Archive of ‘Uncategorized’ category

How To Turn Your Garage Into A Chic Home Office..(seriously, you totally could)

Chic Garage Space

Chic Garage Space

If you ask me, most garages look like the opening shots of a Hoarders episode. They are the unspoken catch-alls for things we’re not quite ready to part with..tricycles, rusty tools and holiday decor way past their prime, right? Gross.
On the postive side, technological advances have allowed more poeple than ever the option of working from home.In fact, it’s become kind of fabulous and chic. Another trend we’ve been seeing are homeowners making better use of garage spaces..Perhaps you have an additional garage you dont need? Maybe you just prefer to park in your driveway? Either way, if any of these speak to you, here are some tips to help you get that space feeling like a workspace and no longer a parking spot/storage room.

(1) Get Creative: To allow your garage to a full office turnaround, look into changing your garage floors to something more appealing than your normal rusty and soiled garage floors. For instance, Global Garage Flooring and Design has a Solid system that is designed to provide a seamless solid color finish to any concrete surface and a Concrete Dye system that incorporates High quality Concrete dyes. Also, painting it in light colors or applying a quick coat paint on your garage’s door will create a professional look that is also cool.

(2) Create Open Space: Bottom line..clear the clutter!Nobody wantsto lookat Halloween decor while working in an office. Doing so ensures you won’t even feel like your office used to be a garage. Tis is kind of a big deal.

(3) Temperature: If you’re going to use your garage as your home office for a long time, you should wire your home to enable the temperature of your garage, and even your driveway, to perfectly match that of the rest of your home.Freezing and sweating does not make one feel fabulous in an office environment!

(4) Lighting: A dark or dim room of any kind can (and will)cause you to be counterproductive. Get the right lighting.

(5) Viewing is Everything – Incorporate great landscaping around your garage. It will allow for a desirable connection from the street to your office.

If I didn’t have a room already for my home office, I would totally do this. Would love to hear from anyone who has one, as well. XO, Courtney

5 Reasons You Hate Your Space And How To Fix It

Courtney Cachet

Courtney Cachet

Whenever I get talking to someone not in the design world, they always tell me some form of “I’m clueless when it comes to decorating.” Almost always, I follow this up with an exasperated sigh and a smile. One part “here we go again” and one part “no, you’re really not.”

Let me explain. Everyone, at some point or another, was clueless in decorating or styling or anything, for that matter. Experts are not born, they are made. I find it very annoying when the design snobs act like they were born knowing everything. Give me a break. In this day and age, anyone can become an expert in pretty much anything. You just have to do the work. What if you don’t want to be a design expert but you just want to get a few tips from someone who is? Great, that’s what I do! I’ve earned it and I am happy to share. After all, what good is knowledge if you don’t share it, right?

Let me show you where you’re royally screwing up and how you can fix it in a hot minute.

You Buy Too Much Stuff

It’s a room, not a turkey on Thanksgiving. Do not stuff the room with tons of crap. Just because it’s 80 percent off at Home Goods doesn’t mean you have to buy it. If you invest in a few good pieces, you can work around them gently. A well-decorated room is often misconstrued to one which has the most “things” in it. Um, wrong! Learn to edit. You will be happier and your home will look better. Home feels good, you feel good. It’s very simple.

You Use Too Many Color Combos

OK, while all the colors in the rainbow are lovely, they are not meant to always be together except, well, in a rainbow. Pick three colors in a similar family. For example… white, beige, chocolate. For the record, I’m not a beige person, but it’s a neutral palette to get you started on the right foot. After you have your three basic colors, then you can add a pop here and there of something else. Maybe some turquoise pillows, a silver mirror, a Persian rug with bold reds. Try and tie in a little bit of your original three colors and see if it feels right. If it feels weird, it is weird. Start over.

You Have No Balls

Yep, I went there… and don’t get me wrong, I mean this in the most endearing way! You need to take some risks on your quest of home decor fabulosity. “No risk, no reward” is the most underestimated cliche of all time. Every great designer, chef, artist, entrepreneur or performer has had to throw it all out there at one point to see what happens. What are you afraid of? It’s home decor, people, we’re not saving the world. If you are afraid to take risks, hire a designer and tell him or her you love beige. If not, you’re going to have to just go for it one of these days. You won’t fall and break your neck, I swear!

