Each spring I wait in eager anticipation for the 1,000+ tulip bulbs planted around Elizabeth Moyer’s Rye, New York home to bloom. Elizabeth is the author of the aptly named blog, Pretty Pink Tulips, and for the last 10 years her signature spring tulips have been a beloved Moyer family tradition. As the name of her blog suggests, Elizabeth always plants pink tulips, and usually they are light pink. This year she decided to mix things up by planting fringed hot pink “Burgandy Lace” tulips… What a surprise when they popped up red! Next year Elizabeth will return to pale pink, but the red is certainly spectacular.
I was also excited to see Elizabeth’s tulips and her “Tulip Party” featured this month in Better Homes & Gardens! Congratulations, Elizabeth, you are such an inspiration!
For 10 years, more than 1,000 tulips (usually pink, as pictured) have graced the beautiful home of Elizabeth Moyer each spring.
To read more about Elizabeth’s Better Homes & Gardens feature, produced by the illustrious Eddie Ross, along with behind the scenes exclusives and outtakes, please click here. You can see more of her home in previous years with pink tulips (and daffodils!) here. And for ongoing inspiration, please follow her blog Pretty Pink Tulips and @prettypink2lips on Instagram. Thank you, Elizabeth, for creating and sharing such beauty!
Nancy Smith has loved stationery since she was a child. She established her business, Walton Street Stationers, in 1999 and named it after her favorite street in London filled with charming bespoke shops. Today Nancy is on a mission to help preserve the fine art of letter writing. “The joy of sitting down and writing a note on wonderful paper is one of the simple joys in life, to thank a friend or simply let them know you are thinking of them,” she says. “A letter is never an interruption and can be savored again and again.” I am delighted to welcome Nancy to The Glam Pad for a Q&A and a peek inside her beautiful home in Alexandria, Virginia!
Nancy’s Westies, Percy and India
Q: What inspired you to establish Walton Street Stationers?
A: I alway loved stationery, even as a little girl, and I loved to play ‘store’. After years of being in retail, I knew I wanted to start my own business, so Walton Street Stationers was born! I enjoy the creative outlet, working with design, color and texture. There is something so lovely about having beautiful stationery on which to write a note, or having the perfect invitation to set the tone for an event. The icing on the cake, for me, is that working from a home office, my dogs get to ‘come to work’ with me!
Q: What advice would you give to someone looking to create a stationery wardrobe?
A: A stationery wardrobe is as essential as a clothing wardrobe, as far as I am concerned. If you are just starting out, I would recommend a correspondence card with a classic color ink and typestyle or monogram that could carry you through thank you notes, sympathy notes and everything in between. One of my letterpress vendors, Haute Papier, has created a silk box of 100 letterpress cards with 4 sets of 25 cards each, so you can mix it up and do a family name, individual name, monogram, motif, whatever works best, plus have an attractive box in which to store your stationery. (I personally think this makes a fabulous wedding gift.) If you wanted to branch out, it is fun to then do something in a different size, with a different typestyle, monogram, and ink color. Your stationery is a reflection of you!
Q: What are your favorite tips for writing the perfect thank you note?
A: The perfect thank you note includes thanking the person for the specific item and telling them how you will enjoy using it, wearing it, whatever it may be. If it is a dinner, mention the food, the flowers, the home, the conversation…make it personal and heartfelt and you cannot go wrong!
Q: Please tell me more about your engraving line from Arzberger and Wren Press and its connection to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
A: I carry two fantastic engraving lines. Arzberger from North Carolina and Wren Press from London. They both do the most beautiful engraving. Arzberger was the very first line I carried when I started my business in 1999. Wren Press carries the Royal Warrant for Her Majesty the Queen, as well as the Prince of Wales. In addition to creating stationery for the British Royal Family, they have supplied stationery for many royal households in Europe…as well as Walton Street Stationers!
Q: I understand you have unveiled an exclusive new line of engraved stationery featuring various breeds of dogs. Can you please tell me more, and what was your inspiration?
A: I have recently launched my own line of engraved stationery with dog images on them, called Walton Street Dogs. It came from my love of dogs, as well as the fact that I couldn’t find stationery with engraved dogs on them that I liked. So, I worked with an artist and we came up with four breeds for starters: Westies (since I have two), Jack Russells (the artist’s dog), Labradors and Golden Retrievers. We have added elegant, hand edged gift tags, and pocket notepads. We will be adding new breeds over time, and can do your very own dog as a bespoke project, as well.
