Pick of the Week

Since Rob is constantly discovering chic furniture and accessories, we are going to start publishing a weekly blog featuring a "pick of the week."

This week, our pick comes from our website CobbleCourt.com, the source for Modern English Country Lifestyle. This understated tufted Rive Gauche Chair is a great piece that can be placed in your living room or master bedroom. Let us know what you think about our pick this week!

Cobble Court At Rooms With A View

Each year, ROOMS with a VIEW--the brainchild of interior design icon Albert Hadley--transforms Southport Congregational Church into a dazzling showhouse featuring twelve miniature showrooms. ROOMS with a VIEW will celebrate its 15th anniversary this year with an extra-special group of talented designers, including Eddie Ross, the former senior style editor at Martha Stewart Living turned rock-star designer after appearing on Bravo’s Top Design, and Alexa Hampton, president and featured designer of Mark Hampton LLC, the world-famous design firm founded by her late father, Mark Hampton. Each interior designer is allowed total artistic license to create a unique vignette around this year’s theme: “These Are a Few of My Favorite Things.”

While the twelve designer vignettes are the centerpiece of ROOMS with a VIEW, the show provides many other attractions. Throughout the show, visitors will have an opportunity to start their holiday shopping early in The Marketplace, featuring over 30 high-end vendors selling jewelry, home accessories, antique prints, art and unique items of clothing, or to relax over a delicious lunch or other treat in The Marketplace Café.

A Gala Preview Party, featuring both live and silent auctions, kicks off the event on Thursday, November 5th, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tickets for the Gala Preview Party start at $100.

The fun continues on Friday, November 6, when Tina Dragone of Westport will put on a fashion show in the tent while a gourmet luncheon is served. There are two seatings for the fashion show and luncheon, at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The price of the fashion show and luncheon is $35.

To celebrate its 15th year, ROOMS with a VIEW has added a new Holiday Decorating Seminar on Saturday, November 7, at 10:30 a.m. This special holiday-themed seminar, entitled “Home for the Holidays,” will feature floral inspirations by Marna Ringel of Flowers by Marna and Swedish Country-inspired home décor by Rhonda Eleish and Edie van Breems of Eleish van Breems Antiques. Rhonda and Edie will also be available to sign copies of their new book, Swedish Country Interiors. Tickets for this special event are $20 per person.

Bunny Williams BeeLine Home at CobbleCourt.com

Cobble Court is excited to announce the addition of BeeLine by Bunny Williams to our website Cobble Court Home. Below is a note from Bunny Williams:

This is an idea I have had for quite some time and as a designer for over 30 years, it has often been challenging to find those much needed pieces to make a room special. This motivated me to design my own line which is a collection of traditional and modern pieces that can be combined in many ways to create your own statement. Each piece is meaningful to me and was inspired by something either I coveted or I own. The collection consists of limited editions of each item and my goal is to introduce a new collection every year, to keep the product “fresh” and interesting. BeeLine Home will be available in shops across the country beginning in March of 2009. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I have creating it.



BeeLine Home Philosophy

BeeLine Home’s title is a nod to a beehive, a busy, buzzing, wonderful home; a tribute to honeybees who are industrious and create something delectable; and a reference to “making a beeline” – to be the fastest toward a goal.

As an insatiable collector who has shopped for furniture all over the world, I’m always searching for items with unique design, character, wonderful hand finishes, beautiful workmanship and amazing woods; anything that makes a piece distinctive and holds my attention. The hallmark of my design work is combining pieces of varying quality and provenance, creating interesting combinations and unexpected juxtapositions….my tastes are unabashedly eclectic.

The collection is expressive and unique and as I’ve found in my design work, pieces often work together not because they are alike but because they are different. BeeLine Home consists of: side tables, bedside tables, lamps, chairs, mirrors, coffee and drinks tables as well as unusual accessories, and I encourage you to combine them in ways that create your own version of “The Mix.” Our goal is to ensure that each handcrafted item is constructed of the highest quality, yet competitively priced. Because each piece will be part of a limited edition, they will be numbered by year of introduction. In addition, new collections will be introduced each year, which will entice the buyer to make a more urgent and satisfying purchase of exclusive and stylish products.

Updated Modern English Country

Well, finally a photo to share will you... this is a project I've been working on.

Remember my tips to give your home that updated modern English county look:

• Use a mixture of fabrics to add texture to your room. Throws and cushion covers in floral or hand-embroidered fabrics are ideal.
• Use drapes rather than blinds, and again, choose floral patterns or rich fabrics such as velvet.
• Traditional fireplaces are a key element of English style. Even if you don't have a coal fire, a carved wood fireplace accessorized with candles and horse brasses will provide the right look.
• Cover coffee tables with cloth with reaches the floor, and arrange ornaments or flowers on top.
• Look out for antique furniture to add authenticity to your room

These were some tips from my previous blog and as you can see they all have come in handy... But also remember rules are to be broken. Check out the over stuffed drapes hung on ornate hand carved hardware finished in a old gold to add that certain drama, and comfy, to this more formal living area. Also, a splash of color, moss green, to add a little bit of color surprise.

I can go on about each piece in this gorgeous living area, some of the pieces are new and some have been collected, and as you can see they've blended all so beautifully. There are many options that can make your room incredibly beautiful and all yours. Have Fun!

