Thank God for Margaret Russell and Elle Decor!

 

 

No that beautiful, sexy woman isn’t Miss America – she’s Margaret Russell, the brains and creative force behind Elle Decor Magazine.   Margaret came to The Skirted Roundtable this week to talk with Linda, Megan, and me about magazines and blogging and her new wonderful book Style and Substance, a compilation of the best of Elle Decor from its heralded 20 year history.  

When it was announced today that Metropolitan Home was closing shop, yet another magazine failure in a long line, everyone said - “Thank God for Elle Decor.”  Thank God indeed, but really Thank God for Margaret Russell.  I wonder if there would  still be an Elle Decor if it wasn’t for her keen intellect and steady leadership as Editor-in-Chief.    It’s no coincidence that Elle Decor is the leading design magazine.   If only Margaret had been Editor-in-Chief at Cottage Living, House and Garden, Country Home, Western Interiors, Home, Vogue Living, and on and on – under Russell’s guidance they might still be publishing today. 

 

Russell’s newest book – it is quite beautiful and wonderfully edited.  Available at Amazon HERE.

 

If you have the new book Style and Substance – get it out before you listen to the podcast.  Margaret picked her three favorite rooms from the book and we discuss them in depth.   It’s a great interview, if I might say so myself!    Russell is strong, vibrant, sharp, and witty – so any interview of hers is great.    To listen, go HERE.

In other news today, Thank God for Elle Decor!  The December issue is now out with a spread by Miles Redd (who is always fabulous), another by Philip Gorrivan, and then there’s my favorite story – Miss Charlotte Moss’ new Aspen House.  We all remember the book The Winter House – the story of her house in Aspen which was sold soon after the book came out.   Now, after a few years of waiting, we finally have the first glimpse of her new Colorado vacation house.  Worth the price of the issue for sure.

 

The Winter House by Charlotte Moss (doesn’t she have the MOST beautiful name?) available at Amazon HERE.

 

 

OK, OK – here’s a sneak peak at Charlotte’s new Aspen house from the December issue of Elle Decor.  To Die For.   Lushly photographed by her favorite, Pieter Estersohn, of course and written by the best in the business, Mitchell Owens (who has his own new book out HERE.)

 

 

Mitchell Owens, resident scholar on everything design, shares credits with Derry Moore – one of the most talented photographers in the business.   My book is coming tomorrow and I can’t WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Lots of reading, lots of thanking God for Margaret Russell, lots of praying that Elle Decor and House Beautiful and Stephen Drucker are safe from the magazine zombies who keep killing off the best of best while leaving the worst design magazines standing – like, well, I won’t name it, but you can only guess who I mean!!

To listen to Margaret Russell on  The Skirted Roundtable, go HERE!  It’s a good one, I promise you!!!

Thank God for Margaret Russell and Elle Decor!

 

 

No that beautiful, sexy woman isn’t Miss America – she’s Margaret Russell, the brains and creative force behind Elle Decor Magazine.   Margaret came to The Skirted Roundtable this week to talk with Linda, Megan, and me about magazines and blogging and her new wonderful book Style and Substance, a compilation of the best of Elle Decor from its heralded 20 year history.  

When it was announced today that Metropolitan Home was closing shop, yet another magazine failure in a long line, everyone said - “Thank God for Elle Decor.”  Thank God indeed, but really Thank God for Margaret Russell.  I wonder if there would  still be an Elle Decor if it wasn’t for her keen intellect and steady leadership as Editor-in-Chief.    It’s no coincidence that Elle Decor is the leading design magazine.   If only Margaret had been Editor-in-Chief at Cottage Living, House and Garden, Country Home, Western Interiors, Home, Vogue Living, and on and on – under Russell’s guidance they might still be publishing today. 

 

Russell’s newest book – it is quite beautiful and wonderfully edited.  Available at Amazon HERE.

 

If you have the new book Style and Substance – get it out before you listen to the podcast.  Margaret picked her three favorite rooms from the book and we discuss them in depth.   It’s a great interview, if I might say so myself!    Russell is strong, vibrant, sharp, and witty – so any interview of hers is great.    To listen, go HERE.

