Laman

Why don't you...

Why don't you stop by Bergdorf's 7th floor this weekend and check out the fabulous furniture from Craig Van Den Brulle on display through March. Or if you happen to be downtown, you can check out his store on Elizabeth Street. Bon Weekend!

Karl Springer Gunmetal Table Bases with Set of 8 Milo Baughman Dining Chairs

Extrados Lucite Desk

Clairon Dining Table with White Quartz Top underneath Crystal Snowflake Chandelier

Large Mirror and Silver Leaf Buffet

Italian Metallic Leather Sofa
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Bachelor Pad, English Style

 

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We all know how bachelors in America live – with lots of cushy leather sofas  and reclining chairs!  Throw in a giant flat screen TV, some sports memorabilia on the wall, add a huge coffee table, and most single men would be heaven – just like this crew here.  And no, I don’t know who this fine group of men is- they came straight from the internet.   But, don’t they look familiar?  Do all bachelors around the world live like ours?   Or do they have more……taste?    For instance, how does a single man in England live?    Maybe someone who truly is cultured and actually likes to collect antiques?    Enjoy!

 

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This house for sale in London, is four stories, including a basement, and is approximately 6,000 sq. ft of living space.   Located in Mayfair, close to Regents Park with its famous restaurants and shops, (perfect for our cultured bachelor) the house has 4 to 5 bedrooms, a roof terrace, and a one car garage, which is shown, above, on the far right.  The building to the left with the arched windows is not part of this townhouse. In England, many houses have names and this one is called “Nightingale House.”  The price is not listed, but like the old saying goes – if you have to ask the price……..

 

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The front hall with its beautiful marble floors is centered between the drawing room and dining room.  Notice the gorgeous wood doors that close off the cold winds that blow in from the open front door.   There are more beautiful doors leading to the drawing room on the right.  In England, traditionally the houses are not open concept as they are in the U.S.  Rooms lead off from a center hall and are closed off with doors.   When modernizing homes, some owners will open up adjoining rooms by breaking through the walls, but the hallway with all the doors remains an important element of the design.

 

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Glancing at the first room visible in the house – it is obvious that a single man lives here.  What woman would turn her drawing room into what looks like a lawyer’s office from the 1800’s?     Obviously, our bachelor uses this space for his study.   And what a wonderful space it is, I could use an office this big!  Notice all his antiques – the unusual collection of brass reflecting telescopes add quite a lot of atmosphere here.   He obviously loves globes – I count seven in this room alone.  I adore the two revolving bookstands on each side of the mantel.   The crystal chandelier makes the room seem so grand!   The moldings are beautiful, as would be expected in a house of this quality.   And yes, there it is, on the right, the obligatory tufted brown leather sofa and chairs.  Why is it that men hate upholstery fabric?????     Boy, what I could do with the room!!!!

 

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Across the hall from the drawing room, the dining room could double for a law office conference room.  The set of antique leather chairs are indeed quite wonderful,  but very testosterone driven.   And what woman would use twin globes as a dining room centerpiece?    He’s obviously very anal – everything is perfectly symmetrical – the tablescape and the mantelscape are carefully arranged.  Still, the room is beautiful and very appealing in a masculine way.   I wonder if he uses his house as an office and this IS his conference room?   Or, maybe he is an antique  dealer and sells his merchandise from this house.

 

 

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The stair hall with a stunning skylight.  How gorgeous is this townhouse?   Look at the finials on the newel posts!   The large mirror on the landing reflects it all back downstairs.  

 

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The second floor drawing room.  This room is identical in size to the first floor drawing room.   Our bachelor must be an antique dealer!  I’ve never met a single man this into antiques without being in the business.    More telescopes and more globes – typical items that men collect.   And of course a single man who lives here – would any woman let a TV ruin a room like this??????   Does it have to be this conspicuous and huge?    Notice his antique French leather chair just sitting ready right in front of the screen.  Without the TV, it would be almost impossible to tell what era this house is from.   It definitely could use a woman’s soft touch such as curtains and upholstery fabric, but for a man – it’s pretty good!!

 

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The second floor has just the master bedroom and the drawing room.  The children’s (if there are any!) bedrooms are on the top attic floor.  Notice how high the ceilings are – the cabinet looks dwarfed here!  There’s no TV, but he has his stereo and speakers in here.  This room, and the whole house, really desperately needs a woman’s touch.  

 

 

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The master bathroom is stunning with its marble fireplace and brass tub!!!!  And yep, he’s got a telescope in here too, just in case he needs to examine the bathwater for floating germs, I suppose. 

