wednesday wishlist: the elephant teapot

3.25.2015

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:




Source Unknown



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!

a maine summer home for monday

3.23.2015

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:

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:

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:


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

expecting company

3.13.2015

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:


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?


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


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


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


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!

 
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