Let's Meet Melody Borghesani

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MELODY BORGHESANI

I’m so delighted to feature this lovely lady - Melody Boghesani is a dear friend and although we haven’t met in person yet; we chat often about real world issues and family matters.

Melody Welcome to the Chalet! I appreciate you taking the time to chat with me. Please tell the readers a bit about yourself.

Thank you Meryl. I’ll start with my husband I met him in 1986 and got married three months later! He had dated my younger sister and I’d met him a couple of times. He was five years younger than me and I never thought anything would come from it but here we are 38 years later with a son and a daughter, and a granddaughter and a grandson. Looking back, it seems a bit crazy but it was definitely meant t to be! Being a grandmother is the most wonderful gift I’ve ever received. Seeing my son as a father brings such joy to my life. I’m so blessed to live close to them for now in Pennsylvania and spend as much time as I can until we retire to our little cottage on Cape Cod.

the Captains Cottage

You’re known on Instagram for your wonderful design style… in both your homes but correct me if I’m wrong, I think the majority of your account is your sweet Captains Cottage – the home you’ve purchased with your husband as your retirement destination. Awe, thank you, Meryl! Yes, our home on Cape Cod has stolen my heart and I share so much more of it on Instagram. It still seems like a dream!

Captains Cottage livingroom

What year did you purchased the Captains Cottage? If memory serves you didn’t see it in person until the day you signed the papers. We purchased our cottage in 2019. Interesting story…whenever my husband and I talked about retirement, he’d always mention moving south. We had lived in Virginia and Louisiana and loved the people and hospitality so much in both places.  Living in the South was wonderful in so many ways. Our children were born in Richmond, Virginia. My family is still in Virginia.  So, it just seemed logical that's where we’d end up. But, one day I said wouldn't it be nice to retire on Cape Cod.  And, miraculously, my husband agreed! When he said we should look for a home sooner than later, I couldn't get on Zillow fast enough.  I wasn't going to risk him changing his mind!  We definitely had parameters of what we wanted in a retirement home.  A one story home with a garage, central air-conditioning and not too far from the water. We made one trip to look at homes in the areas we could afford and we found nothing. So discouraging.  But…I had found our cottage on Zillow but didn't even mention it to my husband because it was two stories, no garage and no central air-conditioning.  Time went by and I thought our dream wasn't going to happen any time soon.  Then one day, my husband asked what I thought about that blue house.  I thought he couldn't be asking about the house I have stalked every day and knew every inch by just looking at the listing photos? But, he was!! It just so happened that he was going to Boston for a business event and made arrangements to visit the home while he was there.  He loved it!  After a few negotiations, the home was ours…the owners accepted our offer. The week before we closed, we rented a U-Haul and loaded up everything that we thought would fit.  I thrifted a few items, too.  Our closing date was one week before our son’s wedding back in Pennsylvania.  We had so much to do.  We drove the six hours up and I saw the home for the first time the day before we closed.  Even though, it needed a lot of love and care, it was love at first sight!

Captains Cottage Kitchen

Did you grow up visiting the Cape?  Personally I’ve visited the Cape several times in my life and I know how quaint and wonderful it is. Growing up in the Midwest, I had always dreamed of Cape Cod. I had seen it in movies, heard friends talk about visiting but I never had an opportunity to travel there.  When I married my husband, I had no idea that his family vacationed there every summer and would eventually own two summer homes on the Cape. My first trip was when our son was ten months old and I was three months pregnant with our daughter.  I was exhausted that trip but that began my love affair with Cape Cod. 

Captains Cottage Primary Bedroom

What has been your favorite project so far at the Cottage? That’s a good question!  Every room in the home, except the upstairs powder room, was wallpapered.  Between my husband and I, we removed it all except one sweet upstairs bedroom. I think the hardest and most rewarding project that I completed was removing the wallpaper from a downstairs room and painting it white.  The room was used a family room previously, but we wanted a main floor bedroom. It is lined with bookcases and intricate moldings. It took me two weeks to complete that project and I can guarantee that I will never do that again! Also, one of the most laborious projects was painting the entire exterior of the home. My husband did it all by himself.  It took him a couple of summers, but he did it! I’m so proud that he was able to complete it. 

