Creative reuse

Call me crazy, but I think this use of architectural salvage in Chelyabinsk, Russia is sort of charming. I mean, given what they were working with it's pretty creative and fun! What do you think?
image via dark roasted blend

Cheerful winter breakfast

Since everyone seemed to enjoy my dinner party post last week, I decided to photograph breakfast this past weekend to include in this week's Tabletop Thursday!

Bacon and eggs (fried and runny), wheat toast, english breakfast tea with milk and OJ were on the menu. While the bacon fried (and then eggs done in the same pan afterwards), I took a few pictures. Daisies were snipped from a larger bunch ($4 at trader joes) elsewhere in my apartment and put into a bud vase to brighten up the winter gloom. Daisies are the most cheerful flower in my opinion and really last a long time (up to 2 weeks if you change the water frequently!).

The china is Harebell by Radford Fenton (made in England) and from the 1930s is my best guess. The linens are all from potterybarn and I liked how the green napkin brought out the green in the plates. The teapot is the one I use everyday, Martha for Macys, the juice glass is italian glassware from TJmaxx and the creamer is antique crystal from my great-grandmother: just typical old victorian glass. NPR was on and featured the listener's favorite top 10 soprano solos which was a wonderful backdrop. Renee Fleming singing o mio babino caro by Puccini was #1. I hope you are all finding ways to brighten up your winter as well!

Petit Trianon: Salon

The main salon at the Petit Trianon is probably the most often seen space and the largest: You can see it in the floor plan below in blue.

The upholstery and curtains are a very deep dark pink, practically crimson, which like elsewhere, contrast nicely with the light green and white painted boiseries.

The room is outfitted with a suite of musical instruments from the time period. If you've seen Sofia Coppola's movie, Marie Antoinette, you may recognize them.

The elegant gilded bronze work continues as do the Parquet de Versailles flooring. You can see the beautiful light the room receives, I took these pictures in the late afternoon.

Oops, a burnt out bulb! I guess this wouldn't have been a problem back in Marie Antoinette's time! Maybe on a windy day a blown out candle or two....
You'll notice the literal use of lily in the boiseries. I've never seen a fleur de lis depiected with actual lilys before! It is of course the symbol of the French Monarchy and makes perfect sense here.

These elegant armchairs are stylishly upholstered with sumptuously embroidered silk. I hope you enjoyed exploring this beautiful room!

Taste

"Taste is having the courage of your own convictions"

True words.....from Wilhelmina Slater ( Vanessa Williams) of Ugly Betty (yes, Ugly Betty!) This show has been so seriously good this season (after a brief lapse of said taste), I can't believe it's being cancelled!

Love Letters

"A boy is holding a girl so very tight in his arms tonight..... A girl knows that not anybody or anything can seperate WE - not even the stars - and that WE belong to each other for ever. WE love each other more than life so God bless WE. Your David"

Written from Edward, Prince of Wales, to Wallis Simpson on July 23, 1935 at 1:00 AM aboard the HMS Faulknor. Possibly THE greatest love story of the 20th century. 6 months later, days before becoming king upon his father's death, Edward's thoughts were only of Wallis as he wrote from his fathers deathbed:

"My own Sweetheart, Just a line to say I love you more and more and need you so to be with me at this difficult time. There is no hope whats-soever for the King it's only a matter of how long..... You are all and everything I have in life and WE must hold each other so tight. It will all work out right for us. God bless WE. Your David"

And it did, sort of. The top photo is a 1930s piece of Minton I have on my coffee table with some Valentine's day themed red candies as my gift to you! It reminds me of something Syrie Maugham might have used when she decorated Wallis's flat (and her second husband, Ernest Aldrich Simpson). This is where Wallis would come to entertain and become close to Edward, Prince of Wales. I hope everyone has their own great romance come true: Happy Valentine's Day!

quotes from "Wallis and Edward, letters 1931-1937" Edited by Michael Bloch

Flamant in the USA!

I was so excited to learn that Flamant, the beautiful housewares & furniture store, was now available in the United States through CopperStrawberry !

I fell in love with flamant while in Paris: both Heather and I bought quite a few 'souveniers' of our trip there. Above you can almost see the gorgeous crystal candlesticks I splurged on at Flamant.

See a tour of Flamant in Paris at my post HERE.

This was NOT a paid advertisement, just wanted to share the information with all of you!

