Fireplace Mantles: Today's Obsession

I really, really REALLY want one of those old-fashioned marble fireplace facades in my bedroom. I just find them so beautiful and charming. I found a place called Old House Parts in Maine that sells them for around $450-650. I imagine shipping adds a couple more hundred, but this might be one of those things I eventually splurge on.

The top one is $450 and I just love the curvy carving. The bottom one is really nice, too. I don't have a lot of depth to spare in the apartment, so I just need the facade to stick out and give the illusion of a beautiful old brownstone parlor. The radiator under the window can provide the heat (though I do want a nice basic cover for that, too.)

Pass the sandpaper, I'm keeping my desk.

I have a little white desk that I could definitely shab up like this table in the corner. I was going to toss it out, but maybe I'll see what some sandpaper can do first.

Love the wooden planks on the wall and the glossy floor. Gives me ideas for the little outdoor sunroom when we build it.

Tablescapes and arranging pretty things

A cool arrangement of found objects. I'd replace the garland and glass-encased Virgin Mary with a few modern or metal/industrial pieces to city it up.

Lovely linens

Cute way to store sheets and towels from the blog Ciel D'Orage—little baskets with a fabric tie.

And so this is Christmas

As a Jew, I have no business commenting on Christmas. OR, I may just be the perfect, coolly-objective observer. Growing up in a Midwestern suburb, my sister and I used to count houses with Christmas decorations as they popped up in our neighborhood. The more tacky and over-the-top (think: Santa driving a full team of reindeer over a light-strewn Nativity scene), the more we ooh'd and ahh'd.

Since then, that starry-eyed "Hannukan" (as one neighbor called Jews in all seriousness) has evolved into a WASPy Anglophile who likes understated class in her Christmas decor, thankyouverymuch. Like this Paris doorway pictured on the blog Paris Parfait. The white ribons are so pretty and sophisticated, especially bundled around the branches. Love the wicker pots, too. Nothing except the wreaths really says "Christmas." Which means I could avoid feeling any Jewish guilt if I try this at home.

The "canvas": my backyard

Disclaimer: I lived in the apartment from 2002-06, but I never really did much with the place. It was only until my sister moved in that it was transformed into a French Country meets city slicker wonderland. This top photo is an aerial shot taken by my neighbor when I lived there. I had some crap metal furniture with a glass-topped table (later broken by a tree branch. However, the "bones" are there. I feel eternally blessed to have an oasis like this in New York.


My sis brought in an iron daybed for decadent lounging (jury's out, but she may leave it for us and the dogs to enjoy). She also inherited some wooden outdoor furniture that works much better in a garden setting. It will probably need to be replaced, as it hasn't weathered the elements so well. She also got old barrels, an antique wagon and some wooden crates that are transformed into planters.


My husband wants to build a small, heated sunroom back here and I can't wait. I'm imagining coffee, reading, and lounging year-round, looking out at this little bit of paradise.






I like this ladder concept a lot and I think it could work in my garden. I would probably use flowers rather than the industrial letters (this example is actually TOO urban for a New York garden).

This morning's obsession: lit outdoor clock

After seeing how cool the lit bar clock looked in this photo from my new favorite Frenchie blog Tongue in Cheek, I started dreaming of something similar for my backyard. I have a brick wall that could benefit from a little styling. I like the weathered "Restaurant" sign and the landscaping elements around the clock, as well as the potted tree. Got me thinking about making a little mini awning out of vines or brush.

Of course, this is NYC, so air conditioning drips or a cigarette butt flicked down by a careless neighbor could make this all a fire hazard. But the lit European clock (this fancy one at left is a two-sided design made by Stokes Clocks in Ireland) is a cool concept. It's a little too uptown/5th Avenue for me, but maybe I can find something like this on eBay.


(Top photo by Corey Amaro)

All About Lullabell: Cheap Chic

Although this site veers a little too much into Grandmaville, it's a good source for budget-friendly vintage accents, like clocks and weathered signs. Too many cabbage roses, cherubs and swirls for the city, but I could see myself getting a small thing or two from here.

Studying this photo, I like the tonal palette and how that all comes together to create a soft space. But to New York-ify it, I would keep the chair and maybe the candles beside the mirror. Everything else would be more modern or at least, less ornate. That contrast keeps it from looking too "done" in my opinion, which has more interest and personality.

Hudson, New York's Warren Street

I visited family in Hudson, a sweet upstate New York town set in the Catskills, and discovered an endless strip of beautiful shops selling both antiques and imported furniture. Here are a few of my snapshots (taken with cell phone).

Must go back to this garden antique store in the Spring.
The stone fountains and pots are great.


LOVE the idea of a chandelier over the bathtub. My sister suggested a chandelier-inspired wall sconce for more city-apartment proportions. The ornate silver mirror is cool, too.




This could be cool somewhere in the apartment.

Love this blog: Tongue In Cheek

Corey Amaro has serious taste. I just found her blog and I love it. She's an American living in France with her French husband. Corey takes awesome photos of Paris flea markets, Provence interiors and other cool findings. I'd love to bring her along to haggle with antique dealers when they open their booths at sunrise ("bring a flashlight," she advises). And clearly, she's embraced her inner French girl and learned a few decor tricks. And she brings her own can-do American spirit to it by reupholstering with tablecloths, napkins and curtains. What do I love about these images? Maybe if I analyze, it will help. The detailed silver etchings. The low crystal chandelier. The stately oil paintings propped on a weathered wooden table. The lush upholstered armchair. Shiny (paint, crystals, silk fabric, windowpanes) juxtaposed against shabby (wood frames, unvarnished floors and furniture legs). (Photo by Corey Amaro)



Old silver -- I want to find some pretty serving pieces for my new home. (Photo by Corey Amaro)


This is Corey's home. She upholstered the chair with a tablecloth. (Photo by Corey Amaro)


I like the idea of an outdoor clock. Maybe in the backyard? The old bike is a cool sculptural element. (Photo by Corey Amaro)


Paris bistro breakfast accessories: Low, thick juice glasses. Solid plates with a pretty striped rim.
Long, European-style sugar packets in a cute glass or ceramic bowl. (Photo by Corey Amaro)


Love the crystal in front of the white mirror. (Photo by Corey Amaro)


Cool bedding -- though may be too girlie for the husband. (Photo by Corey Amaro)


This could be cool in the backyard...though I'm not sure I
could pull it off. May be one of those "French things." (Photo by Corey Amaro)

Mommy, I'm scared...

I begin this blog as my sister prepares her move to Seattle, leaving me her perfectly Paris-girl-ified apartment in New York City's East Village. A dream come true? Yes. But. She's taking her furniture.

I've been losing sleep wondering how I'm going to find my own version of her crystal mini-chandeliers, antique wooden dresser, and weathered turquoise shutters. So I decided I'd compile my treasure-hunting and research here...a therapeutic chronicle of my journey to bring my own bit of Paris to the city, too.