Velvet & Linen

sabine adamson antiques, carmel by the sea...

A couple of years ago Steve and I took a trip up the California coast with our three kids. One of our stops was the charming city of Carmel by the Sea. I fell in love with this little town and wanted to explore every inch of it. But on that trip our focus was our children, which left very little time for looking at houses and searching for antique shops. So when Steve and I were in the planning stages of our recent trip, Carmel was one of the first places on our list!

During our trip we discovered the gorgeous Sabine Adamson Antiques. 

 

Being French, Sabine has an incredible eye for all things beautiful!
 

The obvious age of these bronze candle sticks only makes them more beautiful. They look lovely next to the weathered wood shutters. 

 

A carved clock face is lined with wallpaper and given a new life as a small display case. 

 

A pair of chandeliers made from old architectural elements hang in the front of Sabine's shop.
 
 

Beauty can be found in the smallest objects in her shop, like these monogramed  linen napkins tied with a small piece of twine. 
 

I can imagine a young couple in love using this magnificent "picnic trunk" for a romantic lunch. Why don't we make these gorgeous pieces anymore?
 

Sabine has a fantastic way of mixing French and English antiques!
 
 

I purchased a set of these brass drapery rings. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them yet, but they were too beautiful to pass up!
 

On top of a stack of leather books, this gilded frame embellishes the beautiful needle work on the back of this chair (sorry, it's a bit out of focus!).
 

This magnificent piece from an old church has been turned into a display piece. Sabine suggested putting it on top of a gorgeous column in the corner of a room. I think it would look fantastic anywhere!
 

The thing I love most about Sabine's shop is that each piece feels like it has a story. I can visualize a 19th  century French woman using this ink set to write correspondence to her family and friends.
 

I have no idea what this brass piece is, but it looks beautiful in front of this religious drawing!
 

Antique pieces of French fabric are hung on the walls as a back drop to the vignettes in Sabine's shop.
 

The colors and texture filled this 100 year old ship painting with emotion.

  

A leather trunk has the perfect aged patina.
     

Next time you find yourself in Carmel, you must visit Sabine!      

xo

Brooke

 

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casa de herrero, montecito

As I mentioned last week, Steve and I are taking a few little trips while the kids are having fun at camp (I actually received a letter from Leila saying that her missing us has been replaced with fun LOL!).

Our first stop was Casa de Herrero (Home of the Blacksmith) in Montecito. In the late 1910's, industrialist George Steedman hired renowned architect George Washington Smith to design Mr. Steedman's idea of an Andalusian farmhouse. The charming asymmetrical front facade makes the home appear much larger than it actually is.   

 

Most of the details used on the home and the landscape are typical for this style of home including the front motor court and central water feature.

 A small balcony sits over the front door. 

 

A close-up of the beautiful tile work on the floor of the balcony.

 
 George Washington Smith's detailing of this home is magnificent. Look at that iron work!
 

The gardens that surround the estate are stunning. A formal rose garden is tucked away on the side of the house. 

There are several gravel seating areas around the estate. These chairs and table were actually crafted by Mr. Steedman, a blacksmith.

This circular seating area is composed of  tile benches facing this magnificent fountain.

 A blue and white English garden borders a long grass lawn.

 An arched colonnade creates a courtyard on the side of the home.

 

Arch details are also used for the doors and the second floor overhang between the wood corbels. 

 

One of the several tiled water features in the courtyard...

 

This teal blue urn was once a fountain as well.

 

This beautiful iron balcony is covered with an 80 year old Cecil Bruner rose vine!

 

The quirky chimney details add to the charm of this home.

The back facade of the home is actually much more symmetrical than the front. I'm sure the covered porch was a wonderful place to entertain.

 

Under the archways the wall of the home is painted ochre and teal green. The back door with its leaded panes caught my eye.

 

I wonder if Mr. Steedman made this whimsical light fixture?
 

This is the view from the back of the house. I'm sure that the Steedmans had a view of the ocean before all of the trees grew in.  The water runnel cascades down the terraced back yard.
 

