September Design House - Finishing Touches

In a few short weeks, we emptied the Design House, selected three new paint colors, and repainted several rooms in the Design House.  Next, we welcomed a new crate of hardwood furniture, unpacked the crate, and inspected it.  And last week, we loaded the large pieces of furniture in the house to set the tone and structure for each room. This week, the entire crew is over at the Design House putting the final touches on the rooms.  We are still organizing, hanging, fluffing, and rearranging, but we wanted to show you a few quick snapshots taken today of a few of the rooms.  Everything is coming together for The Design House opening - this Friday at 10am.

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The September Design House will be open Friday, September 2nd through Sunday, September 4th, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.  The Design House is an interior design showcase open on select dates, usually the first weekend of each month.  At the Design House, we bring together the greatest design talents from The Old Lucketts Store who completely remake an entire farmhouse for each event, from lighting to furniture, to paint, and accessories.  For a more detailed description of the Design House, please visit this post.

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This Is My New Favourite Room!

I love this kids' playroom with its huge items of furniture, massive artwork and stand-out pendant lights! I would've loved rollicking around this room as a kid.

Image from Traditional Home Mag

Equally impressive for grown-ups too I think.... relaxing on that overscale lounge and reading a good book would be fab.

The picture is taken from my favourite online magazine Traditional Home (an offshoot of Lonny Mag). I could really lose myself in the rooms featured throughout its beautiful pages.

Check out the edition featuring this gorgeous room here!

Linda. xox

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What the...What? (#5) Revealed!

Thank you to everyone who made a guess on our most recent What the...What post.  A lot of people guessed that it was a toothpick holder and we also had a guess that our item held paper long ago.  Well, the wait is over.  Our item was an old cigarette holder. 

Rotate the dial and a cigarette pops out and is held in the curved arms you see here.   For those who thought this was a toothpick holder, I'll vouch that the opening is much, much too big - you would have 50 toothpicks come out at once.

Here is another example of a vintage cigarette holder with a dial on the side.  This one has its ashtray attached in front.

Please click here to "Like" us on Facebook!

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Paris For Holidays.

For the last couple of days I've been wondering where I would like to go for a short holiday. The beach could be an option, though this year I had it a lot (that's one of the best things about living in Portugal and of course having my family living by the beach).

I thought of Barcelona, Madrid and the Açores, these beautiful Portuguese islands in the middle of the Atlantic, but none of these places really convinced me. I guess I'm looking for something more... romantic? Chic? Cosmopolitan? Maybe with a French accent?

I've been there a few times but Paris is indeed that city where I feel comfortable, somehow at home.

I would love to speak proper French. I do understand it, I can fully read it but when it comes to speak I get shy! Can you imagine?

More Parisian spaces to enjoy:
Ralph Lauren | Jardin À Paris.
Inspired By Paris.
Paris, Je T'Aime.
Merci, Nous Vous Aimons.

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House of the Week

Eydon Hall







I have just read Five Sisters: The Langhornes of Virginia by James Fox. It tells the story of the Langhorne family of Virginia - particularly the five most famous: Lizzie, Irene (Gibson), Nancy (Astor), Phyllis and Nora. It is an absorbing read and I highly recommend it. Two of the five girls and also one niece, Nancy Lancaster, lived in England and were the owners of fabulous country estates.



I am fascinated by Phyllis Brand's country house - called Eydon Hall, built in 1789. While not as grand as Nancy Astor's Cliveden or Nancy Lancaster's Kelmarsh, Ditchley Park and Haseley Court, Eydon Hall is wonderful because of its relatively smaller scale and also because it has not been altered from its original design. It is more the size of Mirador, the Virginia house in which all of these ladies grew up.





Phyllis Langhorne Brand by John Singer Sargent











illustration of Eydon Hall by Robert Henry Cheney



Eydon Hall is located near the village of Eydon in Northhamptonshire. It is a Palladian stately house and remarkably is still a private residence. The house is made of ironstone and each of its four facades is different. It has nine bedrooms and four main reception rooms.









Eydon Hall Lane





The Orangery at Eydon Hall



What an interesting house (and family). More on the houses of the Langhorne sisters later this week. To read an architectural history of the building - click here.

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Monday Mojo - Do You 'See' With Your Heart?

I loved this quote when I first found it...

It is only with the heart that one can see rightly;
what is essential is invisible to the eye.   (Antoine De Saint-Exupery)

The real core of a beautiful room for me is its atmosphere.

Its soul.

The vibe it gives off and how it makes you feel.

