Yesterday, Stacy and I went to a lovely lunch at ABC Kitchen with our buddies Doug and Gene Meyer. Food was delicious (pretzel dusted calamari is always a hit) and the company was fun and entertaining as always! I haven’t laughed that hard in a while.

Gene and I both admitted that we have gotten into a very addicting night time routine: drinking wine and spending hours on Pinterest. For those of you who are yet to follow the Doug and Gene Meyer Interiors Board on Pinterest- it is an absolute must! Gene- you will be happy to know that last night I skipped the wine and instead sipped an Old Fashioned (the cocktail of choice at the Reynolds residence these days) while spending hours being inspired by your board. Now I just need to get to work and create a Pinterest page for Studio Four…

Here are a few of my favorites:

 
above-Peggy Guggenheim’s bedroom in the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni – Venice

above-Windows On The World Lift Lobby 1977

above-A view into the offices of the Pucci Company.

above-Marylin at home

above-Mr. David Hicks

We are giddy just thinking of it… spring is around the corner and we can not wait! It has been a pretty mild NYC winter, and I feel like in the past when I’ve gotten excited about spring we end up having some sort of crazy snow in April. But I can’t help but be excited, especially with Spring Fashion Week wrapping up here in New York. I’m ready to wear some pastels!

We are loving the Pantone Fashion Color Report for Spring 2012... and it just so happens that we have some new wallpapers and rugs in these colors arriving soon.

Speaking of pastels we were thrilled to be featured in the March Vogue that just hit news stands this week. Doug and Gene Meyer’s Try Angular hand knotted Tibetan rug can be seen on page 595. This luxurious wool rug is an absolute delight for your eyes- I adore the combination of pastel colors. It has the ability to brighten up just about any room!

Another thing that got us excited this week was a box full of new fabrics we received from our friends at Katherine Rally. They have introduced some wonderful new patterns to their line of batiks from Bali. But we are really intrigued by the new colorways they have come up with to add an extra pop to some of these patterns. The lime green and hot pink colorways are just waiting to be used in a summer home! Be sure to check out Katherine Rally’s new website too. There are so many beautiful images of their fabrics installed in various settings- we love it! Congrats Katherine and Rally!!

new Katherine Rally fabrics for spring: Wangi in Lime Green, Kandy in Hot Pink, and Peacock in Lime Green (from left to right)

Katherine Rally's Haveli in Saffron

Katherine Rally's Seraya in Indigo

Like so many others out there, all of us at Studio Four are hooked on PBS’s Downton Abbey. I’ve always been a sucker for period pieces, but Downton Abbey is particularly unique to me. The show is filmed in the beautiful English countryside on the grounds of Highclere Castle.

The exterior of Highclere Castle (aka Downton Abbey)

Working on Downton Abbey must be a set designer’s dream come true! Highclere Castle was extensively renovated in the late 18th and early 19th centuries by the Carnarvon family. In 1838, the Carnarvons hired architect, Sir Charles Barry, to oversea transforming the castle into the grand mansion that it is today.

The front door of Highclere Castle after Sir Barry's renovations.

The salon was completed in the 1860's. It was designed by Thomas Allom who worked with Sir Barry on numerous projects.

Lady Sybil with some exquisite french silk upholstered walls in the background of the drawing room. The drawing room was designed by Almina, the 5th Countess of Carnarvon, in the "rococo revival" style.

A floor plan of Highclere Castle. It's hard to read but gives an idea of how large the castle actually is (keep in mind this is only one floor).

Here is one last interesting detail. In the 19th century, green baize was often used to line swing doors separating the servants quarters from the main house. The brass tacks seen on this door were sometimes used to create a decorative pattern. Baize is a great fabric to use for isolating noise, and it also absorbs kitchen odors. Plus I think this door looks pretty cool!

Pierrepont Hicks is a small haberdashery based out of Minnesota. I discovered them last Father’s Day when I was looking for a gift that my son could give my husband for his first Father’s Day. I know a tie doesn’t really score me points in the originality department, but these aren’t just any ties! They are beautiful hand sewn ties made from the most lovely fabrics, and they are all sewn here in New York. Here are some of my current favorites:

I recently received an email from Pierrpont Hicks promoting an exclusive Woodgrain Necktie they just designed in collaboration with the The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis.

I couldn’t help but think of how great some Studio Four fabrics would look as ties. Here are a few ideas that came to mind:

The Fence Print in sweet pink from Floyd Home would be the perfect compliment to a summer seersucker suit.

I also think the Nila pattern in golden yellow from Akin and Suri for Handmade Interiors would look very handsome with a navy suit like the one from Billy Reid below:

And then there is the Orbison Stripe fabric from our own Selvedge Handwoven fabric line. The texture of the weave is already incredibly handsome but I think combined with the colorful stripe this would be an extra special tie especially when worn with a grey tweed jacket like the one from Billy Reid below: