Father Of The Bride I

Have you ever dreamed of living in the Father of the Bride home? Ever since I was a child I dreamed of laying in the hammock in their backyard, and joining the family for their family dinner.

 

You can watch the movie here...

 

Here's Wikipedia's synopsis on this movie favorite from 1991.

 

"George Banks (Steve Martin) is an upper-middle-class owner of an athletic shoe company in San Marino, California, whose 22-year-old daughter, Annie, (Kimberly Williams) has decided to marry Bryan MacKenzie (George Newbern), a man from an upper-class family from Bel-Air, despite only knowing each other for three months. George can’t think of what life would be like without Annie and becomes determined to make the upcoming ceremony as inconvenient as possible (especially when he finds out the wedding will cost him $250 per head), although his wife, Nina (Diane Keaton), tries to make him happy for Annie. When the wedding takes place at their home, along with an eccentric wedding planner named Franck (Martin Short) taking over the ceremony, George tries to handle the fact that Annie has grown up and has a life of her own."

 

 

 

 

The home located is located on Maple Drive and what 1990's movie doesn't start without a bike riding by? It looks idyllic with the white picket fence and charming green shutters.

 

To the left as you enter the Banks' home is their living room. It is a mixture of formal with it's focal points and furniture arrangements, yet informal with it's materials. I just love the creamy butter walls throughout and the crisp white trim.

 

 

 

Opposite to the living room is a picture perfect dining room. The French provincial table and chairs, make this home feel informal, yet full of character. It's as if the set designers wanted us to feel comfortable within their home as we watch some of the Banks most precious moments.

 

 

 

Nina Banks in her kitchen, which if appliances were changed is timeless. The dining room is set behind the double glass doors. Below you can also see the breakfast table where they sit informally to look at wedding invites.

 

 

 

Let's go look at George and Nina's bedroom. Notice throughout the house almost all the pictures are floral which creates a sense of unity between all the rooms. The bed side tables are different too, creating a sense of different personalities, done in most set homes.

 

 

Annie sitting on the back porch. Her dad comes outside to talk with her, and apologize. The basketball hoop in the background also symbolizes her childhood, and spending time with her dad.

 

 

The proud father and daughter walking down the aisle.

 

 

What a 1990's classic movie.

Inside The Home Of Jon and Kate + 8

Above: Kate and Hannah share a moment

Home, it’s the most important place on earth, it’s where we spend time with family, display our favorite items and spend time relaxing after a long day. One home I really like on TV is the Gosselin’s home from the popular TLC hit show “Jon and Kate + 8”. The traditional home, with gorgeous landscape has all the space this family of ten needs to live comfortably. With the help of Lane home furniture they were able to furnish their new home.

Courtesy of TLC:

Below: The Kitchen and family area

notice the family photo that appeared in Good Housekeeping and a Pink Kitchen Aid mixer.

*right now $50 from each purchase of a pink Kitchen Aid mixer will go to Susan G. Komen for the cure*

Below: The formal living room overlooks the tree-lined driveway

Below: The living room near Cara and Mady's room
 

Below: The laundry room featuring two sets of Whirlpool duets

I hope you enjoy these images, and that they give you inspiration for your home. Whether it's the Gosselin's pastel paint palette, fresh cut flowers on the kitchen table or simple reminders of special times by framing professional family photos, they are what make up "home".

What Am I Reading?

It has been awhile since I’ve blogged on one of my favorite subjects; Interior Design.

 

Currently I have been reading A LOT of Interior Design books. I have been fascinated with all the books on the subject and cannot resist scanning pages from the books and sorting them into my “ideas sketchbook”. It is a large sketchbook with images, fabric samples and blurbs of all my favorite stuff I’ve found over the past few years.

 

My first book I’d like to talk about is called ‘The Business of Bliss’ How to profit from doing what you love. Authored by the editors of Victoria Magazine.

It is so compelling and really fuels my ambition; of one day having a unique Interior Design store. There are short story examples of how these ladies went from making things for friends, to eventually setting up their own businesses, and the BEST thing they all Love what they do. Rachel Ashwell even talks of how she set up her business ‘Shabby Chic’ which now sells her products in Target stores, nationwide.

It also goes into the basics like choosing a name for your business, location and choosing staff. It’s so impressive it was even featured on Oprah.

Lastly I’d like to say the Business resources list is impressive and they outline magazines to read, associations to join, and hold a business directory of all featured within the book.

