Wasting Time?

I like details - I like a room to look finished. To me, that includes the waste baskets. After we had settled in our house and things were feeling finished (for the moment) I woke up one day with an obsession (okay I have a few of these) to have the right trash can in every room. So I set out on a mission to find beautiful waste baskets(yes, beauty applies to waste baskets too). They are not that easy to find. Even on the web, you have to spend some time to find attractive waste baskets that aren't insanely priced. Of course, you can always use things that are meant for other uses but work as trash cans, like painted metal planters. There are many of those available at Hill Street Warehouse in Atlanta. I occasionally find decent waste baskets at Homegoods also. Remember this one from a week ago?



Here's what I found on the web...

In the Etsy store Decorative Instincts there are lots of great trash cans. The Imperial Trellis waste basket in the top image is covered in Kelly Wearstler's fabric from Schumacher, and is from Decorative Instincts as well as the next two.

This one uses my new favorite Schumacher wallpaper, Chenonceau. I featured it in a post earlier this week. Hopefully this wallpaper is going in a client's powder room and now we have the perfect waste basket!






At this Etsy shop,Vintage things 4 sale I found this Florentine waste basket


At Worlds Away I found these beauties






Here's one from Gracious Home


The Pink Giraffe has these cute monogrammed waste baskets that would be great in a bedroom


And this handy waste basket from Tapestry Crochet blog is fun


Ballard Designs always has something stylish to offer



You can also create your own waste baskets to perfectly complement your rooms. I used some spray adhesive, extra wallpaper and pretty gimp to create this one and the one at the top of this post:



You can never waste too much time in pursuit of the perfect details!

Dancing Bird

How much fun is it to receive a thoughtful gift out of the blue? This Dancing Bird flew my way yesterday.

Pretty, Shiny Things

Being the magpie that I am, thought I'd share some of the bright, shiny things that have caught my eye this week.

Amazing 1971 Mercedes - perfection - beauty pure and simple, still owned by original owner, almost caused me to have a wreck when I saw it and stopped to snap this photo.



This wallpaper from Schumacher (comes in 6 colorways)



Iron hand rail on the front steps of the Swan House



Everything by designer Amelia Handegan, but especially this room - I carried the picture around with me when we were building our house. I found the picture again this week - it always inspires me.



I've been thinking about windows this week, thanks to this post by Things That Inspire, so I had to post this image of a perfect window in a house by architect Gil Schafer.



Reminds me of my own windows, designed by architect Brad Heppner (lots of humility going on here)!




Enjoy the day, and don't forget to notice the beautiful things all around you!

Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda....

I wish I had bought these spoon chairs two weeks ago at Scott's:



See some like them in this Paula Caravelli room in Elle Decor this month:



And in this Alessandra Branca living room from Elle Decor, May 2009:




Sigh....

House drawing follow up

After my house drawing post a couple of weeks ago, I felt compelled to order a black and white pen and ink drawing of my house. I chose Kelly Robson of High Street Market, because I admired a drawing that she had done (it's the President's House in her shop)and because her price is so reasonable.

It arrived yesterday and we are thrilled! The total time on the project was under 10 days. What a great wedding or house warming gift this would make.

Kelly is delightful to do business with, check out her ETSY shop for great vintage finds also.

Our architect was Bradley E. Heppner. He created a beautiful and "fabulous to live in" house for us! We are very grateful to him for his time and incredible talent. A photo Brad Heppner took of the house Christmas 2008:



I was checking back through my house building blog, REDO 2589 and I found this image that inspired us when we were building:



Pretty similar to what we built:



Drawings of my house are by Kelly Galvin Robson and may not be used without permission.

Helen Durant - part two

Wild dog, 2008

For your Sunday eye candy, some more of Helen Durant's work.


An Ear to the Ground, 2006



Ground Study, 2010

For inquiries about Helen's work, please see her website: Helen Durant

All artwork appears courtesy of Helen, and may not be used without her permission.

