The Blowing Rock Tour of Homes

For the past 52 years, St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Parish, in Blowing Rock, NC has hosted a tour of homes. This event has progressed from a local fund raiser to one that draws visitors from as far away as Florida. There were over 1700 folks that enjoyed the tour this past Friday, July 23, and I was one of them. There were four amazing homes on the tour and each one was either recently renovated or brand new. The 4th home, Katydid, was my favorite. The home was a study in exquisite materials. There wasn’t a polyester thread in the entire home. Each room was lovely, understated, but luxurious, just the kind of interior that I love to do. Wool carpets, Brunschwig and Fil fabrics, imported hardware, exquisite antiques and art, custom appliqué on the bedding, all done in with a sense of homey comfort. The cottage style home and interior was perched on the side of a mountain that overlooked a spectacular mountain vista with two lovely decks to enjoy the view. The master closet was an organizer’s dream and was accessorized with about two dozen pairs of drool worthy shoes, most of them Manolo Blahnik’s. Truly, every aspect of this home was fabulous!

The view from the decks of Katydid.

My favorite home, Katydid.  Interior photos were not allowed.

The first home, Stonehenge, was a study in using reclaimed materials. Wormy Chestnut, Mushroom Cypress and reclaimed Hemlock were incorporated into the interior, while old stone steps and other stones found on the property were used in the landscaping.

Stonehenge

The 2nd home, Golden Hill, was the home, of Charlotte interior designers, Ed Springs and Bo Henderson. This home has the charm and warmth of an old English Manor House. The couple’s amazing and various collections took the main stage in this home, while the butterfly gardens commanded the attention outside. When we walked out onto the deck, the entire garden looked like it fluttered from all the butterflies. Each area was planted in different plants and each plant attracted a unique type of butterfly. It was just gorgeous.

Golden Hill

The 3rd home, Green Gates, was warm and inviting with a sense of history, yet all of the modern conveniences. This home had a lovely guest cottage and the most amazing floral arrangements incorporating local wildflowers like Queen Anne’s lace and hydrangeas.

Green Gates
 

If you have the chance to go, I highly recommend it.

Autumn Color Trends...

As a parent of school-aged children, I start getting things in the mail about this time of year reminding me that summer is rapidly coming to a close. This is bittersweet because it has been such funning spending time with my kids, and yet, I must admit that I relish the idea of a predictable schedule. As I ponder the fast approaching autumn with an eye towards interior design, it is always fun check out the Pantone color trends.

Pantone's Fall Color Trends

These color trends tell us a lot about what is going to be available to us as designers. These colors were actually selected several years ago by the industry folks that forecast what will work in the coming market. Manufacturers then take these projections and incorporate them into the goods that they produce. If you have ever looked for a color that wasn’t currently popular, you will know what I mean. Two years ago, I needed a deep coral color to accent a dining room. I, literally, had to make my own fabric because we could not find coral color anywhere! Now it is all over the place, as one of Pantone’s hot colors for fall.

A lovely room in Oyster and Coral

This fall we are see an earthy side of the spectrum with oyster gray, rose dust, woodbine, endive and chocolate truffle. .

An example of Woodbine and Endive

On the opposite end of the spectrum are the jewel-like colors of golden glow, purple orchid, lipstick red, living coral and lagoon.

Martha Stewart does Lipstick Red

Lagoon is the newest variation on Pantone’s color of the year; Turquoise. This version has added a touch of grey and green to tone it down a little. It is still quite vibrant and works well with the other versions of turquoise that Pantone has offered in their spring, summer, and, no doubt, winter offering.

Lagoon mixed with Woodbine

Southern Porches...

Thanks to Chic Home Blog for the image

What is it about porches in the South? Are porches as popular in other parts of the country, or, am I right in believing that the South without porches is like a Southern breakfast without grits! In the summers of my youth, we gathered on my grandma’s front porch whenever we visited. My aunties would shuck corn or peel apples, the men would talk sports and news, while watching all the grandkids play. We caught lightening bugs, hung from trees, had sandlot baseball games, and made mud pies… all under the vigilant watch of the porch sitters. Time seemed to slow down on the porch. Mine was the rural version, my good friend Jean grew up in town. Her family took to the front porch each evening to say hello to passing neighbors, have family jam sessions, watch the kid’s bike-ride and play hopscotch. Her porch sitting was neighborly; our visits were about family, yet, whether country or city, we all gravitated to the porch. Porches aren’t as popular now with television viewing, internet surfing, and our dependence on air conditioning. Folks rarely sit on their front porches any more. There is hope; however, more and more “village” concept sub-divisions are springing up and along with it, the return of the porch. We have one near us called Baxter Village. Then there are the decorating magazines that show us how to decorate our porches. The photographs make them look so inviting that we have to take a second look at our porches.

Thanks to Carolina Panache blog for the image.

We have a board and batten cabin, complete with a tin roof, in the mountains of West Virginia. Recently, I got to enjoy an early morning quite time on the porch swing while overlooking a gorgeous view. The ceiling fan flapped overhead to keep things pleasant and the birds were in full chorus. I felt like I had woken up in a little slice of heaven. As you enjoy these summer months, I hope that the friendly nature of the porch calls you. I hope that you slow down to the pace of a porch swing, that you listen to the chorus of the birds and that you find that Zen –like state of Southern porch.

This is the porch view from our family cabin