Tip: Buy it from Half.com. I checked and there are two copies for as little as $0.75

Another book I’m enjoying is American Farmhouses Country Style and Design by Leah Rosch. It also has Amazing photography by Keith Scott Morton.

 

Kitchen Culture reinventing kitchen design by Johnny Grey. It's definitely a new perspective of how kitchens of the future could be. The book has wonderful freehand sketches, photography and floorplans. Although the floorplans are not at all what you’d expect. They have flow, function and lastly are a question of taste.

 

Country Living’s Stylish Renovations, Design Ideas for old and new houses. I found this book easy to read; actually it only took me a few hours as it’s captivating yet had many insiders’ advice pages. Again I chose it for its fabulous photography, which if ever you take a peek check out pages 62-63. The living room is so bright and airy, and has wonderful views of woodlands. The fireplace stones were collected from a nearby creek. Who’d have thought? Furnished with well appointed furnishings on hardwood floors, and lastly there are tips for anyone wanting to purchase an older home. On how to carry out inspections, and helpful resources.

 

And last but no least I have French Country at Home, by Kathy Pessero. Adorable French farmhouse photography fills almost all the pages, and she goes into depth on color, pattern and French furniture. The source directory also features Antiques and architectural elements.

Some websites featured in the books I would like to share are:

www.wirthmoreantiques.com
www.victoriamag.com
www.nthp.org
www.greatsalvage.com

The White House Bedroom of Jackie Kennedy Onassis

Jacqueline Kennedy, 31 entered the role of First Lady by declaring that her priorities were her young children and maintaining her family's privacy. Nevertheless, during the weeks before the inauguration, she began her plans to not only redecorate the family quarters of the White House but to historically restore the public rooms. She created a committee of advisers led by Americana expert Henry Dupont, with sub-committees led by experts on painting, furniture and books. By March 1961, Jacqueline Kennedy was scouring government warehouses in search of displaced White House furnishings, and soliciting the nation to donate important historical and artistic items.
 

Jackie Kennedy

As part of this effort, she successfully pressed Senator Clint Anderson and the 87th Congress to pass what became Public Law 87286 that would make such donated items the inalienable property of the White House.

 

Jackie Kennedy

 

Since the restoration project was privately funded, she helped to create a White House Historical Association, an entity which was able to raise funds through the sale to the public of a book she conceived, The White House: An Historic Guide. She also successfully pressed for the creation of the federal position of White House Curator to permanently continue the effort of protecting the historical integrity of the mansion. Her legacy of fostering an national interest in historic preservation extended to her own "neighborhood," when she reversed a previous federal plan to destroy the historic Lafayette Square across from the White House and helped to negotiate not only a restoration of old buildings there, but a reasonable construction of new buildings with modern use.

 

Personally, I love the bedroom Jackie Kennedy redecorated while first lady of the White House. She retreated there frequently to read articles, her favorite books and write letters to family friends. Her bed comprised of two single standard sized beds, with a seat overlooking the bed, used by family to visit her while recuperating with one of her miscarriages. At the end of the bed you can see many books, magazines and inspirational writings that she kept nearby to read in the sitting area. 

Above: The Master Bedroom around 1963, looking west (Kennedy Library)

 

Above: The Master Bedroom in 1962, looking southwest (Kennedy Library)

 

The sitting area’s focal point is a fireplace, adorned with pictures and a bust on the mantel. Surrounded throughout the bedroom are family photos and beautifully upholstered furniture in romantic prints.

 

Above: The Master Bedroom in 1962, looking southeast (Kennedy Library)

 

 

Jackie Kennedy's dressing room

 
Often sketching designs for her clothing as First Lady, Jacqueline Kennedy fashion immediately drew international attention; more than any other First Ladies her style was copied by commercial manufacturers and a large segment of young women. While she appeared largely in the media in unauthorized wire service photographs and "paparazzi" snapshots, White House photographs were more frequently issued to the press than ever before and the role of the official in-house photographer was instigated as a result of Jacqueline Kennedy's own interest and instruction. She also made several television appearances, the most prominent being A Tour of the White House with Mrs. John F. Kennedy, aired on CBS on February 14, 1962. It was the first glimpse into her restoration project and the most sustained exposure the nation had to this youthful and unique First Lady. The television special only further fueled media attention on her and she soon became the first First Lady to find herself on the cover of thousands of popular magazines. The first First Lady to also have her own press secretary, her visibility would permanently forge the media interest in the activities of the presidential spouses.