Field Trip Friday - An Atlanta Gem

Do you ever feel stuck in the mud? I woke up uninspired and grumpy - couldn't get anything going. I know that to get my creativity moving I need to be surrounded by beauty. So I decided to go on a neighborhood field trip to the Swan House, which is a couple of miles from my house.

The Swan House, built in 1928 by the Edward Inman family, is on 28 acres in the heart of Atlanta. It was designed by Atlanta architect Philip Trammel Shutze. (To read more about him please visit this blog: ArchitectureTourist).
This house is one of Atlanta's most famous, photographed landmarks. Growing up here, you might take this treasure for granted - but it is truly a treasure worth visiting.

I had not been to visit since the major restoration completed in 2004 and I was impressed. The entire house is open for tours (even the bedroom level and kitchen). The house is one of the most beautiful of its era and attention was paid to every detail.

My favorite part of the house is (surprise here) the entrance hall with black and white Italian marble. This room alone is worth the tour. I could stand here for hours and be happy:


Photo below from Classic Atlanta by William Mitchell and Van Jones Martin:



The formal rooms are lovely, below is the dining room:


The library, pictured below, is one of the most approachable rooms in the house with its beautiful wood carvings by H.J. Millard of Bath, Englad. The painting over the fireplace is of Saint Cecilia. (photo from Classic Atlanta by William Mitchell and Van Jones Martin)





Below is the breakfast room off of the entrance hall. The red alcoves have convinced me to paint my own bookshelves brick red.


Mrs. Inman's bedroom


Entrance facade with Doric columned Palladian portico:


The view from Andrews Drive


What a fabulous way to spend Friday morning, surrounded by beauty, man-made and natural. I'm certainly cheery now and hope everyone has a great weekend.

For more information about the Swan House, please visit the Atlanta History Center.

All photographs from the Atlanta History Center Website, unless indicated otherwise.



post script - I found this photo of the front door that I took on my camera on my phone. The color fascinates me. Wouldn't you have expected black? I like the blue.



I took a better photo of the front door:

Artist Profile: Helen Durant

I Stand My Ground, 2010


Masai Tribesmen 2008

Well-known Atlanta artist Helen Durant currently has work hanging at the SpotlightonArt, SwanCoachHouseGallery , and MasonMurerFineArt, and StantonHomeFurnishings.


From Helen's website: Helen Durant is an artist of exceptional power and veracity. Of particular interest to Helen is the unconscious mind and how it contributes to her art. Through the modes of mixed media and collage she endeavors to not force the content and character of her work but let it emerge out of process, sacrificing control for serendipity. What results is a surprising mix of expressions, from dark and shadowy to lighthearted and etherial and everything in between. "The scraping away of layers of pigment serves as a metaphor," says Durant, " for the uncovering of the authentic unvarnished self." Whether the motif is goats, dancers, adobe dwellings, hounds or fallen fruit, this work has a raw intensity and veracity that is constant and mirrors the artist's commitment to self exploration and examination.

Helen is my aunt and I have some of her early work hanging in my house.

A still life, 1977


Pawley's Island, mid 80's



Helen is known around the South as the goat lady, because for years she lived near a herd of goats and they were her frequent subjects. She has goat paintings currently at Mason Murer,the Trinity School Artist's Market (Spotlight on Art), and Stanton Home Furnishings.

But Helen paints so much more than goats. Her connection with animals is apparent in all of her works with animal subjects. She went to Africa in September 2008 and most of 2009 was spent painting African animals. (The Masai at the top are from that period also).


2009


Times Puzzle, 2009


Understated Beauty, 2009


Some of Helen's most powerful work is figurative. I have a very strong connection to this piece titled Outside Looking In, 2006 .


From the same body of work, The Surrogate, 2006


Recently, Helen has been painting predators, wolves in particular. From that 2010 collection of work:
Beneath the Surface,2010


Winter Walk, 2010


To find out more about this dynamic, innovative artist please visit her website:
HelenDurant

All artwork appears courtesy of Helen Durant and may not be used without her permission

Helen's work has appeared in Traditional Home, House Beautiful, and Atlanta Home and Lifestyles.