We have a new Skirted Roundtable discussion up – with guest Annie Kelly. Kelly who writes books with her husband, photographer Tim Street-Porter talks about their latest collaboration, Rooms To Inspire By the Sea. This book is the latest in a series that includes Rooms To Inspire in the City, the Country, and just plain Rooms to Inspire.
For this newest book, they have picked a variety of houses near the ocean to show here – some fancy like Richard Shapiro’s gorgeous place in Malibu and some not so fancy like Chris Mead’s house in the Hamptons. Other houses shown are Joe Francis’ in Mexico and India Hicks in the Bahamas. As always, the photography is stellar and the choice of houses shown is a most interesting mix.
Annie Kelly and husband Tim Street-Porter
The latest in the series.
I love the cover of this book and keep it out on my coffee table.
Love this fireplace – the color green mixed with blue and white.
And the original series of “Rooms to Inspire”
The couple also have two books on Mexican interior design and one on Litchfield style homes. To order their books, Amazon has a special Annie Kelly Books page HERE.
To listen to Annie Kelly, please go to The Skirted Roundtable at www.skirtedroundtable.blogspot.com
How fun and perfect timing Joni! I literally received thier book "Litchfield Style" from Amazon yesterday!! Look forward to hearing the interview.
ReplyDeletehappy weekend!
joan
Beautiful decor ideas! First time here and loving your site.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
Hope to see you on my blog:)
I can't believe you took it down, the blog post with the intreating POP art. OOOHHH!
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to listening! Love her books and Tim's photos.( And I think it was a good call re: the Queen BTW. Cheerio!)
ReplyDeleteWOW! As you commented in that vaporized post that words on the internet last forever and now that post is GONE, GONE, GONE. Came back this morning to read the comments and ZAPPO. I was curious to look at the timing of the two ANONS that got me and several others. My theory was it was the same person talking to itself. Crazy stuff. Can't believe how bad it must have gotten last night! Again, thanks to you and Sally Wheat. I am glad you both have a sense of humor.
ReplyDeleteWhen you can't stand the heat, you get out of the kitchen. Joni got out of the kitchen. She doesn't believe in censorship unless it's to her advantage.
DeleteYou are certifiably nuts. I think you are crazy and possibly dangerous. Your fascination with this blog is very strange.
Deletecensorship? ahaha. OK _ here it is. I took down the Queen post. I think at over 150 comments - you all had a chance to say your fill. I specifically, TWICE, asked that we not discuss Sally per se. Or her house. Of course, people discussed Sally and I just didn't feel right about that since she hadn't given me permission to write the story. She probably wouldn't have cared, but I did when I saw that it was getting personal again. I think once a month is about all one should have to take of negative comments here.
DeleteThe story was more about commenting on something on a blog vs a magazine and would people be more accepting of something if they saw it in a magazine vs a blog - like a portrait of the Queen which apparently is something a lot of people do hang in their house rather they are British or not. And = the discussion was also about why people seem to be accepting of low budget houses, but high budget houses get the most negative comments. I woke up this morning and decided to go ahead with my new post that I had already written. Is that censorship? I don't know. Maybe. You can write whatever you want to now again and I won't stop you. Is it the first time I've taken down a story? NO. There have been about five that were removed for various reasons.
anon 10:13 what a weirdo you are. you really need to get a life. totally agree with anon 10:46. you're all sorts of nuts and crazy.
DeleteI don't know which of the multiple anons you are addressing, but as one who post as "anon", I think you need to man up and use your name if you decide that someone is a "weirdo" and "sort of nuts and crazy". So, I conclude that it's okay to make these kinds of negative comments without knowledge of the person you are speaking to or about because there are many anons. You feel perfectly free to define anyone with an "anon" signature as "nuts and crazy". Your logic is flawed at best. In other words, if an anon does not agree with you they are "nuts and crazy", but if they sign their names, then it's perfectly okay given you led us to believe that you are open to the free and open exchange of ideas. I think I understand it now. Another flaming liberal idiot!
