Getting To The Root Of The Tree Trunk Table

Blog buzz about the tree trunk dining table seen in Elle Decor in the editorial about the New York apartment of Ashley Stark.  Her apartment has the right mix of luxury and femininity incorporating elements of modern and vintage and art into the winning combination that has taken over the design and decor world.

Groundworks did the dining table for Ashley. I also had Groundworks make a table for me. Well, actually for one of my clients HERE

The Groundworks table I ordered for a client

The bleached root zinc top dining table by Groundworks that I saw in Elle Decor

I was attracted to the table when I saw it Elle Decor in the What's Hot feature. The client hired me to infuse energy into her ten year old interiors, loving the way I mix the old and the new. The dining table was an exciting one-of-a-kind piece that we both loved.

Groundworks table in New Orleans - interior design Valorie Hart - Vintage Milo Baughman chairs (from David Katz) covered in Kelly Wearstler fabric, vintage Murano lamps on French antique sideboard, Serge Moullie chandelier, Louis St. Lewis paintings flank antique trumeau mirror

I prefer the table using the bleached white root of the tree, rather than using two trunks. I also prefer the oval shape. Using the asymmetrical root calls for a visually exciting cantilevered design,

That being said, the table in Ashley Stark's dining room works in her very pretty dining room.

I found a similar one on eBay for you.

Tree trunk table for sale on eBay - Not as graceful as the tables from Groundworks, but at $599. a very good deal - Groundworks tables retail around $7000.

What works in both dining rooms is the use of an iconic modernist overhead fixture, a pair of vintage style lamps on a not-new sideboard,  and mixing antiques, with vintage, and modern elements.

Ashley Stark dining room -
A Jean de Merry light fixture hangs above a dining table by the Groundwork Group and 18th-century Italian chairs; the mirror is vintage, the cabinet is by Tommi Parzinger, and the hand-painted wall­paper and cowhide rug are from Stark.
Photographer: Eric Piasecki

Groundworks tree root table -- interior design Valorie Hart

Jenny Andrews did a nice mood board with ideas to get the room du jour.

email me if you'd like me to create a dining room as fabulous as the one I did in New Orleans for you.

Jenny Andrews tells you how to get the Ashley Stark look in your dining room

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The C Wonder Of It

Full page ads in the Sunday New York Times started to appear in October. Seeing the swanky ad in a humble home located deep in the Irish Channel in New Orleans prompted a smile and a little blip of excitement. First who is this C. Wonder that can afford a full page ad, and then a delight in knowing a mere mortal could actually afford some of this very cute girly designer stuff advertised. There was a web address, but for a couple of months,  it was "under construction".

C. Wonder

Not being able to hop on down to Soho in New York to check out the bricks and mortar C. Wonder store that just opened, I signed up for e-mail alerts. Finally last week, I was sent an e-mail from C. Wonder that allowed one to shop online.

Bricks and Mortar C. Wonder in New York - soon to be a franchise near you!

Happy to report that there are many nice things at fairly affordable prices. I love the Ikat dinnerware, the Chinoiserie mugs, the studded bracelet, and their whole stationary line.

Affordable cute stuff at C. Wonder you can get online HERE

Who is C. Wonder? Pop Sugar reports that it is the ex-husband of Tory Burch, one Chris Burch. Funny how power couples who break up often go their own ways in the same vein.  Of course Chris Burch was a venture capitalist who bankrolled his wife Tory's fashion business before they split in 2006.

I love the stationary at C. Wonder  - Chris Burch is doing also a doing a hip office supply venture

$8. - Big bang for your style buck - Chinoiserie mug at C. Wonder

Ikat bowl at C. Wonder - comes in many colors - also mugs and plates

Ikat plate from C, Wonder - What can I say? I'm a crazy for dinnerware!

Madison Avenue Spy reports, "Chris Burch is best known for being the brains -- and money-- behind ex-wife Tory Burch. Not willing to just sit on his wallet, Chris has been working on several concepts, including the launch of lifestyle brand Monika Chiang. (That's Chris' current girlfriend.)".

Check out the C. Wonder Gift Guide now available online

Any New York decor bloggers been to C.Wonder? The store looks super fun and chic in photos. I would love to see it for myself. In the meantime, I'll shop the C .Wonder web site.

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Dazzle Them With Your Fantasy Table

This came across my desk! I thought you might like taking a trip down fantasy lane.

This is from Isabelle at Rau Antiques, one of the most beautiful antique shops in New Orleans on Royal Street in the French Quarter. I often wonder what I would shop for, what I would own, if money were no object. What would you buy?

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Are you in the mood for setting a festive table, or getting some ideas for a memorable New Year's Eve party?  Famed antiques dealer MS Rau Antiques offers premiere and one-of-a-kind items that will get the party going.