Elements of English Country Style Interior Design

When you're deciding on interior design in the English country style, the first decision should be which type of English country home you're looking for. An English manor house, for example, will have a different look from a country cottage, although both will have certain style elements in common:

Color Scheme: English country style requires a generally darker color palette than you'd find in most contemporary homes. Floors tend to be dark, using browns or red, while walls will make use of patterns – particularly floral patterns, which are used on drapes, cushions and table coverings. Use an Autumnal color palette for the perfect traditional English country look.

Walls: You'll find no bare, painted walls in English country homes. Wallpaper is used and again, could use darker colors and floral patterns.

Furniture: Wood is the material found most often in English country furniture, in tables, chairs, bookshelves and cabinets. Use accents of brass rather than chrome, and make sure sofas and chairs are overstuffed and comfortable, with possible coverings of velvet or leather. Whatever your furniture is made of, make sure it's hard wearing: the best English county rooms have a "lived in" look which only comes from years of use. Chesterfield sofas are the ultimate in English elegance: just add a roaring log fire and an oak bookcase bursting with books for the perfect look.

Ornaments: One thing the English county home could never be described as is "minimalist". Ornaments and pictures are on full display in this style of home, so scour your local antiques market for tables, cabinets and dressers which will showcase your collectables to the best advantage. The look here can be slightly cluttered, but remember that comfort is key: if a room so filled with china that you're afraid to walk through it, you've taken things too far!

The overall look is comfortable and a little eccentric. Each item in your room should be carefully chosen and well-loved, and the room should be warm and welcoming without being too messy or casual.

Here are some more tips to give your home that English county style look:

• Use a mixture of fabrics to add texture to your room. Throws and cushion covers in floral or hand-embroidered fabrics are ideal.
• Use drapes rather than blinds, and again, choose floral patterns or rich fabrics such as velvet.
• Traditional fireplaces are a key element of English style. Even if you don't have a coal fire, a carved wood fireplace accessorized with candles and horse brasses will provide the right look.
• Cover coffee tables with cloth with reaches the floor, and arrange ornaments or flowers on top.
• Look out for antique furniture to add authenticity to your room

Next, we will explore an updated English Country look!

Plant a Tree and Watch!

The weather has finally turned and planting and gardening has begun. It's so much fun to see how what you planted last year comes back in full form, beautiful flowering trees, fertilized grass all lush and green. It's totally amazing!

This past weekend we had a incredible sugar maple tree delivered from Litchfield Horticultural. Let's say it's about 25 feet tall and has all its leaves. That sound weird right, but when we purchased this nursery grown tree it was winter, so there where no leaves. I'd say the tree trunk has about an 8 inch diameter. How cool it was when it arrived on a big truck with 5 men and it's full with lush green leaves.


They got up the driveway just fine, wondering how they were going to get the tree on the other side of the yard next to the cutest small white barn with its wood roof and rooster weather vein. And then all of a sudden there's another tracker (not sure what the correct term for it is), this tracker carried this giant sugar maple tree across the back of the house, of course with the guidance from all the guys. Again, pretty cool to watch this giant tree hover across the yard.

It made it to its new home and these guys made it look so easy. They dug the hole with the same tracker and within about a half an hour the beautiful sugar maple was planted, tied and with the green garden hose water was flowing.

Now, I get to look out my windows or sit on the back porch and watch. See the birds chirping all around, see the leaves blow in the wind, see the leaves turn colors come fall and see my little dog, Digby, all curious to see what has been going on in the yard, he runs up to our new tree, sniffing and in his own way welcomes this tree, by lifting his leg, to our yard.

Plant a tree!

WOW!! Design District 2009 New Canaan, CT

At Home, a national-quality regional shelter magazine in Fairfield County spear headed the first annual "35 Reasons to Shop" in New Canaan, Ct. It was held last night, Thursday May 7th from 6 to 9PM. The town was in a buzz!

I have to tell you it was really great to see so many people out in town with smiles.

At Cobble Court Interiors we had a party in mind. Our theme for the evening was "Weekend Style", relaxed, fun and cozy. In addition we had Sussana Salk, the author of "Weekend Retreats", a fabulous new book about celebrating country weekend homes and the people who retreat to them, signing copies.

Before you enter, our sidewalks had all custom outdoor furniture (Janus et Cie and all Osborne and Little fabrics, totally lush) set up to get people enticed to come in and visit, not to mention the rockn' tunes. Once you enter, the entire first floor had the relaxed elegance of someones home entry foyer and living room covered with blue and white, the entrance foyer table draped in a blue and white stripe, all the pillows on the sofa and chairs in blue and white and a fabulous floral wool and silk rug on the floor. It really set the tone for an incredible night.
For a little added aroma, the large light blue glass soy candles burning in both rooms, helped to put people in a great mood, of course, the candles are called Beach House. Totally will put a smile right on your face.

As everyone entered we encouraged them upstairs to see my design studio and what we offer here at Cobble Court Interiors, and all I had to say was that there are margaritas and food. We had a packed house.

So, BIG, BIG KUDOS to everyone At Home Magazine for putting together such a fun night and kudos to everyone who came out. Please come out and support our town!

More of Design District.... The FAB! party at Pimlico with Jill and Melissa (the very pregant one)!