Greetings from Greenwich, CT and Bridgehampton, NY. Due to Hurricane Irene, I have been without power now since Sunday (in Water Mill, specifically) and with no internet, to boot! I have been trying to login and work from my ipad, but it seems that the AT&T 3G service was a bit overloaded over the past few days, given the hundreds of thousands of East coasters with no power who have all likely had the same idea and have been trying to work from ipads.
As soon as I am up and running again, and can upload photos I took of our yard after the hurricane, I'll share those. We lost a few trees, but thankfully had no serious damage. We did, however, lose a cherished and favorite weeping cherry tree that hung over our driveway in such a magical way (it truly had me at "hello" when I was house hunting and first drove up the driveway at what is now my home and saw this tree. It had such a majestic quality and seemed to have been transplanted from the set of the Wizard of Oz or some other far off and heavenly place -- the tree seemed to almost beckon people in and I had tears in my eyes when I saw it tumbled down and splayed across the drive after Irene and her fury passed through. 'She' was one of those irreplaceable and priceless landscape delicacies that a lover of gardens can only hope for, but thankfully we had no loss of human life and for that, we are thankful and our thoughts and prayers go out to those who suffered devastating losses during the storm.
Until then, please remember to sign up for our dog bed giveaway! We will hold the drawing as soon as we have regular internet service again! Scroll down to enter! Good luck!
Also, please be aware that we are having a Back to School 20% OFF kids furniture sale at The Well Appointed House, www.wellappointedhouse.com
This includes desks, cribs, bunk beds, kids beds, nightstands, etc and yes, to answer the question of many, we will include desks listed in the adult section of the website (lucite, too) since those can be used in tweens rooms as well.
Happy Shopping!
-Melissa Hawks
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Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Saturday, August 27, 2011
The Great Hurricane of 1938 & Batten Down the Hatches!
My family and I left the house we were renting on Mecox Bay in Bridgehampton early this morning to return back to higher ground at our home in Greenwich. I hope that all of you are safe and prepared for Hurricane Irene. We are "batting down the hatches" as they say and bracing ourselves for a lot of rain and potential fallen trees, which can be both very scary and very dangerous. During a storm last year, far from hurricane strength, our property lost between 10 and 15 trees. Having spent ten years in North Carolina during my childhood and college years, I am familiar with hurricanes and their fury. My husband grew up along the water in Virginia, and we take hurricane warnings seriously.
Hurricanes are a bit less common up in the NorthEast and last night it was informative to see the special report CBS news did on the New England Hurricane of 1938 -- sometimes called the "Yankee Clipper" or "Long Island Express". When it hit in 1938, it was the first major hurricane to strike New England since 1869. According to Wikipedia, it formed near the coast of Africa in September of 1938, becoming a category 5 hurricane. It was still a category 3 hurricane when it hit Long Island on 9/21/38. The hurricane killed between 682 and 800 people, damaged or destroyed more than 57,000 homes and caused $306 million worth of damage. That number was a 1938 figure, so that number in 2011 terms would be $4.77 billion! It went down in history as the deadliest hurricane in New England history. Roughly 50 people out of the figure above that died were from Long Island and 29 of those died on Westhampton Beach, where we have also spent time. The day after the storm, the bodies were laid out on the lawn of the country club at Westhampton Beach. If you missed the news report last night, watch the video below. It is fascinating.
Hurricanes are a bit less common up in the NorthEast and last night it was informative to see the special report CBS news did on the New England Hurricane of 1938 -- sometimes called the "Yankee Clipper" or "Long Island Express". When it hit in 1938, it was the first major hurricane to strike New England since 1869. According to Wikipedia, it formed near the coast of Africa in September of 1938, becoming a category 5 hurricane. It was still a category 3 hurricane when it hit Long Island on 9/21/38. The hurricane killed between 682 and 800 people, damaged or destroyed more than 57,000 homes and caused $306 million worth of damage. That number was a 1938 figure, so that number in 2011 terms would be $4.77 billion! It went down in history as the deadliest hurricane in New England history. Roughly 50 people out of the figure above that died were from Long Island and 29 of those died on Westhampton Beach, where we have also spent time. The day after the storm, the bodies were laid out on the lawn of the country club at Westhampton Beach. If you missed the news report last night, watch the video below. It is fascinating.
