Tag Archives: House Beautiful

6 Simple Ways to Refresh a Sofa

Fabric Inspiration Interior Design Shopping No Comments

House Beautiful asked me to style a sofa for their most recent issue (Jan/ Feb 2011). It was a fun project as it challenged me to get my personal style across with just throw pillows.  As you can see from my portfolio, I love color, texture, and fabrics so I thought it best to try to find a combination of the three.  There are many fabulous throw pillows out there but these caught my eye as something fun, chic, and different.  I am a fan of pairs of pillows and on a white sofa I love a solid color to make the throw pillows pop.  The deep eggplant ostrich feather pillows are so much fun.  Both the color and the feathers jump off the clean ivory linen sofa.  Layered in front are some of the most beautifully embroidered multi-color throw pillows I have ever seen.  The embroidery adfds another layer of texture.

I often advise clients who are in rental apartments/ homes to go with a neutral color palette for their base so they won’t have to reupholster their sofas over and over as this can be expensive.  Stick with a neutral on the sofa and you can completely change the feel of your next apartment with throw pillows and paint colors.

To see the other 5 ways to refresh a sofa visit House beautiful: http://www.housebeautiful.com/decorating/home-makeovers/pillow-decorating-ideas-0211

To purchase the Dransfield and Ross throw pillows you can visit my shop:  http://saragilbaneinteriors.bigcartel.com/

I took it one step further and selected additional items I would furnish the room with:

I would go with a deep teal grasscloth on the walls ( as seen in the background) to add an earthy texture in a bold color.  Taking a cue from the glam ostrich throw pillows I would bring in the capiz shell light fixture, gilt foo dog table lamps, and antique mirrored desk.  A desk chair with a fun shape upholstered in acidy yellow pulls out the color from the embroidered throw pillow.  The rug from Van der hurd studios adds another pattern and so unbelievably soft.

xo,

S

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Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Holiday Decor Inspiration Interior Design Shopping No Comments

Time has slipped away from me and I cannot believe Christmas is right around the corner.  I will be spending the next few days finding the perfect (last minute!) gifts for family and friends.  Below are a few images to get you in the spirit, if you aren’t all ready in it!  If you are havoing a holiday party you may be able to pick-up a few last minute ideas for the decor.

Elle Decor

Elle Decor

Elle Decor

I absolutely love the red and white paper wedding bells affixed to the bannister. What a fun way to add a dash of Christmas fun without pine needles and leaves to clean up!

Another fabulous twist on Christmas- feathers around a mirror- beautiful!!

As seen in House Beautiful

A Miles Redd Christmas below as seen in Elle Decor with amaryllis, miniature evergreens, and wreaths!

Above: A tiffany blue christmas as seen in Veranda

As seen in Martha Stweart

As seen in Better Hoes and Gardens

Below:  Richard Keith Langham’s Christmas as seen in Veranda

Below: Suzanne Rheinstein’s Christmas as seen in House Beautiful

For those of you in warmer regions two images from Costal Living below:

Merry Christmas!

xo,

S

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Autumn Hues – Purple

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Purple- eggplant, aubergine, plum, lavender, lilac, violet, mauve, lilac, mulberry, orchid, grape, amethyst, twilight. Purple represents royalty, creativity, romance, power, nobility, luxury, ambition, and sophistication. Dark purples lend a warm, sexy, quiet feeling to a room while light purples add a touch of romanticism. I love pairing deep aubergines with crisp apple greens, oranges, and silver or brass. While light purple leads me to blue and white china, grays, yellows, and mirrored furniture.

This room is so warm and feminine with soft lavender/ mauve walls, silk drapes, and french chairs.

A living room by Kelly Wearstler showcases a lavender geometric print rug with a deeper purple sofa and yellow and gold accents.

A room designer by Windsor Smith pairs up both light and dark purple with chocolate brown, crisp white, and pale teal.

Katie Ridder punches up the lilac walls with green, ivory, and bright orange.

David Kaihoi wraps his dining room/ living room entirely in purple.  The red chair and tiger print throw pillows mix it up a bit.

Amanda Nisbet takes the plunge into purple with a deeply tufted headboard set against a deep aubergine wall with hints of pink and chocolate brown.

