Winter and the dearth of blooms.  Thank goodness for the low-maintenance paperwhite narcissus.  A few bulbs, some stones, a chic container and a little water and a few weeks later you’ll have that unmistakably wonderful scent wafting through your rooms.

 Photos by Joel Woodard

If you are not familiar with Alexandra Smythe and Cate Clarke, co-authors of “The School of Flaunt Handbook” and of their web site (www.schoolofflaunt.com), you should be.  Described as The Divas of Good Taste, Alexandra and Cate have dreamed up a tome in which they promise to navigate you safely through the snakepits and landmines of money, moda and manners.

With such interesting chapter titles as “Wardrobe – From Runway to Reality”, ”Votre Maison – All Gated Communities Are Not Created Equal” and “Amour or Affair de Coeure – We Want to Light Your Fire!”, their Handbook is filled with tips and quizzes and a bevy of helpful hints to guide you safely into their “Flaunt Fabulous World.”  (Full disclosure:  I was very honored when the duo asked me to do the black and white illustrations for the Handbook.  Thanks so much Alexandra and Cate!)

So before you even think about accepting that next dinner party invitation or stepping foot into Bergdorf’s again, spend a few hours with Alexandra and Cate and The Handbook, available through amazon.com.  You’ll be glad you did and as the authors proudly state, “why go through life as ordinary, when it is just as easy to be extraordinary!”

]]> http://rusticchic.wordpress.com/2012/01/03/the-school-of-flaunt-handbook-2/feed/ 0 Rustic Chic SOF1 School of Flaunt http://rusticchic.wordpress.com/2011/12/29/there-can-never-be-enough-red-2/ http://rusticchic.wordpress.com/2011/12/29/there-can-never-be-enough-red-2/#comments Thu, 29 Dec 2011 13:46:55 +0000 Rustic Chic http://rusticchic.wordpress.com/?p=6103 Continue reading →]]>

Red – the most dynamic member of the color spectrum.  There can never be enough of it in my opinion.  Here are some random images from my season and I hope you have had a wonderful one too.

 Photos, sketches, styling by Joel Woodard

Just something to think about. . . have a wonderful and safe holiday season!

Photo by Joel Woodard

A sprig of holly pinned to the lapel of a heathered grey sportcoat, a natty scarf and some red suede gloves – now that’s festive!  Have a good weekend!

Photo by Joel Woodard

Hundreds of starlings visit early every evening just before it gets dark.  Who knows whence they go?  Their cacophony is deafening as they speak to each other.  I loved their stark and graphic quality as they rested there, way up high in the trees and silhouetted against a gloomy, grey sky.  They perched there for a few minutes and then, in unison, they they fell silent and sped off.  The sound of their voices replaced by the rustle of wings.

Photos by Joel Woodard

Festive gift-wrapping needn’t cost a bundle.  I love the Rustic Chic simplicity of humble kraft paper and a glamorous satin ribbon (in this case, both from Walmart).  Blow the budget on the gift and top it off with a thoughtful, hand-written note on good stationery (from Cartier).   It’s what Rustic Chic is all about.

Photos by Joel Woodard

When my friend and fellow interior designer, Celerie Kemble, told me a year or so ago that she was writing a book about decorating in black and white, I thought “What a great, graphic idea!”  And Celerie’s new book, entitled “Black & White (and a bit in between) – Timeless Interiors, Dramatic Accents,, and Stylish Collections” delivers the goods in spades.  It is one of the most beautifully assembled and written books I’ve read in a long time and one that will have pride of place in my library.

Celerie is a principal of Kemble Interiors which was founded by her mother, Mimi McMakin.  Celerie’s interiors have been published in almost every major design magazine and she has been listed for more than ten years in House Beautiful’s “Top Designers” list.  She is a most talented designer indeed.

“Black & White” is jam-packed with more than 350 color photos showcasing the endless possibilities of using a limited color palette.  And Celerie includes not only some of her own work, but also generously uses that of her peers, including Bunny Williams, Mary McDonald, Thomas O’Brien, Mark Hampton, Brad Ford and Miles Redd, among others.  She even shows a few Rustic Chic examples by yours truly.

Be sure to get a copy of “Black & White.”  You’ll never look at black and white quite the same way again!  Congratulations and kudos galore, Sweet Celerie!!

]]> http://rusticchic.wordpress.com/2011/12/03/black-white-and-a-bit-in-between-by-celerie-kemble/feed/ 2 Rustic Chic Celerie 1 Celerie2 Celerie3 Celerie 1 http://rusticchic.wordpress.com/2011/11/30/the-rustic-chic-office/ http://rusticchic.wordpress.com/2011/11/30/the-rustic-chic-office/#comments Thu, 01 Dec 2011 02:57:48 +0000 Rustic Chic http://rusticchic.wordpress.com/?p=6029 Continue reading →]]>

What components comprise the Rustic Chic office?  Well, in no particular order and by no means is this an exhaustive list:  old beadboard walls painted in flat-finish white, sisal carpet, interesting collections of things that inspire you, modern art, a papa bear wing chair with a flat weave rug “runner”, traditional pedestals, a painted trestle desk with a thick slab of glass, an idea board full of various flotsam and jetsam that you find interesting, a clanking radiator that keeps you company, tons of design books, burlap roman shades made for a dime, faux bois, baskets filled to overflowing with fabrics and . . . well, hopefully you get the idea.

Photos by Joel Woodard