Inspiring Home!

Here is a Hollywood Regency Style home that is glamorous, traditional, modern, colorful and daring.  It has a little something for everyone!  It was featured in the January 2010 issue of  House and Home.




I am loving the bright yellow curtains with the turquoise chairs.  The over sized art is still  very much on trend. The Chinoiserie wallpaper is David Hicks, The Vase.




The wallpaper has now been changed to graffiti.  It is actually a mural by assume vivid astro focus.




It is different and very daring and I kind of like it in the otherwise traditional room.




A bar right off the living room.  Very Hollywood Regency.



It took 12 coats of paint and 2 coats of glaze to achieve the glossy sheen in the mandarin orange dining room!




The family room has a very up to date color palette of peacock blue, black, and orange.




More orange in the modern kitchen.  The pendant lighting is actually from Design Within Reach.




Love the bed, but not sure about the pink carpeting.




Nice spa like bathroom.

Staffordshire Dogs. Timeless or Outdated?

I was reading the blog of Phoebe Howard the other night, and I came upon her list of tell-tale signs of a dated house.  I am always afraid to read these because I usually have something that is on the dreaded list.  And this time was no exception!  I actually have a few no-no's on her list.  But, the one that made me cry was staffordshire dogs.  Oh no.  I have three sets in my living room and a couple strays in my kitchen.  Plus a pair in my bathroom.  And I might just have a few in storage.  Suddenly I am questioning every decorating decision I have ever made.  Am I out of date?  Is my home stuck in the late nineties or early two thousands?  Well, after a little research, I am happy to say that the dogs are staying!  Sorry honey!





Designer and blogger Holly Mathis loves them!!




Hip Australian Anna Spiro likes them.  And you know how I feel about her!



Here she uses a pair of white Staffordshire dogs to decorate a side table.






Vanessa De Vargas says "Staffordshire Porcelain Dogs, I cannot get enough of them."  Looking at her work, you can see she is far from outdated!




Johnson Hartig co-designer of  trendy clothing line Libertine has a large, rather enviable collection topping his book shelf.




And in his bathroom too.  I'm so jealous!




British designer Donna Wilson painted Fair Isle sweaters on hers.  The sets sold for a hefty $400 and are sadly no longer available.



Seen here at Black + Spiro from Anna Spiro.




Stylist Mrs. Lilien even includes them on a Mrs. Top Shelf.




Well known interior decorator Carleton Varney places his on brackets on a wall of this dining room for a dramatic affect.




 The protege of Dorothy Draper even sells the figurines on HSN.




 Dorothy Draper, known as America's most fabulous decorator, loved Staffordshire dog figurines.




 Best known for her work at The Greenbrier Hotel in West Virginia, she scattered the dogs throughout the resort.




Style icon Diana Vreeland, who has been described as the twentieth century's greatest arbiter of style and elegance, had a collection of the dogs.




These days, Staffordshire dogs are not limited to porcelain.



Here are some fun Staffordshire dog cushions by Laura Knight.




She also used the Staffordshire figures on silk scarves.  How cute these would look framed!




I love this felt Staffordshire dog from Caroline Brown Textiles.


I feel better knowing that I am in such good company!  So Mrs. Howard, I will respectfully agree to disagree!

pretty pictures

Sorry for the lack of posts.  My little girl is starting kindergarten in a week so we are busy buying uniforms, meeting the teacher, and trying to do lots of fun end of summer activities!  So here are some pretty pictures to look at.  These interiors are all young traditional with a preppy, summery color palette!




image from here.




Todd Romano




image from here.




Lilly Pulitzer via Tobi Fairley





Tobi Fairley





image from here.