Floorplan fun

During a quick trip to New York this weekend, I stopped into one of my favorite stores in the city, Fishs Eddy. They carry a pattern of dishes and products with different designs of floorplans; small studio apartments on small plates and palatial apartments on platters. Mugs have section drawings; the perfect gift for every architect or designer on your list! I first became aquainted with the pattern last year when a client would carry her renovation plans in the matching tote bag and they then proved to be very popular Christmas gifts from me!
See the entire collection HERE.

Framing Art

Not with gilded framing but with architecture! A great piece of art is a wonderful focal point through an opening or in a niche. I was recently reminded of this while going through images I had taken with my phone: the one in question is this image from the Renwick Gallery. Operated by the Smithsonian and located across the street from the White House, it was the first art museum built in the country.

Bar lighting

While in Greenwich, CT last year, I took this picture of a light fixture in the restaurant L'escale at the marina. I love the witty use of an upturned glass for a pendant over the bar. The food and views of the water were superb too!

Estate sale finds

Lately I've been attending estate sales over the weekends. They're hit or miss but usually a lot of fun. A few weeks ago I visited a definite hit, the sale of Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart's DC house (read an article about the sale at the Post HERE). I was able to acquire quite a few really interesting things and as it was the last day of the sale, for practically next to nothing. My favorite find would have to be these 2 pillows covered with a collection of antique cigar silks.These squares of fabric were popular a century ago when selling cigars as a collectible (sort of an adult version of toys in a cereal box) and would have motifs of flora, fauna or in this case, flags from different countries. I love that this collection had obviously only recently been turned into 2 throw pillows by Stewart's widow who has lived on in their house for decades following his passing. The fact that some of these squares are frayed only adds to their appeal.
And here they rest on my couch now, a reminder of a great man and a very fun outing!