housemartin

maiden hair

Beautiful photos of the bold and yet delicate fern. This is from this months Garden Design magazine. According to them "ferns can hold their own as centerpieces, indoors or out". I quite agree. You can never have enough green.

natural fibers

A lovely set of photos from Marie Claire Idees - the ultimate in crafting mags. Here are some wonderful neutral - a collage of shades of linene and an olive branch applique with jute fabric.

white on white

More lovliness from Marie Claire Idees - this vignette with whitewashed frames.

organic chemistry

Loved this article from Blueprint magazine about architectural designer Elena Colombo's house. The shades of green against the coral red just sing. Love the painted stumps - wonderful easy stool for guests. I have oggled over that West Elm rug many times - she uses it so skillfully here. Fabulous how the grouping of paperbacks on the coffee table are displayed upright to create a colorful stripe - nice visual texture! She also likes to play with scale - for example using those oversized coral print pillows and the giant blown-glass bottle in the corner.

Viennese Waltz

These smart-looking stacking chairs are available at 1st Dibs. No price again so just use your imagination and that's probably not enough - add some 0's to it - it is for the set of 10. Anyway they are from Austria by designer Roland Rainer, manufactured by E. & A. Pollack in 1956. According to the seller, the chairs were designed for the Vienna City Hall and were used for concerts and entertainment.

figgy

It seems the design world is charmed by figs right now...including myself.
Here are some pretty folks I enjoyed this week...

They are so sculptural and come in luscious colors - my favorite: pale and deep greens and deep plum. Here is a swell vignette from Marie Claire Idees - a great crafting magazine from France. I melted when I turned the page and saw this - i don't usually like mauve and plum tones but this made me swoon...

and how about this clever applique tablecloth - just dreamy for an outdoor supper on the patio.

and some inspiring photos of the plants and fruit themselves from House & Garden

seat 14c

I am off to New York for the gift show in 2 hours but not to worry - I have plenty of posts lined up to satiate! Keep those comments coming - I will catch up when I get back!

strawberry cake

Another order from last week - lovely coral dahlias mixed with viburnum berries, pale green zinnias, purple sage, green cockscomb, echinacia cones, and peach and yellow roses...so summery.

daydreaming

What a lovely idea from Elle decoration UK magazine...
this birch canopy daybed looks like it was just thrown together from the branches lying around in the woods. And while we're at it - how about "floaty voile curtains" just to lighten the mood. Maybe I'll sip a blueberry lemonade here - what should I read - oh, maybe my field guide to songbirds of the Northwest or a little poetry...

glimmering shadows

Where do I start with this photo? It is such a lovely combination of subtle textures blended all in shades of white. Serene and moody all at once. It is from Elle Decoration UK magazine and features the stylish dotted porcelain lantern from the Conran shop - of course. I imagine it would cast wonderful shadows on the wall. The mystically wonderful pearlescent wallpaper is by Eijffinger.