Velvet & Linen Brickmaker's Table Voting

Today starts the voting for Velvet and Linen's Brickmaker's Table Giveaway. I was fortunate to be asked by Brooke Giannetti of V&L to be part of the judging that narrowed down the choices from 170 rooms to 10 finalists. The top three rooms with the most votes will receive the Brickmaker's Table from Restoration Hardware; a gorgeous table designed by Mark Sage. If you get a chance, do stop by and cast your vote. The top ten are just a small representation of all fabulous spaces that were entered. I'd love to hear which ones are your favorites! Click here to see them and vote!

A Peek Inside a Danish Home

One of the wonderful things about having a sister in Denmark is having her share with me some of her favorite shops. She was excited to see this shop featured in Skona Hem and sent it along to me. K & CO is a wonderful antique shop in Copenhagen. The owner's home was recently profiled in the magazine. Their home is a wonderful mix of industrial and Gustavian styles. Let's have a peek.
In the entryway a console table with marble top was given a new coat of Gustavian gray paint. The iron roof decoration is a beautiful focal point and the vintage shelf makes wonderful coat rack.

The living room is an interesting mix of hard industrial lines and soft linen upholstery. The antique pedestals, lamps and desk, add interest and soften the room. The vintage clock and antique shutters above the couch are charming.
Through out the home the couple adds unique accessories that add whimsy, texture and personality to the space. Above are rusty steeple finials that once sat on a church roof.
The kitchen is a wonderful mix of stainless steel appliances, Ikea cabinets and hand worn antiques. I love the Danish hanging cupboard filled with traditional blue willow plates. Also the Tolix chairs add a wonderful feeling to this space. The owners enhanced the chandelier with antique crystals.

Part of an ancient altar screen hangs on the opposite wall of the kitchen.
The dining area also has the Tolix chairs. I love the linen pillows as chair cushions. The chandelier gives the space a bit more formality and sparkle; and the mirrors bring your eye up and open up the room. Vintage candlesticks and fluted cast iron urn add a rustic contrast.

Finally the bedroom is serene in all white. The owners collection of vintage perfume bottles and female bust in Bronze become a uniquely personal vignette.

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With such wonderful items available to them, they certainly have created a gorgeous home.
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(all photos Skona Hem)

A Pennsylvania Farmhouse

I love this time of the year in New England when the leaves have all turned and the weather is getting a bit more chilly. It's time of making apple pies and getting the wood stacked and ready for roaring fires in in the fireplace. I thought this would be a great time to share this thoughtfully restored 1840's Greek Revival Farmhouse in Pennsylvania, a two hour drive from NYC.
Paul Ochs, founder of Och Design has a passion for restoring historic homes in country, that are commutable to the Big Apple. This rural residential restoration showcases his wonderful talent and gift for returning an antique abandoned home back to its original beauty.
Paul was careful to keep as many of the original details of the home as possible. Above, the mudroom has been restored with the original plank ceilings and hemlock floor.
The kitchen was completely renovated, but the new cabinets evoke a true farmhouse feel. The countertops are bluestone that was found locally. Notice the moulding detail above the window that was enlarged to hold antique crockery.
Paul designed the farm table to seat 10. He also hung a collection of antique butter paddles as a reminder that the property was once a dairy farm.
The fireplace was added to the dining room and, because it was done so thoughtfully, it looks original. The antler light fixture in the living room is an Ochs Design original. I really like the cozy feeling in this room. The two old chests pushed up against each other create an interesting coffee table. Also notice the enhanced moulding around the windows - it creates a great shelf for displaying what looks like bittersweet branches.

The historic paint color selection creates a lovely autumn feeling in this guest suite. A black Windsor chair is a classic in any farmhouse decor. The addition of the botanical prints creates a perfect accent.

In an effort to embrace the interesting roof lines, a custom velvet headboard was created in the master bedroom.

Every farmhouse needs a chippy iron bed! The wall color in this guest room is just beautiful.

The attic was renovated to hold an artist's studio. I adore the interesting chair made from found objects.

The barn was also restored and renovated into a four car garage with a large overhead space which could eventually become an apartment or guest house. The house also sits on a bubbling stream and is surrounded by acres of undeveloped property.

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If you are interested in seeing more photos of this wonderful home, including many detailed before and afters click here. A two hour drive from NYC and you feel world's away - I can almost smell the apple pie baking!

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(all photos Ochs Design)

The Comfortable Home Winner!

Congratulations to Linda at Lime in the Coconut for winning the wonderful design book: The Comfortable Home - How to Invest in Your Nest and Live Well for Less.

Special thanks to Mitchell Gold, Bob Williams and Mindy Drucker.

Enjoy your weekend!!

Sag Harbor Really Sagg Road - Mystery Solved!!

