{at the shops: mariage frères, paris}

. . . after one too many cups of morning coffee, one of the best ways to spend wintry afternoons while working, is with the intoxicating scent of french candles and a perfect cup of tea, especially if the tea is from parisian salon mariage frères, steeped in history and a staggering number {over 500} of varieties to choose from, and best of all, the most beautiful hand-blown glass teapots one could ever hope to find . . .

{p.s.} for vintage lovers, they also have 1930's art deco tea pots

{image & layout by life.style.etc}

{colour inspiration: brown & black and bits of gold}

. . . august has always been a bittersweet month with thoughts of summer's fading days lingering in the air, a light and breezy linen dress one afternoon, a cozy camel-coloured cardigan the next, and with each night that falls, the knowledge that soon the days will become shorter and the nights . . . they will be brushed in shades of sable and onyx and scattered with candlelight and bits of gold . . .

{p.s.} more leopard print

{images: 1 - patterson maker; 2 - fashion toast via startdust memories; 3 & 10 - photography by candida höfer via lisa golightly; 4 - absolutely beautiful things; 5 - livingetc via fashionedit; 6 - coralie bickford-smith; 7 - a glamorous little side project; 8 - anna casa via the diversion project}

{storage inspiration: perfume display}

. . . beautiful shimmery bottles on night tables and marble vanities, in leather handbags and hallway consoles . . . have amassed a rather impressive collection of perfume and have always adored the notion of pretty things on display, so completely fell in love with the idea of displaying pretty toiletries in slimline shelving originally intended for plates -- such a wonderfully brilliant and perfectly lovely idea . . .

{images: scan by t.i.g., livingetc december 2009}

{new year's inspiration: champagne}

. . . before the clock strikes midnight tonight, we will have toasted a glass {or two} of champagne, bidding farewell to one year, and welcoming a new . . .

"Come quickly, I am tasting the stars!"

~ dom perignon, at the moment he discovered champagne

{a glamorous guide to champagne:}
champagne, a light sparkling wine made only in the champagne region of northeastern france, is different from all other sparkling wines in the world for three major reasons:
* a wine can only be labeled as champagne if it is made in the champagne region of france
* to be called champagne, it must be made only from the pinot noir, pinot meunier, or chardonnay grapes which grow in that region
* true champagne, as opposed to other sparkling wines, gets its bubbles by undergoing the fermentation process twice: once in barrels and again in bottles

{chilling}
* temperature determines the rate at which bubbles in champagne are released -- a bottle should not be opened at room temperature, as it will quickly froth up and go flat
* chill ideally to 40-45 °F {4.5-7 °C}, the lower temperature for parties and receptions where the room temperature is likely to rise
* chill champagne in a refrigerator for a couple of hours, but try not to leave it longer than a day, as the cork may stick or shrink
* emergency chilling in the coldest part of a freezer for 15 minutes is fine
* a bucket of ice and water (never just ice, as the water is essential for transferring temperatures) is still one of the best and quickest ways to chill a bottle of champagne, but faster still are the gel-filled jackets that are kept in the freezer and slip over the bottle for about six minutes

{opening}
* remove the foil to begin, or simply score around the base of the wire cage, then gently untwist the wire and loosen the bottom of the cage, but do not remove it
* holding the base of the bottle with your other hand, twist both ends slowly in opposite directions, backwards and forwards
* as soon as you feel pressure forcing the cork out, try to push it back in while continuing the twisting operation ever more gently until the cork is released from the bottle with a sigh, not a bang
* do not tilt the glass and pour gently down the inside, but top up each glass to between two-thirds and three-quarters full, and no more
* do not chill the glasses ahead of time, either by filling them with ice cubes or crushed ice, as it will have a negative effect on the release of the bubbles and the bouquet of the champagne

{glasses}
* a flute or a tulip-shaped glass is ideal, but nearly any vessel other than a coupe will do -- the wide, shallow coupe is the worst possible choice for champagne, as the mousse goes flat far too quickly and the wine's aroma can not be appreciated
* whatever glass shape used, the finer the rim the better
* if you have fine crystal, be sure to use it -- the irregularities in this elegant glass keep the bubbles alive longer

santé! / cheers!
xo

{images: 1 - scarlett johansson for möet et chandon; 2 - style me pretty; 3 - livingetc; more information: laurel hiestand, marie claire, bbc, tom stevenson's champagne & sparkling wine guide}

{three beautiful storage solutions}

. . . a gliding guest bed

. . . a curtained closet

. . . vena cava's barrister bookcases

{p.s.} one more lovely idea: letter holders

{images: 1 - livingetc; 2 - daniel hertzell via desire to inspire; 3 - refinery29}

{flight of fancy}

. . . quite taken with the idea of a glass staircase -- as with lucite, glass is light and airy, with a little dash of fairytale glamour . . .

{image: october 2007 issue of Livingetc; via dress design decor; similar staircases available at bisca}

{inspiration: pared-down}

Return again and again to this pale and perfectly pared-down room by photographer Paul Massey . . . such a welcoming, laid-back place . . .

