The School of Flaunt Handbook

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!”

“Black & White (and a bit in between)” by Celerie Kemble

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!!

 

Tag It!

I had been wanting a tassel for the key of this painted chest for quite a while but just couldn’t find anything that was not trite.  But over the weekend, while in a small junk store, I came across this ogee-shaped, galvanized tag on a jute string.  I was instantly charmed by its unexpectedness and rather formal shape while being executed in such a humble material.  The $1.50 price also helped seal the deal.

 

Photos by Joel Woodard

Different Books Call For Different “Looks”

There are reading glasses, magnifying glasses and rose-colored glasses.  And then there are blinders (figuratively and literally) which won’t let you read or understand at all.  The point is different books called for different ways of journeying with their authors.  (Of course, it doesn’t hurt to have some chic-y specs as well!)

Photos by Joel Woodard

Ponds and Fronds – A Summertime Anniversary Supper for Friends

A summertime table needn’t be heavily laden with accoutrements, be they piles of china, stemware, utensils or flowers.  Simple bill of fare is always appropriate for the warmer season and when it came to settting this table yesterday for a celebratory anniversary supper for friends, I kept the setting light and bright.  White and green is a usual favorite color scheme which I like to employ and for the centerpiece, I decided to haul down an antique Pyrex chemist’s beaker from the pantry and fill it with a few long, lush and leggy ferns from a neighbor’s pond.  I found the result to be seasonally appropriate and romantic, friendly and Rustic Chic.

Photos by Joel Woodard

Get Plastered!

I love all things made from plaster.  Dry, fish belly white plaques, statuary, and other objets send my heart racing.  I always try to snap some interesting finds and file them away for reference.  Here are a few of my recent findings.  It’s Rustic Chic to get plastered once in a while.

Photos by Joel Woodard

“Trees Are Your Best Antiques”

“Trees are your best antiques.”

Alexander Smith

Photos by Joel Woodard

A Place to Hang My Hat

It’s Friday.  Time to trade in that workaday lid for something more suitable for the weekend.  Have a good one!

Photos by Joel Woodard

Practice! Practice! Practice!

Yesterday was the first real day where I could be outdoors to work around the barn, to feel the earth in my hands and the sun and breeze on my face.  And it was great practice for what I am hopeful will be more days like that as summer approaches.  After a few hours of work, I stretched the hammock in the tree line, grabbed a book and pillow and even took a nap.

Photos by Joel Woodard

I Confess!

I confess that I do secretly enjoy it when I go into an antiques shop and it’s teeming with shoppers.   And it’s even better when the proprietor is  otherwise engaged with them as that usually means I can create a few interesting vignettes of my own, snap a few mood shots and return the merchandise to its original place before anyone gets the wiser. 

Photos by Joel Woodard