Chalkboard Wall in the Master Bedroom!

We're using to seeing chalkboard walls in kids' bedrooms, play rooms and kitchens but I have to say I absolutely love it here in the master bedroom of Wayne McGill and Chad Farquharson.

Beautiful pairing of colors in the bedding too.

Image via Style at Home, January 2010, photography by Kim Christie.

Michael Angus's Apartment on H & H Online TV

There is serious eye candy on this week's episode of House & Home Online TV. Designer and store owner Michael Angus gives a tour of his fresh and tailored home, highlighting the use of space expanding mirrors, beautiful moldings and antiques.

Classic & Comfortable Style

Love the classic, comfortable design in the home of Sean Ward and Stephen Fillmore, which was featured in Style at Home. There's a nice mix of subtle patterns throughout the house - it was the perfect eye candy for the cold, blustery day we had yesterday. For more images, go here.
(all photography by Virginia Macdonald)

Really like the fabric and trim on this chair to the left.

A bureau in the bath, not as a vanity in this case, but used for storage is a nice contrast to the ceramic tile. Great bench too.

Come in From the Cold: Dark, Cozy & Glam

A library, a fully stocked bar cart and a comfortable chair = perfect antidote to freezing cold weather. Love the dark wood and gold tones. (image from Canadian House & Home, photography by Ted Yarwood)

Designer Timothy Mather, Canadian House & Home, photography by Ted Yarwood

Isn't the candelabra in this powder room a great touch? For me, the sink and faucet are an unexpected pairing that work beautifully together.

(image from Canadian House & Home May 2008, design by Murakami Design, photography by Ted Yarwood)

Loving these & Thank You's!

Love a grocery store that provides seating near their magazine rack! Last night while at Harris Teeter I had a chance to browse magazines while waiting for my daughter's ballet class to be over. I think I came across this furniture from Bardin Paloma while looking through AD. Love it!
These stools reminded me of ones I saw on Canadian House & Home.
Speaking of which, thank you to Canadian House & Home for adding my blog to their blog list. I'm thrilled as I've been a subscriber for 10 years! In addition to great weekly web tv episodes, their talented editors and designers write 9 blogs - check them out here. The above pic of the side tables is from Michael Penney's Affordable Style - he found these at Value Village and plans to transform them into stools.
Also - THANK YOU so much for all the great comments and suggestions on my dining room dilemma. It's got me thinking about all kinds of things! I'll keep you posted. Have a great weekend.

1 Room - Styled 2 Different Ways

I came across designer Antony Todd's room on House & Home editor Suzanne Dimma' s blog here. The styling is spare - two metal benches that allow a view to the armless sofa, a beautiful urn on the corbel and an ikat pillow. I think it creates an arresting image that highlights each element.
Here is a larger view of the same room, via La Dolce Vita's wonderful post on the color Peacock Blue. The two open, metal framed benches have been replaced by two solid cubes and a number of pieces have been added - floor lamp, x bench, two chairs and a lamp on a pedestal. Possibly a more functional room... Here it is on the cover of Australia Vogue Living May/June 2007. Almost the same room except that the x bench is gone and it appears that the chairs are covered in a brighter turquoise fabric. Which do you prefer? For me, it's the first one.


(second image via La Dolce Vita via Domino, my apologies as I do not know the photographer credit in these pictures.)

Inn Style & Wolfe Island Canada

Here are some more pics from my recent visit to upstate NY and the 1,000 Islands. After bringing my daughter to 4-H camp in Canandaigua, I stayed a night at the Sherwood Inn in Skaneateles. As a huge fan of blue, I love the exterior of this inn.

Here's a view from the side lawn. The inn is right across the street from the lake. There's an authentic inn feeling to the Sherwood. Instead of feeling decorated, the interiors feel assembled over time.

Portraits hanging on the second level. The inn has 25 guest rooms, a tavern, a formal dining room, event room and an enclosed dining porch.

Below is a painting in my room that I particularly liked.

Can it truly be summer without a ferry ride? Here's a picture of Horne's Ferry from dock of my sister-in-law's place on the St. Lawrence river. It connects Cape Vincent, NY with Wolfe Island, Ontario. From the other side of Wolfe Island, you can catch the free Canadian ferry to Kingston.
Here's a house on the St. Lawrence in the little town on the island. Wouldn't this be great with some TLC?

Poutine - a traditonal French Canadian dish of cheese, frites and gravy. This version from Le Chien Noir in Kingston Ontario has duck confit, quebec triple cream brie, green peppercorn and cognac juice. So, so, so very good!

Back in Cape Vincent, NY there is a design blogger's dream - a COFFEE shop + a Design Center/Studio. Taste of Design is chock full of an excellent selection of shelter magazines. Imagine letting the rest of the family head out to the river to catch Walleye or Muskies, while you sipped coffee and read magazines...

Giveaway!! 9 Cartolina Cards Notebooks

Thanks to all the commenters and readers who emailed me. The winner of the random drawing for the Cartolina Notebooks is Rachael of Little Bites of Heaven. Congratulations Rachael!


