HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY 2023!!!
I hope everyone is doing well!
Every year for Mother’s Day, I do a special post to honor the woman who gave us life.
This year’s gift in honor of Mom is The 15 most beautiful blog posts on Laurel Home.
Laurel, forgive me for interrupting, but aren’t there more than 15 beautiful blog posts?
Thank you, well, yes, I think so. Although, I do occasionally cringe when I read some older posts. Like, did I really say that? Or, why did I post that image? What I thought was pretty fantastic 10 or 11 years ago, I would be embarrassed to put out today.
These 15 blog posts are not in any kind of order. Please enjoy the 15 most beautiful decorating blog posts on Laurel Home! I love all of these posts and the designers featured in them. (note: The numbers go from 1-12, but there are at least 15 beautiful blog posts linked to in the post.)
1. The Exceptional Interior Designer You’ve Never Heard of
Well, that’s what I said in 2016. However, if you’ve been following me for a year or more, you’ve definitely heard of Furlow Gatewood, the incredibly talented antiquarian and interior designer.
If you only get one interior design book, One Man’s Folly, The Exceptional Houses of Furlow Gatewood is at the top of my list.
2. No surprise here. It’s the follow-up tribute post to Furlow Gatewood
This post has all new imagery I published a few days after Furlow Gatewood passed away at 101. Incidentally, if you don’t already know, his full name is Timothy Furlow Gatewood. You can see his home empty here.
3. A16-Color Spring-Inspired Whole-House Paint Palette
John Singer Sargent, Lady Agnew of Lochnaw (1865 – 1932)
I wrote this post in 2016, shortly after the Laurel Home Essential Paint Collection came out. The 16 colors in this post are all in the LH paint collection of 144 Benjamin Moore colors. The LH Paint Collection is a guide I’m exceedingly proud of. It was like giving birth for 18 months, however. lol
I’m unsure how I toughed it out, but I think it was worth it.
There’s a companion guide where I put all the colors in palettes and make mood boards using 40 colors. You can find out about this unique palette and home furnishings collection here.
Okay, sorry to interrupt, but we’re doing a little “fundraising.”
And, to that end, I’ve slashed the prices of all of my interior design guides. Please start here for more information. The discount is 10%, plus an additional 20%. In addition, if you purchase any of the bundles, the prices are reduced even further. This is an exceedingly rare opportunity. I’ve never discounted them this much. This sale ends Monday, May 15, 2023, at 11:59 PM.
***I’ve extended the flash sale until Wednesday, May 17, 2023 at 11:59 PM
If you already know what you want but were waiting for a sale, please go to the order page here.
Okay, back to the 12 most beautiful blog posts on Laurel Home.
4. 20 Stunning Lifestyle Instagram Feeds You Must Follow
How can you go wrong featuring these superb designers and photographers who post unique content on Instagram? I delight in finding these incredibly talented people. I save my favorites in my electronic notebook. I’m sure I have at least another 100 accounts that are amazing. So, sometime this year, I need to update this post.
Above, the jaw-droppingly wonderful Danish gardener Gina (GNCGarden) on Instagram.
There are a lot of pics showing dozens of potted hydrangeas. Mad respect. I have only two potted hydrangeas and struggle to keep their insane thirst quenched in the hot summer months. She must have one wicked irrigation setup.
HOLY CRAP!
Sorry, Guys, for another interruption, but this is BIG. I have signed the contract, and my renovation is set to begin on June 5th, 2023! Therefore, I am open to all of the hand-holding available. Virtual handholding also works.
5. The Secret to Getting Cohesive Room Colors and Furnishings
This is the most recent edition of my feature on Maura Endres’ gorgeous home in New Jersey. Please be sure to follow Maura, m.o.endres, on Instagram. I discovered Maura while in Italy in 2016. Or rather, she was commenting on my pics of Italy on my feed. So, I nonchalantly looked at her feed and was blown away by her effortless-looking style and exceptional taste! I want everything she has!
Please note that I haven’t included a direct link to another fantastic designer from New Jersey, Nancy Keyes. But that’s because many posts link to her and her beautiful home. But, just in case, this is my favorite post which features Nancy’s timeless and drop-dead gorgeous kitchen.
You can also find Nancy Keyes on Instagram. Please follow her there.
6. Secret for Creating a 25-Color Whole House Color Palette
This one’s another super-beautifuldecorating post featuring some excellent paint colors and palette inspiration.
7. The Best Neutral Color Scheme – How to Get it Right
Part I of this post features the incredible home of Steve Cordony in Australia.
Part II is how to get Steve Cordony look for less.
I adore his timeless, fresh, new-traditional rooms.
8. No list of the most beautiful blog posts on Laurel Home would be complete without the incredible Gerald Bland, his gorgeous NYC shop, and equally magnificent homes.
This reminds me; I was looking up Fine paints of Europe earlier today and saw a kitchen that reminded me of Bunny Williams’ sophisticated and very dark kitchen.
I’m including the Youtube video created by Stacy Bewkes of Quintessence and video partner, interior designer, Susanna Salk.
While all of it is terrific, the part I want you to hear is Bunny explaining how she chose her cabinet color. It ties nicely with Wednesday’s post about the best white cabinet colors. Sorry for the cliché, but the struggle is real!
