Atlanta Homes

I have a truly love-hate relationship with Atlanta. I hate the traffic, and the suburbs, but I love the city and its Southern roots. When I go running around my house in Buckhead, I see the most beautiful old Southern homes, mostly on West Paces Ferry and surrounding roads like Tuxedo. I've also noticed that alot are for sale right now. It's ALMOST enough to distract me from the 99.5% humidity.

Although not for sale, it's worth nothing that my run starts at the Swan House, which is owned by the Atlanta History Center. It is beautiful, and so are those Belinda roses.

This is the "Pink Palace," a famous Atlanta home that once was, in fact, pink. It's at the intersection of Tuxedo Road and West Paces Ferry. It also has a really beautiful yard, that isn't show here.



I'm so surprised to see this is for sale. It now is the Southern Center for International Studies, but you really wouldn't know it unless you see the small sign at the gate. This one is right across the street from the Governor's mansion.




This one is on Tuxedo. It's beautiful. Alot of these old Buckhead homes are unique because of the huge yards, which is very rare in even the largest homes in other cities. I love passing this house on my run, because it's the old home of the Woodruff's and Robert Woodruff was president of Coca Cola at one point, as well as namesake for Atlanta's wonderful Woodruff Arts Center (a love in my love-hate relationship).




I wish I had a better picture of this one, but my significant other and I absolutely love this one. It was built in 1922 by the famous Neil Reed, an architect who did alot of homes in Atlanta.








This one is right across the street from the Woodruff home and also for sale, and most noteable for the beautiful gardens.






I absolutely LOVE this one. It's not on my running route, but I pass it alot in the car. It's off W. Wesley off Peachtree. I always complain that I can never get any peace and quiet in Atlanta (hate), but I know I could if I lived here.





This one is prettier in person, but this gives an idea. It also has a great yard and it gets tons of sun because it's right on top of a little hill on Tuxedo Road.

Very cool

Found Revival Home and Garden randomly at work today. A lot of Hollywood Regency items. It's great! Love the logo, too. They don't have a website with the items on it, it looks like they use the blog to do this.

FYI

Last night I went to dinner with my boyfriend's boss and wife. Inevitably, the conversation turned to what kind of art I like. This happens alot since I'm in grad. school for Arts Administration, which is a somewhat vague term and most of the time people just ask what I like about art. Anyway, I like to try to categorize why I love art and what art exactly, otherwise I feel overwhelmed. Although I know more about early modern art (from undergraduate and graduate studies) which is Kandinsky, Miro, Leger, etc., I LOVE LOVE LOVE American Paintings from the 1800's. I am so interested in this type of painting, and it's works like these that make me realize that I'm finally on my way to having a career in something I'm passionate about. This is why:



This is Fur Traders Descending the Missouri by George Caleb Bingham. It's about life in the Midwest and it is literally at "masterpiece" in every since of the word. I can see it wonderfully displayed in a chic home today, but equally I can see the museum quality in such a work (it's at the Met). This work is so quietly dramatic.



This is Martin Johnson Heade's The Coming Storm (part of the Luminist movement... which makes sense when looking at how he plays with light here).


Also at the Met, this is Winslow Homer's Northeaster. Homer is a really famous American painter, most famous for his paintings of the sea. This is beautiful.


This is Thomas Eakins Max Schmitt in a Single Scull from 1871. It's a river in Philadelphia. Supposedly Eakins is in the distance and his friend Max is in the closest boat.

I'm pretty sure I was born in the wrong century. Everything in these paintings is so beautiful and majestic. There are so many examples like these, and most of them are at the Met. I guess the point here is that I have to get to NYC ASAP (and to see my wonderful friends.)

Heery's Clothes Closet... Seriously

Shoes... $24.60!

Mint by Jodi Arnold Dress $148.50... from $450!

BCBG cute sandals $55.50 from $185!

Summer cocktail dress from Tory Burch $135 from $450!

Heery's, the Athens, GA clothing store synonymous with sorority rush outfits, suddenly has delivered an amazing website. It's crazy... click on 70% off sale and find Tibi, Mint Jodi Arnold, Diane von Furstenberg, Tory Burch and so on all for nothing... under $100, some even in the $20's!

Wouldn't it be nice

Stay at The Parker Palm Springs. (The rooms are by Jonathan Adler)


Hang out here.

Wear these sandals.

And this dress.




Then this bathing suit.

Anna Wolf

Oddly enough, the most miserable academic failure of my college career was my Journalistic Photography class. It was also the class into which I put the most effort. Sad. I do wish I had some talent in photography, it is such a great art. Anna Wolf is so talented.

Hot or Not?

I know antlers are "over," but I still like the small antlers on plaques. Especially in Aspen, where everyone had them and it's not a trend because it's Aspen and antlers are "indigenous" (to the area of course, not to the million dollar homes, but whatever). I like the mini antlers, somehow they tone down a really streamline, monochrom room but also can add just the right touch to a rustic look. Not too many items can work both rustic and contemporary so well. But yes, the huge white plaster antlers (although I do LOVE Erich Ginder!) or the kitschy type antlers are way overdone.

