StyleCarrot

Sunday Bouquet: Zinnias & Books

Zinnias in clear glass vases,
made even more colorful placed in front of bookshelves.

Photographer unknown. If you know the source, please send a note.

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Shop classic (and colorful) home decor at Serena & Lily >

Saturday Say It: A Hot Mess

“He said, ‘Your hair is so wonderfully disheveled.’
I thought, ‘You should see the inside of me.'”
From photographer Cig Harvey’s visual autobiography,
You Like At Me Like An Emergency

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Shop home furnishings at Furbish Studio >

Site Spotlight: Hunter’s Alley

In late January, the team behind One Kings Lane launched a new venture, Hunters Alley. Hunter’s Alley is an online resale marketplace that features one of a kind antique and vintage, handmade and crafted, and contemporary pre-owned items.

Individuals and professional vendors sell finds and designs which are lightly vetted. A specific seller and his or her finds are highlighted daily up front, and users can follow sellers they like best. One can also “love” an item, causing the gray outline of a heart to fill in red, which is very satisfying. “Top 10 Most-Loved” items are featured on the home page, pulled from the pieces with the highest number of “loves.”

Hunter’s Alley curators also pull together themed sales. Recent collections have included: “Space-Changing Art,” “Romantic Safari,” and “Handmade for Entertaining.” Prices start at $25, and new items are added every day at 10am ET. Each seller has a profile, with a bit about themselves, and the aggregate of their offerings.

The design is crisp and clean, much like OKL. The products are mostly silhouetted on a white background (though not all of them), and some tend to get a bit blurry when enlarged on the product page, but still, the good news is that it displays large enough to get a good sense of the item. There’s not a ton of items on there yet, but it’s still new, and there’s enough to make it worth a browse (and if you get lucky, a buy).

Hunter’s Alley has more personality than Dering Hall (though I love that site too), which skews somewhat closer to 1st Dibs (big fan, been browsing since its inception, though high prices means I’ve never bought). Given Hunter’s Alley more accessible price points and products, fun tone, and of course, the success of parent company One King’s Lane, it’s a definite hit.

Here are my current top picks on Hunter’s Alley:

S H O P P I N G

1. Vintage Moroccan Rug/Wall Hanging, $850

2. Møller Danish Teak Side Chair Model 78, $499

3. Danish Modern Side Chair, $199

4. French Green Sunburst Double Espresso Cup, $36

5. Handmade Stoneware Salt Spoons, $20

6. Bliss Framed Art Print by Kristi Kohut, $64

7. Handpainted Antler, $98

8. Modernist Tripod Candlesticks, $45

9. Kaj Franck White Mushroom Bowl, $89

10. Mid-Century Blue Liquor Decanter, $85

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Shop Burke Decor for classic modern furniture & accessories >

Design Diary: Rockledge House by Larson Shores Architects

I have many Design Diary posts for you—looks at homes I’ve written about for Boston print publications, but have yet to feature on StyleCarrot. This home, designed by Carrie Shores of Larson Shores Architects is an eco-friendly project we featured (on the cover) of the Boston Globe Magazine in December 2009. The article, called “Living A Vision” was photographed by James R. Salomon.

I flew up to Rockland, Maine to see the house, interview homeowner Rhonda Nordstrom, and isit her spa, which I blogged about here: Beauty Break: Rheal Day Spa. But before you click over, scroll through to see Rhonda Nordstrom’s green home in coastal Maine.

Photo by James R. Salomon

The two-story house, which replaced a small cottage that had no heat or running water in winter, is 1,400-square-feet, and sited on two-tenths of an acre with a very New England view. They didn’t cut down any trees, but had to do a lot of excavation and grading. The house is sited so passersby can enjoy the view of the harbor.

The exterior is shingled, to blend with the Maine vernacular, though the trim is painted black. The arrangement of windows and the overhang of the back porch lend a modern feel. They left the metal chimney pipe exposed, to echo the sensibility of the working waterfront.

Photo by James R. Salomon

Eco-friendly finishes are mixed with a contemporary and Scandinavian aesthetic. (Rhonda’s husband’s parents are from Sweden.) The kitchen cabinetry is Ikea, which fit the look and budget.

Photo by James R. Salomon

There’s no basement, just a concrete slab. Instead of covering over it, Shores incorporated it into the design. The first floor is stained, polished concrete, with radiant heat. The countertop is Corian. Beyond the eating area, sliders open into the grassy yard, which leads to the water.

Photo by StyleCarrot

Take a close look—under the artwork, there’s a niche for the dog crate.
Table and chairs from Ikea.

Photo by James R. Salomon

The raised fireplace is easy to access. Rhonda insisted on window seats.

Photo by James R. Salomon

The stairs and second floor are done in bamboo, also with radiant heat.

Photo by James R. Salomon

Built-ins make the most of the space. Rhonda got a window seat here too.

Photo by StyleCarrot

A fan keeps the air moving. Notice the cathedral ceilings.

Photo by James R. Salomon

The bathroom floor is lined with ipe leftover from the deck.
The tiles are recycled glass mosaics.

Photo by James R. Salomon

The bedroom opens onto the back porch.
You can see the boats out the window.

Photo by James R. Salomon

The railing is industrial steel and wire.

Photo by James R. Salomon

The harbor, which you can see from every room in the house,
is one of the largest lobster shipping ports in the country.

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Shop Tuckernuck for coastal style decor >

ARTmonday: Figures in the Landscape

I think we’ve already established that I’m enamored of images picturing women lying in a field, wading into water, curled up in a corner, or moodily attending to some undefined task. Today’s images are first and foremost, landscapes, then dotted with a single woman, man, or child, group, or crowd. The vistas range from grassy lawn to corn field and from rocky cliff to rubble. They all capture a mood; many peaceful or relaxed, at least one determined, another possible agitated, and others simply unbothered. I think the common thread here, is individuals carrying on with their lives, in outdoor settings. No more than that, than perhaps a certain aura they have, to me.