Tired of Treillage? Say It Isn't So!

While it is seems to have been all the rage of late, trelliage has been used for centuries, including early Europe (Italy and France), as well as the Far East (China and Japan). The earliest example I found of trelliage in the United States was via Elsie de Wolfe's book, The House in Good Taste, 1913. She planned the Trellis Room (above) and included this photo in her chapter devoted to Trelliage. Some of my favorite text, "you can wave it and create all sorts of ephemeral constructions that will last your time and pleasure. You may give your trellis any poetic shape your vision may take."


The use of trelliage has certainly expanded from the actual architectural elements or structures in a room to a style of design.

While there likely have been hundreds of posts on trelliage, I'm hoping you don't mind one more. I have fallen hard for trelliage as for me, it's like bringing part of the garden indoors.

I am sure most of you have seen Chloe Sevigny's hallway with the now infamous Kelly Wearstler Imperial Trellis. But have you seen this room, designed by Lynne Scalo?

Perhaps that is a bit too much trellis for you.

What about the trellis just gracing the walls, as in this home, spotted on a home tour from a Blogger. Note: I cannot for the life of me find the source of this picture, so if you know, please tell me so I may give appropriate credit!

Southern Accents had a lovely feature on Trelliage, illustrating accent pieces.

Numerous other examples abound in curtains, such as these found via DecorPad (and the late Design Smack)...


to Slipper Chairs, from Tonic Home.



Don't overlook other trelliage-inspired items either like this console table, also from Tonic Home,

or this treillage mirror, available from Layla Grace or The Well Appointed House,

or take the indoors back out with Frontgate's trellis patio furniture.

So if you, like me, are still enamored with trelliage, take heart that it is not just a recent design fad. And, if it is the fabric you must have, just keep in mind that there are many options from which to choose!

--Emmie

Bring Georgia Home (supporting local farmers)

There's a lot of buzz about Buying Local or Buying Regional now... whether for environmental reasons (reducing one's carbon footprint- though there is some debate about the legitimacy of this), improved quality, or just to support local business. Whether it's Fresh from Florida, Georgia Grown, Make Mine Mississippi, or another catchy tagline, many states are putting funds through grants and marketing dollars toward supporting local farmers.

Personally, I like the idea of buying to support the farmers. Did you know that there are just a handful of peach farmers left in Georgia!? And this is the peach state! I had the opportunity to speak with a fourth-generation peach farmer a few weeks ago for work and it was incredibly interesting. I'd love to see more people understand where their food comes from. Oh, and by the way, most of the supermarkets in your city probably do carry Locally Grown produce items. Some just do a better job than others communicating it.

But enough lecture, let's celebrate just some of what Georgia offers. This post idea originated as I was making dinner Saturday and honestly it didn't even occur to me that much of these items came from Georgia.

Wild Georgia Shrimp and Vidalia Onion Grits

Note that the grits are from Georgia as well! And if I used Sweet Grass Dairy, the cheese could have been from Georgia.

* Marinate shrimp in 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2-3 cloves minced garlic, juice from 12 lime (or lemon), and splash of soy sauce.

* Turn grill onto medium-high heat.

* Meanwhile, prepare Caramelized Onion and Grits. I was captivated by Vintage Victual's Vidalia Contest and used the recipe here though I substituted smoked mozzarella for the goat cheese.

* Toss shrimp on grill till pink; turn. Cook for about one more minute.

* Serve shrimp on top of grits with side of veggie. (I should have used Georgia-grown zucchini, but the Georgia meal idea occurred to me after I started dinner).

Georgia Blackberries (with some California Raspberries) Cobbler, inspired by Martha Stewart

* Pour 20 oz-worth of berries into a 5x11 (roughly) baking dish.

* Sprinkle with 4 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons heavy cream (I used half and half).
* Cut 1 stick cold butter into little cubes. Using a pastry blender, incorporate butter into 1 cup flour, 1/2 tablespoon sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Drizzle 1 1/2 teaspoons ice cold water and form dough into a ball. (you may use less water if it's a particularly humid day). You can incorporate in a Cuisinart too, but I think it makes the pastry a little more tough.