You’re Too Wrapped Up In What’s “IN”

Style slaves are really meant for fashion. Fashion goes in and out season after season. Last season’s Prada is just that. Last year’s couch? Really? This does not exist. Those of us in the media world talk about yearly trends and styles in home design partly because what the fuck else are we going to talk about? Ha! I’m only partly kidding.

OK, this is important, so please listen to this part. Trends should be for accessories. Pillows, mirrors, rugs, paint colors, tabletop, wall decor… got it? Start with quality and classically designed pieces. They will be with you forever. Change up the other items year after year or whenever you get the itch!

You Think You Don’t Know What You Like

Oh Honey, you do. Any time someone tells me this, I ask them to tell me what they don’t like. And like music to my ears, they start telling me all the things they hate. “I hate yellow!”, “”I hate cherry wood!”, “I hate that shiny chrome!” The point is, once you get closer to what you don’t like, you will have a clearer idea of what you do like. The best way to find this out is to spend an afternoon in the bookstore with a cup of coffee and buy a stack of home decor magazines. You need to buy them because I want you to tear out all the pictures of whatever you see that you absolutely love. Depending on how crafty you are, put them in a file or some kind of notebook and study it, take notes. This inexpensive exercise will cost you under $50 and a few hours and will save you time, aggravation and money.

People who live in spaces they love wake up happier and more relaxed. Isn’t that how you want to start your day? Me, too.

I didn’t say it was going to be easy, I said it was going to be fabulous.

XO
Courtney

Check your local TV listings for more of Celeb Designer, Courtney Cachet’s style ideas and tips! You can catch her frequent appearances nationwide on TV, where she dishes out all the latest in home and lifestyle! Keep up with her on Facebook and join the conversation!

5 Touchless Home Products For Germaphobes

Now, more than ever, there is a collective concern regarding germs. It’s gone way beyond our mothers telling us to wash our hands after we use the bathroom or even the industrial size hand every new mother purchases before the baby comes home. With enterovirus in elementary schools and ebola cases popping up in America, I’d venture to say we’ve all awoken our sleeping inner germaphobe. Personally, I have always been slightly germaphobic. Not to the Howie Mandel extent, but I am definitely a little grossed out after certain subway rides or play dates involving six four year olds in my house. Does it make you a bad person? I don’t think so at all.
Much to the delight of many, the consumer market has gone above and beyond the call of duty bringing us design worthy products that might help give us some sense of ease while still keeping aesthetics in mind. In a nut shell, it’s all about touchless technology. Here are five (mostly) affordable products that will look good and almost never have to be touched. Here’s what I found.

Legrand Adorne Wave Light Switch
Light switches are something we don’t pay enough attention to. Think about it..consumers spend millions of dollars a year remodeling and decorating every room in the house, but when it comes to our switches we grab whatever works and is under five bucks. Ironically, they’re something we use several times a day and are often dirtier than our cell phones. Ew. Well, luxe lighting manufacturer, Legrand (pronounced Le Grahn, just fyi) came out with a fab little line called Adorne. Amongst it’s hottest sellers is The Wave. Yep, you got it right. Just wave the hand in front of the switch and voila! Lights on, lights off. Kind of like The Clapper but way cooler and dare I say, much more socially acceptable. No clapping for you, darling. $45-$65 at Legrand and home improvement retailers.

Kohler Touchless Toilet Kit
Most of us would probably agree, if you want to go touchless the toilet is the first place on the list, right? At first, I thought who would buy a brand new toilet just to not touch it? But, then I saw it’s actually a very affordable kit that can be fit to almost any existing toilet! The install took under twenty-five minutes and a few batteries. It might be the easiest improvement project you’ll ever embark on in your bathroom. $99.97 at Kohler.com

Dyson Airblade Tap
Dyson, the familiar name in vacuums and bladeless fans are known for products that are both innovative with a sleek design with a British accent. Not exactly cheap, but it’s hard to deny their products are pretty cool. If you’ve been to a newly refurbished restroom lately, you’ve probably seen (and hopefully used) their touchless hand dryers. Recently, they took that a step further by adding a faucet tap. With the Dyson Airblade Tap (DAT) you wash and dry your hands in one spot without ever touching a thing. The price for all this is a steep $1899 on Dyson

Umbra Otto Sensor Soap Dispenser
So, while some may charge almost two grand to keep the hands off the faucet, you can soap them up beforehand for under $30.00. I found this model at Kohl’s and like the mod look, small size and the fact that four AAA batteries has me up and running and squeaky clean.

