Artist in Residence

Late one recent evening, my husband and I arrived home from a party to find an artist busily at work in our kitchen. Painting this as a gift for a friend:

She had been inspired by this vintage motto print I keep on a bookshelf:

She believed both the sentiment and the peacock motif would please her friend. Unable to get her hands on another—it's dated '1923' for heaven's sake—she set out to paint her own version. In a slightly different, more youthful colorway. A bit larger than the original too so that it would fit into the thrifted frame she intended to use. It has just the right amounts of age and patina.

I think her friend is one lucky birthday girl, don't you?

At the same time and place she found the gold frame for her friend, she also found this carved wood one for herself. In which to showcase a favorite greeting card.

Talented, smart and industrious. Creative, thoughtful and thrifty. Respectful of the old yet intrigued by the new. Beautiful too, as you can see in the self-portrait she drew for me, below. That's my girl. The artist.

[click to enlarge, if you like]

Oh, and that gorgeous frame I propped in front of her drawing? She thrifted that too. Add 'good eye' and 'excellent taste' to the above list.

The New Navy

In 1944, the Electric Machinery and Equipment Company (Emeco) and the Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa) collaborated with US Navy engineers to design a seaworthy chair for military use.

The resulting 1006 chair—pronounced "ten oh six"— became a staple on Navy destroyers and submarines. Its seamless construction of corrosion-resistant, lightweight aluminum made it uniquely durable, easily portable and virtually maintenance-free.

The originals were produced in Emeco’s Hanover, PA workshops and they are still made there today—offspring of the perfect marriage between American ingenuity and craftsmanship.

The sturdy little chairs soon found themselves on land as well as at sea. First, they moved onto military bases and then into civilian offices.Over the years, as Navy chairs were retired from military use, they began to appear in surplus and resale stores and flea markets across the country.
Perhaps they were, at first, an inexpensive alternative to chairs found in traditional furniture stores, or a way to get a deliberately funky look, but their timeless charm won out. 1006 and similar Navy-inspired chairs can now be seen in even the most stylish, upscale homes.

Their clean lines and casual style allow them to fit into country, modern, eclectic and contemporary spaces. They are most often seen in kitchens and dining areas where their durability and ease of maintenance make them an excellent choice for busy families.

Occasionally, you will spot a 1006—or a few dozen—out in public. The chairs above were photographed in Louisville, KY at a fancy flagship KFC. Below, you see a testament to their ability to span styles and cultures: American-designed and manufactured Navy chairs in a Vietnamese restaurant in London.

If you can't find the real thing, like this vintage 1006 I found on The City Sage blog,

affordable alternatives are out there. Target sells their Cafe Aluminum Side Chairs in pairs for $246.99.

At Stack Chair Depot, the Oceanic Side Chair is only $95.00. Counter- and bar-height stools are also available at $115 and $125 respectively. While the styling of these two versions are similar to the original, I wouldn't expect their construction to be of the same quality. Proceed with "buyer beware" caution.

A faithful reproduction of the original, the Emeco Navy Chair with wood seats in two finishes can be found at allmodern.com.

For hard-core design aficionados who want only the best and most authentic, Design Within Reach offers the Emeco Classic reinvented by Phillipe Starck (top of this post). The 1006 Navy Side Chair is the real deal, made to the same exacting standards as the originals.

Featured in the current DWR catalog is the newest member of the Navy Chair family which made its debut only a few weeks ago.

The 111 Navy Chair is made from recycled plastic coke bottles—111 of them—and is available in six fun colors. A collaboration between Emeco and Coca-Cola, this little chair, if sales progress as DWR believes they will, is expected to keep three million plastic Coke bottles out of landfills each year.

What brought on my sudden interest in Navy chairs? Well, I've always been aware of them, but when I received the new DWR catalog, I was really taken with what a great idea the 111 chair is. To the point that I walked around my house trying to picture one somewhere (the jury's still out on that decision). And then, on Saturday, I saw South Pacific on stage at The Ahmanson. Navy guys and gals dancing and singing up a tropical storm - if this current tour comes to a theater near you, go! - and whenever the set changed to The Island Commander's Office, there they were: aluminum Navy chairs at each desk. Ok, so I'm aware that this tiny detail may have totally escaped most people and really has nothing at all to do with the greatness that is this show, but it appears that I simply had Navy chairs on the brain. Or maybe it was one of those moments when, instead of watching the characters in a play or a movie, I'm busy studying the wallpaper behind them. Don't judge me, I can't help myself.

