Simple wood anchors we found at Michael’s crafts bring a nautical feel to this place setting. Our linen napkins keep the table monochromatic, but a stripe napkin could also bring in a nautical feel. Another simple anchor napkin detail- Anchor Napkin Bands, $3 for 48 pieces from Oriental Trading. Or you could just cut pieces of the anchor paper we featured yesterday to make your own bands.
Anchors are appearing everywhere this season-from gift items to tabletop to wrapping paper. We’re seeing most in a classic navy paired with leather, browns, creams, while some accessories are shown in bright red. This inspired our color palette this week with two classic paint colors above from Benjamin Moore. We’ll be covering anchors all week for weddings, interiors and paper but we thought we’d start you off with a few gift items. Above, Mark and Graham’s Anchor Canvas Tote which you can personalize and below their Anchor Key Fobs, Anchor Paperweights, Acrylic Tumblers and Napkins. … Read more
TUBTRUGS containers have been our new best friends lately. From large tubs that can hold wood to all different sized tubs to hold toys, games, pillows, blankets, food… anything you want really and they come in great colors! Our last purchase was the little Microtubs for $2.50 each which we plan to use to hold each of the fixings on our Memorial Day sundae bar. Because they are food safe we think we can use them this weekend to hold dips and salsa too. They could also be great to hold the kids ice-cream, popcorn for outdoor movies, snacks … Read more
Time is flying! We totally missed our one year anniversary of the blog we were so engrossed in our stories! Last year on April 9th our first post went up. It was one of my favorite color palettes of black, peach and pink (pictured below). Here is the link to read the full post. But soon after we posted this rich color palette of pinks (pictured above) from famous baker Ron Ben-Israel‘s sugar flowers. Yes, I said SUGAR flowers. Those flowers are hand crafted out of sugar by Ron. I worked with Ron on many cake stories for Weddings magazines and these … Read more
Exciting news for paint and design enthusiasts. Benjamin Moore and The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation have collaborated on a new collection of paints, featuring 144 colors that were actual hues from the 18th and 19th century called The Williamsburg Color Collection. Together they researched historic paint production methods and relied on 90 years of paint research that has been done to recreate colors that appeared more than 250 years ago. Sales of the Williamsburg products support the preservation, research and educational programs of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, the not-for-profit center for history and citizenship. This foundation was responsible for the restoration … Read more
House Beautiful’s little BLUE book is a great decorating reference. Measuring only 5 1/2 inches by 7 inches in size, this a totable book that you can keep in your bag. It doesn’t just give you inspirational photos of rooms, but designer’s tips and paint suggestions that they have actually used. It also goes room by room on how to interject blues to their best advantage in every area of your home. Suggestions and examples of color pairings, like blue and yellow are also very helpful.
Deciding on a cake for any celebration is a pretty fun process. Usually the baker lets you try all the flavors they make. I always loved this blueberry and lemon cake that I styled, made by Jim Smeal of South Carolina and photographed for InStyle magazine by Monica Buck. (Probably because my own wedding cake was the same flavor) This cake looks beautiful with the layers of blueberry, but you can ask about making different tiers of your wedding cake different flavors, or having the filling be a different flavor. This usually works better with a cake that is … Read more
Blue and white dinnerware can be beautiful for any occasion and in my experience appeals to both men and women. I have a great source for inexpensive blue patterned ceramics like these bowls. If you are in New York City visit Pearl River Mart on Broadway and have a fun afternoon shopping for all kinds of things from bowls, vases and plates to paper parasols and lanterns. Blue patterned ceramic bowls and plates above, from Pearl River. Large porcelain jars and vases are available from Gump’s and beautiful blue tumblers and stemware from Baccarat. For plates take peek at … Read more
Blue is my favorite color, so I love experimenting with blues. I think I mentioned my whole beach house is in shades of blues, whites and gray, with my dining room and TV room painted in Benjamin Moore’s blue note 2129-30, which you can see in my kitchen palette post. Shades of blue from room to room or dark blues used for doors or molding trim can be very striking. Consider outdoor furniture in blue too, it can look crisp and clean with white or a shade of blue cushions and less harsh than black patio furniture. My painter taught … Read more
If you are planning on a renovation or just like to paint rooms, furniture etc. every so often, I find a very helpful tool to have on hand is the Benjamin Moore Color Preview Fan Deck. For $25 it can save you trips to your local store for swatches and keeps them all together by color family for years and years. Also available in Fan Decks are their Color Stories, Classics & Historical and Affinity collections. You don’t have to be a designer or set decorator to keep one of these on your desk! Another great tool is the … Read more