Q: I love that you named your company after your favorite street in London. Please tell me more about your passion for England.
A: I just love England…there is something about the craftsmanship, the gardens, and the civility. Things there are still bespoke…there are wonderful independent shops, just like on Walton Street, which is why I named my business Walton Street Stationers. Walton Street in London is filled with the most adorable, enchanting, and inviting shops. So, this was my way of bringing that atmosphere to my business.
Colefax & Fowler’s Bowood chintz in the guest room is quintessentially English.
Q: How would you describe your style when it comes your home, and do you have any professional experience in interior design?
A: My style is classic and traditional with surprises every now and then. Our home is classic, cozy, and comfortable, with an English feel, from the fabrics to the garden. I like to update the classic with contemporary art, pillows, and accessories that you can change or just move around. My husband also has a very good and detailed eye. We both love to read books about design, interiors and gardens. (I think we have every English garden book ever published)! While I do not have any professional experience in interior design, I think the same things that make good stationery make good interiors…putting together the right colors and textures that reflect you.
Q: What are your favorite hobbies and greatest interests?
A: My hobbies and interests include needlepoint, reading, travel, watching tennis (especially Roger Federer), spending time with family and friends, walking the dogs, learning more about art and going to art exhibits. On my list of things I would like to add: taking a painting class and a photography class.
Q: As a fellow needlepointer and letter writer, why is it important that we continue “old fashioned” traditions in a world full of digitization and 24/7 immediacy?
A: Letter writing is a wonderful way to slow down and enjoy the moment. It is so different than sending an email that you can just cross off your list. It truly has a therapeutic effect on the mind. It is such a pleasure to sit down with paper that makes you happy, and a pen, and put thoughts into a note. And, it is such a pleasure for the person receiving it, to enjoy reading it at their leisure. They can save it and re-read it again. A friend of mine saves notes and puts them in books and when she pulls out the book again, she can enjoy the thoughtfulness of the note all over again.
Q: Anything else you would like to add?
A: I love what I do. I feel like I have become a curator of beautiful stationery as well as other wonderful gifts that I have added to the mix over the years. I work by appointment and do pop up shops, as well as shows, and am still having so much fun!
Nancy Smith with Percy and IndiaMention “The Glam Pad” to receive 25% off any Walton Street Dogs products.
Thank you Nancy for joining us today! Walton Street Stationers is located in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia and available online, by appointment, or phone. Nancy’s exclusive Walton Street Dogs collection will also be available in Palm Beach via Leta Austin Foster‘s boutique on Worth Avenue beginning this fall.
The Walton Street Dogs collection currently includes Westies, Jack Russels, Labradors, and Golden Retrievers with Poodles and Dachshunds on the way. Custom orders are available for all other breeds. Mention “The Glam Pad” you will receive 25% off any of the Walton Street Dogs products through May 31! For further inspiration and updates, please follow @waltonstreetstationers on Instagram.
So many wonderful new books have been released this spring, and I always enjoy sharing my favorites. First up, Charlotte Moss Entertains. As a huge Charlotte Moss fan, I have every one of her books, and I simply could not wait to add the latest to my collection. A renowned interior designer and tastemaker, Charlotte Moss is knowns for her Southern charm and gracious hospitality. Charlotte Moss Entertains teaches us not only how to entertain for social gatherings and holidays, but also how to make every day an occasion with a little elegance and romance. Moss opens her butlers pantry and linen closets to share how china, silver, linens, and flowers are used to create the backdrop for a life well lived… from grand dinner parties to breakfast in bed.
“There are too many good books available that contain all the whats, ifs, how-tos and definitely the nots,” said Moss. “But, I thought I might give you some thoughts that have guided me over the years. Nothing complicated, no rules, no finger wagging – just ideas.”
Charlotte Moss Entertains is a lovely reminder to celebrate the day-to-day by bringing enthusiasm and style to every domestic activity. Setting the table becomes a joy when putting together stylish combinations of place mats, monogrammed linens, china, tableware, curios, and flowers. “Once you’ve done it enough times, and with confidence, you will then graduate to what all great hosts and hostesses are able to do – spontaneous entertaining.”
