Playing Cards with Panache

Tommy Bahama Flamingo Playing Cards

Playing cards is a favorite activity here in Florida. Embrace your island state of mind at game night with these hand - painted playing cards, featuring watercolor illustrations of flamingos indulging in our favorite activities from playing tennis to building a sandcastle.

These are hand- painted watercolor designs by artist LoLou Baker. 

Color Palettes for Your Home

Roseate Spoonbill

To me, the best way to choose a color palette for your home is to look to the colors of nature right outside your door. Think of beach houses of blue and white and mountain cabins filled with warm wood tones.

Wicker Flamingos

Vintage Wicker Flamingo - 1stDibs

 

I have seen online a few vintage wicker flamingos and I would love one for CCC. But the prices are very high.

Chinoiserie Chic Fashion Finds

Palm Beach Enamel Bangles

 

I am always on the lookout for unique pieces for my wardrobe and especially love ones with chinoiserie style. Here are some chic new finds.

Flamingo Chic

Flamingo Mule

Flamingos are the essence of summer, Florida, and Palm Beach Chic style, and here are some very chic choices. No plastic lawn flamingos here! Click on the captions to link.

Chinoiserie Chic Chaussures

Aquazzura x de Gournay

A few years back there was a fabulous footwear collaboration between Aquazzura and de Gournay. These are long gone, but I have rounded up some great current choices for shoes with some chinoiserie flair.

 

No Rules/Have Fun/CCC

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This space is probably now my favorite in my Florida home. It was originally an undersized dining area with an ugly brown mirror and a clunky chandelier.

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I wanted a large dining table to seat eight for dinner parties and decided to relocate the dining room into the great room.

It has turned into a whimsical space with faux palm trees, flamingos, and oversized ginger jars. A fantastical Florida fantasy.

As you can see, I hung my wonderful Ralph Lauren gold leaf pagoda chandelier there. My handyman took the old chandelier and spray painted it hot pink and hung it in their garden from a large tree - great recycling!

So it is great flex space. It is easily convertible for dining if an additional table and chairs are needed and will also be a perfect space to set up a bar for a cocktail party.

Outdoor Living

From House to Home

 I was researching outdoor curtains and came across a tutorial on this blog. Check out this amazing deck gazebo. Wow. I also love the flamingo topiary and the pink rattan bar cart. I have a rattan bar cart I am planning on spray painting navy blue for the lanai, but this pink is so fun.

Channelling Tony Duquette

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 I think my favorite space in my home is what I jokingly call The Palm Court because of all its palms and because its only function is to be fun and fanciful. The former dining room, it is now home to palm trees, flamingos, and blue and white Chinese porcelain. 

It's a picture perfect day here and I am going out on a friend's boat with the pups. I could get used to this being on vacation every day!

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The Chinoiserie Bathroom

Cecil Hannah Gurney - Architectural Digest

This bathroom is amazing - chinoiserie, pink, and flamingos - WOW. As I said yesterday, she is the de Gournay daughter and director. Not for the minimalist, but I don't know what you guys are doing on my blog anyway - LOL. She glazed the paper in the shower area for those of you who are going to freak out over the paper in the bath area. Her father advised her it was much cheaper than marble. Especially for them. I love the terrazzo and pink marble as well. Why oh why is the toilet lid up for a photo shoot?

Cecil Hannah Gurney - Architectural Digest

 

Palm Beach Chinoiserie

The Colony Hotel Palm Beach - Celerie Kemble

 Check out this pagoda fireplace and the flamingo wallpaper. The pink and green palette is so preppy and Palm Beach. I hope everyone had a lovely day yesterday. 

A Tropical Chinoiserie Christmas

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 I did a little Christmas decorating yesterday, a pair of Christmas flamingos. Aren't they fun? (A HomeGoods find). I also used flamingos outdoors - I will post on those this week.

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The Next Chapter and a DIY

Amanda Lindroth

A stunning table set by Amanda Lindroth with a view much like mine will be from my lanai. I love the oversized hurricane and the raffia hand fans on each chair. I am so borrowing this idea. It is hard to see, but they are embroidered with the name of her house, Hope Hill. 

Not really sure of the whole naming your house bit, but to each his own. I found the fans at Oriental Trading. I do like the idea of personalizing them, perhaps with my monogram BAC, or CC, or GG with an X through it (just kidding). I wonder if I could use a paint pen? Thoughts?

I found these with appliqués that are fab but $50.00 each. I found iron on appliqués like these on Etsy and Amazon for a few bucks. I bet they could be ironed on or glue gunned.

Oriental Trading Bamboo Fans $17.49 per dozen

Oriental Trading Raffia Fans $25.49 per dozen

I found this great little tutorial on painting hand fans with neon paint from Michaels and a sponge brush and painter's tape. Darling idea. These are for wedding favors - I could pass on the ribbon and tags of course.

The Knot Florida

Today is the walk thru and tomorrow I close. Deliveries are piling up - the Dana Gibson large green bamboo lantern, the Ballard Designs chandelier for the breakfast room, and the Lilly Pulitzer palm chandelier for the vestibule have all been delivered, along with various and sundry other things. 

Thursday I meet my painters at the house and the fun begins. I will be bringing over all the Samplize paint samples to try on the walls, ceiling, wainscoting, etc. I can't wait. 

Thanks to everywhere who is following along on this journey and for your support and suggestions. You are making this process much more fun. Stay tuned, the best is yet to come. 

Pink Flamingos

A Shade Wilder Flamingo Beach Wallpaper

Now this is quite a fun wallpaper for Florida, a beach house, or a kid's bathroom. It works beautifully with the white vanity and gray and white quartz counter. Note the mix of metals used here - nickel and brass.

Pink Flamingos

Sara Gilbane - House Beautiful

Flamingos are so Florida but can be kitschy if not downright tacky, but can they be chic? I think these examples are gorgeous.

de Gournay

Pinterest

And how about a pool full?

Help Me Choose

I decided I want a great pool float with Chinoiserie style and fell in love with several and truly need help. What do you think? Above is a gorgeous and massive flamingo in a really pretty rose gold by SunnyLIFE. It gets rave reviews.

Next up is this group of oversized float rings in lots of great patterns and colors. I have put together this group of four and I would order all four.  They have been widely featured online and in magazines and are very chic.

Last is this Ice Dragon Pool Float from Amazon. It is crazy cheap and gets rave reviews and is truly a Chinoiserie Chic choice.

Leave a comment and help me choose and I will post pictures of the winner in my pool. Thanks!!!

The Chinoiserie Dining Room

Sara Gilbane - House Beautiful

Palm trees and flamingoes hand painted on grasscloth and Chinese Chippendale chairs in this whimsical Palm Beach inspired dining room.

Chinoiserie Vignette

Rosanna Lonsdale

Wonderful vignette - banana leaf wallpaper, a fabulous flamingo lamp, and white orchids in silver cachepots.

Getting Ready for the Holidays

Caspari

I just picked these cocktail napkins up for my bar for the holidays. Aren't they adorable?

Flamingo

Danielle Rollins

This flamingo Audobon print really pops against a blue and white palette with Chinese Chippendale chairs.