Why don't you?

Why don't you refashion your chipped or broken china as beautiful desktop accessories? Here I'm using a chipped Wedgwood jasperware creamer to hold paperclips on my desk at work. Waste not, want not; Definitely cheers up my d...

Continue Reading... Label: China of the week, Interiors, just for fun

My New Camera

You may remember I broke my old camera a few months ago and was on the search for a replacement. My replacement is a Canon Powershot SD1200 is and I can't say enough good things about it. I think the photographs have been excellent at 10 MP (judge for yourself though, the last 2 months worth of posts have used this camera); it's tiny and...

Continue Reading... Label: DC, history, museums, Washington

Taste of spring

Just a short post to share this taste of spring with you. Cherry blossom time is finally here and tourists are crowding the city to see our beautiful springtime.I hope everyone is having a great weeke...

Continue Reading... Label: DC, Gardens, Washington

Don't fence me in

Unless it's a beauty like this one! After yesterdays post, celebrated blog commenter Toby Worthington contacted me with this fence he designed for his own house. Toby based the design on a fence in upstate New York found in a book by a local architect. The design complements his 1860s Gothic painted brick house; Now THATS something I'd want...

Continue Reading... Label: Architect, blogging, design, Gardens

Fencing

Washington is a city of fences. Most townhouses that have any garden at the front inevitably have an antique iron fence guarding their plants and hard work from passerbys and dogs. At the 'patina' house I spied this neoclassic design, seen below, very unusual here in DC where a more Victorian approach is typical, like seen above.Do fences...

Continue Reading... Label: Architect, DC, Washington

Grand Entries

Recently in Georgetown I spotted this elegant entry. I love the stone stair and curved railing with integrated lamp posts. I might paint the door a brighter contrasting color, but this is conservative Georgetown afterall! I hope everyone has a great weekend. Remember, design is in the detai...

Continue Reading... Label: Architect, DC, Washington, weekend

China in DC

There is a charming 1920s Chinese building in DC that always seems to draw my attention at L and 11th street. Formerly the Chinese Community Church building, it now lies vacant and is ripe for development, don't you think? I wonder what the interior is like... I love the turquoise and red color scheme and the iron light fixtures. And who...

Continue Reading... Label: Architect, DC, Washington

Inside ArchitectDesign

Yesterday Catherine from The Shiny Pebble tagged me in her Bag tagging post. I feel so guilty that over the past 3 years (and change!) I have been tagged quite a bit and have never played along; Bad blogger! I thought it might be interesting to compare my workbag to a woman's purse as all of the other nominees were ladies. However -my messenger...

Continue Reading... Label: blogging, just for fun

The real Brideshead

Have you read this month's Vanity Fair (they have a great website btw!)? Featured is a book called 'Mad World: Evelyn Waugh and the Secrets of Brideshead' by Paula Byrne and I can't wait to read it. As most of us know, Brideshead Revisited was highly autobiographical for Waugh and this book digs into the details. I can't wait to read it!...

Continue Reading... Label: books, history, houses, magazine

Making a grand entrance

UPDATE: The architects were Porter, Lochie and Chatelain, and the entrance is by John Joseph Earley an amazing local architect and concrete artisan. Thanks to Neil in Australia for this information!!Driving up 16th street this weekend in tight traffic, I had time to appreciate the beautiful buildings which line the road which ends at the...

Continue Reading... Label: DC, Washington

Ironworks

Old buildings typically have the most interesting details, don't you think? Walking around DC on a typical day, you find many examples of beautiful metal work. Above, a detail from an old banister at the National Portrait Gallery. I love how they have saved pieces and display them as art. A detail from a cast iron facade downtown. Thanks...

Continue Reading... Label: Architect, artists, DC, Washington

Thank you, Examiner

Many thanks to Kerry Steele who, for some reason, thought I was interesting enough to feature in an article on examiner.com! If you're so inclined, you can read the interview HE...

Continue Reading... Label: Architect, blogging, pittsburgh, thanks

Patina

Recently on a walk through Georgetown, I noticed this beautiful house. Not just for the gorgeous greek key design on the entablature but for the paint finish.So often, we architects try to mimic an older house and details such as peeling paint are a way to create instant 'history' but there is no subsitute for the real thing. Do you like...

Continue Reading... Label: Architect, DC, design, Washington

Color of the moment

It seems everyone is talking about the April issue of Elle Decor in the blogosphere, which will hit newstands next week, the travel issue. However, I'm mostly interested in seeing the stylish Paris apartment of Olivier Gagnere......well, that and 12 things Nate Berkus can’t live without, my favorite monthly column! I'm sure Nate will have...

Continue Reading... Label: Interiors, magazine

Is it just me....

Is it just me, or did Tim Burton borrow heavily from the artist Maxfield Parrish for Alice in Wonderland, particularly the scenes with the White Witch (played so unconvincingly, in my opinion, by the beautiful Anne Hathaway). Seeing this movie in 3-d was spectacular: like walking into a painting by Maxfield-Parrish meets a watered-down/commercialized...

Continue Reading... Label: artists, movies

Palais Royal garden

Spring is in the air this morning. After a long hard winter, I can hardly wait for the first buds to flower here in DC. One of my favorite memories of Paris this past fall was having lunch at the Palais Royal in the gardens. The roses were the most fragrant I have ever smelled! Spring, come quicker so I can take some time to smell the ro...

Continue Reading... Label: flowers, Gardens, paris

Beauty from nature

The January 2010 issue of the World of Interiors featured a stair that I just couldn't get out of my head; it looked so familiar. The Copenhagen police headquarters is a masterpiece of modern Neoclassicism from the 1920s that contains this gem. This image looking up towards the skylight finally reminded me of where I had seen this before....

Continue Reading... Label: Architect, Interiors, magazine

Petit Trianon: Boudoir

Arguably, the most important room to the mistress of a 18th century house is her boudoir. The derivation of the word is from the French word Bouder or 'to pout' . Here she can unwind in her own personal space, far from the worries of her household (simliar to a 'mancave' today I think)! Technically, the boudoir is a private sitting or dressing...

Continue Reading... Label: Architect, history, Interiors, paris, Petit Trianon