Walking Around Copley Square at Night

We left San Francisco early on the Saturday morning before Memorial Day, wearing scarves and cashmere under our linen overcoats. We flew east over the greening land of early June and the puffy clouds for five hours, then descended through the thick, opaque cloud cover, spiraled downwards over Marblehead, Cape Cod and Salem, and landed in Boston. Warm at last.

We stayed over in the old part of Boston that night before heading to Marblehead the next day for a few nights relaxation by the sea. I loved walking with my husband on an early Saturday evening after a delicious dinner on Newbury Street near Copley Square.

And why shouldn't I? The air was soft and warm with gentle breezes. I loved the contrast between the old, old buildings and cobblestones and the hip young design shops at night.

love the pinks and greens (kind of French preppy look!)

of the fresh springy palette at Madura

I was delighted to spot my favorite French

prête à poser shop, Madura, near Copley Square

brilliant palette at Madura

more vibrant colors at Madura

Kartell Boston was celebrating its 20th

anniversary with a very cool window

display featuring heads of designers

and quotes from them

classic Kartell..transluscent cubes holding

a row of Cindy table lamps in brilliant colors, in

front of a row of the iconic Louis Ghost

chairs in colors

I love this wacky photo showing my

dark silhouette standing in front of the Kartell

window with an illuminated

transit map of Boston behind me

I even like this graphic map of the

Boston peninsula and bay area

classic Bostonian statue of

George Washington himself

hip display window for shoe store

on Newbury Street

a dreamlike image of

the swan boats in the lake near old town Boston

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............................

for help creating a beautiful new look

for your home or event, in the San Francisco Bay Area

or virtually anywhere else,

call or email me

kit@kitgolson.com

650.302.6883

Kit Golson Design

for elegant, sustainable and pragmatic

Chic Provence Interior Design

A Sumptuous Dining Room in San Francisco

We've been away for almost two weeks, celebrating weddings and graduations with family back east and I'll post more on that visit later! For now, an incredibly beautiful, sumptuous room in the hills of San Francisco overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge.

When I visited the San Francisco Decorator Showcase the stunning showstopper dining room in the venerable mansion was the brilliant work of Suzanne Tucker, acclaimed as one of the top 100 designers in the world by Architectural Digest. She created a most inviting room with a gorgeous tablescape set for a festive celebration. My photographs do not do this room justice!

the table is set using natural elements combined with elegant

china and glassware: the huge rock crystal forms the base of the centerpiece,

the use of succulents (so modern!) in textured silver vases, of sea urchins and

spiny flowers in coral, and those gorgeous amethyst hurricanes

things I love about this room:

1. the warm color scheme of yellow and brown with accents in complementary colors amethyst and coral

2. the brilliant use of detailing on those gorgeous chairs to give them an "outline" against the pale carpet and white tablecloth

3. the natural elements she brought into the elegant mix: sea coral, the huge rock crystal, the organic form of the lamp

4 .the mix of traditional furnishings with modern twist in the chairs, the art, and the collections displayed in the case

the very welcoming bar is a study in

balance: the large modern canvas offsets the

warm traditional wood table and floor; the spiky lamp

is a counterpoint to the smooth silver and crystal

martini, anyone?

***

.........................................

if you would like help creating a beautiful new look

for your home or event, either in the San Francisco Bay Area

or virtually anywhere else,

call or email me

kit@kitgolson.com

650.302.6883

Kit Golson Design

for elegant, sustainable and pragmatic

Chic Provence Interior Design

"It's Always Sunrise Somewhere"

If Father Time looks kindly on those who love clocks, hourglasses, watches, calendars & metronomes, then Brian Dittmar is in full grace. Captivated as a child by his grandfather's pocket watches, Brian's early love of clocks actually informed his later decision to pursue a career in interior design and architecture. The grandfather clocks he saw in museums on the east coast had architectural details on top: pediments, columns..small classical structures that fascinated him, and he later realized those led him to an early love of architecture.