Aerin Lauder’s dining room as featured in Elle Decor.  I love the deep dark plum walls and trim with the soft grayish plum zebra print table skirt.  The pale wood chairs work beautifully in the room.

Touches of purple:

Keeping the rest of the room neutral lets the focus fall on the table skirt of Janet De Botton’s library.

A tufted chair by Jeffrey Bilhuber upholstered in Malabar’s Carom

Two chairs upholstered in Madeline Weinrib’s purple luce silk ikat bring this living room to life.

Purple paint:

1. Benjamin Moore Grape Hyacinth

2.  Pratt and Lambert Autumn Crocus

3. Benjamin Moore Galaxy- deep dark purple

4.  Benjamin Moore Caponata

5.  Farrow and Ball Brinjal- I have used this many times and it is beautiful…especially in a high gloss finish

Purple Wallcoverings:

1. Osborne and Little Bedlam W5557/01

2.  Osborne and Little Maharani W6022-01

3.  Katie Ridder Attendants in purple

4. Fromental hand painted and embroidered chinoiserie in lavender

Purple Fabrics:

1.  Katie Ridder Moonflower in purple

2.  Peter Dunham Pasha- KT03

3. Amanda Nisbet Fabric on linen Francesca in grape fizz

4. Osborne and Little Papini F5851-03

5.  Carolina Irving Andaluz in Viola

6.  Martyn Lawrence-Bullard Sultan’s Suzani on linen in lavender

7. Edelman Leather Royal Suede in dusty rose

8. Scalamandre Rio 26676-007

Purple Accessories:

Using the painting breakfast by Pierre Bonnard as a jumping off point I selected the above accessories.

1. Pierre bed linens by Julia B.

http://www.juliab.com/product-details.aspx?id=11

2. Pierre Bonnard Breakfast circe 1930’s

3. Purple samarkand area rug by Doris Leslie Blaue through 1st dibs

http://dorisleslieblaullc.1stdibs.com/store/furniture_item_detail.php?id=331849

4. Tub chair by Peter Dunham Hollywood at Home

http://hollywoodathome.com/products/view/Tub+Chair

5. Vanderhurd rug pattern dew drops in amethyst

http://www.vanderhurd.com/abstract.php?t=abstract&p=0&id=46

6.  Set of 4 shagreen coasters in faux shagreen color amethyst through Sara Gilbane Interiors

7. Silk ikat throw pillow in purple luce through madeline weinrib

http://madelineweinrib.com/mw/ikat/Luce-Purple.html

8. Pair of antique suzani throw pillows through 1st dibs

http://www.1stdibs.com/furniture_item_detail.php?id=440687

xo,

S

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Autumn Hues- Blue

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Blue- sapphire, azure, aqua, teal, turquoise, sky, ocean, blueberry, chinese blue, baby blue, Lanvin blue, cobalt, haze, royal blue, Mediterranean blue, slate, denim, navy, marine, sea foam, robins egg, Tiffany blue.

Blue is contemplative, meditative, and depending on the shade can be energizing (deep blues) or relaxing and light ( pale blues). It conjures thoughts of water and sky. I often paint ceilings in the palest blue to raise the height of the room. Whether you go with a textured grasscloth on your walls, several slick shiny coats of paint, or just blue accessories it is hard to go wrong with this color.

Light Blue:

Cristina Cuomo’s house by Emma Pilkington features a study with pale blue walls ( and a fab etching by Cy Twombly)

Getting deeper….

This soft blue bedroom has a cool, feminine, eclectic feel.

A beautiful country house decorated by Miles Redd stays true to form with blue on blue stripe wallpaper in the hallway.  Hallways are important spaces through out a home and a great chance to try a wallpaper.

High gloss slate blue walls in a room decorated by Steven Gambrel look like water.  This is the perfect backdrop for all the dark wood furniture and brass fixtures.

Cadet blue walls look warm and inviting with saffron yellow drapes, a pickled/ bleached floor, and tortoise shell moldings. Delicious!

Deep Dark Blues:

This room, recently featured in House Beautiful, is grounded by the deep blue grasscloth on the walls.  I love the texture and color.

