Don't Miss the Decorator's Showhouse this year!

The house, Knollwood, was a House of the Week last year. Click here to see photos and read the post.

Tickets purchased in advance of April 20 are $20.00

Tickets purchased at the door are $25.00

Hours of Operation:

Monday–Closed

Tuesday–Wednesday 10am–3:30pm (last entry)

Thursday 10am–7:30pm (last entry)

Friday–Saturday 10am–3:30pm (last entry)

Sunday 12pm-4:30pm (last entry)

click here for more information

Gertrude Jekyll and the Country House Garden

Cherokee Garden Library presents

Gertrude Jekyll and the Country House Garden

Lecture by Judith Tankard

March 28, 7pm

Atlanta History Center 130 West Paces Ferry Road Atlanta, GA 30305

Event is free to the public but reservations are required

Please call 404-841-4046 or email SCatron@AtlantaHistoryCenter.com

www.atlantahistorycenter.org/cherokeegardenlibrary

Gertrude Jekyll and the Country House Garden is the first book in over two decades devoted to the most important garden designer of the twentieth century. Gertrude Jekyll (1843–1932) laid the basis for modern garden design and is credited with popularizing an informal, naturalistic look in counterpoint to the rigid, formal landscapes of the Victorian era. Her collaboration with Edwin Lutyens produced seminal garden masterpieces of the Arts and Crafts movement, including Hestercombe and Folly Farm.

Judith B. Tankard is a landscape historian, author and preservation consultant. She received an M.A. in art history from the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University and taught at the Landscape Institute, Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, for 20 years. Her articles and book reviews have been published in many magazines, including Hortus, Apollo and Country Life. She lectures regularly both in the United States and Britain. She is the author or co-author of seven illustrated books on landscape history, including most recently Beatrix Farrand: Private Gardens, Public Landscapes and Gardens of the Arts and Crafts Movement.

Huff Harrington Home!

Jd and I stopped by Huff Harrington Home today. One word - LOVE! The 4000 square foot store is a fabulous mix of all of Meg and Ann's favorite things. You will find French furniture, accessories, coffee table books, wonderful jewelry and more. We immediately thought of so many gifts to give friends and clients who would love the finds. Make sure you stop by soon - you won't be disappointed! 102 West Paces Ferry Road, next to the St. Regis Hotel.

Earth Designs

Now featuring a third project from the London garden design company:Earth Designs. Don't  forget  to visit their blog that features up to date information about current projects they are working on as well as useful advice.  Now let's take a look at this week's design..

Project brief

"The brief from this client was to create  a  low maintenance, accessible and above  all stylish garden, suitable for  dining and  entertaining. The client  was looking for a  real 'wow' factor  and wanted  the exterior of their property to mirror the high finish and individuality of their interior space. The existing space suffered  from  many  drawbacks  -  it  had  an  uninspiring,  drab  layout  and  was  excessively overlooked from flats above and to the right and left. Its North facing aspect  means  that  it  does  not benefit from a great deal of sunlight."

Solution

"This design created create a stylish and contemporary space with a plethora of visual stimuli that offers extensive opportunity for enjoyment throughout the year. The existing fencing along the rear and right hand boundaries was clad with opaque purple Perspex sheeting to create a uniform, modern backdrop to the space. Two distinct seating areas, each designed with a different use in mind, were created to allow the client maximum scope for entertaining and relaxation."

"The first, in the top right corner of the space, forms the main focal point to the garden and comprises a slightly sunken conversation pit enclosed within a four-poster bed style structure. Constructed from sturdy railway sleepers, this area offers ample space for lounging and serves as a visually imposing talking-point. One side of the structure includes numerous open shelves, allowing the client to display a variety of sculpture and ephemera, while a second side houses a bespoke stainless steel water feature. The water feature itself is comprised of a large stainless steel tank fed from above by two stainless steel water blades. For comfort, large custom-made weatherproof cushions cover the conversation pit floor. These cushions can be removed and stored during inclement weather.

The second seating area, centre left of the space, comprises an L-shaped railway-sleeper fixed bench backed by a railway-sleeper raised bed. Serving as an informal alfresco dining area, this section of the space benefits from a low coffee-style table with a second table at kitchen-counter height, beside which the client has placed a BBQ for alfresco food preparation.

Flooring throughout is in attractive cream travertine, laid in a formal grid pattern and inlaid in the centre with a single rectangular strip of plum slate tiles, providing an elegant contrast to the dark stained railway sleeper structure and seating.

