Ryan Gainey Book Signing

Friday, August 30, 2013

Ryan Gainey and the front porch of his Decatur home

World renowned master gardener Ryan Gainey will be signing copies of his latest book, The Gathered Garden, at Trinity Mercantile and Design Saturday 8/31 from 10am - 12:30pm. Copies of the book will be on hand at Trinity for purchase. Parking is free and located at the back of the building. To be noted, Decatur will be buzzing this weekend with the AJC Decatur Book Festival happening throughout the weekend.

Gainey has called Decatur home for over 2 decades and his idyllic storybook cottage home & lush property sit a stone's throw from the heart of Downtown. The exterior grounds have been featured in multiple book & magazine publications and the interior (below) of his home has been recently photographed for author Susan Sully's latest work, Houses with Charm: Simple Southern Style. Click here to view more of his garden and watch the attached video below of Gainey discussing Spring's blooms.

Image G&G




Dinner at The Bakery at Cakes & Ale

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Dinner at The Bakery at Cakes & Ale // Wine List

Last night seemed to be the perfect mid-week stop into The Bakery at Cakes & Ale and experience the small plates dinner that Chef David Sweeney is now preparing, Wednesday - Saturday. The evening was beyond spectacular, but in a way that was so intimate and elegantly simple. Chef Sweeney crafts an ever changing menu that incorporates hand selected in-season ingredients....  And we sat at the marble topped bar, which allowed us front row seats of watching our dishes being prepared as well as a personal interaction Chef Sweeney. Photos from our visit above & below....

Chef Sweeney's Work Space 


We ordered a glass of the Pinot Blanc // The Kale, Ginger, Jalapeno, Golden Raisin, Shaved Fennel, Avocado, & Pumpkin Seed Salad // The Grilled Squash, Pickled Fairy Tale Eggplant, Roasted Corn, Pimentos, Tomato, & Burrata // Served with wedges of toasted bread


Flammkuchen - Flatbread with Bacon, Gruyere, Onion, Thyme, Caraway Seed, and Kraut


Cappuccino, Macchiato, Mudslide Cookie, and Raspberry Macaroons

Images Are Mine

ON THE MARKET

Tuesday, August 27, 2013


The Buckhead home, whose kitchen graced the cover of Dwell's June 2012 issue (seen above), is currently on the market....   Houston based designer Barbara Hill took to completely revamping the traditional Mediterranean-style stucco home into one that translates clean lined contemporary living. Listing details here and included below are images of the interiors featured in Dwell.








Images Dwell

Tom Scheerer

Monday, August 26, 2013

Tom Scheerer // Photographed at his Union Square Office

The groundswell continues to build in anticipation as the release date draws closer (September 10) of Tom Scheerer Decorates. Seasoned interior designer Tom Scheerer was named to Elle Decor's 2013 A-List, recent work is featured in the September issue of House Beautiful, and yesterday's T Magazine Women's Fall Issue includes images of Scheerer at work in his Union Square office and his Gramercy Park studio apartment.

Union Square Office

Gramercy Park Studio

Gramercy Park Studio
Images T Magazine



WEEK REVIEW >>> Eye Catching Articles

Friday, August 23, 2013

The Premier Blue Diamond
Image NYT

  • The New York Times features the details of Sotheby's upcoming auction in Hong Kong on October 7 and the sale of the very rare Premier Blue Diamond (seen above), expected to bring around $19 million.
  • ScoutMob highlights the recently launched weekly web magazine The Bitter Southerner, a site devoted to recognizing great Southern rooted stories, artisans, and livelihood.
  • One Kings Lane co-founder Susan Feldman jets off with home-decor designer Michael Aram to South India. Following their return, the pair file their must read Insider's Travel Guide.
  • The recipe journal 101 Cookbooks is also responsible for the online pantry shop QUITOKEETO (which is open at select times throughout the year, now being one of them). Read more about the Yellow Tomato Bloody Mary recipe using Daphnis and Chloe hand picked Greek herbs.
  • The Wall Street Journal writes of an additional shared relationship of Chefs Mary Sue Miliken & Susan Feniger, known as the "Too Hot Tamales", stemming from their fittingly titled and successful Food Network TV show (it aired in the mid-90s & I was a HUGE fan). Friends & business partners for 30+ years, the pair have an architect in common, one that they have both been married to.


Thank You!

Thursday, August 22, 2013


Many Thanks for Your Continued Support of my Duchess Fare + One Kings Lane Vintage & Market Finds page....  Included above are recent sales....  I keep an eye out for interesting one-of-a-kinds & period decor, perfect additions to round out the overall appeal of any room!

UPDATE >>> Randolph-Lucas House

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Randolph-Lucas House

I've been passing by the Randolph-Lucas House up in Buckhead and noticing that the home is undergoing preparations for making its journey down Peachtree, where it will permanently reside in Ansley Park. Crews responsible for the home's move, which is slated to happen at the end of August, are dismantling exterior & interiors details, and splitting the house into 2 parts. Owners Christopher Jones and Roger Smith expect travel time to be less than 2 hours, and in an effort to have as little impact on traffic as possible, the home will be moved in the middle of the night. Click here to listen for more from a recent NPR interview and watch the video below of Wright Mitchell, founder & president of the Buckhead Heritage Society, discuss the multifaceted process.

