Category Archives: – –

Beauty Break: Brad Duncan and The Body Deli

One of the perks about being a writer is getting to experience the stuff you have to write about. I just spent two weeks profiling wedding services and beauty treatments for Improper Bostonian’s “Best Of”issue which comes out this summer. Thankfully, I didn’t have to attend a bunch of weddings to evaluate flowers, dresses and photography, I did get to try out a bunch of facials and massages. One of my favorites was The Body Deli Blueberry Fusion Facial ($130) from Brad Duncan Skin Care in the South End. If you can’t make it over to see Brad (but you really should try!), you can order the Blueberry Fusion Scrub ($36) online. It’s made from raw organic ingredients, smells delicious, and refreshes your skin, gently. (P.S – For a 15% discount off $50 or more, check out The Body Deli on Store Adore.)

blueberry

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Tips: Organize by Design

Just came across these organizational tidbits compliments of Boston design professionals. The tips were supposed to run as a sidebar to an organizing piece I did for the Boston Globe Sunday Magazine last year, “29 Secrets to a Simpler Life”, but there wasn’t space. Too bad they weren’t more, well, organized. (Not actually funny in light of the current Globe situation…) Anyway, I’ll follow up later or tomorrow with a montage of über-organized spaces.

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Keep hats, gloves, sunglasses, etc. in their own bins. When seasons change, just move the appropriate bins to the front. Not only is the seasonal transfer easier, the items are already organized. – Jessica Seth, interior designer, Jackson Seth Designs

Never bring unwanted paper, like catalogs and junk mail, into the house. Recycle them before they even get in the door. – Heather Wells, interior designer, Heather Wells Design

Hang mirrored cabinets side by side along the top of a wall. They will not only provide extra storage, without bulky clutter, but at hung at a high level, the mirrors create an illusion of more space. – Stephen Chung, architect

Add a light fixture, even if battery powered, to a dark closet, so you can see what you have. – Sue Adams, interior designer

Invest in wooden hangers for the coat closet. They help coats retain their shape, and because of their heft, coats are more evenly spaced, lending a neater appearance. – Norma Conley, professional organizer

Use old bureaus in living and dining rooms. Put candles and votives in one drawer, placemats and napkins in another, extra silverware in another. Also, an old chest that functions as a coffee table is the perfect for storing holiday ornaments. – Kelly McGuill, interior designer and stylist

Make use of dead space under the kitchen sink by installing a roll out drawer. Consider a locked chrome basket for safe storage of harmful chemical cleaners. – Tone Amado, kitchen designer, Showroom


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Help! I Need Ideas…

angela-liguori21

Are you the proud owner of a glue gun? Watch Martha Stewart shamelessly? Read every decorating blog before you can function in the morning? I need your help!

I’m working on a magazine piece for which I need to come up with 50(!) creative, unique, and  inspiring home decor tips that can be executed for $100 or less, in the living room, bedroom, or bathroom.

I’ve hit up every design professional I know in Boston. Now I am asking you! Email me or post a comment with your fab’n’fresh ideas. I know you have some.

play-house-paint-lThanks,xom

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Escapes: Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur

I learned about the Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur, a heavenly spot on the edge of the earth (or at least the West Coast) from interior designer, Robin Pelissier, who owns a design business and little shop called Robin’s Nest in downtown Hingham, Mass. I had been soliciting suggestions for romantic honeymoon spots for “The Lovers’ Go-To Guide” in the Boston Globe Sunday Magazine’s Valentine Day issue. While Big Sur had always connoted the great outdoors to me (i.e., hiking, bird watching, etc.), I was never much interested. But this is a spa, and an altogether different story.

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pacific_suitePacific Suite
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cliff_houseCliff House

cliff_house-2Cliff House

butterflyroomButterfly Room

treehouseTreehouse

jade-pooolJade Pool

meditation-poolMeditation Pool

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Looking Back: I Heart Rainbows

My sister just posted this old photo on Facebook. It’s a picture of her and her BFF Vicki on Halloween in my bedroom, circa 1982. (You needn’t do the math – I was 14.) I’m not quite sure what they’re supposed to be, other than examples of atrocious ’80s style. (Come to think of it, are those are my satin spandex Halloween hooker pants?!) The point here isn’t to embarrass them (well, maybe a little), but to showcase my incredible design sense. How sublimely ’80s.

my-room

Funny how some things never change. I still love the sky blue. The stripe I could do without. It was inspired by a room on the TV show “Too Close For Comfort.” Anyone remember it? It went around the top of the room, and dips into a V on the bed wall. I still remember issuing (ok, ordering) careful instructions to my dad, who lovingly (grudgingly?) painted it for me.

Gotta love the rainbow comforter too; the pillowcases form the arc. I had a unicorn stuffed animal that sat jauntily beneath it. And here’s a juicy little tidbit: the bed is a waterbed. I swear! The fabric art on the wall reminds me of ones found in pediatrician offices (a great vintage piece, I wonder where it went). Yes, the poly blend curtains are beyond hideous. Surely a Caldor’s purchase. I don’t recall the lovely star mobile, but I do remember the ceramic rainbow and cloud mobile that hung on the other end of the room, by my Technics and Pioneer stereo system. (Yeah, fine, I may have been a tiny bit spoiled.)

Finally, I’d like to point out the white clock on the far right. I still own it. In fact, I’ve used it every day since I bought it, probably in 1981. (I wanted the Sony Dream Cube, but couldn’t afford it. If only Nana had gifted a little more holiday cash.) The clock rocks. The alarm is obnoxious, my husband hates it. But it wakes me up.

Sweet dreams.

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