            If you need an excuse to dazzle your guests, or are looking for the ultimate party gift, look no further than MS Rau Antiques, the country's oldest and largest antiques and fine arts dealers located in the historic French Quarter of New Orleans.  For close to one hundred years, MS Rau Antiques has been collecting and offering some of the rarest and most important antique and objet d'art pieces ever seen.  From a pair of matching sterling silver Paul Storr wine coolers (circa 1810) with royal provenance, to a monumental Baccarat crystal chandelier (circa 1880), you will be dubbed the host or hostess with the mostest this season.

            Even if your home doesn't have a ballroom, you can set the scene and can turn any foyer or entry way into a dramatic entrance for your guests with this awe-inspiring 30-light crystal chandelier by Baccarat, one of the world's most famous crystal houses in France and called the King of Crystal.  Not only does this dazzling light source sport crystal prisms, but crystal beads and bronze doré branches complete the composition. Dating from 1880, Baccarat was already world renowned for its chandeliers and tableware that graced the royal homes of Louis XVIII, Charles X, Emperor Napoleon III,  Czar Nicholas II, as well as the royal courts of India and the Middle East.  This particular chandelier has been restored for electricity and is offered at $98,500.

            Make your open bar a sight to behold with this pair of exquisite Regency period sterling silver wine coolers.  Georgian silversmith Paul Storr, whose atelier crafted gracious and elegant silver works during the Regency period, created this matching pair of wine coolers for HRH Princess Beatrice, the youngest daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.  They are in impeccable condition and exhibit exquisite detailing ($228,500). 

            Ratchet up your punch recipe by serving it in this rare Tiffany & Co. silver punch set inlaid with copper, circa 1906.  Even if it's used once a year, punch or even eggnog will take on a new meaning and have party guests coming back for more punch and swooning over the sheer size and weight of this service (weighs 335 ounces) that includes 12 cups, bowl, ladle, and plateau tray ($248,500).  

            After dinner drinks never looked so glamorous when served from this extraordinary 'cavé liqueur', a crystal enclosed cabinet in cut ruby crystal and accented in gilt bronze (circa 1870). Three liqueur bottles and 15 matching cordial glasses, all decorated with hand gilding, fit snugly inside this gorgeous Rococo style case, and are displayed on a mirrored glass tray that is removable from the circular case and has an intricately decorated lid.  The workmanship is beyond exquisite and even for those who don't make a habit out of serving after dinner drinks, this exceptional 'cavé liqueur' is something that get everyone talking.

  

 

            These, as well as other magnificent antiques, fine arts and estate jewelry, are available at MS Rau in New Orleans, or by viewing www.rauantiques.com

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AND go to Susan's Between Naps On The Porch for Tablescape Thursday - This week Susan did a fabulous tablescape using mercury glass that would fulfill anyone's table setting fantasies!

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The Dwell Studio Dance

Moving things around in your house is a sure fire way to get a new look fast without spending any money. Buying things in the first place that have a common thread the weaves throughout the whole house makes for good design with stylish results.

Guest room now - Dwell Studio bedding, the Peacock pattern in Citrine moved in here - Also move in the painting that used to hang over the bed in the master bedroom, and the pair of mercury glass lamps, and the "santos" lady on the vanity

A few years ago I got some bedding from Dwell Studio. An investment for sure, and well worth it. The quality is gorgeous to the hand, and the wash and wear is awesome. The design ethos at Dwell Studio is modern and fabulous, with touchstones to the  traditional, so it mixes in really well with all styles.

The flip flopped bedding works with everything in the guest room

Recently i repainted the master bedroom, changing the color scheme. Rather than get new bedding, I swapped the Dwell Studio bedding I have in the guest room, with the DS I had in the master. Magically it works wonderfully, and it feels like we have "new" bedding in each room.

The Hedgerow pattern bedding from Dwell Studio moved into the master bedroom

Because of the color changes in each room, I also flip-flopped the accessories. Orange came into the master bedroom, and blues went into the guest room.

All the orange accessories from the guest room look great with the new green color scheme - I really love the Foo dog with the Nanjing toile headboard

The other nightstand has a vase of orange flowers, and the  lamps with the red lamp shades  that were in the guest room look wonderful in the master bedroom now

"Shopping" for things you already have in your house, and moving them around is the perfect way to chase away the doldrums and make everything feel refreshed and fun again.

I love my Dwell Studio stuff for sure!

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WWL-TV Christmas Decor Show

WWL-TV took a house tour of a New Orleans home in the Irish Channel decked out for the holidays. Take a look!

Thank you WWL-TV and Sally Ann Rogers and the crew for making this possible.

