GAME MANIA

One of the responsibilities of an interior designer is to create a cohesive plan throughout a home. This beach house located in The Hamptons is ridiculously large (12,000 square feet) but the interior designer was still able to design a warm, inviting environment using a beautiful blend of organic textiles, finishes, space planning and furnishings. See more images here .  Starting with a strong concept can make all the difference in the world. Interior designer Tamara Magel was inspired by European farmhouses.

The sights and sounds outside as I pen this post are of five foot snow drifts and howling winds. My coastal town was hit pretty hard by the storm and the high tides. Many people had to be evacuated this morning. I am thankful that I live far enough from the tides and that I am still with power... I have no plans to travel to a warm climate this winter. (We may try to sneak away to Florida for a long weekend but nothing is planned) I do however dream of tropical beaches and warm sunny days. I have never been to Harbour Island but you can bet it's on the top of my travel list. This home designed by Allesandra Branca is a chic, colorful, cheery getaway. Just what we all could use by the end of January in New England!  Images via Lonny Magazine .  

It's been raining in Boston ALL WEEK, so I've decided that I am going to take a full week off this summer, to take surfing lessons (lucky for me my friend Steffan is an amazing surfer), hang out at the beach, wear Kaftans, relax, and in my dreams rent a cottage like the one below. It will basically be my version of a Bohemian Beach Bum vacation. I may even shut my phone off for a few days. (not sure if that's possible, but a total escape would be perfection). P.S. I have always loved the top image, I tore it out of a magazine years ago and then it popped up on Pinterest! Ahh. Pinterest, what the hell did I do without Pinterest? Do I dare toss my files of tear sheets? GREAT KAFTANS ARE FROM: CAMILLAONLINE , AND RIKSHAW DESIGN

open fields, lazy days, frosty beer, home cooked meals, outdoor fires + family..I'll return on Friday - Have a great week! images: Jose Villa, via the little big house , flickr, Camilla at Home , Laura Resen , Domino Scan by Shelter, Jose Villa

Ahh, I just returned from a long {but too short} weekend in Nantucket! It is one of my favorite places to visit! The picturesque town, homes, gardens and beaches are perfect, {seriously flawless}. I'll be posting a few of my snapshots tomorrow {I didn't have time this morning}..so I'll leave you with a "mood-board" collage today! My wish is to own a small cottage there one day! so many people own vintage jeeps and land cruisers on the island - i love the one pictured above! The exterior of Jeffrey Bilhuber's cottage {I posted the interior before and after's last year here } Make sure to visit Cheryl Fudge's (a friend of a friend) "fashion camp" when you visit! images: 2 + 3 via Urban Grace , from her trip there last year!

Well not until Friday .. but I'm very much looking forward to the get away so I thought I'd start my week with a "tribute" to this beautiful island..I've been spending at least one long weekend a year in Nantucket for about fifteen years now{in my early 20's it was more like every other summer weekend}. If I can sneak away now for one or two weekends to this pristine escape, I'm thrilled. We're intentionally taking the 2 hour 20 min. "slow boat" {above} in order to decompress {plus my son loves it}. Nantucket although a fairly traditional place, laced in maritime history has just the right amount of fresh modernity, because of it's bevy of interesting people, fabulously evolving shops + a slew of yummy restaurants! What's traditional stays that way, so Nantucket has retained it's historical architectural beauty and pristine landscape + beaches. I'm of the mindset that the interior of a home needs to relate to the architectur...