duchess fare: January 2011

Valentine's Love from Hable Construction ~ 25% Off Coupon

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Refined Sophistication in a NYC Town House

Friday, January 28, 2011

So, if I ever come across the opportunity to move to Manhattan, and granted the good fortune of living in a home with all of my dream design details under one roof, I think this town house featured in the January '11 issue of Interior Design magazine comes pretty close to hitting the nail on the head of my idea of an ultimate living space in the heart of The Big Apple. Click here to read more.

Lush Garden -- Check | Roof Top Deck -- Check | Forward Thinking Design, while Retaining Original Details -- Check & Check | Refined Sophisticated Interiors -- Check | Polished Ease Furnishings -- Check | Tranquility from the City Streets -- You Bet!!

A New Seagrass Rug Inspires a Post

Thursday, January 27, 2011

5 years of living in our cottage home has gone by in a heart beat! When we moved in, I knew selecting Seagrass rugs would be a great design choice for both function & continuity between rooms. With years of wear starting to show, we were in need of some upgrading. I've heard about, but never ordered from Overstock.com, so I went to their website to check out selection and price points. I was actually blown away by all the options of sizes & patterns, and their amazing flat rate shipping fee. I even ended up adding a 8' square Seagrass rug to our shopping cart. The square shape rug never seems to be easily available, its a size typically cut for a custom order. We needed a square for our "Black Room"... when we renovated this house prior to moving in, my husband (and Builder Extraordinaire), moved one of the walls (a shared wall with our kitchen) in this room to accommodate for more kitchen cabinet space, leaving us with what was originally a rectangular shape into a square. Long story short, the 8' square Seagrass fits perfectly! Check out my before & after pictures below.

Black Room Before the Seagrass

Black Room After

Our home's decor can be summed up in 2 words -- "Found Style". We are like the poster children for mixing Old & New and High & Low with accessories & furnishings, and our rooms are ever evolving. I've tagged a couple of items in our Black Room -- details below.

1. Shutters purchased off of Craigslist. | 2. Custom metal artwork by our dear friend Chris Beck. | 3. Baskets found at an Estate Sale. | 4. Tufted Sofa purchased back in 2004 at Savvy Snoot here in Atlanta. If you haven't been, check out their website for more info & to view current inventory. The owners feature items found in homes that are experiencing a redecorating overhaul, furniture that is in excellent condition, just not part of the new design plan. We were told that the sofa we purchased came from a decorator who had it upholstered in a Jim Thompson fabric... regardless, I have always loved the black fringe, tufted back, and single seat cushion. -- you either love it or hate it. | 5. Metal Wire Sculpture by my husband Jim Ferguson. | 6. Pair of Alessi Blow Up tables purchased off of Craigslist. | 7. Turned Wood Bowl by my father-in-law Jim Ferguson, crafted from a chunk of wood taken from a cut down overgrown Holly tree at our previous home. | 8. Golden Pig -- carried back from our visit to my parent's in Shanghai (plus its Jim's Chinese zodiac sign). | 9. Red Serving Tray with pieces of Cinammon formed into the rectangular shape -- carried back from our visit to Singapore (a beloved city I lived in after college). Purchased from John Erdos, an amazing renovated Shop House retail store featuring fresh & forward Asian inspired accessories & furnishings. | 10. Mid Century criss-cross teak base table, purchased at Decatur Estate. | 11. Our new 8' square Seagrass rug, purchased on Overstock.com | 12. Pair of Leather Club Chairs -- not sure of their maker, but were purchased at a "Fire Sale" of sorts at a home designed mostly with John Saladino pieces.

Hands On >>> Stretching Chinese Noodles

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Chef Huacan Chen of Hung Ry Restaurant | The Art of Stretching Chinese Noodles

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The cover article of today's NY Times Dining section features the artistry of stretching dough to make Chinese noodles. Highlighted is a restaurant in NYC's East Village, Hung Ry, noted for both its exceptional food and craft of noddle making. The star attraction is Chef Huacan Chen, whose expert noodle stretching technique is played out in an open kitchen for all patrons to experience. Open since the Fall, Hung Ry has quickly earned a foodie buzz and developed a loyal following, having also been noted in an article in the February issue of Vogue magazine, String Theory. Click on this LINK to watch Chef Chen in action and check out more below.

Vogue | February 2011

Since I am a sucker for nostalgia, I've included below a vintage video clip from Sesame Street. Its from the late 1970's and I will always remember watching this as a child, listening to this young boy narrating film of his father making the dough for Chinese noodles.

