I’ve been drooling over home accessories more then ever lately as we hunt for an apartment in San Francisco Bay. One of these gorgeous cotton herringbone throws available at Vivre are at the top of my wish list. I don’t know if I could ever settle on one color though—apple green, indigo blue, coral, peacock…?
I always have trouble finding fun lumbar pillows, but these vintage crewel numbers had me at hello! I just adore the colorful, feminine pattern of the wool embroidery paired with the rich olive green velvet on back. Perfection!
How lovely is this fabric by Vaughan Designs? I’ve long been a fan of their lighting, but had no idea they did such fantastic embroideries as well! Their textile line has the most gorgeous silk embroidered linens (some by machine, others by hand!) and the print above has to be my new favorite. How fantastic does it look in New York’s Crosby Street Hotel? Swoon!
The cover of the upcoming June/July issue of Lonny Magazine was just revealed and I’m loving that it features the lakeside home of Kate Spade’s Deborah Lloyd. The issue will also feature a seaside project of Bunny Williams, the Gramercy Park home of Elizabeth Bauer, and Lonny’s first ever behind-the-scenes video home tour. June 10th can’t come soon enough!
Frances M. Fontaine, 24, New York, New York
I grew up on a small farm in South Dartmouth, Massachusetts. Born the second of four to a nurse mom and boat designing dad, I had an atypical youth that involved lots of joy and laughter and a void of cable tv. Both of my parents were definitely neo-traditionalists of their own generation (or maybe just hippies) and we spent lots of time sailing, ice pond skating, cooking, and tending to the animals. They both encouraged all of us to take care of the earth and people around us, to look for the good in all things, and most importantly, to laugh! It was truly ideal. Though life on the farm was full of simple pleasures, I always dreamt of the big city. I ended up spending a summer and spring semester in Paris, where I was exposed to the most beautiful stationery, food, flowers, fashion, and people. Craving to extend that life of urban glamour, I moved to New York shortly after graduation from Boston College. After dabbling in publishing and events, I recently began working at a small interior design firm in Chelsea and do a bit of my own freelance work on the side. In my spare time I tend to our little french bulldog, Yoda, love to bake, go for walks, and rummage for vintage treasures.
Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Rilke, La Meme Histoire by Feist, The Kiss from The Last of the Mohicans soundtrack, Coming home from work to my boyfriend and Yoda, striking the match to light a Diptyque
It would have to take place in my most treasured location- Le Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris, on the great lawn. Since this is a dream and nothing has to be practical, the long rectangular tables would be covered in Pierre Frey velvet linen in Bartolo Ivory- my all time favorite fabric. Napkins would be a burnt orange linen. For flowers, heaping lilacs in giant, marble urns. Guest list would include my closest friends and family from every chapter of my life. It would be sunset and the park would be closed..if guests had children there would be mini tables set up around the fountains, also covered in burlap, but the centerpieces would be silver mint julep cups filled with tight bunches of peonies. The children would be running about … guiding their petits bateaux in the pool of the fountain and plucking flowers from the ground. We would eat filet mignon with mashed potatoes and asparagus…topped with Laduree macaroons and vanilla ice cream for dessert and of course, plenty of malbec for all!
fingers crossed, living in a Brooklyn brownstone with a small yard and a few babies, running a successful design firm out of a storefront.
I love to cook from scratch, paint my own walls, and sew my own curtains. But more importantly, I really value people who maintain their elegance and grace in a rapidly evolving professional and cultural landscape. Marking occasions with a cake baked from scratch, sending hand written notes to those we love, and showing up in a world where there is every distraction set neo-traditionalists apart from the rest. In the end, for me it is about giving time, minding your manners and making things better. As Diana Vreeland once said – “The only real elegance comes from the mind, if you’ve got that, the rest really comes from it”. Thanks to Katie for acknowledging the importance of holding on to these special traits, and for creating such a special community of kind souls! [Below, the handsome Yoda in Frances' super chic New York apartment!]
