Monday, December 31, 2012

New Year's Eve Series - What Will you Be Wearing?


Chinoiserie Chic attire for New Year's Eve.

New Year's Eve Series - The Chinoiserie Champagne Cocktail


Are you entertaining at home for New Year's Eve? Here are two easy and sensational Chinoiserie Champagne cocktails to wow your guests. You need Champagne and a bottle of Domaine de Canton Ginger Liquer. Its pagoda bottle is stunning and deserves a spot on your bar for the bottle alone, even if it wasn't so delicious.




For a new classic, add one ounce of Domaine de Canton to a Champagne flute and fill with Champagne. Garnish with a twist of lemon or orange or a slice of fresh ginger. Did you know that ginger settles the stomach and combats nausea?


Or add an ounce of pomegranate juice and an ounce of Domaine de Canton to a Champagne flute and fill with Champagne. This would also be great for brunch tomorrow.

Chinoiserie Chic's Color of the Year - Navy

Ralph Lauren
I have chosen Navy as Chinoiserie Chic's Color of 2013. Classic and elegant, it pairs beautifully with every other color - coral pink, blush pink, raspberry, orange, white, kelly green, mint green, brown, yellow, ice blue, turquoise - it is in fact a fabulous neutral. Its undertones make it one of the most flattering colors. It works in any room of the house and can be masculine or feminine. Men love it! It is amazing with Chinoiserie - blue and white Chinese porcelain, celadon, blanc de Chine, and lacquered furniture.

This week we will look at dozens of rooms combining navy and Chinoiserie, inspiration boards, and my top navy paints, wallpapers, fabrics, art, accessories, and furniture. Check out my new Pinterest board on navy here. Move over Honeysuckle Pink, Tangerine Tango, and Emerald Green (Pantone's last three colors of the year), there is a new kid in town - Navy Blue.

Sunday, December 30, 2012

New Year's Eve Series - Chinoiserie Chic's Color of the Year


Pantone has selected Emerald Green as its color of the year for 2013. An interesting choice, but I don't see this color trending the same way I did their choice last year of Tangerine Tango Orange. Tomorrow I will be revealing my prediction for the Chinoiserie Chic Color Of The Year For 2013 - the color that I predict will be the "it" color in the coming year for Chinoiserie Chic interiors. Leave a comment and see if you are the first to figure out what it will be.



Friday, December 28, 2012

Pink and Green Chinoiserie

Kristy Lee
Could I be any more in love with this bedroom? Quadrille Lyford Background headboards and bedskirts, pink and green, a pagoda mirror, Greek key pillows, a double gourd lamp, a rattan dresser, white bedding, pink lilies, and blanc de Chine. Perfect.

Zebras!


Two of my favorite Christmas gifts from my daughter -  a Jonathan Adler zebra dish and a zebra bracelet from J.Crew. They were so cute together I had to display them. Hope Santa was good to all of you.

New Year's Eve Series - Resolutions

Charlotte Moss
What would a New Year's Eve series be without New Year's Resolutions? Mine always seem to focus on home improvement projects. I have two rooms in my home I would like to redo this year. The first is a little powder room off the laundry room and the second is the laundry room itself. Here are my inspiration photos that I hope will inspire me to get these done. Of course both have Chinoiserie.

The Charlotte Moss powder room intrigued me because of the draped walls - wonderful if there are no architectural elements or things you need to hide. You will see what I mean when I post before pictures of my room.

The Draza Stamenich laundry room I saw in person at a DC Show House and I have never forgotten it - a tiny little space filled with luxury elements never seen in a laundry room like Gracie wallpaper and a Neirmann Weeks lantern.

It seems that I am always juggling so many balls that these two rooms never get attention. Hopefully this year they will. Do you have an home goals for 2013 that involve Chinoiserie?

Draza Stamenich

Thursday, December 27, 2012

New Year's Eve Series - Entertaining At Home


Will you be entertaining at home on New Year's Eve? One of my favorite tips is to have mini Champagne bottles for each guest set in ice with a straw. I would upscale these regular straws to some chic retro striped ones below from Paper Source. You can see both of these on Kate's bar cart in yesterday's post.



I like to use this mini gilded bamboo bar in my dining room for serving Champagne on New Year's Eve.

Phoebe Howard
Gold and white is a perfect color scheme for setting the New Year's Eve table. Add blanc de Chine figures for Chinoiserie style.

Style Court
A lovely idea for New Year's Eve at home - a silver tray set with a silver ice bucket, Champagne flutes, and Champagne flanked by a blue and white Chinese porcelain vase with flowers. 

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

New Year's Eve Series - Kate's Bar Cart


My daughter Kate's bar cart was recently featured in the Washington Post Express. Here are some of her tips for styling your bar:

1. It helps to start with a great bar or bar cart. I scored this classic bar cart, a reproduction of an Art Deco one at Target a while back for under $200. The original version on 1st dibs sold for $2,000.

1st dibs original on left and mine on right

2. I love colorful accessories - I am always on the lookout for cocktail napkins, bar tools, even mini Champagne bottles in bright colors. A colorful tray is a great way to organize things on your bar - mine is pink scalloped stripes and houndstooth.



3. Vintage barware is very chic - I scored these great gold rimmed glasses at a flea market. Vintage cocktail shakers are also very collectable.

4. I like to buy classic top drawer liqour and liquers like Grand Marnier, Beefeater Gin, and Maker's Mark Bourbon to add to the style of my bar cart.


5. Don't ignore the wall behind the bar - I framed three sheets of Chinoiserie paper from Paper Source in colors to coordinate with my bar cart accessories.


6. Have on your bar cart a cocktail recipe book like Mrs. Lilien's Cocktail Swatchbook - both practical and chic.


7. Everything need not be strictly bar related - I use Kate Spade mini posy vases to hold straws. You might use a pair of foo dogs, a plant, a small piece of art. I use lots of pink and green for a preppy girly vibe.

Monday, December 24, 2012

New Series Starts Wednesday

Alessandra Branca
On Wednesday, we will begin a series on a Chinoiserie New Year's Eve filled with tips on setting up a bar with Chinoiserie Chic style, my favorite Chinoiserie cocktails, my daughter's bar cart that was featured in Washington Post Express, setting the New Year's Eve table for those entertaining at home, and much more. We will also have an exclusive preview of a Chinoiserie feature in the upcoming issue of House Beautiful.

A Chinoiserie Christmas - My Chinoiserie Home