Are you following the the 2017 Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Southeastern Designer Showhouse? Located in a historic James Means-designed home in the heart of Buckhead, Atlanta, it features the work of many of my favorite designers, including Margaret Kirkland, Sarah Bartholomew, Phoebe Howard, and Huff Harrington. The all-star team preserved the historical integrity of this beautiful home while seamlessly bringing it into the 21st century. Here are a just few highlights…

Kitchen by Design Galleria, via Sherry Hart

Honorary Chair Jackye Lanham’s entryway via Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles
The Showhouse is open for tours through May 14, and you can follow on Instagram for continued updates. To see the house in it’s original state, click here to view the real estate listing.
Speaking of Sarah Bartholomew, did you catch the beautiful spring tablescape she designed for Tory Burch? Sarah’s inspiration included legends Bunny Mellon and Audrey Hepburn, and the result is fresh, timeless, and oh so pretty. The glasses are from Tory Burch, and the bamboo flatware is Juliska. Click here for additional details, more on Sarah’s inspiration, and for her fabulous table-setting tips.

Sarah Bartholomew’s inspiration for spring entertaining.
While you are over at Tory Burch, you will want to check out the new Spring Garden Party collection… Absolutely scrumptious, I want one of everything!
If you are on Instagram, no doubt you noticed highlights from the 2017 High Point Market. Two new furniture collections that particularly caught my eye are Carleton Varney‘s latest additions to the Dorothy Draper Kindel Furniture Collection and Melea Markell‘s new collection for Bradburn Home.

The Dorothy Draper Collection by Kindel via Carleton Varney

Melea Markell for Bradburn Home, via Natalie Reddell
Did you see Aerin Lauder’s new AERIN Collection for Williams Sonoma? I ordered way too many pieces (see my favorites here)! When designing this collection, Aerin was inspired by her family home in Palm Beach, featured in Architectural Digest. I learned something from this feature… Aerin’s home is located directly next to the home that once belonged to her late grandmother Estée. The neighboring properties are bordered to the left by The Breakers resort. Concerned that The Breakers would use the property to expand, Estée purchased the property, which was designed by society architect Marion Sims Wyeth in 1924, and boarded it up. Aerin’s parents turned it into a family home in the 1990s with the help of decorator Victoria Borus and the legendary Jacques Grange.

At Aerin Lauder’s family home in Palm Beach, lacy 1940s-style furniture, reproductions of matriarch Estée’s originals, outfits a terrace. Image via Architectural Digest.
You can tour Estée’s home which now belongs to her elder son, Leonard, here. I can see definite inspiration from both homes in the AERIN Collection for Williams Sonoma.
Now that “Brangelina” is no more, Angelina Jolie has purchased a stunning 1925 Los Angeles home that once belonged to the late Hollywood director Cecil B. DeMille. I wonder who she will choose to decorate?! Click here to take a tour.

Angelina Jolie’s new Los Angeles home was once owned by Cecil B. DeMille.
Mother’s Day is May 14, and I have included some lovely gift ideas in my new Shop! I am also loving these beautiful Mother’s Day gift boxes from Huff Harrington. My favorite includes a mini X necklace from Carla Caruso, a blue Rockflowerpaper scarf, and flavorful Verbena hand cream from Mistral. Shipping is free or choose the “pick up in-store” option if you are in Atlanta.
For additional Mother’s Day gift ideas, I recommend all of these new books for spring or any of these options from my Amazon library. Pair it with a bar of Claus Porto Madrigal (Water Lily) Bath Soap, Patricia Altschul’s favorite (source).

I have the originals of the Meadowcrest, Woodard and Salterini lawn furniture shown in your photo. They’re still out there, because they were made to last. Also, the designs are prettier than what’s on the market today.
The Merkell line is interesting and Draperesque. Very nice.
Wow!
Did you know that Cecil was the uncle of Agnes de Mille, the famous dance choreographer? When I so very fortuitously attended a summer session at the North Carolina School of the Arts, she was there!
What an intriguing place it was- a virtual incubator for young talents headed to New York to try their luck- and the old gardens were full of boxwood and then there were all these old Jaguars sitting in an abandoned faculty parking area- so mysterious! The dorm rooms were like little NY apartments- since the talents contained within were already living there in their imaginations anyway!
It was a fabulous and fun time in my life.
How fortunate Angelina Jolie is to have such a magnificent home!
Dean
I love your new shop!
I always SO enjoy your random musings – each one prettier than the last! Loving Tory’s new Spring line! Hope you had a lovely weekend! xoxo
PS…I just clicked through to the Aerin for WS line – I hadn’t seen it yet. Stunning!!
Awesome pictures that you have shared. I really like the lawn’s furniture which looks stunning in pictures.