One day recently, I was at a friend’s house consulting on a living room reinvention (maximum change for minimal cash) and I spent some time extolling the virtues of throw pillows and their ability to pull together a room through pattern, update a couch or chair, or just generally add visual interest to a space that’s spare on accessories. So on that note, let me share some of my faves from this season:
Look to CB2 for some great cheap and chic options, including the Kala Pillow, featuring a collage of bright fabrics in graphic bars.
For a summery addition to your living room, look to L.L. Bean’s new Maine Isle Throw Pillow collection including the starfish motif in navy cotton.
As the Fourth of July approaches and I reflect in my renewed sense of pride in our country, I’m loving the American Pillow Cover Collection from Restoration Hardware, particularly that little boudoir Flag pillow cover.
Because there are so many unique, affordable options for pillows from major retailers, as well as local artisans through sites like Etsy, I wouldn’t normally advocate for a spending a ton of hard-earned cash. But after catching a glimpse of John Robshaw’s new collection which includes a series of stunning handpainted pillows, I’m advocating. If you can spare it, I support it…and feel free to pick up the Painted Stork for me while you’re at it.
Image credits (from top to bottom): CB2; L.L.Bean; Restoration Hardware; John Robshaw
Ever since I started this blog (a whole month ago) I have found myself even more inspired and determined to do things to my house than I was prior to my first post. So it only seems natural that one recent day when I was home with my kids, I became possessed with the idea of redoing our plain vanilla back door breezeway into something a little more welcoming. And here’s the thing: I decided I had to do it that day (my husband can tell you I have issues with instant gratification and sometimes it manifests itself in really odd ways).
Here in New England, the peonies have bloomed, the hydrangeas are leafing up and snapdragons are just around the corner — perfect timing for a little tutorial from House Beautiful on the eight vases to have at the ready for gorgeous, simple summer arrangements:
Saturday afternoon, with a window of just 90 minutes, my aunts and I hightailed it on the A train down to Chelsea, and Les Toiles du Soleil did not disappoint. Combine the cheery surroundings with the equally cheery and hip store owner Sandrine, and I was instantly smitten. The store was a visual feast — bolts of fabric hanging on racks and piled up on top of each other, blackboards displaying prices, neat stacks of tables linens, cosmetic bags and fabric-covered notebooks, and galvanized tubs filled with pillows — I felt instantly transported to a little shop in France (not that I’ve ever been there, but I have a good imagination, and Sandrine’s charming accent helped). But what really struck me was how, well, affordable everything seemed. For $58, you can score a yard of the many classic 72″ striped canvas choices, and just $20 more buys you a yard of the water-resistant Sunbrella ones. They also have an in-store seamstress who can make nearly anything you imagine(curtains, table cloths, deck chairs, roller shades, totes, you name it). The thing I’ve been stuck on since I’ve left though is the shop’s incredible oilcloth (this is not your grandmother’s red and white check picnic table covering). For just under $100, I’m going to transform an old IKEA table into an easy-to-clean candy-striped art space. Yum.
Last summer I was poking around a bookstore in Vermont and came across Mice, Morals & Monkey Business, an incredible children’s book filled with gorgeous block prints by artist Christopher Wormell. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to have it – not for our kids’ library, but for my kitchen wall.
The Mudroom 