Eddie Ross & Bloomingdale's Big Window Challenge

I have been a fan of Eddie Ross' for several years and was thrilled to learn that he was one of the contestants in the Bloomingdale's Big Window Challenge - Three designers were asked to go head to head and create a window for Bloomingdale's flagship store in NY. Viewers vote for their favorite window. To see all three rooms – go here.
It was no surprise that my favorite is Eddie Ross' window. As usual Eddie has a fresh and fun approach to decorating! Elegant but not stuffy, formal with a twist!

To learn more about Eddie and the contest click here. For more information on how to vote, go here. Be sure to vote TWICE a day – through this Thursday.

If his window is your favorite, please help show Eddie your love of his work and your support!!!

Belgian Factory Restored

Some of my favorite magazines are from France and Belgium. I recently saw this wonderful Brussels home that was originally a mirror factory and wanted to share it with you.

The owner, an artist, has lovingly restored and refurbished the factory over the course of several years. The dining room above features a naturally worn farm table and a collection of antique cream chairs with a wonderful patina. The cupboard is made from several old pieces of wood and houses only part of the owners extensive glass collection. The large entry is painted a beautiful buttery cream while the ceilings and upper mouldings are painted a contrasting white. The doors and built in mirrors add to the already light filled space. An antique woodworker's table is a beautiful place to display the owners collection of vintage hats. The light fixture is from IKEA. The kitchen is so wonderfully rustic. Old library shelving is painted white and used to display the huge collection of dishes and serving pieces. An antique library ladder is used to retrieve those items too high to reach. Notice the thickness of the shelves; thicker shelves were created to handle the weight of the different types of crockery. I love the interesting contrast of the industrial style faucet. The owners extensive glass collection is housed in an antique museum case that was painted a soft white to match the walls and highlight the glass. A collection of old unmatched chairs were also painted in soft pastels which unify them. The soft colors and leaning antique mirror add to airiness of the room. Interestingly the light fixture, which matches the entry fixture is also from IKEA.

The library, which doubles as the owners studio is washed in gray paint. The library shelving was also painted and holds the owners extensive collection of books. A vintage stepladder makes the high shelves accessible. I love the wide pine floors, softened from years of use left natural and waxed. The light in this room is just fabulous.

One of several bedrooms -I included this room because I adore the wall moulding.

Here is the adjacent bath. I like the mix of pieces in this space. The antique painted table looks so interesting with the reproduction tub.
This is the trompe-l'oeil bedroom. A closer look reveals a wall of canvas painted by the owner to look like pillows and headboard. A vintage industrial metal stool serves as night stand.
Finally another bath - I just adore the way the owner painted/washed the wall in a soft green. An antique cupboard holds extra towels and sundries for guests.

For more information about this wonderful factory turned home in Brussels click here.

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(all photos marieclairemaison)

Please Help Haiti

On January 12, 2010, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck near the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince. Each day the we hear more horrors of the tragedy and suffering there. Disaster response efforts are underway, and the total effects of the quake are as-yet unknown.

Please consider supporting any of the following relief organizations:
American Red Cross
NetHope
Save the Children
World Vision International
Care
MercyCorps
Unicef

You can also text "HAITI" to "90999" and a donation of $10 will be given automatically to the Red Cross to help with relief efforts, charged to your wireless bill.

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I will return next week with my regular posts, but for now let's all send help and prayers to the people of Haiti.

xx-Gina

Spectacular Greenwich Home Tour

This lovely home in Greenwich, Connecticut was recently featured in CT Cottage and Gardens.

Located in the exclusive Sherwood Farms area of Greenwich this home was just listed for sale. Advertised as owned and decorated by an interior designer I was immediately intrigued. Let have a quick tour...

The beautiful front to back entry has 11 foot ceilings. I adore entrys that allow you to view straight out to the back of the house. I also love the light the comes in with this type of window/door placement. Notice the lovely bridal staircase and incredible moulding detail. Banister is ebony stained with white painted accents, a popular trend.

