Tory Tales

Designers
August 5, 2014

It’s official. Tory Burch has launched a line of tabletop accessories. Tory’s personal table settings have long been some of my favorites on Pinterest, as I am sure they have for many of you, so it is no surprise that the fashion guru has now branched out into lifestyle with her new line of table wear. Surprise surprise it is all blue and white. It seems that her linens are taking cues from D. Porthault, and her china is taking cues from traditional tin picnic plates. The patterns of the linens and the china while seemingly mismatched, go extremely well together in the shots from her website. Oh and while the tabletop collection is new, shipping is free. Bravo Tory. Shop the collection below.

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Dining with the Russells

Architecture
June 19, 2014

I was lucky enough to attend Historic Charleston Foundation’s Nathaniel Russell House Instameet, which allowed a few of us instagram addicts access into the the house with our iPhones. Photographs are not usually permitted within the house, so this was a very special opportunity. Completed in 1808, the Nathaniel Russell House is one of the finest examples of neoclassical architecture in the United States. While I am always in awe of the architecture at the NRH this time I was quite struck with the china. Before moving to Charleston I had very little interest in china and china patterns, but I think there must be something in the water in the south because I rarely meet a southern woman who isn’t interested in china.These pieces of Chinese export porcelain, referred to as the “double peacock and peony”, are Qing Dynasty, Qianlong period, which date from approximately 1765-1795. Pretty spectacular, right? And they look so beautiful with the wall color in the dining room. Apparently this was a very popular pattern in Charleston.
In the back parlor, a small table is set for breakfast, complete with egg cups and some more rustic looking horn-handled silverware. I really have to get some egg cups – my stepmother recently turned me on to soft boiled eggs, and let’s be honest who doesn’t like an egg preparation that requires special serve ware? I know that all of you set your breakfast table just like this every morning. Tea anyone? This 19th century blue Canton China was used as the inspiration or basis for a Historic Charleston Foundation licensed line of china through Mottahedeh, which you can purchase here. So there you have it, even today you can set your table to look just like the table at the Nathaniel Russell House.

Stay tuned for more pictures of the Nathaniel Russell House, and for updates from inside the Nathaniel Russell House and the Aiken Rhett House, follow Historic Charleston Foundation on Instagram here.

Be Our Guest

Entertaining
May 13, 2014

Good morning Lacquered Lifers! Mr. B and I are heading into a few weeks of houseguests, and so I have “getting the guest room ready” on my mind. There is a list of things that I check off that I think are essential to making a guest feel comfortable that are a bit above the obvious clean sheets, clean towels, and advil. I put books on the bedside tables that are easy to pick up and read a few pages of and put down, especially books with facts about your town or city. I leave cocktail napkins on the bedside tables, so that guests can feel comfortable putting their water down anywhere, as well as a carafe which I fill with ice water every evening. Don’t forget the small dish for jewelry or cufflinks, and a notepad for writing down that flight confirmation number for when your guests are rebooking their flights to stay longer. It is these little things that make a guest feel right at home, and why your friends will keep coming to visit. Below are some of my favorite guest room must haves.