Captains Cottage Eyebrow Window

What do you feel has made the biggest impact on the Cottage? I think the biggest impact has been the painting of the exterior.  It had been painted a pretty shade of blue but was in such bad shape. I knew if we painted it, I’d want to choose a lighter, brighter color. We decided on White Dove by Benjamin Moore and we love it!

You love to decorate – I remember one of the first images I saw from your account was a plate wall in one of your bathrooms. Tell me what do you find the most satisfying part of the process – besides the end results when you decorate? Oh, yes, the plate wall in our bathroom! I think what I love most is using what I have in different ways and in different places.  I’ve always loved plates and gallery walls. So, why not combine the two? A gallery wall of plates!  Also, some of the plates were my mother’s and have sentimental meaning.  My mother Rosemarie is a huge inspiration for me.  My favorite place to shop was always her home.  She has since moved into an assisted living community so I can’t shop her home anymore. But you better believe that her room is the best decorated in her community and has even been promoted in their brochure. You could say I get it from my mother! Oh Melody I love this.

Captains Cottage Bath

Did you decorate your bedroom while growing up? We had six children in our family growing up so I always shared a room.  But, there was a brief time when I had my own room. I was in fifth grade.  I remember having a record player and a twin bed.  One Christmas I decorated my closet door with wrapping paper and taped on ornaments. I loved that room.  I was always playing with dolls and creating homes for them out of old shoeboxes. I would spend hours creating spaces for them.

Art Work Painted by Melody’s Mother Rosemarie

What is the biggest influence on your design style for your Pennsylvania home and the Captains Cottage? Has it changed over the years? The greatest influence, again, is my mother. But, one more major influence is my sister, Missy. Her home is stunning and when I come home from visiting her, I want to empty my home and start all over again. I’ve always leaned a bit traditional with a touch of English Cottage. I once had the opportunity to work with a famous designer, Georg Andersen. His book Silent Witness: The Language of Your Home tells and shows how he views his home. I'll never forget how he calls his foyer the Welcome Room.  That space should be a silent witness to your family and guests of the soul of your home. It should be layered with items of beauty and meaning that tell a story of who you are to everyone who enters.  I'll never forget working with him.  Of course, my style has changed a bit throughout the years but not much.  Our first major furniture purchase was an Ethan Allen camel back sofa and wingback chair over 35 years ago. I knew then that they were classics and I would have them forever. I still love them…worth every penny!

Pennsylvania Livingroom Bar Set Up

You are a wonderful thrifter – you own some marvelous pieces. What’s your favorite thrifted piece? Where did you find it? Did you thrift growing up? I love thrifting.  Some of my fondest memories are thrifting with my mother Rosemarie. The pink plates hanging on the wall of our powder room in our Cape Cod home were from a thrifting trip with my mother over 30 years ago.  I'll never forget that day.  Our local Goodwill has been very good to me.  I’ve found some incredible things there.  One of my favorites is a china cabinet that is in our Pennsylvania dining room. It was $25.00! Of course, I can’t pass up anything blue and white and have found some beautiful additions to my collection.

Captains Cottage Powder Room

Before we close I want to touch on the wonderful world of Instagram. We met through Insta and I’m so lucky we did. You have over 85K followers; please tell us when did you start your account? I know you have partnered with some wonderful brands. What is your most viewed post on the platform? I started my account in 2012, I started it as a way to share photos with friends and family that lived in different states.  Soon it became such a creative outlet for me.  I loved following other accounts that inspired me.  That's how I met you! It makes me so happy to have this community of creators that encourage, inspire and support one another.  It’s taken me ten yeas to get to 85,000 followers. I still can’t believe it. It is so humbling and heart warming that these sweet people find something in my account that makes them follow along.  It brings me such joy. 

The first time a brand reached out to me, I thought it must be a scam.  I wasn't sure how to respond, so I reached out to my friend Sally, @gettingstuffdoneinheels and asked for some advice.  She said to go with your heart. Partner and collaborate with brands or products that reflect what I love and me.  That has made it very simple for me to say yes or no to collaborations.  It was a learning curve for me to navigate the fine art of saying no thank you to an opportunity.  But, now that I know the time and creative energy it takes to be a collaborator, I only say yes to opportunities that I love.  Because, honestly its not fair to the brand to promote something that I wouldn’t use or love! 

