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While the Mid-Atlantic digs itself out of our winter storm I thought I would share some pictures of a  warmer time sent to me by my Penpal Neil from his last trip to Great Britain. Grimsthorpe Castle is a fascinating place that received a renovation by Sir John Vanbrugh in 1715, which was never completed, as well as gardens designed by Capability Brown  in 1771. The front elevation was renovated to Vanbrugh's baroque design but the sides of the castle were left with their much older facades left intact. It's like having a facelife but leaving your saggy neck alone! The earliest parts of the castle date to the 12th century!  I'm sure Vanbrugh's extravagant designs were too costly to produce so the 1st Duke made due with a new front facade and entry hall. Capability Brown was brought on by the 3rd Duke Ancaster to design the parkland around the house and to gracefully lead one into the nearby woodland.  The front 'yard' is enclosed by gates and beautiful stone w...

I've blogged about Artisan Lamp many times, an antique lighting store here in DC in the historic Cleveland Park neighborhood. Starting TODAY ( January 22, 2016 ) they're having a store wide sale with substantial discounts on many fixtures.  I always think lighting (and hardware) are the jewels of any home -now is your chance to get something special affordably !  These are some of the items from the sale that I've actually had my eye on for some time! Click on the picture to be directed to the online listing. If you can't brave the snowstorm be sure to check out their website HERE or their 1stDibs page.  Happy shopping and let them know I sent you! No compensation was received for this post -just sharing a great resource and sale with my readers! Pictures from ArtisanLamp

I'm a bit late to the party but better late than never! You've already missed your chance to see the Southern Living ideahouse by Rosney Co architects and decorated by Bunny Williams  but I hope you'll find this tour inspiring none the less. The stone house is built in the (very) rolling hills outside of Charlottesville, Virginia, where these type of new "old" farm houses are in their native climate.  The architects designed a house with a traditional floor-plan where an old house appears to have been added onto over time. I love the flow of this first floor; very open but still distinct spaces. No separate dining room but then again this is a country house for family living; you always have your formal dining room at your place in the city, right? hehe While the master bedroom is on the first floor to take advantage of a beautiful porch, 3 more bedrooms are located upstairs with an additional guest suite above the garage. Hands down my favorite room was the ...