Bubble & Squeak: 2011

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Thank You For Giving

With 60 degree temperatures outside and yellow leaves still clinging to branches, it's hard to believe that most of us will be sitting down at the table with our family and friends tomorrow for that much anticipated meal of all meals. For Bubble & Squeak, 2011 has been an incredible year, but one that would not have been as rewarding if it weren't for you, our readers. This Thanksgiving we want to take a moment to thank you all for your support during our first year in the blogosphere. Thank you for all of the wonderful comments we've received in person and online. We blog because we love to, but your comments keep us going every day. Thank you to all of our guest bloggers for sharing your dreams with our readers and for letting us into your homes. You've taught us that cabins come in many shapes, sizes, and locales, but the thing that makes a cabin a cabin, are the family and friends within. And lastly, we want to extend a very special thank you to our own family and friends. Your faithful love and encouragement over the years keeps us motivated and we're truly thankful for all of your support.

We know that you're in for a very busy weekend, but we hope that you can find a moment to thank the ones in your life who have loved and supported you along your journey.

Happy Thanksgiving from Bubble & Squeak!

1. "Wild Turkey Female" from "The Birds of America" folio collection by John James Audubon

1. Barbour
2. Redwing Wabasha Hand Sewn Boots

1. Autumn in Scotland

2. Drawing Room at Sandringham House, Norfolk, UK

1. Jacques Garcia

2. Antique Louis XVI Style Leather Dining Chairs Available at Blend Interiors

1. The World of Interiors

2. Still Life with Turkey Pie by G. Vervoorn

1. Festival Linen Napkin by Sferra Fine Linens

2. Pewter Pheasant Sauce Bowl by Vagabond House

1. English Country Interiors: Inside Cotswold Homes
2. "The Wild Turkey" from "The Birds of America" folio collection by John James Audubon

1. Bedroom at Skylands by Martha Stewart

2. Andrew Reflector Wall Sconce Designed by Mark Maresca for The Urban Electric Company

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Wednesday, November 9, 2011

May The Best Man Lose, Part One

14 October 1910

Warwickshire, England

The guests began arriving in horseless carriages on Thursday morning with all of their baggage in tow. By late Friday evening, the footmen had already started complaining of blisters on their feet, and the ladies’ maids had run out of rumors to repeat. We all knew that this was going to be a long weekend. Lord Stopford had invited all of his guests for one reason and one reason only; not to announce his son’s marriage to the King’s daughter, but to assert his newly acquired social status. There would be shooting parties for the gentleman, lavish dinner parties in the evenings, an unprecedented wine tasting of the most desirable Lafite Rothschild vintages, and, as always, gossip, gossip, gossip.

I’ve heard all of the guests’ stories before. Lord Curtis and his steel factory meltdown, Lord Hodges and his many mistresses (female AND male), and Lady Coryton, whose maid should be knighted for the magic she performs on her ladyship’s hair and makeup each morning. One guest, however, I was not familiar with. He was not a fantastic individual by any means, rather, peculiar. Perfectly dressed, despite the fact that he traveled alone; not even a boot boy to polish his shoes! During the wine tasting, he refused the 1818 Lafite, by far the best vintage our Lordship could get his hands on. Instead, asking for another taste of the 1876, claiming the bottle’s colored glass was “more appealing” than the other. And when all of the gentlemen retired to the billiard room after dinner, he seemed to pay more attention to the table’s emerald green felt lining rather than sinking the balls into the pockets. Sir Leonard Charles Clifton. Even his name is odd, of no noble origin I can recall.

After dinner, the drinks were flowing and the guests were sparkling with conversation. Lord Stopford asked for his company to be gathered into the drawing room for the big announcement. Standing near Lady Stopford with a tray of 11 glasses full of champagne I noticed that there were only 10 guests in the room. Sir Clifton was nowhere to be seen. His oddities were beginning to wear on my patience. Instantly a scream from upstairs, with enough intensity to shake the champagne coupes on my tray, silenced the room. By the time I reached the source of the outburst Lady Coryton’s maid was lying lifeless on the floor. Down the hall, Clifton's door quietly closes.

