Friday Favorites - New at Market

Happy Friday from Atlanta Market!

We have had a great start to market for Halo Home by KSW in the Kitchen 2 Table Showroom!  If you are at market, I hope you will come see us!

I've been to some wonderful seminars while we have been here.

Loved hearing this amazing stylist talk about entertaining!

This icon of the South told charming stories about her holiday traditions - her book is the best!

I was sad to miss a book signing but this fabulous decorator.

I'll get to hear this fabulous decorator and tastemaker today!

Such fun to be in the Fiesta Kitchen outside of our showroom this week too!

I've been watching this during my down time (which isn't much during a busy market!)

We had an amazing dinner at Miller Union and of course I had to order the chef's new cook book.

KSW Travels: 2 Days in Venice

Justin and I just returned from a wonderful Italian Holiday to celebrate my birthday.  We started out, just the two of us, in Venice and then met up with the rest of my family in the Amalfi Coast.  I can't wait to tell you about the entire trip but let's start with my favorite things to do in Venice!  I collected tips and advice on Venice from a few friends including the amazing Jan Showers who heads there annually to work on her fabulous lamp collection.

 Day 1

After a charming water taxi ride from the airport to the hotel, we checked into the wonderful Hotel Londra Palace.  We requested a room with a terrace and it was certainly worth the extra cost.  Our view of the city is above! The location was wonderful - close to shopping and San Marco Square - and the staff was incredible.

Start your trip with a gondola ride through the city.  We loved seeing the city this way and it is as romantic and charming and you imagine!  There are several spots around the city where you can start and we found one on a back street with a singing gondolier.  Take a photo or two and then sit back and enjoy the ride! You will need cash (half an hour runs 80E).  

I love this shot from Grey Magazine showing a pendant from Attilio Codognato.

Whether you are in the market for a new bauble or not, a visit to Attilio Codognato is a must when in Venice.  Four generations of gentlemen have been designing and presenting the rarest and most extraordinary jewels.  We had a blast trying on these exquisite bracelets, necklaces and rings and hearing the stories behind the gems.

We wandered to our lunch reservation at Grand Canal Restaurant

Hotel Monaco Grand Canal, a recommendation from Jan  Showers that didn't disappoint.  It was the first of many meals of pasta for me as I can't eat seafood!  Our view from our table on the terrace is the image I used to open this post!  It was the wonderful and exactly what I expected from Venice. 

After lunch we decided to walk off our pasta-induced calorie overload.  We wandered toward the Ponte dell'Accademia bridge and crossed over to the other side.  Our first stop was for some Venetian Slippers.

With soles made of old bicycle tires and tops of colorful velvet, Venetian Furlane Slippers, or Gondolier slippers are both trending and comfortable.  They are a must-have souvenir from a visit to Venice!  The advice I got was to select a size that is "snug" because, over time, they mold to your feet.  I have to admit that I left with more than one pair and even bought a pair for my three year old!  There are stores everywhere but we enjoyed a stop at Pied-a-Terre.

With our new shoe purchases made, we stopped for a quick coffee and then wandered through the Peggy Guggenheim Collection.  Located in her dramatic one-story Villa, the art is beautifully arranged and the scenes of the rooms and art as she lived with them really make you feel at home.

Venice is the kind of city you want to get lost in.  When we let ourselves wander down side streets, we always found our favorite surprises.

On one wander, we spotted the most charming antique store that is only open from 5-6 PM every evening.  If you have the time, please check out Canestrelli Claudia - Dorsoduro 364A/30123  Apparently they only open when they feel like it so be sure to call ahead!

We stopped on the steps of Santa Maria della Salute and enjoyed some live music being played outside and waited for the ferry.  It was one of the best parts of the day!  People were gathering around to listen and there was a calm and serene feeling in the air.

Back at the Hotel Londra Palace, we dressed for dinner but took our concierge's challenge before we left.  He was positive that we would prefer the Bellinis at the hotel over those served at Harry's Bar!  They were invented at Harry's Bar so I couldn't imagine he was right but he was!  Dinner was still amazing thought...I can't decide if I liked my food or the people watching better!  It is certainly a must in Venice! 

Day 2

We started our second day refreshed and ready with a beautiful buffet breakfast at the hotel.  I loved having my coffee under the row of Venetian chandeliers!

A small section of the windows in the Murano Glass Factory.

A water taxi picked us up and took us to Murano where we toured a glass factory and wandered in and out of the little shops.  The large factories were impressive but I really loved finding shop keepers hard at work on their own small projects while waiting for customers.  Click here for a great article about buying Murano glass.

After wandering and shopping in Murano, we took the Ferry to Burano, a nearby island famous for it's colorful buildings and it's lace.  La Perla seems to have the best reputation for it's hand-made lace so we went there first.  Of course, after admiring the work of a charming lady making lace right in front of me, I found a beautiful dressing gown that I just had to take home.  It is important to ask to see the hand made pieces as the shop is filled with both machine and hand made items.