Simplehuman Touchless Trash Can
The trashcan is another place we want to touch as little as possible..from tossing raw meats to messy spills, it’s always best to touch the trash can as little as possible. With a handful of sizes, styles and prices, there’s really no reason not to. I liked this one because it’s alsoIf none of these appeal to you, rest easy. At the end of the day, there is always soap and hot water! fingerprint proof, always a plus for someone like me with two little kids. This model is $120.00 here but if you dig up one of those Bed Bath & Beyond coupons in the kitchen drawer, well you do the math.

And there’s always soap and water..XO

How To Decorate Like A TV Show Set Designer

Courtney Cachet on set

Courtney Cachet on set

A large portion of my time is devoted to home makeovers on television. From The Bachelorette’s, JP & Ashley’s first New York pad to a tricked out Man Cave on VH1, I’ve done it.
What a lot of people don’t know is that I am also a TV set designer, and for three seasons styled the three sets on the daily lifestyle program, The Better Show. As I finished taping a segment the other day, I got to thinking about how simple principles from set design could help people decorate with more ease. Oh, you’re not a professional? It doesn’t matter. Stop drooling over glossy, touched up photos on someone else’s pin board-Dreamy Spaces I Love-and start working on your own fabulous little space. The key is to start.


How Much Money Do You Have?

TV productions are sticklers for budgets. For some reason, the budget is almost never enough for what you need to do. Sound familiar? Smaller amounts of money breed creativity you swore you never had. Whether your budget is slightly depressing or you’re a total baller, makes less of a difference than you think. The important thing is to be realistic about how much cash you have and operate accordingly. Can’t afford that totally amazing mid-century desk from that slick showroom? Dig a little deeper. Hit up consignment shops, eBay, flea markets and Craigslist “free” section. FYI-I decorated almost the entire set at Better TV using items from Home Goods.

Need For Speed

For us, time is money. But if you don’t move quickly, it’ll never get done. By planning well, you can bang out a fabulous room in a three day weekend. Lingering over the perfect shade of white paint or a particular pillow is not going to make your home that much prettier. I promise. I have news for you..it’s never about the paint color or the pillow. But, I’m not a shrink. I’m just here to make your home look fierce. Seriously, I’m not saying to approach your decorating project like an episode of Supermarket Sweep. Rather, just make a goal and stick to it. You’ll be more focused and in the end, much happier.

All In The Details

Most TV sets have a couple of couches I would never put in my house-or yours. They’re big, stiff, sort of plain and usually some variation of beige. But, we manage to doctor them up with pillows and area rugs. Most sets also have shelves or book cases to create a “homey” feeling. These are also meticulously styled with books that give a pop of color and/or fill an awkward space. There are vases of flowers, pitchers of water, mugs of coffee. Nothing is there without thinking about it. There’s no clutter, either. Taking that approach in your home can work wonders, keeping in mind you actually live there.

Built To Last

Imagine if you had 40 guests in your living room, dining room and kitchen six days a week. Now imagine how your quickly your home would look beat up as a result of that. Well, that’s the life of a set. Cameramen, sound guys, producers, guests and a multitude of other assorted people are in that “room” every single day. Rugs need to withstand the traffic, fabrics need to be durable and well cared for and shiny surfaces? Yeah, not so much. They show finger prints and scratches and glare, oh my! Wood and other flat materials are usually a better choice when your goal is longevity.

Places, please!

If there’s a large orchid plant on set, I can guarantee it is never on a shelf behind a couch. Why? Because nobody wants an A-List celebrity getting interviewed looking like he has flowers growing out of his head! There will never be anything distracting hanging, sitting or placed anywhere near an interview set. It makes an interesting point for your own home, as well. Be aware of an object’s placement. When in doubt, take a photo with your phone and see how it looks on camera. The camera never lies. If it looks a little meh, it usually is.

Make It Fantastic

Nobody wants to tune in to a show with a ho hum set, right? Why would anyone want to linger in a room that wasn’t at the very least, pleasant? Even if you’re not living in your Dream Home just yet, that shouldn’t matter. Fantastic comes in many forms, starting with color. Color is fantastic. Lighting is, as well. Quality-even in the smallest doses-is, too. Depending on what’s important to you, go with what you love. Just try and give it your best shot.

