Resolutions: Silver and Gold, Part IV

THE MAVEN'S NEW YEAR'S PARTY TIP:

 Instead of going to the time and expense of making many different hors d'oeurves, concentrate on a handful of big, lovely trays and several nibbles. 

For example, a great cheese tray with a variety of cheeses and crackers, an antipasto platter, and perhaps
one hot dish with small dishes of nibbles all about.  
Nibbles are nuts (I especially love shelled pistachios), olives, cheese straws (again!), etc. 

As the New Year tilts into full swing, our last, but certainly not least,  group of divine designers and design bloggers has arrived at the party . . .

Barry Dixon

Designer, Barry Dixon, Inc. 

Warrenton, VA

http://www.barrydixon.com/

DESIGN RESOLUTION

I want to always tether my interior designs to the view outside the window, creating one harmonious element.

2012 COLOR

My color for 2012 is what I call "Agua",

the color you see when you fill

 a white bathtub with water,

 a light pale blue green.

 

And I ALWAYS love my

optimistic, happy yellows.



Barry Dixon for Vervain, Ishtar in Yellows



Barry Dixon for Vervain, Ishtar in Grey and Lemon



Barry Dixon for Vervain, Gene Stripe in Yellow Maize

    



Barry Is Toasting In The New Year With

Dom Perignon Champagne

It, of course, is always delicious on it's own,

but sometimes I add a bit of Italian blood orange spritzer for a little

 Blood Orange Champagne Cocktail

Nancy Price

Designer, Nancy Price Interior Design

Design Blogger, "The Room Blue"

(launching January 26, 2012)

Jackson, MS

http://www.nancypriceinteriors.com/

DESIGN RESOLUTION

I resolve to not be intimidated, to be more embracing, of using a more saturated palette in creating a soft, serene and soothing environment for my clients.

2012 COLOR

 A great saturated French blue with just the barest hint of green like Benjamin Moore's

Classic Color 762, Pacific Palisades

 

I am using this color in my new collection for Design Legacy.

It is beautiful paired with white and soft neutrals.

Nancy Is Toasting In The New Year With

LaMarca Prosecco

I cannot resist the blue!

Kathryn Greeley

Designer, Kathryn Greeley Design

Design Blogger, "The Collected Room"

Author, The Collected Tabletop

Waynesville, NC

http://www.kathryngreeleydesigns.com/

DESIGN RESOLUTION

My 2012 design resolution is to use as many exquisitely designed and manufactured products made in the USA as possible!

 Hickory Chair samples, including the pictured Elliott Chair, Artisan Curved Front Chest and the oversized Sophia Wall Mirror

I love Hickory Chair's products, and they are entering their second century of manufacturing furniture in North Carolina.

 

2012 COLOR

My color choice for 2012 is

cobalt/indigo blue. 

My second choice is tangerine, also known as orange with a touch of red!

Kathryn Is Toasting In The New Year With

My favorite beverage for toasting in the new year, or about anything else, is Veuve Clicquot champagne. 

And if anyone is a champagne drinker like me, I highly recommend the book,

The Widow Clicquot!

(Read a review HERE)

Raji Radhakrishnan

Designer, Raji RM and Associates

Washington, DC

http://www.rajirm.com/

DESIGN RESOLUTION

 I want to explore more deeply other aspects of design including writing, photography and new products/product design.

2012 COLOR

Bronze

Raji Is Toasting In The New Year With

A fine champagne or Irish coffee

Carolyn Espley-Miller, aka Slim Paley

Design Blogger, "Slim Paley"

Santa Barbara, CA

http://www.slimpaley.com/

DESIGN RESOLUTION

My Design Resolution for 2012 is to actually carve out the time to sit and enjoy all of the beautiful coffee table books I have accumulated over the past few years. 

That's "Savage Beauty; Alexander McQueen" on top

 As much as I like the internet, I feel I'm missing the tactile pleasures I used to derive from real books, not just design books, but gardening, art, travel and cookbooks as well. 

2012 COLOR

 

I'm drawn to "jammy" colours for the new year- aubergine, deep plums, mangosteen; tones that are dark & mysterious.

I'm loving these hues mixed with old reclaimed wood and more masculine materials like slate and oxidized metals.

Slim Is Toasting In The New Year With

Normally, I prefer savory drinks to sweet,  but my new cocktail for ringing in this

 New Year is definitely the

"Toasted Marshmallow Martini"

we perfected over the holiday!

Recipe

2 parts Smirnoff's marshmallow vodka

 2 parts heavy whipping cream

1 part white creme de cacao

 Shake in ice filled cocktail shaker

Garnish with roasted marshmallow

And that, dear Slim, sounds like a perfect nightcap for our final toast.

Happy, happy New Year again my dear friends of silver and gold!

And thank you again my friends 

Alisa Tarver Berry

Gloria De Lourdes Blalock

Beth Collier

Barbara Jordan Dettweiler

Barry Dixon

Mary Douglas Drysdale

Kathryn Greeley

Greet Lefevre

John Lyle

Mary Helen McCoy

Kevin McLaughlin

Patricia Hart McMillan

Slim Paley

Lissy Parker

KathySue Perdue

Nancy Price

Raji Radhakrishnam

Joe Ruggiero

Gaye Tapp

Mona Thompson

Irene Turner

for your sharing your bounty





 
 

I'm Dreaming of a BLUE Christmas, Yes BLUE



I now love to coordinate unusual colors for Christmas wrappings, like these blues.