But what I love most about Instagram are the friends I’ve made all over the world.  To get a glimpse of life in England, New Zealand, Australia, Sweden, is so amazing.  I will never travel to some of these places but to be inspired by them from afar is just incredible.  Also, the communities of women that comment every day are so dear to me.  The older I get, I’m 67, the more I appreciate those connections!

My most liked and viewed post is a reel of our Cape Cod kitchen. It has over 828,000 views and over 36,000 likes. It blows my mind! Our humble little cottage kitchen…

I’m so thankful for all of the comments and messages I get every day.  I try to answer every question and thank everyone.  What brings me the most joy, are the comments I get on my stories.  When someone comments that I touched their heart or they needed that quote that I posted.  I truly believe that there are miraculous connections that have been made and if my account has blessed someone or encouraged someone in even a small way, then my tiny part in their day has meant something and what more is there? To bring hope, joy and love to one another through this crazy thing called Instagram!

One of the most incredible opportunities I've had on Instagram was being messaged by Cottages and Bungalows asking to feature our Cape Cod cottage. Home Tour: Carefree on Cape Cod. It will be a pinch me moment that I will never forget. Walking into Barnes & Noble and picking up that issue was surreal and felt magical.  Our home has also been featured in several online publications.   

Feb/Mar 2022 Cottages & Bungalows

Here are some additional features:

Melody has been shared on Bob Villa and Victoria Magazine Instagram pages and her home has been the backdrop for a Cobb Hill Shoes campaign.

Melody you’re such a dear. Thank you so much for saying yes when I asked you if you had the time to chat with me and it was on short notice! I’m so excited to finally meet later this spring.

I encourage you to follow Melody on Instagram!

Til next time friends be well and I’ll see you over on the Gram.

Images: Melody Borghesani and Cobb Hill

Let's Meet Diahann Daniel

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Diahann Daniel

Friends today I’m thrilled to feature my friend Diahann Daniel a thrifter extraordinaire and shop owner.

Di Hello and thank you so much for popping by the Chalet for a chat! Hello Meryl Thank you for having me.

Please tell the readers a bit about yourself I’m Diahann I’m in my 40s I live outside Boston, MA in the Metro-West area with my hubs, daughter and our Havaneese pup. I was born in Trinidad, went to high school in the United States and lived most of my adult life in the United Kingdom in a little town called Stony Stratford. Named one of the best places to live in England.

Family Livingroom

I always like to ask regardless if you’re in the world of Design or not - Did you decorate your bedroom while growing up? I grew up with my grandmother and as the oldest grandchild I had full control of the house at age 10. I would spend hours changing the arrangement of furniture and I always loved to decorate. Later when I had my first flat,I saved every single penny I could on making that space feel welcoming and warm. It was important to me that my place was a place that people could relax and it was often the hang out spot!

Travel was a big part of my life at a young age. I starting flying at age 5! It has definitely influenced my interiors - as I was often fascinated by things that were so different to a traditional island life. From language to customs and social norms. People and their interiors really fascinated me. Today I still think, you can tell by the way that someone dresses, what their home is going to look like. Does a bold print dress make you anticipate a maximalist interior and bright colors? Interesting stuff! Oh I can see that and I agree with you.

My biggest passion was books. I would read anything you put in front of me and I’m still a lot like this. It’s my curious nature. I have many interiors books for inspiration but really I tend to decorate for me. Change is the norm around here as I thrift and enjoy pieces from different decades and periods. I definitely enjoy an eclectic mix.

How do you shop for your home? Do you set out looking for a specific piece or do you find a cool pieces and then think about where to add into your décor. Rarely do I have a physical list! I know what I love and I generally am ok with enjoying a piece for a while before selling it on. One rule, avoid anything with damage or that requires reupholstery…I also enjoy researching items and learning about the history. Lamps are my weakness… so much so that I’ve learned how to rewire them. I have lamps for each season! I tend to invest in larger pieces like a sofa or chair. Buy well, Buy once as my Granny would say!

Where and What you went to school for and What is your 9-5 gig? I went to school for Business and finished my MBA a few years ago. I also studied Data Analytics / Data Science and until a few years ago that was my role. My 9 to 5 now involves work leading corporate Strategy. It’s not something I saw myself doing but I thoroughly enjoy the creativity it brings as well as the analytical skills I need to use to create insights. I work in the Life Sciences industry and the company I work for very much aligns with my values, using science to make the world a better place.

