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Wishing everyone a safe recovery
November 5, 2012
Hurriane Sandy, October 2012. A storm we will all never forget.
What an incredible last seven days we have all had. We have a lot to be grateful for, yet we remain shocked and saddened at the damage and the loss so many people we know have suffered. Our hearts are with them. If there is anything you need, please reach out. There may be something we can do to help. We have received information from several different sources on short term rentals and other housing options.
Things are still not moving all that fast here at Real in Darien. Still no power (day 7). I am told it will be tomorrow but I don’t see any of the CL&P trucks around. I have no doubt they are working hard and as fast as they can, but this has been a long 7 days. Stay safe and warm.
Abigail and Kim
Sister Parish Design trunk show and open house
October 24, 2012We hope to see all our Friends, Colleagues and Clients tomorrow at an open house
593 Hollow Tree Ridge Road
Light Lunch from 11-3pm
Heavy Cocktails from 6-9pm
Sister Parish Design will be on hand to sell their beautiful things and at the same time view this beautiful Kelly Listing.
Sumptuous and Sweet
October 23, 2012Here are two new lovely additions on Consignment Girl for your consideration.
The first is a gorgeous pair of Scalamandre panels, perfect for an elegant dining or living room. Each one is 64″ width and 95″ length, beautifully felt lined, and so rich and thick, they work well for black out, temperature control, and sound muffling. These sage green and muted cranberry stripes are sure to please the most graceful of rooms.
Price: $990
E-mail mymfaulkner@optonline.net for assistance.
This adorable pair of antique, song book nursery rhymes are gold-framed with a pale mauve matting. The dimensions are 12″ width and 24″ length, and the details are so intricate and sweet. What a charming enhancement to any infant or toddler’s room. Pair with the above panels, and you’ve just created a very sophisticated young girl’s room.
Price: $145
E-mail mymfaulkner@optonline.net for assistance.
SISTER PARISH DESIGN is coming to Darien 10.25.12
October 16, 2012We are so pleased to launch our first Real in Darien event with Sister Parish Design. There is no doubt that the influence Sister Parish (Mrs. Henry Parish II) has had in the design world has seeped into our own philosophy at Real in Darien. Susan Bartlett Crater writes in her book, Sister Parish Design – On Decorating, that “the most important legacy of my grandmother Sister Parish is not solely in the realm of wonderful “taste”, but rather in the love of domesticity and the desire to create places within which families will laugh, escape and ultimately love.” That quote from Susan’s (and Libby Cameron’s) book precisely describes our approach when helping people find a new house. There is nothing more satisfying than getting to know a customer and finding a property that matches their needs and dreams – finding the house that is their “escape” and where their families will create their lives.
The recently launched Home Collection incorporates Sister Parish Design’s fabric patterns and aesthetic to home staples. Laminated trays and dust pans, napkins and tablecloths, desk and travel accessories, tote and duffle bags, notebooks, as well as dog leashes, collars and beds bring the whimsy and imagination of Sister Parish Design into every aspect of life and home. All will be on display and available for purchase. We have chosen the beautiful home at 593 Hollow Tree Ridge Road, available through Kelly Associates, for this wonderful event. Doors will open at 11am, and stay open until 3pm with a light lunch served. And then again from 6:30-9pm with wine and hors d’oevres. 10/25/12.
- Susan Bartlett Crater and Libby Cameron, partners,
- Sister Parish Design
It will be a sensational trunk show. We are certain you will agree so don’t forget to mark your calendars!
A Bit of Background:
Sister Parish, the long time partner of Albert Hadley, ran her design firm for 60 years known as Parish-Hadley. As one of the great American decorators, Mrs. Henry Parish II continues to influence todays top decorators and those of us who love to create our own interiors.
“Sister Parish’s granddaughter Susan Bartlett Crater, and Libby Cameron, Sister Parish’s protégé and colleague, founded Sister Parish Design in order to bring Mrs. Parish’s favorite materials and prints to the general public. Susan and Libby have designed a collection of fabric inspired by the designs Sister loved and used in decorating her own houses. Their recently launched home collection provides an additional way to add charm and whimsy to any setting.”
(All images and some text used are from the sisterparishdesign.com site. Check it out. You will also love the fabric and wall papers available through your favorite decorator! In addition, quotes and references are from the book, Sister Parish Design – On Decorating or from the web site.)
A Classic Six
October 16, 2012
Looking for some new chairs to spice up your kitchen? Check out these classics:
The set includes two arm chairs and four side chairs, black with fiber rush seats. Only several years old and in fantastic condition, these beauties were hand-crafted by the Mennonites of Pennsylvania so you know the quality is excellent!
The arm chair dimensions are 23″ W x 22″ D x 44″ H and the side chair dimensions are 19″ W x 22″ D x 44″ H.
