Best of MI...Fabulous Fabric Fridays...Richard Smith...

Well, its my last Friday in my seaside cottage and I've gone for my last walk...its bittersweet for me, but on to bigger and better things now.  I thought in true fashion for a Friday, I would post one of my favorite columns about one of my favorite places in the world: England.  My mother was born in Scotland and I lived in England so it has a very special place in my heart. Not to mention aunts, cousins and friends live there so its always a vacation I want to take.  So, enjoy and have a great weekend! I will be posting from my new digs soon! Thanks for following and stopping by -

******************************************************************************

From October 2010

'Fairlight' - Richard's 17th century farmhouse

I'm sorry I'm so late with this post but I spilled hot coffee on my laptop keyboard and it stopped working! Needless to say, I purchased a keyboard that is spill-proof (!!) so it is just a quick fix until I decide to take my laptop in for some 'surgery...'  I digress...welcome to Jolly Old England for this post. Highlighting a fabulous textile designer in the UK - Richard Smith who has redone his country home and uses ALL his own fabrics to decorate...I think you will like what you see - I can't decide which room I like best...:))

Richard has designed fabrics for F. Schumacher and Warner Fabrics...

Richard Smith in his studio amongst his textiles...

'Cecily' hand printed silk...

(original images by James Merrell)
(Interior Design by Diana Kelly with Richard Smith)

I love all of the rooms, but the turquoise linen fabric in the dining room and these curtains above are particularly beautiful...Richard has done different collections for 'No. 9 Thompson' and you can see more here.  Since living in England, I have a soft spot for all things British and of course, British design.  Thank you for spending a little time with me this week and I hope you all have a great weekend!! I have something special for you next week so please stop in again! xx :))

❤ Read More

Saturday in the kitchen...and more faucets...

Here we are, another weekend, more snow - but mostly in New York and Boston. We have had some flurries here in Downeast Maine, but that's about it.  I'm back to my regular post today but because the photo is a farmhouse sink, I thought I would add some more ideas for faucets for this grand old sink.  Since I just got back from Kohler, all the faucets are of course, Kohler...

image

The fabulous new Sensate touchless faucet, for easy cooking

and cleaning etc.

How to use the faucet!

The new Sensate Touchless

The Antique

The Parq

The Vinnata

The Revival

(images courtesy Kohler)

Faucet information here

Which one do you like best? 

Hope you are having a great weekend!

If you need help refreshing your kitchen, please contact me! 

monacointeriors76@yahoo.com

❤ Read More

The farmhouse sink...which faucet?...

Every day I help customers try to choose the right faucet for the their kitchen sink.

 The Shaws Farmhouse Sink by Rohl is an iconic and beautiful addition to a kitchen and I think it requires a special faucet to enhance the entire appearance of the sink, counter and backsplash.  There SO MANY options, it can be confusing. Its a good idea to focus on three different faucets and then eliminate which one you really don't like.

Today, I am focusing on Moen, and tomorrow, we will explore other faucet options.  In order to go with the traditional style of the sink, these three options are all 'vintage' and old-fashioned looking. I think they all look great, but I particularly love the bridge faucet.  The Shaws sinks are all handmade in Lancashire, England and will stand the test of time.


ROHL Shaws Farmhouse Sink - 30x18


Which faucet do would you like best with this sink?



The Moen Woodmere in Chrome - $721.85




The Moen Vestige in Oil Rubbed Bronze - $517.90


The Moen Waterhill Bridge Faucet

My favorite is the Waterhill Bridge faucet - the lines are great and this is very well priced -
at $778.75 in chrome -

For more information about Shaws sinks go here; and for the Moen faucets go here -

If you need help choosing fixtures for your kitchen, I can help! Click on the 
'Services' menu on my blog for more information.

❤ Read More