DeleteANON 3:17--
DeleteI can't restrain myself: You are the Dorothy Parker of blog comments. I was knocked out by the sly genius of:
"totally agree with anon 10:46"
Masterful!
ANON 10:46--
DeleteI cannot praise you highly enough for
"I think you are crazy and possibly dangerous."
That "possibly"--what foreshadowing! So ominous. You are the Alfred Hitchcock of commenting.
Well done, you crafty minx.
I am really getting spooked out at the dangers that lurk on design blogs. I never knew I was in the
Deletecompany of crazy people, including those that are certifiable. Should I be wearing some kind of electromagnetic
shield to protect me from these dangerous lurkers?
"Should I be wearing some kind of electromagnetic shield...?"
DeleteOh, it's much too late for that.
Anon. 10:46, I hereby certify that your logic and writing is second grade level. See you in summer school.
DeleteWhat's next? In addition to free contraceptives, we can now expect to pay for "internet lurking/stalking" protection to be provided by the state. I don't want to see my fellow Cote de Texas readers put in harms way. I am going to write my Congressman. This is "certifiably" a legitimate need for all who comment here.
DeleteAnon. 3:17, shell, are you posting anonymously again? Just Sayin??
DeleteI do hope we will have some closure on this post. This (or these) Anonymous poster(s) is getting out of hand.
ReplyDeleteHi Joni! Any chance you would consider a recommended reading book post? I just pinned two two of these books you listed -- but I seem to recall several that you loved that I wanted to check out. Perhaps one posts of books you love?
ReplyDeleteThank you!!
Also, PS, I grew up in West U and my folks still live there....love seeing all the West U houses you feature. :)
I second Amanda's suggestion for a reading book post. I love to see what other designers and bloggers have on their shelves!
DeleteI used to do that more. I should do it. maybe list my favorites. I will say i always feel funny recommending a book because it's so expensive to buy it = and what if you don't like it? I don't recommend a lot because of that. I mean - I LOVE the Veranda book, the Phoebe book and I think that Leslie's Segreto book is one of the prettiest ones out there.
DeleteI will say my favorites are those that talk about one house - like Bunny's book. I love to read about one house. Just like blogs = like Joan's blog about her farmhouse in New Hampshire, another one of my favorites. She should write a book about how they changed that house into what it is today. oh well.....
I often wonder what motivates a person to invite thousands of unknown people into their private spaces. Do they need validation of some kind? I can see keeping a personal diary of sort with pictures of before and after and a journal of information about how you got from one phase to the other, but I have honestly never understood the psychology of social networks where people poor out their guts to strangers, nor the ones that show pictures of their bathrooms, bedrooms, with commentary about having to dismiss a drunken worker and sourcing every little trinket as though we want to rush out and duplicate.
Deletei like those blogs those. for some reason they interest me. esp. if i like the house. i said above i think - that it's like visitng neighbors but instead we do it digitally today.
DeleteFunny but I just received Roooms to Inspire two weeks ago so I can't wait to have a listen to your interview tonight.
ReplyDeleteXX
Debra~
oh boy - I just listened to it. I was sick at the time - I sound horrible with the worst cold. I was sick for a while with a cold that I couldn't get rid of and you can tell.
DeleteYou couldn't have sounded as bad as Megan's nasal, tinny voice, or Linda's saliva-filled enunciations.
DeleteYou couldn't have sounded as bad as Megan's nasal, tinny voice or Linda's saliva-filled enunciations.
DeleteWas Megan constantly referring to her "clients" - too funny - all two of them.
DeleteHi Joni, can't wait to hear the podcast - I am late getting to it! I love all her books and her husband is a wonderful photographer.
ReplyDeleteI came by today also to read the comments on yesterday's post. I find it shocking that there is so much venom in some comments and I am sorry you felt you had to take the post down due to a lack of decorum of some commenters. For a long time, I excluded Anonymous commenters on my blog, quite by accident, and then allowed them when I noticed. Maybe you should do that, as a start!
