Most of us wait for the holidays to break out the good silverware and family pieces. But I just love the sense of tradition and classic elegance that aged silver brings - so why not use it everyday? Vintage silver pieces can look a bit old fashioned, so here are 3 designer tips to help make these antiques feel fresh and modern even in a contemporary interior:

{1} Break it up! Mix silver in with different materials and finishes - I especially love the contrast with simple white ceramics or rustic and organic textures.

{2} Don't over polish. Let your silver show its patina and age! This also helps creates a look that is more layered than fancy.

{3} Repurpose it. It's so unexpected and fun to see classic forms used in a new way! 

Traditional tea trays in three lovely new ways! {So brilliant to use them as magnetic boards!}

A toast rack makes a perfect mail organizer! 

If you don't have family pieces, there are plenty of silver plate pieces at antique and resale shops - I love imaging the hidden histories of pieces I find. I recently picked up a silver tray for my perfume bottles at Hock Siong here in Singapore and I adore the bit of glam it adds to my countertop! 

Fall Travels: Romantic Irish Homes

This week I am actually coming to you from Dublin! My hubby had business meetings and a tech conference in London and Dublin and I decided to tag along at the last minute - and I am so glad I did! I adore the beautiful fall weather here and charming, classic Georgian architecture of the city. Dublin's cozy, traditional aesthetic is especially inspiring to me so I naturally loved the book Romantic Irish Homes {by Robert O'Byrne and Simon Brown} which I spotted at a local bookshop. The quirky, eclectic and aged spaces are so lovely and built up over years and years. I also like the use of rich but dusty color! Here are few of my favorite shots. . . . 

For those of you who have visited before. . .  any must see/do/eat Dublin recommendations?

Happy Travels! 

{all images via}

Fresh Vintage White

This weekend I was at the amazing Rose Bowl flea market in L.A. and I spotted lots of great antiques. Many were really beat up or dirty but were just beautiful in form, so I thought about painting them white! I love the character and vintage feel of old pieces and a fresh coat of white paint can give them a whole new life. 

Don't worry about being too precise, no need for a perfect finish - a few bumps and rough edges only add to the appeal! 

{via 1. 2. 3. 4}

Vintage Dressers in Action

I love spotting furniture pieces in unexpected surroundings - while dressers usually live in bedrooms of course,  their proportions and wonderful storage make them perfectly at home in living rooms and entries too. They make particularly great bars and are so ideal for hiding all the gloves, hats, shoes, purses and keys that always collect in entry ways!

I have an especially soft spot for the patina and history of vintage dressers, so I wanted to share my current favorite 5 from Etsy. I love how they have been lovingly restored - plus there are some serious deals to be had here! 

A warm gray high boy dresser with lovely hardware {via}

Mid century modern with Asian flair {via}

A dramatic Drexel Europa dresser - very Hollywood glam. {via}

A distressed linen white 1920's dresser - so pretty! {via}

An early 1900's chest with a rich aubergine glaze {via}

Which is your fav? I am crazy for that chic black and white Drexel piece! 

{First images via 1 / 2 / 3}

Cocktails and the Chic Bar Cart Roundup

Seeing as how its Friday and how I am having a weekend reunion with my best four girlfriends from college, I certainly have cocktails on the brain! And on that note, I have dug up some of my all time favorite bar carts. Setting up console or rolling cart as a bar station is a great use of a corner of your living room or a small hallway. Having a beautiful and well stocked bar makes impromptu drinks easy but it does not have to limited to traditional bar items and can be a lovely vignette - perfect to displace a favorite vase or small piece of art. (Pictured above; the bar of LA caterer Lulu Powers via Lonny magazine) 

Styled and photographed by Deborah Jaffe for Domino magazine, a perfect way to make the most of a small space between two windows! 

A manly, sophisticated bar by Thom Felicia in House Beautiful - a bar cart is a great addition to the library! Whisky and first editions just seem to go hand in hand....

Another fabulous bar by Thom Felicia, featured in Canadian House and Home. I love the casual, collected nature of his table and its size! Perfect for summer parties! 

A charming antique bent wood bar cart under a collection of blue and white ceramics - chic even without glasses or bottles! (photo via Madebygirl blog).

A fully stocked vintage bar cart by Ruthie Sommers, via Lonny magazine.

I adore this 1950's italian bar cart by Cescare Lucca, sold through Gustavo Olivieri Antiques - a perfect spot of mid-century modern sophistication, I can just see mixing the perfect martini here! 

The Emory bar cart from Horchow - a wonderful option for small spaces.

Really, IKEA? yes! This minimalist stainless steel bar cart is the Flytta cart by designer Nicholai Wiig Hansen.

A classic beauty - the Cosmopolian Bar Cart from William Sonoma Home.

Cheers! Bon Week End! 

Kitchen Obsession: Copper Cookware!

I really love cooking - but I would be lying if I said I also did not also love all the amazing gadgets and accessories which go along with it! During my time here in France I have been especially loving all the beautiful copper cookware. Copper kitchenware falls into that wonderful (if sometimes rare) design sphere of being both lovely and practical! I especially like the traditional pieces from French manufacturer Mauviel 1830. I love the warmth and welcoming feeling copper brings to a kitchen! (above: antique copper saucepans at Vaux-le-Vicomte chateau)

A set of Mauviel 1830 copper cookware.

Copper always reminds me of Julia! Julia and a display of copper cookware in her Cambridge home, 1961 - copper was a favorite of hers! The pans are now in the collection of the National Museum of American History.

A kitchen by designer Michael Smith.

Looks great even in more contemporary spaces! Photo via Living Ect.

A lovely kitchen and dining alcove by Susan Dossetter featured in House Beautiful. The copper looks perfect against all the white and wood tones.

The home stove of celebrity caterer Lulu Powers, via Lonny Magazine.

Now get cooking!