Shopping for dad seems to be a common challenge. With this in mind we brainstormed our top three luxury Father’s Day gift ideas:

1.  A cheese and wine cocktail hour at home, complete with his favorite music and dessert.

2.  A weekend getaway

3.  A night at the theater, symphony or ballgame

For more ideas see last month’s post for Mother’s Day.  Many of the simple ideas for her would be equally appropriate to give him.  We hope every Father has a wonderful and special Father’s Day!

*photo courtesy of dadproject.org

There just seems to be something undeniably exciting and intriguing about a Parisian flea market.  Lucky for those seeking special treasures there are several to source from.  I recently stumbled upon some wonderful information regarding the Paris flea markets at ParisPerfect.com. They provided a wonderful summary of the history, which can be found below:

The history of the flea market dates back over two centuries, when rag and bone men scoured through the garbage of Paris at night to find valuable junk to sell on. They were called ‘crocheteurs’ or pickers. The romantic term was ‘pêcheurs de lune’ or fishermen for the moon. Many set up their temporary stalls within the Paris walls, in sleazy neighborhoods but because these neighborhoods were full of pickpockets and thieves, they were chased out of the city walls to Clignancourt, Montreuil, Vanves, etc. The largest of these flea markets is the one at Clignancourt but the other two continue to this day.

The rag and bone men gathered outside the walls of Paris at the Porte de Clignancourt and set up temporary stalls where they hawked their wares. Eventually, they formed groups of stalls to attract more customers. The more enterprising traders began to ‘trade up’ in terms of goods and eventually it became popular for Parisian collectors and antique dealers to shop there for bargains.

In 1885, authorities in the town of Saint Ouen made a significant move to pave the streets and clean up the area, marking the official starting year of Les Puces. Several areas were designated as official market areas and a fee had to be paid to set up a stall there.

The markets grew until Monsieur Romain Vernaison transformed the acres he owned into a series of covered huts; voilà, Marché Vernaison was born.

Then an Albanian named Malik (rumored to be an Albanian Prince) bought a restaurant on rue Jules Valles and transformed the building into 100 stalls, forming the Malik market.

The Marché du Biron was formed in 1925, with two long rows of stalls and is known as one of the more expensive markets.

I also found their Flea Market Tips very useful:

1.  Go to the Flea Market in the morning as it becomes very crowded in the afternoon.

2.  Hide your wallets under your shirt or sweaters around your neck. You don’t need a lot of cash anyway, as most dealers accept credit cards.

3.  Don’t bring your passports to the Flea Market or miscellaneous credit cards that you won’t use: we have never needed our passports to buy there because antiques do not have VAT for the detaxe refund.

4.  Negotiating: If you love to shop for antiques then you don’t need my advice, but remember that everything is negotiable.

5.  It helps to have someone come along that can seemingly argue against your purchase.  This will push the dealer to move more quickly on pricing.

6.  You don’t have to complete the sale on the spot; get a mobile phone number and call the dealer the next day to negotiate. If they haven’t had a big weekend (and with the Euro at new highs against the dollar, business is very slow) they are more willing to give a good discount.

The truth is vintage furnishings keep your decor unique and special.  Designers love sourcing from places such as those mentioned here.  If you find yourself in Paris please be sure to find some time to visit a flea market.  You might find that one treasure perfect for your home!

While we celebrate our Mothers every day it is nice to have one day set aside just to appreciate her.  Some of my favorite ideas over the years for spending some meaningful time to celebrate mom have been:

*Cook or bring in her favorite meal; be sure to include music she likes relaxing with, special fragrances and favorite colors

*Do all of her daily chores that day so she can simply relax.  It might give you and your family new perspective to step into her shoes for just one day.

*Gather as a family and go through old photos or videos.  Relive the things that draw your family closer together.  You’ll be amazed at how much laughter is generated by this exercise.

*Make her a cd or playlist of her favorite songs.  This shows her you care and that you pay attention to who she is.

*Take a walk in nature or ride a bike together

*Have a picnic

Whatever activity you choose to do on Mother’s Day we hope it is special for you, your Mother and your entire family.  Happy Mother’s Day to all of the wonderful, amazing women in the world!

April is a month known for spring cleaning.  With this in mind, it seems like the perfect time to mention the concept of deconstructing your decor.  In the spirit of spring, I encourage you to remove all the tchotchke.  This includes photos, sculptures and any other knickknacks you might have accumulated over time, even pillows count. Remove everything except the statement and anchor pieces that you never intend to move or replace.  This will leave you a blank canvas to work with.  When redecorating the space act as if it is a new home and you are seeing the space for the first time.  Have fun creating your new masterpiece and remember less really can be more.

*photo courtesy of theluxehome.com

Earth Day began as an environmental movement in the States on April 22, 1970.  It is always on the 22^nd of April and is a day dedicated to taking care of the planet.  Below are some suggestions of things we can do to honor Earth Day:

*Plant Trees.  Earth Day is very close to Arbor Day, April 26, 2013.  As a result, communities will frequently celebrate Earth Day by planting trees.  We all know trees greatly contribute to the planet’s well being.

*Learn more about the environment.  You can use Google, go to your local library or seek out local conservation groups in your community.  There are many resources for learning more about the environment, see what new things you can learn today!

*Buy less.  It is important to buy items that will be special to you and your family for years to come.

*Spring Clean.  Donate items you no longer need or want and help someone else while also helping the environment.  And remember, buy less once you have donated those items you no longer need or want.

