09/05/2018

24 Hours of Rural Sophistication in the Berkshires

Getting away is more than a pause from everyday life, it’s a needed restart from everyday existence. I live in a town where home upgrades and trading in cars happen in the same cycle as an annual checkup. Life becomes a constant rotation of contractors and car dealers. This is why traveling to the Berkshires for nature, history, and a slower-paced existence keeps you connected to simpler values. Even taking Route 7 north to the region is less manic than those urban edged-highways with billboards telling you to buy everything from a swimming pool to the best pizza in the county. The scenery offers gratuitous visions of historic structures and bucolic settings that take you back to vacation drives when you used Mad Libs to pass the time. 

View from The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Lenox home that is a repose from the everyday.

 

The Berkshires have long been known as an artistic retreat for urbanites. It was the home of Norman Rockwell and Edith Wharton for a decade before she settled in Europe. It’s also the summer stomping ground of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, where they entertain music enthusiasts at Tanglewood from July through August. This attracts visitors who have a keen interest in cultural activities in a quiet seasonal setting. There is also an abundance of churches, hiking trails and quaint shops to explore.

Scene from No. Six Depot that has an urban sensibility in a rustic locale.

On route we stopped at No. Six Depot Roastery and Cafe in West Stockbridge, an innovative eatery that roasts and produces their own coffee. On Mondays you may even see employees packaging the beans in the back. Though the delicacies are not exclusive to coffee. The updated railroad station, the oldest in the Berkshires, features an art gallery and farm-to-table menu helmed by South American Flavio Lichententhal. Lichententhal moved from Manhattan to the Berkshire’s with his wife, Lisa Landry, who oversees the tea and gallery. The No. Six Depot experience goes hand in hand with the Berkshires as a sensual escape.

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Posted By
08/29/2018

No-Fail Styling Tip: Add Art and Accessorize

Experiencing a decor crisis? A challenging space that craves more than a house plant and sweet picture of the seashore? Add art and accessorize, which is a dependable prescription to any design dilemma. Overlooked areas can bedevil the most accomplished designers, which is why enlisting dependable accents can guarantee a designed home.

In the “calm room” an interplay of accessories and art are stitched together to create a playful theme of color and comfort.

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Posted By
08/21/2018

Simple Ways to Update a Dated Space

The Laguna Beach home I fell for was retro. Though not from the cool glimmer of a disco ball or vivid Pucci print, it was an artifact proving that mustard yellow and linoleum floors were once design darlings. The challenge in transforming a Brady Bunch beach house from its 70’s grooviness to the present began with freshening up the walls with gallons of white paint. To further update the space, green floors were ripped away and replaced with a light shade of maple. Once dated elements were removed the rooms glowed, putting to proper use its walls of windows and Pacific Coast sunlight.

A change of paint color, flooring and an attention to accents and furnishings update a space.

While making decor alterations to the home may not seem as simple as adding jewelry to an outfit, the process is refreshingly similar. Begin with a basic scheme that relates to your personal style and embellish. Design with a modern palette that you can live with. I am a believer in using white as your canvas and accentuate with color. Consider your scheme, budget, and source the accents that will support your direction. A worthwhile expense was to reupholster the bristly green bench fabric with a lighter color in a current print, providing interest and comfort, and updates the space.

A wood burning fireplace is a sought after vintage piece though its original coloring has a lot to be desired. Embrace what you have and adjust your scheme so the installation blends.

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Posted By
08/14/2018

10 Tips to Creating a Styled Vignette

An expertly styled vignette is not a daunting compilation of luxurious items only mastered by stylists in skinny pants. Walk through your home and details for a curated display abound. Use personal belongings as props for an artistic setting since they were sourced by you, acquired and kept because they convey your stylistic language. Pull in other elements to help build your visual, like baked goods or personal memorabilia, and you’ll achieve a grouping that’s second to none.

Creating a styled vignette will add interest to everyday items.

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Posted By
08/08/2018

Meghan Markle’s Relatable Style Transitions to Fall

Meghan Markle may wear couture when she attends baptisms and travels on private trains, but her innate style is actually affordable. So how can the budget-conscious commoner tap into her style? Look to dependable classics, clothing made well with structured tailoring, and you’ve mastered the Markle effect. A style that nicely segues to the autumn season for its clean and monochromatic composition.

Love Gun ankle fray jeans favored by Markle. Photo credit: Mother.

 

You have to have the reflexes of an expert gamer to snatch royal accessories as they appear on social media because, most likely, you’ll hit the site with a sold out notice. Don’t fret as the web hosts countless options. Simply browse Markle’s favorite brands and accessories, you may just beat Meghan to the shopping cart by expertly navigating her signature Duchess styles. 