In the end, the best spaces to drool over are the ones you actually live in.

Check your local TV listings for more of celebrity designer, Courtney Cachet’s design tips, gift guides and stylish ideas. You can catch her frequent appearances nationwide on TV and online, where she dishes out all the latest in all things fab for your home and lifestyle! Keep up with her on http://www.courtneycachet.com or Facebook and join the conversation!

5 Ways To Make Your Home More Interesting For Almost Nothing

Courtey Cachet at home.

Courtey Cachet at home.

Our homes tell the story of who we are.

Whether that home is a small rental apartment or a spacious home on a suburban tree-lined street, it doesn’t matter. I’ve been inside many beautifully decorated homes. It’s also my job to look at beautiful things all day long. My life and my brand are based on fabulous living. But, what about being interesting? How about that? Interesting is free. Some of the most interesting spaces I’ve been in have been those inhabited by unknown artists, design students and even a crafty single mom or two. Creativity can always find its way. And while I spend a great deal of my life focusing on the uber-fabulous and the aspirational, you can take your home — or any space — and make it more interesting for practically nothing.

It’s really quite simple; it all boils down to getting personal. When a stranger walks into your home, they should be able to tell something about you by standing in the middle of your living room (besides, “Whoa, their cleaning lady hasn’t been here in a while”). What can you do to make it feel more interesting? A lot, actually.

Something About You

When I say something about you, this does not mean you last week at a bar with your friends, or you with your kids and the mall’s Santa Claus. I mean, really something about you. For example, my husband and I are Armenian. We have a framed Armenian scroll hanging on a wall. Also, a few years ago I designed a furniture line and the couch is in our living room. Really, it could be anything. Try not to make it about a photograph, there’s room for that elsewhere.

Something Old

Every room needs something old. It can be vintage, an antique or a relic from Mom’s attic. In every room I design, I try and add something vintage. You simply cannot create a truly interesting room without an old piece or two. If you think you can’t afford it, you’re wrong. Garage sales, Etsy and eBay and are teeming with objects that cost under 20 dollars. Recently, we did a home makeover for NBC’s George to the Rescue and it was a super modern design. I added some vintage decorative objects from One Kings Lane like books, vases, trays and a candelabra that were all surprisingly affordable. They were not free, but they were definitely in the inexpensive zone. This is your biggest bang of fabulous for your buck.

Travel

Where you travel is one of the best ways to add interest and personalization to your home. If trips to Paris, Bariloche or Phuket aren’t on your agenda this year, don’t sweat it. People always think you have to spend a lot of money. A kitschy postcard in a cool frame is chic. A scarf you bought on the street at a fair in St. Louis can be just as cool as one in Montmartre (OK, maybe not). Maps are free and very cool in other languages. Those are the little things that create conversation, that make a room unique. The things you cannot buy at Bloomingdale’s, Target or Horchow. And you’re documenting your history in your home.

Art

There are two kinds of people: those who appreciate art and those who don’t know anything about art. I can’t educate you, I can only tell you that “Live, Love, Laugh” on a plaque in Home Goods is not art. Neither are photo collages of your children. Shocker, I know. Try and educate yourself a little bit about art and look for it. It can be free, it can be almost free and it can be millions of dollars. Your life and your home will be inherently better off with some art inside it. If you’re not “in the know,” don’t be intimidated. There was a time when I knew nothing and I educated myself, so you can too. I promise.

Books

A home without books freaks me out. I mean, really freaks me out. The strategically placed de rigueur coffee-table books are no better. Warhol, Vogue, Chanel… I mean, really? So, here’s the deal. Everybody has an iPad, too. But, there’s something about books in a home that just feels better. Maybe I’m a little old school like that, but I don’t think so. I’m thinking if you don’t have books in your house you’re probably not reading this anyway so I’m off the hook!

Now, when you walk into someone’s home and there’s no art and no books and just lots of family photos and some tacky plaque that says “Live, Love, Laugh,” you’ll think of me.

And send them a vintage book. Or a painting. And they’ll be on their way.