*Pick up litter.  Litter is an unavoidable by-product of our fast paced lifestyle.  Take a few minutes to pick up litter, even if it is something as simple as litter you see on a trial or side of the road while taking a walk, every little bit helps.

*Buy earth-friendly cleaning products.  Buying products that do not use harmful chemicals protects you, your family and the environment.

*Locally Sourced Foods.  Cook meals using locally sourced foods.  They are healthy and have minimum environmental impact.

It is important that we celebrate Earthy Day every day.  Learn how you can make a difference throughout the year and put those ideas into practice.

*photo courtesy of earthday.org

1. Fragrance: Scent allows your senses to transport you somewhere else almost instantly.  Light a candle with scent notes that remind you of your favorite places and let it take you away.
2. Objects: Be sure to bring back treasures from your travels.  Place these special pieces in a wall niche or bedside table so you see them frequently.  Seeing them will take you back to your vacation.
3. Natural Elements: Surround yourself with natural elements that remind you of your favorite places.  Flowers, plants and sounds are all great ways to achieve this.  If you like the desert, bring in a cactus; if you like the ocean, use a sound machine or meditation cd that features the sound of crashing ocean waves.

It is always nice to get away, but often times our careers or familial commitments don’t allow us to as often as we would like.  If you find yourself in this situation just remember there are always little things you can do at home to temporarily take yourself away to your favorite place without ever boarding a plane.

Tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day, a customary time for celebrating the color green.  In Chicago we even dye our river green-now that is dedication.  With St. Patrick’s Day also come the first buds on trees ready to burst with life into spring.  We start to see green all around us in the natural world.  Introducing green into your interior can refresh and revitalize your home, much like spring naturally lifts our spirits.

I recently read an article where Tim McKeough from Elle Decor interviewed top designers about their use of green in interiors.  Miles Redd of New York says: “My favorite way to use green is with plant material-a maidenhair fern, an exotic leaf in a glass bottle, or a single paperwhite.  Green is a subtle reminder of nature, and it makes you feel healthy, fresh and alive.”  I couldn’t agree with him more.

*photo courtesy of dagdighouse.com

Burlap is such a special material.  It is amazing how such an organic, seemingly simple, fabric can add such warmth and sophistication to your home.  The home industry isn’t the only one taking notice of this wonderful fabric.  I was reading the latest issue of Departures magazine (March/April 2013) when I came across an article on notable design coming out of L.A.  They featured designer Greg Lauren, highlighting a burlap linen coat he was wearing of his own design.  The coat is a beautiful paradox of bohemian sophistication, it’s wonderful.  And yes, he is the nephew of Ralph Lauren, in case you were wondering.

Burlap is a prime example where you can see the overlap of trends between the home and apparel industries.  Burlap is very popular in both accessories and furniture.  You can pair it with almost anything in your décor and it makes a gentle statement while providing you with truly unique home décor.  Some of my recent projects using burlap have been:

• A burlap wrapped vase with dried cotton branches
• Burlap as the matting in a picture frame
• Burlap as a table runner
• Wrapping a clear vase with burlap and using either burlap, canvas or linen as a ribbon
• A dark iron tray sitting on burlap.  This works especially well with Jan Barboglio pieces
• Wrapping jars with burlap
• Burlap as gift wrap

I also like to stack my linen table linens with a lightly folded layer of burlap on top.  Burlap has a way of bringing everything together.  If you have ideas for using burlap please feel free to share them with us!

**photos courtesy of Departures magazine and frenchflea.blogspot.com

I recently came across a blog post on Oprah.com by Nate Berkus providing 10 easy tips for updating your home. I could really relate to the first two. They are things I’m either actively working on or small things I forget to do. The first tip is to make the pieces you encounter on a daily basis special. He highlights cabinet knobs, which is a project I just completed.

I love birds so I purchased a few Rocky Mountain Hardware finch cabinet knobs to place on select doors I use frequently. They will always make me smile and feel good each time I touch them. Your home is the perfect place to do something like this because it is your sanctuary and the one place you can fully express yourself. Something else you can do is set a table with napkin rings that are your favorite color or that are made with a stone, image or material that is special to you. I just finished setting my main dining room with full place settings and used RabLab’s Aquamarine Stone napkin rings. For me, there is something special about the texture of these raw aquamarine pieces. I also just recently purchased a painting that has the same subtle blue, green color so using these also helped bring the décor of the room together.

Nate’s second tip that I feel can make a significant difference in your day is to place a vase of flowers by your kitchen sink. We all spend a lot of time in our kitchens, even if we do not cook on a regular basis. This is one little thing you can do for yourself that can really impact your day in a positive way. You don’t always have to use a large bouquet of flowers either. You can have just a couple of buds in a small glass and it will have the same effect.

To read the full blog post on Oprah.com, visit http://www.oprah.com/home/Home-Decorating-Tips-from-Nate-Berkus

**photos courtesy of Flickr from Yahoo and Rocky Mountain Hardware

It is January, the traditional month to celebrate positive change.  We thought this would be the perfect opportunity to remind everyone the time and cost saving trick of repurposing items you already own.  Often times we forget we can simply move pieces we have had for some time into another room.  I had a small wood stool, approximately 19 inches high that I moved from the office into the bedroom next to a chair.  The stool was repurposed from a stool to a side table.  It gave the wood stool and both rooms an entirely new life!

*photo courtesy of modecodesign.com