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The San Francisco Fall Antiques Show 2012

The highly anticipated San Francisco Fall Antiques Show will run October 25-28 at Fort Mason. (I’ll be attending this year… can’t wait!)  The show features approximately seventy dealers from across the United States and Europe, offering for sale an extraordinary range of fine and decorative arts representing all styles and periods including American, English, Continental and Asian furniture, silver, ceramics, glass, jewelry, rugs, textiles, paintings, prints and photographs.

San Francisco Fall Antiques Show 2012

The theme of this year’s show, Sea Worthy, is inspired by the iconic Americas Cup, which will be hosted in San Francisco in October 2013. The shows six-part lecture series, Romance of the Sea, will feature decorative and fine arts relating to the ocean, boating and travel.  The lecture series will explore a range of treasures with renowned experts in their fields, including:

Tall Sailing Ship Oil Painting Art

Thursday, October 25th at 11:00 am 

An Auction Adventure on the High Seas, Gary Metzner, Senior Vice President and Fine Art Director, Sotheby’s, Chicago

The long history of art and the sea encompasses nautical- and travel-themed works that expand beyond well-known marine paintings.  From the Dutch Golden Age of maritime painting through the Romantic period and Impressionism until the present day, artists as diverse as Gustave Courbet and Roy Lichtenstein have depicted great sailing vessels, enthralling boat races, and grand seascapes.  Come join Sotheby’s expert Gary Metzner for a high seas adventure of discovery as he recounts the stories behind these treasures!

Henrietta Spencer-Churchill Interior Design Book

Friday, October 26th at 2:30 pm  

Celebrating Great Rooms: 300 Years of Changing Interiors, Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill, Interior Designer and Author, England

A noted authority on period homes and historical styles, Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill will speak about architectural elements, layouts, and design of interiors, from medieval times to present day.  She will trace industrial and social advances that have led to the evolution of room function and décor.  Her presentation will feature a stunning selection of illustrations from her new book, The Life of the House: How Rooms Evolve (Rizzoli, 2012), among them Blenheim, her family’s estate in England; Marble House in Newport, Rhode Island, where her great-grandmother Consuelo Vanderbilt spent much of her childhood; and homes she has worked on as a designer. Book-signing reception to follow.

San Francisco Fall Antiques Show 2012

Saturday, October 27th at 2:30 pm 

Panel Discussion: Icons of San Francisco Architecture and Design, Featuring Ann Getty, Interior Designer, and Andrew Skurman, Architect, San Francisco and moderated by Suzanne Tucker, Interior Designer and Designers Circle Chair

In celebration of each of their first monographs – Contemporary Classical: The Architecture of Andrew Skurman (Princeton Architectural Press, 2012) and Ann Getty: Interior Style (written by Diane Dorrans Saeks, Rizzoli, 2012) – acclaimed architect Andrew Skurman and influential interior designer Ann Getty will share images and ideas from their iconic work in the Bay Area and beyond. Skurman will illustrate how classical architecture has inspired his residential designs and detail how he has adapted French chateaux, Mediterranean villas, and Georgian country houses to suit contemporary lifestyles.  Focusing on her interior design philosophy, Getty, in conversation with Maria Quiros, Senior Designer at Ann Getty & Associates, will discuss how she mixes and merges different periods, styles, and cultures to create a sumptuous environment and illuminate how to live both elegantly and comfortably with art and antiques.  Skurman, Getty and, Saeks will be signing books following the program.

 For more information, and to purchase tickets, please visit www.sffas.org.

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Read full story By on September 26, 2012 in antiques, book, furniture, interior design

Book Review: Sister Parish –The Life of the Legendary American Interior Designer

Sister_Parish_The_Life_Interior_Decorator_Book

These past few weeks, I have enjoyed reading, Sister Parish – The Life of the Legendary American Interior Designer. Written one of Sister’s daughter’s, Apple Parish Bartlett and a granddaughter, Susan Bartlett Crater, the book is comprised of Sister’s own unpublished memoirs as well as hundreds of interviews with family, friends and fellow design icons. I had a feeling I would love parts of the book (I devoured chapter 10 on decorating), but to my surprise the book kept me captivated to the end.