Check your local TV listings for more of celebrity designer and Gift.com expert, Courtney Cachet’s gift guides, style ideas and tips. You can catch her frequent appearances nationwide on TV and online, where she dishes out all the latest in all things fab for your home and lifestyle! Keep up with her on http://www.courtneycachet.com or Facebook and join the conversation!

8 Entertaining Tips That Are Fabulous In Every Season!

Fabulous Entertaining!

Fabulous Entertaining!

At least half of my on air segments relate to entertaining. Designing, decorating and entertaining are all loosely intertwined and through the years, this has become a forte of mine. From Mexican Food Trucks and French Soirees to Old School NYC Street Food, I’ve done it all! But, the basic tips are always the same. Just yesterday, I shot my Valentine’s Day segment for Better TV and as someone from the crew asked me, “How do you always do this so well?” I started thinking. So, I wrote them down and here they are! Whether it’s a snnow in or a beach bbq, it simply does not metter. And remember, your parties are only as good as your guests. Invite nice people. Nobody has fun with a room full of duds/bitches/drunken fools/obnoxious jerks. Get the point? Great! XOXO

1.Choose a theme
Don’t let the word “theme” scare you into thinking you need to come up with some elaborate and complicated idea that probably only exists on Pinterest! A theme could be anything from Fall Picnic to Appetizers and Appletinis. Establishing a theme, will keep your idea more focused and in the end, more fabulous!

2. Plan your menu
Whether you’re serving up ribs and slaw or an elegant spread of hors d’oeuvres, you need to plan a little! Have most of your food and beverages necessities bought and ready to go 48 hours before the party. Items like bread and pastries should be bought the morning of for freshness. Don’t be afraid to delegate!

3. Slow Down & Keep It Simple
Complicated parties make for complicated hostesses
and nobody likes to see a frazzled hostess. By keeping your food and drink offerings delicious but simple, you look and feel better and spend more time with your guests, which was the original idea! Start your cooking in the morning with one or more Crock Pots ensures you have more time to get ready and relax before your fete begins!

4. 5 Minute Decor
Regardless of your theme, there’s a 5 minute decor solution..Candles and flowers are pretty and appropriate in every season-plus they smell great! In the fall, you can never go wrong with pumpkin, cloves and mums. In the winter, evergreen an cranberry are instant mood lifters! These little details go a long way!

5. One Signature Drink
You can brew a warm apple cider or have one fabulous cocktail. Either way, have one basic drink that works with your theme. Have a platter of drinks by the door and greet everyone with a glass as they walk in your house.

6. That’s entertainment
Parties without music are awful. You son’t need a professional DJ, just a good playlist from iTunes, Spotify or Pandora will do. As you and your guests are gathered around the kitchen island drinking, eating and laughing, make sure they have something to move their hips to.

7. Send your guests home with a pre-printed recipe and a cute “to go” box
Maybe you made your mother’s legendary beef stew or your infamous pulled pork and everyone wants the recipe..Send your guests home with a little extra and a recipe card so they can make it, too! You can print them up or write them out, punch a hole and string them to the bag.

8. Share the memories
The best parties are those where you get together with family and friends and have a delicious meal and some laughs. Take a group photo and make it into a thank you card online. Inexpensive, cute and undeniably fabulous!

My Latest Home Makeover on NBC’s Open House NY: My Shopping List!

This morning, hopefully you caught my latest home makeover on NBC’s Open House NY.  This was one of my favorites in the past year! I bet you were swooning over some of that stuff, right? Ha, I know my people! No worries, my lovelies..Also, I am double excited since my Courtney Cachet pillows made their first national TV appearance today with two more coming this week!!

This week, I’ll go into more depth of exactly how I did it in my other outlets, but for now I wanted to provide you with the coveted shopping list! Even though things come together “In just one day!”, I take a lot of time selecting just the right pieces when decorating each room. I work with great companies and always look for a mix of vintage, quality, high end and toss in electronics and a few trendy/budget pieces that won’t break my heart when they break or go out of style like last year’s Prada..

If you want to score some of those fab pieces from the show, here you go!

FURNITURE:

Sofa and chair are the Reid Sofa and chair from American Leather

Loloi Rug is the Charlotte  in Peridot (softest rug I ever felt under my feet!)

