The Comforts of Home...

home[hohm]: noun
The place in which one's 
domestic affections are centred

Jeffrey Alan Marks Inc

I'm such a crazy homebody to begin with, 
but I'm especially appreciating all of my 
creature comforts as I watch all of those 
being adversely impacted by the storms. 

I know for myself, my near obsession with 
all things design emanates from my love of 
home and all that it represents. 

So today an homage to home, and a rendering 
of all the comforts it provides:

Seen and Heard: "Cozy-Cozy"

This is aptly placed first on my list, 
as all things "cozy-cozy" is a pretty 
big deal around our house.

via

I am a blanket fanatic and have them 
everywhere you can think of - front porch, 
bathrooms draped over a chair, 
office - you name it!!

Favourite Things

Cookbooks, wine, copious amounts of mags, and 
family photos are amongst my very favourite 
comforts of home.

via Carolina Herrera

I adore the idea of cooking and love perusing 
through all of my cookbooks and cooking mags. 

This is serious folks. 

I had a built-in especially made 

in my kitchen for the sole purpose of housing 

my fave cookbooks, and did a wide ledge 

on my hood fan for exactly the same reason. 

And of course my beloved design mags...

The Little Things

All the little luxuries of home - linens, candles, 
flowers, fabulous stationary, pillows, music etc.

It really is the little things...

Ashley Whittaker Design

Smythson via HB

Scalamandre

Bed

Who here doesn't love their bed?!

And yes please Leontine - 
bring on the monograms!

Albert Hadley and Harry Heissmann

Celerie Kemble via Lonny

Bath

I think I love the lead up to the bath almost 

as much as the bath itself. 

And again, those monogrammed linens!!

via

Amanda Nisbet

Mary McDonald

Rest and Respite

Ahhh, exhale...

via Elle Decor

A little relax a la laptop never looked so good!!

via Elle Decor

Nosh

Good ol' home cooking.

Is there anything you can think of that wouldn't 

taste good coming from this black and brass beauty?

La Cornue

Nancy Meyers for It's Complicated

Possibly the most inviting kitchen ever!! I still adore this.

Hearth and Home

Don't think there's anything that says 
"cozy cozy" like a roaring fire in a 
fabulous fireplace!!

Canadian House and Home

Family and Friends

And of course, home is nothing if not to share 
with those nearest and dearest! 

We are continuing to think of all those 
affected by the storm - 
our thoughts and well wishes are 
with them and you! 

Christine xoxo

P.S. Boo!! Happy Halloween!

Well Wishes...

In light of the storm and all of those 

so significantly impacted, 

we will not be doing a post today.

Our heartfelt hopes for the safety and well-being 

of our colleagues on the East Coast and 

all of those affected in so many different ways...

Christine and Sarah xoxo

If I had endless money...

First off, am I the only one who feels like their style is always changing? 

I used to love the more midcentury style, then I turned hollywood regency obsessed. The last few months I've been loving a lot of vintage french pieces, art deco and recently I'm back to loving the more 70's - Milo Baughman, Karl Springer style pieces. 

All this to say, bare with me on my ever evolving style as I'm sure at times it won't make any sense. Now, back to my post.

I thought it would be fun to list out a few of the things I'd buy in a hot second if money wasn't an object.

......

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As you can tell, I'm a little obsessed with black & brass. There are so many things that I'm craving at the moment but these come out on top - and I will never own any of them :)

A girl can dream, right!?

S.

Friday Files: Designer Dish

Can it possibly be that we are already again at Friday?!

First things first!

There was some exciting news in the blogger community 

this week, and Sarah and I wanted to take 

the opportunity to offer the biggest "mwah" 

and congratulations to Christine on her 

wonderful baby news this week!!

Christine is near and dear. 

She has been an incredible source of support to 

Sarah and me and to 219, and we are both 

very touched and grateful. 

We wish Christine and her family so so much happy - 

all that they deserve - and of course 

CAN'T WAIT to see what she comes 

up with for the nursery!!

So back to the Friday Files and a few 
great designer how to's:

via Kelly Wearstler

Philip Gorrivan via Elle Decor

Suzanne Kasler via AD: One of my all-time favourites!

Kelly Wearstler for Groundworks

(Like these fabrics needed an introduction!)

via Elle Decor

What are your tried and true secrets 
or your fave designer tips?

Let us know!!

In other news on the home front, the mid-century 
wall candelabras from OKL arrived!!

One King's Lane: Vintage and Market Finds

So excited, and the hunt is officially on to find 
these lovelies a home befitting!!

