Architectural Digest Show 2012



The Perfect future featured Piet Hein Eek "Waste Table" made of reclaimed wood.

Artsaics incredible mosaics are SOLID fashion!



Brooklyn based BDDW marries modern and natural elements with their handcrafted pieces.



Aviva stanoff shows off their beautiful textiles and other little secrets...not anymore.



 The New Traditionalist always innovative and creating new trends with classic elements.

Love this buckle detail on the back of one this New Traditionalist chair.



The Ralph Lauren dining room was just one of the many dining scapes at the show.

Clever light fixture!

 

Love this one as well featuring Michael McHale's lighting! Loved it so much installed it in a recent loft project!

Imagination in flight!! Fantastic!

Fantasticamente!!

What a great show and thank you to Modernus for making it extra special!!

Blooms and the Boston Flower and Garden Show 2012

The crocus isn't the only messenger to remind us that spring is on our door step. The New England Horticultural Society's annual Flower and Garden show is a wonderful way to celebrate the beginning of spring!

 Bonsai trees in all their miniature splendor.

There was a lovely assortment of stone walkways meandering throughout some of the garden displays.

Gorgeous landscapes filled the show with vibrant colors and varietals.

Watery elements and arbors.

Ladies sporting floral nesting millinery fashions.

Afro chic GaGa wears babies breath.

Sculptural chapeau made of striking yellow orchids.

Maple beauties.

Topiary arrangements.

Tulips and hostas.

Love this tangerine front door and complimentary landscaping.

Orange tulips and grape hyacinth for a burst of color!

The New England Flower and Garden Show was  a delightful way to start my spring!

Bath inspirations

My current master bathroom project is inspired by the outdoors. The dark Nero bamboo impression on the porcelain floor grounds the space. The glazed maple vanity has depth and stature. It is topped with  mottled Quartz...like white sand. Beautiful and translucent, the glass creates a watery spa environment. Required, an element of sparkle, achieved with metal and stone accent tiles &

Brizo Siderna bath fixtures...the rooms jewels!!

More to come.......

A Sunday Stroll & Architecture

This past Sunday I parked my car along the Boston Garden and decided to take a long walk down Commonwealth Ave.. It was a cold wintry day and the sun was shining so brightly I became oblivious to the chilly temps and grew distracted by the beauty of one of Boston's most notable streets.

An Illustration from 1881 features the green way that begins at the western side of the Public Garden.
The greenway is also known as The Commonwealth Mall which displays several statues and was beautifully
designed by Arthur Delevan Gilman and Frederick Law Olmstead.

Every entrance tells it's own architectural story.

Movement in a walkway is always more visually interesting and welcoming.

This corner home and it's Mansard slate roof boast of grand days.
I always wonder what stories it would tell me if it could.

A beautiful side courtyard and it's overgrown view. Look closely and you'll see the copper roof.
What flowers would you place in the pots flanking the entrance? I would love to see them overflowing with hydrengia's and a crown of willow for verticality. Then maybe a soft coat of verbena cascading down the pillars for movement and fragence on those breezy summer days. 

A room with a view and black iron balconies sit above the arched coined windows below.

I love an entrance where the steps become grander as they descend. It is typical in the southern states like Savannah, Georgia where the entrance seems to open up and wrap it's arms around you. A true sign that you are welcome.

Aged and Verde Gris balconies dress the curved windows.

The brick and iron work are lovely, however the birch is the real show stopper. I love the simplicity of dressing the entrance with this organic display that will last all winter long.

It was a lovely Sunday walk

-Michelle

   

Thank you!

I just wanted to write a small note to say thank you to all my clients, vendors/contractors and on line friends for your wonderful support!

This month marks the 12th Anniversary for Cortizo Interiors.

I look forward to 2012 with best wishes for all in mind.

Happy New Year all!

Michelle

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

He who has not Christmas in his heart

will never find it under a tree. ~Roy L. Smith

Create a place for your guest that sparkles!

A handmade  wreath by Karin Lidbeck Brent (@Klidbeck) 
for extra cheer!



