Fans of Frank Sinatra and elegantly stunning bedrooms will enjoy this video tour of Belle Maison’s work in the room where most of us spend at least eight hours a day.
Archive for November, 2009
Sleep Warm
open source video, online video platform, video solution
An Education
Saw a delightful film last week that I think marks the arrival of a new star in Carey Mulligan. The film is a coming of age tale set in the early 60s in London about a bright, sheltered teenage girl (Ms. Mulligan) studying for an Oxford scholarship who meets a charming and somewhat mysterious older man. That’s all I’m going to say about this bittersweet comedy, except that if you like great writing and acting, and want to see the breakthrough film by a soon to be major star, then An Education is for you.
One More Tart
If you’ve read this blog before, you know I have a weakness for fruit tarts. Here’s the recipe for an apple version I made over Thanksgiving. Follow my pear tart recipe for the crust. Then take 5 Golden Delicious apples, peel and cut into small pieces. Heat over a low flame for 35-40 minutes, and put on the side. Cook the crust for 15 minutes with weights, as in the other recipes, and add a small number of chocolate chips, perhaps 25, to the base of the crust. Cook for about a minute, then take out and spread the melted chips. Now add a layer of the apple mixture. Finally cut 3 apples into slices and place on the top. Cook in a 375-degree oven for 40 minutes or until golden brown. By broiling for a few minutes at the end you can add to the browning process, but be careful not to burn.
Designing From the Top Down
Making larger spaces cozy and intimate is often a matter of choosing the correct paint colors. The key element driving the scheme of this family room is the brown ceiling color. It creates the perfect counterpoint to the room’s abundant light, and the bright tones of the fabric and wall color choices.
Consequences, by Penelope Lively
I found a copy of Consequences, by Penelope Lively, as I was browsing through Powell’s Books in Portland, Oregon. The first paragraph was so perfect I had to buy it. I wasn’t disappointed. This short, compressed, jewel-like novel introduces the reader to three generations of a British family, from the 1930s to the present. Lively’s vivid and economic prose captures in a page what other writers take a chapter to convey. She shifts her point of view from character to character, generation to generation, so unerringly that their lives become as authentic as your own.
Sparklers
This townhouse we designed in South Orange features particularly high ceilings and a spacious open plan, which displays the lantern style glass chandeliers I chose to great effect. The larger of the two, in the foreground of the photo, is situated over a dramatic staircase, while the smaller is in the foyer entrance area. The lanterns don’t give a lot of light, but in tandem with recessed lighting they are very effective, both in size and in the sparkling reflections they create. The carved antique gold sconces on the landing add to the drama.