Happy Halloween!

Wednesday, October 31, 2012


I'm such a sucker for nostalgia....  So, in honor of Halloween, I have to share my all time favorite movie, The Worst Witch (1986). A stellar cast includes Tim Curry, Diana Rigg, Charlotte Rae, and a very young Fairuza Balk. This film is based off of the books by English author Jill Murphy, and originally released in the UK. I remember seeing it when HBO would broadcast The Worst Witch around Halloween in the mid-late 80s.... Check out the first part (of 7 total available on YouTube) attached below....

Charlotte Rae, Diana Rigg, Tim Curry, & Fairuza Balk


Notable Book Signings....

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Tonight, Tuesday 10/30 7-9pm, Huff Harrington Home hosts author Danielle Rollins and her recently released Soiree: Entertaining with Style.



Saturday, November 2nd from 12-2pm, Stanton Home Furnishings hosts author James Strickland and his architectural home design book Coming Home: The Southern Vernacular House.



Thursday, November 8th 7pm, Barnes & Noble in Buckhead hosts design duo Bob & Cortney Novogratz and their recently published second book Home by Novogratz.

UPDATE >>> Randolph-Lucas House

Wright Mitchell, President of the Buckhead Heritage Society, in front of the Randolph-Lucas House

The Randolph-Lucas House, the historic home that I featured in a previous post, has received an 120 day reprieve from a fate of demolition. Buckhead Heritage Society, supporters of its preservation, announced they have signed an agreement with the condo association of 2500 Peachtree Road, the current owners of this Georgian style residence, for a 4 month time extension to secure a new owner. The home will need to be moved to a new site, estimated at a cost of around $350,000....  Watch the attached video for more.

Juan Montoya

Monday, October 29, 2012

One of my daily morning reads is New York Social Diary....  A post from last week highlighted the exquisite grounds and home of interior designer Juan Montoya. Mr. Montoya and his partner Urban Karlsson hosted a  lunch for friends and neighbors, at their country home located in the Hudson Valley, NY area.

Main House

Looking Onto The Guest House

The exterior of the home is everything you'd imagine a retreat to be, with materials selected that make this newly built structure seamlessly blend into the original landscape. I realized that I had kept a photo of the exterior of the guest house from when it was featured in the June 2004 issue of Elle Decor magazine. NYSD's post also included images of the guest house, and in the span of 8 years (2004-2012) since the interiors were published in Elle Decor, some decorative details have been reworked but for the most part, the space remains intact....   Images below....

Guest House Exterior | Elle Decor June 2004



Guest House Interior -- same view above(Elle Decor) & below (NYSD)





Guest House Interior -- same view above (Elle Decor) and below (NYSD)





Guest House Interior -- same view above (Elle Decor) and below (NYSD)





Exterior Grounds -- same view above (Elle Decor) and below (NYSD)






Mr. Montoya recently released La Formentera: The Woodland Refuge of Juan Montoya, which includes a rich collection of awe inspiring imagery of his country home's 70+ acre landscape....  Ponds, trails, scenery, and sculpture photographed by Eric Piasecki during various seasons throughout the year.

Thank You!

Friday, October 26, 2012


Many Thanks for Your Continued Support of My Duchess Fare + One Kings Lane Vintage & Market Finds Page....  Pictured Above, Recent Sales of an Assortment of My Hand-Selected Interesting Decor....

Clever Dripper


I've never been much of a coffee drinker (we've never owned a machine)....  Espresso on the other hand, YES Please! But, following a tour of our local coffee roaster Batdorf & Bronson and getting to chance to savor different style beans & learn about brewing techniques, I've started making a cup (or two) in the morning.