Off to the left of the entry you can see the Library. Advertised as an antique English pine library with adjacent game room with wet bar; the detail is amazing. I am a stickler for symmetry so I really like the two doors on either side of the fireplace. The brown painted ceiling adds a coziness to the 11 foot ceilings. I also love the jazzy zebra chairs to lighten things up bit. Flat screen TV above the fireplace makes me think this is a real recreation area for the family. You can see an air hockey table through the french doors.

The kitchen has a definite Christopher Peacock feel. No real surprise as we are in Greenwich where a large number of his kitchens have been installed. The listing does not call it out as a Peacock kitchen but surely it has the look with the Carrera marble, white cabinets and bin pulls. I do like the contemporary stools which give this kitchen a bit of edginess. I also like the wide floor boards, the rattan chairs and the worn farm table. They add a nice, earthy texture and feeling to what could be a cold space.

Ice box latches and bin pulls make me think if its not Peacock, its a good copy. I also like the heft of the two inch marble counters.

The Family Room must be off the kitchen, but its hard to tell. It is a lovely area filled with light from at least two sides. The all white decor makes me think the children may be relegated to the library area. Bobo Intriguing Objects chandelier hangs above, which now can bought via Restoration Hardware.
The Dining Room is beautiful. I love the off white/gray wall tones. Mirrored table and huge fireplace surely make for sparking, magical dinner parties. The Chandelier looks a bit small for the space. I would also like to see more artwork. Perhaps the owners have replaced the light fixtures, prior to listing the home. The Living room continues the soothing gray palette. Notice the Mora clock on the right. I also like the garden urns on the acrylic tables. Its very unexpected.

The Master Bedroom also has a wonderful gray/taupe palette. I find it interesting that in such a large room they would locate the bed in front of the window alcove- but it does look lovely. We find some more acrylic chairs against the far right wall. The two chairs on the far left side of the photo confuse me though. From this angle the taupe one looks out of place. It is also interesting to note that is the first room we have seen drapes.

Finally the Sunroom which opens to the fabulously long veranda/covered porch. The "SIN" sign speaks to me - and I like the furry pillows. Both add some more of the edginess we have seen in some of the other rooms. Again we see drapes, perhaps these are to shield the sun.

Here is the a photo of the back of the house and the spectacular veranda.

A close up of the porch. The orange couch is an interesting choice.

The listing mentions:

the French doors lead to verandas from most public rooms with private views of conservation land. The second floor features a wonderful master suite with a Waterworks bathroom and walk-in closets. Five additional family bedrooms are on the second floor, and the partially finished lower level offers play space and an au pair suite.

It is really a lovely home and a fun tour for all of us!!

For more information on this house click here.

(all photos Sothebys)

An English Tudor Adds a Conservatory Kitchen

I adore English Tudors. I wanted so badly to live in one when I moved this last time (our ninth move!). But, we had a short window of time and none were for sale that would work with our family. We ended up buying a lovely 1930's Royal Barry Wills Center Hall Colonial. Beautiful and historic, but my heart still belongs to the Tudors.

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A common complaint is that they are dark. Yes, the smaller windows, sloping ceilings and dark wood can make them feel dark, but I find with the right decor and some modifications they can be sunny, beautiful, and very cozy.

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Still, I hold fast to my dream that some day I may own an English Tudor. I follow the MLS listings and am always on the watch for ideas and inspiration. So imagine my delight when I saw this new Conservatory Kitchen Addition on this wonderful 1920's Tudor by Barnes Vanze Architects. The owner, a professional chef, wanted to add light to the home and have a "summer style" kitchen. They wanted the addition to have a true garden feel. The result is a beautiful space which incorporates all the conveniences needed for a professional chef and a tremendous amount of natural light which floods into adjoining rooms.
The center island is large and great for food prep, as well as entertaining, while the host prepares the meal. It is made of antique, reclaimed chestnut and has refrigeration drawers built into it. Additionally the owners wanted a dining table in the space and a banquette seating/lounge area. Notice the professional stove and striking hood with copper accents. I also like how they used furniture with the cabinetry. Notice how some of the furniture has strong colors so it doesn't disappear in such a large space.
The iron and glass shelves were custom designed and forged especially for their space. There are no over head cabinets. Notice the detail around the window and the ceiling - spectacular! I also love the soapstone sink and gray/green cabinet color.
The actual building lot dropped off in the back so the owners were able to create a room beneath the Conservatory. The new space houses a wine cellar, bath and media room. It also allowed the owners to create a new patio/entertaining area.

