It's been a crazy summer, to say the least! We moved to Maine in June and are still very-much trying to get settled--the house hunt has been harder than we hoped, but I am trying to enjoy the journey...and living in Kennebunkport while we look! But now that September has arrived and life (and the real estate market) is slowing down in this little summer town, I plan to get back to blogging with the hopes that it will bring me a sense of productivity and progress. 

As much as I have missed blogging, I have missed the fall more and I have some serious making up to do this year! I pretty much plan to spend the bulk of my time frolicking in the nearest orchard, baking and eating waaay too many apple pies, and drowning house hunting problems in mulled cider...which I plan to sip by a roaring fire, of course.

As in our last house hunt (a year and a half ago, HA!), a fireplace is at the top of my must-have list--especially now that we live in the North Pole--I mean Maine. I admit I am a sucker for almost any fireplace, but I especially love fireplaces that feature delft tile surrounds. These pretty little Asian-inspired Dutch tiles can have a large impact on a space, whether one is trying to add a nautical touch, or some unexpected interest to traditional interior.

Anthony Baratta is kind of the king of delft tile surrounds, and another of my favorite designers/Maine summer residents, Libby Cameron, likes them, too! More recently, Colleen Bashaw's design of Hampton's hotel Baron's Cove incorporated a delft tile surround; the traditional nautical decor of the hotel--including the surround--has gained much praise...and gives even the oldest, most exclusive yacht club in the Northeast a run for its money!

The following interiors showcase how different designers have used these tiles in their gorgeous work to make these fireplaces and rooms really pop:

Louise Brooks in Traditional Home

Traditional Home

Windham House Design

Patrick Ahearn

Knight Carr

Baron's Cove by Colleen Bashaw

Libby Cameron

Asher Architects

House And Garden

This Old House

Anthony Baratta

Anthony Baratta

Libby Cameron

Anthony Baratta and William Diamond

So bring on the fall! I am ready for those cozy nights by the fire...and the delft tile surrounds.

I have a beautiful interior for you today, but first, some big news!:

It has been about a year since we moved into our new house here in Charleston and I admit I haven't posted nearly as often as I had planned--thank you all for sticking with me and my little blog!

Between settling into our new house and starting a new job, the past year has been a busy one! I wish I could say things were finally going to calm down, but alas it is quite the opposite because...[drum roll please]...we are moving! Again!

Call me crazy, but I have been so homesick for Boston and New England in general, which is ironic since Charleston has been "home" since I was a little girl. Don't get me wrong--we have enjoyed so many things about being back in Charleston; it has provided the perfect opportunity to reconnect with friends, and spending time with my father has been the best! Not to mention we have been so spoiled by weekends at the beach house, and have fallen in love with our own beautiful home here...
(Man am I going to miss my built-ins!)

But alas, I have missed New England dreadfully, so after lots of long and hard thinking (understatement of the century), we have made the difficult decision to sell our house, to once again say "see you soon!" to friends and family, and go back. Except this time we are going past Boston and all the way up to Portland, Maine! I think it is safe to say I will get my snow fix up there...

Yeah--I'm laughing now...

Although we haven't spent much time in Portland proper, we were married just down the road in Kennebunkport and absolutely love the area. And you can't beat that it is only about an hour and a half north of Boston! We will be able to spend time with friends and family in Boston, as well as take advantage of all the big city has to offer, but hopefully without the high cost of living and congestion that comes with it! 

In honor of our move, I thought I would share one of my favorite Maine interiors, belonging to John Fondas and John Knott of Quadrille.

The following House Beautiful feature showcases the many ways in which the home epitomizes iconic New England style, from its gray shingle exterior to the nautical accents and nods to colonial America in the home's eclectic interior. The rich textures and patterns throughout the home--many of which are Quadrille--compliment each other and create a colorful interior that is vibrant, inviting, and one might even venture to say warm (perhaps a welcomed palette in Maine--even in a summer home!):

I cannot wait to share more beautiful Maine homes with you (anyone up for some Sister Parish?), including--of course--our new Maine home...as soon as we find it!

I know spring officially began last week, but out of respect to those who are still buried under nine feet of snow, I thought I would hold off on celebrating for a few more days...

