A Call To Action...

Contrary to its name, the Living Room is a rarely lived in room...and we're blaming the baby-boomer generation for this sin.  How many of us grew up in households where we were forbidden to enter into the living room, for fear of our mother's wrathful storm? During the 18th and 19th centuries, the living room (or drawing room as it was sometimes referred to) was THE social gathering space in the home where ladies spent hours embroidering and gentlemen spent hours watching the ladies embroider.  Skip ahead 100 years and our parents, albeit unknowingly, have artificially changed our communal instincts and forced us to take refuge in the kitchens, and dare we say, basements of our youth.  We, for two, will not stand by this unnatural migration.  At our cabin, we want our daily regimen to revolve around a grande "old school" living room where we lounge about sipping tea in style or entertain guests in a glamorous setting surrounded by our favorite finds without fear of mucking anything up.  So, now's the time generation X, Y, Next or whatever they're calling us these day, to stand up and take back the living quarters that were so forcibly stolen from us. It's okay...step into your living room, remove those plastic cushion covers, flop down on the sofa and take it all in...it's the civilized thing to do.  
(P.S. We still love you Mom.)

1.  Spring at the cabin

2.  The perfect cup of tea

3.  A Minneapolis penthouse by Andrew Flesher

1. J.K Hotel, Florence, Italy

2.  RL Restaurant, Chicago

3.  Vintage round bench upholstered in blue velvet, Jayson Home & Garden

1.  J.K Hotel, Florence, Italy

2.  Kotsuis and Hohhuq – Nakoaktok, Photograph by Edward Curtis, c. 1907

3.  Leather club chairs, French, c. 1930's

1.  Silver plated shoe cufflinks, Paul Smith

2.  Astor Courts, Rhinebeck, New York  (check out that fireplace!!!)

1.  Easton Square, London drawing room by Michael S. Smith

2.  Oriental Salon at Axel Vervoordt's Castle, Belgium  

3.  "Cinnabar" glazed garden stool, Pagoda Red

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Only in New York...

We've recently returned from New York and couldn't have had a more perfect trip.  We stayed with a friend in a fabulous 5th Avenue apartment, waking up every morning to a view of Central Park from our bedroom.  Our next trip has a lot to live up to.

Below are some of the highlights:  

*We hit the Hell's Kitchen and Chelsea flea markets, where we spotted a bargain hunting Nate Berkus.  We found a wonderful c. 1920's large silver bowl with lion feet and my monogram engraved in the bottom.  It was the find of the century!

*The Ralph Lauren Women's and Home store was absolutely gorgeous.  The building is brand new, but looks as though it has been standing for over a century.  We were a little intimidated to snap our own photos, so please enjoy Habitually Chic's recent post...this is just as it looked when we were there.  

*ABC Carpet and Home is truly a one stop shop.  With the gift floor on the main level and carpets on the fifth, there are boutiques by every major furniture designer sandwiched in between.  P.S.  We spotted James Andrew of What is James Wearing shopping on the second floor.  If only we had taken a photo, we could start a blog called, "What I Saw James Wearing".   

*While the overly commercial aspect of the neighborhood is not our thing, Soho was a remarkably enchanting place.  The streets were paved with bricks and the shops had a very English sensibility.  Some of our favorites were Paul Smith, Jack Spade and Thomas O'Brien's workspace, Aero Studios.

As we're always thinking about the cabin, we were definitely stimulated everywhere we went in New York.  Below are some of our favorite cabin and lifestyle inspirations from the trip:  

1.  The newly redesigned Rhinelander Mansion on Madison Avenue 

now exclusively showcases the Ralph Lauren men's collection

2.  We couldn't resist these saddle shoes from Cole Haan

1.  ABC Carpet & Home

2.  The Color Reform line at ABC, brilliant concept! 

3.  Pipa, a wonderfully decorated tapas 

restaurant on the ground floor of ABC

1.  We relaxed with a couple of cocktails at The Campbell Apartment.  Designed in 1923 and inspired by 13th-century Florentine palaces, the space was recently renovated by English designer Nina Campbell (of no relation)

2.  A detail of the original hand-painted ceiling

3.  Our drink of choice:  Prohibition Punch  

We followed this recipe at home and it was equally delicious

1.  Henri Lloyd's Spring/Summer 2011 collection

2 & 3.  These preppy Soho shoppers have it together, 

courtesy of trashness.com 

4.  Henri Lloyd's Spring/Summer 2011 collection


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