 

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The kitchen is very beautiful – with its tan cabinetry and bold black and white tile floor.  The stainless range is fabulous!  Wonder how much cooking goes on in here?    This room is located on the basement level. 

 

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The breakfast room, also in the basement,  is lovely.   I really love the wall clock.  So let’s see, he plays chess and he has a dog!  I spy his pup’s rag toy to the right of the fireplace.  At least our bachelor is not alone in this huge home.   I was getting worried about him.

 

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Hee-hee!   Well, I asked for upholstery – so I got it!   Not exactly the quality I had in mind though.  I love how he’s covered his ottoman so that the dog doesn’t ruin it.   And could he have a bigger TV in here?   He smokes too!   I’ll bet it smells terrible in this basement room.  A wife would certainly make him go outside to smoke.   Maybe he is married – to that thing in the corner!   What is that – and shouldn’t it be in a museum, not a house????  

 

 

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For those who like to read floor plans:  it’s a little hard to make out the writing, though.

 

So, what do you think?   Would you like to live here and give it your feminine touch?  The house is a beauty without a doubt, and our bachelor did a wonderful job of remodeling it, it just needs a good interior designer.  I wonder why he’s moving?   Is it too big for him, or is he getting married and his wife has her own house?   Or perhaps he is a victim of the economic climate in England that is just as bad as in the states? What do you think?

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Favorite Things: Resort

I skipped my winter Favorite Things post because it was all just too depressing to think about and by this point, I am ready to burn all my winter clothes so why not focus on resort. Besides, I'll need something to wear in St. Barths and I like to plan my outfits in advance, even if they are just for my fantasy getaway!

I am usually not a fan of pink. I think it's something to do with living in the city or growing up in a Peptol Bismol pink bedroom. But I make an exception for pink when it comes to vacations at the beach. It also looks good with a tan and although the color in the Milly Ikat Dress above is a little more mauve, it still fits my theme perfectly. I tried this dress on at Saks last week just for fun but I may have to go back and buy it. I just love the way it fits and it's flirty and fun without being too frou frou.

When I first saw these sandals on the J. Crew website, I was hoping they came in another color but now I realize the pink would be perfect compliment for my getaway wardrobe. And you know that I never never met a pair of gold shoes I didn't like so the gold straps definitely had me at hello!

Everyone knows that you can't go away without a great manicure and pedicure. I've already switched out my dark polish for Essie Potato Fields. It's the most perfect neutral color and also looks great layered over Adore-A-Ball if you need a little more coverage.

You need something to wear on the plane and I will probably wear one of my J. Crew Tissue Camp Shirts with the white jeans below. You can leave the sleeve down while traveling and then roll them up when you get to your destination. If you get chilly, you can always throw a cardigan over it. (Oh, and the orange one is already on sale!)

I love white jeans. I don't care if they make my butt look big or need constant washing since they get so dirty. They are just so easy to throw on and go easily from day to night. It's best not to spend too much money on them since they do have a tendency to attract dirt. I actually found a pair on sale for $10 at a J. Crew store recently but this pair is not too bad at $98. Now if I just had legs that long, I'd be all set.

I know most of the things I'm packing are from J. Crew but it really is one stop shopping there and everyone knows they have great swim suits so I had to post one from them as well. I usually stock up on them during the end of season sale but there is something about this new Italian Jersey bikini that I love. I think the Earth color is the perfect foil for all the pink and would also look fabulous with a white little cover up. I think I am going to give up carbs forever after looking at her body in it. Sigh. Let's move on shall we.

I tend to buy certain accessories that I know I will be able to wear forever so I don't really need a new pair of sunglasses. My Tom Ford gold Angelica's are still going strong but if I did need new sunglasses, then these Ray Ban aviators would be perfect. They are a classic and could also be worn forever and also won't break the bank.

I bought this Lambertson Truex beach bag very on sale at the end of last summer at Bergdorf Goodman so I'll be taking it along but you can find great bags at the Gap and even Target. The tote bag from the Gap that I wanted to post isn't online yet but it's been featured in all the magazines. It would be perfect so I'll keep checking for it.

There isn't much new fiction on my must read list but I've been hearing good things about Gilding Lily by Tatiana Boncompagni so I am looking forward to reading it. You definitely need a fun read for the beach so don't even think you're going to make it through War and Peace while you're on vacation. Trust me. It's been tried before and it never goes well. Just pick up the chick lit and throw it in your bag. You'll thank me later.

