Wednesday, November 6, 2013

A country home with a touch of coastal style

Well, we are finally coming to the end of this home makeover for our client and I am thrilled with how it all came out. This was a major project of all new furniture (custom and semi-custom), paint colors, accessories, window treatments, area rugs, art, etc.  The works!

I apologize for the grainy photos, but I forgot my camera and had to use my phone. 


I love the placemats and napkins my client has set on the tables!  Just the right touch!










New England Fine Living's Web site http://www.newenglandfineliving.com and this blog was created by Linda Calder, The Fine Living Muse, as a Girl's Guide to Decorating in Style, Entertaining in Style, and Living in Style.

Monday, November 4, 2013

Hollywood Glam Masquerade Ball, 2013


I know I will be adding to this post, but if I did not get some of the pictures loaded, I know time would take a hold of me and you would not see these until next year.  

This is a masquerade ball I produced, for the public, with another decorator as a way to showcase our businesses, and it was a blast!  For months we were buying, creating, and scheming the design and look of the event and venue.  Below, are just some of the pictures.  




First, maybe I should tell you how we came up with our ideas.  While we chatting over a glass of wine, we thought it would be fun to have a story to follow.  I  already knew I wanted to create a "Hollywood Glam" theme.  I also thought it would be fun to involve Lillian Bond, a 1920's actress.  I have used her photo before on my blog and I think she is stunning.  So long story short.... we concocted the idea that Lillian, from the grave, wanted to host a party and hired us to plan and initiate it for her.  She was the Ghostess and we were the Hostesses.  It was also where "DUG" her proposed.  


Dug, (get it... dug?) has ring box and ring in hand while Lillian's first husband, well part of him, is by her feet.  These two were the hit of the party.  Everyone kept getting on the stage with them and had their photos taken with them


Here I am on the right with Dug and  Liz Taylor (Hollywood themed party remember :-)   )



The entry hall before all the guests arrived.  


Guests enjoying the cocktail reception and appetizers while the live band played in the ballroom

 


 The creation of my paper poms.  I have not made these since I was a child. I used to make them with my grandmother out of tissues from her tissue box, then again, I made them for a float for our town parade.  We had to make hundreds of them in red, white, and blue.  I created a "how .to" video, but that too will take forever to post now that we are so busy.







Here is the finished product.  We found glass cylinders at the start of this project and went from there to create a centerpiece.  While I made the poms, Laura strung Swarovski crystals and a spider to hang from the pom.  The final touch was adding small LED lights we found at a craft store to the centerpiece.  We tucked one under crumpled up opalescent tissue paper, and one inside of the top of the pom.



Placed in the entry hall, this dessert station  was also used for the appetizers when guests first arrived. :Laura painstakingly searched the woods for just the right branches, and set them in pots with bricks then expandable foam.  Smaller uns of hickory branches were added for depth and dimension.  During the night, our lighting company had this vignette enveloped in an eerie red glow. The "red glow" photos following does not do it justice.









We knew a candy buffet was a must, so deciding on a black, acid green, and silver theme, the hunt was on!  


Coming up with names for all of the candy was fun, we had ourselves in stitches laughing at some of the things we came up with.  And no, I cannot share them with you since some were not very lady like :-).  










New England Fine Living's Web site http://www.newenglandfineliving.com and this blog was created by Linda Calder, The Fine Living Muse, as a Girl's Guide to Decorating in Style, Entertaining in Style, and Living in Style.