recipe friday

ARTICHOKE DIP

Ingredients

1 qt canned artichoke drained & chopped

1 ½ C Parmesan cheese

1 C mayonnaise

Directions

Mix ingredients together, place in casserole dish and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees

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a look at the Barefoot Contessa property - the house

Welcome to All in the Detail... I am so glad you are here!
 

As mentioned before: I have a ‘thing’ about houses…. duh, right?

I have Movies that I love BECAUSE OF THE HOUSE, I have Television Shows that I love BECAUSE OF THE HOUSE, and ok, I will admit it, I have people I love BECAUSE OF THEIR HOUSE (if I love their house – how could I NOT love them, right?)

Well, one of my all time favorite properties has to be Ina Garten’s home in East Hampton. Join me on a backstage pass tour of her East Hampton home, garden, The Barn and yes, even her apartment in Paris! They are earthy, elegant, simple, and so Ina. 

Are you as excited as me?

Ok, I went searching for information and photographs of Ms. Garten’s home interior, and found out:

1.     From Zillow.com, the mortgage payment of 23 Buell Lane, East Hampton, NY 11937 would be approximately $19,048/mo. if this exact 1992 property were listed on the market today (upgrades not taken into consideration, of course).

2.     Ina must be a VERY private person. It was very difficult to find photos in the Main House. There was an article written for House Beautiful in 1994 with a few shots of the interior of her home, but from just watching her Foodnetwork show, I can tell she has upgraded immensely! (and you probably have seen more of the interior on the show!)

3.     I found that Ms. Garten has a home (apartment) in Manhattan also (beautiful info offered on that one so I definitely will share that soon). 

4.     I am guessing that she has a home in Paris also. With her extensive travels to France, I can't imagine her not investing in property there. No print on that one so that is all speculation on my part at the moment.

5.     The kitchen that was built in her newest construction on the property, The Barn, as it is lovingly referred to, is almost an exact replica of her kitchen in the Main House which she built from scratch approximately 10 years ago. So not only was it difficult to find photos of the interior of the Main House but it was difficult to decipher whether it WAS the Main House. Trust me, any photos of this lovely lady’s property are better than none at all.

6.     I did find a wonderful article More Square Footage for a Shoeless Cook in The New York Times by Jacob Bernstein recounting exactly how Ina Garten came to acquire this gorgeous property. It is worth the read!

On to The Main Event - The Main House (or what I could find of it)

First, let’s take a look at the photos from the 1994 HB article. These obviously have been taken directly from the magazine pages… what a hoot... We’ve come a long way, baby!

Have you ever seen the actual Barefoot Contessa shop?

No, I don’t mean the interior shots from the movie 'Something’s Gotta Give'…

I mean the actual adorable storefront of Barefoot Contessa that closed in 2004?

eliminate cabin fever

Welcome to All in the Detail... I am so glad you are here! 

Are you snowbound in the house – with just a touch of cabin fever? Now would be the perfect time to get caught up on some of those projects around the house that you have been putting off and putting off…

Clean up your digital life. The end of the year is a good time to edit digital photo files — you get to reminisce over the past year and create room on your hard drive for the year to come. Delete the fuzzy, out-of-focus and unflattering shots right away, then narrow your collection down further by choosing to keep only the best image when you come across a bunch of very similar shots. Once that’s done, order yourself a book of your favorite snapshots from 2013.

While you’re at your computer, be sure to back up data using a cloud service or an external hard drive (or both) if you haven’t already done so. Collect all of your passwords in one secure place and clean up your virtual desktop.

Organize your book collection. Sifting through old books is sort of like going through photos — they offer a snapshot of your interests and passions at the time you read them. Work your way through your bookshelves (or the piles) one by one, setting aside books you no longer love in a pile to donate or sell.

Wipe down glass light fixtures. This is one of those things that are actually pretty quick and painless to do, but that we don’t necessarily get around to very often. Use a sturdy stepladder to reach the fixture, and wipe it with a dry cloth or duster. If that doesn't cut it, move up to a spritz of glass cleaner and another wipe with a dry, lint-free cloth. Your lights will be so sparkling and bright; you’ll wonder why you didn't do it sooner.

Organize your wardrobe. Get some new clothes for Christmas? Make room in the closet by getting rid of a few old, worn or ill-fitting pieces. Sort what’s left by type (pants, skirts etc.) and then, if you’re feeling really ambitious, by color.

Sort out the kids’ stuff. After the holidays is a great time to weed out old toys and clothes from children’s rooms, since kids tend to be more focused on the new stuff they got as gifts. For very young children, you may want to do the editing on your own; older kids should get a say. It can help if you choose a children’s charity together and learn about how the items they give away will help a child who doesn't have new toys or clothes.

Clean the kitchen from top to bottom. Has marathon cookie baking left your kitchen looking a little worse for the wear? Give it some TLC for the New Year. Clean out the pantry and fridge, set your oven to self-clean, wipe down the backsplash and walls, scrub the sink and counters and, last but not least, mop the floors. Ta-Da!

 

Build a healthy pantry. Is one of your new year’s resolutions to eat more healthfully? If so, take this downtime as an opportunity to set the stage for healthier eating. Look at the raw ingredients you have and consider making some healthier swaps — whole wheat for white flour, quinoa or other grains for white rice, maple or brown rice syrup for refined sugar and so on. Make some healthy meal plans and shopping lists, and store them in your pantry where you can easily access them.