With Hurricane Irene's imminent approach over the New York metropolitan area, Elaine Quijano takes a look back at one of the most devastating storms ever to strike the region, the infamous Hurricane of 1938, which became known as the Long Island Express.
Photo - Boston.com archives
Bureau of Commercial Fisheries Building on Main Street in Woods Hole, MA
A wave from the 1938 hurricane strikes a seawall in New England
Flooding in Hartford, CT
Connecticut River Floods
Devastation on Long Island from the hurricane dubbed the "Long Island Express"
Damage in Worcester, Massachusetts
The Rhode Island Yacht Club (RIYC), founded in 1875, is the oldest yacht club on Narragansett Bay. The original clubhouse was destroyed by the Great Hurricane of 1938. It was rebuilt and then in 1954, the second clubhouse was also destroyed when Hurricane Carol swept through.
Narragansett after the 1938 hurricane.
Katherine Hepburn pictured as she digged through rubble for her possessions after the 1938 hurricane destroyed her family home on Long Island Sound in Connecticut. Hepburn, her mother, brother and servants had fled their home shortly before the hurricane of 1938 lifted it off its foundations, smashed it to pieces and washed the entire thing away.
Read more about the hurricane of 1938 on Wikipedia. Stay off the roads and be safe!
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Winston Dog Bed Blog Giveaway!
If your pampered pooch is not feeling pampered enough or has worn out his or her favorite snuggling spot, enter our latest blog giveaway today! We are giving away this fabulous, round dog bed to one lucky reader of The Well Appointed House 's blog and their canine companion! The round design makes it perfect for any pooch to curl up in a ball and relax in a stylish and washable hypo-allergenic setting. It is recommended for dogs up to 25lbs.
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All you have to do is be a registered "Follower" of our blog. Post a comment below to enter the drawing and we'll pick a winner from the entries. If you are the winner, we'd love a photo of your dog with the new bed to post on the blog! Good luck! If you don't happen to win, but like the bed, check out our collection of dog beds!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
RSS Feed of New Home Decor Products from The Well Appointed House
For those of you who are currently decorating or in the market for fabulous new home accents, or those who are editors and contact us for new home decor ideas, we have created an RSS feed of our new products as we add them to our retail site (The Well Appointed House). Be the first to see new product launches and the latest trends in home decor.
The actual RSS feed address is http://www.wellappointedhouse.com/RssFeedHandler.ashx - you can add it to any feed reader, such as Google Reader. Try it out and see what's new and how to have your very own Well Appointed House!
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Artwork from the Cover of September 2011 House Beautiful Magazine
I was pleased to see the Paul Marrot Feather's Reproduction framed wall art that I sell in my retail site, The Well Appointed House, on the cover of the September 2011 issue of House Beautiful!
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The great thing about this piece is that it can be hung horizontally or vertically. If you don't know about Paule Marrot, here's a hint about the piece, which is $750 unframed and $1990 framed:
This unique reproduction is based on an original from the beautiful textile archives of French engraver, painter, and textile artist Paule Marrot (1902-1987). Early in her career, Marrot shifted her emphasis from painting to textiles to create expressive patterns from the 1920s through the 1950s. Marrot’s bold use of flowers, color and patterns reflect a compositionally modernist style classically associated with the Art Deco movement. Marrot’s artistic influences include the expressive writings of Marcel Proust, as evident in her work Du coté de chez Swann, based on Proust’s book In Search of Lost Time. This reproduction is printed in the studio on summerset fine art acid free paper and has been licensed from Marrot's collection of original work which is housed in the Musee d'Orsay.
The Marrots are going quickly so select yours now at The Well Appointed House! There may be a wait, so put your order in!
Saturday, August 6, 2011
L'Amour Fou
I attended the premier of L'Amour Fou at the Tribeca Film Festival this past spring and was absolutely blown away by the fashion, interiors and enduring love story that was at the core of this Pierre Thoretton documentary.
