Coral and Grey Luncheon

It seems that our "spring clean-up" stretched from March all the way to June this year, so our most of our entertaining had been postponed.  But today, we welcomed some friends for lunch on the deck.  The chores around the house are not finished, but we are closing in on the end of the list.  This coral and grey combination seemed like a fresh, interesting choice for the afternoon table.  

Check out the newly painted deck  railing and freshly stained decking!

This fun, graphic cotton tablecloth is a new purchase from Boxwoods in Atlanta.  I really was there to buy a gift, I promise!  But since when have I EVER left there empty-handed?  I actually did leave empty-handed, walked to my car and directly came back for it!

Last night, I took these roses for the centerpiece at a table at an outdoor concert.  For that, they were packed into a white cache-pot with the stems cut short.  Aren't they great?

This morning, I put them into these old French seed pots, since they were already cut short.  They are more vibrant than the tablecloth, but I do like the blend.

This resin urn served as the centerpiece.  It was a gift from a lovely houseguest, and I just love it. It came from a showroom called Antiques as Art, at the Atlanta gift mart at Americasmart.

It totally looks like carved granite.  This detail is amazing.

Since we were outdoors, and the meal was very simple, I used this smoke-colored plastic twig flatware.  Trust me.....it is a big step-up from the generic plastic utensils.

I love the way it picked up the color of the tablecloth.  I used these faux-zinc chargers that I posted about here with our everyday white dinner plates.   

Here's the box from the flatware.  It is made by Michael Aram, who usually designs very sophisticated silver, gold, and pewter accessories.  This is from Boxwoods, as well.

The cream linen napkin is held by a chicken wire napkin ring, which I chose mainly for the color.

The glassware is sleek, but interesting.  The stem is from Tiffany's and the grey and white marbled goblet is from Boxwoods.  I bought four of them, but I'm headed back to see if they have more.  I just love them.  I don't know who makes them, there is just a "B" on the bottom and "made in Indonesia".  Believe it our not, I didn't plan on these working with this tablecloth, even though I bought them only a few days apart.  When I was finally unloading my car, I had the bright idea to look at them together.  Perfect! 

These individual salt and pepper shakers seemed to suit the table in color and size.  I've had them forever.

I used these orange salad plates for dessert. When I bought them for a wedding shower, I never guessed how often I would use them.

There was not a lot of room, but I plated in the kitchen.

It was so good to welcome friends to our home.  They loved the table.

It was a lovely day and pretty warm, but not too, too hot yet. 

And we appreciated taking the time out to enjoy this view and tell tales.

Joining:

Tablescape Thursday 

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Between Naps on the Porch

Share Your Style (Wed.)

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No Minimalist Here

Show and Tell Friday

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My Romantic Home

The Scoop (Mon.)

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Cedar Hill Farmhouse

Inspire Me Tuesday

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A Stroll Thru Life

Be Inspired (Tues.)

Elizabeth And Company

Table It (Sun.)

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Rustic and Refined 

Home Sweet Home (Fri.)

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The Charm of Home

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French Country Home

Wow Us Wednesday

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Monday Funday

All Things Heart and Home

Make It Pretty Monday

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Fridays Unfold

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www.nancherrow.com 

Moonlight and Mason Jars (Wed.)

Celebrate It Sunday

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Share It One More Time (Sat.)

designthusiasm.com

Share Your Style (Thurs.)

21 Rosemary Lane

The Creative Exchange (Thurs.)

The Happy Scraps

Faux Wood in the Real Woods

This morning, as I looked out our front window at this glorious day, I was so moved by the way the sunlight was filtering through the trees in front of our house.

Our landscaper calls this area "the park", but I feel that is a very fancy way of saying "our front woods".

I wanted to celebrate this warm, sunny day with a table set in the midst of this glory. 

So, I brought this little, old work table out and found just the right spot in the midst of the oaks. 

The top is one board, and it has seen a lot of action.  I'm sort of obsessed with the wish that these wonderful old things could tell stories of some of the things they have seen. 