It’s no secret that I am obsessed with Mario Buatta, and when I discover previously unseen work I get positively giddy. Surrounded by 16 acres of terraced Italianate gardens on the Connecticut River, “Blendon Hall” was designed in 1902 by Charles Adam Platt and named after a cottage in Newport, Rhode Island. One of the most renowned American architects of the 20th century, Platt was known for using nature as his guide to design, always letting landscape surroundings inspire his plans for the house and garden.
Lily and Bill O’Boyle had just purchased their New York City apartment when they found this Connecticut home, so Buatta was busy decorating both homes at the same time. Whenever he didn’t like something in the Manhattan home, he would laughingly say, “Take it to Connecticut!” So furniture from past houses ended up there along with treasured collections that were deemed “too country” for the city, Lily explained.
“We wanted it to have an English country house sensibility incorporating things we loved like chintzes, porcelain, books and art that would not only reflect our passions and interest but stand the test of time, children, and pets,” said Lily who is the author of several books on the Philippines. Comfortably English with a French sophistication and a definite Asian twist was the mandate.
White-on-white striped wallpaper offsets flowered chintz upholstered furniture in the living room.The front door (which is red, as recommended by a feng shui master) opens up to a spacious apricot colored foyer. A local artist painted the wooden floor with tromp-l’oeil marble.The dining roomThe color blue was an underlying theme not just in the home’s fabrics, paint, tiles, and decorative accessories, but also in the garden.In contrast to the light filled, airy living room, the library with its dark mahogany paneling is a warm, cozy evening room that lends itself to lazy fireside chats and winter gatherings.
Image via Connecticut for SaleA cotton print of blue cornflowers on the bed and on the walls reinforce the blue and white color scheme in the master bedroom.The fabric was upholstered on the bedroom and sitting room walls, a treatment Lily had greatly admired in a dressing room at her favorite spa in France.A guest room is upholstered in an Indian block print that is repeated on the headboard, bed skirt, and window shades. Shirred Swiss tambour curtains from a previous home were reused on the bed’s canopy to provide a soft touch.D. Porthault linens provide the perfect complement.
The hallway features a mural of a trellised garden dripping with wisteria.A statue presides over the garden planted with mostly blue flowering plants and New David climbing roses.There is a sheltered cove teeming with wildlife at the bottom of the property.A set of French doors open to a porticoed porch with stairs that lead down to a wisteria-covered arbor culminating in the pool house.The colonial revival style house commands a long and comprehensive view of the Connecticut River and the surrounding countryside.
Buatta likes to say that houses aren’t done overnight. A house should be a continuing work in progress. It should “grow like a garden.” Purchased in 1986, Blendon Hall evolved with the O’Boyles – remaining faithful to Platt’s original design – until they listed the home in 2012… Click below to view a fabulous virtual tour!
The Junior League of Miami’s 2018 Showhouse is currently underway at the historic Deering Estate, and as a sustaining League member, I always look forward to this biennial event. Built in the early 1900s on the waterfront, the 444-acre Deering Estate is a cultural asset listed on the National Register of Historic Places. More than 20 of South Florida’s most respected and innovative designers have transformed the estate’s interior and exterior spaces into spectacular and creative settings. From April 14-29, the public has the unique opportunity to explore the residence reinterpreted with modern touches in an estate dating back to 1916. Here is a sneak peek!
Library in Stone House by Alfredo BritoCharles Deering’s Study in Stone House by RESA, Real Estate Staging AssociationEntry Foyer and Breakfast Room in the Richmond Cottage by Errez DesignEntry Foyer and Breakfast Room in the Richmond Cottage by Errez DesignThe Grand Salon in Stone House by Elizabeth Ghia InteriorsThe Grand Salon in Stone House by Elizabeth Ghia InteriorsCharles Deering’s Bedroom in the Stone House by AC Styles DesignsCharles Deering’s Bedroom in the Stone House by AC Styles DesignsLadies Sitting Room in Stone House Melida Williams Interior Design
If you love classic interior design, you will love Carter & Company! I follow them on Instagram and am constantly inspired by their beautiful work. Founder Michael Carter brings his love of architecture, art, antiques, and timeless design to all of his projects, comfortably mixing the old with the new. He has received multiple awards for his work, and in 2016 he was inducted into the New England Design Hall of Fame for his outstanding achievements in interior design. By understanding the vision and goals of each client, Carter & Company helps create beautiful and timeless interior spaces that truly reflect the unique personal style of the homeowners. Today, I am delighted to welcome Michael Carter for a Q&A and a glimpse of his exquisite portfolio…
Q: Please tell me about your background, the philosophy of Carter and Company, and your passion for classic interiors.