And don't forget your sunscreen! La Roche-Posay make the best although you may want to bring some Hawaiian Tropic along just for the coconut smell. Or you could just order a few Pina Coladas. Bon Voyage!
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Take Me Away!

The temperature in New York today was 5 degrees with the wind chill and I've had enough. I'm ready to pack my bag and run away! I'll probably just end up going to Los Angeles to visit friends but where I really want to go is St. Barths. I'd love nothing more than to sit on a beach in the warm sunshine for a week while a lovely cabana boy brings me diet cokes and spritzes me with coconut scented suntan lotion. Maybe I'd get up for yoga. Of course for it to be a truly dream getaway, I would have have to stay at the Hotel St. Barth Isle de France with it's simple yet elegant beachy decor by interior designer Penny Morrison. Anyone want to come?







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Blogtrepreneur

I want to send a big thank you to Blogtrepreneur for including Habitually Chic in their list of the 100 Must Read Blogs...by Women! The site also gives great advice for bloggers and online entrepreneurs so now it's one of my must read sites! Thanks Blogtrepreneur!
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Sense and Sensibility

No matter how many times Hollywood tries to remake one of Jane Austen's classics into a film, I can never quite enjoy them. All I see are perfect movie stars and make believe. That's why I will always prefer the BBC versions. They always draw me and make me forget that I am watching a movie and the latest, Sense and Sensibility, is no different. The first part aired Sunday night on PBS and if you missed it, or like me couldn't wait for part two, it's also available on DVD. The actors, costumes and sets are all perfect, including the stately Wrotham Park (above) that stands in for Norland. I just don't know if I find it comforting or distressing that the relations between men and women should be any less confusing today than they were when the novel was published in 1811.

Next to being married, a girl likes to be crossed in love a little now and then. - Jane Austen

If things are going untowardly one month, they are sure to mend the next. - Jane Austen

It sometimes happens that a woman is handsomer at twenty-nine than she was ten years before. - Jane Austen

There are certainly not so many men of large fortune in the world, as there are pretty women to deserve them. - Jane Austen

The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid. - Jane Austen

Single women have a dreadful propensity for being poor. Which is one very strong argument in favor of matrimony. - Jane Austen
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Chintz Bedroom

I just wanted to clarify that the Chinese wallpaper from Harewood House being sold at Mallett was from the Chintz Dressing Room. The other wallpaper that was found was from the Chintz Bedroom and was restored and installed at Harewood House and can be seen in these photos.

"Thomas Chippendale's commission of 1767 to 1778 to furnish Harewood House for Edwin Lascelles was not only the most valuable of his career but also the most sumptuous. The commission was for a complete decoration of the house and included the hanging of wallpaper and supplying of damask and paper. The Chippendale bill for the early years of the commission is now missing but, in 1772, £3,024 19s 3d was carried forward on to the existing bill."

"It is not possible to ascertain whether Chippendale himself provided this wallpaper, as was the case at Nostell Priory, or, as was more normal because of its rarity, whether Lascelles acquired it personally. Series of such panoramic paper became fashionable in the middle of the 18th century and were exported from China via Canton. There is but one known reference, of 1755, to paper forming part of a ship's cargo, so it is assumed that it was carried on commission by ships' captains of the East India Company, thereby avoiding the wallpaper tax."

"It is the Day Work Book kept by Lascelles' steward, Samuel Popelwell, noting how Chippendale's workmen spent their time from 1769 to 1775 which enables us to identify this wallpaper. It is recorded that a Mr James arrived at Harewood on 18th October 1769 and 'stayed until Christmas fully employed papering, unpacking and fixing furniture'. Between 14th and 16th December that year he spent twenty-eight hours 'Hanging the India paper in the Chintz pattern cotton bedchamber' and between 21st and 23rd December he spent twenty-six hours 'At the patterns in the Chintz pattern cotton room'."

"This suite of rooms with their oriental 'India' paper inspired the green japananed furniture made for them by Chippendale, comprising a clothes press, dressing commode, pier glass, shaving table, night table and two bedside tables. This furniture was recorded as still in these rooms in an inventory of 1795. However, at some time in the 19th century, probably during the remodelling of the house by Barry in the 1840's, the wallpaper was removed and put into storage." This wallpaper from the Chintz Dressing Room and the Chintz Bedroom was discovered in 1988, rolled up in the carpenter's shop at Harewood.

"The conservation report notes that the decorative painting is an early example of its type and is of extremely high quality. A great deal of the paper is still in its original condition where as many papers have suffered from years of over painting."

The East Bedroom (Chintz Bedroom) before the restoration and rehanging of the wallpaper.
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