* Roll out dough to cover the dish. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in fridge to chill for 15 minutes.

* Preheat oven to 425.

* After the dough is sufficiently chilled, place on top of berries. My version looks pretty crappy, as I let it get too cold and it cracked, but hey, that adds to the homemade goodness, right? Plus, when it's baked, doesn't it look better?

* Bake for 25 minutes. Serve by iteself or with ice cream!

Enjoy the fruits (and veggies) of your state! (or if you're lucky, your own garden).

-Emmie

Modern Fashion Interior Decoration

Modern Fashion Interior Decoration

Others subdivisions include architecture, interior design, industrial design, and so on and so on. I think that philosophy behind design unites these, and I have found that many people who are into fashion love it because of the design aspect, because it represents not only a material object, but an object, and moreover an expression, of beauty, quality, craftmanship, involvement and care. The same is present in interior design.

Today I found an incredible lighting piece which I will probably get for our living room. It is made by a Dutch designer Frans Van Nieuwenborg, and I was in awe of its beauty-in-simplicity. All it is is a piece of fabric that covers a light bulb, but it provides an airy romantic effect.

Interior Door Basics Styling

Interior Door Basics Styling

Doors do more than open and close. There are part of a home's décor, a buffer between one space and the next. It stands to reason, then, that door purchases should weigh heavily in the home construction budget.

Door Form and Function. A door, whether it is solid, glass, louvered, or half glass, should complement the surrounding décor, and ornament the wall on which it lives. At the very least, the style of the door should complement existing accents like moldings and trim. A raised panel wood door finished in a natural stain is a bold accent when fitted into painted trim. Homeowners typically choose stained wood doors to complement stained trim, painted doors to accent painted trim. Mixing these styles brings great attention to both, and places great focus on the door, its styling, and finish.

Doors are a substantial portion of any building or remodeling project. While it may break the bank to spend 300 dollars per door, there may be areas of the home that need high-quality profiles, finishes, durability, or sound-deadening qualities. First determine which doors have a decorative function in the home. Select a door that will complement the furniture, moldings, and style of the rooms. Determine whether these doors need to be wood, wood surfaced, or paint grade, then budget accordingly. Next evaluate which rooms require doors with sound-deadening capabilities. Again determine whether they need a natural wood face or whether a stain-grade product would serve as well. Finally, decide which doors are strictly utilitarian and can be served by flush or hollow-core doors. This approach will help you determine how to best budget for the doors in your home while making a decision you can really live with.

Home Interior Door Finishes

Home Interior Door Finishes

Doors do a lot more then just open and close. They represent a huge part of your interior design. Doors blend together one space of your home with another. For this reason, it is important that your doors not only serve their intended function, but also create a decorative flair to your interior workings. In general, homeowners choose stained wood doors to complement stained trim and painted doors to accent painted trim. What they don’t know is that by mixing these styles you can bring great attention to both. Mixing also places great focus on the door, its styling, and finish.

Painting is an easy way to compliment a room's colors. There is a virtually endless selection of colors for you to use. The best candidates for paint include cheap hollow-core doors with wood that looks marred or flawed and also old doors with paint that resists strippers. Keep in mind, painting can become more work than staining because of its messiness and tendency to drip. This is especially true when painting panel doors. With a wide range of wood oils, waxes and varnishes, new or old doors can be transformed adding character and style to your home.

Varnishes: Wood varnishes provide the strongest finish for interior doors. Available in matt, silk and gloss they offer the smoothest finish and the highest level of gloss,although satin and matt are available. Varnishes are not as easy to repair if a small area gets damaged.

Wood Oils: Wood oils offer interior doors good durability and water resistance. Producing a soft sheen, wood oil finishes are very easy to repair if they become scratched or damaged.

Wood waxes: Wood waxes are easy to apply and produce a pleasing traditional look on interior doors that can be buffed to a good shine. Waxes do not provide a strong finish but are easily repaired if damaged or scratched.