The left hand boundary was clad with stainless steel sheeting to create a stunning backdrop to the dining area. This panelling continues along the boundary beyond the seating area to mask a bespoke storage area in an alcove to the left of the space. The stainless steel theme is echoed with the addition of six stainless steel planters placed at intervals around the edge of the paving.

Planting in the space follows a strong architectural theme, consisting of sculpted box balls and tall, elegant allium in the raised bed, framed by the primeval fronds of dicksonia antartica (tree fern) clustered in the flush bed beyond. The box ball theme is echoed in the stainless steel planters spaced around the paving and a variety of climbers have been placed so that they will gradually adorn the Perspex fencing over time.

A comprehensive lighting scheme was installed with mood and accent in mind. Down-lighters installed within the alcoves of the railway sleeper shelving unit create a centre piece of the sleeper structure, while stainless steel bollard lights frame either end of the bench in the dining area. The paving is edged with in-ground up-lighters placed in front of each stainless steel planter to give balance to the space, while a submersible light installed within the water feature tank casts a gently undulating light across the back of the space. Low voltage spots cast a gentle glow across the back of the space and weatherproof wall-mounted infra-red heaters, one in the conversation pit and one on the boundary wall beside the bench seating, allow continued enjoyment of the garden on chilly nights."

Helen Durant Show at Pryor Fine Art

Helen Durant

Protect the Young

mixed media on canvas

53 x 48

Please join us on Friday, March 16th for an exhibition featuring new work by Helen Durant, Peter Burega and Felice Sharp.

All new images will be on the web the week of the show. For more information, please email tiffany@pryorfineart.com

Pryor Fine Art 764 Miami Circle, NE Ste 132 Atlanta GA 30324 404-352-8775 www.pryorfineart.com

Inspiration

1. Nikoline 2. Irene Suchocki 3. NationalGeographics  4. OnceWed

A few great discoveries

What's this? A post about beauty? This has to be a first since I started this blog, but I just couldn't resist. Before I get to the juicy stuff, I must say that my lack of posts recently has been due to the fact that my days are increasingly busy, in three weeks I'm starting my new job and I need to study heaps to make sure I still remember everything I learned back in uni. On top of that, these past winter months have been terrible to me, weight wise! So before the warm weather and the long days of work kick in, I'm on a fun yet vigorous exercise plan. 

So, about the beauty part. I just found my match made in heaven. It's called the Etude House Sheer Glowing Skin BB Cream. I tried many BB creams before, I liked most of them but I still hadn't found one I truly loved, until now. First off, BB creams are becoming all the rage here in North America. It's no longer a product limited to Asia. And thank heaven's for that, I still can't understand how I lived without BB creams before! I won't get into an in depth explanation on what these creams are, you can find all that info and more with a simple Google search.

So here is my lovely find. I still prefer the Asian BB creams over the American ones but I must say Garnier made a pretty good one too.  This particular online store, Cosmetic Love, even sent me some sample gifts along with my order!  The best part about BB creams is that they are inexpensive yet work wonders. 

So onto a more random discovery, I just noticed that my once dying bougainvillea just flowered! I hope to nurse it to become an impressive specimen for my home. These plants are just spectacular and do well indoors.  (Especially in a white ceramic planter against a dark grey stone wall...in a sunny position of course.)

High Style High Rise Home Tour

March 8- April 1, 2012, tour six luxurious homes, designed by the city’s top designers, amid The Residences at W Atlanta – Downtown’s breathtaking views of the city. High Style High Rise will feature Kerry Howard (KMH Interiors) for Redefined Home Boutique, Barbara Westbrook (Westbrook Interiors) for Room & Board, William Peace (Peace Design) for Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, Susan Ferrier (McAlpine, Booth & Ferrier Interiors) for R Hughes Showroom, Amy Morris for The Mercantile and Michel Boyd (SmithBoyd Interiors) for Bradley Hughes. The High Style High Rise tour, benefitting The High Museum of Art, will commence Thursdays and Fridays beginning at noon until 5:00 p.m., Saturdays 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sundays 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. For additional information explore www.highstyletour.com.

Kitchens and more Kitchens

As I was looking for some inspiration for my future kitchen, I found some amazing designs. Since I will probably be buying brand new, our kitchen and other things will be customizable according to our taste.  I have a great fondness for travertine floors, stone backsplash and wood that sports a "used" look. Along with some accessories and materials that add modernity to the room such as stainless steel and contemporary light fixtures, you have my perfect kitchen. A few extra bucks well spent. Enjoy the photographs below!

1. Velvet and Linen 2. Pinterest 3. Mi Casa es su Casa 4. Pinterest 5. T&G