House of Eleven
I recently discovered House of Eleven, a new fashion line that I really love.
I recently discovered House of Eleven, a new fashion line that I really love. Their urban designs are right up my alley! Edgy but feminine with great use of leather and an appealing price point, this is clothing I could easily wear during the day and still be ready to go out at night. Here are some of my favorite pieces from House of Eleven’s current line:
1. Taylor Leather Rider Leggings: So versatile, a must-have item.
2. Chantal Dress: So chic! You could add a blazer and some great jewelry.
3. Emma Mohair and Croc Leather: Playful yet funky, I love the combination of textures.
4. Lola Boyfriend Muscle Tee: You can dress this up or down.
5. Kelly Short Lace and Leather Dress: A touch of glam with such a cool pattern.
6. Naomi Leather Bomber Jacket: So great with a white shirt!
What do you think of House of Eleven’s look? You can view more of their styles by visiting their website. House of Eleven is also on Facebook and Twitter.
Design Dose
Oh, Henry! From Waterworks.
Boca Raton Project
Designing a home that isn’t a primary residence is always nice because you have more flexibility.
I’ve been working on a project for an existing client’s second home in Boca Raton, Florida. Designing a home that isn’t a primary residence is always nice because you have more flexibility. When you don’t live in the home on a daily basis, you are more open to different ideas and styles. In this case, the home started out with a really dismal interior. In spite of the beautiful location, the original interior of the home was old and dated. In contrast, my client’s family is young, active, and full of life. I wanted the home to reflect that and was thrilled when I was given carte blanche with color.
I used the home’s sunny location as inspiration when designing for this project — warmth, brightness, and palm trees. I decided to go with a bit of a retro throwback look and create a world of turquoise, full of vibrant color that suited my client’s young family and the lush surroundings.
Balancing the turquoise, I incorporated plenty of crisp white, keeping the home’s exiting tile because it reminded me of sand. I wanted the home to look glamorous and have a polished, retro style but also be user-friendly. I tested different fabrics by actually pouring red wine onto them!
My client likes mid-century pieces, so I kept that in mind when choosing furnishings.
For art, we went with bold choices that have a different vibe than you typically see here in Connecticut. With the turquoise inserted everywhere, I am confident the final results of this project will be stunning!
Stay tuned for installations photos, coming soon!
Granny’s Meatballs
Of all of my childhood memories, one of the most vivid was being at my great grandmother’s house on a Sunday and eating her delicious meatballs.
Of all of my childhood memories, one of the most vivid was being at my great grandmother’s house on a Sunday and eating her delicious meatballs. They would be piled high in a bowl and she would have them in the oven to stay warm. I think every one of us will tell you Granny’s meatballs were the best!
Her recipe has been handed down through the generations, and while I know the recipe has changed over time, what is most important is that it represents a tradition that has remained in my family to this day.
As a child, every Wednesday we had macaroni and meatballs, which I continued when I had my own family. To this day, I will keep a dish of meatballs in the oven after I cook them. It is the first place everyone looks when it is pasta night at our house!
I learned how to cook these morsels at a very young age and I have never measured any of the ingredients! I have done my best to give you estimates in measuring the ingredients.
I have also included my recipe for a marinara sauce that I use for pasta. I start my sauce with sausage, which gives it a great flavor. Whenever possible, use fresh ingredients.
Ingredients for Sauce:
1lb of Hot Italian sausage, cut into 2 inch pieces
1lb of Sweet Italian sausage, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 35 oz can of crushed tomatoes
2 6 oz cans of tomato paste
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1 cup fresh basil, chopped
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
¼ cup fresh oregano, chopped
½ cup of water
Olive oil
1lb of dried pasta
In a large, heavy sauce pan or Dutch oven, heat olive oil. Place sausage in pan and brown on all sides. Add chopped onion and garlic and cook for a few minutes till translucent. Add water to pan with tomatoes and tomato paste. Fill one of the small and the large can with water, scraping any tomatoes from the can and add to pot, less water will give you a thicker sauce. Add the salt, pepper, basil, parsley and oregano. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Ingredients for Meatballs:
1 ½ lb of ground beef, veal, and pork (ground beef can be used alone if preferred)
2 eggs
½ cup grated Locatelli Romano cheese (adjust if needed)
4 to 5 slices white bread or Italian bread, ground in a food processor (do not pulse into crumbs I like to keep them a little coarse)
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1 clove of garlic, or to taste
1 cup fresh parsley
½ cup fresh basil
¼ cup of water (or less)
Crisco oil
Place the ground meat mixture and eggs in a bowl. Chop the parsley, basil, and garlic in a food processor and add to mixture. Grind the bread in food processor and place in bowl. Add the Romano cheese and season mixture with salt and pepper. Add some of the water and mix together; if needed, you can add more bread. You do not want the mixture to get too soft or it will be hard to roll into meatballs.
In a large frying pan, add enough Crisco oil to cover the bottom of the pan. If you like, you can use olive oil, though I feel olive oil makes the meatballs get too soggy. Make sure the oil is hot as this will make a difference in how they cook. Roll the meatballs with your hands, and place into hot oil. Cook the meatballs until they are crusty, then turn. If you do not want them to be crusty on the outside, you can turn them earlier. Cook the meatballs until they browned all over and cooked through.
