Greetings friends, I’m back from a whirlwind three day trip!  It was great to be back in one of my favorite places on earth, I love the energy of NYC, and the weather was absolute perfection!

The first two days were spent mostly at media events, but I confess, the highlighted stops for me were our last day spent touring the unbelievably gorgeous ABC Home, and then lunching at Eataly a few blocks away, both in the Flatiron district.  I’ve seen all the big tourist attractions, so these were a new adventure, and I absolutely loved them!

ABC Home is six levels of unbelievable inspiration, ranging from traditional to urban style furniture, plus bedding, rugs, lighting, and accessories ~ it’s a home decorator’s dream!   I want to thank Lana for giving me the scoop on this place, because I left truly inspired. 

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Recently, I was sent a lovely text called At Home With Country, written by Christina Strutt, owner of Cabbages and Roses, a company specializing in printed linens for home and clothing.   

The very first thing to catch my eye was the cover image, depicting the bathroom from Christina’s own ‘Brook Cottage’.  I love the the intricate detail and thickness of the white mirror over the sink, and the rustic hooks holding cozy bathrobes.  The space proves that even floral plates can actually look lovely in a bathroom !    

The book was a delightful read cover to cover, filled with design ideas for adding warmth and character to your home, even if you don’t consider your personal style to be ‘country’. 

I often associate ‘country’ with ‘farmhouse’ but after I read the book, I found that ‘country’ style is not nearly as narrow a definition as I imagined, at least according to this author.  Rather, ‘country’ is the medley of colors and textures, soft florals and cottons, and rustic objects paired with simple elements that are collected over time.  ‘Country’ is the practice of creating a home that is beautiful, but most importantly, comfortable and lived in.

The book offers glimpses into Christina’s own home, plus others houses scattered throughout England, apartments in New York, and cottages dotting the east coast of the United States.    

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Congratulations to the following winners:

In the Pine Cone Hill Giveaway, #327: Jessica B. who wrote:

“Lenox, Links, Scramble…oh my, they are all lovely. Thanks !”

The winner of the Wine Country Pantry Giveaway is #79: Rachel F. 

In addition to winning all the goodies, Rachel also posed this question with her entry:  

“As we continue through grad school we are still renting housing and it is becoming a bore, and quite frankly getting me down on my decorating abilities.  White stark walls, cement walls, old dingy cabinets, etc.   What in the world can I do to make this temporary home my own ?”

Great question Rachel!  You have the same dilemma many renters face:  turning white walls into a stylish and comfortable home that you want to return to at day’s end.   There’s not much you can do to dingy cabinets in a rental without permission to paint, beyond giving them a good scrub.  As for white walls ?  There’s a lot that can be done to bring warmth, color, pattern, and style to your abode. 

My Best Tips for Decorating with White Walls: 

Splurge on a Colorful Patterned Rug.   Pick a bold color or interesting design you love, then go for it !  These two examples by Pottery Barn and West Elm are staged on wood floors, but you’ll have a harder time noticing your less than desirable rental flooring with area rugs like these.   Plus, you’ll anchor your seating area and brighten your space.

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Most catalogs pile up around my house, and quickly make their way to the recycling bin, but I was glancing at the latest Wisteria catalog over the weekend, and was completely inspired by several of their pieces.  What I love about the style on the pages of Wisteria is the mix of old and new, whimsy with tradition, and rustic with modern chic. 

This reproduction trumeau was the first to catch my eye.   

I spied several expensive reproduction trumeaus on our recent trip to Jan de Luz in Carmel, and am determined someday to have a reasonably priced one in our foyer.  I’m so crazy about trumeaus, I may follow Susie’s brilliant DIY tutorial to reproduce one of my own. 

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