American Royalty

I was sad to learn that yesterday was the anniversary of the death of John F. Kennedy Jr., Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and her sister Lauren Bessette.  If America had a couple that could rival the obsession of William and Catherine, it was John and Carolyn.  Looking back at these photos, it's clear that their style was timeless and iconic.  It's really a shame that they were taken so early.

Divine Inspiration

Now that I've finished the kitchen, it's time to start on the living room.  It's mostly put together but needs a few finishing touches before I can think about hanging art.  My current inspiration is this living room designed by Celerie Kemble that was just featured in Elle Decor.  The colors are so "me" and it looks so soothing.  I am going to start saving now for an Yves Klein coffee table and de Gourney covered screen.   Bon Weekend!

Photos by William Waldron

Kitchen Confidential

Everyone has been clamoring for photos of my new apartment but the only space that is finished is my kitchen.  I keep joking that it's really a wet bar with a full size fridge and stove. Apparently, I didn't look too closely at it when I toured the apartment because I didn't realize that it doesn't contain one single drawer.  My old apartment had tons of cabinets, so many that I would store papers and books in them.  This one barely has enough to hold all my essentials.  It's also the first space you see when you enter my apartment so I thought some TLC was in order ASAP. 

I forgot to take a full "before" photo so imagine the entire space and lower cabinets were painted white with white porcelain knobs.  There was someone living in my apartment before I moved in so there was no time to test paint colors before giving them to the painter. I just told them to paint the living room Benjamin Moore Cedar Key OC-16 and the kitchen and bathroom in White Dove OC-17.  Unfortunately, the kitchen looked kind of sad all white so I decided to paint the lower cabinet in Midnight Dream 2129-10.  I also changed out the knobs to some that I had from Anthropologie. 

The counter and stove are a warm bisque color which made the walls look too white and stark so I had the kitchen repainted in the same color as the living room.  I had thought about painting the entire kitchen dark and my friend suggested chalk board paint for the larger wall but I thought might be too much.  I also thought about leaving the upper cabinets white or painting them in Midnight Dream but in the end, I decided to paint the cabinets in the same color as the walls so they would disappear.  The invitation board with Alana Floral Vine fabric from Schumacher was my inspiration for the window treatment.

I had extra Farrow & Ball paint in Dix Blue so I decided to paint the insides of the cabinets and take off the door.  It also makes the kitchen less claustrophobic. I may think about finding a glass front door to replace it but for now it works.  It also coordinated with all of the vases that I collect in pale aqua.  I also made a Roman shade in the Alana Floral Vine fabric from Schumacher and hung my art. 

I actually made the Roman shade myself and it's not perfect but I wanted it up right away.  The candle is from the garden shop on the ground floor of Deyrolle in Paris and has seeds in the bottom to plant in it after the candle burns down.  It also weighs a ton and was probably why my suitcase was over the limit when I was returning. The egg print is from the book A Natural History of Nests and Eggs of British Birds and matches those on the larger side wall.  The sugar and creamer are from Sophie Conran.  And that lovely cord coming out of the wall is the television cable.  Gotta love quirky New York apartment issues.

Since there are no drawers in the kitchen, I was forced to get creative.  I was going to look for a wooden silverware caddy but when I was unpacking, I thought these metal lined leather pots from Sol & Luna that I bought on sale at Barneys could work and sat them out of the way on top of the stove.  It was supposed to be a stop gap measure but they look so good that I think I will keep them. I also hung artwork that my friend made for my birthday many years ago and displayed Swedish painted roosters that I bought in a Stockholm. 

So in the end, my least favorite room has become my favorite.  That's probably because it's the only space that's actually finished.  If anyone needs me today, I'll be unpacking all of my books and ordering takeout!

Kids and the City

This week has me behind on everything including my magazine reading.  I can't wait to take a break tomorrow to leaf through the August issue of Vogue with Sarah Jessica Parker on the cover.  I love the photos of her and her family by Mario Testino in what may or may not be her home.  Reminds me a little of Halston's old townhouse.  Regardless, it's clear that SJP has transitioned from Sex and the City to the chicest soccer mom ever.  

Update: One of my alerted me to the fact that the house in the spread belongs to a friend of SJP and is located in Chelsea.  Just have to find out who owns it now!

Photos by Mario Testino

Chic Carriage House

Thank you for all the anniversary comments and emails as well as new apartment well wishes.  I know everyone is anxious to see photos but my new place is definitely not ready for its close up.  Even though the owner had the apartment painted in my choice of colors, the kitchen needed a little revision.  I also can't wait until my new shower curtain in delivered from Restoration Hardware so the unfortunate shower doors with flower decoration can be removed.  And considering that my temporary shade just fell down, I think I need to place an order for window treatments asap.  We've still got mounds of books in boxes still waiting to be unpacked.  I can't wait until everything is in its place and I can relax and enjoy my new apartment. 

I came across these photos of interior designer Bruce Budd's carriage house in an old issue of World of Interiors that I was cleaning out before my move.  I love how everything is perfectly placed and has room to breathe.  Bruce Budd happens to be the decorator for the Mellon family who put him up in their carriage house which has since been sold.  In the photos, you can see where carriages used to be stored on the first floor, now a space for cars, and the walkway the horses were led up to the stalls.  Rich families on the Upper East Side didn't want their stinky stables right next to their mansions so many were built on East 70th Street. Now this one is owned by a rich finance guy.  There is a joke in there somewhere.  More importantly, I wonder where Bruce Budd lives now and when we'll see it. 

Four Year Blog Anniversary

While unpacking and trying to figure out how to fit all my dishes and glassware into the smallest kitchen imaginable, I almost forgot that July 10th is my four year blog anniversary. I still can't believe all the wonderful things that have come about and all the amazing people I've been privileged to meet and even befriend in the last four years.  I am forever grateful for the continued support and encouragement from all of my wonderful readers.  There are a few upcoming things that I can't wait to announce but until then, I'm heading back to my boxes.  I'll be back to regular posts on Monday.  Thanks again for a fantastic four years!