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This is excellent example of how the right addition on an older home can completely transform it. Read more about the architects and the fabulous renovation here.

An 1826 Cambridge Workman's Cottage

Cambridge is a famous historical area of Boston. Today it is the home of Harvard and MIT, with trendy shops in Harvard Square. A beautiful area along the famous Charles River. But in 1826 Cambridge was famous for glassmaking. It was one of only three areas in the US that was producing glass, competing with England, which was the prominent glass producer of the time. Glass Workers in those days were apprenticed and generally in need of housing. When my friend Leonard, mentioned the history of his house I was immediately excited to visit. Leonard's house is one of six attached Row houses, or Workman's Cottages. They are on Cambridge's Historic Preservation Registry but are not as heavily bound by the restrictions as other designated historic areas. As such, Leonard has been able to move walls and renovate in way that truly brings out the flavor of this interesting old building. In anyone else's hands this building could have been ruined, but with Leonard's thoughtful eye and talent the results are fabulous. Let's have a look!

As you walk in the front door you enter the Great Room. Walls of exposed brick run along on one side of the room. Notice the incredible original ceiling beams.

Here is a closer look at the kitchen. The windows look out to a wonderful large courtyard and brick patio which I will show below. I was brought in to help Leonard decide once and for all if we should pop out the counters and put in soapstone. We are working right now to find the perfect stone for his kitchen. It will be a fabulous improvement. Notice his lack of upper cabinets, this clever design adds to the open feel and airiness of the space.

The original fireplace and brick oven on the right are in working order. Can you begin to imagine how many meals have been cooked by this fire over the past 180 years? I love the artwork that a friend of Leonard's painted. (he promised me he would lower it on the wall)

Leonard's mix of old antiques, industrial and painted pieces lend just the right feeling to this already fabulous space. He has done a great job of finding antiques with enough character to stand up to the wonderfully strong character of the home, without over powering it. Leonard has a gifted eye for antiquing. I have been lucky to spend time shopping at Brimfield with him. Notice the wide floor planks. This first floor area is Leonard's entry, kitchen and dining area.

Walking up to the second floor we see the results of his recent renovation. Leonard moved a wall and added full walk up stairs to the attic. By doing this, Leonard was able to create a Family room from one of the two bedrooms on the second floor.

Again the exposed brick walls add a special charm to the space. The old window in the the right corner turns into a wonderful art piece at night with addition of a small light in the back to illuminate the hand blown glass. This is a creative way that anyone can add architectural interest to dark corner of a room. Great idea, Leonard!

Renovating the attic and adding a dormer allowed Leonard to add a master bedroom suite to his home. You can see the dormer windows above which now houses Leonard's office nook. I love the antique tin moulding made into a shelf and the antique apothecary bottles which are sitting on top.

The natural contours and design of the original brick lend itself to be a perfect headboard. Notice the grainsack pillows - the gold stripe is rare and hard to find.

Using every bit of available space Leonard even created a small closet under the eaves.

His new master bathroom is to die for! Here is a shot of the back of the house. You can clearly see where the dormer was added to increase the size of the master bedroom and make the office nook.
Finally a closer look at the brick courtyard off the kitchen. This amount of property in Cambridge is unusual and Leonard has done a wonderful job of making it a wonderful outdoor entertaining space.

Thank you, Leonard for letting us tour your beautiful home - we will be back in month or so to see the new soapstone in the kitchen!

To my Friends Around the World!

To my friends around the world!

Bonne Année ! Godt NytÅr! Buon Anno! Gott Nytt År! Feliz año nuevo! Gelukkig Nieuwjaar! Feliz Ano Novo! Onnellista Uutta Vuotta! Gutes Neues Jahr! Godt Nyttår!

Happy New Year!