CHIC SPRING!!!

Well, here I am, later than planned.  I thought since it’s Spring, I’d do a quick Spring Shopping story like everyone else and then get back to my regularly scheduled story.   Well…the truth is I guess I don’t really enjoy doing these shopping stories because it has dragged on and on and on and I couldn’t find the inspiration to just FINISH it!!!  LOL  I always think – is this good enough?  Interesting enough?  Fun enough?

 

So finally, I put together a list of some fresh spring décor ideas and clothing that appealed to me and hopefully to you too!

And after this, back to decorating, historical design, royalty, The White House, Granny Chic and more!

What is spring without a bunny vase.  Sweet!

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Gorgeous faux flowers, boho style. I love the way florists do arrangements now, like you just picked them from a meadow.  Vase not included, unfortunately.

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Cutest candle snuffer, ever!

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Ring Holder, Herend Queen Victoria

Darling one ever with legs!

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I WOULD HANG THESE ON THE WALL! I’m obsessed with these plates.  They were sold out and were reissued for spring.  Williams Sonoma.

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TABLECLOTH, SO PRETTY!  Links with all the accessories. 

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BLACK & WHITE PITCHER ALONG WITH OTHER MATCHING PIECES by Ralph Lauren

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COMES IN WHITE OR BLUE

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LANTERNS FOR INSIDE OR OUTSIDE – DARLING!

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MARBLE CHEESE PLATE OR CUTTING BOARD – SCALLOPED!!!  ALONG WITH MORE OF THE WHITE MARBLE COLLECTION BELOW.

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SUCH A GORGEOUS MARBLE COOLECTION!  I ESPECIALLY LOVE THE CLOCHE.   BEAUTIFUL.

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Scalloped side table for drinks, etc!

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Rattan Mirror – I love this!!!

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OUTSIDE OR INSIDE GARDEN STOOL – COMES IN ASSORTED PATTERNS.

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SCALLOPED END TABLE – SOOO CUTE!

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BASKETS.

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THERE HAS TO BE A CATCH.  I MEAN – THE PRICE!!!!  I MIGHT HAVE TO HAVE THESE MYSELF.  DIFFERENT COLORS AND STYLES, BUT I LOVE THIS CANE BACK. 

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Faux Tree

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OKA MEMORY BOX.  THERE IS ALSO A TINY CHEST AND A TRASH CAN LIKE THIS.

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Studio McGee new outdoor furniture – so cute! HURRY! LIMITED STOCK.

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MORE STUDIO MCGEE, GREAT FOR INDOORS TOO!

STUDIO MCGEE SELLS OUT AS SOON AS IT GETS TO THE STORE.  THIS IS VERY LOW IN STOCK, SO HURRY IF YOU WANT THIS.

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ANOTHER STUDIO MCGEE – AN OUTDOOR COFFEE TABLE THAT IS SOOOO CUTE AND SOOOO AFFORDABLE.  I WISH THEY HAD THIS IN A DINING ROOM SIZE!

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THERE ARE SO MANY DARLING UMBRELLAS.

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SUNBRELLA THROWS FOR OUTSIDE/INSIDE

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CHERRY BLOSSOM OUTDOOR LIGHTS

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 DRESS UP OR DOWN 

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SHE’S TOO ADORABLE!!!

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Poets Blouse HERE

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THIS SEASONS MOST POPULAR COLOR HERE

AND HERE

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J CREW SPRING CASHMERE SWEATER, IN EVERY COLOR

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COCO INSPIRED LOVE!

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LINEN

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AN ELEGANT HOODIE!

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TORY BURCH, NOT CHEAP, BUT SOOOO CUTE!!!!

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SEXY HOODIE!

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OKA DOG BEDS – THREE SIZES HERE

ON SALE

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HOTTEST LOOK – THE PAPER CLIP WITH A CHARM HERE

CHARM!

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YEAH!!!  The new Patina Farms book is detailing all the homes they have designed.  Preorder your copy by clicking on the image.

AND ASHLEY WHITTAKER!

I AM DYING FOR THIS ONE!!!!!!  PRE ORDER!

