The Ultimate Home

Sleeping at Versailles

It is hard to say a trip to Paris is complete without visiting Versailles.  During my tour, I reminded myself that, yes, this was at one point a home!  Although I had been several times before, this was the first time I ventured over the the 'country homes' of the Grand Trianon and the Petit Trianon.  I just loved these two beds and thought that there were some beautiful design queues in each of them.  If you go, make sure you include visits to these two buildings and be sure to also include a visit to the Queen's Hamlet.

Colorful China

Again from Paris, I especially loved this colorful display of everyday china.  These are a welcome option for spring and summer luncheons.

French Linens

I still have many inspirational things to post from my trip to Paris last week.  I especially loved these French Linens from Garnier-Thiebaut displayed in the Printemps department store.

Magnificent Monet

Bonjour!  My trip to Paris was fantastic.  There are so many things to see in this magnificient country.  A personal highlight was seeing artist Claude Monet's home and gardens in Giverny, about 45 minutes outside of Paris.  Because his son was an avid photographer, many photographs survive which show Monet painting, gardening and enjoying his friends and family.  Because of this, you can really place yourself next to Monet and get close to his artistic genius.  His home and his first studio is furnished exactly as it was when he lived in the home.  The Grande Allee in his front yard as well as the water gardens across the road are maintained as it was during his lifetime.  I was lucky enough to see the sights during the peak of the Iris season and his gardens were filled with thousands of beautiful blooming flowers.  Monet's Ultimate Home was a sacred place designed to support and encourage his passions for gardening and painting as well as encourage fabulous times with friends and family. I feel grateful to have seen such a special Home, and I hope you can visit too.

Au Revoir!

I'm off to Paris for a few days.  I'm sure I'll have lots of inspiration to share with you upon my return.  In the meantime, read through the archives listed on the right hand column of this page and also make sure that you subscribe to The Ultimate Home Newsletter at http://www.zingpress.com/pages/Ultimate.aspx.  The sign up box is on the lower left hand column.

Beautiful Plasma

As technology prices fall, many homeowners are making the shift from traditional television sets to wall mounted plasma or LCD technology.  The new flat panel televisions are often mounted above a fireplace or on a wall in the family or keeping room.  The only problem is that when the television is not on, it isn't very attractive to look at.  Several companies have designed innovative solutions so that the plasma looks great when it is not being watched.  The first is Avery Art.  Their custom media screens are designed to conceal the plasma behind a wall of beautiful framed art.  They work with you to select the right size to conceal the screen and to also select beautiful art and frames.   When you want to watch your plasma, simply open each side of the screen.  Some versions are single hinged while others are double hinged.  An example of their work is shown above.  You can contact Avery Art at www.averyart.com. 

Another company with a unique solution is VisionArt.  VisionArt provides a vast selection of art.  You choose which painting and which frame you want displayed on the wall.  When you want to watch, you simply click on the remote control and the art disappears and the media screen appears.  You can learn more at www.visionartgalleries.com. 

   

Powerful Portraits

I began my day by seeing a presentation by the famous Jamie Drake.  Drake has decorated homes of the rich and famous including Madonna and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.  In Drake's New York apartment he has a large self portrait of Chuck Close.  Chuck is one of the most celebrated modern portrait artists who composes works of himself using a variety of techniques and media.  He continues to produce wonderful portraits in spite of being confined to a wheelchair since 1988. 

I also heard a great presentation by Beverly Addington.  Beverly Addington is director of licensing for the Mount Vernon ladies association.  She gave a wonderful presentation about George Washington and the newly expanded museum adjacent to Mount Vernon which showcases his many portraits.  Mount Vernon has teamed up with Fabricut to introduce dozens of fabrics inspired by various textiles and items from Mount Vernon.

Then in the evening, I attended the magnificent show, Blind Sight.  Blind Sight is the stunning, moving and beautiful exhibit of the story of twelve people who have visual impairments.  The exhibit showcases the work of photographer Billy Howard and artist Laurie Shock.  Billy's photograph above is of Cliff Hembree with Sampson.  Each individual's story combines Billy's portrait photograph, the person's audio description of their visual impairment and Laurie's illustrations that emulate what they might actually see.  When you look at the works as a whole, they give you a view of the resiliance, perseverance, energy and spirit of those with visual impairments.  Laurie is also the designer of my Ultimate Home Book & Organizer! The exhibit is being shown at the Arts for All Gallery in downtown Atlanta, GA, VSA Arts of Georgia through June 22, 2007.  If you are in the Atlanta area, I encourage you to SEE this powerful exhibit.

Interior Trends

The May issue of Realtor Magazine highlights some of the trends in interior design.  Their findings include rich details which combine various textures and finishes such as concredte-tiled walls, glass countertops, copper sinks and cherry cabinetry.  Of course green building technologies to reduce emissions and energy consumptions is high on the list of trends, especially for new construction.  Finally, as our lives continue to move at a rapid electronics-driven pace, square footage is being set aside for private spaces to escape and pursue home-based hobbies.  These new spaces include pocket libraries, scrapbooking and gift wrapping rooms, and luxurious spa bathrooms.  Are you including any of these trends in your construction and remodeling plans?

Painted Beauties

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Raymond Goins.  Raymond and his Atlanta-based studio create artistic masterpieces for the home.  Most of his best work is in painted furnishings and accessories.  One of his newest pieces is a glass gilded screen which uses a process called Eglomise.  In Eglomise, the artist must paint every object in reverse order (ie. highlights are painted first, then objects and lastly the background).  These are just the kind of decorative elements that add a very big 'wow' to a room.  See more at www.raymondgoins.com.  In Atlanta, the line is available to the trade at Grizzell & Mann and in San Francisco at McRae and Co.

Fantastic Fizz!

If you love to entertain or just have a Coke or Diet Coke addition, the best way to provide full service is to install a Home Carbonation system.  For about $3,000, you can have a bar quality tap in your kitchen and rec room sink.  You'll not only have four to six beverages at your fingertips, but you'll also be the envy of all your friends and neighbors.  You can learn more at www.homecarbonation.com.