You are currently browsing the Ted Kennedy Watson posts tagged: The Gainsborough
Check out the Benjamin Moore paint blog, www.colorchats.com and read the latest post written by Jane Dagmi. Jane is a writer, producer & stylist extraordinaire, who is also a contributing editor at Country Living magazine. The post is ‘Six Colors Besides White That Will Flatter Art’ with our brown art wall at our home in The Gainsborough being featured. It is a fun look at some beautiful colors that really highlight artwork.
Giving a piece of artwork can be an incredibly special and meaningful gift. We started the tradition of giving each other a piece of art for our anniversary. In January, it will be 24 years of exchanging artwork–the wall in our living room helps to tell the story.
For this collection of gifts, we decided to just have things framed in black, which really helps unify the wall. There is a variety of mediums, including photography and linoleum cut prints.
It is fun to look back and remember when each gift was given.
Some of the artwork on the wall was a gift from friends and artists whose work I sell at Watson Kennedy. The column was a gift from Hugo Guinness, and could not be more perfect in the spot next to the column in the hall.
Our goal is to have the artwork cover the entire wall from floor to ceiling. Almost there.
This Denise Fiedler cut-out is a nod to pooch Bailey.
I also like just propping a piece up against the wall and rotating it occasionally.
The gift of art can be a perfect Holiday gift too.
I had been wanting to wallpaper the back walls of the built-in bookcases we had made for our living room when we moved back to The Gainsborough years back. But I also was not sure I would like it, as I was worried that the wallpaper might close in the space. I decided to do a quick fix, which we like so much, that we will most likely keep as it is. I had found 2 different dictionaries when I was out hunting & gathering. Both were coming apart, with pages falling out of them. These would be perfect to use as a wallpaper alternative.
Using double stick tape, I pulled pages that had words or images that I liked, then double stick taped around the entire 4 sides of the page. The variation of color and size of the 2 books was what I was after.
I then overlapped pages, varying the 2 varieties of papers, so there was not necessarily a consistent pattern. I really wanted each shelf to look similar but different.
The result was exactly what I was going for. It adds visual interest, but does not make it feel too closed in. The collection of Juliska glasses that I like to use as vases works great as you can see thru them a bit, and see hints of the paper.
This quick papering method would probably not work well for heavily trafficked areas, but that is not an issue in the back of bookcase.
We had mirrors made to fit into the middle section of the bookcases. The mirror really allows for light to bounce around the space.
I love projects that make you see your home in new and fresh perspectives.
Having something out to nibble on while you have cocktails with your dinner guests is always a lovely addition to the evening. I find it really helps to spark lively conversation before the main meal, and keeps your guests from becoming ravenous. If we are serving a heavy meal, we keep the options fairly limited, but still tasty. The other evening when we had guests over, we were serving a light dinner of fish, so I put out a much heartier fare.
A bowl of cashews because I always like some sort of nut option, and cashews are almost always at the top of my list. My new fav combo is feta with a really good aged balsamic drizzled on top. I poured the balsamic to just one side, so if a guest was not into the flavor combination, they could opt to just have the feta. A spreadable sheep’s milk cheese the woman at the cheese shop highly recommended was a huge hit. I put out 2 different jams to have with it. The sweet and the tart really playing off one another. We served both with a softer crusted baguette. Delaurenti makes a superb artichoke dip, so that was added too.
All of the above worked great with the champagne, as the conversation, as well as the bubbly, flowed.
There really is nothing like coming home. We had such a special & meaningful trip, and loved each and every minute of it. But opening up the front door last night upon our return, my heart skipped a beat. We are home. It is such a comforting feeling.
Our last night in New York, we stayed at the Soho Grand Hotel, and oh so grand it was. It has been on my list of places to stay, and it did not disappoint. I had the pleasure of meeting William Sofield many years ago, and have long been a fan of his work. The above photo is of the famous staircase leading up to the lobby. The place really is cool. It is filled with detail after detail.
What was once an unused building rooftop, has graciously been transformed into a serene herb container garden. For 20+ years since we bought an apartment in our building, the roof was just a blank space. Over the last few years, the space has become a welcome spot to have a cocktail before we head out to dinner. It is also filled with pot after pot of herbs, that I love to use in small vases in place of flowers, or that we use when we are cooking at home.
Last night we took up a glass of rose’ to enjoy before we headed to Spinasse, an Italian eatery in our neighborhood. I can not give enough praise to this place. The hand made pastas are out of this world. So good in fact, that we opted to share another plate of pasta at the end of the meal, instead of getting dessert–it is just that good.
Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.
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