St Valentine’s Day And Other Sweet Things!!!

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It’s that time for all things red and pink, roses and kisses, chocolates and puppies.

I found the most perfect Valentine’s gift for Cote de Texas readers.  Consider it a treat for the eyes and the heart, a gift to welcome in 2021.

This house is for sale and is listed on HAR where I first saw it.  It seemed vaguely familiar, but why?  And then it hit me – it is one of the houses featured in Leslie Sinclair’s latest book Segreto Impressions.

Of course! 

There MIGHT be a few beautiful houses in Houston that haven’t been touched by Segreto Finishes, but none that I can currently think of!

And so, without further adieu:

Happy Valentine’s Day and Enjoy!!!!

It all started with a typical ranch house in a wonderful, wooded area in Houston.   A few generations ago,   I grew up in a house just like this, in a nearby neighborhood.  We had those exact corner windows, I’m positive it was the same builder.

But that was 1954 and this is today!!

When I saw this house on HAR my jaw dropped.  It was so feminine..so sweet…so lovely…so perfect!

It’s all about the love for French antiques and how to show them best today with just a hint to the modern, to the year 2021.

It’s such a HUGE treat to see French antiques used in such an  all encompassing way, with just love and passion.

Is it a designer who built this home?  An antique dealer?  A bit of both?

Believe me…this was created by someone who truly understands French antiques and how to live with them today.

Let me pull myself down from the clouds.

   The exterior lined with French styled boxwoods.  Notice the second story, middle section with the two oval windows flanking the center window.  Inside, the ceiling is two stories and reaches up to the third floor story window.  Double height room on the second level?  Sparsely furnished, it would make a perfect room to mediate or write in…hmm.

Details:

Interior Design by MoL Design HERE.

Renouveau Antiques HERE.

Architect Charles Ligon Architects HERE

Kristal Custom Homes HERE

HAR SITE HERE

A glimpse of the backyard with its large porch extended from one side to the next.  Off the master bedroom, on the far left, is its own sitting area, perfect for morning coffee. 

And a view of the sitting area off the master bedroom.  Modern chairs mix with French style wicker furniture. 

Want to see more of the backyard?????

OK, OK.   I am just teasing you! 

But first..let’s discuss lessons that can be learned from this house, lessons that you won’t learn while obtaining a degree in interior design.

If you have a question of your own you want to discuss, leave it in the comment section!

1.  How do you decorate for the 2020s when you are obsessed with French antiques?  This house will answer that question.

2.  How do you make a house look modern, yet look like somewhere Marie Antoinette would be happy to live in?  Think dressy living rooms and mid century modern sitting rooms.

3.  How do you bring color into a house using antiques?  Think colorful velvets.

  4.  How do mix modern art and antiques?  Don’t ask me!!!   This house uses antique murals and mirrors instead of modern art.   Except in mid century rooms such as the second floor sitting room.

And here, the foyer opens to a grand, two story space with a contemporary railing and centuries old stone floors.   To the right is the first glimpse at the French decor.

How do I love thee…let me count the ways:

Notice the beautiful traditional herringbone floors from Rennes, France BUT in the bleached color of today.  The Swedish antique settee is upholstered in a bright turquoise that pops the room, giving it a youthful vibe.   And in the same way, the ebony piano acts as an accent.  The coffee table gives just a hint of modern design.

I love the gilt accents and soft colors in the art work above the settee.

But most of all I’m loving the comeback of the ballgown curtains.  Can you imagine stiff, pleated curtains here instead of these so silky visions?

Tightly pleated curtains have their place – in masculine settings, in modern designs and in room with few antiques, if any. 

These curtains are perfect.

Here’s the view from the living room to the dining room with a surprise visitor in the corner!!   

Another view of the entry with the stone pavers.  Bringing the modern white into the room, bright white with oversized pops of green from nature.

And thank the lord!!!  There isn’t a runner!!  There’s no trendy modern Stark runner.  Instead there is just the gorgeous expanse of stone risers – and gorgeous it is.  It is imported French limestone.