1. Kedleston Hall, Derbyshire, UK

2. 1910 Mercedes Phaeton

3. Anchor Division

1. Tru Trussardi

2. Manor house entrance

3. Chatsworth House, North Entrance Hall

1. & 2. Gela Nash-Taylor and John Taylor's Estate, Wiltshire, UK

3. 18th Century Gilt Bronze Center Table Foot Detail

1. 19th Century Black Forest Hunt Trophy

2. Bookster Tweed Carron with Cap

1. Michael Bastian

2. Hendrick's Gin

3. 19th Century American Empire Fire Surround with Over Mantle

1. Axel Vervoordt

2. "Classic Decorative Details" by Henrietta Spencer Churchill

3. Pair of Chinese Blue and White Porcelain Vases

1. & 2. Chatsworth House, Derbyshire, UK

3. Château Lafite Rothschild

1. Fox Umbrellas Nickel Walking Sticks

2. Ralph Lauren

3. Jacques Garcia

1. Cariness House, Scotland, UK

2. Jacques Garcia

3. Cydwoq's Men's Vintage Classic Shoe

To be continued...

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Friday, October 28, 2011

I Put A Spell On You...

and now you're MINE!

1. Killahara Castle, Dovea Village, Ireland.

2. Iron door knocker, Bayonne France.

1. Charleville Castle, Ireland

2. Silver and enamel spider cufflinks by Deakin & Francis

3. Ben Soleimani for Mansour Modern.

1. S.R. Gambrel

2. Macbeth Witch Potion Labels, Etsy

1. Charleville Castle, Ireland

2. Alexander McQueen

3. Danish silver mine ice bucket, c. 1970's

1. Douglas Little

2. "For The Love of God", Diamond encrusted skull by Damien Hirst

3. Skeleton hand absinthe spoon

1. Axel Vervoordt

2. Greenman wall fountain

Happy Halloween from Bubble & Squeak!

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Wednesday, October 5, 2011

It's All In The Wrist

10 October 1996

With each bump in the winding road we leap in tandem with the ladders and buckets in the bed of Grandpa's old truck. I remember the day he bought this old thing. The salesman who sold it to him said it would run forever, and it has. The smell of country air fills the cab with thoughts of the last time I made this journey. It was twenty-four years ago, and I was barely tall enough to see over the dashboard. "Hey kiddo, have you ever been apple picking before?" "No," I said. "Well, pay attention 'cause you're about to learn a couple of secrets. First, it's all in the wrist. You've got to twist them off, not pull them. Otherwise, you'll get a face-full of branches. Second, stay away from the rotten ones, or you'll end up with a fist-full of applesauce. And lastly, but most importantly, do NOT drop them into the buckets, lay them down gently. Grandma refuses to make pies with bruised apples." "Okay," I said, trying to imagine what an apple with a black-eye would look like.

A crash from the buckets in back brings me back to the present just as a tiny voice beside me pleads, "Don't bruise the apples Daddy, Nana won't make any pies!"

1. 1966 GMC Pickup

2. Ramsey House Plantation, Knoxville, Tennessee

1. Trashness

2. 19th Century Dutch Hand-Hammered Brass Pot

1. Martin Pierce Bronze Hedgerow Hardware

2. Martha Stewart

3. Bars Quilt Cupboard by Jim Rose, available at Ann Nathan Gallery

1. The World of Interiors

2. Ina Garten's Deep-Dish Apple Pie

1. L.L. Bean Braided Wool Rug

2. The World of Interiors

3. 19th Century Chinese Wooden Bowl, available at Pagoda Red

1. The World of Interiors

2. Folding Travel Clock with Leather Case

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Friday, September 30, 2011

Ciao Bella!

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Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Back To Basics with Beth Webb

Fall is almost here and most design students are back at school. While we at Bubble & Squeak graduated from design school years ago, we are always learning from the industry's more accomplished tastemakers. One of the "instructors" teaching us the trade secrets lately is Atlanta based designer Beth Webb. Having studied art history, and furthering her education at the famed Sotheby's Institute of Art in London leading to quite a successful career in the dog-eat-dog New York art arena, there are few designers we'd rather learn from than her. Bubble & Squeak couldn't wait to sit down with "professor" Webb and ask her about her ideal cabin, and she was much obliged to offer these visual and philosophical explanations:

Bubble & Squeak: What does "cabin" mean to you?

Beth Webb: My idea of nirvana would be a place where I could re-energize and stimulate the creative juices amidst quiet beauty with engaging company. A place where one has time to read, garden, take long and languid walks, and dream deeply.

BS: Where do you picture this dream cabin?

BW: I've had an ongoing and persistent fantasy about someday (operative word here is "someday") finding a fabulous little place on the Amalfi Coast, the south of France, or coastal Maine where I can go and check out!

BS: Why is "checking out" important to you?