WWL-TV anchor Sally Ann Roberts takes the holiday house tour with Valorie Hart HERE

The Visual Vamp Top Five Tips for decorating your home for the holidays:

•  Start outside
•  Decorate the inside entry - Put a Christmas tree here if you have space - Use more than one tree
•  Choose a holiday color and change your regular accessories to feature it
•  Move the decor from the front of the house to the back, with accents of garlands, wreaths, crystals, and ornaments.
• Try a a food related theme in the kitchen - candy and mini fruits, strings of popcorn and cranberries

Start at the front door - I made this wreath from cast off ornaments left by the previous owner of the house - I love the playful retro colors, and continued using them on the small trees elevated in garden urns

The giant light bulbs on the front of the house gave me the retro color cues for the wreath and trees - These came from a store that sold commercial display goods in Metairie before Katrina and is no longer there - If anyone knows where to get these, please tell our readers

Put a tree in the entry -TIP:  Elevate it in a garden urn - We need the height for high ceilings in New Orleans - Real or faux trees over 7 feet tall are very expensive, so use a shorter less expensive tree - Oversize ornaments in one color add impact - Wrap faux gifts in one type of paper and out them under the tree - TIP: Ordinary brown packing paper is great for this

Come into the living room! Square wreaths on double doors - TIP: Add ribbon  to the wreaths in the accent color you are going to use in the  next room

Choose a holiday accent color to replace the things you usually have in the room - I chose turquoise - TIP: Tie toss pillow with ribbon to make them look like faux gifts

The vintage tree in the living room - Tiffany blue boxes were free on Craigslist and dictated the color of the ornaments - Get out your old vintage Christmas decorations from the attic and use them again!

Who remembers Fesitvus? Festivus pole in corner near a table with a Nativity vignette

Vintage Brayton Laguna figurines are used in the Nativity scene

A bowl of ornaments on the coffee table and a garland around the clock are easy to do

Don't have a fireplace? No worries! My favorite thing in the living room is the flaming log DVD that runs on a loop on the television -  It has a Christmas music sound track - What a great thing to have for a party - I hate the black hole look of a TV that is turned off - You can get this DVD from Alberto at planet.tango@gmail.com

Bring the decor into the dining room

Add crystals and garland to your chandelier

Trim the tops of armoires, bookcases, and tallboys with  a little garland - Add concealed rope light for a romantic glow

The bar cart in the dining room gets decorated too - Mirror has garland just at the top, and a wreath I made from vintage ornaments - A mini tree on the bar tray adds sparkle along with bottles and glasses

Dining table is staged with dessert service - Bring out your New Orleans things - Here are my Cafe Brulot cups for the holidays - Who doesn't love flaming coffee in the winter? Turquoise tray continues my holiday accent color

Add a mini tree on your sideboard - I cut every other branch out of a tree to make it resemble a vintage feather tree - Feather trees are wonderful to layer ornaments - I feature my special  vintage collection on this tree

Take the decor to the kitchen - Table is set for Revellion supper after Midnight Mass -Mix  and match everything red that you have  TIP: Buy two yards of your favorite fabric and use it for a tablecloth - No need to hem it - -Fireplace festooned with fruit garland and stockings - Food theme is great in the kitchen - Mini tree on mantle has tiny fruit ornaments that look like marzipan - Don't have crystals for your chandelier? Use ornaments for a little holiday bling

Louis Phillip mirror over the mantle gets a whimsical garland

The mantle gets all the left over ornaments piled on to make a fun mantlescape

There's a stairway in the kitchen that gets basic green garlnad with the addition of ropes of candy garland to continue the food theme - The kitchen clock gets a "wreath" around it, using a piece of garland cut from the piece used on the stairs

I want candy! Detail of candy rope garland used in the kitchen - You could also go old school and  string pop corn and cranberries for the kitchen Christmas decor

Add a couple of easy Christmas items to the island in the kitchen

A pretty Christmas plant and a plate of cookies do the trick - TIP: Remove foil from plant and put it on a bowl or tureen

Any house whether big or small can have Christmas decor

SHOPPING TIPS:

If you live in the metro New Orleans Area:

• Breaux Mart on Magazine has best prices for cut flowers and plants - the  pretty one shown was only $12.99
• Wal Mart on Tchoup has a great selection of turquoise ornaments, and oversize gold balls
• All my garland is the basic, classic inexpensive stuff from Wal Mart and Walgreens
• Candy garland and wired ribbon comes from Gordons in Metairie (fruit garland and mini fruit ornaments are vintage)
• For boutique style special ornaments: Hazelnut, Belladonna, and perch. on Magazine Street
• Pier 1 on Tchoup has great inexpensive designer style ornaments
• Aquatic Gardens in the French Quarter has garden urns, ditto for Plant Gallery on Airline

If you shop online, check out my latest post for Houzz for lots of Christmas decor sources (including a silver tree).

Brayton Laguna Pottery like the ones I used in my Nativity can be found on eBay.

And if all of this overwhelms you, contact me to do your holiday decor, and style your home for the holidays.
mizvtheb@yahoo.com

How many Christmas trees do you have in your home?

For more great Christmas decor ideas go to Susan's Between Naps On The Porch to see what some other creative and talented bloggers are doing!

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