Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Visiting The Asher's Summer Cottage

Once in while you enter someone's home and you feel like you have been there before. So warm and inviting, you immediately feel relaxed and comfortable and think "Yes, I am finally home!" Many summers ago I was fortunate enough to meet some new friends from Canada who summer with us. They invited my family to a party at their home to celebrate Canada Day. That's when I first came upon The Asher's Summer Cottage. So sweet and perfectly nestled into its setting it took my breath my away. Sadly, the party was outdoors (as I was secretly dying to get in) but my new friend and I shared a love of decor and she graciously left her guests to give me a tour. She has again graciously let me inside her home so that I might share it with you.



You arrive via a wonderful antique brick pathway. Today I will share with you the family room and the kitchen. Please bear with my novice efforts at photography. The house is far more beautiful than my amateur photos can capture.



The kitchen is a lovely room flooded with sunshine. Casement windows and wide oak floors add to the cottage charm. Notice the marble topped antique bakers table, the custom built in banquette and floral embroidered pillows.





Opposite the dining table used to be a wall which closed in the spaces. They opened up the wall an repaired the two sided fireplace using antique bricks, which they washed in white. I love the slipcovered chairs and teal antique pantry cupboard.



The kitchen has such lovely aged surfaces. Custom cabinets are glazed and finished to resemble aged driftwood or wood bleached by the sun. All counters are covered with antique carrara marble. Edges are chipped and worn and the marble has a lovely patina. The center island cupboards are painted and distressed black and topped with a huge marble slab. Because antique carrara marble of this size is nearly impossible to come by, they were able to find a piece that was tea stained and aged to match the perimeter antique counters.




Here are close ups of the cabinet glaze and the antiqued aged marble.





The kitchen from the opposite side. Beautiful French Doors lead out to an antique brick patio.


Notice the lower baking counter to the right of the stove. A perfect baking area for our children, who were making cookies to sell at the Village Fair Bake Sale. Isn't this what kitchens are for?



Spectacular casement windows open to lovely gardens beyond.




The family room is filled with slipcovered sofas , painted tables and antique pine. An accent wall in painted a pale, robin's egg blue. This adds to the tranquil feeling in this space. A wall of french doors opens to a screened porch. Handmade pillows are fish prints done each year at the Fair by her son. Framed antique boat blueprints, linen roman shades and sisal rug complete the look.



A warm and wonderful space for a warm and wonderful family. Thank you for letting us take a peek inside!

Monday, July 28, 2008

Don't Be Blue!


Just a heads-up that we are preparing the new August booth for installation, so the blue summer Beach House look is about to go buh-bye!
The robins' egg blue dropleaf table sold on Sunday, and we replaced it with a small ivory scallop-edge wood table (or desk!). It's ridiculously low priced at $40.00 so if you want it, get in there!

There are still some white & blue linens and aprons left, but not many. Only five blue glass mason jars left!

The vintage jewelry boxes and hats and beach totes are flyin' out the door, along with the vintage paper packs. The three remaining copies of Victoria magazine (July/August 2008 issue) are now $2.50 each. The blue 'lace front' small dresser is still available - for now! Come and get it while you can....

6 PM: ...and apparently someone read this post and hightailed it down there, 'cause the ivory scallop-edge table sold this morning!!!!! Oi VEY! I went down this afternoon and rearranged, setting up a 'mock bed' with the iron twin bed. We may be installing the new display sooner than expected if this keeps up!!!!

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Lighting in the Christopher Peacock Kitchen

Many of you have emailed me asking where to find some of the non cabinet elements of a Christopher Peacock Kitchen. Let's look at some of the lights that are so popular in the these kitchens:

House Beautiful photo


House Beautiful photo

MLS photo

You often see hanging shade pendant lights as in the photos above from House Beautiful and MLS. These lights are from Vaughan Lighting.

Vaughan Lighting


Vaughan Lighting


The top light is called the Menton Hanging Shade the bottom and the Nickel Hanging Shade from Vaughan lighting. Both are only available to the trade.


Shades of Light


The Kensington Pendant is a wonderful copy available from Shades of Light. A bargain at only $279.



MLS Photo

Studio Pedrazzi Architects and Design


MLS Photo


Here are more industrial lights. The top lights are most likely from Circa Lighting, the bottom ones may be vintage.



Circa Lighting

Circa Lighting


These two lights, top, Country Industrial and bottom, Yoke Pendant, are both from Circa Lighting.




Restoration Hardware


The Benson and Harmon Pendants are more affordable options available from Restoration Hardware.


Here are some School House Pendants. These are very easy to find from both the higher end lighting manufacturers or the more affordable manufacturers.



Restoration Hardware


Shades of Light


The first is from Restoration Hardware, the second from Shades of Light , both very affordable and classic in styling.


Making a subtle change in your own kitchen by adding classically styled pendant lights is just one way you can get a step to closer to one of America's most copied kitchens.

Friday, July 18, 2008

Faded Elegance Booth Update!


We went into Faded Elegance this afternoon and added some new items to our booth, rearranged a bit, and freshened it up for all of the coming week's festivities. If you look closely at the photo above, you'll see both main setups in it... and you'll see no armoire. Nope, it didn't get done this time around - Mr. Bob has been far too busy with his 'real' job!

