is no path, and leave a trail'.
It's a quote by one of my favourites Ralph Waldo Emerson, and describes a big part of my philosophy in relation to design and other things besides! I don't feel the need to keep up with trends, or arrange my home in a way that's pandering to what others would find beautiful.
I create my home to be a soul haven for myself. A place to nurture, support, and nourish me emotionally, physically, and mentally.
And, because the people who come to visit me are my friends and family, and they love me just as I am, then by default, if my home is decorated as an extension of my true self, they're going to love it too! It mightn't be how they'd decorate their own homes, but they feel comfortable, at ease, and happy here because they feel comfortable, at ease, and happy when they're with me! It's like they're getting me multiplied!
I don't think I've had many people walk into one of my homes for the first time who haven't spontaneously commented about how wonderful it feels, or how 'warm and welcoming' it is. The vibe and 'feeling' is something not communicated completely by any pictures I might show you here. It's an invisible and yet completely identifiable part of my home that seems to occur kinda 'organically'.
For a bit of fun, on my other adjoining wall, you can see I've got the words 'yum, yum!' It is a kitchen after all..... and most of the time I don't do too badly in the food department!
I hope you enjoyed this week's part of the journey. Next week we'll have a look at some of the quotes in my living area.
Linda. xox
******
You can view the previous parts of my 'quote journey' below:
Part 1 - The 'Soul Gardener' Quote
Part 2 - A Door Full Of Inspiration
Part 3 - A Meaningful Fridge!
Part 4 - Cards And A Scroll
******
♥ Let's talk on Twitter!
♥ Straight from me to YOU - subscribe!
♥ New to Heartfire At Home? Start here.
♥ And if, perchance, you BELIEVE.... join here.
******
This week we're at the end of our 'dining/kitchen' quotes. These ones are at the very end of the kitchen over the stove, and are mainly 'verse' rather than quotes. You can see them waaaay at the end in the pic below!
Now, let's get a bit closer.....
And, a bit closer.....
And, a bit closer!
The text is still a bit small in the pic, so here it is:
Everyone's a winner,
If that is what they choose,
Unless their choice is something else,
Then of course they lose.
Winners always have ideas,
While losers fix the blame,
The two might seem to be alike,
They sure don't think the same.
All winners have a dream,
Of what they want to do,
Then plan their life to reach their goal,
And make their dreams come true.
Losers see a problem,
In every good idea,
All a winner sees, is another chance,
To further their career.
This was part of a calendar I had years and years ago, and I loved this verse and the next one below so much, I kept them and popped them into frames.
I love this verse, and once again it talks about 'planning' being an important part of creating the life of your dreams. I keep a manageable list of monthly, and yearly goals in 4 main areas of my life (home, relationships, work, and personal), and try to review them regularly.
The personal part includes things like exercise, general health, diet, leisure activities, things I'd like to 'have-a-go' at etc. I have to admit I've been pretty slack at it lately, so I must try and get back to it.... there'll be a few I've achieved, and a heap more to add - lol!
My daily and weekly lists of things 'to do' tend to be way more haphazard, and I travel with several 'post it' note pads where things get scribbled and stuck in various places! Then they just get removed and chucked in the bin when I've done them. (Or more often, carried over to the next day/week and stuck somewhere prominent so I get to them).
This last one is another one of my trusty greeting cards! The text reads 'do not go where the path may lead'....
And, the text on the inside used to say (before I cut the other part of the card off).... 'go instead where there is no path, and leave a trail'.
It's a quote by one of my favourites Ralph Waldo Emerson, and describes a big part of my philosophy in relation to design and other things besides! I don't feel the need to keep up with trends, or arrange my home in a way that's pandering to what others would find beautiful.
I create my home to be a soul haven for myself. A place to nurture, support, and nourish me emotionally, physically, and mentally.
And, because the people who come to visit me are my friends and family, and they love me just as I am, then by default, if my home is decorated as an extension of my true self, they're going to love it too! It mightn't be how they'd decorate their own homes, but they feel comfortable, at ease, and happy here because they feel comfortable, at ease, and happy when they're with me! It's like they're getting me multiplied!
I don't think I've had many people walk into one of my homes for the first time who haven't spontaneously commented about how wonderful it feels, or how 'warm and welcoming' it is. The vibe and 'feeling' is something not communicated completely by any pictures I might show you here. It's an invisible and yet completely identifiable part of my home that seems to occur kinda 'organically'.
For a bit of fun, on my other adjoining wall, you can see I've got the words 'yum, yum!' It is a kitchen after all..... and most of the time I don't do too badly in the food department!
I hope you enjoyed this week's part of the journey. Next week we'll have a look at some of the quotes in my living area.
Linda. xox
******
You can view the previous parts of my 'quote journey' below:
Part 1 - The 'Soul Gardener' Quote
Part 2 - A Door Full Of Inspiration
Part 3 - A Meaningful Fridge!
Part 4 - Cards And A Scroll
******
♥ Let's talk on Twitter!
♥ Straight from me to YOU - subscribe!
♥ New to Heartfire At Home? Start here.
♥ And if, perchance, you BELIEVE.... join here.
******
Wing Chairs
Love these and the fabric! And the garden stool in between. We are installing a similar garden stool and pillows (you know how we love those!) today at a client's house. More pictures of finished projects soon!
image via cote de texas
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
A New York City Townhouse by Dufner Heighes Inc...
Houzz is a great site to browse when you're looking for some 'beautiful room' inspiration, and I came across this fabulous New York City apartment the other day whilst wandering through some contemporary living rooms waiting for a 'certain something' to strike me!
It was this gorgeous living room that took my eye first.... the colours in that artwork just set everything off brilliantly, and I love the wallpaper, the cushions, and the overall palette.
But then, I took a look through the rest of the apartment, and.... wow! I think it's just gorgeous. The serene colours on the walls, the map wall and porthole corkboard in the child's room, the great outdoor areas, the light flooding in, the beautiful furniture.
I could definitely live here, although I'd probably end up with a few more touches of red here and there - lol! I must say though, they've got a few lovely pops of red, rust, or pink in most of the rooms, and everything is balanced beautifully.
All images from Dufner Heighes Inc's Portfolio on Houzz.
Linda. xox
******
♥ Let's talk on Twitter!
♥ Straight from me to YOU - subscribe!
♥ New to Heartfire At Home? Start here.
♥ And if, perchance, you BELIEVE.... join here.
******
It was this gorgeous living room that took my eye first.... the colours in that artwork just set everything off brilliantly, and I love the wallpaper, the cushions, and the overall palette.
But then, I took a look through the rest of the apartment, and.... wow! I think it's just gorgeous. The serene colours on the walls, the map wall and porthole corkboard in the child's room, the great outdoor areas, the light flooding in, the beautiful furniture.
I could definitely live here, although I'd probably end up with a few more touches of red here and there - lol! I must say though, they've got a few lovely pops of red, rust, or pink in most of the rooms, and everything is balanced beautifully.
All images from Dufner Heighes Inc's Portfolio on Houzz.
Linda. xox
******
♥ Let's talk on Twitter!
♥ Straight from me to YOU - subscribe!
♥ New to Heartfire At Home? Start here.
♥ And if, perchance, you BELIEVE.... join here.
******