This blue is amazing! It seems to glow.  Anytime blue and red are together they make they other color feel richer. Room by Christopher Maya.

In a room by Ashley Whittaker we have a deep blue wall and bookshelves paired with pale orange and a rusty red. I love blue in a library.  It is totally enveloping.

This small galley kitchen is handsome in lacquered navy.

Another blue library featured in the recent Elle Decor ( Patricia Lansing’s) is fabulous.  The navy lacquered walls seem to recede and make the room bigger ( dark colors do this!) while the white sofa and blue and white zebra linen upholstered chair pop out at you.  I love this room!

Paint colors:

1.  Farrow and Ball Chinese Blue

2. Benjamin Moore Paddington Blue

3. Sherwin Williams Verditer Blue

4.  Dunn Edwards After The Storm

5.  Benjamin Moore Patriot Blue

6. Pratt and Lambert Blueberry Myrtille

All colors shown in House beautiful

Wall coverings:

1.  Phillip Jeffries Juicy Jute in Tantalizing Teal

2. Neisha Crossland through Stark Berry Flower in Marrakesh Blue

3.  Farrow and Ball Ringwold Paper BP1650

4.  Manuel Canovas through Cowtan and Tout trellis

Fabrics:

1. Gracieux through John Rosselli Serrano in Cobalt on Oph

2.  Chapas Textiles Safari in Sapphire Ochre

3. Robert Kime Palmette Blue- embroidery

4. Lisa Fine through John Rosselli Rambagh reverse in indigo

5. Celerie for F. Schumacher Bleeker in Twilight 23969260

6.  Celerie for F. Schumacher 711897

7.  Osborne and Little Papini F5851-04

8.  Chapas Textiles Vienna in Deep teal

9. Edelman Leather Shagreen City Lights in Blue Streak

Accessories:

1. William Sonoma Home bed linens with classic greek key embroidery in blue

http://www.wshome.com/products/p4000/index.cfm?pkey=csheets%2Dbed%2Dsheet%2Dsets

2.  Holland and Sherry custom embroidered pillow Java EMB 717

3. Blue and white ceramic lamp by Bunny Williams through Mecox Gardens

http://www.mecoxgardens.com/pageItemDetail.asp?RECORDID=12027

4. Peacock Rug by Matthew Williamson through The Rug Company

http://www.therugcompany.info/designer-collection/matthew-williamson/peacock-dark.htm

5.  Small agate napkin rings through Vivre.com

http://www.vivre.com/product/agate_napkin_rings_set_of_2

6. Daphne Blue Hollywood Regency chair through Madeline Weinrib

http://madelineweinrib.com/mw/furniture/HollywoodRegency-BlueDaphne.htm

7. Fez indigo dhurrie through Vanderhurd

http://www.vanderhurd.com/silk.php?t=silk&p=0&id=135

8. Matignon arm chair through TK Collections

http://www.tkcollections.com/bistrochairs_tables/armchairs/matignon/

9. Clinton Sofa in navy velvet through Jayson Home and Garden

http://www.jaysonhomeandgarden.com/product.php?productid=5947

xo,

S

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Autumn Hues- Green

Fabric Homes Inspiration Interior Design Shopping No Comments

Green- moss, lichen, verdigris, acid, grass, malachite, lime, olive, pea, apple, asparagus, emerald, jade, sea green, mint, forest, aquamarine, chartreuse, kelly green, sage, and viridian.  Green is restorative, restful color with the same calming attributes as blue. It signifies growth, health, and environment.  Both pale greens and deep rich jewel tone greens feel like Autumn to me, so I picked a few rooms in both palettes.

Pale soft autumn greens:

The above room is wallpapered in de Gournay. I love the pale moss green background.

The pale apple green walls above brings a calming grounding effect to the bold ikat chairs and bright pink carpet.

This is a beautiful soft mossy colonial green that is quite serious.  The moldings are painted the same color for a soothing seemless effect.

Bold jewel-tone autumn greens:

The deep hunter green walls in the Oscar de la Renta showcase room at Lee Jofa are a sharp and arresting background for the bright yellows, blacks, reds, and tans used throughout.   The black mirror keeps the room feeling modern.