Bar cart, side table and vintage Murano and brass decor are all from One Kings Lane

Side Tables are from Ikea

Ottoman is from Home Goods

TV Console is vintage

DECOR:

Pillows are all Courtney Cachet for Peking Handicraft (of course!) They are available nationwide. The complete line is available on the Designer Pillow Shop

TV Picture Frame is from Media Decor

Wallpaper is from Brewster Home

 Kenneth James’ Suzani by Eijffinger®: Pink Ethnic Stripe  and the Kenneth James’ Suzani by Eijffinger®: Arboretum Gold Geometric Trees Both are available at Jankovic in NY and Brewster Wall Coverings

Overlay fretwork are all from Overlays

Remote Shades are all from Lutron. They are the Serena Shades in Monaco. I SWEAR by these!! You should have them in every room..

Lamps are vintage from One Kings Lane

Bamboo bench is vintage

Spray Paint is Rustoleum-the only true gold spray paint I will use

HP Touchsmart Computer (this was way cool!)

Sonos Paly 5 Music System

Touchscreen Universal Universal Remote is by Logitech

 

On this gorgeous Sunday in New York-or wherever in the world you are-I hope you enjoy your day with whomever brings you joy and and a few good laughs. I’m off to take Brooke to her first lacrosse game!

Thank you and God bless.

XOXOXO

Courtney

 

 

 

 

 

Four Kind Of Amazing Hotel Amenities & A Great Weekend Entertaining Idea!

This has been a great week. At the end of great weeks, I always think about two things: Vacations and celebrations. Plus, I’m always trolling for all the latest/chicest must haves and most do’s! That said, I thought I’d share a few random, but very cool things with you today. Perhaps you’re planning a summer vacation or staycation? I do both with equal enthusiasm.

First, check out what’s new in some hotels these days. They are really pulling out all the stops when it comes to amenities and out of the box experiences..

“What’s On Your Life List?” The Four Seasons wants to know!

Apparently, travelers want more than luxurious accommodations and high quality meals. They want to spend their days having unforgettable experiences to check off items on their “life list.” One of my top go to hotel brands, Four Seasons is celebrating these travelers by launching World of Wonder, which highlights the unforgettable experiences around the world offered by several Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.

These one-of-a-kind experiences promise to showcase the best each property has to offer and vary from assisting on an excavation of an ancient archaeological site in Beirut to cooking alongside a celebrity chef in Las Vegas. Um, hello! Sign Mama up!

The buck  stops at Chicago’s  Waldorf Astoria! 

At this uber-chic property, they have a strict no tipping policy.  A move that breaks with standard practices across the high-end and luxury hotel market, the hotel adopted this policy when it opened its doors in December 2009 as the Elysian and has maintained it throughout the hotel’s transition to the Waldorf Astoria Chicago. That’s kind of cool for us, isn’t it?

Bagpipes at Sunset in Sea Island

After a day of blowing off steam at Georgia’s Sea Island shooting school or playing one of the three championship golf courses, guests can relax in one of the Adirondack chairs on the porch of The Lodge and enjoy the sounds of the resort’s resident bagpiper, who plays on the golf course every day at sundown. Sounds fabulously sublime to me!

Leave the Workout Gear at Home with Westin

With workout gear taking up about half of the space in a carry-on, Westin Hotels And Resorts  makes it so that guests can leave their bulky sneakers behind.  For $5, guests can get an entire New Balance outfit – from a sports bra to shoes – delivered to their room as part of an exclusive gear-lending partnership with New Balance. How cool is that? No stinky gym clothes int he returning suitcase either is an added bonus!

Ok, time to party!

Haru Sushi’s Watermelon Fizz: Haru, one of my fave NY sushi spots, spiked everyone’s favorite summer fruit with Tequila! Around 100 calories, this cocktail will keep your bikini body in check, without sacrificing any flavor or punch. Photo credit Haru http://www.HaruSushi.com

Recipe:

Ingredients: 1 oz. Tequila, 3 oz. Watermelon, .1 oz. simple syrup, .1 oz soda water, 5 cilantro pieces, a squeeze of lime, and 1 bamboo spike.

Instructions: Muddle watermelon with cilantro leaves. Add ice, simple syrup, and tequila. Shake vigorously and pour all contents into a rocks glass. Garnish with a piece of watermelon in a bamboo spike. I die! So fresh and delicious and perfect for casual weekend entertaining!