Price: $600
E-mail mymfaulkner@optonline.net for assistance.
This item is no longer available.
Miles Redd event at the Antique and Artisan Center
October 15, 2012We are getting sooooo excited for the Miles Redd book signing at the Antique and Artisan Center on October 17 from 6:00 -9:00 p.m. You can pre-order your book at www.assouline.com for $75.00. It is going to be loaded with wonderful pictures full of his distinctive work. We hear there may be a surprise guest or two!
The de Gournay paper, the velvet chair, the chevron floor. ooooh, this entry! So chic and sophisticated
Love the red….wish we saw more of this in town.
His townhouse in NYC. Both shutters and awnings!
The most amazing valances I have ever seen.
This is may favorite butlers pantry. I beg someone to PLEASE consider this in their home.
This Scalamadre wallpaper never fails
One of my favorite wall colors – black (or almost).
Note the floors off the blue. The light is perfect in here.
I have no words.
Such a happy room 🙂 The chairs (think they are from Todd Romano)
I do not like pink but I love it here.
GORGEOUS!!!!
Between the peacock lacquered walls, chinoiserie foyer and punch of orange….speaks volumes.
Please look up!
Love his jacket….how cute is he!!!
Can’t wait to meet him and hope to see you all there. XO-Abigail & Kim
10 Catherine Street for $424,900
October 11, 2012
We spend a lot of time here at Real in Darien talking about homes most people cannot afford but can only dream of. There is nothing wrong with that but the reality is times are somewhat challenging for many people and we lose sight as to the reality of our world So we thought it was important to blog about a house for sale in Darien for $424,900. There are currently 7 homes in the $400,000’s and this is our favorite and the least expensive.
Yes it is small, at almost 1000 square feet but it has 3 bedrooms, an adorable kitchen and a charming backyard with an awning. This is the perfect home for someone who wants to move here for our fabulous schools but cannot make the jump to the average starter home, or for someone that wants to scale down. Maintenance would be minimal which could be perfect for someone who is single. This home is in pristine condition and is available immediately.
If you would like to see this home, please contact us. (This property is no longer available/Kelly Associates.)
A Post Script….
October 3, 2012I recently referenced Gil Schafer, the architect who is on his way to being one of the GREAT American architects. There is no doubt that I am CRAZY about his work, so I thought it was worth mentioning that his book, The Great American House, is superb! If you have even the slightest interest in architecture and or design you should take a look at this book. In fact, you should probably own it. He has some great advice. He really gets it.
On sale now. Worth every page!
I managed to collect a few photos to give you a flavor of this wonderful book. Gill describes three of four projects of his and how they come together. Very inspirational!
House in Dutchess County New York Designed by Gil Schafer.
A favorite room by Miles Redd in house designed by Gil Schafer
A Stunning restoration project in South Carolina! I am dying over this!
A smashing choice of color on the walls of this fantastic hall. Makes me want to rethink everything in my house.
“Think thin” to quote Gil Schafer. One of the drastic mistakes in home designs is the width. One, possibly two rooms deep, that is it! Otherwise you run the risk of falling into the McMansion trap. (Love this entry hall).
A beautiful collection of bespoke pieces. Choose well, and choose what you love. The results will be beautiful.
(Photo curtesy of Architectural Digest)
A good outdoor room. That fireplace! The stone, the scale. Love the lantern as well. (Its probably from Ann Morris Antiques.)
(Photo curtesy of Architectural Digest)
(Photography curtesy of Erik Piasecki)
Don’t Call Me Maybe, Call Me Now!
September 26, 2012Consignment Girl is here and ready to go! Get busy gals and clean out those rooms, garages, and barns. I want those stylish pieces to light up another’s life. Don’t call me maybe, call me now!
First day on the job, and here’s a great new table to consider for a family room or modern play room. This square and laminated, natural-stone coffee table is chic, sturdy, and stain-resistant, perfect for entertaining and every day living. Dimensions are 3′ length, 3′ width and 16″ height.
Price: $400 or best offer
E-mail mymfaulkner@optonline.net for assistance.
G L A M O R O U S…..oh the flossy flossy
September 25, 2012
Its not Malibu, but if you are on the East Coast, it is pretty darn good!
“Flying first class…up in the sky…popping champagne…living the life….in the fast lane”” Remember that song? Well, you will be humming Fergies catchy tune it as you walk through the SEXIEST house on the market. Hidden somewhere down at the end of Five Mile River Road, this is a new house that definitely feels as if it were somewhere really cool. California, maybe. I LOVE FIVE MILE RIVER. It is such a beautiful place to live.
Private dock.
Almost at the mouth of the river.
Thinking about some of the architectural features we like, SCALE would be one of them. And SO MUCH you can do with this veranda.
