The Pink Chair & Camellia Snow

I'm happy to see all the pink everywhere again. And this little French Louis.."ahem"..chair from the flea market would look fabulous in some new pink, don't you think? So at the design center, I found these sumptuous Lorca jacquards made in France and Italy, through Osborne & Little. They all work perfectly with the vintage velvet I found at an estate sale the other day...four yards in perfect condition for $5!

Then, while working on this little project, I happened to look outside my studio window...and saw that our rainstorms have created a virtual carpeting of camellias on the soggy ground...gorgeous camellia snow!

Now... I'd love to know what you think: which fabrics, and in what combinations? Or just go with one fabric... which one? Such a delightful dilemma!

big, bountiful roses!

when I paused to look out the window, this

is the beauty I saw in the rain

this incredibly beautiful cotton velvet I bought

the other day at an estate sale in the neighborhood

two different camellia bushes lost their

blossoms in today's storm

I do like this pattern with pansies and

a larger whiter background...

our ground could not get any soggier!

this is a really pretty rose petal pattern, but

my daughter thought it looked like seashells...hmmm?

the side pathway looks like it needs shoveling with a snow shovel..so

beautiful against the dark earth!

***

Benjamin Moore paints I pulled that would work with

any of these fabric choices...can you spot the one

they have called identical to Pantone's Color of the Year?

(hint: it's in the first column)

I, for one, was really happy

with Pantone's color

choice for 2011... so far

we need a lot of this color

in our weary world

***

while browsing for additional Lorca fabrics

I found these gorgeous embroidered

linens and velvets on the Interior Library site

***

Thanks for visiting! Kit

Astonishing...

Does anyone else find this room as gorgeous as I do?

it speaks to me of springtime, hope and beautiful beginnings

I could spend a lot of time here...

***

via San Francisco Magazine (print, not online)

article and photography direction by Diane Dorrans Saeks,

also of The Style Saloniste

this is the Nob Hill home of architect

Andrew Skurman and

his wife Francoise Skurman;

Andrew designed the amazing table base;

Francoise's silver adorns the table filled

with peonies she arranged;

together they collected the painting

by Cy Twombly's son

***

painting: Fall of Icarus by Alessandro Twombly

table base fabricated by Tom Dixon

Mars chairs

Provence Glassware: Diners en Ville, Paris

Empire candlesticks: Odiot, Paris

Bernardaud porcelain

Puiforcat silver flatware

Silver pieces French heirlooms

Etching: Bromphenol Blue, Damien Hirst

Photography by JD Peterson

***

thanks for visiting .. Kit

Sunday is Macaroon Day in France :)

I know, enough with the macaroons already! But we cannot help ourselves...they are such delectable little morsels, so beautiful, so... darn happy! The French love them so much that Sunday, March 20 is the 5th Annual Macaroon Day in France! You can taste different macaroons all over Paris...if you happen to be there. If not, you can enjoy this video from Ladurée sharing their secrets (in French) to making the beloved macaroons in their famous kitchen. Be sure to visit their site too, it's a great little diversion at the end of a very difficult week for us all.

Enjoy!

***

this is enjoyable, even in French, and the chef's kind of cute too...oh

the Kate Winslet bit at the beginning is in English:

click here to

Thanks for visiting! xxx Kit

La Petite Maison du Village in St. Remy

This artlessly chic guesthouse in the heart of St. Remy, in the heart of Provence, captivates me. The warm colors of the furnishings, the art, the walls and floors immediately signal welcoming comfort. Traditionally Provençal in design, the 18th C. maison has been flawlessly renovated with a modern edge that doesn't let you forget you have arrived (luckily!) in one of the hippest villages in tout France!

stepping into this wonderful room is a feast for the designers' eye:

black and white marble tile and limestone fireplace set the stage;

the gorgeous pillows that subtly reference the "fabrics du soliel" ...