 

Fab Serving Tip:  Instead of a traditional pitcher, carve out the inside of a watermelon until it’s hollow inside. Drill a small hole near the bottom of the melon that is large enough to fit a keg shank and faucet, but small enough to let any of the cocktail drip out of it. Once the watermelon is hollow and the keg shank is attached, fill the watermelon with Haru Sushi’s Watermelon Fizz, allowing the sides of the watermelon to give your cocktail extra flavor. Don’t forget to save the inside of the watermelon for dessert! You can buy the thingamajig at Keg Works. Photo pulled from Pinterest/FoodNetwork

Enjoy your weekend!

XO

Courtney

What The Heck Is A Formal Living Room?

The term “Formal Living Room” has almost no relevance in today’s world. Initially, formal living rooms were created to greet your social callers. I hate to bust your bubble, but you’re not Scarlett O’Hara and you don’t have “social callers.” Formal living rooms primary function today is to collect dust and put furniture in that nobody is allowed to touch. Formal living rooms should really just go away quietly like sponge painting, Mischa Barton and side swept bangs, don’t you think? Aren’t we smarter than that?

Let’s continue. Let’s take a look at other equally stupid things you may or may not have in your home and why they make no sense in how we live today.

The bidet. I remember when I was looking at homes a few years ago, some realtor was actually showing this to my husband and I like it might be a viable selling point. “And here in the master bath, you have all the upgrades-including a bidet!” I looked at my husband and we just starting cracking up. Call me crazy, but toilet paper and daily showers seem to be doing the trick thus far, thankyouverymuch. I mean really, in the age of Twitter like speed and Wet Ones travel packs, don’t we think this is the end of an era? One realtor actually tried telling us it was “Very European” in her thick Jersey accent. Um yeah, it’s very European. Really? That’s weird, since every time Americans travel to Europe, one of the first things we notice is how practically everyone we come in contact with could use a jumbo size bar of Irish Spring. Major! Keep the bidet, lose the bidet, you don’t need a bidet. Take a shower, douche and wipe your ass like your mama taught you. Let’s move on, shall we?

The Mud Room. Oh yeah, that’s another winner. I went to one home in Miami where they were showing me how they decorated their mud room. Here’s the thing: Mud Rooms were meant to clean off your boots, hang up your wet gear and your guns from hunting and fishing in rural areas. If you live in Coral Gables, you don’t need a mud room. FYI, if you live in Scarsdale you don’t need one either. A mud room today is used as a designated area to hang up coats.Oh, ok. How about a closet at the entryway of your home, isn’t that enough? One website told me I could also use it as a laundry room. Oh! Maybe I can use the kitchen as a game room, too? Wait, I’m confused! It’s stupid unless it’s in your country home, ski home or the like. A Classic 6 in Manhattan, no mud room.

The Butler’s Pantry. Oh, I love this one! This term really took flight during the McMansion explosion. It made mortgaged-up-to-their-eyeballs-wannabe-rich people feel, well, rich. Let’s call a Butler’s Pantry what it really is: More counter space in the hallway. Most wealthy people don’t even have butlers anymore. They have house managers, housekeepers, nannies, gardeners and lovers. Queen Elizabeth, LIttle Orphan Annie and the Pope had butlers, not you. If you buy a big home there’s this area usually off the kitchen on the way to the dining room that has pretty cabinetry. It’s called a Butler’s Pantry. A pantry is a closet. A butler is something you don’t have. Moronic for anyone under the age of 86. See ya, Grandpa!

With the exception of the bidet, I’m not actually suggesting you do without these things. Rather, I think they are irrelevant, dated and in need of some kind of evolvement in their nomenclature. I mean, remember when Asians were called Orientals, cleaning ladies were called servants and shopping online was called surfing the World Wide Web? It’s time, people. It’s time.

XO
Courtney

FABULOUS TRAVELS: Wellness Weekends At The Ocean House in Watch Hill

Ocean House

Rhode Island didn’t used to be the first place that came to mind when I thought of luxe weekend getaways. I’ve done the Newport thing a few times, I’ve been to Mystic, I figured I’m pretty much done. I’m ready to go back to The Hamptons in my own backyard, you know?

That was until I visited the Ocean House in Watch Hill, Rhode Island.