Entertain in the entry hall. Why not? Perfect place to start the flow of Champagne.
A LOT of moulding throughout the house. Like that!
A dining room one would use. The color is fabulous. There could be more of it. The room is certainly big enough. Take a look at Katie Ridder’s book called Rooms. She would be a great choice of decorator for his house.
Love a side by side living room/dining room. Like a good Park Avenue apartment.
The ceiling height in this kitchen is fantastic. It changes the whole vibe in the room. It gives you great options for lighting as well.
Gil Schafer did not design this house, but “oh the GLAMOROUS!”
129 Five Mile River Road has 6 bedrooms/7 1/2 baths (7,757 square feet) pool, spa, out door shower and a dock. The house is listed by Sheree Frank at Kelly Associates. New Price as of 2/22/13 $7,195,000.
DON’T MISS the fabulous spread in the March/April (2013) issue of atHOME. Designer Jennifer Nightingale decorated the home for the owners. Its Gorgeous.
If you are working with an agent, this is not a solicitation.
The Waterfront…which one would you like?
September 20, 201286 Delafield Island – 4 bedrooms/3 1/2 baths, asking $5,950,000, This house really deserves its own “homage”, but since we are talking about The Waterfront, we have to start with this superior new Kelly Associates listing. Really one of the more splendid settings in town, and a house to go with it. The bones, the bones, the bones. If there is a house on the market with views and great bones, this is the house. It will undoubtedly be renovated by its new owners, but this is one of those houses that brings childhood at Grandmother’s to the front of your mind. Houses like this don’t come on all the time. It is absolutely fabulous. And ,by the way, it has a terrific pool and jacuzzi with views that might leave you floating for hours!
Love this front door. Welcome Home!
Windows on three sides of the living room make the landscape the focus point.
So old school. So lovely.
Not a bad place to find yourself relaxing.
No, this is not a painting. This is what you look at from almost every room.
22 Searles– Built in 1908! No wonder I love this house. I have always said “give me a house built in the early 1900’s and my heart will go pitter-patter”. High ceilings, thick plaster walls, wide doorways, all pieces to the puzzle of a house with substance. It shows really well – the interior feels heavily influenced by Michael Smith, it’s all pulled together beautifully. This impressive Mediterranean house on Scott’s Cove has 5 bedrooms/5 1/2 baths, a pool, a guest house. Asking $4,995,000 through Kelly Associates.
22 Searles
Beautiful terraces and a pool are in place for fabulous outdoor entertaining.
The views are not to shabby either.
The living room, and entertaining spaces, effectively ride the line of gracious formality and easy living.
Love the stone blue kitchen. Functionality is part of the appeal here. A cook’s kitchen.
Great sitting room off the kitchen wrapped in William Morris wallpaper. LOVE!
The Guest House. I could live here!
Your guests will never leave!
112 Pear Tree Point – 5 bedrooms/4 !/2 baths, a total of 7462 square feet, asking $7,350,000 through Kelly Associates (no longer available). We talked about this house when it first came on the market. At the time we thought it was important to point out the special features outside and ALL THE STONE WORK! But, now it is important to point out that this is a beautifully thought out house built to perfection. Oh, and don’t worry about your golf game, because you will be working on it in the game room where you will have your very own simulated course! Designed by Mac Patterson, this is one of the more sophisticated houses on the market. The details – down to the crushed shell drive way – will not be missed by the MOST DISERNING buyer.
112 Pear Tree Point.
Set back off the road enough to ensure total privacy at the house.
Details in the house are fantastic. Note that all the custom Elizabeth Eakins rugs are nailed down and will be sold with the house.
The pool, the pool/guest house, the outdoor kitchen all add up to a fabulous place to host summertime dinner parties.
Living room over looking Noroton Harbor. Very comfortable and unpretentious.
Comfort and luxury in every room.
Yes, that is a golf simulater. You may never play a perfect game, but it won’t be because you don’t have the chance to practice!
I love that the kitchen is not a lot of useless space. The cooking space has everything you need, and lots of pantry storage. And of course a civilized sitting area that has a gorgeous fireplace.
25-27 Brush Island – Think about how nice it is to be out of the fray, then think how nice it would be to experience that in Darien! That is exactly what life on Brush Island will offer you and this property has several options to consider. 1. Buy the whole thing and work with the two existing houses and the lots to make one fabulous compound. 2. Buy the older house on its lot and either renovate or rebuild. 3. Do the same with the newer house and its lot. 3. Potential for a subdivided third lot. There are many possibilities here to consider. Deeded access to Long Island Sound, private beach front and tennis court. Total acreage is 3.27. What ever it is, you end up with a real gem of a property and a lovely, low key location with beach and privacy. 6 bedrooms/ 3 1/2 baths, asking $7,350,000 through Kelly Associates.