the traditional Provençal fabrics with a modern twist are cushy and

welcoming; the chandelier, the painting and the quatrefoil panel

leaning artlessly against the wall all speak of casually chic Provençal elegance

this little vignette tucked under the stairs welcomes

with its vintage iron daybed done with warm corals, deep

aubergines and lots of striped pillows that evoke the feeling

of awnings in a St. Tropez beach house; gorgeous

tomettes on the floor, the easy campaign table and the

modern art photography on the wall .. love them all!

linen upholstered headboards always create a feeling of cozy comfort;

paired with those ruffled soft Euro pillows and the deep

rose color bedcover, the perfect setting for a good night's rest; I

love the way the sconces reference the shape of antlers without

actually being antlers!

this Directoire bed sets an elegant tone for this full height bedroom; the deep

purple of the bedcover and upholstered head and footboard

are accented with the poufy lavender pillows;

the silver and acrylic lamps are very chic with the rich palette and

keep the room anchored in modernity; the gauzy but deeply colored

curtains are perfect for keeping the bright Provençal sun at bay

this sweet room has it all for your petit dejeuner (in winter or

bad weather... otherwise you're outside on the patio!) before

heading out to explore the village:

warm woods, tile floor, French doors that let in

a lot of natural light, rich wine-colored walls

the lovely lacy sign outside lets you know there is

something very special going on inside...please come in!

a friendly, comfortable suite is perfect for a family for relaxing;

the linen chaise and the deep rose daybed invite relaxing and lingering;

the terracotta floor is cool to the touch and the deep purple

gauzy curtains again are perfect...unfussy and elegant in their simplicity

a French door to the patio, hexagonal

tomettes on the floor, the elegant rosy

curtain hung simply with rings on an

iron rod, the two-color painted wall

and that little coolie lampshade

all speak of Provençal chic

the most is made of this room under the eaves with gauzy curtains letting

in lots of natural light; the room is welcoming with the plush wine and

rust colors of the sofa and the bergeres; light wood floors keep the mood

clean and simply elegant

charmingly Provençal bathroom with its deep window sill, double

porcelain sinks, painted walls, individual framed mirrors and

adorable sconces make the daily toilette a joy!

the palette throughout the guesthouse features these

rich earthen tones of aubergines, lavenders, wines and

rusts...the colors of Provence

***

and happily there is a Diptyque shop right here..

the iconic logo and packaging speak of the

ultimate in chic scents for body and home

a green Diptyque candle just

for your

St. Patrick's Day

all images from La Maison du Village

***

Thanks for visiting!

xoxo Kit

A Gentler Time in the Land of the Rising Sun

help by donating here

***

When my beautiful niece Zoe was just a little twinkie (she's 20 now) she loved the early Japanese animé film, My Neighbor Totoro (1988). We watched it over and over again. The story takes you back to a simpler time (1958) when the Kusakabe family moves to an old house in rural Japan. Soon after moving in, the little girls discover magic all around and this gentle, sweet and slightly edgy story unfolds. The soundtrack is unforgettable; I still hum some of the songs in my mind.

Roger Ebert hailed My Neighbor Totoro as one of his "Great Movies," calling it "one of the lovingly hand-crafted works of Hayao Miyazaki.. It is rich with human comedy in the way it observes the two remarkably convincing lifelike little girls... It is a little sad, a little scary, a little surprising and a little informative, just like life itself. It ... suggests that the wonder of life and the resources of imagination supply all the adventure you need."

I just wonder how many Japanese parents might have turned to this gentle little film to bring some comfort to their children in these last few incomprehensibly difficult days following the earthquake & tsunami that has changed their beloved Japan forever.

a happy day fishing in the stream in the Japanese

countryside ca. 1958... Totoro and the girls..

Totoro has

subsequently made cameo appearances

in Toy Story3 and South Park

Mei running with her new friends in the forest

if you listen to the "Totoro" song, I promise you will

be singing it all day long!

***

the following Japanese fabrics and designs seem like they

could have been from 1958, a happier and simpler time

***

help Japanese Quake relief here too by buying

Jill's beautiful notecards:

my friend Jill of The Artful Bee created these

limited edition notecards

to benefit Japanese Quake relief

to order: jill@artfulbee.com

Thank you for visiting! xoxo Kit