I am what’s called in the hotel world, a luxury traveler. While this is certainly fabulous and glamourous, it can also be challenging when you visit smaller boutique hotels. Often, as hard as they try, they miss the luxury mark. Clearly, even after seeing amazing glossy pictures on the internet (aren’t they all?) I wasn’t sure what to expect.

We took a train from Penn Station to get there that went pretty fast and was eased by the availability of free wifi, thankyouverymuch! A shiny Mercedes met us to take us to the hotel. When we got there I was really stunned. This breathtaking and pristine yellow and white building with a big white porch was just a lovely sight high atop a bluff overlooking the beach.

My room that had a view of the ocean and the sounds of the wind and the waves were crisp and clear. Oh my, I’m going to like it here!! Actually, views of the Atlantic Ocean are visible from every corner of the hotel. Block Island, Rhode Island, and Montauk are all right there for you to see.

Guest Room at Ocean House

The 49 guest rooms and suites are very well decorated in an elegant style but with subtle touches to remind you where you are..a tiny starfish on the hand towel, salty and sweet snacks in glass jars, linens in soft blues. It was all very well thought out and quite spacious.  Frette linens and towels, plush bathrobes and 4-fixture marble bathrooms with a large shower are standard in every room. Internet access, flat screen TV’s and iPod players ensure those who can’t miss Celebrity Apprentice or feel inclined to post pics of the room on Facebook (Here I am in my room! Isn’t it gorge??) are all squared away.

I went to Ocean House for a special they offer called Wellness Weekend. The OH! Spa at Ocean House is pretty big at 12,000 square feet. All the treatments are inspired by the ocean and the harvest and it’s all very charming. They have a nice gym and a small salt water lap pool overlooking the beach. I must say, one of my favorite things at the gym was something called Fitness On Request. You can go to the gym 24 hours a day and use this machine that transmits classes on a giant video screen. It was awesome!! A real spinning class, aerobics, dance, etc..all “live” on  this video screen. Note to self: I really need to see about getting one of these.

The spa itself has 7 treatment rooms including a couple’s room and a nail salon.  The OH! Spa uses a selection of seasonally changing treatments, so expect pumpkins, apples and sea salt to be in your treatments depending on what time of year you visit. Yum. I had a facial that was almost as nice as the oceanfront relaxation room I waited in for my aesthetician to retrieve me.

The property has several dining options and I found all to be delicious. I would venture to say even the pickiest foodie types would have no problem here. From Seasons for fine dining to a spa lunch at the  Club Room to a fabulous breakfast on the beach, I was thanking my lucky stars for the 24 hour gym. The food was sophisticated and very fresh. Speaking of fresh, we got a smoothie making lesson from the resort’s own Food Forager, Jan Faust Dane who is one of those people you instantly adore. She was warm and down to earth and clearly loves her job. Farm To Table is they way they roll here and she leads the pack. I never thought a smoothie made out of sweet potatoes could be delicious, but Jan showed me the light and gave me a printed card with the recipe to take home. Love those details.

I didn’t venture into town but I heard it is really nice in the summer in that beachy new Englandesque way. To be honest, I felt no need to leave the property. The setting is postcard perfect, the food was great and they had lots of activities from yoga to wine tastings and an art collection that kept my friends and I engaged all weekend. But, what stood out the most to me was the impeccable service at every turn. Their staff is very well trained in the kind of service I like. Attentive without overbearing and elegant without a snobby vibe. It really was a pleasure to stay there. If you’re looking for a weekend of wellness or a week of clambakes and ice cream, I’m confident you’ll love this place. It really is a great place to visit.

QUICK FACTS:

Opened in 1868, closed in 2003 after being deemed beyond feasible repair and was rebuilt using the exact measurements of the original structure and several pieces of the actual building.

Sits on 13 acres with 650 feet of private beach for hotel guests

It is a 3 hour drive from NYC, 90 minutes from Boston, 45 minutes from Providence Airport

Free valet parking

Free Afternoon Refreshments

49 guest rooms and suites

Tournament level croquet lawn with an on site pro all sumer

Day trips to Newport  and Mystic CT can be arranged

Check for ongoing specials events throughout the year

If you have small children that insist on a kid friendly type hotel pool, this is not for you.

For more info, you can visit the hotel’s website for rates and availability at <a href=”http://www.oceanhouseri.com” target=”_hplink”>http://www.oceanhouseri.com</a>

 

 

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