One more visit to the living room or the drawing room or Salon…I can’t let it go. 

It reminds me of something, someone…but what, who?

And then it comes to me!  Yes!!!!

Veranda 1999

The Veranda cover story of 1999 designed by Babs Watkins.  It was her tour de force.   A gorgeous original River Oaks home that she had decorated with antiques which she used in a way that none really had before her.  Was it really twenty years ago?

And there it is.  The velvet used in a totally new way.  The antique settee instead of a sofa.  It’s interesting how Swedish completely exploded in the south, right after this. 

I wonder if this homeowner was inspired by Babs Watkins?

You couldn’t have chosen a better muse than the late Babs Watkins.

Do you see the connection? 

In Instagram, I found a close up of the Swedish settee and chairs.

Wait.  Is that a cat in the window?  lol.  Or what???

And this closeup of the beautiful floral designs see throughout.

Floral  @karlalazofloraldesign

Gorgeous silk curtains in a peachy skin tone.  Beautiful. 

More Swedish.

Here, there is the Swedish dining table mixed with Italian chinoiserie chairs (I an assuming they are Italian!)  

It’s amazing to think how quickly Swedish antiques laid claim in the south.  Did anyone have Swedish antiques before 1995 ?

The foyer leads to the back of the house with the family room and casual dining area.  In the center is a round table under a crystal chandelier and the most incredible beams!!!

To the right is the family room:

 

The family room repeats the bright pops of velvet color. A modern coffee table and contemporary sofa mix with the French antique chair and ottoman.   The cabinet doors that flank the fireplace are also antique.

A close up of the French mantel.  So simple – but isn’t what is so simple is so hard to recreate?  I will assume this is antique, it must be.  Just look at the very top – that kind of imperfection would only come from age, to fake it would look, well, so fake.   It is the beauty of the imperfect lines in the blocks that tells us the mantel is antique. 

And the real estate brochure does confirm  it is 18th century French from a chateau in Provence.

And looking past the family room, the foyer leads to the eating area and beyond…the kitchen.  Can you see the next pop of color? On the French chairs.

 

The velvet on the chairs brightens the entire back area.  It’s a bold choice, but the chartreuse is so perfect!  I love it!!

And looking back towards the family room with the antique clock on the left.

The kitchen with a stone hood and open shelves.  The bar stools have yet another pop of colorful velvet.   These beautiful lanterns are 19th century from Barcelona. 

The countertops are all matte Segreto Stone.

The other side of the kitchen.

AND – can you guess how old this mantel is?  16th century!!  Incredible.  Sourced from a Provence manse.  

Notice the old oil painting.  I LOVE that!!!!

And to the back is a small sitting room.

Aren’t the beams gorgeous?  They add so much texture to what could have been a too modern atmosphere.  It reminds me of the renovated houses in Belgium where the architectural elements are antique, yet the house looks modern – a perfect blend.

And, notice the antique putti above the door opening to the back sitting room.

This sitting room overlooks the backyard, pool and outdoor kitchen.  Filled with French furniture, the simple seagrass insures the dressy furniture remains more accessible.   And yet another modern coffee table is matched with antique French furniture.

 

 How is this for a Valentines gift?  The bar.  Attached to the opening is this beautifully scalloped, painted piece of wood.  The colors are soft and soothing – greens, pinks and gilt.  It’s 18th century, of course, from Venice, of course.

Honestly, when have you ever seen something like this inside a modern house masquerading as a renovated Belgian manse?  It is just so charming, feminine and so beautiful.

On Leslie’s Segreto blog, I found this much better view of the bar “doors.”    All the stone countertops are Segreto Stone, as seen here and in the kitchen.

The powder room marries a 16th century console with a Segreto Stone sink atop it. 

S

On the ground floor, the master bedroom has more beautiful reclaimed wood beams.  They are truly incredible in this vaulted room. 

Color pops:  Persimmon velvet on the settees.

That chandelier!!!!

These 18th century doors lead into the master bath, which is such a lovely space with its arched ceiling.

A better view of the barreled ceiling.  Tiny Tulip table adds just that hint of the modern which is found throughout.

