I do read a few, and most are not written by other decorators, but by lay people, renovating their own homes.

I discovered something. Apparently, if you blog, (or at least, if you blog and I read it) you must use white subway tile.

From Door Sixteen

From Addicted 2 Decor

From Making it Lovely

From Decorno (The picture that made me notice this whole trend.)

From Young House Love

My sister lives in my hometown of Canton, Ohio.  Canton is your typical mid-western small city, struggling for decades to transition to a service economy.  It is my impression that people in Canton really TRY.  They work hard.  Even at The Grotesque.

Brennis is a case in point.  A childhood friend, Brennis owns 2nd April Galerie & Studios.  He works diligently feeding and nurturing Canton’s art scene.  He and his partner, Todd, throw a bash on the First Friday and encourage all their downtown neighbors to participate in a Gallery Hop.  Coincidentally to my sister’s phone call, today Brennis posted pictures from a recent event on his Facebook page.  I stole them and am reposting them here.  (Thanks, Brennie!!) 

They sell First Friday gear.  Maybe my sis will buy me something.

Wood-turned bowl by Marty Chapman

Wood Sculptor Todd Migge

From left to right: Clare Murray Adams, photography by Bob Baker, (top) Kevin Maxwell (bottom), Chris Triner

From left to right: Ted Lawson, Kevin Maxwell, Bev Stafford and BZTAT

On the wall from left to right: Ted Lawson, Bob Davis, Joe Martino, Gail Wetherall-Sack, Linda Hutchinson and Greg Kandis

Glass by KC Glass, X3 Latex Enamel on Paper by Patricia Zinsmeister Parker, Sculpture by Marcy Axelband and Joseph Close

A First Friday.  Must be summer because people are in shorts.

I spy a Christmas Tree, so this one must be more recent. (I told you, I stole the pics!)

I love black and brown together. Add a bit of white and it is the perfect combination for a dog.

I have always wanted a black and brown herringbone club chair. It’s been a fantasy of mine for about 20 years to have a room with a chair like this with a beat up leather sofa and a wall of books.

The room at the top of this post is from Ralph Lauren Home.  It is a little more elegant than the one in my head, but if for some reason Ralph just had to give it to me, I wouldn’t complain.

One day last year I thought my 15 year-old’s outfit was especially cute so I told her so. She said I may want to repeat that to two of her frienemies. She said they told her that Black and Brown together was a Fashion Don’t.  Well, Ms. Know -It-Alls, YOU may want to tell that to Ralph Lauren.

And to the tiny little fashion house known as Dolce & Gabbana.

Don’t forget to inform the lovely Orla Kiely. This Fashion Don’t will set you back $444!

Not the snuggly club-style I imagined, but I have included this chair from William Sonoma Home because it is named Sylvia, just like my mom. (She is in the hospital preparing for surgery today. If this post seems disjoined it is because as I write my sister has phoned me 4 times. She is with my mom today. I will join them in Ohio during the recovery period when I can be more effective.)

From the Classic Color Palette from Benjamin Moore:
Davenport Tan HC-76
Black
Toasted Almond 1098
Plymouth Brown HC-73

And to finish, how ’bout some nice fabric, again from Ralph?

I am going to finish my exaltation over my friend’s house today.  I want you to see some of his artwork.

I managed to take a few photos before my camera died. The whole house is full of well displayed art.

This piece of pottery would look perfect in my home. 

A large photo of Arijit’s family was taken by a famous photographer in India and printed on steel. 

This is their “temporary”  lower Kitchen.  (They have an upper area with custom cabinets of which I didn’t get a photo.)  I love the rich, bright color scheme.  It in no way diminishes the fact that this is a serious cooks’ Kitchen– former restaurant owners that they are.

The  warm use of woods is only half the story over at my friends’ house.  Kirk and Arijit used tile to add color and energy.   The fireplace serves as a repository for many wonderful tiles encountered throughout the entire home. 

Guests are greeted by the tile stairwell upon entering.  The angles at the bottom welcome you into the Living Room.

The upper Kitchen area features a bar made from Indian tiles.  The bar once stood in their restaurant.

The Master Bath features a second room of slate tile walls.  A rain-type shower head was installed in the center of the room.  The large bank of windows overlooking the property creates an effect that nearly mimics showering outdoors.

All the windows and doors have tile accents.  The ceiling transitions have decorative brackets, but sadly I have no picture.  My camera motor is dying and needs a lot of rest.

The moment you enter Kirk and Arijit’s home, you feel an instantaneous connection to nature.  Surely the naturalized landscaping helps set the scene, but the prominent use of wood throughout the space delivers the message. 

Arijit designed the windows and doors.  Bold swaths of teak, inset with colorful tile dominate, but does not overwhelm.  On the contrary, this space is in perfect balance. 

Their coffee table was designed by Arijit’s mother.  The legs telescope up and the sides hinge out so guests need not relocate from their position of comfort to partake in a meal.

I had the pleasure of spending the weekend with my wonderful old friends from college.  The reunion was wonderful and, just as before our long separation, we have much in common. 

But Kirk’s house stole the show. 

(Be aware of the magnitude of this statement.  We went to BROADWAY….)

Kirk is very much an artist.  A Renaissance Man, really.  Having owned an art gallery and a restaurant, and now selling high end real estate, Kirk understands good taste.  He and his partner, Arijit, who is a landscape architect, left the rat race to create an oasis in a field.  A short train ride from the heart of the largest city in America, they have created a sophisticated country haven full of art and beauty.  I loved everything about it.  Their home is rich and warm, full of teak and tile.  Yet it still remains modern and clean.  It is a little bit Indian, a splash Santa Fe, a touch mid-century, a smidgen country cottage, reminds you that you are few miles from Manhattan, and pays homage to my hero Frank Lloyd Wright. 

The original house was comprised of a tiny room with a bedroom above and a lean-to kitchen.  Most of that structure is now the guest room.  Arijit designed the rest of the house to gracefully project behind.  Full of wood, windows and light, the home seems to be rise naturally out of the landscape.

Sitting at the table, enjoying the benefits of having friends that owned a restaurant, I noticed the light over head.  Kirk adorned it with holiday decorations before we arrived. 

Danielle has done her job.  She has scoured flea markets and sent me many photos. And this is me, “No.” “No.”  “No.”  I am sure I was starting to seem like I forgot about the cost of gas and the value of time.  And it would be a miracle if I wasn’t beginning to annoy her.  But  before she went online to find a new decorator, I figured out the solution. 

We need to establish consistency within the mish mash.  The last set of flea market snap shots clarified it for me.  In order for this to work, we would need to match wood tone and balance ornate with plain. And we will have to buy some new. 

I was surprised that there wasn’t many pictures of mixed Dining Chairs in my library.  Interestingly, they all came from different editions of the Better Homes and Gardens New Decorating Book.  (I have all 9–thank you, Ebay.) 

 And I only found three online.  As the project progresses, I will add a forth. 

The June/July 2008 issue of Domino Magazine has an article entitled “One Love, Two Homes”.  Matt Albiani, a photographer living in New York and summering in Long Island, has the preppy look down pat.

You can check out his Manhattan apartment on a video tour.

Now for the summer place, WOW.  Preppy on steroids.  The article describes it as:

“Each summer, Albiani hauls out a few pieces from the city to intermingle with the landlord’s existing furniture, and at each season’s end a few of those items linger.  The result is a two-part seafaring yarn, one the salt of the earth, the other just a bit refined.”