What it does to you on the inside.

Image from the Marion House Book

Image from SF Girl By Bay

Image from SF Girl By Bay

Image from Tig Fashion

Rooms like those above may look gorgeous visually, (or not, depending on your preferred style), but it's how they make you FEEL that's the true test of whether or not the room is a success.

It's not until I get that satisfied and content feeling right in my core that I know I've got it just 'right' in a room.

So.... happy Monday everyone!! I hope you get to 'see' lots of things you love with not only your eyes but your heart this week.

And, as always on a Monday.... may your mojo be with you!

Linda. xox

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Prepping the Design House - Setting the Structure

We are continuing on our journey as we prepare our September Design House. We first showed you an empty Design House and selected three new paint colors.  Next, we shared our excitement over a new crate of hardwood furniture that just arrived.  In that same post, we showed you the not-so-pretty, but necessary, unpacking and inspection process.  Now, we'll show you the next step, starting to load in furniture.

We added the "bones" to each room this week.   We chose a few large pieces to anchor each room and determined the general flow of how we would like your eyes to move around the room.  All you'll find are empty cabinets; no artwork or accessories just yet.

On the porch we have a wonderful island that was just delivered.  It looks so serene just sitting there.  Inside the house, it's a little more difficult to walk around without walking in to a ladder or tripping over a tape measure.

Sketches are now coming to life as the lighting and furniture layers are added to each room.  You're able to tell the general purpose of each room right now.  The ladies will be hard at work this weekend and next week adding the next layer - art and accessories - to make each room really pop.

Our next post will feature the Design House rooms with everyone's favorite layer added - the accessories.  This is when each of the rooms really comes to life and reflects Suzanne and Amy's impeccable taste and interior design sensibilities.  Stay tuned!

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The September Design House will be open Friday, September 2nd through Sunday, September 4th, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.  The Design House is an interior design showcase open on select dates, usually the first weekend of each month.  At the Design House, we bring together the greatest design talents from The Old Lucketts Store who completely remake an entire farmhouse for each event, from lighting to furniture, to paint, and accessories.  For a more detailed description of the Design House, please visit this post.

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Breakfast Set.

Simplicity and functionality on their best. Perfect for my home friends gathering.

Designed by Liliana Bonomi

Manufacturer Serafino Zani

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Fearless Fantasy Friday - Wonderful and Whimsical Doors In An Amazing Home...

You know how I love doors with personality.... I think doors are such a magical yet simple symbol of what could be and the places you could go!  To me an unusual door embodies adventure, boldness, and a touch of daring.

You can see then, why I just adore the way the owners of this AMAZING home (found on Design Sponge), have given doors such attention throughout their house.

Take this entrance door with small glass panels representing Pantone paint colours....

... how cool is that! Imagine the light streaming through that door and into your home.

Magic.

Not only have they paid attention to doors where you'd usually find them, but they've put them on the ceiling as well. These guys really think outside the box!

And, finally, my favourite. A door with a size that suits everyone. All the doors work, and the whole effect is so playful and just plain fun - don't you think? I bet the two small children who live there love it.

All images found on Design Sponge

You can see the rest of this happy, unusual, and quirky home over on Design Sponge.

Oh, and did I mention the house resides in Italy amongst beautiful fields and a lush landscape!

On a different note, I hope you all find something lovely to keep you occupied this weekend! I'll be doing a bit of Spring cleaning over here. The weather's warmed up over the last week or so, the Spring bulbs are out, and my Golden Wattle tree in the backyard is covered in wonderful blossom! I'll also be catching up with friends and doing a spot of singing on Sunday night!

Linda. xox

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The furniture arrives --- September Design House

As we get ready for the September Design House, Amy is taking pictures of the design process to share with you.  Earlier this week, we wrote about our painting stage.  The process of putting a Design House event together takes A TON of talented people and A LOT of hard work.  You're probably used to only seeing the finished rooms completely decorated with great finds, but this time, we wanted to also share the not-so-glamorous preparation side.

Suzanne & Amy are super-psyched for the September Design House.  A new container full of furniture has arrived!!!  The girls have been waiting six months for these goodies, which gave them ample time to dream about how to use the pieces and design the rooms.  The furniture selection this month is wonderful, featuring groupings of both natural finish hardwoods and painted hardwoods.  

We're also really excited about the unique finishes on the September pieces.  Here is one closeup example of a distressed buffet.

Here is more of the preparation phase from our Design Notebook, including the team unloading the long anticipated truckload of new furniture, the inspection process, and then a few pictures of everything lined up and waiting to go in to the Design House. 

