Cantrelax Blog: November 2010

MEANINGful Monday: Muntin

Muntin:

A strip of wood or metal separating and holding small panes of glass (lights or lites), which can be found in doors, windows and furniture. Muntins may also be referred to as glazing bars, muntin bars, or sash bars. {Tommy Smythe, black muntins}

Terrific Thanksgiving Tables!

Yay for Thanksgiving! I'm very excited to be taking a road-trip to Utah where I'll spend Thanksgiving with my husband and daughter at Zion & Bryce National Parks. We've rented a house and will spend our days trying to keep warm (it's going to be in the below zero F! Not C, people!) and hiking around to take some pretty photos.

For those of you who will be spending the holiday toasty inside with great food, and greater company, here are a few table settings to inspire you.

To start, the girls over at Urban Grace never disappoint! Here's a look at the table they designed for HGTV about incorporating metallics into your home...

{via Urban Grace}

I happen to love the next two tables for their overall clean and white designs, but also because they both incorporate Iittala Finnish crystal. Why does this matter, you ask? Well, my mum happens to have full sets of these candlesticks and glasses (not to mention the platters, pitchers, bowls, plates, etc)...

...and after growing up looking at them on her table during every fancy occasion, it is GREAT to see them through fresh eyes in these modern dining settings. Can't wait to "borrow" them! :)

{DwellStudio}

{via Canadian House & Home}

For those of you celebrating Thanksgiving this week, have a good one! I hope you, like myself, have many things to be thankful for!

ps. I just found out that DwellStudio holds an annual modern Thanksgiving table setting contest and you can submit your design up until the 29th. Can't wait to see the winners on the 30th!

Shiney Surroundings

My girlfriend Alisha has been asking for my input while designing her husband's office. She has great taste, so she only requires a little guidance from GEORGE. BUT when I see her this week I am going to ~~pressure~~ advise her to lacquer the walls. I think it could make all the difference to his wee study, and in only the best way!

Don't you love when you have a friend who you can design one of your dream-rooms through?!

MEANINGful Monday: Stretcher

Stretcher:

A stabilizing rail that runs horizontally between vertical furniture legs. Found on tables, chairs or sofas, stretchers come in various styles including circumferential, double and turned spindle. May also be referred to as a stretcher beam. {Lee Industries sofa}

Celebrity Designer Photo Favs

The New York Times recently had five celebrity designers choose ten of their favorite photographs from the New York Times Store's collection.

It was fun to look through the 50 selected photos and see the personalities and styles of the designers shine through. And that's when I came up with a little game...

Match the designer to the photo!

Each designer shown above chose one of the five photos shown below.

Can you make a match? (Answers are below)

{Green, 2006}

{Black Mask, 1967}

{Parachute Jump, Coney Island, 1946}

{Guggenheim Interior, 2005}

{The Octopus, 1912}

There are LOTS, well 45, of other photos to look at if you're interested. And they are for sale if you find one you love.

Answers: Top to bottom - Tom Filicia, Jonathan Adler, Laura Kirar, Kelly Wearstler, Vicente Wolf

MEANINGful Monday: Marquetry

Marquetry:

A technique used for covering surfaces (furniture, flooring, etc) with varying shapes, sizes and types of veneer to create organic patterns, designs or pictures. Pieces of veneer are adhered side-by-side to the substructure, not inlaid in it. Similar to parquetry. {Late 17th century, William & Mary period marquetry bureau}

Custom Baby!

Anyone who has watched their home transform from a nice, clean, adult living space to an overwhelming playground for BABY will appreciate this... custom swing and bouncy chair covers!!!

After inheriting a gently used swing and bouncy chair from a friend, I decided to give them new life and make them coordinate with my apartment decor at the same time... I used the existing covers as the templates and just sewed my cute fabrics right over them.

The bouncy chair required one extra step, sanding and spraying the red frame the same antique white found in the rest of the "nursette."

And after a few hours of drying, here is the bamboo bouncy chair, anxiously awaiting the arrival of Baby M in just 4 short weeks!!!

If you are interested in making custom baby covers, don't hesitate to contact me for pricing/lead times! (emily@georgeinteriordesign.com)

Beeline Home

I found myself perusing Interior Designer Bunny Williams' product line, Beeline Home, this afternoon and was pleasantly greeted by pretty things.

I'll start with what may be my favorite piece, the Bottoms Up table. I LOVE the unique shape with the perfect deep gold finish and ivory top - this would pair beautifully beside ANY arm chair, modern and traditional.

How fun is this little stool? The Red Tape Bench also comes in a longer, rectangular shape.

The Hourglass table, which also comes in a silver-leaf finish, is a true show-stopper. It is both bold and elegant, just like I would like to be. :)

And gosh, do I love all the nailhead detail on the Nailhead sofa! To me, it's modern with French flair and tres chic!

Should I be surprised that these were my favorite photos in Bunny Williams' portfolio?! It took me a second to clue in, but sure enough they're FULL of my Beeline favs! Those brown and gold Nailhead sofas are to die for.

MEANINGful Monday: Grisaille

Grisaille:

Wall or art paintings executed entirely in a monochrome or near-monochrome palette, usually in shades of grey. A grisaille may also be created as an underpainting for an oil painting (in preparation for layers of color over it), or as a model for an engraver to work from. {A bedroom with grisaille wall by White House designer Michael Smith, a grisaille painting by James Gleeson}

Time to paint...

...your nails! Have you heard of Butter London?

While we try to keep this blog all about the exciting world of interior design, today I wanted to share something that will help keep the ladies looking well cared for and fresh this holiday season! :)

I learned about Butter London nail lacquer when my best friend dropped in on my mother-in-law, who in turn told me about her FABULOUS deep emerald, shiny nails. Trust me, these are not cheap looking, crazy-colored paints. My best friend is a real life shopaholic who actually attends fashion week (isn't that really only for celebrities?!), and her green nails mixed with authentic designer duds looked tasteful and fresh - just a perfect tweak to the dark burgundy, brown or black nails everyone has been sporting over the last few chilly seasons. Oh, and don't fret, there are more subtle colors too.

Another reason I like Butter London is that in addition to the fun colors available, the nail lacquers contain NO FORMALDEHYDE, TOLUENE OR DBP - hence the "3 free" label. And they are made in the USA. We love finding products like this - definitely, GEORGE approved!

Here are a few of my favorite DARKS (it was hard to pick, there are so many)...