A small room on the third floor under the eaves of a stately San Francisco mansion is now the hideaway for Brian's imaginary l'Horloger to spend quiet moments contemplating the passage of time and tinkering with the instruments of timekeeping. A fastidious attention to detail is a hallmark of this enchanting room designed for the San Francisco Decorator Showcase 2010.

Let's pause for a moment for a short visit with Brian:

display of vintage objects that mark the passing of time:

hourglasses, orbital sphere, clock

a setting (the photo shows part of a symmetrical arrangement)

includes a mid-century clock on the wall, reference

to ancient Greece in the Klismos chairs, and an iPod docking

station with digital time read outs

relaxed and smiling, Brian is seated in the chair

he designed as a direct reference to a casework (grandfather)

clock in front of the mirror etched with wise words about Time itself

three of Brian's grandfather's pocket watches

displayed in front of a vintage globe

an incredible view of San Francisco Bay, Marin County,

the Presidio and the Golden Gate Bridge

from the window next to the desk

Diane Dorrans Saeks did a wonderful blog post about the process of becoming a showcase designer and Brian's design decisions on The Style Saloniste...be sure to check it out for many more fascinating insights!

............................

for help creating a beautiful new look

for your home or event, in the San Francisco Bay Area

or virtually anywhere else,

call or email me

kit@kitgolson.com

650.302.6883

Kit Golson Design

for elegant, sustainable and pragmatic

Chic Provence Interior Design

Why I Love Kandinsky

"I applied streaks and blobs of colors onto the canvas with a

palette knife and I made them sing with all the intensity I could...."

~Wassily Kandinsky

That pretty much sums it up.

***

Get out there and apply some streaks and blobs!

Have a wonderful, colorful, creative and unihibited week!

Happy Monday!

***

Question: Would the brilliance of a

Kandinsky go a long way in breathing some life back into these

listlessly lissome and lifelessly anemic all white rooms?

What I'm saying is, couldn't these rooms use a little color?

Or are they already perfect?

What do you think?

***

.........................................

in 2010, it's:

Kit Golson Design

for elegant, sustainable and pragmatic

Chic Provence Interior Design

If We Hurry We Can Just Make It :) Auction in Provence This Weekend

When I lived in France, I was always on the lookout for fabulous things. One treasured house in the Gard region of Provence is holding one of their auctions this Sunday..shall we hop on over? Book us on the Air France into Marseilles tout de suite, and hope le volcano stays quiet for little while longer. We don't want to miss this Provence auction.

Look at some of the fantastic objets we can bring home! Are you in?

yellow tole chinoiserie pagoda double birdcages, XXeme

pair of corner cabinets in red with gold detail, XVIIIeme...stunning with those sculpted edges!

quirky and enchanting signed bronze by Christian MAAS, XXeme...LOVE this!

six mahogany chairs, Restauration XIXeme..these could do nicely!

important trumeau mirror in green lacquered wood, epoque Louis XVI..

every chic home should have one!

stone and polychrome sculpture of St. Peter, XIVeme...for a hint

of the religious antiquities in the home

bust of Mme Recamiere in marble, XIXeme..isn't she utterly elegant?

pair of Chinese porcelain urns in the favorite blue and white

pagoda village design...calling Beth Connolly (aka Chinoiserie Chic)!

confiturier in silver, antique..would be just the elegant little

sculptural touch in a simple, clean-lined interior

console in creme lacquer and faux marble, XVIIIeme..gorgeous

in your hallway, perhaps, Madame?

gorgeous collection of opaline glassware that would

look fabulous in a modern, white interior scheme

the faun of Pompeii bronze statue...just so we remember just

who we are and what we love!

stunning table from late XVIIeme...move over Vicente Wolf!!

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our destination!

how we'll get there

what we'll eat there!

Eh bien, if we miss this auction, there will be another, and I will happily arrange a trip and tour, including helping you shop at the auction and flea markets and ship your things home, and a wonderful tour of the Provence region tailor made for you by me and my sister-in-law. What are you waiting for? We will have a fantastic time...allons!

.........................................

in 2010, it's:

Kit Golson Design

for elegant, sustainable and pragmatic

Chic Provence Interior Design