Tied in Knots ~ Boat Rope Totes

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

A couple years back, I first noticed the Maine based company, Sea Bags, utilizing boat rope as their handles for their recycled sail totes, and I purchased one (with my lucky number 3 on the sail) as a week-end carry all. The boat rope trend continues to emerge on both the high & low end of the designer spectrum. Check out below.

Nina Ricci Small Tote | Click Here for Purchase

Sea Bags Kevlar Tote | Click Here for Purchase

Angela Adams Seagull Recycled Sail Tote | Click Here for Purchase

Roxy Dock Canvas Tote | Click Here for Purchase

Barneys New York Rope Tote | Click Here for Purchase

Diane von Furstenberg Sara Balloon Tote | Click Here for Purchase

Ralph Lauren Trulo Nautical Hobo | Click Here for Purchase

Orla Kiely Tall Ivy Bag | Click Here for Purchase

LL Bean Signature Mariner Leather Tote | Click Here for Purchase

Michael Kors Marina Tote | Click Here for Purchase

Free People Straw & Rope Tote | Click Here for Purchase

J.Jill Rope Handle Beach Tote | Click Here for Purchase

Kate Spade Hit The Dock Rudy | Click Here for Purchase

Sea Bags Gold Claw Tote | Click Here for Purchase

Southern Tastemaker >>> Laura Vinroot Poole

Monday, January 24, 2011

Having first been introduced to Laura Vinroot Poole and her stylish surroundings in the February 2007 issue of Domino Magazine, I have since kept an eye out for any continuing info on this fashion forward boutique owner. Vinroot Poole established Capitol and the Poole Shop in her hometown of Charlotte, NC, making her mark by offering her clients designer labels otherwise found in NYC and abroad. Her instincts to bring high fashion south of the Mason Dixon line has paid off ten fold, and in 2008 moved into a larger retail space designed by her husband, architect Perry Poole. This month's Garden & Gun Magazine highlights the courtyard garden of Capitol, and its prominent focal point, a commissioned two-story wall garden designed by French landscape designer Patrick Blanc.

Garden & Gun Magazine | Feb/Mar 2011 | Love the Patchwork Skirt Vinroot Poole is Wearing -- Reminds Me of my Previous Post on Patchwork Style

Found below are excerpts from Town & Country, featuring Vinroot Poole in 2008; The NY Times Magazine Women's Fashion Spring 2009; Domino Magazine's photographs of the Poole's home (and she is on the cover) -- the interiors inspire themes of Mid Century Modernism, European Flair, and Asian Lines; and be sure to watch the video featuring Capitol and the amazingly lush wall garden.

Town & Country Magazine | April 2008

The NY Times | Spring 2009 | Click Here to Read More

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Domino Magazine | February 2007

Town & Country's Editor Stephen Drucker Moves On

Friday, January 21, 2011

In a previous post from December 6, I mentioned the recent shake up of editors of design magazines. Specifically noted was Stephen Drucker, who had been the editor at House Beautfiul from 2005-2010, and in the Spring of 2010, assumed the editor position at Town & Country magazine. Announced in New York Magazine on Wednesday, was the news that Drucker was leaving T&C, and former editor of Men's Vogue, Jay Fielden, would be filling the position as of March 1. Of course, its so sad to hear of Drucker's departure less than a year of taking the job, but with his experience & skill set I look forward to hearing about his next chapter in the publishing world.

Check out the video below of Stephen Drucker from 2009 (then editor of House Beautiful), talking with Ina Garten about her design for House Beautiful's "Kitchen of the Year"

Spotted >>> Octopus Designs

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Octopus imagery always reminds me of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Octopussy, and Ringo Starr singing Octopus's Garden. So while pulling together some interesting home furnishings offered by Anthropologie for my previous post from 1/16, I couldn't help but take notice when I came across a set of drapery panels with these sea creatures' motif. At first, they seem a little out of place for room decor, but the more I take in the details, the vintage whimsy & play of scale is rather appealing. So then yesterday, I stumble upon the website for Lewis & Sheron, a wholesale fabric seller here in Atlanta, not realizing that they sell fabric by the yard online as well. I quickly looked through their categories of fabric options, and noticed in their "Animal Motif Fabric" an octopus print similar to what I just saw on Anthropologie. Further searching, I turned up that the designer of both prints is Thomas Paul. Paul has designed some exclusive items for Anthroplogie and Duralee, reps his fabric line. Check out some of Paul's vintage illustrations (think Moby Dick) incorporated into contemporary home furnishings & accessories.