Snowday 2

Our very un-southern like weather continues here in DC. I was one of the (very) few who trudged into work today. Franklin square at 8am above.Once I reached a 1/2 way point to Georgetown, there was no turning back! I saw the blizzard progress from flurries into 40 mph winds. Talk about exciting!Remember my post on the interiors of the condos at 2501 Pennsylvania Avenue, things have changed! See above

It's not so much that much fresh snow is falling, but the high winds are tearing down the stacks of plowed snow and covering everything. Above you can see one of many downed trees around the city, this one on Washington Circle.

Streets were deserted at rush hour, as you can see. I passed a few brave souls walking, but no cars!

Above you see the much beloved Blues Alley - they'll be closed tonight!

I think I'll be calling it an early day and head back home!

Hope you are all safe and warm!

All images taken between 8 & 8:30 am on Wed. Feb. 10 before the blizzard really hit.

Snowday

Some readers may have heard about the snow storms which have been plaguing us on the East Coast this season. Generally, DC doesn't get much snow but we were hit this past weekend with around 20 inches, with a second storm dumping between 10-15 inches on us currently. Above you see the mostly untouched snow from last weekend on Thomas Circle as the new storm started last night.

Above is the National City Christian Church by John Russell Pope just 100 feet away but barely visible through the snow. You may remember my post on the church HERE with how it looks on a normal day.

Most cars remain buried under a layer of deep snow covered in ice. Luckily most sidewalks in front of apartment buidings, like the one seen above, have been cleared but crossing the mostly unplowed streets is treacherous and difficult.

Wish us luck digging out from this storm. Southern cities do not have the mechanisms to cope with these acts of nature. At least they're pretty!

Petit Trianon: the small salon

A small but none the less charming room at the Petit Trianon is next on our tour: The small salon. The room was also used as an informal dining room and occasionally a gaming room. It lies in the northwest corner of the PT, seen in blue on the plan below, so would get excellent late afternoon light.

One of the reasons it is believed to have been used as a dining room is the crystal chandelier (seen from the dining room picture post linked above and also in the top picture of this post). Like I mentioned in the dining room, all other rooms in the PT have neoclassically appropriate lanterns. The room also features beautiful gilded bronze sconces which have been electrified and add soft lighting.

The room features a beautifully colorful mantelpiece of red Italian Griotte marble with a matching hearth which is featured elsewhere in the room (in the floor at the window surrounds). The red curtains play up the use of this red stone. The elevation below shows the wall as it is featured in the Boston Architectural Club Yearbook from 1913.

The moldings include an acanthus leaf crown molding which was a popular motif in neoclassical design, originating with ancient Greek architecture. I love the way the red curtains contrast the soft green painted boiseries. This red and green color pattern will follow us through the entire PT.

Petit Trianon: Dining Room

Much like it's neighbor, Versailles (which it is said to have had the first room dedicated entirely to private dining, setting the fashion), the Petit Trianon has a devoted dining room. The room is one of two with a crystal chandelier instead of the more typical lantern.

The dining room, seen here in blue, lies just above the anteroom, the first room in the set of apartments.

One of the most famous stories about the PT is that the dining room had a mechanical dining table which rose out of the floor from the kitchen below. This way, dinner guests did not need to be waited on by servants and could eat in private. Unfortunately, the table was never completed but the foundation for the device was built and can still be seen in the basement.

The dining room is set on direct axis with the French Pavilion, seen through the windows above. French houses always seem to have the view as an important end goal: whether seen through an enfilade of rooms or at the end of an allee of trees. I think this is one of the reasons that the French style of architecture remains so popular: great views make for great spaces.

The dining room features some handsome dark wood chairs. Out of all of the rooms, the dining room felt the most masculine and the most strongly neoclassical, despite the red silk curtains!

A beautiful bust of Marie Antoinette rests above the fireplace in front of a large mirror. Directly across the room, between the french doors is an identical mirror. As meals would be eaten here by candelight, magnifying the light from the precious candles was of utmost importance. I suppose that is the practical reason for the crystal and the mirrors, but the glamour factor must have been part of the decision as well! To this day, dining rooms tend to be the most glamorous room in any house.

I just couldn't get over how beautiful all of the door hardware was and even the doors themselves so I'll end here with another great door shot! Also notice the beautiful Parquet de Versailles styled floors.