While in London two weeks ago, I stopped in the antique shop of one of my favorite designers, Josephine Ryan. I have enjoyed gleaning from her design knowledge from two of her wonderful and beautiful books. She was kind enough to autograph one of the books for someone I love! I really enjoyed meeting her and loved her shop for its clean and simple display of true French antiques. She has a classic style which is similar to my taste and design. She talks about the thrill of getting up early and hunting for antiques and enjoying it as a way of life. She has a chapter in one of her books called ALL SERENE and it is about the home of Appley Hoare and her daughter Zoe whose home is in a tiny picturesque village in southern France. I also visited Appley's store just a couple of doors down from Josephine's. What a delight to meet both these icon's in French interior design in the same afternoon! Both shops were loaded with neutrals which I happen to love. The mirrors, the linens, the accent pieces, the doors, the framed religious art, all would be at home in my house!
Home should be a place we can relax, be ourself, and restore and refresh! It's the weekend.......so let's do just that! I hope your weekend is filled with blessings of family and friends! The photos are from last weekend when my son visited us. He and his beautiful wife, Sara met us in New Orleans and the first photo is from the hotel lobby......all serene in white! We laughed that the bench in front is a fertility bench from Africa. It was beautiful. The second photo is the layers of white in my home that are becoming more and more serene. A White House is not what I aimed for but with white you can let your imagination run wild! You can add pieces that tell a story and soon the mood is set! This, my friend, is what a designer should always help you do. Here's to a happy weekend mood! Enjoy everyday.......each one is a gift, just waiting to be unwrapped!