We almost skipped our lunch reservation in Burano because it was a bit out of the way but I'm so glad we stuck to it.  It was the best meal we had on the trip and people were waiting for hours for a table! If you are headed that way, please make yourself a reservation at Trattoria al Gatto Nero! 

Loved the colorful building's in Burano!

We loved our day in Murano and Burano but we were exhausted!  We had a water-taxi take us back to our hotel and we relaxed on our terrace for a little bit before wandering to dinner.  Our reservation was at Cip's Club at the Hotel Cipriani.  I stayed at the Cipriani twenty years ago so it really brought back memories!  To reach the hotel, you have to take a boat from the Cipriani stand in San Marco Square.  It was a lovely evening on the floating terrace restaurant and the service was outstanding!  I certainly recommend it!

SaveSave

Friday Favorites - Travel Day!

I'm so sad to pack up and leave my favorite place today but it is time to get back to reality.  We had another amazing summer in Canada filled with fun in the water, walks on the beach and breathtaking sunsets.  I'm so grateful for the time I get with my family and friends here every year.

Traveling back home today - I always take this and this! 

Trying to finish this on the plane today!  Soooooooo Good!

Do you get the same conflicting advice I do on caring for your orchids? I hope the few I left at home are still hanging in there!  I love the tips in the article - makes sense! 

BIG swim sale! Maybe ordering a new suit will help me hang on to summer a little bit!

Ordering this for my trip to the Amalfi Coast in September.

Just got a sneak peek and you should pre-order this!

Remember these?  Millie used them on me yesterday! 

I hope you had a great summer too! 

KSW Travels: Portugal

What an amazing trip to Portugal!  It was my first and I fell in love with the wonderful country!

In Lisbon, we stayed at the LX Boutique Hotel.  It was charming and small and was located in a great spot for walking to antique stores and restaurants.  Of course I loved that the interiors were entirely blue and white! 

There was a bit of construction going on in the hotel that provided a bit of noise but the staff was charming and accommodating.  I'd certainly go back!

This amazing wall treatment in the hotel foyer gave the look of trelliage but was made by placing mirrored tiles on a navy wall.  So clever!  I'm thinking of doing something similar in the powder bathroom of our new house!

The first thing we did after we checked in was hit the Feira da Ladra Flea Market.  It translates to thieve's market and we found so many treasures!  It is open every Tuesday and Saturday from dawn until dusk.  We made the mistake of going with very few Euros!  No one accepted US Dollars and we wanted to purchase everything in site!

There were so many monogrammed linens around. 

This incredible piece of embroidered silk caught my eye too!

Every street in Lisbon was filled with charm and colorful streamers and cobblestone streets.  We walked and wandered until we got hungry.  We found a little corner cafe and sat down for some pizza (I'll blame that craving on the jet-lag!)

Lisbon is filled with buildings covered in patterned tiles.  They are not only charming but very practical as they keep the heat inside in the winter.  Some of the patterns are certainly more charming than others but I was captivated by this blue and white example.  

Before I left for the trip I studied up on the history of these tiles, or Azulejo, in this fantastic article.

Since we are renovating our new house, I set out to find something we could use as a backsplash in the butler's pantry.  Shopping for the tiles was a blast because I went armed with a list of places to check out!  The tiles in the photos above are new but my favorites came from the antique dealers below:

There is a wide variety of options in styles and price points and I tried to take a peek at all of them.  All of the places I visited are on the same walking path.   I started at our hotel, the LX Boutique Hotel and walked up hill on the R. do Alecrim. 

One of my favorite stops was at Dorey Tiles (Rua do Alecrim 68) where Maunel Mantero Capucho, the son of the founder, showed me around their incredible offering of antique tiles or Azulejos Antigos.  I love the modern way they combine a variety of very old tiles together randomly to create the look above! 

At the top of the hill, Solar, which came highly recommended, did not disappoint!  It was filled with rows and rows of Portuguese Tiles organized by time period and style.  I could have wandered in there for hours!  I took 40 pictures but above are two of my favorites.

The view from the top of the hill is stunning!

Our first night in town we were treated to an amazing dinner from my husband's cousin, Barberine, who took us to Minibar Teatro, Chef Jose Avillez's restaurant that lived up to his reputation.  Each small dish was a delight and the entire meal was full of surprises.  We gave them an extra challenge when we requested Vegetarian meals and they did not disappoint. Barberine has just opened a new concept store near the beach town of Comporta where she enjoys a vacation home!  I can't wait to visit on my next trip to Portugal. 

Day 2:

We started our second day with a beautiful drive north to Porto.  We visited a factory for linens and I can't wait to tell you more about!  Even though day one was full of fun, our trip was technically for work!  If you were following along on Instagram, you might have seen this fun video of a loom at work.