I'll post more pictures before the big reveal (on Friday, September 2nd) as the furniture is loaded in the house and the spaces are designed. 

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The September Design House will be open Friday, September 2nd through Sunday, September 4th, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.  The Design House is an interior design showcase open on select dates, usually the first weekend of each month.  At the Design House, we bring together the greatest design talents from The Old Lucketts Store who completely remake an entire farmhouse for each event, from lighting to furniture, to paint, and accessories.  For a more detailed description of the Design House, please visit this post.

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Postcards from Berlin (part 2)

One of our dealers, Ann, is on vacation in Germany this month visiting family.  The trip is a welcome way to recharge and a great chance to scour some wonderful German flea markets.  Here is an update on how Ann is doing.

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Hallo again from Berlin!  This past weekend I was lucky to have help from a friend who took me by car to four flea markets on the outskirts of Berlin.  These are huge markets that sell everything from antiques to second hand garden tools and produce from neighboring farms...sort of like giant yard sales.  Most stores in Germany are not open on Sundays so they hold the flea markets in the parking lots of large stores.  It is an amazing and exhausting experience.  You can find great bargains but you have to cover a lot of territory.  Fortunately Germans like to stay well nourished and hydrated so along the way you can stop for Kaffee und Kuchen or a quick beer for motivation!  

My finds included a linen grain sack from late 1800's, a really special Rolltuch - blue with busy elves doing the laundry, a whole selection of shopping bags a woman had made from vintage linens, and 2 sets of old porcelain spice jars.  

I am shopping every weekend at the Flohmarkts and having great success networking with my vintage contacts.  On Sunday I went to the most famous market in Berlin, Mauerpark Flohmarkt.  "Mauer" means wall and this market is held weekly in the east part of the city at the edge of a large park commemorating the Berlin Wall.  It is huge and full of lots of "hippie" flavor.   

One thing I found interesting was that the vintage dealers I found there have mostly 1970's and 80's clothes, not much that is earlier.  There are many artists/craftspeople selling clothing that has been made from vintage pieces or things with an African or Asian flavor.  I love to people watch at Mauerpark.  There are young people from all over the world, backpackers, students, travelers of all sorts.  You can hear a dozen languages at once. English is often the common language for people from different places

.

A bowl filled with vintage tins.

Tomorrow I'm leaving for Nurenberg and on the way back will visit Leipzig for a huge antique market that is held on the last weekend of each month.  Our friends are driving us back so I will have serious hauling capacity,  I am very grateful for this since most of my shopping is done via Berlin's excellent public transit system.  It is a good workout and makes for some painful decisions sometimes about what one can or can't actually carry regardless of how beautiful or cheap it is.  I also have to remind myself frequently about transatlantic baggage fees.  Sigh.       ~Ann

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(Note:  Ann's vintage linen and clothing business is called Wild Thyme.  She is located on the third floor of The Old Lucketts Store, dealer code RAM.  You may remember an earlier post where we featured a collection of hats she purchased at an estate sale.  Ann and her new German finds will be back in September.) 

***UPDATE:  Here is the link to Wild Thyme on Facebook.  Be sure to like this page for new info. on what Ann is bringing in to her space at The Old Lucketts Store.***

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How About This For Your Wall.....?

I would simply LOVE to have this photo printed extra large on my wall.

How cute would it be!?

Photo found on Heaven

I bet it would be a really great focal point and a fab conversation starter.

Linda. xox

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Here's some more stunning photos and artwork to drink in:
1. Etsy Dreaming ~ Theater Clouds ~ Surprising and Ethereal Art
2. Amazing Tumblr Find...
3. These Amazing Prints 'Had Me At Hello' - Great For The Office Or Kids' Rooms

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À La Rentrée!

Summer is indeed the best season in the year. We catch up with friends and family we get to see once a year, we have the beach to go to, look healthier, eat healthier, feel happier, find reasons to be outside all night long drinking Margaritas, though I always get to the point I miss to retreat. Maybe because I am lucky enough to enjoy all these pleasures since early May, I already started feeling the need to retreat (well, it's getting cool here in Lisbon, perhaps that's why).

Galleries and museums are part of my retreat. I love to visit art installations in the Autumn. They have a better fit. Everything feels right. It's as if I've been outside my reality for some time and art is getting me down to earth.

Looking forward to my Art Rentrée.

Reflection on the window above the Turbine Hall.

Light installation at Tate Modern (2007), one of my favorites.


