Here & Now: Winter Light

Winter decorating is all about brightening up a dark house, and adding some glamour to a season otherwise bundled up in fleece and flannel.

I arranged my collection of apothecary jars on top of the china cabinet, where the glass and a garland of glittered fronds catch the light through our bay windows. Each vessel contains a speckled mercury glass vase (remnants from our wedding decor). In the evenings I turn on flickering LED candles and the effect is magical: golden glow and silver reflections on every surface.

Our new chandelier is dressed for the season as well, sporting candles with a gilded finish. There's certainly no rule that says you can't accessorize an accessory!

How do you add extra light and sparkle to your space?

Girl About Town: Jack London's China Cabinet

Well, Charmian London's, to be exact. This is the dining room in The House With Happy Walls, a home built after Jack's death. It currently exists, per Charmian's wishes, as a museum at Jack London State Park to showcase her husband's adventures and accomplishments. The house is a gallery of photographs, publications, and prized possessions from their worldly travels. My favorite part was the oddly extravagant dining room, with an indoor fountain, a massive bank of windows, and three walls of cabinets specifically designed to display a very special set of dishes.

If you look closely, you'll notice that the cabinet knobs are off-set.

Look closer still and you'll realize that the hardware and cabinet trim have been painted to match the china within. The floral shape of the knobs emulates the leafy ornaments on the serving pieces, and both are given an illustrative quality with green outlines.

I love the idea of decorating to celebrate an heirloom or beloved artifact. Even more, I love the significance of these plates and bowls to their owners: Jack London purchased the set from the estate of Robert Louis Stevenson, a man he greatly admired but never met. 

Today I showed you Jack's enviable kitchen sink and some of the interesting interiors on the property. Tomorrow I'll take you on a hike through the grounds...

Shedding Some Light

You didn't have to say it- I could tell. You really wanted anther look at that incredible candelabra I lit up this Thanksgiving. You're welcome.

It is amazing, isn't it? My Mom gave this to me at my bridal shower, adding to the tally of surprising but perfectly spot-on gifts she's given me. SHE, is amazing, isn't she?

It's a traditional shape done (baubles and all) in wire. Dark gray with black tapers, it creates a lively silhouette against the soft white curtains of the dining alcove while casting a warm glow down on the dining table. Romantic and just a little off-kilter. Love it.

A Thread of Color

Something about my apartment is off-kilter. It's all flourish and no structure, as if somewhere in the decorating process I got off on a whimsical tangent and let things get too precious. Have I lost my edge? What a terrifying thought!

Instead of overreacting and doing something rash with black spray paint, I decided it was time to reassess my aesthetic. It's easy to see the common thread in my inspiration images: a neutral background, a mix of fanciful and modern, and a single note of color.

Molly Sims' Kitchen, Source Unknown

Image Source Unknown

What a relief to know that the cure for my design angst may just be a trip to Ikea and some selective editing. This weekend I'm going to pare down to the basics and rethink my palette. What color should I weave in with my neutrals?

PS: Don't the backs of those wooden chairs make you think of scrolling banners? Love them.

A Dare to Dream Come True

Last Spring I fell madly in love. With a kitchen island. I blogged about it, daydreamed about it, and knew I couldn't afford it.

On more than one occasion I found myself in Crate & Barrel, doing an elaborate and probably creepy-as-hell pantomime of rolling out dough on its cool marble surface. In the summer I spotted one (moderately dinged up, but persuasively discounted) at the outlet store in Berkeley. I spent an afternoon wracking my brain for legal and illegal ways to bring it home, but it couldn't be done.

Then, on Christmas morning, after opening enough gifts to consider myself terribly spoiled, my parents handed Adam and I a last package. My Mom called it a combined Christmas-Engagement-Adam's-Birthday present. Adam unfolded a picture of the kitchen island, on which my Mom had written (somewhat hilariously, given my above-stated obsession), "if you still want it." Adam was astounded, and I am fairly certain that I teared up and exclaimed something silly like, "this is the best Christmas ever!"

Isn't it just a thing of beauty? It solves several major issues that we've had with our kitchen. First, it's a much more comfortable and functional work space than the existing tiled countertops. I baked a pie this weekend and was able, for the first time, to have every ingredient out at once!

Our corner kitchen was never ideal for our frequent dinner and cocktail parties. It was strange to cook with our backs to the table, and even more awkward when our guests stood at the edges of the room, leaving a huge void in the middle. Floating the island in the center of the room provides a space for people to mingle over drinks and appetizers. It allows our guests to be more involved in dinner preparations, but also keeps them from getting in the way! It's a visual improvement as well. The icky non-matching rental appliances used to be the first thing we'd see from when entering the apartment. Now the island is a beautiful distraction (but the open base prevents the room from feeling cramped).

And then, of course, there's that glossy marble top.

So, thank you again to my generous parents who have recognized our passion for cooking, and have given us a platform on which to do it well! In celebration, I'm baking up a batch of savory shortbread, and I'll share the recipe this week!

Here & Now: Our Dining Room "After"

My dining table has made many appearances on this blog- usually as the backdrop for one of Adam's gourmet creations. I'm feeling brave today, and I thought I'd show you how it fits into our dining room (or our dining alcove, to be more accurate).

For those of you who've started reading recently, last year (at about this time) Adam and I were informed that his job would be moving from Seattle to Berkeley. We had very little time to decide our course of action- and only a weekend to find a new home in California. Our apartment was selected for its practicality rather than its prettiness. In fact, it was downright ugly. If you don't believe me, check out the "before" pictures here. 

The only remotely charming feature of the otherwise bland apartment was the bay window in the dining area. I thought, "I can do something with this." And I think I did.

Life at the WarLock House

Another mellow morning in Berkeley. It's gray and chilly today, so I'm lingering over a second cup of hot tea before I venture outside. This afternoon's errands will have me zig-zagging all over town, so I'm sipping extra slowly...

Tildy is savoring some quiet time as well, lounging on her favorite chair in my newly-lavender dining nook.

Poor Matilda. Her moments of peace are always brief thanks to the pesky new kitten.