Social Networking and Six Degrees of Separation – Sort Of!

I have been an avid fan of an interior design blog site called Cote de Texas for over a year now. It is an informative as well as humorous missive about an interior designer from Houston named Joni, and her wonderful connections, discoveries, trials & tribulations. To say that I am addicted to reading it daily is at best. . . a kind comment. Joni is a truly dedicated blogger (unlike me) who has even been know to sit in her car during hurricanes so she can plug in her laptop for power and blog away! Now that’s real dedication!

To my delight, her post over the week-end was regarding her attendance at an event in Houston where she met the world renowned designer, Bunny Williams. It seems Bunny was in town during a launch of her newest line of furniture - BeeLine Home. Joni’s accounting of this lovely event was really adorable and funny - especially the saga of her “stalker” buddies and the ever popular – must have – ginormous handbag (I can relate to this myself)!

A portion of Joni’s blog showcased a very unusual accessory from the BeeLine Home that immediately sent off whistles and bells for me. Bunny’s adaptation is called a “Vanity Tower”. The function, as explained by Joni, is to secret away rolls of toilet paper. Here is where the six degrees of separation begins.

Early in my interior design career in the Boston area, I had a shop called Necessities which carried an assortment of home furnishings, gifts and antiques. One of the most endearing and prized objects I purchased during this time, was an adorable pair of reeded antique columns with charming little scalloped shelves. They were a pretty shade of green and just the right height to display all the dainty little Limoges boxes we carried. Naturally, I have no memory of the provenance of these little columns but, suffice to say, they looked as though they were handmade and were quite old. When I decided to move my design office to Newbury Street and close up the shop years later, I sadly parted with the little columns and they found a new home.

During the time I had the shop, I was asked to participate in a fund raising event at the Ritz Carlton (the original one across from the Public Gardens – since sold and now known as The Taj) for the Boys & Girls Club of Boston. The theme of the event was “The Power of Style”. Each designer was paired up with a “style icon” and was asked to produce a tablescape honoring them. I was chosen to create a table as a tribute to Sister Parish (ostensibly know as the doyenne of American decorating) due in part to my “no fear” use of colors.

Since Sister Parish was widely known for not only her brave use of colors as well as all things cozy and comfortable (including her penchant for inserting floral print fabrics and American hand made quilts into many designs), I decided that my table would be named “Lunch at Dark Harbor”. Dark Harbor was the name of the house Sister Parish owned in Islesboro, Maine and where she had passed away the previous year.

My tribute to Sister Parish consisted of a luscious floral linen tablecloth from Brunschwig & Fils and of course the ever present quilt. Additionally, a grouping of charming little handmade ceramic houses created the centerpiece and handmade (by me!) grass and garden critters encrusted chargers complimented the colorful majolica oyster plates.

Years later when my design office was securely ensconced on Newbury Street, I decided to do a massive renovation to our home in Andover. Those little antique reeded columns were still on my mind and I really cursed myself for letting someone else adopt them! Clearly, I could not call up the buyer and ask to purchase them back so. . . I did the next best thing. Completely from memory and old photos of my shop, I had the little columns reproduced and installed as a design element in my gorgeous new kitchen. I was a very happy camper.

After suffering through the massive renovation for over 6 months, I thought I was finally going to able to enjoy the fruits of my labor and hubby was hoping for some long awaited home cooked meals! The paint had barely dried on the walls when we found out we were being transferred to Arizona! Rats! Foiled again. . .someone else would now be enjoying my gorgeous home including my charming little column shelves!

Now here is the irony - I once had a pair of antique reeded columns that appeared to be a handmade – one of a kind pair – purchased in Maine. I was chosen to create a tablescape tribute to Sister Parish’s Dark Harbour home. Bunny’s connection to Sister Parish was as her employee. I was astonished when I saw the charming little columns (so similar to the original antiques) reproduced by Bunny’s Williams BeeLine Home while reading Joni’s Cote de Texas blog.

Gee, maybe I should ask the buyer of the antique columns if I can purchase them from her again. . .who knows. . .maybe, just maybe, they actually came from the Sister Parish estate (not so far from Boston)!

Tweet

First Ever Trunk Show!

A very dear friend of many years, Marc Glasberg, has been carrying some of my jewelry for the past several months in his store in Boston, Marcoz Antiques. Back in my showhouse days, I could always count on Marc to help me out at the last minute with adding just the most lovely and unique antique finishing touches for my rooms.

I first got to know Marc when I became besotted by his Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Basil, who used to be the cutest little mascot in the Boston Design Center showroom. Basil was the driving force in getting my first Cavalier, Noble. If only Noble had been as well behaved as Basil! At one point when my office was just up the street from the Newbury Street store, Marc had three magnificent Cavaliers: Basil, Zander (Basil’s son) and the sophisticated lady that kept the boys in line. . . Phoebe. Basil & Zander passed on several years ago, but Phoebe still accompanies Marc to the store every day with her always elegant style.