BW: My primary motivation would be an attempt to sequester myself for a sufficiently long enough period of time to simply be able to "BE". "BEING" is a much sought after but elusive entity these days in our world of constant communication. They call it a SABBATICAL, a "rest from work, or a hiatus, often lasting from two months to a year." By modern definition it is "an extended absence in the career of an individual in order to achieve something, or to fulfill some goal." Is sleep a goal?

BS: Absolutely!

BW: Here are some of my inspirational images and, with any luck, the visualization process will work and I'll get there sooner rather than later!"

1. Coastal Maine

1. & 2. Beth Webb Interiors

1. Valence Faucet by Herbeau

2. Photo by Pierrick Verny for Cote Maison

1. Photo by Nicolas Matheus for Cote Maison

2. Photo by Jean-Marc Palisse for Cote Maison

3. Ceiling Fixture by Aldo Bernardi

1. Beth Webb Interiors

2. Photo by Guillaume de Laubier for Cote Maison

1. Betsy Brown Interiors

2. Photo by Bernard Touillon for Cote Maison

1. Photo by Bruno Warion for Cote Maison

2. Photo by Eric d'Herouville for Cote Maison

1. Photo by Bernard Touillon for Cote Maison

2. Wine Bottle Candle Lanterns

3.Photo by Bruno Warion for Cote Maison

1. Photo by Eric d'Herouville for Cote Maison

2. Luisa Dinnerware by Match

A special thank you to Beth Webb for the conversation about her dream cabin and what it means to truly "check out".  Be sure to check out her brand new website showcasing her portfolio of artfully curated interiors.  Thank you Beth!

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Thursday, August 18, 2011

Art for Art's Sake

Venice, 12 August 1949

Peggy paces back and forth in the salon of her newly acquired home. “Where are those painters?” She looks around at the curls of paint clinging for dear life to the plaster walls, taking notice of their less fortunate comrades lying on the cold stone floor below. There is an air of neglect one would expect in a three hundred year old palazzo, but all Peggy can see is her masterpiece.

She checks her watch again, “10 a.m. They’re two hours late.” She crosses the empty foyer from one corner to the other, then thru the soon-to-be dining room and finally steps onto the terrace off the back. Fifty yards away she spots two men dressed in white overalls paddling a small boat down the busy canal. “Finally!” she screams, knowing that they can’t hear her.

“You’re late!”, Peggy snaps. She rushes the painters from one room to the next recounting how each is to be finished. She is several rooms ahead of them when one of the painters whispers, “I hear she’s going to hang some ugly abstract paintings in this old place.” Peggy pokes her head around the corner and quips, “Those ugly paintings need a beautiful place to hang, so I suggest you get started”.

1. Photo by Tria Giovan

2. Photo by Pieter Estersohn

1. Thomas O'Brien's New York Apartment

2. Kate Spade's New York apartment, design by Steven Sclaroff

1. Axel Vervoordt

2. Michael S. Smith

1. Photo by Miguel Flores-Vianna

2. St. Petersburg art studio of Kuijni, photo by Pieter Estersohn

1 & 2. Milan residence, photos by Melanie Acevedo

1. Donald Judd sculpture, photo by Miguel Flores-Vianna

2. Miles Redd

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Monday, August 1, 2011

Tricky Wickets

Cruising down a winding country road with Mother Nature as our only escort and our beloved summer getaway the only destination, we’re finally free from summer’s grip.

A refreshing breeze blows through our hair as we enjoy the scenery through the tint of our sunglasses. After an hour (or two.. because who’s counting?) we approach the crest of a hill and catch a glimpse of the picturesque cottage peaking through a cluster of lazy willow trees. It’s exactly as we remembered it, crisply painted with all the enchantment one expects from a country house. Birds chirp and squirrels scatter as we’re greeted by the hydrangeas that have been patiently waiting all season for our arrival.

Once inside, each creek under foot from the wide-plank floors scares away the tension of the past few months. Just as we’re sinking into the linen sofa, there’s a knock at the door. Anxiously awaiting our arrival, our friends from down the road have popped in and brought us a basket of freshly picked vegetables from their garden that we’ll happily work into tomorrow’s dinner menu. This evening, however, our annual Shirts vs. Skins croquet match is on! But before any of the extreme sporting begins, we’re all in need of some light refreshments. After selecting our favorite color mallets, we sip on Pimm’s cups putting some of those freshly picked cucumbers to good use! Several rounds (and some missing balls) later, we make our way back towards the house avoiding the tricky wickets, as lightning bugs fill the evening air.