Deep apple green walls work well with the wood daybed and bookshelves. The orangey red throw pillows and little brass tables give this guest bedroom a clean masculine vibe.

Room above by Schuyler Samperton

Room above by Todd Romano

Both rooms above pair deep olivey green walls with orangey red ( this reads cozy NOT Christmas!) and zebra rugs for an unexpected pattern.

Jeffrey Bilhuber puts deep green velvet on the walls and sofa.  This room is perfect for a fall afternoon.  The brass lamps and blue and white china are beautiful. The pale blue pillow and animal print pillow throw in a bit of the unexpected to keep the room for getting too matchy-matchy.

Tory Burch’s apartment also showcases green velvet on the walls.  In one shot you see blue and white vases that sing off of the green velvet walls.  In the second image you see through to her orange lacquer dining room.  Very sharp if you ask me!

Nervous to go for the all green room? Just add a few pops of green for an effect that is just as lovely.

A sophisticated library with malachite objects strewn over the desk and side tables.

Amanda Nisbet has fun in a children’s room with clover shaped green headboards, monogrammed bed covers, green piping around the roman shade, and a green polka-dot lamp shade.

Green paint colors ( as seen in House Beautiful)

1. Benjamin Moore aganthus green

2. Farrow and Ball Verd de Terre

3. Pratt and Lambert 22-20 Clover

4. Benjamin Moore Lafayette Green

Green wall coverings:

1. Farrow and Ball Ringwold BP1638

2. Lee Jofa stillwater peacock feathers #5003950.  These are actual feathers backed with paper for wallpapering. I am dying to do the walls of a study in this with teal lacquer bookshelves.

3. Farrow and Ball Lotus Papers BP 2045

Green fabrics:

1. Peter Fasano Brompton in Sage

2. F. Schumacher #63036

3. F. Schumacher #173631

4. Brunschwig Dzhambul 71099-435

5. F. Schumacher 2643763

6. Kravet #9307-123

7. F. Schumacher #54955

8. Peter Fasano Jaipur in Ocean/ Olive

Green accessories:

1. Leontine Linens Rebecca bath towels

2. Venetian sofa by Oscar de la Renta through Century Furniture – 60_22_727

3. Madeline Weinrib Mu pillow in celery

http://madelineweinrib.com/mw/ikat/Mu-Celery.html

4. Stripe Moquette celadon rug by Vanderhurd

http://www.vanderhurd.com/stripes.php?t=stripes&p=0&id=115

5. Tufted leather corrigan chair through Anthropologie

http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?subCategoryId=&id=66411&catId=HOME-FURNITURE-CHAIRS&pushId=HOME-FURNITURE-CHAIRS&popId=HOME-FURNITURE&sortProperties=&navCount=130&navAction=middle&fromCategoryPage=true&selectedProductSize=&selectedProductSize1=&color=bpp&isSubcategory=&isProduct=true&isBigImage=&templateType=

6. Hand embroidered pillow from Holland and Sherry- Athena EMB686

7. Renee Green Lamp through Tonic Home:

http://www.tonichome.com/catalog.php?item=1196

8. Boxed nailhead coasters in faux alligator through Sara Gilbane Interiors

xo,

S

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Autumn Hues – Yellow

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Yellow- Saffron, butter, dandelion, daffodil, gold, corn, buttercup, sunshine, canary, citrine, grapefruit, maize, taxi cab. Yellow conjurs up a positive sunny feeling.  I have come to love yellow more and more and tend to mix traditional with modern for a youthful feel.  As I stated in a previous post regarding yellow two of the most celebrated rooms in 20th century interior design had bold lacquered yellow walls: Nancy Lancaster’s legendary London sitting room/office (shown below) and Babe and Bill Paley’s Fifth Avenue drawing room, decorated by Albert Hadley and Sister Parish. Let’s dive into some fabulously chic autumn yellow rooms.

The traditional approach:

We will start of with Nancy Lancaster’s famed yellow drawing room above.  This room was done by John Fowler in 1957 and would be just as stunning if done today.  Fowler applied numerous layers of glaze over a butter yellow paint.