I added a burlap tablecloth and this was the base of the centerpiece.  I think they are sold at the floral wholesaler as casket forms.  The base is styrofoam and the top is oasis, with a wire cage around it.

Here it is when I finished fiddling around with it.

I wanted to use this wonderful old wooden bird, but he needed some elevation.  What kind of bird do you think he is? 

 

Along with preserved sheet moss, reindeer moss, and acorns, I added these mushrooms made of pinecones that I found at Michael's.  Then I cut some ferns and some baby pine trees, and stuck them into the form.

I love the way it looks in the dappled sun.

The bottom plate was big enough to use as a charger.

Then, I used two sizes of these wonderful faux bois plates from Boxwoods.  Are you tired of hearing me rave about that store?  Seriously!!!  I never, ever fail to leave that store with inspiration, and usually a big shopping bag full of their incredible selection of merchandise!  It's the best store in Atlanta!

Then, I used my favorite flatware.  It's not our "everyday" stuff, but is some I use very, very often.

I placed the green linen napkin between the plates for contrast, and added a sprig of pine and a twig, just for interest.

What better choice for water stems than these glasses with fall leaves and acorns etched on them?

We weren't having coffee, but just for a photo, I put the cream and sugar pieces on this faux bois tray from Pier 1.

These bow backed chairs from our breakfast room and french linen pillows from the keeping room were easy to bring outside.

All done!!!   

No flowers, no pumpkins, and no bright colors, yet this couldn't be anything but fall.

It's so natural in color selections that you can hardly see it.

Then, back into the house I went to get Mr. Pressed Pants, who was working from home today. 

Our lunch menu wasn't particularly fabulous, but the setting and the company were spectacular!

Joining:

Tablescape Thursday

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Between Naps on the Porch

Centerpiece Wednesday

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The Style Sisters

Show and Tell Friday

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My Romantic Home

The Scoop

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Cedar Hill Farmhouse

Inspire Me Tuesday

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A Stroll Thru Life

Table It

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Rustic and Refined

Home Sweet Home

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The Charm of Home

Sheltered Nest Friday

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French Country Home

Wow Us Wednesday

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Savvy Southern Style

Who Has A Jack Russell?

Yesterday, while shopping for accessories for a client, I ran across this darling needlepoint pillow at Boxwoods, my favorite store in Atlanta.  I love pillows with this lumbar shape, as it allows the chair to show more or looks so good in the center of a sofa.  But, I am a particular sucker for dogs in design.  If you have a Jack Russell terrier, you must be lusting for this pillow by now.  It was a bit pricey at $190, but doggy love makes us buy things we might think were a little excessive, doesn't it? 

Just look at this little guy!

THEN look at what was in the next chair....the rabbit that the Jack is chasing!!!!  It's a co-ordinating pillow of the same size and colorations and just makes it the most charming set.

Leave me a comment if you want information on purchasing these from Boxwoods.

Don't you think you might want these for Valentine's Day?

You Have to See This House!

If you have read my blog at all, you've read that my favorite store in all of Atlanta is Boxwoods Gardens and Gifts.  It is a delightful place with items of many price points but all tasteful and unique.  The owners, Randy Korando and Dan Belman own a weekend house in Madison, Georgia, about an hour east of Atlanta, called Camp Boxwoods.  I have been in their Atlanta residence, but have been looking forward to seeing their Madison house.  Well, it was on the Madison Morgan Cultural Center's Spring House and Garden Tour this weekend, and I nearly skipped down their long, beautiful driveway, eager to soak in every incredible detail.

photo from the house tour promotional material

Can you believe that this was a 1979 ranch which they have reinvented into a soaring Queen Anne Victorian complete with bell tower?  It sits on 120 acres, with two ponds and extensive gardens filled with antique boxwoods from England.   

This entry space is the only bump out beyond the original footprint of the ranch. 

photo from Traditional Home

Here's the inside of this entry. This beautiful stenciled floor was done by Randy himself.  Isn't it beautiful?  See the oakleaves he put in as center medallions?  Don't miss the wainscotting treatment.  I just love it!