Sister Parish Interior Design and Fabrics

Design Icon Sister Parish Living Room(image via Architectural Digest)

Perhaps is was the fascination of her privileged life. Born into a prominent New York family in 1910, Dorothy May Kinnicutt (better known as Sister – a nickname her brother gave her) spent her childhood attending elite schools, sailing yachts and going to coming-out parties. She met her own husband, Henry Parish II at her own debut party (he was perfectly mannered) and married him at the age of nineteen. During the Great Depression, Sister was compelled to work and launched her first design firm in 1933. Her innate design ability coupled with her upper-echelon social connections, the business was extremely successful. Over the decades, the Parish-Hadley (interior designer, Albert Hadley joined Parish in 1962) firm’s list of clients included the Rockefellers, Astors, Gettys and Kennedys. Even though her client’s homes were scattered world-wide, small and large,  Houses from all over the world In the 1960s, Sister paved the way for the “American Country” style. She championed the humble striped cloth called mattress ticking, which had traditionally covered mattresses, and used it to cover chairs and throw pillows. In Sister’s New York Times obituary, John Richardson, an art historian was quoted, “No one else in America does a room with such patrician aplomb, such life-enhancing charm, such a lack of gimmickry or trendiness.”

Sister Parish Girls Bedroom in PinkSister_Parish_Designer_Fabrics

“She taught me that it doesn’t have to be perfect. That it doesn’t have to match. To follow your instincts.” – Libby Cameron – Parish’s last apprentice.

There are many pearls of wisdom and design tips in this book. It’s a must for any interior designer, but would make a wonderful addition to any design library. With the holidays nearing, this affordable book would make an excellent hostess gift too!

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Read full story By on September 19, 2012 in book, book review, interior design, Interiors, interview, Interviews

Book Giveaway: Southern Living Style

Gracious hospitality, monograms and effortless elegance are what come to mind when I think of Southern style. Southern Living magazine has long been an inspiration of approachable interiors with Southern sensibility. Last month, the magazine released Southern Living Style, a new home décor book. Not only does it offer inspirational photographs of gorgeous interiors, it provides room-by-room decorating solutions and advice that can easily be adapted to your own personal style and budget. I especially love the before and afters – it’s always amazing how a fresh coat of paint or graphic upholstery can transform a dated piece of furniture.
Here’s a sneak peek of this great book:
white kitchen with farm table designermonogrammed dining chair back upholsteredlong sawhorse desk with nailheadfabric pull for dresser diybathroom art wall display whitechalkboard painted laundry door framefamily room work stations built-in officeposter bed makeover designerred white blue kids bunkbed bedroom

The folks at Southern Living generously gave me a copy of the book to giveaway to a lucky Simplified Bee reader.

Entering is simple. Here’s how:
• Leave a comment. {provide your email if I don’t have a way to contact you}.
• Extra Entry – become a new follower of Simplified Bee’s Blog, Twitter or Facebook Page.
• Extra Entry – mention this giveaway in a blog post, FB link or tweet, then leave a comment letting me know.
• Please post a separate comment for each extra entry.
• Entry period closes at midnight PST on Wednesday, October 26, 2011. The winner will be chosen by Random.org and will be announced on the Simplified Bee Facebook page on Thursday, October 27, 2011.

Thank you so much for reading Simplified Bee & good luck!
*All photographs used with permission from Southern Living
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Read full story By on October 19, 2011 in antiques, bedrooms, book, DIY, Giveaways, interior design, kitchens

Friday Find: Clothbound Children’s Classics by Penguin

clothbound classic books for kids

penguin classic childrens books hardbound

With my kids heading back-to-school, these delightful books caught my eye. Penguin offers the collection of clothbound classics that feature some of my favorites from childhood. They are sold separately, but who can resist buying the entire collection? Currently Anthropologie is selling six titles including The Wind in the Willows, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.  Amazon carries other titles including Black Beauty, Gulliver’s Travels and The Call of the Wild.  In any case, they would make a terrific gift for any child, while adding a splash or color and style to their bookcase.


organized entry mudroom
{photo via The Zhush}

Today, I am also excited to be guest blogging at Courtney Outloud and giving tips on getting organized for back-to-school. Hope you can drop by!

Happy Friday!!!

*images of books from Anthropologie

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Read full story By on August 26, 2011 in book, friday find, home organization, mudrooms