Monthly Archives: September 2012

Bloc: Great Design for Advanced Technology

05 Wednesday Sep 2012

Posted by in Accessories

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Deisgn for Technology

One of the biggest design battles in my house is over technology. My husband prefers everything on display, and while I appreciate the advances in technology, I would prefer to never see a blinking light or remote in sight. Unfortunately, not all gadgets can be hidden behind closed doors, and one of those is the Apple TV. But my Apple-phile friend Austin has come up with a solution that makes technology for the interior design minded much more appealing with his new product, Bloc.

Bloc serves two purposes, the first being that it provides a stable resting spot for your Apple TV (3rd and 4th generation) and its remote which prevents the unit from flip flopping around as the cables move and hopefully it prevents you from misplacing the remote. Secondly, it makes a small but sleek box look more attractive sitting on your living room shelf. Austin worked with the incredibly talented furniture designer Peter Zeurner to design the prototype and each unit is machine and hand crafted to achieve it’s sleek yet warm appearance.

Bloc comes in maple, walnut, and cherry wood and is only $39 which makes it the perfect gift for the Apple TV lover in your life and means that you should be able to knock a few Christmas gifts off your list now or if it’s for yourself, be one of the first to get one as they just launched today. We love when design and function work so well together!

OPEN HOUSE: Sneak Peek of a Sweeping Staircase

04 Tuesday Sep 2012

Posted by in House Tours, Inspiration

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curved staircases

When searching for a place to call home, I made a list of must haves.  In addition to desiring more space, a powder room and a private garden, I wanted character in the architecture.  Newport, Rhode Island is a town filled with centuries old architecture ranging from historic cottages (okay, mansions to the rest of us!) to converted greenhouses to 18th Century Colonials, and everything in between.  So after opening many doors, the search for our perfect house ended the day I saw this staircase.

And, if you appreciate the sweep up the stairs, then you’ll love the view down to the foyer!

Since it will take months into years to restore and furnish my new house, I am content to sit on these stairs and dream about the possibilities.  I love the height of the staircase, the curve in the banister and the dark stained wood contrasting the white trim.  The only bit that detracts from the staircase is the brown paint on the treads.  It is on my “to do list“, so check back to see if removing the paint and staining the treads to match the banister makes this staircase even better.

Cleaning Out the Garden: How to Identify What Should Stay and What Should Go

03 Monday Sep 2012

Posted by in garden, Outdoor

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Landscape Design

One of my most favorite parts of Pamela’s new house is her garden. The day they purchased the property, I went over to see it, and almost immediately started getting dirty in the garden. It was overgrown and a bit overwhelming. At first look, I think she figured it would be easiest to just yank everything out and start fresh as she didn’t know what was a flower or a weed since most of their blooms had already come and gone this season. But with a quick glance around the yard, I recognized some real gems in between and beneath all those weeds are some real gems. An hour pulling weeds and it quickly became apparent how many great perennials they had. And by saving what is healthy she’s also saving hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, on new landscaping. But what do you do if you aren’t sure what’s what. Here’s a starter guide of some of what we identified as worth keeping starting with the above butterfly bush which there are a few more of around the yard.

Peonies are a favorite of ours here at C&B and she’s got loads of them. It will be fun to see what colors they are next spring.

There are lots of day lilies also.

This is another variety of lily that I think is a pixie lily.

And there are tons of iris.

Astilbe is a favorite for flower arrangements.

This is some sort of low lying geranium…

and I’m not quite sure what this is, but it’s worth keeping for the time being.

These lilac bushes aren’t in great shape, but cutting them way back may save them.

Some of what is worth saving was more obvious such as this in bloom bleeding heart…

and this sedum.

This rose of Sharon is just about to bloom.

Many of these plants will have to be moved, and not all of them may be saved in the end, but being able to identify them is very important or you could end up throwing a lot of money away. After a basic cleanup it’s also a good idea to live with things for a year and see what blooms and if you like it. And if you can’t identify them yourself, it’s worth hiring someone to come in who can.

Before long Pamela is sure to have a green thumb!