Revisting "The Young Victoria"

So after I posted about the movie I saw at the Savannah Film Festival, "The Young Victoria", I could not stop thinking of what a room would look like if it was based around one of those amazing dresses Emily Blunt wore as the Queen. So here are a few ideas...










Photo credit (Style Court, Miles Redd, Elle Decor, House Beautiful, Jeffrey Bilhuber)

Cashmere 101

Characterized by its soft fibers, cashmere provides a natural light-weight insulation without bulk. Pure cashmere can be dyed and spun into yards that are then knitted into many fabulous high end items. For centuries, Italy, Scotland, England, and Japan have been known as market leaders of the luxury product. The finest cashmere on the market now comes from Magnolia. Mongolian goats must endure extreme weather. Freezing winters and dry hot summers. Nature supplies the answer with a layered, downy coat of supple fleece providing insulation. In the Spring, the overcoat is combed to expose the fine cashmere fibers underneath. Those fibers are collected and spun into gorgeous sweaters, blankets, hats, mittens etc... At Number Four Eleven http://www.numberfoureleven.com/ we sell gorgeous cashmere items to accent your home. Providing style and comfort, our cashmere throws are available in an assortment of colors that could accent any room. Undyed cashmere is most commonly found to be gray, brown, or white. At the shop you can find cashmere in grass greens, spa blues, burnt oranges and more. (see color chart above)
Here, a gorgeous lilac cashmere throw has been used to cover a bench at the end of a bed. You can take what may be a tattered old item and cover it with a throw to give it revived look such as this. The throw not only provides a pop of color in the room but it brings a relaxed look to the uniformity of the room.
Here, the preppy look transfers from the back of an ivy-leaguer to your living room. Add a monogram to a solid color to add some personalization to your throw. It also helps bring together all the other navy blue accents in the room.

A very sophisticated look. A coral colored cashmere throw is accented with a heirloom monogram. You can create one of these monograms for yourself at http://www.numberfoureleven.com/ . Check out the samples of some of the gorgeous monograms under custom designs on the monogramming page.

Ah, the ever so classic Hermes cashmere blanket. Available in an assortment of colors, these timeless, luxurious, colorful and coveted blankets bring a great deal of flair to any room. Above, Kelly Wearstler used the lime and turquoise color way of the blanket to complete her son's room. Lucky kid.

A cashmere pillow with a hand woven cashmere monogram. Gorgeous, Gorgeous, Gorgeous. Check out http://www.queenofcashmere.com/ to view all of her over the top beautiful cashmere items.

The Young Victoria

Last week I was able to enjoy a few of the movies at the annual Savannah Film Festival. Some great movies and amazing actors were there. "The Young Victoria" playing at the Trustees Theater was one of the highlights. Partly because I am a sucker for a British period piece and partly because it was so beautiful. And I was sitting next to Alan Cumming, who couldn't of been nicer! Wouldn't a room inspired by one of Victoria's jewel-toned dresses be stunning?

Here is the description of the movie...

In “The Young Victoria,” Emily Blunt (“The Devil Wears Prada”) delivers an appealing performance as Queen Victoria in the turbulent first years of her reign. Rupert Friend (“Pride and Prejudice”) portrays Prince Albert, the suitor who wins her heart and becomes her partner in one of history’s greatest romances. This love story, set amid all the intrigue of the court, also features Paul Bettany (“Iron Man,” “The Da Vinci Code”), Miranda Richardson (“Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”), Jim Broadbent (“The Damned United,” “The Chronicles of Narnia”), Thomas Kretschmann (“Valkyrie”) and Mark Strong (“Sherlock Holmes,” “Tristan and Isolde”).

www.filmfest.scad.edu

Charlottesville

The Boars Head Inn, Charlottesville, Va.

http://www.boarsheadinn.com

This past weekend I went on a trip to Charlottesville, Va. The scenery was breathtaking, the company outstanding, and the shopping inspiring.

We stayed at The Boars Head Inn, nestled in the Piedmont Country Side.

The Inn boasts incredible views of fall colors while remaining uniquely southern in character, charm, and natural beauty.

Colorful in history, and distinctive architecture Charlottesville has been the home to three US presidents. Monticello, the incredibly beautiful home of Thomas Jefferson is one of many attractions to visit while in Charlottesville. All of the houses we saw were absolutely gorgeous!

Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson

Scenery of the countrysideA scene of a traditional fox hunt

On Friday, the men went off to play golf and the girls went shopping. Little did I know but I was about to come across some of the most beautiful shops I had ever seen. One of them being a shop by the name of And George.

A mother - daughter team. The shop boasts antiques, fine furniture, clothing and accessories galore. A must see for those who love a terrific vignette. A display at And George

As we made our way down Main Street, we entered the Mecca of display inspiration. Caspari is known as being the publisher of exquisitely designed and printed paper products. I had no idea that Charlottesville would be the home of their flagship store. Vast in size, the shop takes a good hour to walk around. There is everything you can imagine in this place ranging from a gorgeous library desk to a magnificent table set with sustainable products lit by a custom painted bamboo chandelier hanging from the exposed rafters above.

You can find pretty much everything in this shop. Hand painted monogrammed china or a roll of Belgium linen that you can have cut and made into a hand towel, table cloth etc... right in front of your eyes. Truly a must see! http://www.casparionline.com
Last, but not least, we had to visit Robert Redd. A Charlottesville-based store and a staple product at http://www.numberfoureleven.com/. We stopped in to view their elegant pocket squares and men's shirts. All Robert Redd products are made of the highest quality imported shirting fabrics and Liberty of London Prints. Order a pocket square and have it monogrammed to complete a very sophisticated a polished look.