Andrew Virtue drew his inspiration from Nancy Lancaster’s yellow room and created his own writing room ( on a smaller scale) at the Greystone Estate show house. This deep vibrant yellow works so well with burnt crsipy browns, greens, and plums.

A sitting room designed by yours truly.  When the sun sets in the afternoon the pale gold walls glisten ( custom paint color by Rollinson Hues).  A soft pale yellow is a great neutral backdrop for most colors.  We wanted to enhance the sunset so the reds, corals, pinks, oranges, and golds were introduced. The simple sisal rug keeps the room grounded and approachable while the scattered throw rugs add warmth underfoot.

One of my favorite rooms in a house by Architect Gil Schafer.  They used a slightly bolder yellow than I did and kept the furniture simply upholstered.  The antiques steal the show ( all brown wood always looks great against yellow). Beautiful! On a side note, Veranda and their new editor in chief Dara Caponigro selected and recently announced the winners of their second annual Art of Design Awards. Honoring design industry trailblazers whose work is both “innovative and timeless”. Gil Schafer won the award in the architecture category. Congrats!

The bedroom above by Jeffrey Bilhuber introduces a strong yellow as drapes for the bed.  How lovely to be cocooned in a yellow tent! I love the pale lilac paired with it.

Christopher Spitzmiller’s apartment is shown above as seen in Elle Decor. Yellows, browns, and teal blues keep the room fresh and modern.

One final Bilhuber creation.  The slightly more modern tufting on the chairs (loosely tufted rather than deep) and the yellow sign in this room off of the dark wood walls.

The modern approach:

Tone on tone yellows paired with black and white by Jamie Drake make for an exciting bedroom. I love that the base of this bed is upholstered in zebra. Very chic.

Kelly Wearstler created this yellow and black library for the Viceroy Hotel in Santa Monica.  Again we see tone on tone yellow paired with black, white, and mirror.  The bookshelves turned on diagonal and books stacked in opposite directions adds whimsy and a focal point when you walk into the room.

Another room done by your truly.  We needed to bring some life to this manhattan loft space.  With pale seafoam on the walls and grey suede sofa we brought in a strong yellow Oushak carpet and pops of yellow ( throw pillows and accessories) for life.

This room could be filed under pink, red, or orange.  I love the high gloss pink fireplace and I die over the silk ikat upholstered walls.  The yellow linen roman shades with crisp brown ribbon tape inset keep the room feeling clean rather than chaotic.

Yellow paint picks:

1. Donald Kaufman Collection #30

2. Ralph Lauren Goldfinch

3. Benjamin Moore Showtime

4. Farrow and Ball Babouche

Traditional yellow wallcovering picks:

1. Farrow and Ball BP 1928

2. Farrow and Ball BP 1632

3. Farrow and Ball BP 572

Traditional yellow fabrics:

1. Lee Jofa Oak Leaves in yellow BFC 3514-14

2. F. Schumacher Seneca Cotton Stripe 62982

3. Lee Jofa Hisari ikat in plum 2008136_909

4. Quadrille Simba beige on gold

Traditional yellow accessories:

1. Antique spool stool with Robert Kime fabric through John Rosselli Antiques

2. Antique Samarkand rug through Doris Leslie Blau

http://www.1stdibs.com/furniture_item_detail.php?id=448340

3. Christopher Spitzmiller Happy lamps in Butter with 23k gold water gilt base

http://christopherspitzmiller.com/lampdetail.asp?LAMPID=112

4. William Sonoma Home cashmere yellow throw in lemon drop

http://www.wshome.com/products/p126/index.cfm?pkey=ccashmere%2Dfaux%2Dfur%2Dthrow

5. Sharyn Blond table linens in Jardin pattern

http://sharynblondlinens.com/hand_table.html#2

6. Bee Line Home throw pillows through John Rosselli Antiques NYC

Modern yellow wallcovering picks:

1. China Seas Balinese Batik in inca/ gold

2. F. Schumacher Imperial Trellis in citrine

3. Manuel Canovas Trellis in citrine

4. Cole and Son palm leaves in yellow

Modern yellow fabric picks:

