December 9, 2019 In Artisans & Antiques, Designer Words of Wisdom

Tasteful Holiday Decor

Does taste really matter when it comes to holiday decor?  As far as I’m concerned anything that sets your heart a flutter should be splashed all over your home for that one over-indulgent month between Thanksgiving & New Years.  Whether that means your Grandmother’s early Victorian mercury ornaments, your circa-early 2000’s Pooh Bears, or your Home Goods haul from this morning.
With that in mind some of my favorite go-to’s for holiday decorating bring up Christmas memories of yore and the people and places gone by.  Handed down from generation to generation is most meaningful of course, but if you’re lucky you can also swoop up any of these authentic items at an estate sale or flea market.  For that matter, you might even peek around that canny Joanna Gaines section at Target for some decent reproductions….or just search the olde Google.  We really want for nothing these days!
Vintage sleigh (flea market score), old sleigh bells (estate sale score), and a cute little balsam fir from Balsam Hill
  • Sleigh bells– I love those J-i-n-g-l-e bells!  Draped from the door they’ll remind you that Santa Clause is coming to town with every opening.
  • Vintage Sleds, Ice Skates, & Snowshoes (the older the better)!!!
  • On the table – citrus fruits, greenery, some bronze pheasants, white candles everywhere, and there’s no time like the present for the fine China!

Peacock feathers are always a good idea but especially around the holidays, as seen inside the cozy Beverly Hills home of  designer Mary Macdonald. 

  • Garlands draped everywhere from the front door, to the stair case, and around the mantel (basically anywhere you can find a home for them).
  • My personal preference is warm white Christmas lights strung assiduously (not cool white, and not colorful).
  • Poinsettias (loads of them) and sprigs of fresh greens, red and white flowers throughout!
  • Remember not every house needs to look like a Land’s End ad, so throw in a giant lawn blow up for good measure…but only if it makes your heart happy!

This little tree looks just like the one my Grandmother use to have that I had my eye on for years before it was abruptly snagged by a wily New York cousin.  Happily, I found this near replica at Target last year.  
Happy Holidays to you and yours!
xo
Pamela
October 3, 2019 In Artisans & Antiques, Favorite Pieces

Antiques, Treasures & Heirlooms

Shopping for antiques & collectibles and incorporating traditional elements in my designs brings me immense joy!  I love nothing more than entering a client’s home and finding they have heirlooms worthy of display, or even that they are open to incorporating some traditional designs into their habitat.   Now, I adore modern, clean lines just as much as the next person but it is just so special and meaningful to have a layered home that doesn’t look like it was decorated yesterday all procured from one big box store.
For me, there really is nothing more exciting than finding a unique, eclectic piece like this magnificent bronze statue…

  Or this perfectly patinated limestone bust for a steal!   
I take any opportunity I can to drag my husband to antique stores and flea markets, and am often waylaid following estate sale signs all around the neighborhood.  I hold a high degree of appreciation and nostalgia for the past. Though my husband will tell you I’m not very sentimental. After all, he’s witnessed me depositing the Cabbage Patch Kids my Mother had saved for 30+ years directly into the trash. I believe in sniffing out and saving just the really good stuff! In the words of Miles Redd – “Your grandmother’s Hummel figurine collection? Torch it!”
I’m always on the hunt for a good Oriental screen, Klismo chair or pair of cockatoos.
 
I find you can incorporate these timeless treasures into almost all settings and they will still hold their own and be completely appropriate. Take the enduring beauty and remarkable durability of the Bouilotte lamp, whose profile I find so attractive and timeless I inserted it into my logo.
Need help separating the proverbial “wheat from the chaff”?  Let’s schedule an in-home consultation and we will make your home functional, beautiful and meaningful!
XO
April 10, 2016 In Artisans & Antiques

Antiquing in Southern California

Perusing the Paris Flea Market at Porte de Clignancourt or even taking a long weekend antiquing in San Francisco may not always be feasible options for feeding your passion for antiques.  While online resources like 1stdibs offer convenience, and many of the same dealers, the downside is you will always pay a premium for the ease of seeking out specific pieces online.  (Curators and Antique Store owners will admit they are slinging the exact same wares online for an escalated price.)  With that in mind, I have highlighted a few good stops throughout Southern California that would make for a lovely day trip.  READ MORE