Related articles:
The Serpentine Gallery (London)
Architectural Installations (London)
Design Museum (London)
MUDE - Fashion and Design (Lisbon)
The Barbican (London)
MoMA (Manhattan)
Other Art Forms and Spaces (Everywhere)

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What the... What? (#5)

We have a special phrase around the store when we find things in our travels that are particularly unusual, odd, confusing, or sometimes hideous.  When we come across one of these items, we like to use one of our favorite Lucketts-isms, "What the... What?"  Here is one of those items from the store.

See if you can guess what this is and leave us a comment if you think you know!  We'll reveal the item's true identity and purpose later this week.  

Can you identify this item from The Old Lucketts Store and tell us how it was once used? 

What the... What?

Leave a comment if you know!

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Come paint with me! September Design House color selection

This month, Amy is taking some great photos of the entire design process so she can bring you along as we pick out colors, unpack the crates, design the rooms, and add the final accessories a.k.a. the "room jewelry".  First up this week is a peek at our color selection for the September Design House.

Since we like a challenge, the ENTIRE Design House was emptied to make room for a new container of furniture.  This was a great time to repaint and we're featuring three new colors!  Henry is our trusted right hand man when it comes to painting and he has been busy the last two weeks repainting the interior spaces.  "But you just remade an entire house last month," you say.  Of course!  Suzanne and Amy do this every month and truly design each room and space to reflect the new furniture shipments that are coming in, highlight carefully selected artwork, and to show off fresh vignettes with the color trends they're seeing in their travels and using for interior design jobs.

Here is Henry, our painting and handyman extraordinaire, painting one of the many rooms in the Design House.  Without Henry, we simply could not do what we do each month.

Here is a page ripped from our Design Notebook focusing on this month's color selection.  Thanks for stopping by and enjoy!

I've heard that yellow paired with charcoal grey is a really hot combination right now. I'm told there is a surprise upstairs to show off this pairing, but I've been sworn to secrecy.  We have a great post with a sneak peek of Suzanne and Amy's furniture selection for the September Design House coming up later this week.  They are totally pumped because they've waited six months for this furniture grouping and it's well worth the wait!

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The September Design House will be open Friday, September 2nd through Sunday, September 4th, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.  The Design House is an interior design showcase open on select dates, usually the first weekend of each month.  At the Design House, we bring together the greatest design talents from The Old Lucketts Store who completely remake an entire farmhouse for each event, from lighting to furniture, to paint, and accessories.  For a more detailed description of the Design House, please visit this post.

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House of the Week

The obsession continues....which one you might ask? Neel Reid, or white houses with black shutters? Both of course!



This house was built for Henry Newman in 1921-22. The design of the house is credited to the firm of Hentz, Reid and Adler. The facade was drafted by AEC (documents do not tell us who AEC was), and the garden design is by Neel Reid. Every mention of the house I could find (in my Neel Reid books, Atlanta architecture books and online sleuthing) gives design credit to Neel Reid.

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Monday Mojo - Wisdom, Knots, Paths, and Passion...

Image from Outdoor Photos

Happy 'new week' everyone!

This quote reminded me of one of my favourite all time quotes by Joseph Campbell about following your bliss.

I love the way this is worded.... I can envision what it means for me, and I think it translates beautifully into what I'm trying to do with my life at the moment.

I'm trying to untangle it and simplify it.

I'm trying to make more time for those activities where I feel like I'm in what's called a state of 'flow'. That's the zone you're in when you're doing something you love. Something that fascinates you, gets your juices going, and you lose all track of time. You're just in the flow of the moment, from one to the next, and everything else gets lost but those moments flowing past you and through you in a lovely state of bliss.

When you're in that state of 'flow', it IS as if you're following a path with your whole being. Your passion is funneled into that activity and all the stuff going on in the world outside your 'bubble' becomes superfluous for a while.

I experience that feeling with my decorating and design. When I'm in the midst of thinking about colours, or placement, or amazing design projects.... everything else becomes irrelevant and my world lights up.

That feeling of 'flow' or inner bliss is something I think we can also transfer to the atmosphere of our homes so that whenever we're in our home we feel more ourselves, more at peace..... just happier to be who we are.

I do have a passionate belief that our homes are way more than mere shelters. They're the external resting place for our spirits and souls, and if we let the feelings created by our 'whole being' leak and ebb into the rooms around us, then the untying of the 'knots' we get ourselves in is far easier.

This week I hope you find the wisdom to untie some of your own knots, and to live and love with your whole being.

Happy Monday, and as always.... may your mojo be with you.


Linda. xox

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