Blogging has been so much fun and I appreciate all the comments and reader emails. As you know, I'm a huge fan of the very talented Fiona Richards of Cartolina Cards and would love to share a complete set of her recent notebooks - 9 in all! - with a lucky reader of this blog. Just leave a comment by Saturday morning, 9 am e.s.t. If you don't have a google account and can't leave a comment - feel free to email me at mynottinghill (at) gmail.com with Cartolina in your subject header.

These notebooks are also available online at Greet Q - and at $4 a piece they make the perfect treat for yourself or someone else.

Also, Fiona has the most lovely blog full of visual treats and interesting things that are really unique - check it out at Cafe Cartolina.
Here is one of my favorite notebooks spread out on Michael S. Smith's book without its cover.I love the colors contrasted here! I carry this notebook around with me and make notes and drawings in it too.

Tomorrow I'm headed off to the Philadelphia Flower Show with a friend. I've never been and am quite excited - especially since Spring here in D.C. seems to be on temporary hold. Here' s the view out my family room window. I was bad - never brought the umbrella in for the winter! The snow is covering our pool cover - can't wait till that is gone and we can get out there and enjoy the backyard. My kids, however, had a great time building this the other day!

Cartolina Cards Online!

My favorite cards are now available online! I am a huge fan of Cartolina Cards and was so pleased to read on Fiona's blog that her cards are now available on GreetQ. A really great feature about GreetQ is the option to personalize cards with your own message. You can even schedule your card delivery dates and they'll mail them for you. Wouldn't it be great not to have to miss an important date?

This pheasant card is so beautiful!

Sarah Richardson's Lottery House

Style at Home's site features a piece on designer Sara Richardson's charity lottery home makeover in White Rock, British Columbia. Click here for the full article and more pics.
(all images from Style at Home, designer Sara Richardson, photography by Janis Nicolay)

Tribute to Cobi Ladner and small giveaway

Canadian House and Home is my all time favorite design magazine. I've been an avid fan since my first issue - May 2001. If I was somehow forced to choose only one magazine a month - this is the one I would select. Fittingly enough, it was the subject of my second post on this blog.

To me Cobi Ladner, the editor, is synonomous with the magazine. Each month I look forward to her Editor's Page. Like Dominque Browning, she has the ability to form a relationship with her readers and is willing to share both her insights about the meaning of design and on its connection to daily life. She is funny, witty and open and always willing to write about her mistakes as well as successes. For example, one year we saw the results of her kitchen rennovation and a few years later she shared the skylight addition that corrected the ceilings that turned out to be too oppressively low. One month I was thrilled to see my Letter to the Editor printed in the magazine and another month I confirmed to my husband that I was a "design magazine nut" when I shouted out, "Hey, Cobi Ladner is wearing the same sweater I have!"

This month Cobi announced that she is leaving Canadian House and Home. Her father passed away this year and she quoted him in her farewell, "You don't follow your dreams, you live them." I will greatly miss her letters and her influence on this magazine. Here is one of my favorite comments from her March 2006 Editor's page, "How does that saying go? Something about how life isn't a journey to the grave filled with intentions of arriving safely and looking perfect, but instead about skidding in broadside, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming, "Wow, what a ride!" Cobi - thanks for the ride and best wishes for your future endeavors. Brava, Brava, Bravissima!

image from House and Home January 2008 Trends issue

Image from House and Home Sep 2008 via Apartment Therapy, photography by Michael Craydon
Image from House and Home July 2008 via Apartment Therapy, photography by Virginia Macdonald

(Images below are a small assortment of pics that I took of a few magazine pages - the quality does not do them justice. I had to set a limit otherwise I could have been doing this for hours! You can subscribe to this terrific magazine here.)

Canadian House and Home Oct. 2008, interior designer Melody Duron, ColeDuron, photography by Michael Graydon.


Canadian House and Home Sep. 2002, interior designer Christopher Wood, photography by Luis Albuquerque

image from House and Home March 2006, designer Andrew Fee, photography by Ted Yarwood

Canadian House and Home Oct. 2008, interior designer Lisa Rogers, photography by Michael Graydon

Canadian House and Home, March 2006, interior designer Michael Angus, photography by Ted Yarwood

Canadian House and Home, October 2008, designer Julie Charbonneau, photography by Stacey Brandford

image from House and Home October 2008, Architect Bill Mockler, photography by Ted Yarwood

Canadian House and Home June 2008, architect Sharon McKenzie, interior designer Lena Patten of Hilltop Interiors, photography by Virginia Macdonald

SMALL GIVEAWAY - this is an unopened copy of the September 2008 issue. My husband brought one home from Canada before this one arrived. It is a small giveaway but I assure you it will provide at least 2 hours of design enjoyment! Leave a comment OR email me at mynottinghill (at) gmail.com before Thursday September 25th. I will draw the name of one winner and mail them this copy of House and Home.