In other news today, Thank God for Elle Decor!  The December issue is now out with a spread by Miles Redd (who is always fabulous), another by Philip Gorrivan, and then there’s my favorite story – Miss Charlotte Moss’ new Aspen House.  We all remember the book The Winter House – the story of her house in Aspen which was sold soon after the book came out.   Now, after a few years of waiting, we finally have the first glimpse of her new Colorado vacation house.  Worth the price of the issue for sure.

 

The Winter House by Charlotte Moss (doesn’t she have the MOST beautiful name?) available at Amazon HERE.

 

 

OK, OK – here’s a sneak peak at Charlotte’s new Aspen house from the December issue of Elle Decor.  To Die For.   Lushly photographed by her favorite, Pieter Estersohn, of course and written by the best in the business, Mitchell Owens (who has his own new book out HERE.)

 

 

Mitchell Owens, resident scholar on everything design, shares credits with Derry Moore – one of the most talented photographers in the business.   My book is coming tomorrow and I can’t WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Lots of reading, lots of thanking God for Margaret Russell, lots of praying that Elle Decor and House Beautiful and Stephen Drucker are safe from the magazine zombies who keep killing off the best of best while leaving the worst design magazines standing – like, well, I won’t name it, but you can only guess who I mean!!

To listen to Margaret Russell on  The Skirted Roundtable, go HERE!  It’s a good one, I promise you!!!

Thank God for Margaret Russell and Elle Decor!

 

 

No that beautiful, sexy woman isn’t Miss America – she’s Margaret Russell, the brains and creative force behind Elle Decor Magazine.   Margaret came to The Skirted Roundtable this week to talk with Linda, Megan, and me about magazines and blogging and her new wonderful book Style and Substance, a compilation of the best of Elle Decor from its heralded 20 year history.  

When it was announced today that Metropolitan Home was closing shop, yet another magazine failure in a long line, everyone said - “Thank God for Elle Decor.”  Thank God indeed, but really Thank God for Margaret Russell.  I wonder if there would  still be an Elle Decor if it wasn’t for her keen intellect and steady leadership as Editor-in-Chief.    It’s no coincidence that Elle Decor is the leading design magazine.   If only Margaret had been Editor-in-Chief at Cottage Living, House and Garden, Country Home, Western Interiors, Home, Vogue Living, and on and on – under Russell’s guidance they might still be publishing today. 

 

Russell’s newest book – it is quite beautiful and wonderfully edited.  Available at Amazon HERE.

 

If you have the new book Style and Substance – get it out before you listen to the podcast.  Margaret picked her three favorite rooms from the book and we discuss them in depth.   It’s a great interview, if I might say so myself!    Russell is strong, vibrant, sharp, and witty – so any interview of hers is great.    To listen, go HERE.

In other news today, Thank God for Elle Decor!  The December issue is now out with a spread by Miles Redd (who is always fabulous), another by Philip Gorrivan, and then there’s my favorite story – Miss Charlotte Moss’ new Aspen House.  We all remember the book The Winter House – the story of her house in Aspen which was sold soon after the book came out.   Now, after a few years of waiting, we finally have the first glimpse of her new Colorado vacation house.  Worth the price of the issue for sure.

 

The Winter House by Charlotte Moss (doesn’t she have the MOST beautiful name?) available at Amazon HERE.

 

 

OK, OK – here’s a sneak peak at Charlotte’s new Aspen house from the December issue of Elle Decor.  To Die For.   Lushly photographed by her favorite, Pieter Estersohn, of course and written by the best in the business, Mitchell Owens (who has his own new book out HERE.)

 

 

Mitchell Owens, resident scholar on everything design, shares credits with Derry Moore – one of the most talented photographers in the business.   My book is coming tomorrow and I can’t WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Lots of reading, lots of thanking God for Margaret Russell, lots of praying that Elle Decor and House Beautiful and Stephen Drucker are safe from the magazine zombies who keep killing off the best of best while leaving the worst design magazines standing – like, well, I won’t name it, but you can only guess who I mean!!

To listen to Margaret Russell on  The Skirted Roundtable, go HERE!  It’s a good one, I promise you!!!

