Newsletter Archive

Have you noticed an abundance of American flags being displayed this 4th of July weekend?  After the long year of quarantine Covid days, the Declaration of Independence, celebrated since July 4th, 1776, also complements the freedom we are presently feeling, in part due to the vaccine and the efforts of dedicated health workers worldwide!  Do you agree? The first American flag was officially adopted by Congress in 1777.  There is no official record to substantiate that Betsy Ross was the first to create it, but she has been attributed to this task.  Evidently, she had a penchant for red, white, and blue.  (If I had designed it, I imagine it would be a pink and green flag… oh dear!)  The 13 stripes originally represented the first 13 colonies, along with 13 stars, and now 50 stars for our states. As my husband Stuart hung our flag over the door at

Would you like your guests to linger longer at the dinner table? Traditional chairs such as Chippendale, Hepplewhite, and ribbon-back are not meant to support your back.  Many dining room chairs are inherently delicate due to their pieced backs and delicate splats (the exposed portion of the wood design behind your back).  Formally, your back should never touch the back of a chair.  Your parents taught you to sit upright with brilliant posture, along with no elbows on the table, right?!  You know not to lean against the back of an antique or delicately carved chair, because the mere pressure of one’s back, especially a gentleman’s back, is often enough pressure to break the chair back… which I have indeed witnessed!  So, it is thoughtful to have the addition of a “kidney pillow” to enhance the comfort of your dinner guests, and of course, you too! A decorative kidney pillow,

Stylish shoes fit for a queen, and Rayne still reigns! Perhaps you know of Rayne London, the distinguished British shoe company for over 136 years?  The regal reign of Rayne has garnered three Royal Warrants from three successive English queens… an extraordinary accomplishment.  I would like to introduce you to Nicholas Rayne, the fourth generation of the brilliantly designed, Italian-made shoes of Rayne London.  Along with the charm of old-world British aristocracy, Rayne London is renowned for its style, glamour, luxury, and heritage. An illustrious list of clientele, from several generations of royalty (Princess Diana, Princess Margaret, Princess Anne, The Queen Mother) to leading movie stars (Elizabeth Taylor, Vivien Leigh, Brigitte Bardot), have revered Rayne’s discrete reputation.  There is a quiet panache in their “solely” original shoes! With a penchant for pretty shoes, and I know I am not alone, here is my chat with Nicholas Rayne: “Good shoes take you to

Porcelain plates, vases, cachepots, and figurines add a lovely dimension to walls, shelves, and tabletops.  Porcelain of varying colors, shapes, and sizes can enhance the character of the room where it is placed, as well as the artwork that it is near. The luminous glaze of porcelain gently reflects the lighting in a room, adding an indistinguishable touch of glamour.  A living room or dining room that lacks porcelain accent pieces inevitably appears to be missing that “certain something,” and can emerge as rawwther mundane or flat.  Porcelain and art, when paired well together, can create a symphony of perceptible bliss for any room. When porcelain pieces are chosen to complement a piece of art with specific colors in mind, the porcelain then becomes part of the overall composition.  I like to conjure that artwork visually extends rays of intrigue toward a nearby piece of porcelain.  Thus, the entire composition

Mirrors can bring the outside in and can also be used for a myriad of creative applications!  They can add sparkle to any space, especially when the mirror reflects candlelight and chandelier light.  I was inspired to share just a few more design ideas with you on how mirrors can be used to enhance your interiors. A thoughtful subscriber from North Carolina wrote to tell me about her mirrored dining room ceiling, and how her guests love seeing the reflection of the crystal chandelier lights, along with the candlelight on the dining room table.  Think about mirroring your ceiling in the dining room as an alternative to simply painting it! Small spaces can grow exponentially with the addition of a mirrored wall.  Because Fox Hall was built in 1803, bathrooms did not exist, so a small area of the Master Bedroom was portioned off to create a bathroom.  When we

A pretty mirror can be the best “bang for your buck” to decorate a wall!  The cost of a mirror quite often is only a fraction of what a painting may cost.  Mummy instilled in me never to buy reproduction art.  It’s always better to purchase a lovely mirror than inferior artwork.  The artwork you choose to present on your walls provides a window into your interests and tastes.  Like “books by the yard,” reproduction artwork is little more than a soulless placeholder on your walls. In my first book, The Pretty and Proper Living Room, the chapter, “Magnificent Mirrors and Wall Art,” suggests that mirrors have the unique ability to enhance the design of your interiors, whether reflecting the flicker of a candle or the smiles of your guests.  Mirrors are similar to a living painting, one that is always reflecting the current state of your room, the outside