sophisticateur: nancy meyers

nancy, oh nancy. why are you so incredible? not only do you write & direct romantic comedies that make women across the world swoon, but you hire the most PHENOMENAL art directors & set designers to create environments that make us all want to move into your movie. every. home. is. perfect. PERFECT!!!!

there is nothing more i can say. the photos speak for themselves. lose yourself in them. and if you're looking for movies to really get lost in...anything by nancy meyers and you're golden. utterly delightful.
...happy sophisticating...

let's start with the original. the unbelievable san marino home featured in father of the bride. w.o.w.



gotta love a great picket fence.



the living room. so simple and yet so chic. the muted color palatte really makes it feel homey.




and, of course, the phenomenal baby nursery featured in father of the bride, part II.

the napa home featured in the parent trap. love the climbing ivy. truly stunning.

and the interior. rustic chic. fabulous! notice how the accessories match the scale of the room.

and the wrap-around patio. shut. up.




the unreal london townhouse. mayfair district, i can only assume.




and the fabulous interior. orange has never looked so good. paired with traditional, classic elements, you can get away with a more bold wall color. i love the warmth!

the utterly delightful english cottage...built JUST for the movie. literally.

and inside? fabulous. love the color palatte of muted china blue and orangey gold. it plays off of the warm tones in the stone fireplace.




the "tent" featured in graham's house. shabby chic at its finest.

and, of course, cameron diaz's hollywood home in the movie. such a classic room! notice the jute rug as an organic background for the crisp brown and white. fabulous.




the unbelievable kitchen. i love how the modern surfaces are paired with more traditional lanterns.




and another view of the kitchen. LOVE the settee in the kitchen, so interesing. LOVE the slipcovered dining chairs. LOVE the use of natural elements to bring life to the space.

and the unbelievable pool. there are no words, really.

and to close? the something's gotta give house. it. is. perfect.

my dream kitchen. clean and bright. modern and traditional. so good it hurts.

and the dining room. you KNOW the food just tastes better in there. i adore the built in hutch with plates in all shades of white. notice how they mixed the finishes...black, warm brown, chocolate brown, creamy white. because they kept a simple color palate, they could mix without it feeling disheveled or unintentional.



glorious.

i wonder what she'll have for us next, in her upcoming film "it's complicated," starring the incomparable meryl streep, alec baldwin and steve martin. it will be fabulous, i'm sure.
check out out the trailer!

design obsession: bedside carafes

i've seen them everywhere from movie adaptations of jane austen novels to charlotte york's beautiful park avenue palace in sex in the city...regardless of time period and location, i have always had an affinity for the bedside carafe. they are a sophisticated approach to the utilitarian need to quench ones thirst in the middle of the night...and such a thoughtful touch for guest bedrooms!

when we moved into our new apartment, i went "carafe carazy" and purchased two for our bedroom and one for our "guest quarters." and given the fact that they come in such a wide range of styles, they seem to me to be worthy of a being a "design obsession"...whether your style is traditionally classic or eccentric and funky, these carafes offer a fun and thoughtful way to express your own design preferences.

and who says they are reserved for the bedside? what about using a bunch of them at a dinner party for individual beverages? so chic. the possibilities are endless, really.
...happy sophisticating...

fabulousness from cb2. and at $10, is it any surprise we bought 3?

a fun, modern carafe from unica home.



a true classic, from williams sonoma. love the monogram!

a very vintage touch, from posh chicago. perfect for a shabby chic-style room!

love love LOVE this shape! from grasshopper510.

and another fun shape from grasshopper 510.

the larger glass is nice. from crate and barrel.

anthropologie. need i say more? fab for the dinner table!

made from a recycled wine bottle. brilliant! available from meredithsmirrors on etsy.

omg: ma(i)sonry

i just invented a new feature category--omg--which means "OH MY GOSH i've discovered something so amazing that it is category-less."

so- OMG my husband and i just returned from a delightful week in the bay area and visited napa for the first time. i could go on and on and on about yountville & oakville & rutherford & st. helena...suffice it to say we plan to retire in one of these charming little towns.
too fab.
BUT across the street from our hotel we visited the most incredible place called ma(i)sonry--one part tasting room, one part gallery, one part boutique, all parts oh-so-sophisticated.

the building was built by an italian mason using stone from the eastern hills of napa valley. now it houses the most phenomenal collection of furniture, art and home accessories, and it features some of the most incredibly designed outdoor space i have ever seen. ever. you can grab a seat anywhere...really...anywhere...and sip or taste or take in the general splendor. they call it their living gallery. oh, and everything you see is for sale.

enjoy these photos. you'll die. in a good way. omg.
...happy sophisticating...


is it not stunning?


fab outdoor seating option #1. how great would this be for a private event?!

fab outdoor seating #2. the husband by the unbelievable fire pit.

beauteous.


so incredible.

one small piece of the fabulous boutique situation going on.

wouldn't you just love to sit here, oh, forever?
amazing.

