A Tale of Several Kitchens

Originally, I planned to scan images of my "great design change",  but then all my past Christmas issues reared their lovely heads.  You do know that I have saved past favorite magazines in monthly order, and  bring them out and peruse them as the seasons and months change.  Well, it's Christmas season and my "great design change" will just have to wait till the new year.  Hope you enjoy the following favorites apropos of the season.

1990

So Martha-style with this collection of vintage bowls.

The pine and poplar woodwork from above reminds me of the following kitchen from 1974 in

the first post I ever published - colors and busy-ness.  

Onto 1999 and Martha in Maine.  Not much kitchen here, but lots of Christmas cheer.  I love every image I've seen of her house on Mt. Dessert Island once owned by Edsel Ford.  And I love Maine.

Great wreath and entry.  Also love her red spode.

Martha's wonderful old transferware.

Close up of living room table decor.

A much cleaner look appeared in Elle Decor's Christmas issue with Tricia Foley's Long Island home. 2002

So calming after Martha's color and warmth.  Article explained the coffee table below is a recycled coffin cart.

Tricia Foley's home reminds me so much of one of Hugh Newell Jacobsen's design on Nantucket.

Love her kitchen.

With her bedside branches here and tulips on dining table, seems like Elle Decor wanted a break from all that Christmas color.

But we are right back into that color with an issue of Sphere's Cuisine and a favorite Nantucket home from 1978.

First a bit of Nantucket seasonal and nautical flavor.

Now to the Maddens' home, guests and cuisine.  (They have since moved from Nantucket to Cape Cod and I posted images from both homes in my July 20, 2012 post.)

Appetizers and needlepoint.  Erica Wilson is one of the guests.

Love all her Canton ware.

And New England holiday fare.

Guests and hosts at the table with antique Canton and a corner cupboard to die for.

Finally, dessert.  Such a great old house and antiques and Christmas cheer.  

Then in 1991, Gourmet published this sweet Nantucket dining area.

I was so inspired by the fish on this little tree that I did the same thing in our kitchen's eating area.

And lastly, from a 1998 Gourmet.

A cheerful brunch.

Can you tell how much I wish these magazines were still being published, how much I miss them?  Do love many Veranda's and the new Milieu, but am so glad I saved so many of my old favorites too.

By the by, do you remember after my last post on Nancy Braithwaite, I expressed a wish that she would write a book on her own design??  Well, she is going to in late 2014 and may entitle it Simplicity.  Can't wait, if I could preorder it now I would - just a little heads-up for others who love her work.

Have a lovely holiday and I'll be back in 2014 with my promised "great design change" posts.

b