There are some things you make room for on your calendar, and a gathering at the home of Loi Thai and Tom Troeschel to welcome LA designer + architect duo Brooke and Steve Giannetti to DC is one of them. Loi and Tom own an antiques store I love in Bethesda called Tone on Tone. In fact, my first visit years ago convinced me to have my own floors bleached and covered in a white tint.  As you can see, that treatment is what helps make each room feel airy, bright and welcoming. Between conversations, I took shots of my three favorite spots…neutral backdrops, rich with patina and pops of color.  No one left this party early.

Photography by Barbara Franceski

I recently participated in a focus group for Amani Ya Juu, a sewing and reconciliation project for marginalized women in Africa.  It was a privilege to preview their latest home and kitchen offerings, including fun hostess aprons and placemat & napkin sets like the one above.  We dreamed up ideas for pillows, talked batik and screen print techniques, and I left with an even stronger desire to visit the continent one day.  Of course, I couldn’t help but peek at the clutches below, too.

Photography by Barbara Franceski

Invite others in…to your home and as a result, to your life. Yes, a house can be four walls. Or, if you allow it, can release you from living at arm’s length. The experience of welcoming people in to a place that reveals you–your tastes, beliefs, and interests–is like a get-out-of-jail-free card.

Photography by Barbara Franceski

Yes, you can have too many pillows. But I love a pintuck pillow. And, I marvel at anyone who can hand make them, especially like the gorgeous royal blue one above by a client’s grandmother. The grey silk one is from my own personal stash.

Perhaps this bright velvet beauty from Urban Outfitters tempts you too…

Photography by Barbara Franceski and last image via Urban Outfitters

A friend sent this book after I expressed an interest in Florence. Enamored with several wallpaper designs attributed to her, of course I pored over the patterns showcased inside (courtesy of Signature Prints).  I also quickly learned that Broadhurst was a frequent name-changer and determined game-changer.  She only needed four to five hours of sleep a night.  It appears that the triumphant bold colors and grand scale of many of the patterns are fortuitous outcomes largely due to her failing eyesight. Author Helen O’Neill noted that Broadhurst’s involvement in the wallpaper business occurred at a time when Australia was having a building boom, which left “acres of blank suburban walls begging for some form of artistic individuality.” Oh, how I love that line!

But the description of Florence that interests me most is buried midway through the book: “As she travelled, she collected, bowerbird fashion — picking up anything that appealed and bringing it back to her studio.”   She was quick on the uptake, and realized variety, arrangement and personalization were key. Therein may lie the greatest treasure she bestowed upon the design world of all.

Photography by Barbara Franceski

Inspiration is everywhere — material, pattern or ornamentation — even when you least expect it, like searching for the perfect birthday gift online. This multi-chain knot detail has my imagination twirling! So do the gold tiers, crystal natural rock beads and black lucite bars. We’ll see how these details might just find their way into an interior or two that I’m designing.

Images via shopbop.com here: Dannijo Galapagos Necklace, Fallon Jewelry Ines Bib Necklace , Kenneth Jay Lane Crystal Natural Rock Necklace, and MM6 Maison Martin Margiela Wrap Necklace 

Those of you who follow me on Twitter know that putting my dining room to good use in 2012 tops the priority list.  This past weekend, I threw my first dinner party of the year and could not have had more fun!  With a fire blazing, out came appetizers, cocktails…and a lively discussion about who to root for in the playoff games.  Loyalties declared, we headed to the dinner table and didn’t get up for the next few hours.  Here’s why…

The Menu:

Lemon Creme Fraiche & Smoked Salmon atop Salt & Pepper Potato Chips

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Moroccan Spice-Rubbed Chicken

Green Bean Gremolata

Roasted Cauliflower with Golden Raisins & Capers

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Chocolate-Coffee Gingerbread Cake with Hazelnut Poached Pears & Coffee Whipped Cream

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I’m already bouncing ideas around for my next spread!

Photography by Barbara Franceski

It can happen so suddenly.  You are out with friends, walking into a place you’ve never been, and BAM! it’s love at first sight.  Case in point, this gorgeous fixture Meshelle Armstrong hand-picked and imported especially for PX Lounge in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia.  It caught my attention a few years back and still has my devotion.  As does the historic nod of the whole decor.  If you haven’t seen this head-turning beauty in person, I suggest a stop here before or after you dine at any of the local restaurants during Alexandria Restaurant Week 2012 going on now, January 13-22.

Image via here.

There are times when my soul is aesthetically nourished.  When everything–to me–is in perfect harmony.   I instantly apprehend it deep inside, intensely appreciate it, and am inspired.  You can say a light bulb goes off inside or you have an Aha! moment.  The moment I saw each of these photos in the Il Vetro dei Dogi catalog is such an experience.

A quote from one of my favorite books The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery further explains:  ”The timeless nature of the consonant form: Allows us to feel the power of objects and of the way they interact, to hold our gaze the way they work together and the magnetic fields that attract and repel them, the ineffable ties that bind them and engender a force, a secret and inexplicable wave born of both the tension and the balance of the configuration.”

Images from Il Vetro dei Dogi

As do many others, I like to start the new year off with a clean and organized house.  I’m the opposite of a pack rat, yet I always seem to be able to donate some things to Goodwill, toss a bag of trash to the curb, and recycle plenty.  It feels good, doesn’t it?

Photography by Barbara Franceski