To continue our Olympic homage to Britain in a rawthuh roundabout way, we turn to renowned New York designer and friend Richard Keith Langham, whose work most certainly has a British sensibility, espousing as it does an affinity for good curtains and refined comfort. Keith is also a B.R.I.T. of another ilk: Boy Raised in… Continue reading Keith Langham’s 2012 Olympic Connection
News & Notes
Inspiration Shopping in London – The Conran Shop
Did you watch the Olympic opening ceremonies? I love pageantry… Okay the big baby thing was weird, but whatever… Cameroon’s uniforms were great… I’m glad our boys wore ties, even if they were made in China… There should be a law against chewing gum on TV… Did you know there was an island nation called… Continue reading Inspiration Shopping in London – The Conran Shop
Tree Houses for Grown-Ups, and a Soggy Child Story
It’s not going out on a limb to say that tree houses are cool, a cherished childhood fantasy in a Moonrise Kingdom kind of way. A few weeks ago on a trip to France I was beguiled by a feature in the magazine Maisons à vivre Campagne (Country Houses) about a tree house bed & breakfast. About… Continue reading Tree Houses for Grown-Ups, and a Soggy Child Story
15 Great Ideas From One Grand Room – and its Soane-ian Inspiration
Decorating, like life, is full of pre-conceived notions and beliefs disguised as facts. Letting go of them is not only liberating but leads to new possibilities. Living in limited space does not dictate limited beauty or even limited things. Edited, yes, but that is true of any good design. In great testament to that are the big… Continue reading 15 Great Ideas From One Grand Room – and its Soane-ian Inspiration
Cucumber Soup to Cool Summer’s Sizzle
You will wonder how you’ve gotten this far into summer, and possibly into life itself, without this cold cucumber soup. Stop on your way home today and get the ingredients, and whip up a batch asap. Takes 15 minutes, max. Chill. Repeat. All summer long. You will want a supply in your fridge at least until Labor… Continue reading Cucumber Soup to Cool Summer’s Sizzle
Postcard From the Garden at Bee Cottage
It is finally fixin’ to rain out here on Long Island. The sky feels as full as my tummy after a yummy Sunday lunch with friends. I had such a good time I came home and took a nap. When I woke up the sky was darker, and thunder rumbled in the distance. If it… Continue reading Postcard From the Garden at Bee Cottage
Nora Ephron and her “Exit” File
“Nora Ephron’s Last Love Story” in July 10’s New York Post about the writer’s star-studded July 9 memorial service reminded me I’d yet to write about this fabulous woman’s legacy and untimely “exit,” as she had labeled the file containing her meticulous instructions about how she wanted things at her death. Wry–and thoughtful–to the end. The Huffington… Continue reading Nora Ephron and her “Exit” File
A Stroll Through Sissinghurst (Revised)*
Is it treasonous to have pulled for Andy Murray, a Scot, over Swiss-but-almost-seems-American Roger Federer in the Wimbledon finals? Is it wrong to wish for the rain they had? As we bake in the July oven over here in the Colonies I recall with more than a hint of wistfulness a recent cool and drizzly… Continue reading A Stroll Through Sissinghurst (Revised)*
A Stroll Through Sissinghurst
Is it treasonous to have pulled for Andy Murray, a Scot, over Swiss-but-almost-seems-American Roger Federer in the Wimbledon finals? Is it wrong to wish for the rain they had? As we bake in the July oven over here in the Colonies I recall with more than a hint of wistfulness a recent cool and drizzly… Continue reading A Stroll Through Sissinghurst
Chasing My Tail
RANCHO LA HECTIC–I mean La Zaca, which for new readers is the California ranch where I spend about half my time. The irony is that the word “Zaca” means “place of peace, quiet, and contentment.” I will keep this in mind as I chase my tail up one hill and down the other and around… Continue reading Chasing My Tail
Happy 4th of July From Rancho La Zaca
I’m back at the ranch this week and Cowboy (for new readers, His Grace the Cowboy is my sweetheart) and I have my nephew and three of his buds flying in from Georgia. For their 18th birthdays my nieces and nephew each get a trip with Auntie anywhere they want to go. John Rex wanted… Continue reading Happy 4th of July From Rancho La Zaca
Sister Act – via The Peak of Chic
Dear Readers, I was so struck by the charm and originality of fellow blogger and House Beautiful contributing editor Jennifer Boles’s Peak of Chic post today that I wanted to share it with you. Funnily enough my sister Duvall has a trunk show clothing business called Sister Act Collections, so-called because I sort of got… Continue reading Sister Act – via The Peak of Chic