A: Carter and Company is high-end interior design firm that has been active in the Boston area since the 1990’s. As principal designer, I always had a passion and respect for traditional design and classic interiors, going back to my childhood when I would spend hours alone drawing historical buildings, especially classically-inspired buildings like Monticello and houses in Williamsburg that my parents took me to see as a boy. I thought I might study law when I attended Wake Forest University, but it was ultimately my love of art, architecture and history, especially British and American history that prevailed. I also studied at the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (also in Winston-Salem). After finishing I moved to Boston, which I truly considered the epicenter of history and culture and marvelous historical architecture, and got my first job as a “sample boy” at the old Boston Design Center in Back Bay before taking a job in the Antiques Department at Shreve Crump and Low. That was back in the day when Shreve’s had the back cover of Antiques magazine and I got to design the ads, which was great fun. So I really bounced back and forth between working in antiques and design showrooms before I ventured out on my own as a designer in 1996. My first client had a magnificent Boston townhouse on Commonwealth Ave — a brownstone that had been remodeled in the classical taste at the turn of the century. She loved antiques and the house was quite grand, and so it was the perfect fit. Lucky me! We shopped up and down the East Coast and in London, so you can imagine how splendidly it turned out.
Q: Where do you continue to find inspiration?
A: Well, I still believe that traveling is the best source of inspiration for any designer. For me, it’s still England and Europe that I find myself drawn to visit, which I do as often as possible. Shy of actually living there, which would be heaven, I do get tremendous inspiration via social media, in particular, Instagram. I can get lost for hours browsing other designers’ work and looking at gardens and houses all over the world. I’m not a lover of all technology/social media because it often diminishes living in the present, but I must say that Instagram, Houzz and Pinterest are fantastic and they open up worlds that otherwise would not be as accessible.
Q: Which designers – past or present – have influenced your aesthetic?
Q: How did your appreciation for historic homes begin? And through renovation or redecoration, how do you bring these homes into the 21st century while still respecting their past?
A: Like many kids growing up in the 70’s, I grew up in a boring, suburban track house in a big neighborhood with similar homes. No imagination, no character. Luckily my parents would take me to see historic homes in North Carolina, Virginia and throughout the South. That truly opened my eyes to what architecture and interiors could be. Should be!
Q: For someone who has a newer build or is embarking upon new construction, what tips do you give for incorporating the charm of the past?
A: First and foremost, hire the right architect. And that’s no longer hard to do…there are so many great architects now like Gil Schafer and Steven Spandle who understand classical architecture and can make it work for contemporary living. After getting the design right it’s all about using good materials; quality doors, moldings, and windows. Keep in mind scale and proportion and lean towards symmetry whenever possible.
Q: What is the first thing you do when beginning a new project with a client?
A: I try to comprehend the client’s aesthetic to establish a personal point of view that will make the home uniquely their taste and then ultimately become their editor and guide them towards good choices.
Q: How do you design a room that will stand the test of time?
A: It is truly an intuitive process. When you’ve seen a lot of things in your travels, you get a sense of design that is less about fashion trends and more timelessness. I do not believe there is any real formula, but you know it when you get it right.
Q: What advice would you give to someone starting from scratch with their interiors?
A: Like I mentioned before, take advantage of the newest tools like Pinterest and Houzz. Discover what you like and how the images you’re drawn to have a story to tell — how they connect, even before engaging a designer.
Q: Anything else you would like to add?
A: As much as classically-inspired interiors and architecture embrace the past, they should not be afraid of the future. Some of the most exciting work I see blends the old with the new. Nobody wants to live in a museum, so consider all the possibilities as part of the adventure.
Thank you so much for joining us today, Michael! These rooms are truly timeless. For additional information, please visit Carter & Company, and for daily inspiration follow @carterandcompany on Instagram.