Thank Goodness for Elle Decor

Elle Decor December 2009 Cover

After the very sad news today about the closure of Metropolitan Home, all I could think of was holding on tight to what we have left. There is nothing out there quite like Metropolitan Home for modern design, and perhaps it will make a comeback in another form after the economic dust settles. You can be certain I will be holding on to every issue I have ever had of what has been a classic in the world of shelter magazines.

But there is a ray of sunshine here. Elle Decor is holding it's own quite well. In fact Margaret Russell has been able to keep advertising dollars at a healthy rate and it seems the magazine will grace our magazine shelves for the foreseeable future.

I hope you all had a chance to hear the interview with Margaret Russell over at The Skirted Roundtable last week. It helps to see just how Ms. Russell is able to accomplish what she has: keeping a magazine fresh and current over the years while maintaining it as a profitable business. Check it out HERE.

So here is a little taste of what's coming up in the December issue of Elle Decor. It is going to be exceptional I assure you!!!!

Can we ever see enough of the work of Miles Redd?! I can't. If this New York City hallway for a young family is any indication, this feature alone is worth running right out and buying a copy. Drama!

And for all of you Charlotte lovers, we will get to see Ms. Moss' getaway in the Colorado Rockies. I will be stoking my fireplace, making a cup of Chai tea and settling in for this issue. You may not see me a for a day or two.

You will also be seeing:

~ the Manhattan home of Phillip Gorrivan

~ An upstate New York Home by Ernest de la Torre

~ 12 things Simon Doonan cannot live without

~ Trend alert: plaid is making a comeback in a BIG way (Mr. Tartanscot, you were definitely on to something!!)

~ What's Hot: McAlpine Home Collection from Lee Industries and Shelia Bridges new bedding for a start.

Elle Decor, thank you for fighting the good fight and providing content with something for everyone. You never disappoint and we look forward every month to your fresh ideas and insightful view of the world. We are rooting for you.

And to Metropolitan Home,

Metropolitan Home, the December 2009 issue will be it's last.

you will be sorely missed.

P.S. Thank you so much Anons for the correction!! I was given incorrect info on that one! I apologize.

Women in Design

I had the pleasure of attending Elle Decor's annual salute to Women in Design and thought I would share a few of the highlights with you. After Charlotte Moss was presented with the Vision Award from Margaret Russell they joined interior designers Michelle Nussbaumer, Kelly Wearstler and Holly Hunt for a panel discussion. A few of my male friends joked that a women in design event seemed a bit sexist but design is very important in the world of women since it was one of the first places that it was not only acceptable for women to work but to own their own businesses. When I look around now and see so many of my female friends who own their own firms, it's really amazing. We owe a lot to those designing women who paved the way such as Elsie de Wolfe, Sister Parish and Dorothy Draper.

The first question to the panel was what advice they have for design students or those who want to work in design. All of the designers had similar suggestion, such as reading, traveling, visiting museums, interning, and working for someone who you admire. Kelly Wearstler also suggested visiting antique shops and art galleries, anything to "fuel your vision." She also suggested never following trends or buying something because it's the hot new style.

Getting out to be inspired is something that they all practice in their own life. Michelle Nussbaumer had just visited the MoMA and Kelly Wearstler is often inspired by art and also jewelry and fashion. Kelly also has a large library of vintage books that she often consults. They all agreed that it's sometimes good to get away from a design dilemma and come back to it and for Holly Hunt, that means going out into nature and taking a run. I actually took a walk through Central Park with a friend last week and we ended up at the Met where we viewed the new Vermeer exhibit and Roman sculptures. I can attest that it's good to leave your desk sometimes!

One of the biggest challenges for women in design is balancing their family life and work. Michelle Nussbaumer said she tries not to bring work home at night or work on weekends. Easier said than done as we all know but you need to make time for the important things in life. Charlotte Moss also talked about having to make hard decisions such as when she decided to close her store which was taking her away from her family and taking the joy out of her life.

Another interesting question that was posed was "what makes a timeless room?" Charlotte Moss said that it's not physical and not an object but what designers get paid to create which is ambiance and atmosphere. They all agrees it's nothing you can put your finger on but you know when you walk into a room and it just feels right. Kelly Wearstler compared it to a painting that you can go back to time and again and see new things and never get tired of looking at.

