Flower Friday brings season ending fiery red with orangey yellow tipped dahlias along with a plate of gorgeous tomatoes alongside French sea salt. With Summer ending Monday may we all grab every bit of it we can, so we may have it stored up in our memory for when the days turn cold. May the dahlias & fresh off the vine tomatoes be a sight and taste that instantly warms us come January. Sending much love from Seattle, Ted
This week is all about art at the shops. We are repainting walls and moving around artist vignettes to freshen up things a bit. Yesterday our in-residence painter extraordinaire Heather did her magic and transformed a wall into moody black to perfectly frame the Sid Dickens pieces. We have carried Sid’s work since day one. His plaster over wood memory blocks a beautiful way to get a quick hit of art in any room. Whether an individual piece or many. They are an easy way to start a collection. He does several new rounds of work each year, so our display is always changing. Make incredibly lovely gifts too. Pop in if your are in the hood to get a dose of art!
On Monday out on the island, we did everything possible to enjoy supper outside. The eve before it was pouring rain and we enjoyed our Sunday supper inside with a fire roaring. This last week of Summer has been anything but here in our little corner of the PNW. But any ray of sunshine has us scrambling to get outside. This is pretty comical actually. I snapped this table of blue with the potted scented geraniums taking center stage. I went it to start cooking while the lightest misty rain flew by, hardly upsetting the table setting in the least. Right as we sat to enjoy the meal the sun was setting. Just glorious. As we were taking our last bites we felt the drops begin. As we quickly finished we disassembled the table lickity split, laughing along the way, determined to savor every last bit of the season.
In our case, the above gorgeous pie was a gift from our sister-in-law, Marian. What is even more special about this gift is there was a second pie underneath the one pictured. Oh my! My thought with this post really is about giving in small ways, often. Giving of what we have. For some of us it is a baked good. For others it is time. For all of us it is a smile to someone we don’t even know. Give a kind word. This past week I got to meet two different blog readers from different parts of the country. Each shared their story with me which was an amazing gift to me. This giving idea is a lovely circle of love. Goodness and kindness and love all wrapped up in a simple gift, a gesture, a word.
For this our official last week of Summer, grab every chance you can to dine alfresco. Be it a table outside at a restaurant, a picnic blanket on the beach, or a napkin folded over your lap on a park bench–take that opportunity to enjoy a meal with the sun or the moon.
Flower Friday brings the combo of lilies and dahlias. They both looked so great at the Market on Saturday morning that I just had to snap up the pair. We were on the island for part of Sunday so the rest of the weekend was city filled. Thought it would be such a treat to look at these on the dining table throughout. Even as I write this on Friday morning they are still going strong and looking pretty spiffy. My eyes hitting them often this morning as I sat at the table having my oatmeal reading the paper. A geranium playing nice between the two. The below a new app I have been enjoying playing with called Waterlogue. It takes your photo and turns it into a watercolor. Hope your day is flower filled!
The Hudson Valley in Autumn is quite spectacular. Dreamy really. Although I am clinging to every last bit of Summer, it has been feeling pretty fall-ish so my mind keeps wandering into the next season. We always spend a few weeks at Hawthorne in October to enjoy the change of colors. The above photo one of my all-time favorites taken by the sublime photographer Kelly Merchant for a feature she shot for Design Sponge. The carpet of leaves telling the story. Customers often ask me at the shops how they arrange a stay at Hawthorne. The fine folks at Airbnb do a swell job of booking it. Caretaker Bill makes sure everything is in order at the house and looking spiffy. We have binders and binders of maps and ideas for things to do once you arrive. September, October and November are pretty darn magical in that part of the world. Click here for more information if you have any interest.
Happy Thursday from Seattle! X, T
It is always fun when a new order arrives from the show that instantly makes an impact in a display. Here pops of color from pencils and matching journals spiff up an already colorful vignette. The same is true for all of us at home on our shelves and tabletops. A new colorful object placed in just the right spot can refresh in a flash.
Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.
You must check out this store the next time you are in Seattle. One of the best curated stores in the country, hands down.
I follow your blog and just really enjoy it, it is so interesting and very well written, please keep it up, I feel like a guest in your home when I read it.
You are a Seattle treasure, just like your amazing stores.
It’s a dream of a book and one that will be as relevant in 5, 10 and 20 years, as much as it is today. A true testament to style and simplicity and your impeccable and thoughtful eye.
It’s all in the presentation, Ted you’re a genius. Thanks for sharing such a place where I can run away from the world and dream.
Your book is fabulous! I’m enjoying every page and have been talking about it non-stop.
Watson Kennedy has become a Seattle staple in my book. Whenever I’m stumped for a gift or in need of inspiration, this is the store I head to.
Watson Kennedy is a preview of heaven.
How divine. I’m always in awe of the way you live, and enjoy, life.
Just a note to say how much I genuinely enjoy your blog and look forward to it each day. It’s right there with the London Daily Mail on my agenda.
It’s true, I bounce out of bed to see what Ted’s up to today… Thanks for being part of my day.
You are an artist and a poet, a true Renaissance man.
Watson Kennedy has won all sorts of awards for artful store displays, which makes absolute sense.
Last July my husband and I moved from Seattle to New Zealand and every day I read your blog. I feel like I needed to let you know that your blog is a bright point in my day…
A wonderful shop in Seattle called Watson Kennedy.
How lovely your posts are! I received your book for Mother’s Day. It’s fabulous. A true gift!
I used your “Style & Simplicity” Dempsey & Carroll notecards. They’re gorgeous!
A virtual powerhouse of design expertise.
Each word of the book is so lovingly spoken and your voice exudes such warmth and kindness. You are so genuine with your readers. And so interested in teaching them how to love… Love art…. Love nature… Love small things… Love friends… Love family… And love life.
Ted’s ‘Style & Simplicity’ is absolutely Lovely (with a capital L)! It’s also charming, fun to read, and full of wonderful advice.
Ted Kennedy Watson has a most refined sense of aesthetics…and he shares some of his best secrets, for which I am so grateful!
Ted, and his namesake fine good emporiums Watson Kennedy are legendary in this town. What he does brilliantly is quality over trend, substance over vapid style.
If you’ve ever wanted to walk through a stylized photo in a magazine this shop is a phenomenal fix for that as the merchandising is crazy delicious to feast your eyes upon.
I feel like a kid in a candy shop every time I walk in the door.
I ordered ‘Style & Simplicity’ and it was delivered to my home in Hermanus, South Africa. What a delightful book and inspiration!
The Seattle tastemaker behind Watson Kennedy: a personally curated store with the absolute best gifts, treasures, home goods, and hand-selected music.
#genius #book @watsonkennedy #brilliant #perfect #gift
Truly a visual feast for the eyes and palate.
Thank you for sharing your abundance of “everything good”.
We customers are transported to shopping heaven while in your store(s) and website.
We’ve long been fans of Seattle retailer Ted Kennedy Watson and his first title certainly lives up to it’s stylish name. The lavish A to Z guide is bursting with tips on how to create a cozy, chic and inviting home.
