Orange & Blue...Suddenly New!

Orange paired with blue is everywhere these days. Although the combination of these two strong colors is not for everyone, there is no question that a little orange adds a lot of energy and zing to a room.

When orange is used with blue, a good bit of white should be part of the design plan, too. That makes it very fresh and appealing. Here's how George Smith does it:

A George Smith Orange Linen Print

A Classic George Smith Chair in Orange

A George Smith Linen in Blue Print

And here are two rooms using Harlequin fabrics and wallpapers:

I Love This White Sofa With Orange and Blue Pillows!

A Modern Fresh Take On Orange and Blue

From My Collection of Fabrics: French Jacquard in Orange &

Ancient Toile de Jouey in Blue

Que pense tu?

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Kit Golson Design

for elegant, sustainable and pragmatic

Chic Provence Interior Design

Hello Girlfriends...You Might Like It Here!

You know, I don't know, it's just a feeling....I could be wrong,

but I'm guessing...women live here, right?

all photos courtesy Harlequin

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Kit Golson Design

for elegant, sustainable and pragmatic

Chic Provence Interior Design

The Romantic Soul of Stanford University

Inspired by her travels to the Piazza San Marco in Venice, and built by Jane Stanford in 1903 as a memorial to her husband, the Memorial Chapel is the irresistibly romantic soul of one of the most innovative and intellectual centers for the development of modern, high technology.

Built in a period of American eclecticism, the Chapel is Romanesque in form with semi-circular arches, symmetry and massive quality; yet Byzantine in detail, with extensive mosaics and foliate stone carvings. The original building featured a huge quatrefoil window in its facade, which was damaged in the earthquake of 1906, and subsequently replaced with the arched window we see today.

Gorgeous Mosaics by Venetian Artist

Maurizio Camerino Adorn the Facade

(this gorgeous photo is by Jill Clardy; the rest of the photos below were taken

by me with my iPhone while I waited for a friend)

Foliated Stone Carved Arches and Mosaics of the Facade

Ornate Entry Doorway

Foliated Stone Carved Quatrefoil in the Interior

Memorial Plaque and Detail of Mosaics of the Facade

Flowers Arrangement by my friend Robert Fountain Greets Visitors

If you live in Silicon Valley, you have undoubtedly seen the Stanford Campus with its magnificent architecture, beautiful and natural landscaping, and its Cantor Arts Center and Rodin Sculpture Garden. Go have lunch at the Cantor Cafe, visit the museum and marvel at the collection; then wander through the grounds for a lovely way to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon in Palo Alto.

Then reflect for a moment: you are reading this blog on the internet largely because of the ingenious creativity of the brilliant minds right here at Stanford University. Go visit its soul.

The Gates of Hell, Rodin Sculpture Garden, Cantor Arts Center

The Burghers of Calais, Rodin Sculpture Garden, Cantor Arts Center

Kit Golson Design

for elegant, sustainable and pragmatic

Chic Provence Interior Design

Lonny: Lovely, Exquisite, Accessible, If Not Exactly Tactile

You've undoubtedly heard already about Lonny Magazine, the amazing, wonderful, appetizing new online only magazine that somehow fills the (cyber) soul where Domino left off. Check it out here.

It's full of fabulous design ideas and is instantly addicting (if a little difficult to navigate, but I am sure the smart people over there at Lonny will be tweaking a few things to make that a little smoother). And it's (so far) free! ENJOY!

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Kit Golson Design

for elegant, sustainable and pragmatic

Chic Provence Interior Design

These Pumpkins Are Too Glam For Words!

But they weren't always that way.

When all sixty of them arrived in a big brown box, disheveled and shaken up in the truck ride over the hills from Half Moon Bay, you could almost hear the indignation, stamping off dust and straightening up their stems before looking around to see just where on earth they had been so rudely carted off. Harrumph!

Lined Up and Waiting

the Day Before the Big Event

"What is the Meaning of All This...

and *sniff*..a WATERMELON Box??"

There was almost an audible sigh of relief when they learned that they had been brought in to the very lovely Hidden Villa in Los Altos Hills for starring roles as centerpieces for the annual fundraising dinner with 375 esteemed guests. (Those olive groves...are we in the south of France??)

Follow along as we watch their transformation into gilded, cradled, and, dare we say pampered, petites choux!

The Entry Sign Alongside the Olive Groves

The Tent Set Up Awaiting 35 Tables and 350 Guests

Centerpieces Starring the Humble Pumpkin

the Day Before the Big Event

Amazing How a Little "Bling" Can Even Make a Pumpkin Smile!

This Little Pumpkin Looks Quite Contentedly Cradled

The Big Night: Centerpieces Starring the Humble Pumpkin

on the 35 Tables for Ten Guests Each

The Fence at the Dana Center, Hidden Villa

The dinner was a huge success, raising funds and creating goodwill for this wonderful nonprofit center of sustainable and organic farming 40 miles south of San Francisco. I was happy to design this event for such a uniquely worthwhile venture. Hidden Villa's mission as a nonprofit educational organization is to use organic farm, wilderness and community to teach and provide opportunities to learn about the environment and social justice.

Please visit Hidden Villa to become involved or to make a donation! And if you live in the Bay Area, go visit, bring your kids. You'll love it!

Your Mother Earth will thank you, and those little pumpkins will not have dressed to the "nines" in vain!

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Kit Golson Design

for elegant, sustainable and pragmatic

Chic Provence Interior Design