 

EAT ME at Candler Park Market

Monday, August 19, 2013

Candler Park Market (left) located at the crossroads of McLendon Avenue & Clifton Road and Chef Jarrett Stieber (right)

EAT ME at Candler Park Market....  So, this is pretty fantastic and happening weeknights, Monday - Friday 7-10pm. Chef Jarrett Stieber (an Empire State South alum) takes over the kitchen at the Candler Park Market, preparing snacks & small plates crafted from in-season and locally sourced ingredients. Ashley Thaxton handles the sweet side of things, and we got a chance to sample her freshly made mini pecan tarts and oatmeal chocolate chip cream pies when we stopped in on Friday. A copy of the menu from last week is attached below....  make a date to go & try!



BOOKS >>> "A Very Young...."

Friday, August 16, 2013


Do you remember these books? A Very Young.... series by author & photographer Jill Krementz, published in the late 1970s. I would pour over these images as a kid -- a day/year in the life of the skater, the dancer --  and I still have my copy of A Very Young Gymnast. My niece has spent part of her summer vacation at pony camp, so I thought ordering her A Very Young Rider would make a fitting birthday present.


David Sweeney

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Chef David Sweeney

Just in case I haven't made it crystal clear how highly I recommend enjoying a meal handcrafted by Chef David Sweeney, let me give you 2 more reasons.....   Chef Sweeney not only handles the lunch service at the bakery/cafe side of things at Cakes & Ale, he will now be serving his signature dishes at dinner time, Wednesday-Saturday. Also, you can find him on Sunday evenings over at Octane in Grant Park, prepping small bites with ingredients selected straight from the neighborhood's Sunday morning farmers market. Included below is a video of Chef Sweeney filmed at his groundbreaking (and unfortunately now closed) restaurant, Dynamic Dish....   watch for more about this creative culinary artist, his method, and mission.

Chris Mead & Zoe Hoare

Monday, August 12, 2013

Chris Mead and Zoe Hoare, pictured with their pup Mali

The Hamptons based antique dealers (and couple) Chris Mead & Zoe Hoare (above) live in a historic saltbox style home circa 1748, crafted with wood re-purposed from the hull of a boat. The home's grounds and interiors have been featured in numerous shelter magazines (most recently Country Living 6/12) and published in Rooms to Inspire by the Sea. The pair set to furnishing the space with a mix of treasured accessory collections, time softened fabrics, and period pieces. Lucky for us, we can experience living among this storied home, because it is available for rent during July and August....  Click here for details and see their signature style & design below....

A Few Notes....
  • Chris Mead owns English Country Antiques, a go-to resource for designers in need of interesting fine home furnishings.
  • Zoe Hoare owns Chez Zoe*, offering antiques and accessories with an inspired European sensibility and seasoned one of kind decor.
  • Zoe is partners with her mother Appley Hoare, in their London based business, Appley Hoare Antiques.











Images Here & Here

Concerts In The Garden

Saturday, August 10, 2013


The Atlanta Botanical Garden plays host to their annual Summer series, Concerts In The Garden....  We attended last night's show featuring 2 of my very favorite singer/songwriters, Mary Chapin Carpenter & Shawn Colvin. Friends for 30 years, the pair take the stage together, singing songs from each of their repertoires as well as tunes from beloved colleagues...   a video from a 2012 performance together attached below.

A few details....  tickets are general admission, with open lawn seating. Its first come/first serve, so attendants can line up at the gates prior to their opening (an hour before the performance), to guarantee a spot up close to the stage. All food & drinks are provided through the Garden. Atlanta's Metro Fresh handles the catering and pre-orders can be made online up to 72 hours before the concert. The parking deck makes parking super easy, with access from the Garden's main entrance off of Piedmont as well as access from Monroe Drive.



All In The Family....

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Lola, Jemima, and Domino Kirke

I've talked previously about trios of sisters - the accomplished and beautiful Gummer & Miller girls - and I'm now adding the British born/New York City bred Kirke sisters to the roster....    Oldest Domino is a musician and sought after doula based in Brooklyn; second in line, Jemima is a painter (received her fine arts degree from RISD), as well as an actress on the HBO series Girls; and youngest Lola is an actress and model. All three take their artistic cues from their inspiring parents, father Simon Kirke is the drummer for the band Bad Company, and mother Lorraine Kirke casts a wide net within the realm of design. She is the proprietor of Geminola (named for her 3 daughters plus her son Greg), a vintage and custom fashion/home shop located in NYC's West Village neighborhood (where all 3 Kirke girls serve as models & muses)....  and she is also a noted interior designer. Included below are images of the Kirke family's Washington Square Park brownstone (with interiors by Lorraine) that Elle Decor featured in 1997, plus, a video highlighting the timeless style of Geminola, with custom designs modeled by Domino, Jemima, and Lola....









Images Elle Decor


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