One of the great things about travel – even if it’s only a weekend getaway, is the discovery of new things, people, and decor stores.  You weren’t going to say that last bit, were you?  Well, that’s what makes me – me, and you – you.  I can be engrossed in a project, intent on relaxing or working out, and the mere hint of an excursion to a new design shop has me donning my Dolce’s, and grabbing my bag, faster than you can say hot farmer.

While I can’t say whether or not the co-owner ever did any farming, he was most definitely hot – sadly I think Joel is married.  You should visit anyway.  The property they purchased is rustic, the vintage outdoor stools, chairs, benches, and re-purposed objects for planting are made hip and inventive with a bucket of paint and a little creativity.  The prices make Home Goods look like the 8th Floor of Bergdorf Goodman they are so good.  No one need leave empty handed when a cute table, fit for the entry of any brownstone parlor will run you the cost of lunch at Abe and Louie’s, with a glass of wine, naturally.  Who couldn’t forgo a lunch or two?

Situated on Route 5 at the Junction of Route 91, Exit 5 in Westminster, VT.  The Cottage by the Brook has a tiny main house, a leanto, and a shed, all cleverly furnished with found objects, beautifully staged – one need not bring too much imagination.  They are supplying it aplenty.

$65.00 an unspeakable bargain!

If you fear this simply won’t work for your city home, think again.  There are few things as inauthentic as a home that was shopped from a catalog, that possesses none of the character that comes from collecting things over time.  Stories, whether real or imagined, they are the stuff of life.  Now least you think I have fabricated it all – make a visit, check out hot farmer, buy local.

I think it’s a natural resting place for we Falla’s – one of unrest that is.  No sooner do we finish a project, we start to get nostalgic for the sawdust and excitement that comes from being involved in a major renovation.  If money were no object – we might be in a perpetual state of achieving a construction vision.  Since it is, we are not.

The Manse circa 1820

As the Surf Shack embarks on its third summer, it has become apparent that the Main House, which my sister Jo-Jo affectionately refers to as the Manse must be renovated. It’s date of origin is a bit fuzzy, but it was constructed somewhere around 1820.  So obvi it’s old.  An addition here, an addition there haven’t detracted from the attractiveness of this little residence which served as my Father’s Law Office for just over 30 years.  The impact of the additions to the interior is a little less sympathetic as the floor plates don’t align requiring you to step up here, or down there, and contributing to the choppiness of the small rooms.  It sits on no foundation at all, which is nearly unheard of today.  It’s windows are sagging and threatening to drop out.  It’s a clear cry for help.  Hang in there old girl, help is on the way.

The Manse from the rear.

The effort will be a phased one as the cost for salvaging the warm memories that were generated within these walls is, of course, way more expensive than if we raised it, and built new.  I voted for raising it.  I am often accused of lacking any sentimentality – not true.  I can be as sentimental as the next person, but don’t need the physical place to remind me of what once was.  Further I have a keen ability to recognize the impermanence of things.  So very Buddha of me, I say mockingly.  I wish I were that enlightened, alas, I am just very schooled in the art of moving.

Things I will miss – I am strangely fond of these stairs.

So up the old house will be jacked, a foundation dug and poured, a new heating and air conditioning system installed, all new windows and siding, and then…..who knows.  We will identify a logical place in the construction process to take a pause, and regroup.  I pushed for a small addition off the back but received an emphatic – NO.  I’m going to practice my powers of persuasion and give it another go.

I love beautifully designed things, the craftsmanship, the detail, the line, and the shape.  I love it, but sometimes it makes me want to cry.  The price for that level of artistry is steep, and for me, often out of reach.  It can be hard to reconcile.  I  appreciate – sometimes achingly so – don’t judge – the level of skill, and vision that must be imbued into these objects.  Still if you can’t afford it, you can’t support it.

Blue Print Store . Dallas . TX note the upholstered chair with trim.