9. A Novel Way to Get Priceless Art Masterpieces for Cheap
I adore gorgeous European art. I don’t know why, for I was raised in the middle of a cornfield in southern Indiana (Evansville). That certainly explains the corny jokes.
Incidentally, since this was written, I did locate a company that can blow up an image to be quite large without losing any resolution. I’m sorry, I don’t have that information right now. I’d have to spend some time digging for it.
10. My Tribute post to Darryl Carter
Darryl Carter, a lawyer turned interior designer (and amongst a large group of designers arrested in Florida), has a unique style people adore or dislike. I belong to the group of adoring fans. Darryl’s sophisticated monochromatic rooms are like little lessons in creating interesting spaces without a lot of riotous color OR pattern. Like, zilch.
However, you will always find variations of his tones and accents of black and gold. And sometimes, a little color. I never get tired of looking at his designs. And I do believe they will never look dated.
11. Mark D. Sikes
These are my two favorite Mark D. Sikes how-to get-the-Mark-D. Sikes look posts.
His work is the epitome of beauty, as signified in his book, Beautiful, and the sequel, More Beautiful.
12. Color Palettes from Nature + Springtime in Boston
This might be the most beautiful blog post of them all. Bostonians will most likely recognize this stunning Beacon Street beauty, above.
And, the gorgeous gated entrance, next door to the home Isabella Stuart Gardner lived in as a young bride. Actually, that is not true. Her home was in the same location. However, it was torn down in the early 20th century. This is after she moved to the top floor of what is now known as the Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum.
Below is Mrs. Gardner and her husband’s home in the late 19th century.
via Back Bay Houses – home of Isabella Stuart Gardner – beacon street-152-ca-1867-hawes-athenaeum
There’s a plaque posted on the fence. Here’s what it said:
Again, this is not the home where the famous art heist took place. However, I have visited the Gardner Museum four times, and it is the coolest place ever.
I took this photo of John Singer Sargent’s Spanish Dancer when I was there in May 2017
And, I’m closing with a photo I took during that visit of the breathtaking courtyard at the Gardner Museum. I want to revisit this fantastic place very soon.
Well, I hope you enjoyed what I think are some of the most beautiful blog posts on Laurel Home. I can’t believe my renovation is actually going to begin in 22 days!
xo,
PS: Please check out the newly updated HOT SALES
Also, another reminder is that the sale is ending soon to your Laurel Home Guides at the biggest discount ever.
Below is a brief blurb about each one. However, on this page, you’ll find other links about the products in great detail.z
Below is a brief description of my rockin’ interior design guides!
This is the all-new 222+ Best of Etsy Home Furnishings Sources. It’s the culmination of dozens of hours of research. You won’t get anything extra, but you’ll get the updates for free, and you won’t have to pay the higher price that’s coming in January.
Next is 333 Decorating Rules & Tips You Need To Know – This is a terrific guide crammed with measurements and proportions you won’t find anywhere else. Well, I couldn’t.
These two guides are sold together. The Laurel Home Essential Paint and Palette Collection. This is a 2-volume curated Benjamin Moore Collection. You can read about Part I here, the paint colors, and Part II here, the paint palettes. Part II is where you’ll see a bunch of glowing testimonials. There are more, but how many do you need to read? lol
The blogging guide is for everyone who has a website or is thinking about starting a website, making money on the internet, or earning a living by working in bed, working in your PJs, and not taking a shower. (if you don’t feel like it) This is the Six-Figure Income Blogger Guide.
It’s also for anyone who wants to get more business via their website.
But, don’t let the word “blogger” trip you up.
A blog is a great idea for your business website because a blog is what keeps your website fresh in Google’s busy eyes and automatically raises your business above your competition that has a boring “dead” website.
And, no, you don’t have to blog as much as I do.
However, once or twice a month is a must. But, there’s also so much you don’t know you don’t know. I mean, I didn’t. And, I was spinning my wheels, not getting anywhere for 19 months, because I made every mistake and then some. This guide will save you a lot of time and help you to create a more successful business.
In addition, you’ll be able to read my entire internet story from Laurel the Luddite to Laurel, the world’s most unlikely geekette. It’s only a few pages, and I guarantee you’ll laugh.
Finally, the crown jewel, but only because my name is in the guide’s title. ;] And, it was the first guide I wrote way back in 2015.
Laurel’s Rolodex. Recently updated with many new sources and is now in its 9th edition! This is where I spill ALL of my secret and not-so-secret sources. If you’re in the interior design trade or want to be and don’t have this resource, I can guarantee that you’re leaving money on the table—a LOT of money.
It took me over ten years in business to understand that using a middleman to get terrific furnishings for clients is not always necessary. Sometimes, yes, but not nearly as much as I was.
You always get FREE lifetime updates for Laurel’s Rolodex! A new edition comes out every November.
***
Also, GIFTING IS AVAILABLE for all of the guides!
Look for the gift icon.
How does it work?
It works super well! You’ll quickly see a gift box icon when you click on the link to place your order. Click on that, and it will prompt you to enter your recipient’s name and email address. You’ll then be asked when you wish your gift to arrive. How cool is that!
Please go here to learn more about my rockin’ guides. You will find links to give you more information, but they are the same links as here. Please use the purchase products page when you are ready to order. There are links on all of the pages, usually with buttons.
*Please note that these are digital downloads.
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