A close up of one of the fountains...

As we walk toward the other side of the estate we find another gravel seating area with a pottery urn fountain.

   

This door marks the entrance into the informal servants' area (my favorite part of the tour!)

 

We are greeted by the wonderful vegetable and herb gardens.
 

 I love these willow branches used as arbors. I plan to incorporate this idea into my own garden!

 

A parterre filled with herbs and garden topiaries is a hidden surprise!
   

Each bed has a thyme border.
 

This chair is another example of Mr. Steedman's ironwork.
   

Although it appears as if the chair is held together with thick twine, it's actually all made of metal.

 I would love to have a green house like this one! 

  

This little door allows the breeze in...
 

 This lath house is lovely in its simplicity. It sits across from the garage side of the home.

 

This gorgeously detailed wood door opens to a small office next to the garage.

   The garage door has a smaller door that can open.

 

A close up of a small lantern and the antique tile roof on this side of the home.

 

Can you believe this gorgeous room is the garage? The dark tile was used to hide oil.
 

The same ochre and teal green paint colors that are used on the wall in the back of the house are seen under this archway as well. The teal door enters the kitchen. 

This ornate tiled area is actually a place to prepare the vegetables before they were brought into the home. 

 

The final building on the tour is Mr. Steedman's workroom. You should have seen Steve's eyes light up when he walked into this room!
    

A close-up of Mr. Steedman's desk. How cool is that light? 

You can visit the Casa de Herrero website for more information about this gorgeous home as well as to make tour reservations. The book is also wonderful!

xo

Brooke

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what i've learned about advertising....

Several months ago my friend Ali Pincus asked if I would let her advertise her business, One Kings Lane, on Velvet and Linen. I had already been thinking about accepting advertisers, and I love OKL, so I said "Absolutely!" During the time that OKL advertised on my site, I also occasionally told my readers about OKL sales that I thought were particularly fabulous. 

I started getting  inquiries from other companies, but other than Osinoff construction, I didn't believe in these companies enough to have their ads on Velvet and Linen. I felt that if I accepted an advertiser that I didn't support 100% then I was betraying the trust my readers have in me.

So, what did I learn from advertising? 

1. Companies don't pay very much to advertise on blogs. The amount of time I spent writing posts about my advertisers, making invoices and following up with the companies in order to get paid made my hourly rate about $10. 

2. Spending time on advertising was taking away from the time I could spend doing what I love: designing. I also make  much more money designing than advertising.

3. Advertising was chiseling away at the trust between me and my readers. I received a disturbing comment on my recent post about the new Waterworks Henry Line. The anonymous commenter accused me of writing the post because I was getting paid to do so. Although this was untrue (I did the post because I truly love the design of the new Henry and am honestly using it in several new projects), I realized that once I received advertising some readers might start wondering the ulterior motives behind my posts.

I started this blog as an online journal. Velvet and Linen is a place for me to share my designs and inspirations with like-minded design obsessed people :) ! Also, because I am a bit of a design control freak, I prefer the way my blog looks without advertising. It looks more like my designs. 

Does that mean that I don't think other bloggers should accept advertising? Absolutely not! I think every blogger needs to figure out what works for them. It just didn't work for me. 

xo

Brooke

beauty in everyday objects...

I saw these little beauties at the flea market last week. I didn't know what they were, but I was struck by their gorgeous color. The seller informed me that they were insulators, once used on electrical poles. They are obsolete now, having been replaced with some inferior plastic replicas, I'm sure. 

I had no idea what I was going to do with them, but they were cheap ($1 each), so I bought all that this seller had.

When I got home, I knew exactly where to put them...

 

Sitting on our window sill overlooking the water, my little insulators look like miniature lighthouses glowing in the setting sun.
 

Surprisingly, their color compliments Steve's paintings wonderfully.
    

Their color becomes more intense as the day goes on...
   

I'd love to hear about any beautiful everyday objects that you've found lately!

xo

Brooke

 If you would like help creating the home of your dreams, email me about our design services.

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