Café Design

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Don’t you just love old decorating books, especially those on cottage style? Even if some of them are dated and feature rooms that may seem irrelevant for the way we live today, they can serve as excellent guides on the short life of trends vs. the staying power of good design. Perusing old bookstores and finding hidden treasures is one of my favorite pastimes and although I rarely get the chance anymore, I do enjoy browsing the shelves of local antiquarians and make up for lost time when I do. On my way home from the dentist the other day (ouch!), I stopped by one of my favorite booksellers in town and was rewarded with a little gem I’d love to share with you today. It’s an old decorating book that perhaps many of you already have, or know about – Putting the Heart in Your Home – Decorating That Nurtures Your Soul by Jean LemMon, published in 2004.

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Today I’d like to share with you a new book that’s come my way that I think many of you will find fascinating. Sketchbooks – Collected Measured Drawings and Architectural Sketches by George Saumarez Smith is a collection of architectural drawings, exclusive artwork and previously unseen images collected over the years by British classical architect George Saumarez Smith. His home, which we’ve seen here on Café Design, is filled with antiques, old books and  framed architectural drawings, many of them his own, and quite a few prized sketches by esteemed members of his profession. 

Over the weekend, The Garden Conservancy welcomed back visitors for a limited edition of their Open Days Gardens program and Clove Brook Farm, renowned ceramicist Christopher Spitzmiller’s Millbrook, NY, home, was one of the private gardens open to the public. I was delighted to make the 2 hour drive and to be honest, had a difficult time leaving. Clove Brook Farm is everything we’ve seen on social media and in Spitzmiller’s beautiful book A Year at Clove Brook Farm, only better. The amount of planning and hard work that goes into creating such beauty is humbling and I definitely left inspired. The most dramatic element in the garden right now are the hydrangeas.  They have just turned that deep, rusty pink that signals fall, and they stole the show for me. I know they’ll look splendid in Spitzmiller’s dried hydrangea arrangements.

I have a feeling you’re either going to love today’s blog post, or you’re going to think I’ve completely lost it. (Hahaha, I just hope it’s not the latter. ) Feng shui is not everyone’s cup of tea, I know that, and many of us resent having an ancient set of rules (no matter how wise or highly endorsed) dictate how we decorate our homes to-day. Most western decorators (myself included) ignore these rules because they can be too confining, especially in smaller homes that have been built without our input and over which we have little or no control.  As a disclaimer, I’d like to mention that I am not an expert on the subject, far from it. My interest in Feng shui, while long-lasting, is amateurish at best and stems from an almost obsessive need to make our household as efficient and as comfortable as possible. Since this is a subject I know many of you are fascinated by, I thought we could chat about Feng shui and share opinions in a kind and explorative manner. I’d also like to share my favorite feng shui rules and offer my two cents on them. To start the conversation, what is Feng shui really all about? Although its popularity almost makes it a trend, feng shui has been around for millennia. In Bali, a Feng shui paradise, all houses are built in a circular shape and follow very strict Feng shui rules; the city of Hong Kong is entirely built based on the principles of Feng shui for health and prosperity; and for years, American entrepreneur Tory Burch has been working with a Feng shui consultant designing her stores and products, and it’s clearly working. So what is feng shui, and how can we apply it to our own livest?

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With a wonderful list of highly anticipated design books to be released this fall – October is shaping up to be a fabulous month for design lovers everywhere. Among the many interesting titles to be released is Lauren Liess’ much-awaited third book Feels Like Home – Relaxed Interiors for a Meaningful Life, as well as designer Ashley Whittaker’s first book – The Well-Loved House: Creating Homes with Color, Comfort and Drama. We’ll also get a closer look at Bunny Mellon’s style legacy through Linda Jane Holden’s new book – Bunny Mellon Style – a tour de force of Mellon’s many iconic rooms & properties, a publication that promises to be a bestseller from the get-go. One book however has been a complete surprise for me, and a stunning one at that, Victoria Hagan’s  upcoming book – LIVE NOW – the result of a trying year for all of us which has led Hagan to take a closer look at the healing power of home.