The best I have seen for sale in person are the antique deer antlers at B.D. Jeffries in Atlanta. A great store (while overpriced) that somehow merges antiques and Longchamp purses.

And even though Domino's blog claims that antlers are over, the August 2008 issue shows the small antlers on plaques. This is at Thom Filicia's cottage (loved him in Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, love him even more now). So again, in the right context these antlers are so perfect.

Also in Alice Turner's farmhouse from the August Domino. Very different look.

You can always find a ridiculous deal on eBay and the Black Forest Antlers (as they are most often referred to) are no exception. $95! for 4!

Taxidermy Fetish

My love for anything with the word "taxidermy" is worrisome. Love this though! Click here.

Lamenting the loss of my Lapis Necklace

Today I remembered my lapis necklace that I made and then subsequently lost about 3 years ago. I'm still not over it. Here are some replacement ideas that I love (almost) as much.

This is a beautiful option by Marc Jacobs at Saks. For work and play.

And lapis cuff links too... by Forzieri. Handsome with a nice white shirt.

Love these earrings. The opaque quality of lapis is a needed twist on the chandelier earring.

Sweet little studs from Tiffany's.

And my personal favorite, this Marnie Rocks necklace.

And my favorite that isn't for sale... is this lapis elephant I found on Wikipedia. Not sure where to buy it. It's not cited. Damn that Wikipedia "commons."

Fresh

Well, I've researched new talent. As I had expected, I found most of the great, young designers, artists, and so on through their blogs. I'm so glad I did this because it reminded me that my generation has a whole new exciting group of designers emerging. And many of them have the same great taste, style and class as the ones before them, but a fresh new approach.

To begin with, the best place to buy designs by students/emerging designers/emerging decorators/emerging artists is through some of the design school stores:

The fact that ShopSCAD features student work has nothing to do with the fact that I love this store. They have a great website, and I love the store in both Savannah and Atlanta. It just happens to be amazing student work. Here are some of my favorites:


As I've mentioned previously, I love quilts. But I'm so impressed to see a young quilter like Jennifer Jenkins. Quilts are such a great asset to rooms and too rarely used.


(Sidenote) This is a great example of a quilt in action. I think it is Sheila Bridges, but I cannot be sure because I got it from Domino.



This is the "Ultimate Table" by Christine Gentz. The tiles in the center actually would be incredibly useful. Flowers, plants... would appetizers be too much? Christine is getting her MFA in Furniture Design from SCAD. Rightfully so. I really do love the potential of this table.

RISD also has a good student shop, but they have more alumni than students featured. Click here to see it all.

While this is a bit abrasive once you realize it is a hand grenade, I still like the idea of this oil lamp. This is the work of Industrial Design grad Piet Houtenbous. It's also a real grenade, which is sort of a political statement/sarcastic joke/why do we have to over think everything it just looks cool.

I'm so impressed with all the student works I've seen lately, but I must admit I'm most impressed with the blogs I found. I love blogs because it shows where design stands and where it is moving, right now. As much as I'm in awe of new design and the future of design, I most love interiors that look back at the history of design and combine it with the new. One blogger who must know a lot about this is Abbey, who is in the Cooper-Hewitt Master’s Program in the History of Design. She shares her musings on Abbey Goes Design Scouting.


I like how she shows her inspirations, but adds her own, really great designs. This is her bedroom, and it looks great! Beautiful hardwood. I love knowing that someone else is being tormented by the Domino galleries! I spend more time drooling over the Domino galleries and the rest of the blog world than is healthy.


Abbey also does a good job locating well priced "finds." This is a great painting she found for $35. Wow.


Abbey apparently also does Paper and Vintage items on Etsy. All of her stuff is great, but love love love these retro matches. They would look great just displayed on a end table or coffee table.


Next young bloggers, or at least I think they are young, are Lauren and Emily who write the Material Girls blog. Admittedly, their blog says nothing about their age but they look pretty young and cute. (agreed? I hope they don't mind me borrowing this picture... hmm??) It seems one half is from Dallas and the other Houston. So I contractually have to love them!


I like how they add pictures of their own apartment. My friend just was asking me about well priced zebra rugs, and this is a great option (attention Mary).


According to her profile, Christie of Twenty Twenty-One is a student, but where and the rest of the information is a mystery. That's okay because she also has a great blog that features sleek, streamlined and Modern interiors. How cool is this room she found? Love those Saarinen stools.


My final find of this search is Haylie Bird Waring. She is a cute, artsy 23-year-old. She has more musings on her blog than interiors, but I think her posts are creative and inspiring. She does have serious design talent... this is her comfy room. And she just gets it... love her quote (per M.K. Rawlings), "I do not understand how anyone can live without one small place of enchantment to turn to."

I really enjoyed this project. When I first starting working in Interior Design, I was worried that there was no middle ground between the starched antique showrooms in decorative arts centers, and the stiff AutoCAD renderings of the new designers. But I am so wrong. It seems tons of young people have learned to combine the old and the new. And there are just tons of young people either waiting to be discovered, or already super popular and on the way to being the next Kelly Wearstler. But now I feel completely inept looking at all these talented people! Now I'll probably have to find a new "passion"... cheese?