I have Jason Dominy to thank for turning me onto the perfect 1 cup maker -- the Clever Dripper. The Clever Dripper design works two-fold...  It allows for a neat & contained brewing process to occur when set on a flat surface and when placed over the rim of a coffee cup, the draining mechanism at the underside is triggered and brewed coffee flows into your cup. This coffee making method couldn't be easier.... You'll need:

  • Clever Dripper
  • Paper Filter (I use #4)
  • Just Boiling Water
  • 2 Tablespoons of Ground Beans, Set on a Coarse Grind (I have been drinking Dancing Goats Blend)
  • Coffee Cup

Place the paper filter in the Clever Dripper and set on top of your cup. Boil up some water and coat the paper filter, letting the water drain through into your cup (this step also helps to warm your cup). Once the water has completely filtered through into your cup, remove the Clever Dripper from the top of the cup and set on a flat surface. Add about 2 nice sized tablespoons of coffee grounds to the filter (at this step, add more or less grounds depending on how strong or weak you drink your coffee). Boil up about 12oz of water and pour into the Clever Dripper, slowly over the coffee. Set your timer for 4 minutes and allow the coffee to brew. Once the time is up, discard the hot water that has been in your cup (keeping it warm), place the Clever Dripper on top of your cup, and allow your freshly brewed hot coffee to drain....  Discard your filter/grounds and rinse the Clever Dripper of any remaining coffee liquid and set out to dry. Enjoy!

Watch Jason brew the perfect cup on the attached video below....

Visual Artistry....

Wednesday, October 24, 2012











Thea Beasley
Images AH&L

The design eye of some are just beyond the everyday expectations....  As in the case of the home of stylist Thea Beasley (above), who has created a space that pulls so much emotion from me, I don't know where to begin to describe....  Is it in Paris or NYC?  Is it present day or chapter from the past? Just accept what it is -- pure genius design!

In fact, this home is located in Marietta, GA, in a 100+ year old building, with which Thea was the first to inhabit in the historic downtown area. These images were featured in the Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles November 2010 issue, where Thea credits her love of collecting and extensive travel as main influences that continue to evolve the overall design of the home.

I got a chance to cross paths with Thea around 2002, when she & I worked briefly together....  It was the holiday season, and as a side project she was making Angel Christmas ornaments. I bought one from her and it hangs on our tree every year since.....

Fabulous Beekman Boys in ATL

Tuesday, October 23, 2012


Follow up info from my previous post....   The Fabulous Beekman Boys, Brent Ridge & Josh Kilmer-Purcell (pictured below), will be featured guests at Country Living magazine's FAIR on Saturday 10/27. The pair are scheduled for a cooking demo at 1pm with a meet n' greet to follow.....

But, prior to heading out to Stone Mountain, The Cook's Warehouse is hosting Brent & Josh at the Morningside Farmers Market at 9am for a book signing of their cookbook, The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Cookbook. Copies will be available for purchase on site....  Check out the attached video below of Brent & Josh preparing Strawberry Galette, a recipe included in the book.



Country Living FAIR


Country Living magazine hosts its annual FAIR here in Atlanta this Friday, Saturday, & Sunday 10/26-10/28 at Stone Mountain Park. This event is brimming over with all things lifestyle....  Artisans and vendors selling their handcrafted wares, vintage & antique decor, cooking & product demonstrations, editors of the magazine hosting panel discussions, and much more! Tickets are available here....  and watch the video below for a little insight.

Fall Flavor at Bella Cucina

Monday, October 22, 2012

Porta Via

About a week ago, we stopped into Porta Via, (Bella Cucina's retail boutique located in the heart of the Virginia Highland neighborhood), for a quick bite and stock up of pantry needs. With Halloween just around the corner, and Thanksgiving not too far beyond, preparing dishes with classic flavors of Fall are a must and Bella has got you covered!

