Flor catalog

I am in love with the Flor catalog.  The homes, the styling, the inspirations, the details are endless.  As a stylist I am in awe and wondered who did their styling , where their inspiration came from, how did they create such amazing spaces and find such great furnishings and amazing decor.  Here is a link that talks all about http://www.flor.com/blog/bts-spring-catalog/ Amazing, Flor uses real homes and mostly the homeowners decor, so cool.  Check out their blog, it's full of great ideas.
The last two images are from their Pinterest page and were pinned as inspiration....I agree, I'm inspired.

These didn't make the cut...

Last year I had a shoot at my house for Yankee Magazine, it was all about hand-made wreaths from Maine.   Unfortunately, these images didn't make the cut, but I feel like I need for someone else to see them...They are beautiful.  The photograper is the amazingly talented and adorable Jarrod McCabe.  I hope you like them as much as I do...I'd love your thoughts.  Happy Holidays, kelly

Love it, Hate it

This weekend I found myself home alone; this is not something that happens often. I decided to catch up on some of the new releases out now on demand.  The first movie that I watched is called Romantics Anonymous. It is a french film with English subtitles.  I hope this doesn't dissuade you from partaking.  "The movie tells the story of Angelique a gifted chocolate maker whose uncontrollable shyness prevents her from acknowledging her talents.  Struggling chocolate maker Jean-Rene ,who also suffers from a similar case of awkard bashfulness that threatnens to drown his company, hires Angelique as his new sales associate.  Realizing she's attracted to her boss, Angelique decideds to anonymously create a new line of chocolates to save the company. "* So much more happens in this delictable comedy and I found myself smiling throughout the entire film..On a much different note I decided to watch the film, "I melt with you", it's a story about 4 former high school friends that reunite for a reunion of sorts.  This movie was such a buzz kill for me.  Forty minutes into it I wanted to start pulling my hair out.  After one hour, I decided to shut it off. Life is just way too short ...But the whole experience got me thinking about design that I love and design that I just hate.  As we all know, it's all about what speakes to you/me.  And what I love, love love, you might just hate, hate hate, I get it, infact, you might really like the movie, I melt with you. Here are a few images of design that really speaks to me, and some design that I don't like...The main reason for me blogging about this is to get you to watch this delicious movie, Romantics Anonymous, I just know it will make you smile and add a kick to your day...
Loves:

Thomas O'Brien...I just love everything he does and everything he touches.  This is his living room in his Country house. 

This is what my next kitchen is going to look like, I just love this from House Beautiful, so simple, so
bright, so fabulous.















Orrick and Company: These designers are amazing, everything they do, I LOVE.

Betsy Brown design, I just love everything she does...

Stephen Knollenberg interiors
And for the design that I hate, I'm not sure if it's my Catholic guilt or my mother's voice in my ear saying, "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything.", so I'm going to leave it at that....Please do yourself a favor and watch Romantics Anonymous, you'll be so happy you did... And for my favorite design, of which I had something to do with:

Casey

Ryan








* from the imdb synopsis

Prop styling for Yankee Cookbook

One of my first styling jobs was for Yankee magazine (I'm not sure they knew that at the time) but how serendipitous it was to be asked to PROP style (I put that in capitals because anyone who knows me knows that I can't cook) for their new Yankee cookbook magazine (out now)...It's all about Ironstone and great recipes that have endured the test of time.  The amazingly talented ,funny and kind Catrine Kelty was the food stylist and creator of all of these dishes (of which I gained about 5-8 pounds at the end of the week (thank you Catrine).  Heath Robbins was the creative photographer  who made everything look as good on paper as it did in person. 
Prop Styling is so much like design.  Food, plates, "table scapes" (I can't believe I just used that term) look so much better with contrast.  I love  white ironstone against an old blanket as a tablecloth.  I love to layer; wood trivets  and marble pieces  bring any surface to life.  Dark with light, old with new, shiny and dull, it always works...

Repeat after me...

Repetition is such a good thing in the design world. I've been doing this for so long that I never even realized that I was doing it.  Repeating the same or similar things in a grouping creates the most amazing impact.  My husband brought this to my attention years ago after I purchased a bird cage from a flea market and before he knew it there were 5 of them in our house( I'm  certain he wasn't thinking "great design element", in fact I think he thought I was crazy).
My tastes have changed a bit over the years and I find myself repeating so many things.  Ironstone pitchers, frames, candlesticks , pumpkins and orchids  just to name a few.  Repeating a wall of black frames gives a gallery effect that makes a space come to life. Adding a row of ironstone pitchers to the top of a surface gives a simple graphic effect . This is so simple and gives back so much. Check out these images, some from my home and some from my favorite tear sheets.  Start repeating things that you love ,stand back and see if you need more or less.  I bet soon you’ll be repeating yourself.
Thank you Steve, from Urban cottage for putting a bee in my bonnet and getting me back to blogging.  I missed everyone. anurbancottage.blogspot.com

Stickers and Therapy

It has been so long since I've posted that I can barely remember how to do this.  I  was interviewed recently for a story about design and white walls.  The writer was wonderful but had many questions about using white with boys, teen-agers, dogs, etc.  I sometimes feel like I need to explain to people that I did let my kids be kids and was very casual about my house.  I just found this picture in my son Ryan's room (he's now a sophmore in College).  The image from a photo album that he created said: "Our old playroom that Mom took over.".. I was trying to figure out when I did take it over, I think the boys were 8 and 10...Another thing added to the therapy list...  BUT, I did let them do the sticker wall and it took me weeks to take those buggers off.  The room is now a pantry with open shelves and the boys, I mean young men still tell me that they liked it better before..               

A view into the sticker room....

Two of my favorite things from two of my favorite stores

It’s been so long since I’ve posted that I’m having trouble remembering how to go about it. Anyway, it’s great to be back. I’ve been a long time admirer of Hudson, an amazing shop for the home in Wellesley and Boston. Chris is my friend and manager of the Wellesley store so it tends to be my go-to for amazing finds. I recently went into the shop and spotted this black and white photocopy of a well know lithograph called, "View of the Water Celebration on Boston Commons 1848". When I saw it, I loved it immediately. Driving home with this six foot long piece of wood jammed into my neck didn’t stop me.


My other go-to favorite is Good and White in Falmouth, Mass. It is run by two amazing women with amazing taste. Diane Good and Susan White never disappoint. The round pedestal table (next to the sofa) was purchased years ago, I fell in love immediately and still feel the same today.
hudson
good and white