 We had an amazing dinner at 17, a rooftop restaurant with amazing views of the city.

Day 3: 

Our third day was magical - my favorite day of the trip!  We visited the Vista Alegra Factory which is certainly worth the drive to get there. 

 The grounds are beautiful but the museum is not to be missed.  Highlights include the old Kilns (seen here) and the amazing old porcelain samples like the example below with old cyphers and crests.

We drove back to Lisbon after our tour and wandered over the to Time Out Mercado de Ribeira for dinner.  It was full of great stalls and samplings curated from all of Portugal's best dining spots. It was a bit crowded for me but I'm so glad we went.  There is a booth featuring only items made in Portugal so we made some quick gift purchases to bring back home. 

Have you ever been to Portugal?  I plan to go back and I would love to know what you enjoyed!  Please comment here and share. xo

KSW Travels: Portugal

What an amazing trip to Portugal!  It was my first and I fell in love with the wonderful country!

In Lisbon, we stayed at the LX Boutique Hotel.  It was charming and small and was located in a great spot for walking to antique stores and restaurants.  Of course I loved that the interiors were entirely blue and white! 

There was a bit of construction going on in the hotel that provided a bit of noise but the staff was charming and accommodating.  I'd certainly go back!

This amazing wall treatment in the hotel foyer gave the look of trelliage but was made by placing mirrored tiles on a navy wall.  So clever!  I'm thinking of doing something similar in the powder bathroom of our new house!

The first thing we did after we checked in was hit the Feira da Ladra Flea Market.  It translates to thieve's market and we found so many treasures!  It is open every Tuesday and Saturday from dawn until dusk.  We made the mistake of going with very few Euros!  No one accepted US Dollars and we wanted to purchase everything in site!

There were so many monogrammed linens around. 

This incredible piece of embroidered silk caught my eye too!

Every street in Lisbon was filled with charm and colorful streamers and cobblestone streets.  We walked and wandered until we got hungry.  We found a little corner cafe and sat down for some pizza (I'll blame that craving on the jet-lag!)

Lisbon is filled with buildings covered in patterned tiles.  They are not only charming but very practical as they keep the heat inside in the winter.  Some of the patterns are certainly more charming than others but I was captivated by this blue and white example.  

Before I left for the trip I studied up on the history of these tiles, or Azulejo, in this fantastic article.

Since we are renovating our new house, I set out to find something we could use as a backsplash in the butler's pantry.  Shopping for the tiles was a blast because I went armed with a list of places to check out!  The tiles in the photos above are new but my favorites came from the antique dealers below:

There is a wide variety of options in styles and price points and I tried to take a peek at all of them.  All of the places I visited are on the same walking path.   I started at our hotel, the LX Boutique Hotel and walked up hill on the R. do Alecrim. 

One of my favorite stops was at Dorey Tiles (Rua do Alecrim 68) where Maunel Mantero Capucho, the son of the founder, showed me around their incredible offering of antique tiles or Azulejos Antigos.  I love the modern way they combine a variety of very old tiles together randomly to create the look above! 

At the top of the hill, Solar, which came highly recommended, did not disappoint!  It was filled with rows and rows of Portuguese Tiles organized by time period and style.  I could have wandered in there for hours!  I took 40 pictures but above are two of my favorites.

The view from the top of the hill is stunning!

Our first night in town we were treated to an amazing dinner from my husband's cousin, Barberine, who took us to Minibar Teatro, Chef Jose Avillez's restaurant that lived up to his reputation.  Each small dish was a delight and the entire meal was full of surprises.  We gave them an extra challenge when we requested Vegetarian meals and they did not disappoint. Barberine has just opened a new concept store near the beach town of Comporta where she enjoys a vacation home!  I can't wait to visit on my next trip to Portugal. 

Day 2:

We started our second day with a beautiful drive north to Porto.  We visited a factory for linens and I can't wait to tell you more about!  Even though day one was full of fun, our trip was technically for work!  If you were following along on Instagram, you might have seen this fun video of a loom at work.

 We had an amazing dinner at 17, a rooftop restaurant with amazing views of the city.

Day 3: 

Our third day was magical - my favorite day of the trip!  We visited the Vista Alegra Factory which is certainly worth the drive to get there. 

 The grounds are beautiful but the museum is not to be missed.  Highlights include the old Kilns (seen here) and the amazing old porcelain samples like the example below with old cyphers and crests.

We drove back to Lisbon after our tour and wandered over the to Time Out Mercado de Ribeira for dinner.  It was full of great stalls and samplings curated from all of Portugal's best dining spots. It was a bit crowded for me but I'm so glad we went.  There is a booth featuring only items made in Portugal so we made some quick gift purchases to bring back home. 

Have you ever been to Portugal?  I plan to go back and I would love to know what you enjoyed!  Please comment here and share. xo