**10/23 UPDATE:  Porta Via is hosting a Fall cooking class and demo Thursday 10/25 at 7pm, tickets are $15...  Contact the store for more details**


Bella Cucina's Walnut Sage Pesto (above) and Sweet Pumpkin Pesto (below) are two perfect ideas for incorporating a roasted nuttiness and/or sweetness to favorite recipes....  Get cooking with creator and founder of Bella Cucina Alisa Barry's recipe for Roasted Pumpkin & Sage Risotto below....

images above are mine




ROASTED PUMPKIN + SAGE RISOTTO
1 Medium sweet pumpkin
4 cups organic chicken broth
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 cup yellow onion, chopped
1 tbsp. garlic, chopped
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup canaroli or vialone nano rice
1 cup Pumpkin Pesto
1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup Parmesean cheese
Roasting the Pumpkin:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cut the top off of the pumpkin and remove the pulp and seeds from the inside. {Save the seeds for roasting later}.
Rub the pumpkin lightly with olive oil and place on a parchment-lined sheetpan. Bake in the middle rack of the oven until golden brown and soft, about 45 minutes to an hour. The flesh of the pumpkin should be tender and easily pierced with a fork. Keep warm until ready to serve with the risotto.
Making the risotto:
Heat broth on low simmer until ready to use. In a medium- size saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Saute the onions and garlic until soft. Add white wine and reduce by half, stirring occassionally to make sure all of the rice is evenly coated and does not burn on the bottom. Turn heat to medium high. Stirring continuously, add broth by 1/2 cup increments. As the liquid evaporates, add more. Within 20 minutes , taste for a creamy texture . Add pesto and continue stirring until risotto is al dente. Stir in mascarpone and Parmesan cheese just until blended. Serve at once with fried sage leaves and grated cheese.
Making the fried sage leaves: 
You can cook these just before making the risotto. 
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
10-12 fresh sage leaves, washed and dried.
Heat the butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the sage leaves and cook just until crisp, the butter will be foamy and just turning a light brown. Remove the pan from the heat and with a slotted spoon, transfer the sage leaves to a paper- lined plate. Set aside until Ready to use.


The Essence of Eating begins with the Art of Food
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry


Noteworthy....

As of October 1, the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center, referred to as ADAC, revised its to-the-trade-only policy, and now opens its doors (and numerous showrooms) to the public. In celebration, ADAC has been hosting a ton of great panel discussions, featuring noted local and regional talents in the design field....  These past couple of weeks highlighted Atlanta based design bloggers giving insight into today's trends, keynote presentations with designers on a range of topics, and authors of recently published books on hand for conversation & book signing.

An upcoming date to note.....  Thursday 11/1 & Friday 11/2, ADAC hosts the editors of Elle Decor, House Beautiful, & Veranda, in addition to other distinguished designers, for a 2 day event titled "Dream Design and Discover ADAC". Details below and click here to register.




October 1 also kicked off the premiere of a design project pairing 12 local interior designers with 12 of ADAC's furniture & accessories showrooms, in crafting a series of decorative vignettes. The 6 month feature is called ADAC: Behind the Windows. Interior designer Karen Hott was selected and partnered with Beau Studio....  photos of their competed space are below.....  {Karen and I both graduated from Sweet Briar College, she was a couple of years ahead of me, but we became friends when I moved to Atlanta some 15 years ago through mutual classmates.}






Stylesetter >>> Sarah Norwood

Friday, October 19, 2012

Todd, Sarah, and Archer Norwood | Country Living 11/12
photographed in front of their restored carriage house

The country home of stylesetter Sarah Norwood, her husband Todd, and their son Archer is featured in the November 2012 issue of Country Living magazine. The family's retreat (located about 3 hours north of their city home in Brooklyn, NY) showcases Sarah's talent at skillfully mixing design elements from a varied period of styles - fine layered with plain layered with modern - when furnishing their 1840s home & carriage house.... Pick up a copy to see more.

Sarah, an Atlanta, GA native, has had previous design work published in House Beautiful magazine.... A family affair in with which she and her mother Carol Curtis (also a designer) take to completing the interiors of Curtis's Atlanta home. The photos were featured in the HB February 2008 issue and I've included them below....







Images HB


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