Shop Meghan Markle’s Relatable Style:
  1. Cuyana hat 2. Rough & Tumble Access with Clutch 3. Urban Outfitters beanie 4. Nike Classic Cortez shoes 5. Everlane tote 6. Michel Paris hat 7. Finlay & Co. sunglasses 8. Madewell jean 9. MM.Lafleur scarf 10. J. Crew dress 11. Stuart Weitzman suede boots 12. Misha Nonoo shirt 13. Ralph Lauren cotton pant 14. Sarah Flint pumps 15. Aritizia dress 16. Ralph Lauren shirt 16. Adidas shoes 17. Topshop double breasted trench 18. Urban Armour capri
Dependable Meghan Markle’s Go-to Brands:

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Posted By
07/31/2018

Picking Blueberries and What to Do with Them

Once mid summer hits beaches, firecrackers and anything involving a flotation device begins to lose its recreational appeal. Finding new ways to extend the season becomes more urgent as Back to School promotions infiltrate the shopping aisles. Connect with the outdoors and contribute to a healthy lifestyle by picking your own fruit as an alternative summer event. We chose blueberries because an abundance of this anti-oxidant rich fruit is always welcomed in our household. 

The natural appeal of fresh picked blueberries.

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Posted By
07/24/2018

Block Prints Command Summer Style

There’s a profile attached to those who adore block prints, showing a devotion to the design like titled ladies who dwell in homes heavy on chintz. Though it lends a more relaxed environment over a floral manor house jammed with twee and portraits of relations who married cousins. Hand block printing is a centuries-old trade originating in India and Asia, further stretching to other parts of the world, which uses ink dyed woodcuts to embellish material for an artisanal quality. 

Block prints is versatile with a casual, organic style.

 

The textiles are typically little girl’s nightgown soft, designed in a range of color combinations, which elevate the piece to heirloom material. Indicative of boho or surfer style, it also has an elegant side that Julia Amory, Founder of India Amory, does so well in her collections. “Block prints are whimsical and casual but mixes so elegantly with more formal pieces,” says Julia. “It’s the perfect backdrop for a slightly undone summer table. Never to formal or overdone”

Julia Amory sets an en plein air table that mixes classic elements with haute earthy touches. Even the way she dresses relates to the theme, as seen in her barefoot ladylike style. Photo courtesy of India Amory.

 

Hand block prints are a dependable element to enliven an ensemble. “Our block prints incorporate elements of traditional Indian design in a fresh and playful way,” says Julia. We rely on inspiration from provincial French block print design as well.” Contemporary block prints tap into this traditional method for a modern effect, which any gypsy with a penchant for luxury will love.

Our favorite hand block prints finds:
  1. John Robshaw towels 2. Tilonia Sprig linen set 3. Block Shop textiles runner 4. Roberta Roller Rabbit pillow cover 5. Cambria quilt 6. Petite Croix napkins 7. Kalyana Textiles quilt 8. Kariby Krity napkin set 9. India Amory pareo 10. Kari Fisher Designs swatches 11. Mia + Finn scarf  12. Kerry Cassill pillowcase 13. Clay McLaurin fabric 14. Pom Pom at home shower curtain 15. Soane UK fabric 16. Natural Quilts quilt
Posted By
07/17/2018

50 Activities for a Kid’s Electronics-Free Summer

A few things need to be avoided in the summer: sunburn, bugs, crowded beaches, hearing the ice cream truck’s eery melody right before dinner and anything that can be plugged in. After a winter of bad weather, where escaping into computer worlds became a symptom of the season, make up for the lost time by engaging in an electronics-free summer.

Games you played with as a kid never cease to amuse.

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Posted By
07/10/2018

You Can Eat Pizza Everyday with Variety

Hashtag blessed profiles omit the real family time. You won’t see the strife over agreeing on a program everyone can watch. Leaving the house at the same time. Finding common ground in the distribution of household chores. Though agreement can be found in two areas: pizza and the family dog (more on the family dog for another story). How can you serve pizza regularly without it being pulled from a cardboard box? We spent a month creating different versions that are simple, delicious, even healthy and all-natural to promote a happy home.

Recipe: Grilled Salad Pizza

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Posted By
07/02/2018

Why Stripes Will Always Be Classic

Show your stripes and we do not mean simply in a patriotic way. Architects of the American flag secured a classic when stitching thirteen red and white lines to create one striking symbol. The pattern has movement, adding adornment on everything from wallpaper to phone cases. Stripes inject instant chic to an otherwise unmotivated ensemble. Wear stripes with denim and you have casual cool. Pair a striped dress with leather sandals and Mediterranean flair happens. Dress a pig in stripes… You get it.  

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