Wishing you all a most wonderful weekend!

Christine xoxo

Bedroom Plans: Take 1

Hello lovelies!

So after getting our new bed delivered this past week I haven't stopped dreaming about ideas for our bedroom, so I thought I'd do this post on my vision at the moment. 

The other day while browsing around I found this rug by Madeline Weinrib and it totally caught my eye.

Needless to say, I haven't stopped thinking about it since. Something about the mix of blushy coral, soft pink, and black & white just has me dreaming of possibilities!

As a reminder, this is what our bed looks like...

And here's what I've come up with so far...

As mentioned before, I'm obsessed with these bedside tables by Lawson Fenning and NEED them in this room. Luckily, my brother-in-law is great with wood and hopefully I'll be able to get him to make me something similar - or else I'll have to fork over the dough for the real deal. *OBSESSED*

Keeping my hubby in mind - since it's also his room and all - I thought some more masculine brass table lamps would be a great addition to the space.

I got a vintage chandelier off a local listings site for a crazy cheap price and I think it'll look perfect in this room. 

I am still on the lookout for a perfect pair of brass benches (or bench) to sit at the end of the bed and also a settee or set of vintage chairs to use for a seating area. 

...(Side note regarding lamps)...

If it were totally up to me, I might be choosing something a little more along the lines of this :)

via

But, I am a HUGE lover of all things shiny and brass so the brass ones are still completely perfect!

Sources:

1. Madeline Weinrib Jambo Rug

2. Brass Table Lamp

3. Lawson Fenning Bedside Tables

4. Brass and Leather Bench

5. Vintage Chadelier

As always, this initial plan will probably change as the rooms comes together but it at least gets me excited to start putting it all together.

......

On another note, I stumbled upon the Etsy shop of artist Peggy Wolf...

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and my personal favourite...

via

Stunning right?! Especially, if your totally into the crazy lady portrait thing!(We all I know I am if you've seen my JRS hit in my dining room). I definitely need to pick myself up one of these ASAP!

S.

Portrait Perfect

Hello lovely readers!

I think I've alluded now a couple of times 
to my newest preoccupation with portraits. 

via Carolina Herrera

And not just any portraits, 
but in particular those of fabulous women - 
a glammy and chic sophisticate, a socialite perhaps, 

a lady of the manor, southern bell 

hostess extraordinaire-sort. 

via Julia Buckingham Edelmann

You get the idea.

And sure it would be great if it were of someone in my 

family lineage - a portrait tucked away somewhere in the 

attic - but pas nécessaire. 

Because therein lies the appeal - 
the element of the unknown, the mystique. 

These women all have an uncanny 
ability to inject into a space a sense of history, 
 tradition and presence and to help to create a 
space that feels layered and collected. 

Charlotte Moss has this down pat.

I adore her use of portrait-style art in her 
Manhattan office.

Charlotte Moss via HB

And this portrait of Eva Peron 

was, of course, a flea-market find!

Jonathan Adler Interiors

Jonathan Adler Interiors

via

And the mother of all portraits (literally in this case) 
is this one in Gloria Vanderbilt's Manhattan apartment. 

(Apparently, that is a cutout of her son Anderson Cooper??)

Gloria Vanderbilt

via Elle Decor

Another example of the brilliant use of 
portrait in Nanette Lepore's dressing room:

via Elle Decor

And I know that this is a repeat from a recent post, 

but I think it's worthy of a second visit!!

via House Beautiful

The fabulous socialite Nan Kemper in all her splendour!! 

I am so completely enamoured with 

this space largely on account of the portrait. 

It lends such a sense of presence to the room, no?! 

I know that art should not necessarily be matched 

to the rest of your interior, however, in this case 

the oranges work so beautifully together. 

And speaking of orange, as you may have seen in 

Sarah's post on Monday, some of our pieces have 

arrived, including this lovely orange duo!

They are vintage Baker and a nod to 

60's/70's style trad decor - exactly what I am looking for! 

Generally not a huge fan of orange, but I do love the 

fabric on these chairs. Unfortunately, they need to 

be reupholstered, and I know just the fabric: 

Jeffrey Bilhuber

I have long been an admirer of China Seas' Macao II, 

particularly in lilac, and love how it feels 

so similar in style to the current fabric.  

Am more than a bit excited that I have finally 

found somewhere to use it!!!

So off to the upholsterer I go at the same time 

as beginning my hunt for fabulous vintage portraits...

Will keep you posted on my finds!!

Hugs, Christine