A question from the audience that resonated most with me was "how do you stay organized, especially with multiple clients?" I struggle with keeping on top of my paperwork and organizing my tear sheets so it was good to hear someone like Holly Hunt admit that she never quite feels organized and the sorting can take the most time! Like me, they all carry notebooks and write everything down and also take lots of photos. Unlike me, they have a staff of very organized people who work with them and keep them organized! I'm going to have to work on that!

One of the last audience questions was about how they present to a client and their best advice is that you really have to tailor your presentation to the client. Charlotte Moss stated that, "there is no formula because every client is different." Kelly Wearstler called it "an organic process" and I agree. Sometimes you buy something for one room and realize later that it belongs in another. You can't be so tied to the furniture plan and you need to be flexible.

All in all, it was a wonderful event and a very inspiring one! If you ever get the chance to hear any of these women in design speak, I highly recommend making the time to attend! And I can't think of a better way to end than with a quote from the original designing woman, Elsie de Wolfe, "I am going to make everything around me beautiful. That will be my life."

Charlotte Moss

 

The gorgeous back terrace at Charlotte Moss’ NYC apartment.  Look at that lantern!  And the fireplace!  And the dog!

 

Just a reminder – Charlotte Moss visited the Skirted Roundtable last week.  The three of us recorded a new show tonight and I just wanted to let you all know you can still catch the Moss interview HERE in case you missed it.  In fact, all of our past shows are still available at the Skirted Roundtable blog AND on I-Tunes.   As the weeks since the launch of the Skirted Roundtable have added up, so have the shows, of course – and there is a wide range of topics covered.     One day I went back and listened to a few of the old recordings and they sounded fresh to me – so much time had passed by, I could barely remember recording them. 

 

 

Miss Moss shopping in Europe.  How chic is she!?!!

 

 

 The salon in her NYC townhouse.  I think this is my favorite room in her house.  I love the pinks and greens – the painted consoles are to die for!  In the interview, Charlotte more or less admitted she was not going to be changing her decor to the ultra trendy Belgian design any time soon.  That really wasn’t surprising to hear!

Photo courtesy of Newyorksocialdiary.com

 

The Skirted Roundtable Charlotte Moss interview, HERE.

 

As always, thank you so much for listening!!  We can’t tell you how much your support means to all three of us – and I say that from the bottom of my heart.    The new show recorded tonight should be up in just a day or two.

Charlotte Moss

 

The gorgeous back terrace at Charlotte Moss’ NYC apartment.  Look at that lantern!  And the fireplace!  And the dog!

 

Just a reminder – Charlotte Moss visited the Skirted Roundtable last week.  The three of us recorded a new show tonight and I just wanted to let you all know you can still catch the Moss interview HERE in case you missed it.  In fact, all of our past shows are still available at the Skirted Roundtable blog AND on I-Tunes.   As the weeks since the launch of the Skirted Roundtable have added up, so have the shows, of course – and there is a wide range of topics covered.     One day I went back and listened to a few of the old recordings and they sounded fresh to me – so much time had passed by, I could barely remember recording them. 

 

 

Miss Moss shopping in Europe.  How chic is she!?!!

 

 

 The salon in her NYC townhouse.  I think this is my favorite room in her house.  I love the pinks and greens – the painted consoles are to die for!  In the interview, Charlotte more or less admitted she was not going to be changing her decor to the ultra trendy Belgian design any time soon.  That really wasn’t surprising to hear!

Photo courtesy of Newyorksocialdiary.com

 

The Skirted Roundtable Charlotte Moss interview, HERE.

 

As always, thank you so much for listening!!  We can’t tell you how much your support means to all three of us – and I say that from the bottom of my heart.    The new show recorded tonight should be up in just a day or two.

Charlotte Moss

 

The gorgeous back terrace at Charlotte Moss’ NYC apartment.  Look at that lantern!  And the fireplace!  And the dog!

