Ramsign Giveaway

Much like jewelry on a beautiful woman, the right accessory on a house can really pull an entire look or design together. Details matter!Ramsign, a small Danish company that has been producing porcelain enamel house signs for years has generously offered to give a house number plaque to a lucky reader here on ArchitectDesign.The winner will...

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McCormick Apartments

The evolution of a building is natural, much bemoaned by strict preservationist but it is the nature of time, particularly in cities; another topic for another day. A building which started out as the most luxurious apartment building here in Washington, DC now finds itself a distinguished office building holding none other than the National...

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Chinoiserie automaton

While working on a more in-depth post of a fantastic building I visited recently, I wanted to leave you with something just to let you know I'm still around! Located at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is a collection of ingenius bejeweled objects known as automatons. These machines, popular in the mid 18th century (as so many of my favorite...

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My updated dining room

You may remember a few years ago I purchased an antique set of caned chairs and table made by Baker -see the post HERE. While the caning looked great, it wasn't very comfortable or practical and I had decided to have cushions made. I used Aku Merali at Marketplace Interiors in Alexandria, VA. He is a well respected upholsterer here in DC...

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Superstitions

Do you hold any superstitions? I don't mean picking up pennies and avoiding black cats, this is a design blog after all! While going through some photos I took in the Metropolitan Museum of Art earlier this year, I noticed that these wall lights had the candle wicks left unburnt. I've always been taught that tapers should be charred before...

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Vizcaya: Goyesca

Adjacent to Giudecca and sharing a bathroom in the southeast tower is the guest room Goyesca. Named after the Neoclassic murals which cover the walls which depict Roman styled grotesques, I'm not sure the theme is the most appropriate or restful for use in a bedroom but they are none the less lovely! Despite the pink lined bed canopy and...

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Vizcaya: Giudecca

The Southeast tower holds 2 guest rooms which share a bath. Giudecca, shown here, is simpler than the rooms downstairs but no less elegant. The centerpiece is, again, a magnificent canopied bed.I love the decorative plaster work on the walls highlighted in mint green and tan, so evocative of the time period. The room is named after an island...

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Custom calligraphy

Recently while reading through my daily bloglist, I saw a post on Matters of Style mention a local etsy crafter who did custom stamps in calligraphy. I thought this would be a great idea to do a small stamp of my name on the front page of the books in my library. It came in the mail yesterday and I couldn't be happier with it!I dealt with...

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Vizcaya: Galleon guest suite

The main guest suite at Vizcaya is in the opposite corner of Mr. Deerings offering views of both Viscayne Bay and the Formal Gardens. Occupying the physical corner is the sitting room named Galleon after the shipping vessels which inspired the house. The wood walls are painted to imitate marble and display a collection of 18th century Italian...

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Vizcaya: Espagnolette

One of the most feminine guest rooms at Vizcaya is named Espagnolette. All of the guest suites were named after historical characters from literature and feature different design styles. Each suite comfortably features a bathroom and ample walk in closet. This bedroom has access to Mr. Deering's bedroom suite via the balcony so one suspects...

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Spring in NY

Oddly enough, one of my favorite things about New York is the presence of nature in the city. Central Park is so much more majestic for its city setting and natural / city contrasts. While in New York last weekend, Habitually Chic and I enjoyed the fine spring weather and spent the afternoon wandering around this paradise with ice cream...

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Finally Framed

You may remember I was talking about framing the sketch Patricia at PVE drew for my blog header, seen here. Well, I finally got it back from the framer and it looks fantastic! I chose an ebonized frame in an architectural acanthus leaf pattern which I felt grounded the drawing and matte as well as relate to the subject. I had it framed at...

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