Unreal. Talk about Stalkerazzi on your blog.
xo Terri
Some women who comment on this blog need to grow a pair, seriously! Some of you can't go to the mailbox every day without taking offense at something and issuing your little invectives with the usual code words like "haters", "bullying", "stalker", etc. I do believe that someone commented that they did not find your blog, windlost, that interesting, and there was a conversation about hits equaling revenue or something to that effect, but outside of those comments people once again had very strong opinions about the portrait of the Queen. I suppose if you don't really want honest opinions, you shouldn't author a blog post that ask for those opinions. I am assuming it's a good month or longer when you get 150 comments, right?
DeleteHmm... I just attempted to post what I thought was a complimentary comment about Joni's blog. However, it has not shown up. Did I forget to push "Publish"?
ReplyDeleteHello, some people out there seem to think I am not a real person. To dispell that notion, I would like to add my picture to my name. Forgive me, but I do not know how. Any tips?
ReplyDeleteCharlotte - I think if you signed up with google - you should be able to go to your account and put in a picture.
DeleteAfter going back and enjoying, yet again, my copy of the first Rooms to Inspire, It looks like I need to add a few more of the newer books to my library. It really is one of my favorite design books. Maybe there will be a book signing in San Francisco? Hope so!
ReplyDeleteErrrrrrr you do know Sir Elton John has received a knighthood from the Queen...just saying
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, my point exactly. Seeing her portrait in his home would make perfect sense. Who knows, stashed away in one of her castles may be a pop art room of everyone she's knighted since becoming Queen. Wouldn't that be fun to see.
DeleteI am not a blogger and often I find it hard to comment( especially when I am sneaking a peek at work!) except as anonymous. I just want to say I have learned so much from your blog, Joni, and just keep clicking from yours onto others. I am not a designer, just a design enthusiast, and often times I really like things or am scratching my head totally perplexed because I don't get it. I think magazines just "86" any comments they don't like and that is what makes your blog so interesting because you allow people to comment, the good the bad and the ugly. One thing about blogs I have noticed is they give a voice to "the people" and have a huge impact on social media, does that make someone an exhibitionsit (sp) to post pictures of themselves and their house? maybe but deep down inside don't we all long to feel noticed and special and don't we all have insecurities? Lets face it, Jon Hamm was right about KK, lets see real people and their houses and those houses out of most everyman's league. I was totally against Ozzy and Sharon but changed my mind after seeing their home. BTW I went to the HGTV green house in Serenbe, Ga and the real estate person was very excited to show me how you could look from 1 room to the end of the house/outside through a series of windows and I immediately thought of you, Joni, and went back to read your post on enfalide(?) Ah well, off to buy this book, thanks for introducing it to me and thanks for your blog! As for the Queen, I loved the "avatar" analogy and admit to a young Dylan fetish, II always check Windlost and I have never wondered if Charlotte was real or just a nom de plume. SJR
ReplyDeleteLoved this! - see- you should sign a fake name because i would love to read other comments you write and then get to know you. Imagine if Charlotte was anon - we would never have gotten to know her or connected all her posts to just one person.
ReplyDeleteI felt exactly the same about Ozzy and Sharon!!!!! I never cared for them until I saw that house with the fabulous family room where they filmed, and all those dogs. I love their new house that Martyn L. Bullard decorated all in blues and lilacs.
Yes, so many blogs are just pictures of people's houses, but you know - those are some of my favorite blogs. Like Peeking through the Sunflowers. I always read her blog to see what's new at house, a former schoolhouse. And others like hers, they are my personal favorites - like the Lettered Cottage, i love to see what Layla has going on at her house. Maybe this is the way we pay visits to each other in this day and age - through the computer????
Looks like a lot of uniqueness in those books...always fun to explore.
ReplyDeleteWonderful post!! These are all great books!! Leslie
ReplyDeletethe best way to rid ourselves of "anonymous" is to not reply to anything they say, obviously they do not have a life of their own and will shrivel up and join another blog where they can get their kicks.
