“For where the old thick laurels grow, along the thin red wall,
You will find the tool- and potting-sheds which are the heart of all.”
- Rudyard Kipling
Top image from Neville Trickett, Middle images from Light Locations, bottom image from Water Monopoly.
Contributor: Philippa Berrington Blew
Since the weather lately has been nothing short of ungodly, I have longed to stay in a cottage exactly like this one. Except, I would like it to be on a beach where I could wallow unashamedly in the surf. Located northeast of New York City, where the Connecticut River and Long Island Sound meet, and enclosed by a low stone wall and hedges, this cottage plays host to a medley of styles: the modest early 19th-century exterior gradually unveils a surprisingly sophisticated interior (thanks to some wonderful Biedermeier furniture). A notable detail is the plaster walls which have remained glue-stained, producing a honey-like glow that contrasts unexpectedly with the glossy white trim. And if that were not enough, the dreamy summerhouse (bare feet recommended) has a floor border composed of slate blue river rocks…
Images by photographer Douglas Friedman. Also featured on marthastewart.com
Contributor: Philippa Berrington Blew
Unabashedly a sucker for interiors that aren’t afraid of a good dose of quirk. Include some science equipment – laboratory glassware (giant test tubes make great vases), anatomical charts or biological models and animal classification posters. A great paradigm of this style of “Dark Nostalgia’ is the Manhattan apartment of dubbed ‘New Antiquarians’ Hollister and Porter Hovey, which is well-documented in their fabulous blog. Also check out the home of artists Jessica Grindstaff and Erik Sanko, who have taken this movement to a very cool extreme – filled to the brim with oddities…
All images are from: The Selby Except for: Hollister Hovey apartment, photographed by Rose Callahan
Contributor: Philippa Berrington Blew
Arthur Bovino, the lead writer for “Always Hungry“, a New York City restaurant review, has aptly described The Breslin Restaurant at The Ace Hotel as a ‘cool, cleaned up version of the Edmont Hotel in ‘The Catcher in the Rye’. The inherently beautiful 19th Century features have been preserved: wooden floors, rough and reclaimed; leather booths and peeling, embellished ceilings… and then amplified with 21st Century lacquered army green walls and black accents. Add to that Chef April Bloomfield, undoubtedly the queen of New York City’s gastro pub-grub scene. A helping of pork scratchings and triple cooked fries, if you please!
Images by Katie Sokoler (Gothamist) and Melissa Hom (New York Magazine)
Contributor: Philippa Berrington Blew
With the ‘Coupe du Monde’ in full swing right now, I thought I’d highlight a favorite design house in South Africa – Cecile & Boyd – one in Kwazulu Natal and the other in Cape Town. Named after two gifted designers, the two flagship stores are filled to the brim with beautiful handmade decorative homeware and accessories. Imbued with African influence (like porcupine quill lampshades and seedpod chandeliers, and giant canvases of faded strelitzia), the courtyards are gravel-lined and dotted with various species of Aloe and Cacti. Drawing inspiration from Africa’s palette (while still retaining an international flair of contemporary yet classic style) they also design boutique hotels and safari lodges of which Singita and Lebombo have been named the Conde Nast Best Hotels of the World.
Images from: Cecile & Boyds, Hout Bay Manor, Singita
Contributor: Philippa Berrington Blew
Whitecross Farm in Ross on Wye… the name alone draws one in. Nothing is pristine. It is almost as if the wonderful jumble of artifacts have just tumbled into their place. Most of all (especially apparent in the kitchen), this is a ‘home’ in the best sense of the word: comfortable, warm and inviting. Where several Labradors and multiple offspring would be part of the furniture…
All images from lightlocations.com
Contributor: Philippa Berrington Blew
Today I bid farewell to the house I wrote about two weeks ago. The one with a gallery-like backdrop to ever-changing colors on the walls and furniture in a constant game of musical chairs – yes, layers upon layers of possibility. My favorite element about my friend and her house is the perpetual revision – always fresh, never tired. Sadly, this is the final homage to this home. It has been sold.
Contributor & Photographer: Philippa Berrington Blew
I happened upon the website of the architectural firm Chris Dyson based in Spitalfields, London. I was moved by the simplicity of their designs; the wonderful calm and serene palette of the pale blue/greys, slate and faded mint on the walls. Also appealing is the adaptive re-use of old structures retaining the good bones, and converting the remainder into clean crisp functional spaces. The exterior walls continue to pay respect to the historic fabric of the neighboring structures. The firm often introduces additional windows or skylights – flooding the previously dark, dank rooms with natural light. And then something that I really fancy: Dyson-designed flood-resilient floating homes. Ah yes… for a year, please in Amsterdam.
All images from Chris Dyson
Contributor: Philippa Berrington Blew
When I entered this very special house for the first time some years ago, I was rendered speechless. It was so modern, the interior colors were electric (mostly Fine Paints of Europe – all the trim and doors in an ultra gloss, almost wet finish), yet it still paid respect to its 1850′s heritage with its elaborate crown moldings and ceiling medallions. The genius behind the design aesthetic is a woman who is undoubtedly the most creative mind I know. She has ideas that sometimes sound preposterous at first, but once you see the outcome, you concede to her brilliance. This urban sanctuary boasts a stainless steel pool in the Zen-like courtyard; a dressing room that could be mistaken for a flagship Georgio Armani store, and the pièce de résistance – a room flanked on both ends by opaque sliding doors which, once opened, reveal the kitchen: heavy industrial restaurant-caliber equipment, sinks, fridges and an AGA. Any entertainer’s dream—after a dinner party with 10 000 dishes, one need only slide the doors shut and think about it tomorrow…
Contributor & Photographs: Philippa Berrington Blew
I live in the heart of Baltimore City, and I am fortunate enough to have a courtyard which I treat like another room in the house during summer… and decorate it accordingly. I am a huge fan of revising tradition by placing objects normally only seen indoors into the courtyard setting — like mirrors, horns, chests, carpets; even an interesting sink. The converse is also true for the interior of any home; customary exterior items like terracotta pots and watering cans can be employed into an effective vignette, creating a new landscape and altering perspectives.
From top: Rosenowfloral, Interiordivine, Remodelista, Dressdesigndecor
Contributor: Philippa Berrington Blew
