Wilmette Hardware for the Win!

Architecture
August 12, 2014

Does your dog bark at the mailman? Hamish has developed a real problem when it comes to being vocal towards the mailman. And our poor mailman would have to come through our privacy door on the street onto the piazza where he would often encounter a less than pleased Hamish in order to put mail through the slot on our front door. For more information on Privacy Doors click here. Typically a privacy door has a mail slot, and thus this problem is typically avoided. However, I didn’t want just any old mail slot. I wanted the perfect mail slot. Enter Wilmette Hardware . Located in Wilmette, IL, they are the creators and purveyors of the perfect mail slot. Flush with the door, un-lacquered brass – the most attractive mail slot I had ever seen. And trust me, I had looked at a lot of mail slots in the search for the perfect slot. When it arrived I couldn’t have been more excited for the install. And the finished product. I couldn’t be more pleased with the scale, design, and craftsmanship of this mail slot. Here is Hamish posing with the new mail slot. Thanks to Wilmette Hardware I know that our mail man is going to be much happier visiting our house. Wilmette Hardware manufactures some absolutely beautiful hardware – look out for a post on doorknobs coming soon. And in the meantime, follow one of their accomplished craftsmen, Micah Eastvold on Instagram at www.instagram.com/micah6eight

Un Posto al Sole

Architecture
August 6, 2014

Here at Lacquered Life I have often discussed (perhaps too often) my love for historic buildings decorated in a minimalist style. This can mean a few different things … it can mean modern furniture, it can mean antique furniture, it can mean Scandinavian, it can mean baroque; but what it always means is spartan. No clutter. It allows the architecture and the furniture to breathe, and often gives the historic structure an opportunity to shine. This is exactly what Franco Bergamaschi has done in his 19th century villa in Lodi outside of Milan. He has given this wonderful 19th century home the opportunity to shine. Using mostly antique furniture re-upholstered in linen and a muted paint palette, Bergamaschi’s fireplace mantels, windows, floors, and cabinetry all get their place in the sun, un post al sole. And it is most deserved.

Photos via Elle Decoration Country Vol. 4

Exploring Bermuda: St. George’s

Historic Preservation
July 23, 2014

Hello Lacquered Lifers! Sorry for the radio silence yesterday, I was in Bermuda over the weekend celebrating my mother’s birthday. We had a wonderful time staying at Tuckers Point with the family, doing what most people do on beach vacations: eating/drinking, laughing, tanning, swimming, snorkeling … but of course I had to add a trip to St. George’s to my Bermuda itinerary. St. George’s is the earliest colonial English settlement in the New World. It was founded in 1612 by members of the Virginia Company whose ship had gotten waylaid during a storm on the way to Jamestown. After building two additional ships from local Bermuda cedar, members of the Company continued on to Jamestown, however, they left behind a group of people to establish St. Georges and Bermuda. St. George’s remained the capital of Bermuda until 1815 when it was moved to Hamilton, and in 2000, St. George’s became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is a lot about St. George’s that reminds me of Charleston, and that is not surprising. Both colonies were founded by English Settlers within sixty years of each other, and many of Charleston’s settlers came by way of Bermuda. If you’re ever in Bermuda, and have the opportunity to do some exploring, I highly recommend St. George’s. It is chock full of colorful colonial architecture and some beautiful views. I cannot wait to return.