First time poster on these threads but read them all the time. Annie, I feel your pain! Hubby retired 9/1 of last year, we put our old home on the market 10/4, moved and arrived at our new home the night before Thanksgiving (dinner last Turkey day was hot dogs and mac&cheese). We knew that we were going to be downsizing drastically when we were house hunting down here so the fixing, tossing, donating, going thru everything, yard sales, getting the house ready for listing, packing and dealing with the moving company almost did us in. Dinner last night (Friday) was ribeyes, twiced baked potatoes and brussel sprouts with garlic and bacon, roasted in butter and a little bacon grease. The best part was that hubby did all the cooking, which is very unusual (but much appreciated). Ate in the living room while watching the latest Star Trek movie that is now on DVD. Tonight we're having a very simple dinner. With my new found skills with making a good meatloaf, we're having meatloaf sandwiches, which we both prefer over a meatloaf dinner. Meatloaf is in the oven right now. Hubby had wanted to go out in the boat today but I nixed that idea as I'm feeling really lazy today. Mainly because the lake is always crowded with out of towners during the weekends. Most of whom think drinking and boating are one and the same. So we're going out tomorrow as most of the boaters will have left or will be working. A late lunch or early dinner will be at a restaurant that faces the London Bridge after we get back. Haven't been out on the lake since August when we had a large almost two week long get-together with very dear friends and family. When we moved here we were told that there were a few months when it's actually too hot to be boating (unless you spend all of your time IN the water instead of on it) and that even swimming pools often get too hot to be enjoyable during the heat. We scoffed....but found out how true that was. Went thru our first monsoon season here and boy was that interesting. Now that the temps have cooled off somewhat we want to take advantage of it. Hope everyone had a terrific weekend. Lifting my mug of cold coffee in toast to everyone. Jenna

Oakleyok, So agree with you on the overabundance of white! White is an easy color to match other decor. Sochi, I was surprised too about the gloss and lacquer coming into the vogue. Earlier this month Awm03 posted a link to Kips Bay Decorator Show 2013 on GW - my thanks to her for it! The interiors on display clearly showcased most of the trends listed in HB. I'm re-posting the link from Awm03 here for everyone's convenience. - Brass? Check. Both in vintage/antique patina and shiny 70's-80's versions; - Bright colors? Check. Althought the bright teal bathroom isn't exactly my cup of tea, it still fascinated me at first. After some thought I conceded that it could make sense to do a small space like a powder room or nook in a bright color to add some "pop" or intrigue to an otherwise restrained house. I like the curtain and rug in the entryway design. They bring an otherwise cramped and dark space alive. The curtain would be a perfect solution for hiding a large storage unit for footwear, umbrellas, bags, dog leashes and coats on hooks or shallow shelves. - English florals? Check. The wallpaper in the lady's writing room is so pretty, it makes me dream about a small weekend cottage decorated in the style! - High gloss, lacquer and polish? Check. My favorite is the dining table with the black lacquer top and MCM-style chairs. It's probably nostalgic because the table reminds me of the 60's Czech-made sideboard and bookcase in my room back home in Moscow. They were topped with black opaque glass, had glossy walnut veneer doors on the fronts and polished oak on the sides edged with thin brass piping. MCM meets Art Deco. - James Mont style furnishings? Check. There are some lacquered pieces that clearly allude to his designs, although they are more restrained in comparison. - Art? Yep, it's definitely present there. :D Bsmith1, You make a valid point about being able to relate to the designs in magazines. My view is that there should be a bit of everything for everyone. I would add to the opinions by Palimpsest, Bronwynsmom and others that the shelter magazines give us a chance to peruse interiors designed by pros. We can't afford the high-ticket items they feature, but we can learn about paint color combinations, textile patterns or mixing and matching different styles The other day I went to a garden tour featuring several million-dollar estates. The proceeds from the tickets went to the local schools. I would never be able to afford the lavish landscaping, but I appreciated a chance to look at the work done by pros. The plant combinations, spacing of features, types of plants for different sun/terrain conditions, use of stone, etc. There was a landscape designer available for questions at one of the properties. Besides, it was a beautiful day for a walk in the gardens! Here is a link that might be useful: Kips Bay Decorator Show House 2013

Palimpset, it's funny that you say it looks accumulated as I worried that it was too matchy-matchy because of all the rattan. I think my propensity towards that approach is based on watching Sarah Richardson putting a room together. Cawaps, there's definitely a lot going on in the room, but I did try and limit the forms to organic shapes and the colors to the color palette from the sofa fabric. It really was about finding a fabric that included both the deep red of the fixture and the orange of the carpet. It would definitely not be a restful living room, but I think would be great for parties. The fabric is from here: http://www.fabricguru.com/p-fabric-by-the-yard/terrace-printed-polyester-outdoor-atlantis-1 and it comes in a couple of other color ways. It's an outdoor fabric so it should be fairly kid-friendly. Positively Patty, The wall color reads to me as a little green, I wonder if a paler version of the pale cream in the carpet would be more restful? Crl, finding the sofa fabric was definitely key. I like the balance between organic curves and linearity in your room.

Nosoccermom, thanks for the research. I really think that explains everything--the paucity of bedrooms relative to the total floorspace, the space for entertaining (I would imagine the Bishop hosts gatherings frequently), the religious icons, and the nature of the furnishings. Pal, in all your rooms you've added an elegance worthy of a five million dollar home. In the LR, I love the gingko floor lamps and Qing vases. The image doesn't do the lacquer walls justice. I love the color, but I think the effect would be so much better in person. In the foyer, the white & neutral palette contrasts with your other rooms. The central table makes an interesting focal piece. I like the floor lamps flanking the door (you reminded me that I completely ignored lighting in my foyer). The Mexican santos were a nice (and amusing) nod to the current decor. I like the chaise, but I'm not sure how well it would work with traffic flow (the space is a high traffic area). The black and green in your bathroom is dramatic. I love the tub. As you say, the rest of the house would have to be at a certain level to make it work, but so far your other spaces do that. The changes you made to the kitchen would have a big visual impact. I like how the wallpaper ties in with the chinoiserie from the living room. Patrick, you asked about the zebra sofa, "do you think that is actually zebra hide with fur?" my reaction was "God, I hope not." But actually, yes. It's from a South African manufacturer and is upholstered with zebra hide and kudu leather. I picked it for the drama and because the oversize roll arms make it take up an outsize amount of space compared to it's seating capacity.