Rosa Mundi's

I love a good antiques fair.  This one in Portland used to be great — over the years I found lots of great treasures there.  I always look for unusual things — those with a bit of whimsey and character.  But, alas, like so many things, it has seen its heyday.  Much smaller than in years past, many of the dealers are either retiring or can no longer afford to be in the antiques business.  And so, it was somewhat disappointing.

Every year lately I say I’ll never go again, and every year I show up!  Indeed, the thrill of the hunt is addictive.  I’m looking forward to other fairs when I travel south this fall.

Linen napkins in a variety of colors is a great way to add flexibility to your tablcscapes.  If you enjoy creating a variety of table settings for your guests, but don’t have an infinite supply of table linens, changing your napkins throughout the year is a great idea.

I like to mix colors in the table.  Since I have a lot of red napkins for the holidays, I can use these throughout the year by mixing them with blue for summer or orange for fall.

We have a new shipment of linen napkins, in packs of four, in some beautiful colors — yellow, red, blue, green, cream and fuschia — and runners and placemats to coordinate.  Come in and check them out!

Outdoor bistros like this one are sprinkled across France.  At the end of the day, what better place to relax, people watch, and sip an aperitif.  Pastis is an anise flavored liquor that is served in glasses, accompanied by a pitcher of water.  Customers add water to their glasses to suit their tastes.  It is a very popular drink, especially in the South of France.

And, of course, there are  Pastis glasses made especially for this occasion.  We sell them in our store — they come from France — and while you may not wish to adopt the tradition of a Pastis before dinner, these glasses are perfect for wine.  Cheers!

When choosing lamps, it is so important that the right amount of light is directed to where it is needed in order to perform tasks such as reading, writing, or working on the computer without strain.  Here are some guidelines that will help you make sure your task lighting is not too low or too high.

The bottom of the lamp shade should be at eye level when you are sitting down, and the lamp is directly next to you.  This is usually 40 – 42″ off the floor or 20″ off the table top.  If the lamp is behind you, then you’ll want to have the bottom of the shade  about 5″ higher — at 47″ off the floor.  A lamp on your computer desk should have the bottom of the shade at least 15″ from the desk top.

Task lighting at the right height reduces eye strain and fatigue — so a few measurements can make a big difference.

I’ve been asked a lot lately about how to put together bedding for a great look.  It seems since spring is in the air, it’s a great time to freshen the look of our bedding.  But there are so many options available to us, it’s hard to choose pieces that coordinate together to express your individual style.

So consider this fundamental tip:  Use three euro shams and match them either to your bedskirt or your duvet cover.  Then you can add different fabrics and colors for your standards shams, sheeting or coverlet, but you’ll still have a great, pulled-together look.

We knew our gemstone wine stoppers were popular, but when they were highlighted in 425 Magazine, we were really pleased.  They come in a host of colors:  red, clear, green, torquoise and amethyst.  We have them priced for $15.95.

One of the reasons they are a best seller is that they make such a great hostess gift.  So the next time you’re invited to dinner, grab a stopper to go with that bottle of wine and you’ll make a great impression.

I had the great opportunity of hosting a “Designer Minute” on King-FM with Brad Eaton.  While I’m no match for his great voice and exuberance, we had a fun time.  I flubbed a couple of words and said cushion instead of springs, but other than that it went well.  They will be rotating various questions and answers about interior design throughout each weekend, so check it out.

It’s amazing what a studio King FM has — and so many CDs.  There are stacks and stacks and floor to ceiling shelves throughout the studio.  Also, everyone there was extremely gracious — they are as nice in person as they are on the air.

Turquoise has been named the 2010 color of the year.  It’s a great blend of green and blue, reminding us of the waters off the Carribean.  It’s not the first color you might choose when thinking about interiors, but with the perfect complement, it can be striking.

Turquoise was popular during the Arts and Crafts period of the early 20th century and then again, of course, during the 1950s Combined with a strong yellow and cream or black, it’s quite dramatic.

But, it’s making a comeback this year!  I read that the soothing color of turquoise reminds us of “soothing, tropical waters and is a comforting escape from everyday life.”  Not surprised, it may be just what we need after 2009.

We’ve been making some changes at the shop — fresh look for the new year.  We choose to redo one of our rooms as a dining room, and this wallpaper was our inspiration.  It’s called Eversfield II, part of the Avignon Provence collection from Stroheim and Romann.  It comes in a variety of colorways, but we chose peridot.

The wallpaper is fabulous with rich browns and creams.  It would look incredible with Reece cream matelasse window treatments.  We’ve added rich mahogany furniture, black accents and green and ivory accents and continued accessories supporting the bird motif of the wallpaper.  Makes you think spring is around the corner!

“How large of a tablecloth should I buy?” is a question I’m asked a lot.  Since fall is a busy season for entertaining, many of you might be wondering the same thing.

So here’s a tip:  look for a tablecloth that is 16″ to 20″ wider than your table and 16″ to 20″ longer than your table.  If you have a dining table that is 44″ X 60″, for example, then the perfect size cloth would be 63″ X 79″.  However, table linen manufacturers don’t always make cloths in every size imaginable, so use the above range as a guide.  Just remember that you never want the “drop” to be too short or too long.

You might need to have tablecloths in several lengths if you sometimes use a leaf with your table.  If you can’t find the perfect size, you can always get a custom size.  Many manufacturers offer custom sizes, so just ask.