January 28th, 2013 No Comments

this week’s color palette: reds & pinks

Since Valentine’s Day is coming up fast, I thought we’d talk about reds and pinks this week. These silk flowers in the photo are actually pins from Dulken and Derrick. They are great to wear on a lapel to add a bit of color. For interiors, even though I pulled out these Benjamin Moore paint colors- it doesn’t mean you have to paint your walls these colors. I personally like reds and pinks in splashes of color in accessories.  The softer pinks are wonderful for walls, but the bold colors can be great to paint end tables, chairs etc. to … Read more

January 25th, 2013 No Comments

shopping for blues, whites & woods for the home

I’ve been talking about blues, whites, neutrals with wood accents all week. Here are some shopping picks for the home in our color palette.  Andre Sofa, in Ink blue (this is a stock color!), $1,899, from Room & Board, wood bowls with bark edge, $75 and up from abc carpet & home, Parsons Tower shelf in white, $549, from West Elm, Indigo Velvet Pillow, $39.50 (free shipping), from Pottery Barn, Linden Blue Pillow, $32.95, from Crate and Barrel, Square Guest Counter Stool with mulled leather, from BDDW. Below is our color palette from this week inspired by … Read more

January 24th, 2013 No Comments

interiors: victoria hagan brings in blues to neutral spaces with rugs, art work & accessories

I really like the work of designer, Victoria Hagan. A lot of her spaces have neutral walls and then she layers in woods, textural fabrics, and many times adds color through rugs, art work and accessories. I selected a few examples of her work here today that use our color palette this week of blues and neutrals. I love perusing her book “Victoria Hagan Interior Portraits”.   Victoria has her own line of products including rugs, textiles and furniture. You might also check out Dash & Albert cotton rugs to achieve a similar look to the … Read more

January 23rd, 2013 2 Comments

weddings with liz banfield: a snowy winter wedding in jackson hole, wyoming

A winter wedding opens up so many ways to seasonally distinguish an event visually. From the flowers available that time of year, to the rich iconography (snowflakes! sweaters! candlelight!), a well-designed winter wedding will always stand out from the crowd. One of my favorite events was this wedding I shot in the ski heaven of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. A palette of pewter, dusty greens, and white was the perfect way for this bride to embrace her January date with elegance. She also incorporated natural elements such as polished riverbed stones with long white pillar candles. And guests received keepsake blankets … Read more

January 22nd, 2013 No Comments

tabletop: try using cutting boards as a placemat at each setting for a casual atmosphere

To achieve the same color palette as our inspiration photo from yesterday with blues, neutrals and woods, try bringing in cutting boards to use as placemats. This usually works wonderfully for casual lunches or dinners. Each cutting board doesn’t have to be the same either to mix things up. Pictured above I have a cutting board that still has the bark on the edge which visually makes the place setting very textural. (I bought this one at abc carpet & home) I just used my plain white everyday white plates, vintage bakelite flatware and navy napkins. The place … Read more

January 21st, 2013 No Comments

Color Palette: Navy Blues and Mediterranean Blues Anchored with Neutrals

I try to keep a variety of colors in the color palettes I feature each week but lately I’ve been posting many shades of blues and neutrals. Seeing this photo from the Hermes Spring 2013 this weekend I just kept coming back to it again and again. It just feels so elegant, easy, crisp and understated. You can read the entire article “The Discreet Charm of Chistophe Lemaire” on online.wsj.com. I pulled out a few Benjamin Moore paint colors from this inspirational photo as a more useful tool if you love this palette for your home. You can … Read more

January 18th, 2013 1 Comment

Meet Kaminer Haislip: My Interview with the Extraordinary Silversmith from Charleston

If you haven’t realized from my shop or my posts, I’m a bit obsessed with tabletop and design. So I was so thrilled and elated when I discovered Kaminer Haislip’s designs for the first time. I just love her coffee and tea services that combine wood and silver… as well as most everything else she designs! And of course wouldn’t you know it, she’s as gracious as she is talented. Kaminer recently granted me an interview and I wanted to share it with you today as well as show you a sampling of her work. She shares a lot of … Read more

January 17th, 2013 No Comments

Photographer Philippe Cheng’s Hall of Black and White Photos Tell His Family History

Walking into photographer Philippe Cheng‘s airy house in the Hamptons that he shares with wife (and talented artist) Bastienne Schmidt and their two sons, immediately makes you feel welcome and that this is a family home. Double doors that are usually kept open in the warmer months lead right into a two story family and dining room. As you come in you also have a view straight through to the other side of the house with glass doors showing off the views of the serene setting surrounding their idyllic home.  As you turn to their private spaces though you … Read more

January 16th, 2013 1 Comment

Weddings with Liz Banfield: Keeping the Art of Black and White Film Photography Alive

The black and white photograph has a powerful way of rendering a scene that is uniquely enduring. By taking color out of the equation, everything is simplified and the viewer can focus on the moment without  distractions such as a busy background or a spray-tan gone wrong.  At every wedding I always shoot true black and white film throughout the day to create these timeless images. Beyond an artful chronicle of the day I’m looking to take photographs that could live on someone’s wall forever. To make my point, I chose pictures from different times throughout my career – only … Read more

January 15th, 2013 No Comments

tabletop: mix old & new, metallics with black & white to create a very personalized setting

Pull out your favorite things from your cabinets….maybe even your grandmother’s china that’s been boxed in the attic to create an eclectic mix of old and new. Look around your house too, maybe you have a collection of small boxes, a gold leaf plate on your nightstand that holds your earrings- pull it all together to group on your table or sideboard. That little dish could now hold candy or sugar cubes, boxes could hold tea bags.. and so on. Black and white are so classic that the color palette is a great cohesive glue to allow you to combine … Read more