“I sell Vintage for the modern abode.”
— Diahann Daniel

Tell us how did a nice British lady like you ended up in Massachusetts? My husband got rehired at a place he used to work at before… so after a year of him working here, we moved from England to Massachusetts. I wasn’t thrilled about returning to the snow! I took a few years off to settle my daughter in, who was very young at the time. This was the most important thing to me at the time and I was singularly focused. Having had the same experience of moving to another place, it was important to me that she felt like this could be a place that she felt she could live in. I couldn’t sit still for too long and that’s really how my Etsy shop Vintage Flicker got going. I started selling teacup candles, similar to the ones I’d made for my wedding then diversified into vintage. Mostly because, I just kept finding so much good stuff! It’s also how we furnished most of our home.

How long you’ve been in your home and what’s your favorite space? We’ve been here for 6 years now. My favorite space is the front room – living room. Simply because it has the most beautiful fireplace. It was the one thing that I was determined to fix as soon as possible. So I used all my Etsy sales money to make sure we saved it. Though our house was a foreclosure, it was in really good nick! But, it was indeed in need of some major repairs.

Diahann’s Jadeite Collection

Have you always been a Thrifter? Did you frequent – Jumble Sales growing up? I didn’t know it at the time… but yes, I can remember going to open air flea markets at a young age. Even then, I loved the thrill of the hunt!

I’m so curious what’s the difference between Thrifting in the States and England? Secondhand is huge in the UK. It’s so much more the norm. Especially for students at University. There are tons of car boot sales on year round and it’s like a little community. There are also a lot more charity shops and I tend to shop there rather than antique shops as there are so many to choose from.

Here’s a two-part question: Best thing you ever thrifted – either by value or by design. And what’s your unicorn item - a piece you dream of. The Best thing is an amazing Tiffany bowl by Elsa Perretti. It was $40 and retails for around $1,000.00. I also recently found a Pre-Columbian Terracotta Rattle Pot - it’s worth thousands and I have it on offer on the site for $328.00. But the Tiffany piece, definitely is something I wouldn’t part with. Unicorn item … I don’t think I have one… but let me find some amazing lamps please. They are my weak spot!

The best piece I found in 2022 is our Antique Victorian table.

Please tell the readers what made you decide to become a Vintage Seller?Honestly, I am a doer. After working full time for so many years, running my own consultancy practice. I just didn’t know how to sit still. I also wanted to contribute to the household income. I didn’t need to, but it was important to me that I did. I already had experience selling handmade so it was easy to sell vintage because that was how I shopped anyway. I would say what really made it feel right was when some of the customer reviews started coming in. One in particular always make me tear up. A lady bought a bunch of Dansk plates, which unbeknownst to me were hard to find. These plates were used in her parent home. Her Mum had recently passed and Dad had just broke the last plate, which for him was a big memory of his wife. So finding these plates, was like putting a family memory back together. That’s incredible to me, that one second hand plate, saved from the landfill, could bring so much joy. There isn’t a ton of money in vintage… so moments like this…totally make it worth it.

How did you choose the name Vintage Flicker? My best friend came up with it. Originally I sold candles. I used to make teacup candles for wedding. And I did a few famous people’s weddings… yup! I can’t share names, but it was pretty cool that the idea resonated with so many. I don’t have the time now to make them in bulk, but I found it to be a lot of fun!

Even if I go to England for a week, I absolutely must visit the charity shops. My bestie Helen, also keeps an eye out for me. The challenge has been getting it back across the pond. I once had two carry-ons full of breakable items. It’s hard to leave the good stuff! Lately, I’ve been curating my shop for those that are into that British aesthetic, so you’ll find lots of dresser set candleholders and art deco pieces.

EVERY ITEM HERE IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR SALE.

I’m sure it wonderful to see beloved pieces in others hands - what was the first thing you sold? The first thing I ever sold was a teacup candle for Mother’s Day. The first vintage things was a teacup and saucer set in blue and white for Country Living Magazine. I also sold a few old items to the TV show Lucifer. Fun times.

