Month: May 2018

I’m confident that Interior Designer Celerie Kemble, whose prevailing style is Palm Beach Chic, would approve all these pieces on sale this week.  Think trellis either as wallpaper or as an actual wood framework, bold patterned upholstery, bright colorful fabrics, plaster chandeliers, rattan and some whimsical accessories that is the Palm Beach Chic style I’m referring to.  Even though not all interiors look the same in Palm Beach, take this more formal home designed by David Kleinberg as an example, the style most people are familiar with is the one that is bold and daring.  Often the color turquoise is combined with a bright green or orange.  Lots of sea elements as accessories, seagrass wallpaper or simply white walls make a great background to all these diverse elements to mingle together.

”Like  nautical style, its Northeastern counterpart, Palm Beach style embraces all aspects of sea life—but with a distinctly tropical spin. Shells and coral are often-spotted elements, but palm fronds and the stately peacock chair, which is making a major comeback since its Swinging ’60s heyday, take the look to a more exotic place”  One King Lane.  A bold and bright interior may not be liked by everyone, but that is the beauty of diversity that we can all like and love.  Below, a few palm beach inspired pieces on sale…

An ottoman table that separates into stools is not only comfortable but also convenient, upholster it in a bold pattern fabric and keep the sofa in one color.  A side lamp table with a chinois undertone which would look great with a blue and white lamp.  A blue and white pillow because it’s a beach house and a bed made of a combination of a woven natural material and wood.

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picnic baskets, picnic basket

The days have been marvelous here in the Midwest, sunny and warm just enough.  My husband asked me the other day if I would like to have a picnic in our backyard for Mother’s Day, he would take care of everything… isn’t that thoughtful? Of course, I said no, I prefer to go out to a restaurant for brunch, like going to that new place that just opened.  There will be days, sooner than you think, when picnicking in our backyard will happen often.  We already have a couple of pretty picnic baskets ready to be packed with finger foods and a bottle, or two of rose.
There is room for more items needed for a picnic though, a comfy blanket, a few inexpensive outdoor pillows and a couple of chic acrylic tumblers.  For those of you who still don’t have a picnic basket, don’t fret, these eight options are all for your choosing.  Happy picnicking!

picnic baskets, picnic basket

Top two from left to the right,  1 with fine tableware and linens, this classic English picnic basket for two is a winner.  2 dark wicker one for four person   3 Scotish inspired for four,  4 a more feminine version, also for four person.   5 A heart-shaped one, it can’t get more romantic than this.  6,  7 for a light picnic for two, 8

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In most buffet type restaurants in Germany, people eat out of porcelain plates, silverware and drink out of glass.  Of course, that excludes Starbucks take out.  I was delighted to read about how bans on plastic straws are growing.  Plastic is not chic.

Is minimalism overrated? Some people confuse the reality with an idea.  “It’s unrealistic to expect people to live completely in empty boxes and to think living that way makes us more pure”…

I read the book Gut by Gulia Enders a couple of years ago, and it’s interesting to see how science is taking so long to catch up with the concept in the book, which is how much our gut is linked directly to our brain and how much it affects our overall health.  ” Science is piecing together how the trillions of microbes that live on and in all of us – our microbiome – affect our physical health.  But even conditions including depression, autism, and neurodegenerative disease are now being linked to these tiny creatures.”

You know the saying French do it better, hence if you are looking for a cleanse you may want to follow the advice of How to Cleanse for Spring, the French Way.

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Misha Nonoo's home

Fashion Designer Misha Nonoo and her former husband bought her Greenwich Village duplex apartment in New York City from Interior Designer Nate Berkus.  Misha kept some of the already beautiful features of the previous apartment, such as the closet, and the chevron floors,  a type of parquet floor that Berkus uses a lot in his interiors, for all the good reasons.  My favorite room in Misha Nonoo’s home is the library.  It’s cozy, elegant, done in beautiful neutrals and the slipcovered sofas look super comfortable.

Misha Nonoo's home, Misha Nonoo

An Andy Warhol portrait of Queen Elizabeth in the library.

The fashion designer enlisted decorator Andre Mellone to redesign the apartment.  He converted one of the two previous living rooms into the library and relocated the dining room along the kitchen.

Misha Nonoo's home, Misha Nonoo

In the living room, we can appreciate a global chic atmosphere with mid-century chairs and modern art.

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