To the robins' egg blue table, I added a few lamps. The small blue one is true vintage - all glass with a resin shade!

I also popped in some white glass urns, plates & compotes, and some cute little blue dessert or martini glasses - or maybe they are candleholders? A few blue glass mason jars are still here. too! I made two embellished bottles of beads & buttons, as well.
Then I made some paper packs - this time I did them in rolls, since I had some pretty vintage & new papers to use. I included some of the 1880's hymnal music I found, too, along with blue vintage lace and a seashell.

On the other side, Bob hung a white chandelier - it's ceramic & metal, all painted white, and has white shades with sparkly crystal beaded trim. WOW did it light up the corner! The scrolly mirror is back behind the table now - really adds to the light effect. (Looking at this photo, I need to add more twinkle lights under the table...looks like a black hole!)

Some new plaster urns and a bevy of white-painted baroque-style accents are in, too, as well as some beachy basket totes under the table. I hope the ladies who gather in Snohomish on Saturday for the 'Victoria meet-up' like it!

I really love this soft white-tan-cream beachy look, and actually had planned to put all this stuff into our Cottage for our summer decor. Nope! Mr. Bob was so taken with that black bar/Victrola cabinet that didn't sell in Reno that he talked me into re-decorating the house in black, tan, & white. So we did, and we both really like the kind of mod look it all has. Very different for us! (Then I added lime green to it...not so sure how he feels about that part...)

OK now, before you get all freaked out about me re-decorating the whole house each season, remember that we live in a 995 square foot 1924 bungalow, and it doesn't take much or very long to re-decorate it! ;0)

Elements of a Christopher Peacock Kitchen

A sincere "Thank You!" to the Washington Post for including this post in your Blog Watch, July 24th, 2008!

In my quest to revamp my kitchen and pantry, I have studied countless Christopher Peacock Kitchens for inspiration. Because Christopher Peacock limits images which can be copied I was able to locate some of his work via Real Estate listings in Hampton, NY and Greenwich, CT. All the pictures below are from real estate listings which noted that the kitchen was designed by Christopher Peacock.

The signature Peacock White Scullery Kitchen. Counters are carrera marble with a white subway backsplash. Notice the pot filler behind the stove and high arc faucets. The pendant lights are usually hung in twos or threes. These lights are from Circa.


Another signature Peacock white kitchen. Cabinetry is inset and counters are soapstone. This kitchen also has High arc faucets and pot filler. Note that the stove hood design is similar. Also notice the notched corners on the island, both are signature Peacock styles. One interesting feature of this particular kitchen is the sink in the center island. I read an article where Peacock mentioned he does not generally prefer to have a sink in this location. He said he liked the center island sleek and unobstructed.




Another carrera marble kitchen. I love the darker wood floors with these cabinets, versus the lighter floors above. Notice the faucets are also high arc and brushed stainless. These particular faucets are KWC Systema style, very pricey. Also notice the ice box style hinges and latches on the doors. This kitchen has inset stainless steel drawers. I am not a fan of these, as a mother of two, I just could not keep them fingerprint free.


Here is a lovely Peacock kitchen in the Hampton's. These floors are not wood, but a lovely slate - very pretty. I love the butcher block and marble island. Notice the glass front subzero refrigerator. I love the color of this kitchen and the multiple surfaces; marble, soapstone, slate and wood.


These two pictures are from a Peacock kitchen that is in a new spec home in Greenwich. The floors are amazing! Notice the marble and soapstone counters; and classic bin pulls and latches on the cabinets. I like how you can see the microwave in the bottom right photo, but when you enter the kitchen it is hidden on the side by the refrigerator. Inset cabinetry, pot filler, subway tile - seeing some trends?



Here is a different style Peacock kitchen. This is from an older home. I think probably a kitchen done by Peacock before his White Scullery Kitchen got so popular. Notice the heavier mouldings on the door and corbels. Notice the apron front sink, classic white school house pendant lights and large wood cabinet knobs. I am not a huge fan of the green hood though.



Here is another one from the Hampton's. I love the warmth of this kitchen. Although a white kitchen, it does not have the starkness of some the others. The backsplash behind the stove is lovely. It is small marble bricks with an inset arch; nice touch. The ceiling and the fixtures lend a more rustic feel.



This kitchen is obviously more formal. I love the X cabinetry. Pendant lights, ice box latches, bin pulls, marble and soapstone complete the look. Another notched corner island with a rectangular sink.

All above photos MLS

Here is the final kitchen from the real estate listings, notice the backsplash behind the stove. Here they use a solid piece of marble - you really get to see the veining in the stone. Also note the center island with sink and wood top. Perhaps clients do not always agree that a center island should be unobstructed.






These two final kitchens are the only images from actual Christopher Peacock ads. The first kitchen is called the Refractory Kitchen. I love the pendant lights, similar to the lights in one of the kitchens above. In the second kitchen I love the backsplash behind the stove. The use of subway tile and then marble surround is beautiful and elegant. I love the way they flip the backsplash design on the side counter and use the marble surrounded by subway tiles. Notched center island again, marble counters, square style hood, bin pulls and latches. Classic and beautiful. No wonder its one of the most copied kitchens in America today.


My next post will highlight where to find some of these elements if you are interested in creating this look yourself in your home.