How has Social Media specifically Instagram effected your business? What about friendships with fellow IGers and or sellers. IG is very different to when I started. I miss having time for community. Whatsoldonetsy was so much fun. Meeting other sellers and seeing their cool stuff. Being self employed as a dealer can be a little isolating. Who do you talk to when somehow a package goes missing, or sales are down and you can’t work out why??? Just having a little cheer squad that totally gets you, and understands your passion, is just something you can’t underestimate. I’ve made so many wonderful friends and met some very cool and talented people. Many of which I would not have met, were it not for my little experiment, of selling vintage!

Any Plans for 2024? I want to grow my website Vintage Flicker that’s it!

Di a million thanks my dear for taking the time to chat with me! Friends go follow Di on Instagram, her Etsy Shop and her Website. Til next time be well and I’ll see you over on Instagram.

You will also find Diahann in this article:

Treasure Hunting 10.14.2020

Images: Diahann Daniel

Let's Meet Ria Krishnan

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Ria Krishnan

This month’s feature is a friend and wonderful artist Ria Krishnan. Ria welcome to the Chalet.

Meryl - Thank you for having me!

Can you tell the readers a bit about yourself: Hello I’m Ria I’m 39 and I live in the Bay Area of California with my husband Rahul. We met in high school and have been married for 14 yrs. He is my biggest fan :) I love cats but don't have one. Still convincing Rahul :) We got married in 2010 and that’s what brought me to this country. 

 Please tell us about where you grew up: I grew up in a small beach town in Goa, India. As far as I can remember, I have always enjoyed drawing. My parents made sure I had ample art supplies. That’s one thing I never had to ask for. Sketching/drawing came naturally. It was easier than math but always stayed a hobby until I moved to the US. I did a deep dive in 2010 and have never looked back since. 

Would you say Art is your passion? Yes, I think so. Although, as I said it stayed as a hobby while I was in India.

My education was very focused on math and science. I went to university for Engineering and then I wrote code working in the software industry for a little over 2 yrs. That was another life. 

Bombay is Waking Up

Fast forward to 2024 - Painting is more than a career. It is my lifestyle. I have come to believe that it is a journey of a lifetime and I am just getting started.

Are you a trained artist? My art education has been through workshops and lots of time in front of my easel.

What led you to work with Oils: Over the years I’ve tried several mediums - watercolor, pastels, charcoal, gouache. I love oils for their slow drying quality. I am a slow painter and I love that I can go back the next day and I’ll be able to work through them.

I’ve been painting for a little over 10 yrs, and have primarily focused on landscapes and nature. I love going on long walks and observing nature. I could watch clouds roll in on a hill for a while and not realize the passage of time.

plein air painting

“Painting is more than a career. It is my lifestyle. I have come to believe that it is a journey of a lifetime and I am just getting started”
— Ria Krishnan

Ria and her husband Ruhal

I know you’ve gained a lot of followers on Instagram since we first met. What has helped you grow your business and your social media presence: It has been mostly organic. When the pandemic happened, all in-person shows got canceled. So, I decided to go all in on Instagram. It is the only Social Media platform I use actively. 

I think I was at the right place at the right time. I have also been super lucky to have met some amazing art lovers such as yourself on Instagram who shared my work. I feel lucky.  

What are your plans for 2024: I plan to focus on teaching online (zoom) and in-person. I typically announce my plans in my newsletter - Please sign up on my website for my Art Club.  I also want to tackle some ambitious large paintings and push myself as an artist. I plan to release limited edition prints when I can.

Most recently I released a Venice inspired painting “Emerald Symphony”. I plan to release limited edition prints as well. Sign up & Follow on IG to be in the  know. And come say hello in my DMs. 

Emerald Symphony

Ria thank you so much for taking the time to chat. I am always inspired by your incomparable art. Before we close can you share any memories of your life with us that are especially meaningful: One of my favorite childhood memories is watching the sun set into the sea and my favorite memory with Rahul - life as it unfolds every single day.

Friends go find Ria on Instagram and give her a follow. Pop over to her Website and sign up for her mailing list by joining the Art Club, she shares Originals, Limited Edition Prints in her Print Shop and you can sign up for On-Line Classes.

Til next time be well and I’ll see you over on Instagram.

All Images: Ria Krishnan