I know I haven’t mentioned the chandeliers, but seriously, they are just the prettiest seen.  Like this one!

The view into the bedroom.

AND, here is that second story room with a ceiling that reaches to the third.   Exactly as I thought, what a wonderful place to read, mediate, or write.

That bed!!!!!  And with the modern side table.

Twin beds made into one. 

A sitting room upstairs honors mid century design which fits so perfectly in this home.  I wonder if the new owner will use all mid century?   I, for one, would miss the gorgeous French antiques, no?

One more time – I hope you enjoyed this Valentine’s Day gift!!!  It truly represents everything that Cote de Texas loves:  antiques, French & Swedish, and femininity.

There are more photos on the HAR web site that show guest baths and bedrooms and more back yard photos. HERE

I don’t have the details about Round Top opening this spring, so be sure to check the dates, etc.   And be sure to visit the Renouveau instagram HERE for any questions about their antiques which are shown at Round Top.

To read more about this beautiful house, click on the image of this book to order Leslie Sinclair’s latest “Segreto Impressions.”

TWO WEEKS

I have spent the majority of my leisure time these past 14 years writing in this blog about anything and everything.  I started out writing about design and antiques and then ventured into historical properties and the royal family, movies and fashion, and often times – my family.

Indulge me this one more time.

This year has been a weird one for everyone.  It didn’t matter what continent you lived on, you spent it either in fear or defiance of the great new virus.  We argued endlessly whether masks were effective or whether we should just let the virus spread as it wanted to – creating a herd immunity.  We voted against our president because of the virus and that is the first time in history, we’ve done that. 

Do you remember when there was only one person in the states with the virus?  Little did we know it had already spread its wrath to so many unsuspecting victims. 

Did you wear a mask?  A shield?  Gloves?

Or did you feel invisible against the threat?

Here’s my story:

I have issues with my legs, I tend to retain fluid, lymphatic fluid which gets infected.  Yuck.  It’s gross.  So I was terrified of Covid-19.  I still am.

Ben and I wore masks outside our apartment from around mid March or April.   Not from the very beginning.  Houston seemed far away from the threat.    But as NYC exploded, we began to take it more seriously.   We stayed home.  We used instacart a lot.  When Ben when to the store – he wore gloves and his mask.  He ordered an assortment of masks which we keep in a pretty Rose Medallion bowl by the front door.  Always the designer.

I stopped cutting my hair.  My roots grew out a weird salt and pepper color and my hair became wiry and more curly.   I looked like Sasquatch.  I thought I might go grey.  After all, so many bloggers did and they looked fabulous – but I didn’t.

I rarely left the confines of my apartment except to walk my dog, always with a mask.  I never touched a door knob or an elevator button.  Instead I used my sleeve or my elbow.     I was nervous – I had an underlying condition and I was 66, not great odds. 

I banned my daughter Elisabeth from our apartment.  She worked at the Galleria and I was sure she would catch it.   I didn’t see her for months.  Finally, I agreed to meet her in the parking garage while she stayed in her car.   A while ago, I came in after walking Micki and was furious that Ben had allowed her to come inside the apartment!   I stayed in the kitchen, much farther away than the recommended six feet.

But there was one problem, one issue I couldn’t avoid.  My parents.  It seemed wrong to say I can’t come over and it seemed, well, very over dramatic.   They lived in a high rise and had a group of three caretakers – all related – who rotated in and out their shifts.   At 90 and 97, my parents could not be left alone during the day or night for fear they might trip in the dark, which did happen more than a few times.

The caretakers lived at their house but they also went to their own homes.  They never wore a mask. 

In my heart, I knew what was going to happen.

Months ago I told Ben, my parents are going to catch this from their caregivers.   And then I extrapolated that to include me.  There was no doubt.  

During the summer when the virus cooled down before gathering up its strength to explode back into our lives, Ben and I started getting lax.   He didn’t scrub his hands after a trip to the grocery store anymore.  I had a service man in our apartment.   You probably did the same thing.  We had Covid fatigue.  We were tired of the masks, the constant handwashing, the isolation.  My apartment needed a good cleaning that only a professional could give it.  It was enough already!!!   I called my hairdresser and she came over and cut six months of growth and frizzy grey hair off my head.  I was a new person!!

