We woke up this morning to the first snow of the season in Piedmont North Carolina. It looked so beautiful, and made me want to stay indoors, sip hot chocolate while curled up in my easy chair, with a good book in front of the fire.
There is something about the pop and crackle of a wood burning fire that creates a coziness in a room. Today more and more houses are forgoing the traditional wood-burning fireplace, for one with gas logs. True, it is less messy and ready to be enjoyed in an instant, but gas logs really don't compare to the real thing.
If you happen to have the "real thing," you need a functional as well as beautiful fire screen.
A functional one has a fine screen to prevent the sparks from hitting the carpet or floor such as this brass, three piece fire screen with the fleur-de-lys front and center. It has so much detail, from the gallery at the top to the pierced design around the bottom edge.
The feet are cast brass made in our foundry using the centuries old lost wax cast brass process. This fire screen was introduced during the October furniture market, so it won't be available for a few months. If you love it as I do, plan now to have this one in front of your fireplace next winter.
These next two fireplaces are for look and style, rather than function.
I grew up in a home that had the "real thing," but I too, have given in to the convenience of gas logs. That being the case, there is still room in front of a gas logs fireplace to make a design statement.
This may not be the last of our winter snows, so get the cocoa and marshmallows ready. We really don't need the excuse of snow to enjoy the warmth and coziness of a fire in the fireplace. Cheers!
Elegant and distinctive pieces for your home today, with quality and style to last a lifetime...Do you have a Maitland-Smith treasure? www.maitland-smith.com
The holidays are over and it's too early to think about gardening, and besides that, it's cold outside. While we are spending time indoors, it's a good opportunity to begin to get things organized.
One great way is to add to your home some gorgeous bookcase shelving, which can be welcome additions to most rooms of the house. Besides holding books, bookcases can be used to showcase prized possessions, photos, decorative objects or whatever you love and want to see every day.
Let's start with considering a large, grand bookcase that is loaded with detail as seen in the moldings and carvings. It even has a rolling ladder to help reach the top shelves. The center shelves are wood surrounding glass so that the lighting from above can shine through from top to bottom. This bookcase has plenty of shelves for a variety of displayed items as well as several lower cabinets with doors for stashing items out of sight, yet within reach when needed.
At the other extreme is this smaller display cabinet with glass shelves for your treasures.
This one will fit in anywhere as it's width is only 16". The mahogany is hand-carved and the doors are glazed. Two drawers and a cabinet below add additional storage space.
Bookcases and display cabinets can be found in all styles, from contemporary, clean lines, to 18th century carvings and pediments, or no embellishment at all. Finishes can range from beautiful mahogany's and other wood finishes to lacquers and colorful painted finishes. They can be built-ins or free standing. The sky is the limit.
Once you have the bookcase, creating a pleasing arrangement is an art. For helpful suggestions, you might be interested in this article I found from May-June St. Louis at Home, where Celerie Kemble, of Kemble Interiors, is being interviewed on this subject.
We are very excited that Celerie will be debuting a new home furnishings collection with our sister company, Henredon, in April, and at the same time, Maitland-Smith will introduce some of her amazing lighting and accessories. We will share more on the new collection as we get closer to the April market, but believe me, you won't want to miss them.
The next open bookcase/etagere has clean lines with a blend of Mocha Zebrano and black lacquer finishes with polished stainless steel accents.
This striking bookcase is hand carved with Aged Regency and Black Vendome finishes with gilded accents. Smaller in scale, it can be placed on a small wall, or a pair or even three of these bookcases can be placed side by side to fill up a larger space.
We've looked at only a small sampling of the variety of styles of bookcase shelving and display cabinets available. They come in every price point, taste and style so you are sure to find just what suits you best.
Stay warm this winter and while you are indoors, perhaps you will decide to organize your home with the addition of new bookshelves and display cabinets.
Elegant and distinctive pieces for your home today, with quality and style to last a lifetime....Do you have a Maitland-Smith treasure? www.maitland-smith.com
January 6 is the day we have been waiting for to get back to our weekly Sunday night fix of Downton Abbey on PBS. Once again we can immerse ourselves in the lives of the artistocrats who live upstairs and the people downstairs who keep everything running smoothly.
Yesterday I found some great information from theTraditional Home Magazine newsletter. Written by Cathy Whitlock, it is loaded with interesting facts about the Highclere Castle, the estate used in Downton Abbey, and the furnishings. The beautiful estate contains exquisite antiques and art from the 17th century onward, so a feast for the eyes and the imagination awaits. If you're like me, you dream and wonder what it would be like to have a ladies maid to do your hair and help you dress for dinner each evening. Ahhh......
If you would like to create a little Downton Abbey aura in your home, Maitland-Smith has just the thing, particularly for the dining room.
Even though you might still have to prepare the meal and serve it yourself, it is nice to do so in beautiful surroundings. The table is crotch mahogany veneer with cross banding, and the chairs are mahogany with hand-carved heart-shaped shield backs with silk upholstery. With your fine china and crystal, it is sure to be special.
Happy New Year, everyone from Maitland-Smith and La Barge.
Elegant and distinctive pieces for your home today with quality and style to last a lifetime.... Do you have a Maitland-Smith treasure? www.maitland-smith.com