Click on the image above and you'll be treated to musical highlights, interesting commentary, a blink-and-you'll-miss-it shot of a Navy chair on stage plus, for all you Gleeks out there, glimpses of a sometimes shirtless Matthew Morrison/Mr. Schuester who starred as Lieutenant Cable in the 2008 Lincoln Center production of the show. You're welcome!

Come Flea Marketing with Me... and Eddie Ross!

Eddie Ross is coming back to Southern California. To lead us through the Rose Bowl just in time to welcome spring and meet the pent-up demands of fairweather flea market shoppers like me.

I'm sure my readers who are bloggers know who Eddie is. But for my non-blogger, non-decorator readers, here's a brief rundown of the talent that is Eddie Ross: Formerly a stylist and editor for Martha Stewart Living and House Beautiful magazines, he's also a CIA grad who ran his own catering company and is a terrific floral designer. Eddie was a contestant on the second season of Bravo's Top Design, was a participating designer in two recent HGTV holiday specials and the winner of Bloomingdales's 2010 Big Window Challenge. He is a frequent contributor to a long list of shelter mags. With his partner, Jaithan Kochar, Eddie runs his own lifestyle company in upstate New York, writes a killer blog and sells only the choicest vintage tableware and gifts from his Etsy store.

On his guided flea market shopping tours, Eddie teaches participants how to spot great finds like the silver tray, above, that required only a bit of elbow grease to restore its beautiful shine, or the lucite grapes he and Jaithan bagged, below, for their own home.

Eddie and Jaithan will be here to shop the Rose Bowl with us next Sunday, March 14th. Go to Eddie's blog to get all the details and to Apartment Therapy for contributor Laure Joliet's account of last year's trip (she scored that silver tray for five bucks!). I'm signed up and already working on a (long) list of goodies to look for. Will I see you there?

And we lived happily ever after...

Bailey has come home to live with me! I mean us. Saturday morning we sped down to the Pottery Barn Outlet, swiped my debit card so fast it almost melted, hurriedly loaded my—I mean our—new coffee table into the back of the Rodeo, and headed for home. But before we left the parking lot, I snapped a pic of Bailey tucked in all safe and sound. That's my hilarious husband, above, sticking his arm in through the passenger door. And I have to say, to him and to you, that he has been such a good sport throughout this "ordeal". Once he realized just how much I loved Bailey, and was adequately reassured that I do indeed love him more, he was totally on board with the idea of a new table.

Ta da!!! Bailey's new home, above—so much better than the demoralizing cold concrete floor of an outlet store. Having taken on the exact duties of the old oak table—same books, flowers, basket of magazines, bowl of balls and clock—Bailey delivers an even more than expected amount of cheer and charm to a space that was already pretty happy. But not in a way that's too obvious. It's as if Bailey has been here all along. Aside from all the obsessing and hand-wringing, it was a seamless transition. As if it was meant to be.

Inspired by the addition of Bailey's fresh green-ness, I did a little pillow shopping this weekend as well. The spiffy number above if from Pier 1. Its mossy green, curvy cotton jacquard pattern is a perfect complement to Bailey and a nice juxtaposition to the graphic checks of my red reading chair. If you haven't taken a look at the toss pillows at Pier 1, I suggest you do. There are so many colors and styles from which to choose, I'm sure you'll find something that suits your space. And I do advise you to see them in person before you buy. Colors on their website are not always true, and you'll want to feel the fabrics before committing to something you'll be curling up with at home. Their quality is quite often a nice surprise, most have zippers for ease of cleaning and some, like mine, have feathery down inserts. If the pillow you choose does not, it's simple to insert your own if that's the look and feel you prefer. If you hurry, you can take advantage of the currently reduced prices on past season selections as well as a sale going on now that includes many of their new designs. My pretty new pillow cost less that $24.00.

Another serendipitous bargain was this red toile pillow cover, above, that I found in the markdown baskets at my local Pottery Barn (not the outlet). It's a cotton print with soft velvet welting and was a whopping $13.00. A 20" down insert I already owned fluffed it up so it could join its new friends on the sofa.