I joined my parents at their apartment for Thanksgiving, along with their three related caregivers.  One of them told me she was so glad I had joined them.   I was stunned.   Was she implying she was hosting Thanksgiving in my parents apartment?   The familiarity was startling and upsetting.  It wasn’t professional.   My sister and I both thought a change was needed but my parents were comfortable with the three relatives, almost defensive.  

Looking back now, nothing would be right again.

Suddenly, the virus roared back into Houston – strong and virile, a kamikaze looking for new hosts to infect.   We were all sitting ducks.

There was one saving grace.  While the promise of a vaccine seemed like a fantasy at first, it became reality.  Could it be?   Would we really be saved in time by a vaccine?  

I gave Ben a serious speech after Thanksgiving..  

“Listen.   We’ve almost made it.  We have been so diligent.  We never ate out.  We never went to a store except for groceries.  We’ve been alone.  We’ve avoided crowds.   But, we have gotten negligent.   Let’s try really hard for another month or two until we can get the vaccine.  Let’s scrub our hands and not touch doorknobs.   We can do this!   It’s one yard and goal.”

The only thing nagging in my mind was my parents.  It was hard to not visit them.  It seemed selfish and ridiculous.    And now I feel incredibly guilty.

My mom started having acute memory loss one Monday.   It wasn’t totally out of the blue, she had been having random lapses here and there, but this was different.  She didn’t recognize my father.  She didn’t recognize the caregivers.  It was beyond frightening.  I sobbed for a few days every time I thought of it.   I was sure this was something serious.  The doctor said to get a workup at a clinic.  I was shocked, beyond scared, when they told me she tested positive for Covid.  A CT scan showed no abnormalities in her brain.  The memory loss was Covid.  They called an ambulance and took her to the hospital.  It’s a story repeated over and over and over again.  When it happens to your family, you are numb, shell shocked, disbelieving.   I’m still not exactly certain what happened, but the Covid attacked one lung and her heart worked hard to resist it.  

While she was fighting for her life, other senior citizens in highrises were getting vaccinated.   The irony is almost too much to take.   I’m not sure why one highrise gets the vaccine and not another?

Even the Daily Mail had a story about the Houston highrise vaccines. 

I tested myself twice – negative both times, but my sister and brother-in-law were positive.  She caught it from her mother and passed it on.

Two of their caregivers had Covid.

Four or five days later, after we hired an entire new group of caregivers who properly all wore shields and gloves, my father began to have a nagging dry cough.  He tested positive that day.

The doctor refused to send him to the hospital.  He had no symptoms she said.  He was alert, lucid, even pulled an F-bomb out when he grew tired of waiting in the clinic.    Ornery to the end, I laughed.  

Still, why would you not send a 97 year old to the hospital who tested positive for Covid?  

We went home and the next day his cough turned stronger and then it completely stopped.   He asked us to call his wife and that was the last coherent thing he said.

Did I say I feel guilty?   It’s overwhelming. 

My comfort is that he passed at home, in his bed, without complaint, and in no pain, with no machines and without the terror of being in a hospital, alone.

When I tested positive the next day, I felt some justice.  Shouldn’t I too suffer what they had?   Why should I be free of it?  Didn’t I deserve what all my family had or would get?

So, I’m here.  Praying my symptoms stay the same and don’t escalate.  My first symptom was an upset stomach which I blamed on bad cantaloupe for three days.  That was so really bad melon.  When on the 4th I awoke with a very slight fever and severe lethargy, I knew the bad cantaloupe was no longer to blame.   I’m tired.  I have a bad head cold for which I take a decongestant Mucinex.  Highly recommended.  I kept smelling something sweet that was making me ill.  But when I lit my Nest candle, I couldn’t even tell it was burning.  I have a little sense of taste and smell, but just a tiny bit.  Oops – that tiny bit might be gone now too. 

I hate when I read some 40 year old died of Covid.  It’s beyond scary.