ReplyDeleteThis was my thought on Anon, they evidently are emotionally insecure and need attention. Cut them off!
DeleteSo Penny, do you cut your kids off when they disagree with you? Didn't think so.
DeleteSo Anon, you finally admit you're acting like a child. Good for you dear. They say admitting a problem is the first step to overcoming it.
DeleteWell Penny, most likely when your husband disagrees with you, you cut him off also.
DeleteHonestly, I wonder why "that Anon" even reads blogs??? Joni, it's YOUR blog! franki
ReplyDeletep.s. Long live the Queen!
Wonderful Joni I will listen to the interview later I love her style!!
ReplyDeletexoxo
Karena
Art by Karena
Joni,
ReplyDeleteI just had to comment again, there is no reason to listen to uncivil demeaning personal attacks posted on your site. These people can go elsewhere. If they had taken debate in high school they would realize different points of view can be discussed in an intelligent adult manner.
These are vicious; almost vendetta-like comments. Never ending!
xoxo
K
I liked this post very much as it has helped me a lot in my research and is quite interesting as well. Thank you for sharing this information with us.
ReplyDeleteengagement rings lufkin tx
Oh my' adore T S-P + will grab his book right away. There will always be people who sign anon to their comments. Everyone has different taste, thank god. What a boring world it would be if we all had the same taste! My grandmother use to say"If you can't say something nice, keep your mouth shut" & now I have adopted the quote. That quote is directly targeted to those who leave nasty messages. xxpeggybraswelldesign.com
ReplyDeleteWell, whatever it was, I missed the whole thing. Seriously, this was about the pop art portrait of the Queen? I can't imagine what the issue could be with that.
ReplyDeleteOh, you have NOOOO idea. I bet it's still on cache somewhere.
DeleteI missed it too. I saw the post and looked it over but never finished it and never read any comments before it was gone. What was the problem? Some art of the Queen you refer to?
DeleteAnd just as an aside, Tim Street-Porter's first wife Janet is one of my favorite television personalities. She's hilarious!
ReplyDeleteI read a lot of style blogs and can honestly say I have never seen the likes of the bitchy, vitriolic , junior highscool, mean girls type of comments on your blog- I mean really getting upset over a silly, strictly for fun portrait of the Queen??? Who are these people? My God!
ReplyDeleteThere are 3 types of people who respond to blogs - the Kool Aide Drinkers, the Thinkers and the Stinkers. Joni is very egalitarian and permits them all. Simply tune out or ignore the ones YOU do not like. :)
ReplyDeleteJust what I was talking about, snarky and a bit mean spirited-
DeleteCharlotte, you are more than intuitive, you are simply brilliant! Kool Aide Drinkers, now where have we heard that before???
DeleteI have the Rooms to Inspire in the City book and have just ordered Litchfield Style. Annie Kelly & Tim Street-Porter make a great team.
ReplyDeleteJust reiterating to Joni that we all read her blog because we love it so much, this is my favourite blog and I still get excited when a new post comes in. Don't let one Anonymous weirdo ruin things for everyone. Just delete his/her awful comments please. Isn't there a way to find his/her IP address and just block it?
i could, ive tried but too many people click on and its almost impossible. i almost caught him the other night. if i do, i will post his name and address, i swear to god i will. be warned.
DeleteHahahaha, yeah right!
DeleteHi all and Joni!
ReplyDeleteWell I sign anon because I'm not sure how to set up picture/account name, but I do leave my name.
HOWEVER, no one has yet to address this point of view: What if, Yes what if , someone(s) are trying
to SABOTAGUE your wonderful highly successful blog by bombing it with negative feedback. People, and
businesses that allow, and also yearn, to be blogged about by you may be so TURNED OFF by all the
negative comments that they head for the hills.
Not good when said blog comments are just are google away, no one wants their reputations crushed, or
their feelings for that matter.
It's not like you want to filter everyone, but I believe this may be more than just sour grapes. Maybe
someone(s) have unscrupulous motives. I mean really, we all have different tastes, but we share the common
thread of love of design and home.