 

Just a reminder – Charlotte Moss visited the Skirted Roundtable last week.  The three of us recorded a new show tonight and I just wanted to let you all know you can still catch the Moss interview HERE in case you missed it.  In fact, all of our past shows are still available at the Skirted Roundtable blog AND on I-Tunes.   As the weeks since the launch of the Skirted Roundtable have added up, so have the shows, of course – and there is a wide range of topics covered.     One day I went back and listened to a few of the old recordings and they sounded fresh to me – so much time had passed by, I could barely remember recording them. 

 

 

Miss Moss shopping in Europe.  How chic is she!?!!

 

 

 The salon in her NYC townhouse.  I think this is my favorite room in her house.  I love the pinks and greens – the painted consoles are to die for!  In the interview, Charlotte more or less admitted she was not going to be changing her decor to the ultra trendy Belgian design any time soon.  That really wasn’t surprising to hear!

Photo courtesy of Newyorksocialdiary.com

 

The Skirted Roundtable Charlotte Moss interview, HERE.

 

As always, thank you so much for listening!!  We can’t tell you how much your support means to all three of us – and I say that from the bottom of my heart.    The new show recorded tonight should be up in just a day or two.

Merci beaucoup!

It's starting to feel a little like Christmas in July around here. Charlotte Moss really did inspire Stefan of Architect Design and me to book our trip to Versailles. Since she is traveling she hasn't heard yet that we are actually going so before she left she sent out a little package to further inspire us. It contained a set of postcards that she took at Versailles for each of us! That was beyond thoughtful of her and we will both treasure them!

As you can see, Ms. Moss could have a second career as a photographer! The photos are beautiful and make me even more excited to see Versailles for myself! Merci!

After my Bon Appetit post, I heard from one of my favorite people, Katie Levine. You might remember Katie from Domino but now she is the publicist for Bon Appetit magazine! Turns out that the August 2009 issue of Bon Appetit has a wonderful feature in honor of Julia Child! August 15th would have been her 97th birthday so they have published a party perfect menu that people all of the country will make that night in her honor! How sweet is that?! Katie was kind enough to send me a copy of the magazine along with the Mastering the Art of French Cooking! I am even more excited to get cooking and will have to plan a meal to celebrate all of these wonderfully influential and inspiring women! Merci beaucoup!

Tips for a Stylish Summer...

A big thank you goes out to Charlotte Moss for including me in her Dispatches from the Blogosphere: Tips for a Stylish Summer post on her blog Tete-a-Tete! Check it out and you can read what I'm wearing, reading, eating and doing this summer! Oh, and those are my photos from the Hamptons. Wish I was there right now!

EMAILS AND CHARLOTTE MOSS NEWS!

 

 

I’ve said it before, but I get a lot of email – a lot!   Besides all the comments that come to my inbox, I get emails from readers who have a question or want to give me a  tip – (thanks to a reader I just bought 10 yards of gorgeous Bennison fabric on EBAY for the price of 1 yard!)   Sometimes, I get really behind on my emails – I’ll spend a day or two answering all the newest ones, while the older mail gets, well, older!    Yesterday, I woke up to 650 emails and spent the entire day answering them.  When I went to sleep, I still had 643 emails.   It can get a little overwhelming.   But I try.   I had plans this July 4th weekend to really clean out the old mailbox and answer each and every one of them.    So imagine my horror when I woke up this morning to an inbox with just 3 emails!!!!!    YIKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   640 emails had disappeared into cyberspace!!!!!    I managed to salvage about 400 in  my Deleted Email box, but that still leaves me with around 200 missing.   SOOOO……if you emailed me with a question and I haven’t answered you, please, please, please resend it!!    Thank you for understanding.   Just resend your question if I never answered it!

 

Cote de Texas’ Stylish Summer Tips for Charlotte Moss include information on the best beach in Texas and what to wear all summer!  Can you guess what that is?????    Also, I give tips on what to serve for a summer meal.  And no, it’s not Wendy’s Caesar Salad.  I behaved myself!!!     Three more weeks until I’m back under that umbrella – and I CAN’T wait!!!!