{images: livingetc via automatism}

{beautifully ornate}

. . . beautifully ornate cama portuguesa {Portuguese bed} -- dreaming of waking in regal splendor on a sunny Sunday morning . . .

{image: tear from a past issue of livingetc}

{inspiration: pinkish lavender, still}

Clearly am not the only one who has fallen for such a lovely whisper of colour, as pinkish tones are everywhere lately. . . and if it were not for living with a charming Brit who prefers more neutral tones and perhaps grays, would happily surround myself in this calming and beautiful hue . . .

{p.s. another lovely rosebud pillow}

{images: 1 - livingetc march 2008 via apartment therapy; 2 - first published in Ideal Home October 2006 via apartment therapy; 3 - photography by mari eriksson at an angel at my table; 4 - 1st option; 5 - photography by tony amos, vogue living australia}

{colour inspiration: daffodil silk}

Sometimes all it takes to bring a new, ultra-chic energy into a room is a few sun-drenched accessories in shades of canary and daffodil . . .

Have much more fun at work {above} with a Ray and Charles Eames Soft Pad Chair, comfortably beautiful in happy yellow leather.

A vibrant painting {this one is by Andrew Spence}, an Eero Aarnio Cognac chair, and cushions from Marimekko bring a sense of play to a modern, all-white bedroom.

Drift off with elegantly blissful dreams in a Parisienne bed upholstered in daffodil silk. {Ochre bedside lamp.}

{images 1+3: photography by Mel Yates, image 2: photography by Douglas Friedman; Livingetc. April 2008}

{marvelous marble}

There has been a recent resurgence of marble in design, leading style forecasters to herald its comeback, but certain it never went away . . .

Marble is a metamorphic rock form composed of coarse crystals from limestone or dolostone rocks. (If you remember from your geology classes, metamorphic rocks are rocks that have changed from one form to another by the high pressure and temperature environment of the Earth). This metamorphic process causes a complete recrystallization of the original rock into an interlocking mosaic of calcite, aragonite and/or dolomite crystals.

There are many, many types of marble, from Bianco Carrara to Calacatta Imperiale to Fior Di Pesco Carnico, only to name a few. Some types of marble are named after the locations of their quarries, for example, Black Marble from Kilkenny, Ireland; Boticena and Onyx(Green) from Pakistan; Carrara and Luni from Italy; Macael from Spain; Royal White from China, and Makrana from India.

{marble coffee table in a New York loft}

The word 'marble' comes from the Greek marmaros, meaning "glittering" or "shining stone". When polished perfectly, marble gives a soft glitter that seems to come from the inside, and when rays of light penetrate it, marble comes to life and gives off pink, yellow, grey, blue, greenish, reddish, brown, and black tones, as well as various other beautiful colour combinations.

{a stunning marble facade elevates the look of this office designed by 3rd uncle}

The characteristic swirls and veins of many colored types of marble are usually caused by mineral impurities such as clay, silt, sand, iron oxides, or chert which were originally present as grains or layers in the limestone. Green coloration is often due to limestone with high magnesium content or dolostone with silica impurities which have been mobilized and recrystallized by the intense pressure and heat of metamorphism. A recent post, {luxury is in the details}, gives an example of green colouration in marble and {beautiful bathrooms} showcases some beautiful marble bathroom fixtures.

{ring coffee table by autoban}

The temperatures and pressures necessary to form marble usually destroy any fossils and sedimentary textures present in the original rock. However, if you look closely at certain varieties such as Verona, Fossile Marrone, Jura or Rosso marble, you may be able to glimpse the shapes of ancient shellfish, corals, petrified algae, and shells. Some types of marble with quartz and pyrite 'veins' glitter with crystal and golden tinges.

{marble fireplace in a hotel lobby}

Pure white marble (the kind favoured by Michelangelo) is composed of the mineral calcite, and is the result of the metamorphism of very pure limestones. White marble has always been popular for sculpture and building construction because of its beauty and relative softness. This softness, however, also makes it vulnerable to weathering, as the calcium carbonate content in marble is easily damaged by acid rain.

White marbles, like Carrara in Italy, Royal White and Bejing White in China, have been the number one choice for sculpture since classical times. This preference has to do with the softness and relative isotropy and homogeneity, as well as a relative resistance to shattering. Additionally, the low index of refraction of calcite allows light to penetrate into the stone before being scattered out, giving a "waxy" or life-like look to marble sculptures of the human body. The Venus de Milo, Parthenon, Zeus of Olympus temple, columns of Artemis temple in Ephesus,(one of the Seven Wonders of the World), were all made of soft white marble.

Whether it's Carrara or Bianco Perlino or Rosso, a status symbol, a floor, or a fountain, there's no denying the luxury and glamour of marble, and its timelessness by all of the history that it represents.

{the venus de milo}

{images: Elle Decoration, 3rd Uncle, Autoban, Livingetc}