Best French Doors and Room Dividers

Best French Doors and Room Dividers

We manufacture our louvered doors the same way we build our interior and exterior shutters. Our louvered doors are crafted with solid wood, stile and rail construction and are both functional and stylish. We combine old-world craftsmanship and the precision of modern technology to create custom interior doors that will leave a lasting impression.

The honeycomb companion to standard honeycomb shades. Ideal for sliding glass doors, wide windows, French doors and room dividers.

Beauty Interior Folding French Doors

Beauty Interior Folding French Doors

A Door is a moveable barrier used to cover an opening. Doors are used widely and are found in walls or partitions of a building or space, furniture such as cupboards, cages, vehicles, and containers. A door can be opened to give access and closed more or less securely using a combination of latches and locks. Doors are nearly universal in buildings of all kinds, allowing passage between the inside and outside, and between internal rooms. When open, they admit ventilation and light. The door is used to control the physical atmosphere within a space by enclosing it, excluding air drafts, so that interiors may be more effectively heated or cooled. Doors are significant in preventing the spread of fire.

They are also used to screen areas of a building for aesthetic purposes, keeping formal and utility areas separate. Doors also have an aesthetic role in creating an impression of what lies beyond. Doors are often symbolically endowed with ritual purposes, and the guarding or receiving of the keys to a door, or being granted access to a door can have special significance. Similarly, doors and doorways frequently appear in metaphorical or allegorical situations, literature and the arts, often as a portent of change.

If you have not yet considered installation of sliding folding French doors but are strongly considering the possibility, then this is a decision you won't be disappointed with because there are several main benefits for installation of such doors.

Best Sliding Door French Gallery

Best Sliding Door French Gallery

We are proud to be the exclusive manufacturer of Lanai Door, which are unlike any other French door, patio door or sliding door on the market. Operating since 1990, our local mill will make you the perfect Lanai sliding door to fit your specific needs. We offer a full range of wood, aluminum clad wood, and 100% aluminum sliding door and window systems. Lanai Doors, which are the perfect alternative to French doors, will allow you to bring the outdoors in!

Lanai Doors are manufactured in Southern California and have been installed in commercial, hospitality and residential applications from the Virgin Islands to the Hawaiian Islands; from Canada to Costa Rica; from The Hamptons to Southern California. Lanai bifold sliding doors are delivered by various nation shipping companies your beautiful doors will arrive in pristine condition, ready to transform your living or commercial space into a whole new environment.

Please contact us with any questions. We will be happy to explain how Lanai Doors are different from French doors and other sliding door systems. Quotes are always free. We look forward to doing business with you!

Best Interior Glass Doors

Best Interior Glass Doors

All our own doors are made from start to finish at our manufacturing facility in Burghill, Ohio. We specialize in custom sizes, of quantities of 1 to 100. It doesn't matter. If you want a door in odd heights or widths, we will make it. If you want panel configurations changed, we will do it, If you want an oak door with cherry panels, we will make it. If you need a door 33 inches wide by 78 inches high, we will make it.

Every interior door is thoroughly inspected, carefully packaged, and then shipped to your choice of destinations. Ask us our door salespeople about our delivery options.

Summer Reading Challenge 2009 and a Long Sappy Note About Sisters

I'm sure you've seen several of these already but this is the one I found yesterday and given the simple fact that this dear Blogger has Southern in her title, I'm in.  Introducing Susan, of A Southern Daydreamer, who has challenged us to make a list of books we'd like to read this summer and check back in in September.  

My goal is to ready "literature" but I am willing to expand my list to include some "dessert" reads as well.  How big of me.  I've also stumbled upon a great source of Southern Authors: Authors Round the South.

My List:

1. Delta Wedding, Eudora Welty

2. Fixer Upper, Mary Kay Andrews (book signing/reception July 18 in Marietta, Georgia)

3. At least one of the Miss Julia books, by Ann B. Ross (fell in love with the writer after reading Miss Julia throws a Wedding.  Miss Julia reminds me so much of my grandmother).

