Oh, Well Thanks For Thinking Of Me!

Do you guys get Gwyneth Paltrow's GOOP emails and fee like you've just gotten a nice, crafty email from a friend? Well.... I do.  I am obsessed with this last little email update.  I mean how did she know I would be in love with these London hotel interiors?  Seriously, this makes me want to book a chic, European vacation today.  The Connaught Hotel in London looks to embody everything from established charm to sleek, contemporary enchantment.  Not only is the hotel beautiful, it also houses two fashionable bars, The Connaught Bar and Coburg Bar and the Hélèn Darroze Restaurant.  Exploring the hotel website I found my heart fluttering from the visual design thrill! The interiors, designed by David Collins, exemplify the type of design that just get me in a flurry of excitement.   Clean lines combined with time-honored forms; stylish editing that communicates a collected, cultured environment. These pictures do not even do the hotel justice, for design bliss I recommend perusing the website. 

 

Another hotel suggestion is the Dean Street Townhouse, which really looks like staying at a home away from home!  How cool to escape the hustle and bustle of an activity filled day to your own townhouse?  With only 39 rooms it seems that this hotel exhibits both intimacy and style.  And, with rooms starting at 95 pounds I'd say book it!

 Go check out Gwyenth's website, GOOP, for more London hotspots... the restraunts she reccoments look equally as amazing!

Parlez- Vous Française?

I wish I did! My high school French is not getting me too many details on the beautiful Cote Maison website.  Oh, how I wish I had paid more attention in Mr. Meehan's French class!  In my mind I am butchering this beautiful language.  The fluid and effortless style of the French, however, does transcend the language barrier. No description needed... the pictures can convey natural elegance all on their own.  I love how these photos exhibit a modern and clean line aesthetic, but also a sense of history in the craftsmanship and in the depth of the textures on contrasts. 

Resolutions

Everyone makes resolutions.  This year I am making a few... one of them is a repeat from last year of which I never fulfilled. That's not really a promising start, but hopefully in the 365 days of 2010 I can find the time to complete what I set out to start!

So.. here it is for 2010...

1.  Organize about 7 years worth of photos.  This is the doozy left over from 2009.  I have 7 years worth of photos to organize and about a million memories. Yep. No biggie.

2. Find more time to be crafty.  By this I mean make the time to complete some projects I am itching to get done and not always hire out the work to be done for me.  I hope this will produce some satisfying results!

3.  Cook dinner at least once a week.  I understand this is normal for most people, but I really want to learn recipes, actually have a "spice cabinet" and have stocked ingredients so I can just "whip up something" oh a whim.  These seem like all things that good cooks are able to do.  This is actually stemmed from my holiday viewing of "It's Complicated".  Meryl Streep brings everyone together with her food and in a sense it makes her the glue, needed and irresistible.  I wouldn't complain if some new found culinary skills made me any of the above.

So, here we are.  This was last weeks definition of cooking once a week.  Well, actually it was a pot luck, but I did make the main course.  As last week went on (the second week in January) I had already not fulfilled resolution #3.  Too soon into the game!  When Saturday rolled around, I decided to be brave and invite the crew over for dinner.  Everyone did an amazing job contributing to the meal.  I cooked a chicken with an apricot and soy sauce glaze topped with toasted almonds.  It was tasty and tured out pretty well for a group of 12. From the spinach artichoke dip to the pizza muffins, to the saland dressing and even a little store bought (but equally amazing) Sanders bumpy cake the meal was all around fulfilling in both the food and the company.  

Oh, and resolution #2 is hanging on either side of the windows. My mom helped me sew up those drapery panels in between Christmas and the New Year.  It had been about 4 years since I had stitched away on the sewing machine, but I was glad to find out it is kind of like riding a bike.  We had so much fun!  As most projects do, these babies took me double the amount of time I had allotted.  Well worth it though, it's nice to have some ownership in some new window dressings.

Anddd....... still no progress on resolution #1. 

I hope 2010 is going well for everyone else!!!!

I Don't Think Winter Is So Bad, But....

It's cold in Michigan and I don't even mind the snow.  To be honest, I would be ecstatic if we had about 10 more inches of on the ground. In saying that, it does not mean I am not getting heart flutters looking at this beautiful garden. If this was March I would be nearly attempting to jump through my computer screen. These pictures communicate a nearly tangible feeling and mood.  In looking at these I can almost smell the freshly cut grass and feel the summer moisture in the air.  I love how this garden has a balance between being formal and structured, yet also welcoming and comfortable. Settled in between hills in New Hampshire, this "garden" is actually a series of 40 different gardens tied together by pebbled and grassy walkways (can you BELIEVE?!)  We can all thank Traditional Home and the green-thumb-savvy couple, the Fry's.  I can just imagine sipping on an Arnold Palmer....or maybe a Mojito...

All photo credit: Matthew Benson

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!! I hope everyone had a fabulous and festive season.  While my blog postings took quite the holiday lull I am ready to resume sharing Duncan Fuller news.  Luckily 2010 has put Duncan Fuller into overdrive and we are thrilled to be apart of some amazing projects and also eager to see what this year will have in store for us.  Collectively we believe that 2010 is going to be a year filled with opportunity, optimism and new horizons.  We would like to extend a warm welcome!
These photos my friend, Pat, sent to me this morning.  I love the moody lighting and simple beauty that these photos evoke.  These plants look both styled and effortless at the same time. Each little greenhouse hold succulents, moss and exotic plants. I would love to find a place in my house to do set up my very own greenhouse. This might just be one of my next projects....

The Whitney

This week I went down to the Whitney to celebrate my Mom's birthday.  This is such a special restaurant in Detroit.  The ambiance is unbeatable and the food is nothing short of amazing.  Not to mention, they have a $35 prefixed menu right now that is delicious. Four courses with an array of options.  We tried almost everything on the menu and no one was dissapointed.  I think I even heard my Dad say the steak was "one of the best he's ever had".  Thats a true testament coming from a group of red meat lovers.

The Whitney is an architectural masterpiece.  Built by lumbar barron, David Whitney, the home was completed in 1894.  Then deemed "the most elaborate and substantial residence in this part of the country", the home displays quintessential Romanesque style. In 1894 this home cost $400,000 dollars to build and I cannot even begin to imagine what this type of construction would cost today.   Actually, in the current times we would not even be able to begin to recreate such an architectural success.  With Tiffany stained glass windows, original electrification by Thomas Edison and a rich collection of tapestries and unparalled details the home is filled with unmatched craftsmanship.

Below are a few pictures  I snapped during our visit.  I tried to  capture the  some of the details and ambiance, but I don't know that I really gave the home justice!

Nothing says Christmas like....

It's Sunday, White Christmas is on TV and I don't have any place to be besides my couch.  This is my all time favorite Christmas movie.  ALL TIME.  I have always loved old movies,  so much so that I was probably the only eight year old who's mother drove to every Blockbuster in the Metro Detroit area to pick up each video in the Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney partnership. Anywhoo, that is a different story for a different time.  Back to the topic at hand,  White Christmas is the best holiday movie.  I love it so much that as that over zealous eight year old I actually wrote Rosemary Clooney fan mail.  I think I did get a letter back from her... I would have probably written the entire cast had any of the others still been living.  Now, excuse me, I am going to sit on my couch and sing along with Bing and the gang for the next couple hours.