TOP TEN for 2010: #6

Number 6:
Find a signature fragrance for your home and use it religiously. Giving your home a distinct scent is as important as you wearing your signature fragrance. Your family and friends will love entering and being welcomed by that special scent, every time they come through your door. It's very comforting.

TOP TEN for 2010: #5

Number 5:
Light up your life with candlelight.
Stage various types of candle holders throughout the main living space of your home. Candlesticks, votive holders, candlelabras. Go around in the evening and light them. Dim or turn off the electric lighting and you will bring home an incredibly ambient European mood. I'm crazy about candlelight.

TOP TEN for 2010: #4

Number 4:
Start a collection.
Collecting things that bring you pleasure to use is wonderful. It's particularly fun to collect tea cups, particular types of china or pottery, silver flatware or serving sets. Serving with unique pieces is very cool. Make sure you invite friends over for brunch, afternoon tea or tapas to enjoy your collection!

TOP TEN for 2010: #3

organiNumber 3:
Declutter and reorganize.
Concentrate with one area at a time and get a system in place. If you need any motivation, tune in to one of the HGTV or Style Network projects devoted to homes completely overhauled with crap! Then get to work on your own stuff. You will be amazed at how much happier and focused you will be. If you have children, find areas in each family space to hide and store their things. People like to think that the kids stuff will only be housed in their bedroom or a playroom, but if this is your approach, you will most likely always be battling toys, crafts and games. Find an area to keep things out of sight and organized. You can rotate things to keep them feeling new. For example, make an arts and crafts section in a Family Room built-in or media center cabinet or line beautiful baskets under a console or sofa table for storage.  Below is a closet system put in by Califonia Closets. If the task is too daunting, hire a professional organizer. Living in clean, organized space is worth what time and effort you put into it.

TOP TEN for 2010: #2

Number 2:
Re-Paint!
I have so many colors that I love to use. Right now I am getting ready to re-paint these 2 colors in our family room. Benjamin Moore has the best colors. I love the new Affinity line. Repainting a room is an easy way to change the mood, the ambiance of your home. After you paint, go "shopping" around your home for things to move into this new room. It's a good idea to re-look and rearrange items to keep it fresh.

TOP TEN for 2010: #1

Number 1:
Create a cozy reading nook with a chaise lounge. I love this French antique reproduction. Adding some grandeur that pairs with function is a beautiful statement in your home. I love the neutrality of these  types of linen pieces. Add a beautiful down pillow and your favorite book and there you go.

Freshen up the new decade!

Out with the drab and in with the Fab! Time to rearrange and make your home fabulous. Vintage is HOT and linen is still gorgeous in any setting. Bringing a touch of farmhouse to a sophisticated decor is an incredible comfort whether you love Napa Valley, Tuscany or Provence.

4 WORDS

Love at First Sight

Timeless, Gorgeous, Chic: Script Fabrics are at the TOP of my favorite list. This beautiful collection is done, perfectly, in French. I'm in love!

Fresh and Fabulous

This ensemble by Bliss Studios is so fabulous! It is my current favorite look.

FOUND

There are so many beautiful objects that ignite inspiration, reflection, admiration. I love history and things old, vintage, worn. A piece that tells a story lends a beautiful aura in a space. On a recent trip to Europe,  many things were found. Pieces discovered. The top photo is the simple kitchen of Marie Antionette. A true wood burning stove copper top. The huge fireplace for the kettle to hang. The long communal tables. The bottom picture is a piece of an uncovered mural  in the Chateau de Bagnols, France. This painting from the 1500s was uncovered in a chapel. This room is now a suite. The murals are magnificent. The history becomes alive. Now 500 years later, we are still making works of art on plastered walls. The elements of interior design just circulate through the centuries.

High Point Market, fun stuff

Market was awesome this year with tons of inspiring pieces and ideas. The largest luxury item that I saw and want (someday!) was a mattress by Hastens, the most unbelieveable thing you have ever layed on. I asked the rep if it was full of air and she promised it was not, but made to feel like it. I guess at $25,000, they can come up with something like that. The linens were just like I love them. Clean lines, fresh look, absolutely inviting cotton fabrics. Awesome stuff. Speaking of bedding, I loved the collections from Legacy. Shhh!  I did see some of the Horchow collections here.

There were some awesome LA companies out there. Another favorite was Eloquence. This company carries everything I love. They have gorgeous French Antique reproductions often dressed in linen, my current favorite look. They also take old windows, doors, shutters, etc and add mirrors or turn them into art. Beautiful stuff. They had an old iron gate that reminded me of the one in the Metroploitan Museum of Art in NYC over in the religious relics area. That gate is massive (I have a picture somewhere and will post it when I find it). The layers of paint and wear are crumbling down and remaining is this incredible patina of history and time. So this gate that they had in this showroom really reminded me of the style, albeit a different patina. I would put it against a bare wall with nothing else. They had gorgeous old doors to hang as art.  I have this old 16 pane window that I found at a little garden boutique last year. It has been sitting in my kitchen, waiting to be hung on the wall for a year. My husband finally gave in and hung it a couple weeks ago. This is the same look. Aged, some history, some interest and the bonus is the way the light from my kitchen chandelier bounces off of it at night and hits the ceiling with this glow that is amazing and unexpected.

j