But yesterday I spoke with some friends back in Boston, and--as you can imagine--they were happy to report that there are finally some signs of spring in the air, so I'm hoping it's safe to flaunt some pretty flowers on the blog today (...like the ones that are blooming in my back yard--shhhh)!

I thought I would share one of my favorite ways to display flowers--don't get me wrong, you know how much I love ginger jars, but another fun and festive alternative to the traditional vase is a teapot, and in particular, an elephant teapot! Not to mention these little ellies are an easy way to incorporate some chinoiserie style in your home this spring ;)

The following are pretty examples of how to style your blooms in elephant teapots (and--if you are more talented then me--garden stools!) at all of your spring soirees--bridal showers, baby showers...and, of course, the occasional rainy Tuesday:

 House Beautiful

Luxe Report Designs

Maharani Weddings

Source Unknown

The House That Lars Built

Kristen Loken

Instagram

And some cute and affordable elephant teapots (and one garden stool) that would be perfect for sprucing up your spring flowers:

$12.99 from World Market

$15 from Etsy


$35 from Etsy

Etsy

$59 from Pottery Barn Kids


$59.95 from ZGallerie

Happy spring!

My April issue of House Beautiful arrived over the weekend and as always, it was chock-full of inspiration--interiors I appreciate and designers I admire, but as I was flipping through, something rare occurred--one of those amazing discoveries that make the arrival of a design magazine so exciting...

Behold: a room featuring almost every. single. one. of my favorite design elements--a grand stone hearth as the centerpiece of the room, flanked by built-ins filled with books, surrounded by wood painted white, with beams, model ships, wicker and rattan, a touch of tartan, an elephant garden stool and--wait for it--Lee Jofa's Althea! You know how much I love my Althea...

It was love at first sight.

Where, you ask, is this perfect storm of style? In Libby Cameron's Maine summer home. I mean--Maine! I love Maine!

Cameron was Sister Parish's protégé and her sophisticatedly eclectic and subtly colorful style certainly reflects Parish's influence, but this summer home seems to be more of a happy accident where family heirlooms and beach finds have collected over generations in the most inviting way. Ever.

The magazine feature left me wanting more, so I searched stalked Cameron's summer home and found the following photos on Homeaway (yes, you heard right--anyone want to go to Maine with me this summer?!):

The home's casual kitchen and porch are equally as charming:

In addition to stalking Cameron's family summer home, I stalked her, as well (duh). Here are some other interiors by Cameron that I absolutely love:

Cameron in Coastal Living

Much like her mentor, Cameron creates seemingly effortless interiors by mixing colors and patterns that compliment each other--her spaces make perfect sense, but the elements in them do not necessarily match.

Like Libby, I too love painted wood floors, especially in a summer home. She says she used marine deck enamel on the floors in her Maine home for low maintenance. Here are some more of her painted floors:

Cameron in House Beautiful

Since I have done all of the online stalking possible, my next stop it to buy the book which Cameron co-authored with Parish's granddaughter:

Libby Cameron

Aaand maybe I'll even take a trip up to Maine to stay the house sometime soon...

Well it's been quite a while since my last post--my sincere apologies for that--but I am going to try to get my feet wet again with this post today, as I was inspired yesterday!

I had a hot second to sit down with some catalogs yesterday and was so excited to see that the beautiful rattan bamboo pieces which I have been coveting from The Company Store are on sale!

So I snagged myself two of these tortoise tables for our bedroom at the beach house:

Rattan Table in Tortoise

The table is on sale for $169 from $199! That is six margaritas at happy hour, people!

As you may remember, I have been redecorating our bedroom at the beach, a project which is still ongoing (insert six margaritas here).

Here is how the bedroom looks now:

Clearly my new tables will be a nice--and much needed--addition to the room! 

The Company Store's Rattan Bamboo Collection is also on sale! Isn't it pretty?

Rattan Bamboo Collection

I love all of the pieces in the collection, but I especially love this side cabinet, which is on sale from $299 to $254!

Rattan Bamboo Side Cabinet

...and this beautiful bench, which is now $339 down from $399!:

Rattan Bamboo Bench

And back to my table, check out the other colors it comes in, as well!:

Rattan Table Collection

I used a coupon code from Retail Me Not and got an additional 15% off plus free shipping--not too shabby! 

I promise to keep you posted on my progress (read=blog again soon), but in the meantime, happy shopping!