So, share the love people, have an opinion--it's ok--but haters aren't welcome here!!
Mela
You've got to be kidding, right? Someone has a different opinion and now the conspiracy theorists come out of the woodwork and declare it SABOTAGUG (your spelling, not mine). LOL, you cannot be serious. The only persons having an interest in doing such a thing would be "fellow bloggers" and I suspect that Joni is pretty damn popular among fellow bloggers or at least I have that impression.
DeleteNow go crawl under the sheets and see if any more light bulbs go off with more anon. theories. This one doesn't fly.
hmm. i'm not so popular, never won a blog award. maybe there's something to it. ok - anon, spill - who do you work for? who is paying you to bring me down?
DeleteBUT i will say mela has a point - some homeowners might be wary of being on here becuase of the nasty anon comments. i do warn them, but some dont believe me when i tell them it's really only 2 nasty anons - the male with the spelling/grammar/david easton fixation and the woman who hates my mother in law's flannel pjs.
Hello Anon, interesting that you bothered to read my comment above, but didn't notice my spelling of SABOTAGE as SABOTAGUE, is not incorrect. I tend to spell COLOR as COLOUR as well, and it is acceptable.
DeleteHowever, you said I spelled it as SABOTAGUG, my goodness, how petty, and actually you intirely missed the point!
It really is too bad that a few bad eggs harbouring a little green monster feel the need to be unsupportive, and even a bit mean. Could be jealousy, need for attention, who knows.
But all I know is that Joni's blog is my "Go To" and I look forward to reading it!Looking at all the fine pictures too, of course, tehe. Thank you Joni, I have learned so much from reading your bog, it has helped me grow as a designer. You are a class act!
Mela
More conspiracy theories. Multiple anons thought the Queen looked silly in Sally Wheat's house, but you have narrowed your anon. fetish to someone who likes David Easton and hates your mother in law's pjs. I haven't heard a reference to David Easton on this blog since you did a long post on his Conn. home and New York apartment more than a year ago and how does anyone know about your mother in law's pjs? Joni, you are beginning to sound a bit paranoid. If you are afraid of not being able to defend your ideas and need to be adored like most of the other design bloggers, then moderate comments. Otherwise, get a spine and stop throwing darts in the dark at phantom anons with silly descriptions of who and what they like or dislike.
DeleteJoni you may have never won a blog award which quite honestly not being a blogger I don't know if winning one validates you in someway but your blog is featured as a go to in House Beautiful's books, shelter magazines and on other blogs which is pretty impressive. I've written before how much I have learned from you and could expand exponentially on Charlotte's list. I loved your post on Nureyev, thats one of my all time favorites. No one can dispute how popular and important the Skirted Roundtable is, look at who you interview. You have tremendous advertising, once again not being a blogger I don't know if its a revenue generator for you but it shows businesses know how many readers they can reach on your blog. I know from experiece you don't push your sponsors or make excuses for them. With regards to this post and doing a favorite book list, please do, after all its not like you have a link to an Amazon store to purchase! Quite frankly the anon comments can be quite amusing to me, and they certainly generate a flurry of comments, WHICH means more visits to your blog and clicks on the blogs linked to you and clicks on your sponsors.....last night I clicked and spent! I always think of the 6th Sense and substitute stupid people instead of dead people "Walking around like regular people. They don't see each other. They only see what they want to see. They don't know they're stupid." Have a lovely weekend. SJR
DeleteI would like to personally thank Joni for many things:
ReplyDeleteFor introducing me to the virtues of white slipcovers that can be bleached. AND for butterpat pleats.
For helping me to understand why I instinctively knew to fill that space (either with blinds or with color) between the top of the window and the bottom of the curtain rod.
For introducing me to the Antique Shows at Round Top, Texas. Ooo, la,la!
For reminding us to ALWAYS line our curtains.
For featuring her new macaroni crystal laden sconces just in time to alert me to snatch a luscious pair at an antique mall in Austin.