*****************************

Sending best wishes to you and yours!

Be safe and be merry!

XOXO

Images via BHG

A Christmas tree pair makes for good space saving!

Every year I try to find new ways to void our small family room of feeling overwhelmed by a Christmas tree. The obvious is a narrow tree but year after year of searching for a slender tree can become daunting. Inevitably it would always appear slightly dinky at best. So this year I opted for TWO dinky trees! There's power in numbers!

The good news is, I actually found two trees that were pretty similar in size and shape. I trimmed heavily from the bottom up and then placed them into two new trash pails surrounded by stones to hold in place and create a well for watering.

By trimming heavily and getting rid of most of the girth, the trees appear to recede back.  Also with the trees set back, we gain additional floor space for gifts. Normally we would be tripping over encroaching presents but now with two placement options, everything fits tightly around each end of the hearth...a win win!

Fabric remnants hide the containers, a few branches from trimmings are placed on top to conceal the well. A few lights and ornaments...done!

I hope all of your Christmas preparations are going well!

XO

On December 15th shortly after this post the pair of trees were selected by @abcddesigns, @JonathanLegate & Kathryn Greeley on Design TV as worthy prize winners!  The prize: A signed copy of interior designer Kathryn Crisp Greeley's "The Collected Tabletop" Inspirations for Creative Entertaining. I'm truly honored!

Click on book to find out more!

Does your bed wear a tiara?

Today this came across my computer screen

& stopped me in my tracks!!

Christopher Guy via Modenus  provided me with the perfect example of fearless creativity. I love this headboard worn by a diva of the best kind. She wears her Christoper Guy's hand carved headboard like a tiara! Sporting her stole and ebony heels, I can almost hear her saying..."A great evening awaits!"

How could you not feel luxurious when your bed is dressed like this! I always think of the bed as an extension of my clients personality. Dress the bed as if it were a stylish friend. Well coordinated, elegant and comfortable, the bedding should be soft and luxurious to the touch. When selecting night tables and lamps think of them as the jewery/earrings if you will.

Formal attire is not required. The most casual bedrooms can still have a strong sense of style and elegance. A tight design that relates to the space will create harmony and balance no matter the style.

The master bedroom is the most important room in the house and often the most neglected. Put yourself first and create a sanctuary that rejuevenates and restores your spirit.

This elegant lady is definitely going to the opera!
Make your bedroom sing visually and fearlessly!

Christmas decor reused & made NEW!

As we all know Thanksgiving is the official gate opener to the holiday season. The day after, typically known as Black Friday is like a day at the Kentucky Derby.  Just make sure your not standing too close to the tracks, pure madness can get you swept away as shoppers burst out of the gates looking for the next best deal. Closet decorators chomp at the bit snatching up the latest items to get their dibs on this seasons holiday trends!! Well this year I have decided to void myself of crazed consumption and try to keep things as simple as possible. For the first time we are not hanging lights on the exterior of the house, we are opting for battery lit candles and lanterns with a single candle in each window. Please don't misunderstand, I love a good light show but sometimes you feel the need to pause. This is my year. Due to this new revelation, I decided that a few lights on the inside would be much needed to keep the sparkle alive. In addition, my goal this year is to repurpose. Beyond purchasing a fresh wreath, a few greens and ribbon, let's see how far I can get with using things I already have.

The first area I'm going to start with is the wall directly across from the front entry and the first thing you see as you enter.  This wall has had many looks over the years. One reason is simply, it is such a small area that I can easily revamp it when I get the urge. I get lots of urges!

After removing all the existing items with the exception of a little blue box. I began to string lights on this basic wreath. I used ribbon and ornaments I saved from the prior year to decorate it.

Simple and easy.

These silver metallic malleable branches come in quite handy. I use them differently every year. They are a simple solution to frame out the wreath and add additional texture. I also hung a few small ornaments on them as well.

The wreath was hung using additional ribbon and a small crystal wreath to adorn the top.

 

Before

After

I used a beautiful Wedgwood box I had for stacking and interest, some extra greens and a few candles. Done!

 

HAPPY DECORATING!