1. Lee Jofa Tulip in white/ yellow GWF-2622-140

2. F. Schumacher Katsugi in gold and mushroom 2620934

3. Lee Jofa Facet in Saffrom SC10049-1612

4. Ruby Green Mary in yellow

5. Ruby Green Marilyn

Modern yellow accessories picks:

1. Lippa armchair in yellow through Tonic Home:

http://www.tonichome.com/catalog.php?item=1511

2. Yellow geometric pillow through Pieces Inc.

http://piecesinc.com/yellow-geometric-pillow

3. Pink Jacket on Yellow 50″ x 50″ gloss on aluminum by Natasha Law through Voltz Clarke Gallery

http://voltzclarke.com/law/1.html

4. Yellow garden stool through Tonic Home

http://www.tonichome.com/catalog.php?item=1419

5. Jonathan Adler Carnaby Lamp:

http://www.jonathanadler.com/Carnaby-Hollywood-Lamp/?cat=0&initial=

6. West Elm Parsons desk in tumeric:

http://www.westelm.com/products/parsons-desk-with-drawers-f099/?pkey=e%7Cyellow%7C9%7Cbest%7C0%7C1%7C24%7C%7C6&sku=1653740&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-Common%20Top%20Wide%20Rule%20What’s%20New

7. Yellow vases set of 6

http://www.mermaidhut.com/Prod-18-1-2604-30/Yellow_Vases_Assorted_Set_of_Six.htm

8. The Rug Company Sellarsbrook rug by Suzanne Sharpe ( The Rug Company also won in it’s category for the Second Annual Art of Design Awards by Veranda.

http://www.therugcompany.info/contemporary-collection/suzanne-sharp/sellarsbrook-yellow.htm

9. Vanderhurd Kafir throw pillow colorway 4

http://www.vanderhurd.com/hand_crafted.php?t=cushions&p=1&id=358

xo,

S

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Spring Into Summer Party

Fabric Fashion Inspiration Interior Design Shopping No Comments

The soaring temperatures in New York City (85 degrees today!) make me want to have a rooftop party. Whether you have an apartment in the city, a beach house on the coast, or a place in the country all you need is a little space and your closest friends gathered under one of these fabulous tents!

Available for rent or for sale these tents are exquisite. Instant atmosphere. They provide a place to hide from the sun or the rain. The tents are also perfect for a dinner party ( think glowing floor and table lanterns and lots of bright fabrics.)

The above table setting featured in Elle Decor October 2009 is a perfect pairing:

Clockwise from top left: Gooseberry pierced bowl by Michael Aram. Glasgow tumbler by Theresienthal. Trocadero glass by Nasonmoretti from Seguso Viro. Golden Morning cup from Neue Galerie Design Shop. Chevrons Gold presentation plate by Hermès. Perl dinner plate by Nymphenburg. Dhara lunch and bread-and-butter plates by Philippe Deshoulières. Troia flatware by Pampaloni from Bergdorf Goodman. Rice bowl by Jaune de Chrome from Takashimaya New York. Background of Cherry Satin Jam fabric by Madeline Weinrib.

Why not have this pergola tent set up permanently in your yard for afternoon reads or lunches. A magical spot for grown-ups and children to gather under for an Alice in Wonderland tea party.

Above photographs were shot by Annie Liebovitz for Vogue December 2003

I love both table settings above for an Alice and Wonderland themed party. Playful and whimsical.

Being a New England girl, I flipped for these beach tents. I would love to have a clambake on the beach with these fun tents as spots to change for a dip in the ocean!

Red, white, and blue table setting featured in Elle Decor October 2009 is a fun twist on Americana for a 4th of July bash:

Red, white, and blue table setting: Clockwise from top right: Sag Harbor Stripe water glass by Kate Spade New York. Wonki Ware’s Organic dinner plate from Bergdorf Goodman. Diamond lunch plate and Dot dessert plate by Ellen Evans for Terrafirma Ceramics. Alain Saint-Joanis’s Mistral flatware from Bergdorf Goodman. Napkin by Madeline Weinrib. Bubble double old-fashioned glass by Kim Seybert. Vine plate from Dandelion. Background of Malabar fabric by Bennison

For more information on these tents visit: http://www.rajtentclub.com/

xo,

S

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