VT (for all of my design-obsessed peeps)

photocourtesymichaeleastmanviadesignerblockblog Peeps, This week's last post is devoted to the color green.  As we all know, green is the color most auspiciously associated with money (and greed).  ' Green with envy, ' and ' doing anything and everything for the green-backs ' are common sayings that aren't quite positive, and one should try not to get described as such.  ' Going green ' today has a positive connotation, signifying a respect and adherence to environmental principles which aim to maintain a steady equilibrium in matters concerning our planet's ecology/oceans/forests/skies and so forth vis-a-vis ourselves.  Optimism abounds in all quarters!! Today's visual treat is a beautifully decaying garden-room in Cuba (from the impressive portfolio of photographer Michael Eastman), and undoubtedly quite stunning.  Ironically, interiors (and the structures which house them) such as this may soon become a thing of the past.  The governme...

imagecourtesysaucyhelplivejournal Peeps, Purple, the color most often associated with royalty, passion, or madness, is amazingly versatile in any decorating scheme.  It works well when paired with white and all its pale cousins.  Also fantastic with: brown and black (anytime/anywhere);  yellow (citrine/dandelion/golden-yellow/maize/mikado-yellow); green (apple-green/asparagus/cadmium /Dartmouth/ olive/emerald/forest/Indian/Islamic/jade/ lime/Lincoln/Paris/ pastel/pine/ pistachio/sea/olive); orange (amber/apricot/cadmium/carrot/Princeton/pumpkin/safety/tangerine); pink (baby/bittersweet/blush/cotton-candy/cerise/coral/fuchsia/magenta/Persian/raspberry/ rose /wild-watermelon);  blue (this for the bold among us, or extremely talented colorists on the order of: Jamie Duke, Kelly Wearstler, Mary Drysdale, and Anthony Baratta);  red (again for the daring or desperate). Purple is the most perfect backdrop for displaying objects and furniture in...

photocourtesyeclecticrevisited Peeps, If you are like me, actually if you are like millions of other Americans who are eagerly anticipating the results of today's election, chances are that many hours will be spent sitting in one's favorite chair watching the results on the TV, or tuning into regular news updates on the radio.  It goes without saying that a comfortable sitting chair is essential, as is a light supper and plenty of snacks for the long hours ahead.  If such as a handsome specimen as the bamboo sitting chair (pictured above) was next to my fireplace, I would want a drink table placed within easy reach, with plenty of surface space for bowls of assorted nuts, cheese-straws (which I can't resist), flat water, and a fifth of something a little stronger.  No cubes necessary! This little bit of gold, surrounding the fireplace (and repeated in the candle-handlers) works so well with the overall restrained mood of today's featured interior.  Any am...

photocourtesyeclecticrevisited Peeps, When the snow falls in January and February, this is where I want to be.  When the snow fell unexpectedly last fall--during the phenomenon known as SNOWMAGEDDON, this is where I wished I had been.  Instead, stranded was I, about three miles from home without snow tires/snow chains/winter-coat/stocking-cap/wool-gloves/scarf.  Thankfully I had the good sense to pull over into a strip mall's parking lot and patiently sat, calling all friends (and ex-friends as well) in hopes of getting a ride home.  Two hours later, and seventy-five dollars poorer, I was able to step into my little home, all the more happier for having picked up groceries and discounted magazines at the nearby Goodwill.  Seems that others were not so fortunate; news stories reported stranded motorists spending as many as eight hours on frozen, unplowed highways where almost everything had come to a halt, save the blinding snow. Yes, I love this bedroo...

photocourtesyroomlust Peeps, Nothing comes close to the joy of unwrapping the wrapper enclosing the latest design magazine.  Whether or not it is pure escapism, or fantasies best appreciated while laying in bed and just before sleep; or dreams made real and presented in lay-outs so seductive (and illuminating) that we aspire/plan/take risk, and then gradually we too create an individual dream-scape (all within our own four walls).  Whatever the purpose, the thrill of new visual delights cannot be denied, and lest we chafe incessantly, one should dive into this world of beauty without further delay, for who knows what tomorrow may bring. Tomorrow, political blogger Lowell Feld stated earlier this morning, will decide for whom beautiful homes and gardens will remain tantalizingly out of reach, a distant memory.  I agree wholeheartedly, for as we all know, many persons have had to forfeit parts of the American Dream as banks and mortgage companies recoup losses. ...