September 2011 Archives - Fresh American

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Two-Timer

Sep 23, 2011

A two-tone color scheme is one of the easiest ways to make a high-impact statement in a room. One of our favorites is the classically preppy combination of red and white, where the simple-and-clean white allows the “I’m here!” boldness of the red to stand out, and vice versa. Bonus: you don’t have to worry about mixing patterns, since all red-and-white combos will complement each other, so use the opportunity to be playful. For this bathroom, white walls and beadboard form a blank (but...

Nautical By Nature

Sep 23, 2011

With its affinity for the outdoors and seaside retreats, the Happy Preppy style fairly screams, “Ahoy, matey!” The next time you’re in the market for that perfectly perky, nautical-themed wedding or hostess gift, try one of these unique items—some of which are even made with reclaimed nautical materials like recycled sailcloth.

Initial It

Sep 23, 2011

The practice of monogramming items might be a preppy signature (get it?), but it goes way back to ancient Greece. In its earliest forms, it was usually reserved for royalty, but it quickly became a way to personalize valuable pieces. We’re never happier than when we can stamp, embroider, or emboss our initials on something, so we’re delighted to report that these days, almost anything is monogrammable. As the fabulous Marisa at Stylebeat recently noted in this post, Merrimade will print...

Gold Coast

Sep 23, 2011

We’re all in for unexpected design touches. For this true-blue dining room, featured on Coastal Living, we fell head over heels for the farmhouse-with-an-architectural-twist chairs painted a who’d’ve-thunk-it goldenrod. With their distressed finish and plucky blue floral cushions, they’re as eye-catching as can be—especially when bellied up to a pure white laminate table. Speaking of, we also adore the cobalt pendant lamp suspended above, which, no matter the angle, stands out...

Aster Turf

Sep 23, 2011

Blankets-and-fleece weather has arrived here in the Northeast, but we’re not quite ready to bid adieu to our gardens just yet. We’re savoring the last of the late-summer and early-fall flowers, including asters, which we love both for their weather-resistant toughness and for their ability to perk up a garden or a tabletop flower arrangement. The name of the aster is derived from the ancient Greek for “star”—a nod to their showy, happy, daisylike shape. This perennial ranges in color...

Hit the Grass

Sep 23, 2011

Preppy decorating often focuses on primary colors. We adore a deep-sea navy, a harbor-buoy red, and a sunshine yellow, but we also like to shake things up with bright green. If you find this happy-go-lucky hue a bit too stimulating on walls and furniture, try it as a base layer instead. This indoor/outdoor rug, in stripes of varied widths and shades of grass tempered with aqua, navy, gray, and white, is a cheerful complement to a range of wood tones, from deep walnut to medium oak and...

Red Hot

Sep 23, 2011

Although we don’t usually think of ourselves as gadget heads, we confess that we’d be lost without our smartphones. But we’ve also never much cared for the feeling of yapping into half of a Hershey bar, or the idea that we’re subjecting our gray matter to daily doses of radiation, so when we saw the awesomeness that is the Native Union Moshi Moshi Retro Pop Handset, we knew we had to have it. The Moshi doesn’t need batteries or special setup—just plug it into the headphone...

Bowled Over

Sep 22, 2011

Although Waylande Gregory—Art Deco innovator and one of the most influential ceramics artists of the early twentieth century—passed away in 1971, his company, Waylande Gregory Studios, is experiencing a resurgence in creativity and popularity. Now under the direction of Gregory’s great-great-nephew, Brian Downey, the company is turning out ooh-inspiring bowls, vases, platters, and more, made with Gregory’s revolutionary glazing and processing techniques. We’re fired up over of the...

Reuse Me

Sep 22, 2011

We like to think of ourselves as pretty green when it comes to our arts-and-crafts leftovers, but the truth is, Indian artisans have us beat by a mile. For centuries, they’ve been reducing, reusing, and recycling in the most creative ways—without the Frankensteinish “My God, what is that?” experiments that sometimes result from the attempt to repurpose materials. Take chindi, a traditional technique that involves weaving leftover strips of fabric or leather into rugs, bags, scarves,...

Great Pumpkin

Sep 22, 2011

We find it impossible to resist richly detailed ethnic textiles, like this embroidery-and-mirrorwork Indian bedspread and shams. So we gave in to our artisanal addiction and encouraged the spread’s unique pattern to shine by combining it with saturated, coordinating solids—seasonally pitch-perfect pumpkin and sage. The slight sheen of the satin coverlet and the soft velvet of the scalloped-edge pillow also add another layer of texture, especially when tucked around smooth white sheets. For...

Grand Tour

Sep 22, 2011

Annie’s on the road, meeting fans, signing copies of Fresh American Spaces, and enjoying informative chats with other design devotees. Here’s a look at a recent appearance at Strawberry Hill Farm in Stockbridge, MA. Want to get your copy of Fresh American Spaces autographed? Keep checking here for a list of dates and...

Fish Story

Sep 22, 2011

The temperature may be starting to cool, but we’re making the most of our end-of-season grill time with some simple, flavorful, eclectic recipes. This colorful, Polynesian-style tilapia dish was created by Dan Mathieu, one of our favorite Boston caterers and the cofounder of MAX Ultimate Food. Cedar Smoked Tilapia with Wild Mushrooms & Truffle Oil Tilapia is generally a farm-raised fish, with very low levels of mercury, and is more sustainable than wild-harvested varieties....