A special thanks to Houzz.com

create an accent wall

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According to Wikipedia: An accent wall (or feature wall) is a wall whose design differs from the design of the other walls in the room. The accent wall's color can simply be a different shade from the color of the other walls, or have a completely different design in terms of the color and material. The surface of the accent wall can be paint, wallpaper, brick, marble etc. As their name implies, accent walls are typically intended to break up the pattern created by the other walls, especially when the walls are painted a single flat tone.

However, a room may be wallpapered and have an accent wall that is not textured and not decorated, as it would serve the same purpose. The point of this can be for aesthetics alone or to highlight or frame some decorative element, such as a painting.

Here are some tips for executing an accent wall in a room:

How to select the accent wall:

Look for a wall with a focal point - the fireplace wall, the wall where the bed will go, the wall at the end of a hallway or a wall in a formal entry with a furniture arrangement such as a table or bench.

Look for a wall within eyesight when you are in an adjacent room. The color will perform double duty if you can also see it from other rooms.

Sense where the main "backdrop" wall is. Typically, it's the wall that frames the room's furniture arrangement. This wall is typically the first wall you see when you enter a space. (Try walking around your house, entering each room with a new set of eyes. Which wall is the anchor?

Which wall do you see first? Which wall do you see from other rooms?)

Color tips for rooms with an accent wall:

No matter the space, accent walls are best achieved where all the walls are painted. Don't leave the other walls plain white.

Option #1: For the accent wall, choose a dark or bold color. For the other walls, choose a light to medium neutral color. The dark or bold accent color should relate to the neutral color of the other walls. For example, if you are painting the accent wall a muted mossy green, the neutral should have a cool undertone, not a warm undertone. When choosing your neutral, try to stay near the middle of a color chip. If you go too light, it may not look like you painted. Ivory is not an option for the neutral color. Think in terms of tan and beige, not crème and off white.

Option #2: For the accent wall, choose a dark or bold color. For the other walls, choose a variation of that dark or bold color. For example, if you choose a deep purple for the accent wall, look for muted lavender for the other walls. When choosing the color for the other walls, don't go too light (again, it’s pretty safe to stay towards the middle of a paint chip). The contrast will be too bold and the room will look choppy if the colors are too drastic. The contrast should take the middle road.

How to execute a room with an accent wall:

You have to be sure that every other element in your room coordinates, but isn't "matchy-matchy". Supporting elements should carry out the accent color's hue and value. If there is no thought of coordination and balance of color throughout the room, your accent wall will look like floating, unrelated color. Think about coordinating pillows, upholstery fabric, drapery, and a rug that pulls the color together.

If possible, try to find these items before you buy the final accent wall color. Trying to find retail accessories and home goods to coordinate with that very specific shade of Robin Egg Blue you selected will prove to be a nightmare. Again, this goes back to a color's undertone. Color matching paint value to a shade from your rug or drapery fabric is easy. It's nearly impossible when it's the other way around.

Try putting a flower arrangement in your accent color somewhere else in the room. Look for something with lots of little blooms on long stems that arc softly downward (I have seen these in nearly every color). Stay away from expected arrangements that can look dated. If you are using a dark neutral or an earthy color for your accent wall, do a willowy twig or grass arrangement. Flowers and natural grasses are a great way to mix that accent color around.

Which room in your home is just perfect for an accent wall?

january sale

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Kensington Collection

I received my January Sale email catalog from Restoration Hardware the other day and it was titled “20-70% Savings on Furnishings & Décor + Extra 10% Off Clearance”… how could I not look, right?   Isn’t it amazing how a little something pretty can really ‘make my day’? So, I thought I would share some of the ‘pretties’ with you… and ‘make your day’ too.

I find that next to turning the pages of a beautiful interior design magazine, turning the pages of a beautiful design catalog is on my list of enjoyable pastimes… and the Restoration Hardware catalog is definitely one of THE most beautifully staged photo catalogs EVER. I honestly do not do much shopping at the store but boy do I love to window shop there!  I find their images utterly gorgeous… look at the detail in the backdrop of each of these shots… this catalog gives me SO many great ideas for design and displays. So come along with me now to window shop for some beautiful things (…and remember, design is all in the detail) – and don’t forget ON SALE!

Belgian Roll Arm Collection

Soho Tufted Collection

Belgian Slope Arm Collection

Belgian Classic Roll Arm Collection 

Deconstructed Shelter Collection

Deconstructed Seating Collection

Lancaster Collection

Camelback Collection 

Maxwell Collection

Churchill Collection

Collins Collection

Deconstructed Chesterfield Collection

Now, no design window shopping trip would be complete without checking out some of the gorgeous accessories offered ON SALE. Here are a few of Restoration Hardware’s Featured Designers with their Objects of Curiosity. Click the link to read more. (remember to focus on the details)

Let’s stop over in the Wall Decor Department and see what they've got ON SALE.

Gorgeous, simply put – gorgeous.  These photos are just as appetizing as any high end interior design magazine without the check out price of $15.00+ (can you believe it is $15.00 + for magazines now?!)  I hope sharing a little of these pretties with you has really helped to ‘make your day’.

Thanks for going shopping with me! Next time, maybe we should ‘do lunch’ too!

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I am in no way being compensated by Restoration Hardware for this post… I wish!