This is where mass production and guilt come into play.  Yes, guilt, I was raised Catholic and can engender a fair amount of guilt over ginormous, and tiny infractions alike.  In this case I’m guilty of buying stuff that was manufactured in all likelihood in China.  I won’t even allow myself to think of child labor, or minimum wage, or the lack thereof.  The quality surely isn’t there.  The trick exists in selecting pieces, in combination, that resemble the hand crafted ones, or those that are small batch manufactured with strict adherence to original specifications.  I have a number of stores that I consider my go to’s for excellent knock-offs for pillows, lamps, side tables, and decorative accents.  Home Goods (obsessed), and I am unashamed to admit – Target.  Nate Burkas has turned out a low cost line for Target that’s pretty brilliant.  It leans more to the rustic, and masculine side than I do, but it’s still great, and I can pull a piece here and there, mix it in with a bunch of girlie and voila – ca marche.  Which means it works of course.

Ballard Design . Larkin Chair . $799. add a little trim..

Another favorite trick of mine is the semi-customization of pieces.  Off the shelf curtains to which you add trim, or an eye catching tie-back can transform.  When I am just dying to have custom curtains in a fabric that would add years to my retirement age, I purchase a small quantity and add a band to the top or bottom of my store bough drape.  You’d be surprised – nobody but you will know that you made any type of compromise.

Nate Berkus for Target . Vases $29.99

Now I am going to try something that I haven’t attempted before.  Fingers crossed.  Upholstered pieces are all the rage, and I love . love . fashion so I have fallen head over skirted slipper chair for them.  I am particularly fond of the bold striped panel that runs top to bottom down the center of a crisp white chair.  My heart literally bangs around in my chest when I lock eyes with such a handsome display.  That I cannot achieve in a semi-custom derivative unless I painted the stripe on, and don’t think I didn’t consider it, because I did.  I can however add a trim to the skirt of a much less expensive chair with beautiful lines.  I’ve selected the Larkin from Ballard Design.  It’s a glider and a swivel, again, all the rage right now, and priced at $799. in a simple white linen fabric is roughly $2200. less than the Blue Print version.  I am going to attempt to apply the trim I have left over from the curtains to the base of the skirt.  You might be asking yourself how in the heck I am going to do this – I’m asking the same thing, but I know it can be done.

Home Goods Side Table . $59.99

Once successfully executed I promise to tell how I pulled it off.  One mustn’t be made to feel bad about things that are out of your reach financially.  Creativity beats the daylights out of cash every day of the week.

You’ll have to bare with me while I continue to crush hard on this store.  I would say it’s a passing fancy and in a few short weeks some other shiny new thing will catch my eye, and you’ll be spared the relentless chatter, and name dropping that comes with new infatuations.  I would say it, but it would be a bold faced lie, because its true love, and true love can’t be distracted by a well dressed brand. Je t’adore Blue Print!

Crisp upholstered pieces, marble and brass, Oushak Rugs, and sculptural objects define    Blue Print Store . Dallas. Texas

Agree or not, I have decided to attempt to recreate the magic that those BPS Curators and their brilliant Interior Designers from their sister store – Collins Interiors, seem to so effortlessly achieve again, and again.  I realize this takes time, dedication, and loads of practice, but I am tenacious.

Start with some basics – One Kings Lane features all the elements to create your own blue print for a lasting love. Mono Print in Pink $349. by Solcher Marin.  Sofa . Riviera 88″ Skirted $3099.  Coffee Table . Bamboo Plait Glass $329.

A great rug is a foundational element of BP Space . OKL Miana Rug, Orange and Violet 8′ x 11′ $1529.

Now BP is very expensive, making the design inaccessible to many.  I think I might be able to achieve a similar aesthetic shopping One Kings Lane finds.  Here they cater to so many different styles, and while all their pieces are not inexpensive, the selection is amazing.  This means if you go in with a budget you are likely to be able to configure many options until you achieve the look you’re after, for your allotted budget.

Accessorizing is terribly important if you are going to make a bid for the BPS essence.  This Nina Raffia Console Table in Indigo – Looks like Bungalow 5 without the B5 price tag at $599.  Mixing contemporary pieces with antique is a hallmark of their style, as is the use of Chinese vases and jars similar to this oversize 5 toe dragon ginger jar – OKL $499.  Finally a throw offers a chance to tie many different colors within a room together, or add a jolt of color to a pastel palette.  OKL – Brahms Mount . Herringbone Throw $243.

Keith Urban might be singing about Blue Not Being Your Color….and as much as I adore him, I have to disagree.  It’s most definitely my color.

Happy Sunday.