Keep in mind that they added all of this millwork!  This unique chandelier is the top part of one that came from St. Louis.  It hung in the home of Cardinal baseball great, Stan "the Man" Musial.

And in the living room, the larger, bottom half hangs.

Look at the carving over the fireplace.  I don't know that I would have had the nerve to paint it white, but that's exactly what it should be.  Aren't the doors perfect? 

photo from Traditional Home

How beautiful is this?  This room was the garage.  They vaulted many of the low-slung ceilings and that, of course, changed the space dramatically.  Look carefully under the windowseat.  They made a little home for Muffy, the mutt, their smallest dog.  The others, Wesley the sheepdog, and Tuxedo, the standard black poodle are much too large to poach on her special space.

Every single inch has the most special items.  Randy and I both have a special affinity for oak leaves and acorns, and you'll find them many places throughout the home.  I thought this black forest carved wooden box with a fern on it and a fern in it was so fine.

Their majolica collection should be a post by itself!

Here's another item that I love and would love to collect.  It's a faux bois terranium.  I know that they have a collection of these in their in-town home and they are remarkable.

I'm still drooling over this powder room chandelier.

There were a pair of these brackets with black forest birds and queen's ware plates in this powder room.

The kitchen was warm and homey.  The cupboards here are an antique French candy counter cut in half.

A vignette in another powder room.

This photo is very poor quality, but I wanted you to see the way they turned the living room into the dining room.  This window obviously wasn't in the original ranch, but isn't it perfect?

Have you any idea how I covet these lamps on that console?  I love everything about it....black forest and dogs!

And in the center, this silver set has acorns and oak leaves.  Perfect!  Disregard the reflection of the photographer.  I tried every angle, but had to go with this.

I took this picture standing on the steps to the upstairs.  See how this beautiful space opens onto that great wrap around porch?

This is the other side of the room.  Note the way they vaulted this room and the incredible mantle display.  It is perfection the way all the cream color shows up on the stonework.

photo from Traditional Home

Every inch of the master bedroom is genius.  This imposing bed is actually a Victorian twin bed in it's first life. These antique window cornices are soooo fabulous.  I can't imagine how hard it must have been to find the right fit or maybe to even reconfigure them!

More acorns, oak leaves, and black forest carving!

Here's another incredible piece of furniture with the perfect vignette and the perfect wall grouping.

The flowers were simple, but perfect.

And this bust of a woman with a nest of baby birds is just so sweet.

Also in this hallway is this niche with this lovely pot un fleur, which is the specialty at Boxwoods.  Their potting work is so wonderful that you can recognize it in all the finest homes in Atlanta.

On an upstairs porch, I spied this little house.

photo from Traditional Home

Now....for a room that will take your breath away.....the third floor guest bedroom.  Do you recognize the materials that Randy has used to "panel" the lower walls and create the crewel work on the upper half?  They are pinecones, sweetgum balls, honeysuckle vine, hickory nuts, and of course, acorns hats!!!! They are!!!! I promise!!!!

Look carefully.

Are you blown away yet?

How about now?

Sigh!!!

 

Back downstairs, sits the perfect mudroom.  This color combination is just dreamy.  This antique French dinnerware is all in lavender and the old glassware has also taken on a lavender cast.  I love this so much, I might want to turn it into a little bedroom and sleep there.

The other wall in this room, graced with this lovely dog portrait hung over a stained glass partition which they added.  More Boxwoods signature flowers.

Now, this is a porch that I could spends days on.  This witches' hat treatment makes it the perfect focal point for this special home.  I think that sometimes adding these features to a house seem sort of contrived, but in this case, it is nothing short of perfect.

Here's a tease for my next post.....the gardens and outbuildings of Camp Boxwoods.  You won't want to miss it.

To contact :

Randy Korando - interior design

Dal Belman - landscape design

Boxwoods Garden and Gifts

100 East Andrews

Atlanta, Ga. 30305

404-233-3400