A new take on the dining table toast

Saw this and thought it was pretty neat-o indeed. It's a chandelier and glass rack in one! Designed by some very clever Swedish chaps (Björn Stillefors, Jörgen Pudeck and Gunnar Cedervall, to be precise), this single-bulb fixture capitalizes on the form of your wine glasses and/or champagne flutes.

Glass Cluster Chandelier from Generate Design, $359 (holds 16 glasses) - $419 (holds 40 glasses)

While this fixture would certainly spark some good dinner party conversation, it would also be fantastic hanging over a kitchen island. That is, if you're one of those folks lucky enough to have the space for one...sigh. Picture it: drop-dead modern chic with simple clear stemware, and equally gorgeous decked out in your grandma's cut-glass ruby goblets come holiday time. Or why not mix and match?

All in all they're not terribly expensive. I believe the genius justifies the price here, so in my opinion it's worth saving your pennies for.

Despite the arguably dramatic effect of the larger chandelier, I can't imagine an instance where one would have need of a storage solution for 40 pieces of stemware in this day and age. Unless you're (a) Martha Stewart, (b) a catering company or (c) widely known for hosting the social event of the season in your neighborhood I'd opt for the more diminutive 16-glass version.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house

As of this morning, I'm officially captivated by this website featuring historic properties for sale. It's pretty fascinating to see what my money could buy in other parts of the country. It's also a bitter reminder of how ridiculously inflated the real estate in Florida has been.

Not sure if I'd want to live in all of these places (Where's the nearest Whole Foods?) but here are a few that make my heart go pitter-pat:

3 bedrooms, 2,866 sq. ft.
Aurora, Illinois (about 40 miles west of Chicago's Loop)
$142,000

This home features an elegant turn-of-the-century Victorian style. You'll find all the charm of the time plus modern conveniences. The kitchen is new with stainless steel appliances. Also new is the plumbing, electric, and bath. The interior rehab is complete. The exterior porches must be demolished and rebuilt and the siding must be scraped and painted. Situated in a great location, this home will be walkable to the train when the city's River Edge Park is complete.

4 bedrooms, 1,400 sq. ft.
Thomaston, Maine
$249,000

Charming antique cape with original details and beautiful floors. House is set on the tidal St. George River. Nature abounds with seals swimming by, kayaking, bird watching and fishing. In the town's heyday ships and schooners pulled up to the property's former dock. Fabulous lawns for gardening or entertaining, cobblestone walkway, and large attached barn with many possibilities.

4 bedrooms, 2,480 sq. ft.
White Creek, New York
$150,000

Step back in time 200+ years! Large, lovingly maintained colonial in the historic settlement of White Creek. Authentic and original detail throughout. The owners have graciously provided a lifelong history of the home and the surrounding area. A perfect country getaway. Relax on the screened porch and admire 30 year old perennial gardens. An easy commute to the Capital District and located minutes from the Vermont border.

4 bedrooms, 2,900 sq. ft.
La Grange, Georgia
$209,000

This Charleston-style Victorian built in 1900 reflects the charm and exquisite detail of an era gone by. Located steps away from La Grange College, churches, museums, theatre, shopping and dining in historic downtown La Grange, it offers the best of in-town living.

I need a vacation

I'm thinking maybe here:

Photo from Elle Decor

Interior designer Tom Scheerer's bedroom in Harbour Island, Bahamas.

A little moment of zen

Here's hoping my next backyard looks a bit more like this...


Hope you're having a happy weekend so far!

This is made of awesome

NOTE: This post contains very important information that must be shared immediately.

Just recently I was lamenting about the poor selection of "decorator" spray paint colors available. Krylon has maybe three good ones, Valspar has a few more. But when you're looking for a very specific color (like maybe coral) it's easy to strike out.

Behold! I opened my new issue of House Beautiful and right there on page 38 was my solution: Montana Gold spray paint. It's available in 182 COLORS (yes, really) and according to what I read online, it has "the highest covering capabilities & opacity of any known spray paint. It's also durable, long lasting, weather resistant and suitable for all purposes and surfaces."



Even though I'm a graphic designer and a fine artist I'd never heard of these before. They're available at Dick Blick online for $8.29 a piece! And if you get really serious and decide to spray paint every surface in the house (tempting, actually) there's a swatch book available here for $24.95. I wish I'd known about this stuff earlier in the week before spraying my $20 faux bamboo chandelier from eBay with a can of Valspar Terracotta which I later discovered had a texture to it. Grr. Now I'm thinking I'll sand it down and try again with Montana's Dirty Apricot or maybe Red Orange.

Ooh...

Pantone mugs! Oh my. My inner graphic designer is all aflutter. Love, love, love these. They're $117 for a set of 10. Perhaps a pool could be started for my upcoming b-day? It's August 2, and I would be most appreciative.


Pantone® references for the mugs are as follows: Red 186C, Spearmint 3395C, Royal Blue 286C, Lime Green 388C, Pale Blue 549C, Lilac 2583C, Olive Green 5757C, Black 4C, Orange 021C, Process YellowC.

The espresso cups are also quite cute.

Available from Whitbread Wilkinson.