Outlining this specatular opportunity.
The houses are totally different. Something for everyone.
Only 35 miles from mid-town Manhattan. Fabulous!
25 Brush Island
27 Brush Island
Nice red clay.
If you are currently working with an agent, this is not a solicitation.
Meet Susanna Salk this weekend at the Antique & Artisan Center
September 20, 2012
PRESENTS A BOOK SIGNING EVENT WITH SUSANNA SALK
Author and design expert Susanna Salk will share ideas from her new book
Be Your Own Decorator: Taking Confidence and Cues by the World’s Leading Designers
Sunday, September 23 2:00 – 4:00 P.M.
The Antique & Artisan Center 69 Jefferson Street, Stamford
A feature presentation of Destination Home Design: a weekend of fabulous finds, exclusive events and promotions in the South End of Stamford Saturday, September 22 and Sunday, September 23
Out on the trail…
September 15, 2012WOW, what a busy week. We had a ton of open houses and here are some highlights (there are some that are going to have their own special blog…stay tuned)…..
6 Hummingbird Lane, asking $3,495,000, has a lot of space that works so well. It has several spots off the epicenter of the home, the gorgeous kitchen. There is room for everything but it feels like a real “family” home. The landscaping is really something special, many original and stunning features to it. Listed by Cathy Lawton at Kelly Associates.
Look at the amazing curb appeal.
LOVE this family room. From the ceiling, the fireplace, to the windows surrounding it. This is off the kitchen and has wonderful outdoor access.
The kitchen is fabulous and is sited so well in this home.
There was a house on Middlesex that caught our eye as something with real potential. 375 Middlesex Road is asking $1,895,000. This house has good scale, ceiling height (even though it was built in 1954), nice wide hallways upstairs, and a ton of space – 6 or 7 bedrooms, 5 baths, and 2 acres!. The front hall is large and gracious. The livingroom and the dining room will accomodate any large party comfortably. The house is well maintained, so a good paint job, and some new rugs will go a long way until you have your “fab” plans set. There have only been two owners since 1954 so I am going to venture to say that it also has good Karma. I would urge all you buyers looking for a lot of space, a central Darien location, and want to create your own Shanghrila, to look at this house. This could be exactly what you have been waiting for, and there could be some good value here. Listed by Gail Ord at Coldwell Banker/Darien.
375 Middlesex Road
Think about your favorite wall paper because this is the front entry has what it takes to handle it! Good size and ceiling height.
If you are currently working with an agent, this is not a solicitation.
Farrow and Ball opens in Westport
September 14, 2012And, Real in Darien was there! We love the colors Farrow and Ball bring to us each season and the colors for 2013 continue to dazzle us. We came home with a sample of the newest Black Blue which will absolutely transform any space. I am thinking in the dining room, or transforming a Bar area. Gorgeous! In addition, they are thrilled to introduce French grey, Stone Blue, and Cornforth White. Check out all the color schemes they have to offer, as well as the sensational wallpaper!
What a beautiful arrangement, with colors chosen to show the subtleties of the F&B colors.
The scene last night at Farrow & Ball. Lots of local excitement about the new location at 391 Post Road East in Westport, CT.
The shop is lined with examples of Wallpaper and paint boards demonstrating the range of options you have (can you see the two boards in the background?)
Announcing the key colors for 2013.
Of course we ran into our dear friends from the Antique Center (Stamford) at the opening.
House Beautiful threw a great event for the store opening! It is so nice to have this sophisticated and sexy paint line now available in Westport. Go check out the store. You will have so much fun developing your new color scheme here.
Grace Potter is coming to town-get your tickets today!!
August 28, 2012
It is not too late to get your tickets!! Grace & the Nocs are coming back to the Stamford Palace Theatre for a private concert to benefit the Darien Foundation for Technology & Community – Saturday, September 8th!! Last years concert was raved about and this year’s event should be amazing! Don’t forget to check out their new album THE LION THE BEAST THE BEAT!
Order your tickets online today at the Darien Foundation website, www.darientechnologyfoundation.org.
The Darien Foundation was established in 2007. The Darien Foundation is the result of the expanded mission of the Darien Technology Foundation (founded in 1998). This expanded mission allows the Foundation to fund community capital projects in addition to increasing the financial resources for technology in the Darien community.
The Darien Foundation awarded over $2.3 million in grants to the Darien Public Schools, Darien Emergency Services and many community organizations.
The Darien Foundation looks forward to funding capital projects in the Darien community. Capital projects could include such things as sports field improvements, Senior Center amenities, downtown enrichments and park improvements, to name a few.
We are very fortunate to have such a dedicated Foundation in our town and we applaud them and all of the volunteers on this event. THANK YOU!!!!