Easter Vignettes @ CCC

CCC

 

This is a favorite Easter vignette at CCC with Chinoiserie Chic and Palm Beach style. The "basket" is a signed Sarah Bray bamboo bucket handbag. I removed the blue and white ikat liner and filled it with seashells including lots of pink sea urchins. Next to it is a set of pink linen paddleball cocktail napkins.

The Most Beautiful Coffee Table Book

CCC

I  have such a thing for interior deign and gardening books - I have hundreds. Many were sent to me as a courtesy as an interior designer and social influencer, but most I have gotten on my own. I think if you walk into someone's home and it is devoid of books, that is not a person I would have much in common with. I am also a voracious reader of fiction and non-fiction books. There is nothing I enjoy more than sitting out on the lanai with the pups reading.

Favorite Coffee Table Books

The Art of Gracie

 

There is nothing I enjoy more than interior design books. Amazon is currently having a sale with select books buy 2 get 1 free on top of their already excellent discounted prices.

Caroline Gidiere & Chinoiserie

Interiors for a Life in Good Taste by Caroline Gidiere

 

Do any of you know what Darryl Carter, Caroline Gidiere, and I have in common?

A Cold Winter's Night

Living With Flowers by Aerin Lauder

 

Aerin Lauder's newest book will be released on February 25, 2025, and you can pre-order it here. Isn't the cover stunning?

The Dining Table/Library Table & Gift Guide - Gorgeous Coffee Table Books

Mark D. Sikes

 

I personally do not want to give up a formal dining area. I love having it for dinner parties and holidays. However, I don't use it all the time because here in South Florida, we love to eat al fresco out in the lanai. I also have a breakfast bar, kitchen island, and breakfast room all with seating for more casual meals.

The Art of Gracie

The Art of Gracie: Handpainted Wallpapers, Timeless Rooms

 

The ultimate in chinoiserie decor is a room done in hand-painted silk chinoiserie wallcovering like those by Gracie. This new book that will be released on Tuesday takes you into this gorgeous world. So many of my favorite chinoiserie rooms include Gracie wallcovering. I am so looking forward to this book.

Mark D. Sikes New Book

Forever Beautiful by Mark D. Sikes

 

His new book Forever Beautiful will be released on September 3rd and I can't wait.

The Wicker Pineapple Light

Lit Wicker Pineapple

Living in historic homes in the D.C. area, I loved decorating with pineapples because they had such a Colonial Williamsburg vibe. It wasn't until I moved to South Florida that I was aware that they are also very much used in tropical decor.

Styling the China Kitchen Cabinet

de Gournay

I love a beautifully styled kitchen cabinet filled with fine china and glassware. This is a stunning example above. Often there is wallpaper backing the cabinet like this exquisite de Gournay above. Nowadays, there is lots of great peel and stick wallpaper available making this a fairly easy project to tackle.

Happy Groundhog Day

Happy Groundhog Day

Happy Groundhog Day everyone. Meanwhile, here in South Florida it is summer 12 months a year. I am going to a Tennessee Whiskey Tasting and Barbecue tonight. I am bringing a bottle of Jack Daniels Single Barrel Select. Sounds like a fun evening.

Vignette

Danielle Rollins

 

A lovely vignette in the Palm Beach home of Danielle Rollins. It includes so many of my favorite things. A blue and white Chinese vase is filled with palm fronds from the garden.

Shopping Tips

Dunbar Road Design - House Beautiful

I have subscribed to House Beautiful for decades, but lately I have been enjoying my subscription more than ever. The Fall 2023 issue is quite wonderful, and I especially love the Dallas home by interior designer Dunbar Road Design. 

Blue and White

Mario Buatta: Anatomy of a Decorator by Emily Evans Eerdmans

 

I am so excited about this new book on Mario Buatta that will be released on September 5, 2023. This book presents the design tricks and decorative life of Mario Buatta (1935–2018), one of America’s most famous interior decorators. Drawing upon Buatta’s vast archives and revealing the foundations of his work, which include hundreds of presentation boards, more than eighty scrapbooks chronicling his career, and correspondence with clients and such design notables as John Fowler and Sister Parish, Anatomy of a Decorator illuminates the designer’s work with a focus on influences, process, and evolution. His very last projects, not included in Rizzoli’s comprehensive book on the decorator in 2013, are evaluated and provide readers a masterclass in decorating à la Buatta. Ribbons, needlepoint, fine English and American antiques, floral chintzes, blue-and-white porcelains, lacquerware, botanicals, vibrant color combinations, and whimsy abound.

Color & Chinoiserie

20th Century Rose Medallion Garden Stool

If you love color and chinoiserie, Rose Medallion is a perfect choice. It features vibrant colors, intricate details, and a center medallion featuring, people, floral, or fauna. A great example is this Rose Medallion garden stool above. Antique versions are often thousands of dollars.

My Short List of Chic Coffee Table Books

Bunny Williams

Yesterday I was playing around with styling my coffee table and I was struck with how important  beautiful coffee table books are. Whether you are styling a coffee table, entryway table, library table, even your dining table, chic coffee table books are so key. Here is my short list of favorites of mine that will always elevate your look and some design inspiration as well. And great reads too!

Judging A Book By Its (Chinoiserie) Cover

Ruthie Sommers - de Gournay

This picture was my very first post on Chinoiserie Chic (turning 14 this Spring) of a stunning room wallpapered in de Gournay. Many of us would love to have a room papered in hand-painted chinoiserie wallcovering, but the cost is not for the faint of heart. 

Interior Design Books for Christmas Gifts

Currently Classic Jonathan Rachman Design

 

Interior design books are one of my favorite gifts to give and to receive. These are recent releases that would be wonderful additions to the library of any interior design lover.

Early Black Friday Sales & Gift Ideas

Together at the Table

 

Crazy busy here at CCC. It looks like I am going to be getting a new tile roof courtesy of Hurricane Ian and I was tied up yesterday with roofers and looking at tile samples. I'm deciding whether to stay with my classic Palm Beach barrel terracotta look or go with a more modern gray tile. Decisions decisions... and I am knee deep in making lots of Christmas ornaments and finalizing my Christmas decorating plans. 

New Southern Interior Design Book

I am excited about this newly released book from Veranda At Home in the South.