This past summer, the store that was a landmark destination on Newbury Street, moved just a few doors away to 173 Newbury Street. To celebrate the new location, Marc has asked to feature my designs in a jewelry trunk show October 23rd - 25th. Since this is my first one ever, I am busily making up new fall designs to bring with me for the show. Tomorrow is the first day of the Tucson Gem Show and yes, I am planning to attend. . .you can never have too many gemstones!

The beautiful photos above are of the old store and of course a very special picture of Phoebe, the grand dame. I am really looking forward to this trunk show as well as the surprise of the new store that I am certain will be just as fabulous as the old one and having a chance to see Marc & Phoebe again. I hope you will mark your calendars and drop by for a visit to see all my newest jewelry designs during the October trunk show.

Tweet

Beloved Generations – Green Amethyst Nuggets, Tourmaline & Antique Locket Necklace

Whenever I am fortunate enough to find a pretty locket with a family of old photos, it is a bittersweet discovery to know that the history of entire generations has either been given away or possibly sold during a period of hard times. Such was the case when I located this precious antique locket preserved with family photos of a young girl and what appear to be her mother and father. My mind wanders to the circumstances that led to the locket eventually ending up with an antique dealer - for sale, to the person that will pay a pittance for such a rich legacy.

The Beloved Generations necklace is composed of Alexandrite colored green amethyst nuggets and rondelles that culminate in a “frill” of multicolored tourmaline rondelles and a single watermelon tourmaline slice - highlighting the sweet memory of a locket from a bygone era. The antique gold filled locket provides its own provenance with original hand colored photos more than likely from the Victorian Era. The necklace portion measures 26” with a generous “frill” and feature watermelon slice bead more than 2” long before it culminates at the lovely old locket. The total drop of the frill & locket measures 5” long.

With a historic pedigree, the Beloved Generations necklace was inspired by a room I designed for the Junior League of Boston’s Silver Anniversary Showhouse – another home with pedigree, the Michael Curley Estate in Jamaica Plains, Massachusetts. Michael Curley was the very controversial multi-term mayor of Boston with a bit of a “Robin Hood Syndrome”. He succinctly thumbed his nose at the Boston Brahmins when the Curley estate was built, by adding shamrock shutters to the house.

In a nod to the historic background of the Curley home, where very famous and some infamous personalities visited – the upstairs great room was dubbed “The Ambassador’s Club” with acknowledgement to the Curley legacy. This formal yet lighthearted great room space had formerly been two bedrooms in the family home. The rich, clear colors of the room as well as the chenille “Fleur de Lis” sofas were selected for their durability and comfort, as well as their cheeky comment to the capricious diplomatic wallpaper.

Tweet

Dreamy Elegance – Rose Quartz Nugget, Pink Topaz, Lemon Quartz & Aqua Chalcedony Necklace

It is rare that an interior designer has a client with such complete confidence in the designer’s ability that a sincere carte blanche is extended in the execution of the client’s home. Such is the case of a long time friend & client from the Boston area. We had a very long-standing relationship of over 10 years and collaborated together on several beautiful rooms in her stately & elegant home. It all began with the design of her daughter’s bedroom that was to be a surprise 16th birthday gift and evolved into the design of several other rooms within the home. My last area of the house to be completed before moving to Arizona was the design of the Master Suite.

As you can see from the photograph, it is a very elegant bedroom with a luscious color palette of creamy yellow, pale pinks & raspberry, soothing green and a touch of watery pale aqua. Confectionary colors that are regally juxtaposed within a sophisticated composition of sumptuous furniture. It is the type of bedroom that many women dream of but few obtain - a custom designed rug, custom Regency canopied bed, custom trims on furniture & silk draperies and a stunning portrait of the client and her daughters at the beach. No only was it a sanctuary for my client but a dreamy vision for HGTV to feature as well.

The delicate coloring of this room has long been one of my personal favorites as well and was the inspiration for a new necklace idea that has come to fruition. The Dreamy Elegance Necklace is anchored by the generous rose quartz nuggets surrounded by a frame of coiled wire and tiny little faceted gold vermeil beads. The cascading plume feature of rose quartz, aqua quartz, aqua chalcedony, lemon quartz and pink topaz reminds me of the cascading and flowing silk draperies in the bedroom. Just as the gentle colors of the room repeat in an organized and harmonious balance, the gemstones repeat the colors of the waterfall plume around the detailed rose quartz nuggets. Elegant and dreamy – just like the bedroom that inspired the design.

Tweet