Thanks to a wonderful reader the mystery of of Sag Harbor is solved!! Actually the true title of this home is Sagg Road and it is the the Hampton's summer home of architects Bernt Heiberg and Bill Cummings of Heiberg Cummings Design. Their home was featured in the July 2007 issue of Home and Garden.

Interestingly, this home really has many of the popular trends we are seeing now but was completed in early 2007. A great testament to the vision and design aesthetic of Heiberg and Cummings.

Here is another view of the dining area, which we had not seen. I love the mix of chairs and the mix of woods and painted pieces.

They also design furniture, and have a collaboration with the famous Hodnebo company in Norway. The corner chair is an example.

If you are interested in seeing more of their very impressive work you can visit their website at Heiberg and Cummings. Also to see the original article as it appeared in Home and Garden click here. Finally, to read another post from WD on Heiberg and Cummings, another Hampton's home and more about Hodnebo click here. Mystery solved!!

The Mystery of Sag Harbor!

I have been doing some cleaning this week and purging unused computer files of saved photos. In my quest, I came across these wonderful photos of Sag Harbor which I saved last April. But, here is the problem, this lovely home has no home, link, photo or decorating credits. I only labeled them Sag Harbor when I saved them. I was so taken with this beautiful home I was sure I would never forget where it came from and of course I did forget. So, if any of you recognize this home please let me know so I can acknowledge the wonderful architect, designer or photographer.

Take a look at this living room! It has so many wonderful features. First, the over all feel of the room is so comfortable. I think the mix of antiques, accessories and small tables are very interesting - clearly the people who own this home are well traveled as the mix of found objects seem to come from all over. I adore the linen couches - they have a marked Belgian feel. Also note the French antique chairs and the Swedish style daybed. I like the use of black in what feels like a very neutral decor. The black tables and iron candlesticks are obvious,but also look at the french doors which are boldly painted black. Further inspection and we find iron curtain rods, fireplace screen and a pie rack used as a room divider.

I can't really make out what material the window shades are - is it an antique canvas? or an antique stenciled linen? In any case they are very unusual. I also find the mix of upholstery out of ordinary, but I like how it all works together.
One of my favorite items in this room is the Trumeau mirror but mixed with Chinese lanterns is very unexpected and a bit edgy. Again black curtain rods and hooks hold linen drapes and lanterns.

Moving into the kitchen we see black cabinets and slate flooring. Upon closer inspection we see the upper cabinets nearly disappear because they have been painted white. The marble adds a richness and we see the french door in this room has also been painted black. Clearly this not a historic home - could this have been a renovation?

Here is a bedroom - I really like the black beds - do we see a trend here? Also notice the grain sack pillows and what looks like postal sack or flour sack pillows.
Another bedroom- could this be the Master Bedroom? Headboard is ticking and really like how they did NOT do ticking on the bedskirt or pillows. I love ticking but a little goes a long way. Grain sack pillows look great and Swedish bench and table are sweet.

It looks like this is the view out from the living room. A lovely pool - I adore the cast iron planters.

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Hopefully we can solve the mystery of Sag Harbor. If anyone recognizes this house or knows its story please do let us know; for now we will just enjoy a job well done!

Invest in Your Nest with Mitchell Gold & Bob Williams

This week marks the release of Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams' new book Comfortable Home How to Invest in your Nest and Live Well for Less. A timely book that is sure to add value to your home and decor with photos and step by step instructions to help you enhance your home.

Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams believe that, in any economy, your home is an incredibly smart investment. Its value goes well beyond what current real estate prices may say. A beautiful, serene, and organized house truly has the power to change your life. And investments can be made on any budget. The table of contents give you a good peek into what looks like an interesting mix of styles applicable to many different decors. Throughout the book, fabulous original photography provides stimulating tours of real homes, including Mitchell and Bob’s New York City apartment, a country cottage, a revitalized ranch, and a Federal-style home in the city.

Using Mitchell and Bob’s great ideas for working with color, you'll learn the art of furnishing small spaces, creating room to-room flow, and more. The book gives step by step instructions - wonderfully staged so anyone achieve their classic looks.
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Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams were kind enough to provide a copy of their new book to Willow Decor for a giveaway. If you are interested in winning this fabulous new design book just leave a comment. As always, followers and subscribers of Willow Decor are automatically entered. Special thanks to Mindy Drucker co writer of the book!

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You can purchase the Comfortable Home How to Invest in your Nest and Live Well for Less here and learn more about Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams here. Winner will be announced Friday, November 6th.

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Happy Halloween!!!

xx- Gina

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(BTW, Willow Decor is just a fan of Mitchell Gold, their products and design philosophy.

No services or compensation have been received in exchange for this post.)