sophisticated traditions: milk glass

i have been surrounded by milk glass my entire life. used for simple centerpieces, festive drinking glasses, placed ALL OVER my grandmother's home...i have seen these lovely treasures for decades and had no idea what i was looking at. once i started decorating a home of my own, i realized how much i loved it and what a wonderfully sophisticated tradition it had become for me.

milk glass comes in many forms--dinnerware, lamps, vases, even jewelry. pieces range from intricate and ornate to incredibly simplistic and you can find it in pale, milky blues, greens and oranges, even brown and white--but my favorite is the classic white.

here is some eye candy to inspire you.
...happy sophisticating...

a truly classic collection. even piled onto basic white shelves, doesn't it look darling?

one of the most classic designs--hobnail. it looks like stylish polka dots!

at an event--how sensational is this?! clean, pure...a lovely vintage touch that makes even the most simple floral arrangements look special.
photo courtesy of weddingbeepro.com

even pottery barn has jumped on the bandwagon. these colored milk glass lamps are sweet and sophisticated.

a fabulous orange milk glass chandelier. so dreamy and makes me think of a creamsicle...
photo courtesy of house beautiful magazine, july 2009

these bathroom accessories by martha stewart would look so amazing in any bathroom.
photo courtesy of house beautiful magazine.

unbelievably darling. i l.o.v.e. the subtle stripes on the vase in the foreground. too fab.

photo courtesy of elseachelsea

this might be one of my favorites. SO simple but so SO SO sophisticated. darling!

photo courtesy of country living.

sophistikitchen: lemon rosemary shortbread

as an event planner, i've had lots of experience with caterers. some wonderful and some downright frightening. i've learned the ability that food has to set a tone for an occasion or an environment. to make you feel at home, safe, impressed, considered...food is such an incredible medium for sophisticated expression. over the years i've had a growing interest in cooking and, despite a lack of training, i am becoming increasingly confident and enjoy trying lots of new things.

one of my recent successes?
lemon rosemary shortbread cookies.
rich, light, fresh, aromatic--they are just so right. i served these at this year's easter brunch and they were the perfect springtime touch after a very rich meal.

ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice and zest from 1/2 lemon
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons white sugar for decoration

directions

1. in a medium bowl, cream together the butter and 2/3 cup of sugar until light and fluffy. stir in the flour, salt, lemon juice and rosemary until well blended. the dough will be somewhat soft. cover and refrigerate for about an hour.
   
2. remove dough from the refrigerator and hand-roll small balls of dough (about 1T) and place about 1 inch apart on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. slightly flatten the balls of dough into disks.*
   
3. preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. refrigerate the dough disks for another thirty minutes. this is essential for the shortbread cookies to maintain their shape while cooking.
4. sprinkle lemon zest and the remaining sugar over the tops of the cookies.
5. bake for 8 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden at the edges. cool on wire racks, and store in an airtight container at room temperature for about 2 days before serving (to allow flavors to mellow).

*other options:
1. after refrigerating, roll dough about 1/2 inch thick and cut into small rectangles.
1. prior to refrigerating, mold dough into a log shape and wrap in plastic wrap. refrigerate for 1 to 1 1/2 hours and slice circles about 1/4 inch thick.
[recipe adapted from allrecipes.com.]

...happy sophisticating...

coming soon!

hello dear sophisticates,
i know i have been missing in action for some time now. i was away on vacation in a land with no internet access (yikes!)

BUT i have been scheming and dreaming and i have lots of sophistication planned for the near future! in case you've not visited this blog before, here is a little tour of the different features you'll find here...

event galleries
straightforward enough. enjoy galleries of events i have designed and coordinated, plus some behind-the-scenes tips you can use to sophisticate any event.

design obsessions
incredibly fabulous and amazing interior design trends that i just can't get enough of.

sophisticateurs
you could call them kindred spirits of sophistication...these features highlight artists, designers, photographers, planners and just generally sophisticated people. whom you should admire. excessively. like i do.

COMING SOON: sophistikitchen
this new feature will be a celebration of the sophistication that takes place in the kitchen. recipes, tips to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary and even guest interviews and recipes from incredible chefs. not to be missed.

COMING SOON: sophisticated traditions
so much of my inspiration for this blog comes from the influence of my mother and grandmother--the consummate sophisticates. my love of all things sophisticated has been inspired by decades of christmas dinners, tea parties, centerpieces and decorating. this feature will serve as a window into the traditions that have become part of the thoughtful and sophisticated fabric of our family.

COMING SOON: class has no price range
another influence of my mother and grandmother, this phrase has practically become a family mantra--one many of my friends have heard often. i have always been taught that class and sophistication do not in any way require wealth, but rather a commitment to thoughtfulness, poise and consideration. as such, this feature will highlight inexpensive gems (decorating tips, accessories, event ideas) that lend an air of sophistication, without a costly price tag.

so much coming so soon. in the meantime...
...happy sophisticating...