We aren’t alone.  There are several other elderly people who died of Covid contracted by their caregivers.  While the media talks about the risk of nursing homes, the threat from caregivers is never mentioned.  It should be. 

Which is why I wrote this story.   The clinic doctor told me he is seeing case after case of caregivers who pass it on to the elderly.

We were the unlucky ones.  We almost made it. 

Two weeks. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                          

vv

Rest in Peace Dad

My father, Ralph David Cohen, passed away Tuesday, succumbing to Covid-19.  He went peacefully, never complained, and he was in no pain.  The last full sentence he said was, "please call my wife for me."   We had not told Dad that Betty Rae was gone.  It seemed too much to bear.  He and Betty Rae were such a happy couple who did everything together.  They enjoyed a long retirement, spending summers and winters in their condo at La Costa Spa in Carlsbad, California.   Years before that were spent at the beach in their condo in South Padre Island. 

My father was born in Chicago, during the great depression.  He went to college and with no money to join a fraternity he worked there instead, serving meals to the brothers.   He joined the Navy Air Corp and met my mother - the natural comedienne Sonia.  After a few childless years they adopted my older brother and me!  Over the years he forgot I was adopted and once I asked him about it and he repeated the same story I was told as a child.  I knew that fantastical story wasn't true but let it go.  You didn't pick your "perfect baby" out of a line of bassinets at Edna Gladney. 

My parents were very happy and my mother, a lively red head, kept my father on his toes.  It was a house filled with much laughter and love.  When she died, my father was incredibly sad and depressed.  He missed her fabulous cooking and the long, physical jokes she excelled at.  When his partner offered to introduce him to a widow, he leapt at a chance at happiness.  I was thrilled to gain two sisters.  The elegant, chic Betty Rae was a blessing for him.  She made him happy and fulfilled and together they built a second act in life.   They were constantly in motion.  With a large circle of friends, they frequently were entertained at dinners for which they reciprocated with a large dinner party every few years.  Milestone birthdays called for more dinner parties at fancy restaurants. 

When not out eating, they were at plays, the Symphony, and at movies.   Up until the Covid, he and Betty Rae spent every Saturday night out at the movies.   They ate out dinner each night, mostly going to the same faithful restaurants they loved so much.  All holidays and birthdays were spent with family. 

My father was an early health nut, he exercised at Presidents, the first health club for men in Houston.  He was a workaholic and when he retired, he turned his attentions to the stock market.  He bought a few shares of Apple Stock when it was first available, something he was quite proud of.  LOL   He was a huge admirer of Steve Jobs and couldn't stand it that I was a PC user.  He bought me an Apple computer to change my ways, but I could never get used to it.  He loved technology and bought me my first VCR.   Decades ago, he gifted me with a color printer!   And decades before that, I was given the first Barbie Doll on my block.   When I ruined her blonde pony tail, he bought me a new head - the red hair short bubble, probably attracted to the red hair like my mother! 

I admired my father and always sought out his advice of which he was more than willing to give. He loved to lecture me and later Elisabeth and everyone else in the family from grandkids to nieces and nephews.  He adored Ben and I always joked he loved Ben more than me.   He loved to talk.   When he was 92, a UTI caused brain damage and he was mostly mute afterwards, although if you tried, you could understand a few sentences here and there.   He was left extremely frustrated that he could no longer express himself.   He worked hard at rehab for two years trying to get his speech back, but it never returned to normal.  He was strong and a fighter to the end.   When he turned 90 he said he was still on this earth not because of anything he had done, but just for sheer luck.  My dad was one of a kind.   I will miss you Dad.

His and Betty Rae’s obituaries can be found here https://www.jewishfuneralsusa.com/   and please read more about my dad at a story I wrote on his 90th birthday https://cotedetexas.blogspot.com/2013/10/a-family-birthday.html 

Houston is under attack from Covid.  I caught it from visiting with my father.  My sister and brother in law are now recovering from it.   Please be careful, wear a mask, and get the vaccine as soon as you can.  In light of this, I wish a healthy and happy New Years for you all.