July 07, 2021

Patriotic Colors are Always in Style

July 07, 2021/ Meryl

The one color combination I never tire of is: Red, White and Blue!

Susan Kaufman

Ken Staffey

When I was a child my mother used red in our family room and I have always loved bit of it!

Anthropolgie

Boden

The delightful designer Suellen Gregory is a favorite.

Suellen Gregory

J Cew

Ann Taylor

Boden

Are you a fan of red, white and blue in your decor or in your closet?

Til next time friends be safe!

Images: Accounts Linked

June 09, 2021

Visionary Volumes

June 09, 2021/ Meryl

I’ve recently added a few design books here at the Chalet - I’m sharing these with you as well as others that should be in everyone’s collection. Here are my top 10!

Biblio-Style: This is a book I can really get behind - any book that is filled with images of other’s book collections brings a huge smile to my face!

Beata Heuman Every Room Should Sing: This book well GAH friends its delightful. The spaces are full of thoughtful design and they absolutely sing.

India Hicks A Slice of England: This book was on my want list for a while. Its filled with magical views of India’s home, her parents and grandparents.

A Place To Call Home: I knew images from this book before I realized there was a book I could purchase and drool over!

A House in the Country: This is the story of one building from concept thru the build to the breathtaking interiors.

Hygge & West Home: I loved learning about the creatives behind the spaces.

Heirloom Modern: A quiet tale of home and pretty treasures.

STYLED: Friends - I love this book because of its lack of pretense. Every space Emily Henderson shares is happy, inspirational and attainable.

Modern Mix: Eddie Ross has the best eye and his take on mixing old and new is legendary. He teaches us how to locate and bring home these treasures.

The Big Book Of Chic: This incredible body of was gifted to me five years ago by a dear friend. Every image is striking and you feel transported.

Hoping you find these volumes as aspirational I as do!

Til next time stay well.

May 12, 2021

It's All About The Mix!

May 12, 2021/ Meryl

This week I thought I would take a deep dive and share the resources for a vignette I receive a ton of queries about every time I share it on my Instagram feed.

Left to Right:

The lamp is one of a pair from Home Sense. I do have a penchant for Green Lamps. I will admit I am tossing around the idea of upgrading the shades - we’ll see.

I spied this portrait in the Ever Dwell space inside the Middletown Peddlers Mall in Louisville, KY. Lindsay Stivers was lovely enough to ship him. We all refer to him as Mr. Nelson - due to fact Nelson is written on the top right of the art.

The candle holders were my Mothers. I love how they look with the Maple Branch Beeswax Candles from Larger Cross.

The landscape is thrifted from Lindsey McCord.

The clock is from Target at least 15+ years ago.

The Stag - I picked up while on a comp shopping trip 5 years ago at Ross Stores.

The hanging photograph of a painter was thrifted at the Olde Engine Works in Stroudsburg, PA. The piece is floating on a matte board in a Michaels frame.

The brass tiger is a thrifted find from the Cape May Antiques Center.

The leather tiger is another piece I thrifted from Lindsey McCord.

The tortoise shagreen egg is a one of a kind work by ceramist Elena Boiardi.

The loin one of the first pieces I thrifted through Instagram. The seller is no more.

The small brass pitcher I picked up at a garage sale.

There is a small modern blue metal dish under the pitcher of hydrangeas - I found in the Coxsackie Antique Center - my sister and I bailed off the New York State Thruway on our way home from a weekend in Vermont.

This showstopper vase was birthday gift from my dear late Uncle - it was something he found at an Art Event and thought of me! It was like nothing he had ever given me… not like the Royal Doulton, crystal or local history artwork but, this blew me away and I loved it the minute I saw it and I treasure it still years later.

The time-frame for these items in my possession span a few months to 35 years for the candle holders. The leather tiger, the lion, the landscape have some age to them, as does Mr. Nelson and I know the photograph of the painter is from the 1960’s. I do wonder about where they’ve lived before and I’m thrilled to have them here in the Chalet.

For me it’s about how pieces tell a story. The story changes because pieces are constantly shifted. I will say this vignette has changed very little since the leather tiger joined - I just love having him and the brass one together - I joke about it but, I am a cat person. So I’ll be keeping an eye out for more tigers to add but, I won’t seek items out. I won’t dive into Etsy, Amazon or Ebay and troll for items. I prefer to let my collections evolve by being in the right place at the right time.

I hope you’ve enjoyed learning about these pieces origins.

Til next time friends stay safe!