With a slotted spoon remove the meatballs from the frying pan. If you want to, place a few meatballs in a bowl to keep warm in the oven until ready to serve. Place the remaining meatballs in the marinara sauce until ready to serve.
Just before serving, cook your favorite pasta as directed and drain. Use a slotted spoon to remove the sausage and meatballs from the sauce and place in a separate bowl to serve. Ladle some of the marinara sauce into the bottom of a large pasta bowl, add the pasta and additional marinara sauce, and toss the pasta to coat. Serve with the meatballs, sausage, grated Locatelli Romano cheese, crusty Italian bread, and a salad.
I hope you enjoy this meal as much as we have throughout the years!
Design Dose
Spice up the kitchen with some whimsical chairs!
The Big Reveal
I love working in this creative haven, surrounded by elements that both calm and inspire me.
I am extremely thrilled to share with you my latest and greatest project, something that is very personal: My new studio! The building which houses my studio is truly sentimental; it has been in my family since 1983, when my father decided to purchase it for his company, Putnam Plumbing and Heating. I remember visiting my dad’s business as a young girl, when the space was smogged with smoke and the typical grunge of pipe fittings, boilers and machinery. The space was not pretty at all, as you can imagine, and I found myself fascinated by the idea of the potential of this place. Photos of the interior and exterior before I started renovations show how great the transformation of this place has been.
After years of growing his own business, my dad moved to another location and this building remained. Occupied by others through out the years, it eventually lay vacant for some time. Prior to my father’s ownership of the building, it was occupied by a machine shop during the 1950’s and, in the early 1930’s, the building was an automotive repair shop. Over the course of almost 85 years, there were a few alterations to the building. When we began to demo for the renovations, we actually found this really cool iron window frame with restoration glass buried in one of the walls. I wish I could have salvaged it, but it was too decrepit. I am truly grateful to my parents and their role in where I am today. I love the family connection to this place and knowing that the building is part of my past lends it additional beauty.
Growing out of the humble beginnings of my design firm’s starting point, I decided it was time to take on a project for myself. Creating for others comes very naturally to me; however, for myself this process took more time than I expected. Maybe because it’s more personal, or maybe because this project was different than most, given the fact that I had to factor in my clients’ perspectives as well as my own. The aesthetics needed to be beautiful as an interior, but I limited myself to a very simple palette of mainly black, grey and white, being thoughtful of the amount of color which saturates so many of our schemes.
Putting pen to paper as I design always stirs up creative ideas and interesting selections. I am proud to say that when I designed this space on paper and closed my eyes, every detail was executed exactly as I had envisioned it. When I put on paper is what gets built 99% of the time, and seeing this come to life in my own space was an incredible experience. Julio DiBiase of Dibico, Inc. is a person near and dear to me for the way he and his team perfectly executed my vision. We have collaborated on projects for over 10 years and I am grateful for his insight and resources to create and engineer all of my thoughts.
I am extremely grateful to be surrounded by the beauty of very simple elements. Walnut walls, ceruzed rift oak cabinetry, concrete floors, and brick, while simple in appearance, reflect my layered approach to design. I love working in this creative haven, surrounded by elements that both calm and inspire me. The materials in my new space were strategically selected and edited to create a simple but complete product. My office space is a true representation of the process and structure I use when designing for clients with the ultimate goal of a completed product that reflects who they are.
Photos of finished project by Phillip Ennis Photography
Q & A with Connecticut Cottages and Gardens
In the current issue of Connecticut Cottages and Gardens, I sit down for a Q&A regarding my vignette for the Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams showroom in Greenwich.
Last month, I created one of a series of vignettes for the Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams showroom in Greenwich for an event to launch their fall line. As a sponsor of the event, Connecticut Cottages and Gardens invited each vignette designer to sit down for a Q&A. My interview appears in the most recent issue of CTC&G. Being a part of this event was a great experience! I hope you enjoy reading about the design of the vignette.
Design Dose
How kick ass is this?
I’ve decided to add a new weekly feature to my blog. Each Wednesday, I’ll share one of my favorite photos from my own portfolio, showcasing a design element, style, or detail that I particularly love. I hope that by sharing my own work and love of design, I can also inspire others. Enjoy!
Visiting the Stone Yard
I find great inspiration and room for creativity when looking at all of the possible uses for so many beautiful types of stone.
The past couple of weeks, I’ve been spending a lot of time at a couple of fantastic stone yards. I find great inspiration and room for creativity when looking at all of the possible uses for so many beautiful types of stone.
Most people think of counters, floors, and bathrooms when they consider using stone in their homes. There’s no reason to limit stone to these applications; for the right client, I would love to sheath an entire bathroom in a gorgeous stone.
There are so many choices in pattern, color, and type of stone. You don’t have to be locked into one popular, safe choice. When I see all of the different stones, it makes me want to produce furniture from it. Being surrounded by so many varieties of stone broadens my eyes and inspires me to try different things.
The potential for designing with stone is so intriguing!