Yves Saint Laurent is one of my all time favorite designers because he was able to take menswear staples, give them a feminine shapes and somehow revolutionize the way women dress. To get a glimpse of how he created his empire was worth the price if admission but fashion quickly took the backseat as the center of the story revealed itself to be the auctioning off of Saint Laurent's incredible collection of antiques and art by longtime partner Pierre Bergé. Bergé, who was also Yves' business partner, spent the duration of the movie recounting their life together as he prepared to sell some truly breathtaking and sentimental pieces.
Their Parisian home is unlike anything else. It is the culmination of great taste, much success and a true love for life and one another. I could go on and on about the famous paintings and original, craftsmanship, but really... it's worth a look for yourself. Take a tour below:
What I love about their aesthetic is how seamlessly they pair modern art and clean lines with overly decadent and ornate traditional pieces. The way Yves Saint Laurent decorated is a lot like the way he designed, taking something that has always been a classic, adding an unexpected element and making it an original. Feeling inspired? Shop The Well Appointed House's collection of French Country decor and pair it with something unique from our curiosity shop. Be sure to show us how it comes out!
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Yves Saint Laurent is one of my all time favorite designers because he was able to take menswear staples, give them a feminine shapes and somehow revolutionize the way women dress. To get a glimpse of how he created his empire was worth the price if admission but fashion quickly took the backseat as the center of the story revealed itself to be the auctioning off of Saint Laurent's incredible collection of antiques and art by longtime partner Pierre Bergé. Bergé, who was also Yves' business partner, spent the duration of the movie recounting their life together as he prepared to sell some truly breathtaking and sentimental pieces.
What I love about their aesthetic is how seamlessly they pair modern art and clean lines with overly decadent and ornate traditional pieces. The way Yves Saint Laurent decorated is a lot like the way he designed, taking something that has always been a classic, adding an unexpected element and making it an original. Feeling inspired? Shop The Well Appointed House's collection of French Country decor and pair it with something unique from our curiosity shop. Be sure to show us how it comes out!
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Sale on Garden Decor! Save 25%!
Save on garden decor through August 15, 2011 at The Well Appointed House! Shop now! The coupon code is BigGardenBenchSale. Kingsley Bate is exempt from this sale.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Get to Know Theadora and Callum
In the same vein as summer style, Theadora and Callum is a line that embodies that gypset, easy, 70's feeling, which is having a serious moment this season. Built on founders Stefani Greenfield and Desiere Gruber's love for collecting oddities from their travels, the brand carries forth an influence steeped in Middle Eastern roots, with scarves and espadrilles in bright and unique patterns.
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I really just can't get enough of these amazing espadrilles! Perfect with white linen pants and a chambray top for a casual day or to spice up a black summer dress at night.
The mixing of prints and the color combinations are all components that make the Moroccan, Gypset trend so popular and source of inspiration to take into your home. At The Well Appointed House there is an amazing collection of bone inlaid furniture and fun ikat accents which are perfect pieces to spice up a room in need of a little flair.
The bone-inlaid pieces are perfect for a very stark room because they will instantly become focal points for their color and craftsmanship, but aren't distracting. The same with the pillows, which can be paired with a plain white sofa or even a simple blue and white stripe. Perfect for warmer weather, you can easily switch them out when the season and trends change. These pillow covers are great for just that.
Opt to buy this ikat pillow with an insert or as is and rotate with your other accent pillows as desired.
New Children's Wall Art & Sale!
We are so excited to have some fabulous new wall art at The Well Appointed House. We are working with a fabulous new artist -- she's a mom of three, like me - and a talented illustrator. Her designs are utterly charming and perfect for any child's room!
We love the Kate and Max series! They are perfect for a girl or tween's room!
The children's market was definitely in need of some fresh, new name banners and we've got them here!!
You can have your child's name painted and then select character tiles to coordinate. They are simply adorable! Click here to order.
Here's the best part! We've just put on a 20% off ALL WALL ART (kids and adults) sale today on the website. The coupon code is 20OFFWALLARTAUGUST
Shop now and enjoy! www.wellappointedhouse.com
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