 

And in a little shameless plug, Charlotte Moss, my favorite designer and #3 on the Cote de Texas Top Ten Designer List (I know, I know – I have two more to name!!) – has the cutest web site/blog.   One section is called “Tete A Tete” where Moss blogs about her travels, her interests, and anything else she has going on.  I love to read “Tete A Tete,” so I was beyond thrilled when she asked me to participate in a story called “Tips for A Stylish Summer From Our Favorite Bloggers!”  blush.   I am joined by Rhonda from All The Best and Jennifer from The Peak of Chic, two of my blogging mentors – so that makes it extra special.    Truthfully, I’m not sure an invitation from Obama would mean quite as much to me as this invitation from Charlotte Moss did.    Charlotte’s style is one that I would love to emulate, not just her design work, but the way she lives her life, surrounded by the things she loves and the things she finds beautiful.  She is such a powerhouse, such a hard, dedicated worker, and still she finds time for her philanthropic duties - all the while taking the time to smell the roses.    I especially love that she is self taught in design!  Today with ASID trying to legislate laws making interior designers complete six years of study plus pass their extremely difficult and mostly useless test (it ain’t rocket science, folks,)  successful designers like Moss prove them so wrong.  If you’ve got the talent like she has, you can do the work.  Period.  Besides her extremely successful ID career, she is also a prolific writer.  Moss’ book The Winter House is one of my all-time favorite design books.   It’s all about her Aspen house – a beautiful retreat in greens and blues.  Stunning!    I could go on and on about what there is to love about Charlotte Moss, but I already have here – if you missed it the first time.     To read about Cote de Texas’ stylish summer tips (!) go here.

 

Charlotte Moss – my favorite picture of her from The Winter House.  I love the blue and white urn lamps with green silk shades!  The slipcover of the chair is divine!   And, I love how she is perfectly coordinated to the house! 

 

P.S.  Don’t forget about the emails!!!!!!

EMAILS AND CHARLOTTE MOSS NEWS!

 

 

I’ve said it before, but I get a lot of email – a lot!   Besides all the comments that come to my inbox, I get emails from readers who have a question or want to give me a  tip – (thanks to a reader I just bought 10 yards of gorgeous Bennison fabric on EBAY for the price of 1 yard!)   Sometimes, I get really behind on my emails – I’ll spend a day or two answering all the newest ones, while the older mail gets, well, older!    Yesterday, I woke up to 650 emails and spent the entire day answering them.  When I went to sleep, I still had 643 emails.   It can get a little overwhelming.   But I try.   I had plans this July 4th weekend to really clean out the old mailbox and answer each and every one of them.    So imagine my horror when I woke up this morning to an inbox with just 3 emails!!!!!    YIKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   640 emails had disappeared into cyberspace!!!!!    I managed to salvage about 400 in  my Deleted Email box, but that still leaves me with around 200 missing.   SOOOO……if you emailed me with a question and I haven’t answered you, please, please, please resend it!!    Thank you for understanding.   Just resend your question if I never answered it!

 

Cote de Texas’ Stylish Summer Tips for Charlotte Moss include information on the best beach in Texas and what to wear all summer!  Can you guess what that is?????    Also, I give tips on what to serve for a summer meal.  And no, it’s not Wendy’s Caesar Salad.  I behaved myself!!!     Three more weeks until I’m back under that umbrella – and I CAN’T wait!!!!

 

And in a little shameless plug, Charlotte Moss, my favorite designer and #3 on the Cote de Texas Top Ten Designer List (I know, I know – I have two more to name!!) – has the cutest web site/blog.   One section is called “Tete A Tete” where Moss blogs about her travels, her interests, and anything else she has going on.  I love to read “Tete A Tete,” so I was beyond thrilled when she asked me to participate in a story called “Tips for A Stylish Summer From Our Favorite Bloggers!”  blush.   I am joined by Rhonda from All The Best and Jennifer from The Peak of Chic, two of my blogging mentors – so that makes it extra special.    Truthfully, I’m not sure an invitation from Obama would mean quite as much to me as this invitation from Charlotte Moss did.    Charlotte’s style is one that I would love to emulate, not just her design work, but the way she lives her life, surrounded by the things she loves and the things she finds beautiful.  She is such a powerhouse, such a hard, dedicated worker, and still she finds time for her philanthropic duties - all the while taking the time to smell the roses.    I especially love that she is self taught in design!  Today with ASID trying to legislate laws making interior designers complete six years of study plus pass their extremely difficult and mostly useless test (it ain’t rocket science, folks,)  successful designers like Moss prove them so wrong.  If you’ve got the talent like she has, you can do the work.  Period.  Besides her extremely successful ID career, she is also a prolific writer.  Moss’ book The Winter House is one of my all-time favorite design books.   It’s all about her Aspen house – a beautiful retreat in greens and blues.  Stunning!    I could go on and on about what there is to love about Charlotte Moss, but I already have here – if you missed it the first time.     To read about Cote de Texas’ stylish summer tips (!) go here.