For introducing me to Carole Glasser, Pam Pierce, Phoebe Howard, and, yes to Sally Wheat!
Last, but not least, for her spot-on review of the new Restoration Hardware catalog. Did not even need to take it out of the wrapper. Straight to the trash bin it went!
For all our excellent blogs, merci beaucoup. Vive la Côte de Texas!
Ditto :-)!
Deleteomg, that is hysterical! always line your skirted tables and dust ruffles too!!! the sun can shine through those too. i forgot to order lining of my dining room chair slips - the material and thin and it always upsets me to see the sun through them!!!
Deleteomg, this is too funny. love it. and btw charlotte - i'll get to answering your email tomorrow. it was very sweet and you are very beautiful!
I've seen Rooms to be Inspire in the City...I had no idea they were a series of books. I can't wait to check out the latest one...by the Sea...even though in just over a month we are moving away from the sea back to Connecticut.
ReplyDeleteannie
Current House Beautiful (June 2012) came in today's mail, and Annie Kelly is featured on page 56. Beautiful image there, and some fine shots elsewhere in this issue. I first remember seeing Kelly and Street-Porter's LA house in a magazine in the late 90's, impressive.
ReplyDeleteJoni, you clearly make a lot of unsubstantiated assumptions that only two anons are likely to leave negative comments on houses you feature from Houston or from your reader series. Many people responding who normally use an identifier of some kind on a regular basis may not be willing to express their dislike of someone's decor and choose therefore on a particular post to comment as anon. It is clear from recent homes you have featured that there were many anons with various opinions and writing styles that did not like the Houston home owned by the person you referred to as Lee (I think) that was featured here several months ago. The house with no soul as many commented. I think to warn your owners is certainly fair but hard to believe that you have to if someone has any common sense whatsoever. You will never get all of your readers to render a perfect score on any one home you feature. Referencing your comment about someone trying to take you down. That too is silly and would be quite impossible to do given your readership, advertisers, content, etc. Your blog is getting better and better and frankly I think the anons are helping whether you like it or not.
ReplyDeleteThese books look wonderful and I'm always looking for inspiring new interior design books so I'll have to check these out! So gorgeous. Thanks so much for sharing! P.S. Love the pictures =)
ReplyDeleteJoni, I went back and looked at the original Sally Wheat post. I studied the comments of "anonymous" as to whether they were positive or negative. There were several anons. that did not address directly thnding ie content of your post, but unrelated issues. I totally discounted those. I found the following:
ReplyDeletePositive Anons: 26, Negative Anons: 21 negative
There were other anon comments, but not directly related to a "like or dislike" issue. I think your theory about negative anons has been shot out of the water. Perhaps if you go through the comments, you may disagree with one or another, but over all it is safe to say anons are fairly equally divided.
I think this clearly shows that some of your theories about anons. are entirely wrong. No one or two people are posting negative comments 21 times and by the same token, the same is true for the 26 positive comments. It's time to be honest with your readers.
Correction: Meant to say in second sentence: "There were several anons. that did not address directly the content of your post, but unrelated issues" I totally discounted those, . . . . .
ReplyDeleteAnon 9:06 - Wow. As we gather to pay tribute to our fallen soldiers, it's a comfort to know that a CDT Anon bean counter is hard at work behind the scenes tabulating the precise number of positive and negative Anon comments. God Bless America.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know we were gathering anon. 9:06. Where's the party and what should I bring? Lighten up, salute the flag, smoke a little toke and most importantly, don't fall off of that high horse you're riding.
ReplyDeleteThere is a definite tone and manner of speaking that comes through for the one Anon who is so obsessed with Joni and her blog. Joni reads enough written by him/her to know when it is that person commenting. Someone, somewhere in the design blogosphere has dissed this idiot hard for him/her to be this hell-bent on this level.
ReplyDeleteSounds like another conspiracy theory rendered by yet another anon. In addition to design, I suppose anon. 8:56 is also into forensics.
Delete