Hampton Designer Showhouse 2012

I was excited to be able to see the Hampton Showhouse while there for the weekend.  Every year it is a huge fundraiser benefiting the Southampton Hospital.

While every room was beautiful in it's own right, I am just going to focus on a few rooms with elements that I saw and thought were really well done.
From the moment you walked thru the door, Lee W. Robinson set the tone for an upscale, well thought out, quiet elegance that was the foyer with an exquisite eye for detail.

An equine lover must have been the fantasy client for this and other designers.  Animals were a noted theme.  I loved the horse bit detail in the custom screen.

 and the theme continued on legs of stools

and up the stairs...

Maybe it was the framed Hermes scarf or the classic window treatments, but I was reminded of the Hermes store in Paris.  The Osbourne and Little striped wallpaper hung horizontally enhanced the 2 story foyer perfectly.

The berber rug cut in this pattern with the (Hermes?) orange Greek key tape was
fantastic, and the chinoiserie looking pattern fabric tied everything together nicely.

Patrik Lonn continued with the equine theme that was evident thru out his study.  The stripes created a lot of continuity as did the linen papered walls.

Riding gear at the ready

This exquisite pattern was painted between ALL the trim of the coffered ceiling.

I loved the Lilian August living room.  With its neutral but textural palette, I thought it was the kind of casually elegant interior that would have felt like home in a mountain town or beach resort.

It's rustic and refined.  The double height space was brought down with framed grasscloth wallpaper panels that also help with sound absorption.  It's always a bit tricky to figure out what to do with all those walls when there is no definitive beginning or end.  I thought the panels worked really well and looked good with the other spaces that opened up to it...

which included the more expected hues of blue indicative of homes by the beach ~

by Mabley Handler a local favorite, read about their process here.  It's always interesting to see how a show room progresses and the inspiration behind it.  The crystal embellished chandelier was a knockout!

And Kate Singer's small den was a nice transition into the kitchen.  I especially liked the gallery wall.

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stop back, next time when we head upstairs/downstairs

ph:CLI

Sweets For The Sweet

Peter Anton really know's how to make your mouth water with his larger than life sculptures, mostly of wonderful baked goods and candies.  I don't know if I could look at these all day and still keep my sweet tooth in check, but they certainly are eye candy ~

They're BIG, and maybe not for the diet conscious

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but ~ there are some lower calorie options!

These looked beyond delicious on the hot summer day I happened to step into Gallery Valentine, mostly for some cool air.

You can practically taste the gooey jelly dripping from the center of the doughnut

YUM ~ O

ph: CLI, Peter Anton

A Little Birthday Affirmation

"When you're always trying to conform to the norm, you lose your uniqueness, which can be the foundation for your greatness" ~ anon

Here I sit pondering where the hell the year went.  I know we all say, the years go so fast, but literally, this year went by at record speed.  Last year, being a monumental birthday, has left me philosophical and nostalgic.  I'll be honest with you, I'm a little afraid of aging, but there's nothing to do but look to those who have gone before with style and grace.  My new favorite blog is Advanced Style.  These ladies make aging elegant.  When my joints are less forgiving, my back bent over with signs of old age, and my hands crippled from arthritis ~ I'm still gonna dress like a million bucks and put on some lipstick!  (Was that too grim?)

I'm still going to view things with child-like wonder and be attracted to shiny things

I will continue to take risks and seek out adventure.

What I will NOT do is embrace my frizzy hair

See color in the black and white

Continue to LIVE, LOVE, LAUGH with friends and family.
Finding a sense of humor in things is my key to coping with "life's difficulties"

I struggle to be able to see things with a glass-half-full attitude, but everything is a work in progress, as I still am, as my creative mind is, as my (hopefully long) life will continue to be.

I am going to look to Iris Apfel as my new role model.  The woman at 90 is a muse and a cover girl.  She knows how to roll with style, grace and an "I don't give a damn" attitude.  Happy Birthday to me!

What’s your advice to getting older gracefully?
Iris Apfel: Well just be yourself. I think Chanel said, “Nothing makes a woman look old than a woman trying to look young.” Dress appropriately, and do your makeup appropriately, and be yourself, and you can look very chic. You can look beautiful at any age.

"SURROUND YOURSELF ONLY WITH PEOPLE WHO LIFT YOU HIGHER!" ~ Oprah

Black and white photos:Pinterest