 

Charlotte Moss – my favorite picture of her from The Winter House.  I love the blue and white urn lamps with green silk shades!  The slipcover of the chair is divine!   And, I love how she is perfectly coordinated to the house! 

 

P.S.  Don’t forget about the emails!!!!!!

EMAILS AND CHARLOTTE MOSS NEWS!

 

 

I’ve said it before, but I get a lot of email – a lot!   Besides all the comments that come to my inbox, I get emails from readers who have a question or want to give me a  tip – (thanks to a reader I just bought 10 yards of gorgeous Bennison fabric on EBAY for the price of 1 yard!)   Sometimes, I get really behind on my emails – I’ll spend a day or two answering all the newest ones, while the older mail gets, well, older!    Yesterday, I woke up to 650 emails and spent the entire day answering them.  When I went to sleep, I still had 643 emails.   It can get a little overwhelming.   But I try.   I had plans this July 4th weekend to really clean out the old mailbox and answer each and every one of them.    So imagine my horror when I woke up this morning to an inbox with just 3 emails!!!!!    YIKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   640 emails had disappeared into cyberspace!!!!!    I managed to salvage about 400 in  my Deleted Email box, but that still leaves me with around 200 missing.   SOOOO……if you emailed me with a question and I haven’t answered you, please, please, please resend it!!    Thank you for understanding.   Just resend your question if I never answered it!

 

Cote de Texas’ Stylish Summer Tips for Charlotte Moss include information on the best beach in Texas and what to wear all summer!  Can you guess what that is?????    Also, I give tips on what to serve for a summer meal.  And no, it’s not Wendy’s Caesar Salad.  I behaved myself!!!     Three more weeks until I’m back under that umbrella – and I CAN’T wait!!!!

 

And in a little shameless plug, Charlotte Moss, my favorite designer and #3 on the Cote de Texas Top Ten Designer List (I know, I know – I have two more to name!!) – has the cutest web site/blog.   One section is called “Tete A Tete” where Moss blogs about her travels, her interests, and anything else she has going on.  I love to read “Tete A Tete,” so I was beyond thrilled when she asked me to participate in a story called “Tips for A Stylish Summer From Our Favorite Bloggers!”  blush.   I am joined by Rhonda from All The Best and Jennifer from The Peak of Chic, two of my blogging mentors – so that makes it extra special.    Truthfully, I’m not sure an invitation from Obama would mean quite as much to me as this invitation from Charlotte Moss did.    Charlotte’s style is one that I would love to emulate, not just her design work, but the way she lives her life, surrounded by the things she loves and the things she finds beautiful.  She is such a powerhouse, such a hard, dedicated worker, and still she finds time for her philanthropic duties - all the while taking the time to smell the roses.    I especially love that she is self taught in design!  Today with ASID trying to legislate laws making interior designers complete six years of study plus pass their extremely difficult and mostly useless test (it ain’t rocket science, folks,)  successful designers like Moss prove them so wrong.  If you’ve got the talent like she has, you can do the work.  Period.  Besides her extremely successful ID career, she is also a prolific writer.  Moss’ book The Winter House is one of my all-time favorite design books.   It’s all about her Aspen house – a beautiful retreat in greens and blues.  Stunning!    I could go on and on about what there is to love about Charlotte Moss, but I already have here – if you missed it the first time.     To read about Cote de Texas’ stylish summer tips (!) go here.

 

Charlotte Moss – my favorite picture of her from The Winter House.  I love the blue and white urn lamps with green silk shades!  The slipcover of the chair is divine!   And, I love how she is perfectly coordinated to the house! 