I can hear Elvis somberly and soulfully singing "I'll have a blue Christmas without you
I'll be so blue just thinking about you
Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree . . ."

I used to sit, literally for hours, studying my parents' album covers before I could read.
Elvis was a favorite in our house, especially at Christmas. 
 This album is one of the most popular Christmas albums of all times.
Listen to Elvis sing "A Blue Christmas" HERE.

Wait just a minute!
 Something was so wrong that Christmas . . .

When I was really little, about three or four, my Grandmother Nanny did NOT have decorations of red on a green Christmas tree.

She had one of those, very much at the time "in vogue" and now again popular, silver trees with all blue ornaments and one of those revolving lights that was blue. 







Holly Golightly Christmas Tree from the The Visual Vamp in New Orleans



Vintage Blue Ornaments, oh how I love vintage ornaments!

The wreath on her front door was flocked and had a big blue bow.

At that young age, I really wasn't wild about all her blue at Christmas.  It just didn't seem right to me, but I will admit even then I loved the little blue glittered house in the Christmas village under the
family tree in our den.

Now I am thinking that having a blue Christmas is not such a bad thing . . .

Not with my friend and designer extraordinaire Nancy Price around.

 In fact it is very beautiful thing.

Custom oyster shell and agate busts are part of Nancy's new wholesale line.
Nancy loves to employ local talent, and these are made in Jackson, MS.

Blue Agate

I first met Nancy more than ten years ago, when she was working on her first
St. Andrew's Designer Showhouse here in Jackson, MS, with me.  I was smitten with her from the start. 

Nancy had, and still has, the cutest short haircut I have ever seen,
while I have long hair. 

Nancy Price, known affectionately as "Opalina" to many of her
 South American suppliers.  That is a story for another day!



Nancy and I also share a love of moss and roses, in
Opaline of course. Nancy had these scattered about her studio
when I visited.



In the hair department, I think it was a case of opposites attract, as we admired each other's hair, confessing that neither of us could wear the other one's hairstyle but wished we could.   

But in the design department, we were
 "birds of a feather."

Nancy designed a bathroom for that showhouse which I adored.  

I loved the way she seamlessly integrated New Orleans old world antiques with modern, sleek elements and art to create a personal, unique, and collected look, exactly the design aesthetic I love. 

And you can always tell that her
heart is really in it.
To me the most important talent that a designer can have is that ability to
pour your heart into it for your client.


I have been a fan of Nancy's ever since.

And have I mentioned that Nancy's signature in all that she does is blue?

One afternoon recently, I visited with Nancy in her studio in Jackson's historic Fondren district to catch up.

Nancy's skill at mixing elements is very evident in her studio/boutique.
Of course I love the large gold stump table!

Nancy greeted and treated me with a lovely blue labelled bottle of LaMarca Prosecco and matching blue glasses .

One of my questions for her was, "Why blue?"

Nancy, originally from South Louisiana, explained that as a child when she attended church she loved and admired the blue garments that Mary wore and that blue became her love and her inspiration, and now her signature.

Nancy's studio/boutique is well stocked with a carefully curated collection of antiques, art, custom designs, gifts and jewelry from around the world, oh, and of course items for creating your very own "Blue Christmas".

Nancy making selections for her clients and boutique

The mix of antique china, blue glassware, and architectural elements makes a beautiful and unique holiday table.

More opaline and stone

Nancy has a great selection of statement jewelry, in addition to carrying
Heather Moore's line.

Nancy and her elves have been hard at work creating a "Blue Christmas" for her clients.

I love the oyster shell trees.



In our part of the country, magnolia is fabulous for the holidays,
 beautiful natural, glossy green on
one side and furry sienna brown on the other.




Earlier this year Nancy launched her own line, including furniture for Design Legacy and accessories, in Atlanta, New York,
 and High Point. 

 In Atlanta she  won "Best of Show" and in New York "Best of the Best Summer 2011" award for accessories from the American Society of Interior Design.

High Point

And the beautiful design book Interiors, Southeast, which features Nancy's work on the cover and inside, was published this year.

I am thrilled to formally announce that Nancy will be launching her new design blog
"The Room Blue"
at the end of January 2012 in conjunction with her
second show in New York. 
We shall have to pop another bottle or two
of the LaMarca!

I will keep you posted.


And in the meantime,

"You'll be doing all right with your Christmas of white
But I'll have a blue, blue, blue Christmas."

And this year, I will love that.

Another of Bergdorf Goodman's famouse Christmas windows,
this one in blue.
This year's theme is "The Carnival of the Animals".
photo by Ricky Zehavi

What colors are using for Christmas this year?

Do you like blue for Christmas?

Do you change colors from year to year or always use the same scheme?

photo credits:  via House of Turquoise, The Visual Vamp, Country Living, Nancy Price,
Marilyn Storey, Ricky Zehavi for Bergdorf Goodman


See more of Nancy Price HERE
and watch for more information about her new blog
coming at the end of January 2012
THE ROOM BLUE

Also find Nancy on Facebook HERE