HAPPY BIRTHDAY. TO. ME.

I first saw the Shoji glasses by Imperial Glass in Aerin Lauder's house.

Then again in Claire Weiss' incredible home in February's Architectural Digest.

Truly stunning and I had to have them. Fortunately, though, I didn't

have to wait around for an elderly relative to hand me down her

hard earned collection or trudge through antique stores for 30 years.

It only took ebay, a few weeks and some dough.

And voila. Happy Birthday. To. Me.

Boy Toys

Roman Shade in St. Tropez by Peter Dunham. Artwork from ebay.

Eeyore from Disneyland.

Bed from thrift store. Bedding by John Robshaw.

Merritt's Room

When I told my husband that I had ordered a big bed for our 2 year old...I wasn't kidding.


Extra tall upholstered bed with bow tufted headboard in a grainy green linen...from Kravet. Fretwork sheets from Serena & Lily. Duvet and sham from Matouk with my favorite font...Chopstick. Antique Indian elephant.


Settee from junk store...covered in Raoul Textiles' Perada in Plum to match the roman shade.


Settee at antique store before large investment.


Artwork from Ebay. I think I'll tell Merritt that this was her Great Aunt. Lucy. Great Aunt Lucy...who used to streak on the golf course just to get a rise out of the men. Great Aunt Lucy who used to drink gin at breakfast...but only on Saturday. Great Aunt Lucy who ran a small betting ring. At church.


If you don't have a colorful family history...buy one from somebody else. On Ebay.

The Lure of the Capiz Shell

I try not to get sucked into trends. If the trend strikes a chord in me, though, I attempt to seek out a unique and vintage version of it. A one-off.

Let's take capiz shell. Capiz shell is actually the outer shell of the marine mollusk, Placuna placenta, found in the shallow waters off the coast of the Philippines. This mollusk has a flat, semi-transparent shell with a pearlescent appearance. OCEAN BLING.

It has been popping its shiny head up about once a decade since the 1930s. I can certainly see why. A couple hours on ebay rewarded me with these fine examples.

A vintage capiz coffee table from Brooklyn. Add one amoeba shaped piece of glass and voila!


A vintage capiz pendant from Danville, CA. Add one mild electric shock to unlicensed wanna-be electrician/husband and voila!


Pair of vintage Italian capiz lamps (purchased on my iphone from the backseat of my father-in-law's car while driving in Scottsdale). Add 2 shades, 2 glass finials and 2 lucite bases. Voila!

Sweet Suzanis

I have bought 5 suzanis from ebay. They are all archived in a drawer somewhere...next to the 26 yard roll of pastel ikat fabric I bought from Somewhere-Istan. The suzani cake my husband had made for me was my favorite, though. He's a pretty clever guy.

Patti's Place

So...I have finally started my own blog. It has taken forever. Not because it is hard but because I have NO EXTRA TIME. Wow. I do love my life right now, though. Great kids, husband, dog, house, career, etc... Just busy.

Well...here is a picture of my first big job. My client bought a condo, finished the condo, hated the condo and started all over. That is where I came in. My client set the tone when she called to tell me that she had just bought an old Murano chandelier in NY. Not a cotton candy chandelier. A really simple and elegant clear Murano chandelier. My favorite. Then she called to tell me that she had some incredible embroidered Chinoiserie panels but they were falling apart. What could we do? I love this lady. Well, I ended up framing them in plexiglass boxes to preserve the embroidery and original silver leaf frames. I love these so much. They are spectacular. When looking at fabrics at my house she had fallen in love with my vintage chairs that I had recovered in Robert Kime's Susani. Can we get 2 more, she asked? Of course, we can. Ebay! I also just love, love, love the naughty little Opium Smoker over the fireplace that showed up next. Well, you get the picture. Dream client. Dream job. Patti...you were the best first client a girl could ask for... Thanks.