 

P.S.  Don’t forget about the emails!!!!!!

Thank you!

I owe a big thank you to interior designer Charlotte Moss for featuring me on her blog Tete-a-Tete last month! I was very excited to buy the neoclassical cachepot I spotted in her Chic Garden Shed at the Housing Works Design on a Dime event and one of her employees recognized me and snapped my photo. Ms. Moss also mentioned that she reads my blog daily and I couldn't be more humbled!

We have some great local television shows that focus on what's going on in New York including Cool in Your Code. They recently interviewed me for their online feature, Around the Blog, where you can read more about my favorite places in New York. Thanks!

2009 Kips Bay Show House Designer: Charlotte Moss

Maybe instead of separate bathrooms, the key to a happy marriage should be separate bedrooms but only if they look like the ones designed by Charlotte Moss. "Anything but pink in the bedroom," he said...this was the the inspiration for the The Master Suite designed by Ms. Moss for the Kips Bay Decorator Show House. Of course, the first room is really the Sitting Room but it does contain a bed so Madame could either take a nap or get away from a snoring husband!

A lot of thought went into this beautiful suite of rooms. According to the press packet, the King of Sweden gave Nancy Lancaster a fragment of Chinese painted paper that inspired John Fowler and George Oaks to paint a mural described as follows..."the colors ran the gamut of Fower's range. Against a grey-lavender ground, frosted green trees - with strange white flowers - bear clusters of purple berries and green...wiggly bouquets of mauve berries."

Apparently, "the color mauve was discovered in 1856 by the eighteen-year-old William Perkin." Ms. Moss suggested reading Mauve: How One Man Invented a Color that Changed the World by Simon Garfield for more about this fascinating color story. Ms. Moss also suggests using a "portiere in the entry foyer/vestibule or between two rooms to create a break, a sense of discovery, or just a little mystery." By the way, portiere is a fancy word for curtain.

When I visted the show house, the weather was grey and ready to rain and the light from large windows made the room feel as though it could have been in Paris. Considering what a Francophile Ms. Moss is, it seemed especially fitting. The color palette for her room is French blue, mauve, ivory, pale pink and celedon and even though there are a lot of colors, the room is quite soothing. "Drama is created with contrast - in the case of these rooms, a light blue is used in the sitting room and a dark blue in the bedroom. The depth of color suits the room's use - dark for sleeping, light for reading, relaxing and conversation."

I love the wicker coffee table and bamboo window shades that "add texture, a dash of informality, and create that essential contrast with the silk curtains." The Decorating Notes from the press packet have the best quotes!

"Hang your artwork salon style - by its nature it says add more whenever you want."

The Jansen desk is from the estate of Evangeline Bruce and would be perfect for writing thank you notes.

The Louis XV bed is dressed pink Les Violettes en Rose sheets from D. Porthault, a colorway made specially for Jacqueline Kennedy. Another decorating idea is to "divide a screen in half and anchor two corners."

"Slipcovers give you flexibility: a feeling of being more relaxed, informal...and can stretch a budget."

The darker walls of midnight blue DeGournay Teapaper and canopied bed definitely add drama in the bedroom.

The sheets in the bedroom are Rivages d'Asie by D. Porthault.

The artwork is a collection of Maria Sibylla Merian 18th century hand-colored engravings of exotic plants and butterflies.

The bright green draperies are a lovely contrast to the blue walls. I also love that Ms. Moss thinks of all the senses when designing a room. She created a playlist of music entitles Les Femmes Formidables, that is available as an iMix at iTunes, and the room fragrance wafting gently in the background is Left Bank by Charlotte Moss for Agraria. She didn't mention specifically for taste but I picture drinking a cup of tea and munching on Laduree macaroons in the sitting room. Even their colors would match!

I find it inspiring that Charlotte Moss thinks of everything when creating a room and of course she is still inspired by others. I asked her what it meant to be a part of this year's show house since it is dedicated to Albert Hadley. "We are always thrilled to participate in the Kips Bay Show House, this year particularly as we honor Albert Hadley and all the inspiration that he has provided to the design community and do design in such a beautiful and gracious space." And beautiful and gracious are the perfect words to describe Charlotte Moss's room!