Sunday, November 21, 2010

It all started with Martha...

I've always loved this time of year and now that I live in New England it has taken on a whole new meaning.   The backdrop for Fall coziness couldn't be better!  It all started for me when Martha Stewart was on PBS (20 some years ago) preparing her Thanksgiving dinner at her Westport Connecticut home.  Julia Child paved the way for all cooking shows and Martha took it to another level creating a lifestyle brand that revolved around food and kitchens.  I was hooked. This was way before the thought of a Food Network was around to inspire us with chefs and their recipes on a daily basis.   Martha lived in the most quintessential New England home appropriately named Turkey Hill Farm.  Her Thanksgiving special was so inspiring and there has not been a Thanksgiving since I don't think about What Would Martha Do?  WWMD!  How would Martha decorate her table?  Where would she order her turkey from?  On Thanksgiving day, while I am roasting the turkey, I go over her roasting instructions at least 10 times, even though I have made the same meal for 20 plus years.  She is my go to reference for Thanksgiving.


Martha in her original Turkey Hill kitchen

The perfect turkey and presentation


I love this simple and rustic Thanksgiving table setting 


 So Charming!

images from Martha Stewart Living

Another food icon for me is Ina Garten.  As you know from a previous post, I was lucky enough to visit Ina at her home in East Hampton this Summer and enjoyed a lovely lunch while she shared some of her recipes from her new book "How Easy is That"?  As I stood in her kitchen/dining area, I couldn't help think about how great it would be to be cooking my favorite holiday meal in her barn, and as I left that day I joked with her "OK SO WERE ON FOR THANKSGIVING RIGHT?"  She giggled as she waived goodbye!!!  I am hoping Ina comes out with a Holiday cookbook soon.  It would be another food bible to add to my collection.



Ina and her beautiful barn


 This barn was made for entertaining



images from Ina Garten Barefoot Contessa








Nothing makes me happier than going through my favorite cookbooks while hanging out in my living room with a cup of coffee on the weekend before Thanksgiving.


Monday, November 15, 2010

My love of Fortuny Fabrics

Fortuny fabrics are among the most finely crafted fabrics in the world. The richly printed fabrics were first created by Spaniard Mariano Fortuny.  Born in 1871, Fortuny had an eye for Old World beauty and textiles, and moved to Venice at the turn of the century to build his renowned reputation for creating a new standard in luxury fabric. 





Today many designers, including myself, incorporate Fortuny into projects.  Fortuny is one of the most sophisticated, colorful and lovely fabrics to work with.



On a recent project we used a gorgeous brown fabric on a custom lampshade and pillows



A bench we made for a dressing area



Another custom lampshade for a client



This is from the newly opened showroom in NYC...Gorgeous!!!




More from the Showroom, loving the detail on the bottom of the sofa!


And now... An iPhone/iPad App!!! I am officially happy!

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