As wonderful as it is to have Bailey home, it's been equally wonderful to hear from so many of you!

Thank you so much!

...for your advice and encouragement... for allowing me to be completely ridiculous without judging me as such... for recognizing that even us designer types can become paralyzed when it comes to making decisions for ourselves... and for playing along. It was so much fun waking up each day to a few more comments and emails! Next time I'm faced with such a perplexing dilemma, I know exactly where to go to find help!

For any of you still wondering, here are answers to some of your questions:

1) No, the mean ladies at the PB outlet would not let me borrow Bailey "on approval". Okay, it's not really their fault. PB apparently has an unbending policy with regard to their clearance furniture... it's priced to move out the door and that's where they want it to stay.

2) Bailey is exactly the same size and shape as "old oak"—42"Wx18"H (So what was my problem right? Remove ugly, insert pretty. Sounds so easy.)

3) Bailey fits nicely within the confines of my big white sectional... its round shape is perfect for scooting around to find your seat.

4) Many of you expressed concern that I would regret forever not bringing Bailey home. I'm positive you were right.

See how nice Bailey looks in the photo above holding my laptop and coffee mug? That's where I did my email and blog reading this morning. Many thanks again to all of you who helped make that beautiful moment possible!

Coffee Table: A Love Story

Allow me to introduce the Bailey Coffee Table. I have never loved a coffee table like I love this coffee table. But until quite recently, I've expressed my love from afar. At first glance—as seen in a Pottery Barn catalog two years ago? a year and a half?—I was drawn to its warm color and those pretty curves. I could see immediately that it was the perfect size and shape to replace the table I'd tired of—a relic from my husband's oak-dominated past. A perfectly serviceable table to be sure, but not nearly as special as Bailey. I've gazed longingly at Bailey both online and in many subsequent catalogs. Sadly, the original price prevented me from acting on that love. So I avoided looking for Bailey during outings to the PB store. I tried to pretend I'd never noticed it in the first place. That strategy almost worked.

If you've read my blog for more than five minutes, it's pretty easy to tell that I. Love. Color. Lots of color. Pattern too. One of my favorite rooms ever is this one, above, by L.A.-based designer Lynn von Kersting. Here, she mixes my favorite primary colors with vintage finds, Asian, European and otherwise exotic accessories and textiles, warm woods and worn painted finishes, all in a way that makes this room irresistible to me. Just look at all the patterns on those toss pillows on top of a patterned sofa! A green shade on a blue and white porcelain lamp? Yes please. Books and artifacts strewn about. Paintings hung like they've been collected over time. I could live here quite happily without changing one single thing. (Ok, I'd have to change out those white lilies for something else. Roses maybe. Lilies make me sneeze.)

Another designer whose colorful works I admire is Linda Applewhite who currently divides her time working for clients in both the Bay Area of Northern California and Santa Fe, New Mexico. These two living areas, above and below, make me so happy. Again, look at all that color! I love the way she combines contemporary fabrics and patterns with antique furnishings and found objects with lots of authentic patina. Her rooms are often whimsical and a little over the top—even for me!—but I really appreciate her process. While they might appear to be mixed and matched with abandon, her interiors are very well-planned, well-balanced and super functional.


In my attempts to achieve a similar look for my own home, I've borrowed ideas from both von Kersting and Applewhite, while striving to stay true to the objects and shapes and colors and patterns I am naturally drawn to. Trying to do what's best for this particular house. And without tossing everything I've had and enjoyed for many years. I'll admit the idea of trashing it all and starting over from scratch has crossed my mind. But my practical side would never allow it. I also try not to have anything in my home just because I think it "should" be there according to the latest trends or design standards. And I want the things in my home to have value beyond their worth in dollars. Whether there's a sentimental attachment or just because it makes me smile, every object should have function or beauty—or both—in a way that appeals to the people who live here. (Lucky for me, my husband likes lots of color too, though he has occasionally expressed a fear of living in what he calls a "clown house"—too much of all the aforementioned pattern and color and exuberance. I tell him not to worry, but I can see that he sometimes still does. Not that I blame him... but I digress.)


