Inspiration 8.12

One of my favorites from the August Martha Stewart Living

Inspiration 7.27

Lake houses conjure up a lot of bad images for design-lovers -- plasticky attempts at a log-cabin feel, wall-mounted talking fish and "memorabilia walls" from the T.G.I. Friday's school of decorating.

I really hate seeing hokey-"fishing widow" decor in a lake house because it seems like such a wasted opportunity to go for a more quiet, sophisticated look where the view provides all the wow factor you need. Simple furniture, a muted palette, candlelight...

I promise you won't miss Big Mouth Billy Bass...

Images via Sweet Paul, Canadian House & Home

Vintage St. Tropez

After reading Garance Dore's rave reviews of vintage clothing shop Le Marche Du Marin, I made sure to check out the store while in St. Tropez. My already high expectations were more than exceeded: Amazing selection of nautical staples (think endless rows of St. John sailor striped shirts, white linen and sea-inspired scarves), affordable prices, and a super friendly staff. And how can I forget -- lovely shop design. Quite possibly the new inspiration for the seaside home of my dreams.

I could have spent hours in the shop, but was in a rush to go visit Cannes and only had one hour. I ended up scoring a St. John striped sweater, a fabulously worn-in briefcase style handbag and a tribly hat, which I loved, but may very well never have the guts to wear at home.

For those of you who won't be jetting off to St. Tropez anytime soon, I have some great news for you. The owners are planning to open a New York store this winter.

A few shots of St. Tropez and the store:

The gorgeous design inside the store:

Annnd of course, an embarrassing photo of me and my hat.

P.S. I've missed you all and have loved reading everyone's comments. Can't wait to get back and catch up on everything. My reader is +1000 now -- Eeek!

Love: Sailor's Knots

Let's face it...right about now, all of our cubicle daydreams wind up at the beach. We start wearing navy and white stripes more than sailors do, and strangely regret not buying those borderline tacky bottles of sand from our last vacation.

I'm suffering from sea fever as much as anyone right now, and am snapping up anything and everything related to my new nautical fave, sailor's knots. Some of my favorite picks below.

(Zippered pouch above from Mon Ami)

Sailor's knot card set (Russell & Salguero)

Nautical rope headband (Hello, Dolly Design)

Turks Head Knot Bracelet (Julie by the Sea)
Clockwise: 1. Golden Rope Headband (Anthropologie) 2. Ivory rope bracelet (L. Burns Designs) 3. Sailor's Knot Necklace (The Vamoose) 4. Knotted Rope Bracelet (Junghwa)5. Overhand Knot Necklace (Anthropologie) 6. Turks Head Bracelet Set (Mystic KnotWork)

Inspiration 5.17

Loving oversized maps right now...the older the better.

(Image 1 and 2 discovered on 500 Square Chic, Image 3 from House Beautiful.)

(Inspired by) We Were an Island

This summer, I'm looking for styles that remind me of a crisp and quiet New England summer: rocky shores, empty stretches of coast, oiled leather and sailor's knots. Some of my recent finds (and one item I'm still desperately on the hunt for) above.

Clockwise: 1. Cooperative Linen Sundress 2. Rebecca Minkoff Laptop Case (If you can find this...help!) 3. La Mer Bali Stud Watch 4. Sailor Knot Bracelet 5. Tiny Rose Necklace 6. Deena & Ozzy Canvas Menswear Tote 7. Kimchi Blue Knotted Sandal
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Now if I could pick the perfect place to live out this fantasy summer, it would be Placentia Island in Maine, the setting of one of the sweetest and saddest real love stories I've heard in a long time.

While checking out Bird and Banner earlier in the week, I learned about the book, We Were an Island, about a husband and wife (Arthur and Nan Kellam) who lived on the otherwise uninhabited island for 35 years. From a New York Times article about the Kellams:

One of the great love stories of the last century played itself out, alone, off the coast of Maine, unknown but to a handful of people who included the rich and powerful, like David and Margaret Rockefeller and C. Douglas Dillon, as well as the community of lobstermen and their families in the vicinity of Mount Desert Island.

Arthur and Nan Kellam, an aviation engineer and his wife, moved to Placentia Island from California in 1949 and lived there, without modern convenience of any kind, its only tenants, for 35 years.

The Kellams were 38 when they arrived. They built a house by hand in a clearing, with a porch and a swing, and a ''bandstand'' with a view of the sea, for picnics. They pressed their footprints into wet cement just inside their front door -- his left, her right. When they went separate ways for the day, they wrote each other notes -- one, signed ''B L Bear,'' thumbtacked to a wall. The ''L'' is encircled by a heart.

At the very least, I encourage you to read the full NYT review (of an older book about the pair)-- it's fascinating and beautiful and heartbreaking all at once.

(The Kellam's notes and footprints pictured below)

Finally, as I dug further and further into this post, I remembered a post I wrote last summer that featured "rugged nautical style" in interiors. Some highlights:

Seafarer Collection from Thomas Paul

This post at Design Sponge sent me over to the Thomas Paul website, where I discovered this awesome collection of nautical themed pillows and accessories. Love the "olde" New England vibe, especially the sailor pillow up top. So cute!