4. The Color of Light, Karen White (cheating, as I'm currently reading)

5. The Help, Kathryn Stockett

6. The Widow Clicquot: The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman Who Ruled It, Tilar J. Mazzeo

7.  Wine Politics: How Governments, Environmentalists, Mosbsters, and Critics Influence the Wines We Drink, Tyler Colman

8. Milk Teeth: A Memoir of a Woman and Her Dog, Robbie Pfeufer Kahn

9. From Baghdad, With Love: A Marine, the War, and a Dog Named Lava, Jay Kopelman

10. Diamonds, Gold, and War: The British, the Boers, and the Making of South Africa, Martin Meredith

Speaking of reading, the movie based on one of my all-time favorite books comes out today.

As I've mentioned, I have a "little" sister, whom I dearly love.  While we've certainly had our moments over the years, I cannot imagine my life without her.  Years ago, there was an event that caused me to experience the potential of losing her-- a time I try not to think about except in remembering how precious she is to me.  To me, the loss of a sister must be one of the most challenging trials to face.  Both my sister and I thought of this again when my mother lost her dear sister to breast cancer nearly 7 years ago.

Many books involving the relationship between sisters have been written; I've had trouble with some (I couldn't finish In Her Shoes because I just couldn't get my head around selfish sister love) and loved others.  My Sister's Keeper obviously falls into the latter category.  In addition to exploring the relationship between sisters, the novel delves into so many other issues- the ethics of creating children, familial relationships during times of turmoil, a mother's love, dogs, and celebrating each day we have been given. Like many Jodi Picoult, there is a twist at the end. Since My Sister's Keeper, I've ready many Picoult novels, but none have touched me as deeply as this one.

I face going to see the movie with some trepidation as I've heard the ending is different.  I will not give away the ending to the book, except to say that it is powerful.  Dear Mr. Southern and I were on a plane to attend a wedding, when I finished the book.  Tears were streaming down my face- uncontrollably- so much so that the flight attendant asked if I was OK.  Fortunately we were in the first row so it was a quick trip to the lavatory to try to get myself together.  Not that I am encouraging crying, but I highly recommend reading this book.

So here's to a summer of reading and holding close the ones we love!

-Emmie

A Touch of Glass

As I continue to explore this Blogger-world, I am amazed at how people keep up with functions- like book signings and gallery events.  Truth be told, much of the reason is probably because I am not "in the know" in the world of interior design but rather simply an outside admirer.  In any event, I just signed up for Atlanta Daybook to help keep myself informed of the goings-on in Atlanta.  

One of today's features was regarding Kathleen Plate's launch of her new fashion, art, and home decor collection. Seeing the image above, I just had to learn more. 

 

Kathleen is based in Atlanta (though she's a native of Washington state, doesn't Kathleen look like the quintessential Atlanta gal?)

The new collection features recycled beer, wine, soda, and salad dressing bottles "upcycled" into dresses, sculpture, wall art, chandeliers, lamps and hanging curtains.  I'm currently on a quest for a chandelier for our dining room, so I am anxious to see those offerings.  

The line is currently on exhibit at the Emily Amy Gallery in Atlanta, which is just perfect as I've been intending to check it out after reading so much about it on StyleCourt (Courtney, I promise I'm not trying to copy your posts- it was a happy coincidence!) Her art is also available online at Smart Glass.  

Here are a few of my faves.

cobalt qty:	crystal cobalt qty:	royal qty:	crystal royal qty:	teal qty:	crystal teal qty:	aqua qty:	crystal aqua qty:
lime qty:	crystal lime qty:	emerald qty:	crystal emerald qty:	purple qty:	crystal purple qty:	red qty:	crystal red qty:
gold qty:	crystal gold qty:	amber qty:	pink qty:	crystal pink qty:	petal pink qty:	lilac qty:	crystal lilac qty:
clear qty:

 Collection of drawer pulls, $9 each

Large charm necklace, $248 (your choice of the colors used)

Coca-Cola Glass, large circle on chain, $94

Cocktail Ring, $95

Gold Tassel Earrings, $166

Square Ring Bracelet, $82

Totally unrelated, I also learned that W Atlanta Residences has cut prices 30%- so now you snap up a luxury condo for just $200k to $3 million.  Just trying to help keep you in the know. ;-)  

Admittedly, I've always wanted to live in a hotel so this would be perfect for me.

-Emmie