A handful of detail photos, above and below, give you a peek into my living room. Above: lots of mixed up pillows on an off-white sectional that more or less matches the cottage white walls; the patterned shade of the floor lamp that sits next to my red arm chair; golden checked curtains that give the room a beautiful glow at certain times of the day; a wool area rug that pulls together all the colors of the room. Below: my freshly painted green chair sits next to an antique oak secretary; vintage art and imported plates hang over the sofa; an antique oak table with pretty turned legs and carvings holds a few pieces of blue and white porcelain; the view over my current coffee table ends with the entertainment armoire across the room.


Easy to imagine—isn't it?—that a green coffee table would fit right in. And still, I couldn't justify the purchase. Several months ago, Bailey appeared in the back of the catalog with the clearance items. At exactly a time when I should not be considering new furniture (bad economy=fewer discretionary dollars, especially when you already have a coffee table). So I forgot about it. It obviously wasn't meant to be. And then. . . last weekend. . . I walked into the nearby Pottery Barn Outlet store. Right there, smack in the middle of the store. Bailey.


Priced to sell at $249. And I can tell you, one would have sold right that instant and driven home with me if it weren't for this: all outlet furniture sales are final. OH. NO. What do I do now? I thought Bailey was out of my life. I was prepared to live with old oak for the indeterminable future. So I did all that I could do. I looked. And touched. I may have even hugged it. I whipped my fabric swatches out of my purse to see if they liked Bailey too. They did. I snapped a couple of pics with my phone. Measured. Paced. And left the store. At home, I paced some more. Uploaded the photos. Looked at my room from every angle. Talked myself out of it. Then back in.

Here's a sketch of my living room. All of the case goods, with the exception of that green chair that might end up in the kitchen, are brown. Oak, walnut, other woods I can't identify. Do I want to bring a green-painted coffee table into the middle? Will it stand out too much? Or will it blend nicely into the mix? It would sit on top of the red area rug, so the contrast there is low with regard to shade, but high with regard to hue—red and green being complimentary as they are.


To make it even more confusing, check out this photo, below. See the beautiful finish and how it's distressed and chippy? See the brown that shows through? Does that help it to coordinate? Or make it stand out in a way that's not good? What would Lynn and Linda do? Why is this so hard??!! Because I want it so much? Or because it's all wrong?

When I called this post "a love story", I didn't say there would be a happy ending. I can't tell you yet where it's going to go. But I may not have much time. There were only three (or four?) on the floor so I need to decide soon. $249 is not a lot of money for a great piece of furniture, but it's too much money to waste on a coffee table that doesn't love me (I mean, my house) as much as I love it. And I need to get my life back and quit obsessing over this table! I do have other things to think about. Really. So I'm asking all of you. Bailey or no Bailey? Be honest. But not brutal. Remember, I'm in love. If it's not going to work, please let me down easy. Here. Have one last good look and let me know what you think. Thanks.

EDITED TO ADD: Check out my next post to read how this story ends. . .

Fall Into Pier 1

New for Fall... lots of affordable pretty from Pier 1 Imports...

The warm colors of the Round Leaves Rug (above) would welcome the season in a small entry or powder room

The Ikat Wing Chair makes a bold, but not outspoken, statement

Redbuds Tassle Pillow (personally, I would cut those tassles right off and have myself a Redbuds "Applique" Pillow)

Where wouldn't a Sunflower Mirror look great?

Peacock Tufted Dining Chairs would be lovely as host and hostess at the dinner table

Bubbles Green Glass Vases are right on trend

Wouldn't your holiday guests feel extra welcome with a Josette Chair in their very own room?

Antiqued Oval Clock for your wall (16"x16")

A pair of Chryssie Chairs would look so warm and cozy in front of the fireplace

At $2.95 each, you can fill a basket or bowl with Seagrass Balls and get a lot of texture for only a little cash

Stoneware Canisters are filled with character and charm

Vintage Inspired Trays will brighten your day and your decor

I think the whimsical jacquard upholstery on this Ashlyn Dining Chair is so pretty and might be nice at a girly vanity

The Suzani Fringe Pillow is bold and bright and warm

Sanctuary Serving Pieces look great even when they're not working

These Curved Back Dining Chairs in Ivory could help you pull off the hot new Belgian look without breaking your budget

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Pier 1 has recently become a surprisingly great source for affordable accents and cost-effective seasonal updates. If you haven't already, give them a look.

I'm partial to the vintage trays and the oval wall clock and the redbuds pillow (without the tassles, of course!).

Which one of these pretties has caught your eye?