Back To ACK

In the hope of not being too cliche and blogger like, I am heading back to Nantucket. I promise I had this planned before every other person on my instagram feed decided to take a trip there this summer. In fact, I have been fortunate enough over the years to stay with generous friends who live there full time- true islanders!

Who can’t help but love the enchanting architecture, quaint town, and picturesque beaches? I am also very excited because a company I am very passionate about, Beautycounter, has a pop up shop on the island this summer! I am a consultant for this truly clean and safe beauty organization. As much as I love ornate design, I don’t want ornate ingredients that I don’t understand in my personal care products. The European Union bans more than 1,300 ingredients, and the US only bans 11.  I know I have mentioned various Beautycounter products on here before, but the more I learn about hormone disrupting ingredients that are in virtually all products, the more I just have to share with all of you!

Please visit www.beautycounter.com/christinadandar and learn more about the importance of safer ingredients. If you are on the island, check out the pop-up shop- I can assure you it is pretty chic!

I can’t wait to share more photos of Nantucket from this summer’s trip! Until then, enjoy this previous post below from last year’s trip.

 

Beautycounter Nantucket

The chic interiors of the Beautycounter pop-up shop on Nantcuket.

NANTUCKET

September 15, 2015

I recently returned from a beautiful Labor Day Weekend in Nantucket. The weather was sunny, crisp, and absolutely breathtaking. It wasn’t my first time visiting the enchanting island, and it certainly won’t be my last. The island is full of history with a quaint charming town with lovely shopping, a wharf with some mega yachts (owned by some mega names), and a fabulous collection of restaurants. Beaches, bike trails, and lighthouse exploring will keep you active with an abundance of fresh clean air. Also, don’t forget to look up at night to see shooting stars and all the beauty of the starry night sky.

Whether homes that are side by side in town, cliff side mansions, or sprawling estates, the one thing that Nantucket homes have in common is a focus of good taste and charming ambience. Landscaping is also key to these often simple shingle and clapboard homes.

 

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Tommy Hilfiger’s previous island home.

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I love all the white picket fences.

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This clapboard is high gloss. I found that to be quite an interesting texture on the home.

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A perfect summer estate.

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Three homes built by a whaling businessman, Joseph Starbuck, for his three sons in the 1800’s. Nantucket Architecture _The Potted Boxwood 53Nantucket Architecture _The Potted Boxwood 51

Hedges just work so seamlessly on the island.

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Views of the back of the large homes.

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Gorgeous Gambrel

If you haven’t seen this Bridgehampton home in the June Architectural Digest, you are truly missing out. The ‘pantry” alone is enough to leave you breathless. Steven Gambrel along with Michael Davis Construction created a spectacular home full of light, timeless neutrals, and an ideal balance of color. The front landscape proves that all you need is beautiful and robust bursts of green. There is a collected family feel in this beautiful new home. Normally it takes times for new construction to look established, but I think Gambrel did an excellent job of enhancing the ambience with his talented fresh design.

I really just love this house and had to share today. Again, sorry for the sporadic posting- summertime has me on a varying schedule.

photography by   via AD

Home by Steven Gambrel via AD

living room by steven gambrel via AD

design by Steven Gambrel via AD

china room by Steven Gambrel via ADliving area by Steven Gambrel via AD

bedroom by Steven Gambrel via AD

Bathroom by Steven Gambrel via AD

outside living area by Steven Gambrel via AD

HighBoy HighStyle

If you have not heard about The HighBoy yet, you are seriously missing out. It is an incredible online marketplace for antiques, fine art, and design. The HighBoy is unique because it features coveted pieces from renown designers that are all available in one smart spot. What makes it more distinct is The HighBoy’s editorial journal, The Weekly, which features curated collections juxtaposed with beautiful imagery and captivating stories that detail chicly designed interiors, periods, processes, and more.

It is not often you come across a tasteful treasure trove, and The HighBoy seriously has me captivated with all of their timeless antiques. Here are some of my favorite finds of beautiful desks, armchairs, and side tables that are too fabulous not to share! So head on over to The HighBoy for some high style today.

 

DESKS

Early 20th Century Black Chinoiserie Writing Desk HighBoy

Early 20th Century Black Chinoiserie Writing Desk

Early 20th Century Italian Olive Wood Console The HighBoy

Early 20th Century Italian Olive Wood Console or Desk

 

SIDE TABLES

Faux Marble and Emerald Green and Gold Louis XVI Night or Side Table The HighBoy

Faux Marble and Emerald Green and Gold Louis XVI Night or Side Table

Anglo-Japanese Bamboo Side Table The HighBoy

Anglo-Japanese Bamboo Side Table

 

ARMCHAIRS

Pair Antique French Louis XVI Neoclassical Armchairs with Silk Upholstery The HighBoy

Pair Antique French Louis XVI Neoclassical Armchairs with Silk Upholstery

Pair of Venetian Style Painted Armchairs, Early 20th Century The HighBoy

Pair of Venetian Style Painted Armchairs, Early 20th Century

Chic and Easy

I have always admired the design of Sarah Bartholomew. It only takes a scroll throughout her Instagram and Pinterest accounts to see her obvious sense of tailored style and fabulously chic timeless taste. The fact that Mark D. Sikes counts her as a friend is another compliment of her beautiful sense of classically fresh design. Based in Nashville, Bartholomew uses my always favorite combination of blue and white. I love her pops of green throughout the photos below, whether in a yummy velvet or beautiful arrangement.

All photos below are from Pinterest.

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There is nothing better than green and blue together.

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Fresh topiaries and fabulous romans.

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Another view of this picturesque den.

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Exactly how a bathroom should be.

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More of my favorite pattern flanks the Barholomew entry. Looks so chic with the leopard runner.

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Well balances with clean lines.

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This look will never go out of style.  Chic easy living.

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Fabulous wallpaper.

Chairish It All

I think dining rooms are a place where you can create an enclosed space of intimacy, refinement, and elegance. At least, that is what I think dining rooms should be. I recently scrolled through one of my favorite websites, Chairish, to search for some dining chair inspiration. The worst part is that I didn’t just see one set I liked. Lucky for me, there is a rising trend of mixing dining chairs. I am a big fan of an eclectic mix as long as the true flow and ambience remain cohesive.

Below I created a mood board that captures the inspiration for my ideal dining room. All products (with the exception of the Gracie wallpaper background) are from Chairish. Hope you find some inspiration below (as well as really fabulous deals)!

Find more great chairs: here

 

The Potted Boxwood for Chairish

My mood board of inspiration. I think if this was my dining groom I wouldn’t want to move from it. I love the mix of the colorful velvet chairs with the texture of the white caning and neutral leather.

 

Maison Jansen Louis XVI Style Dining Chairs from Chairish

Melchiorre Bega Sculptural Dining Table from Chairish

 

 

French Country Farmhouse Style Cane Chair from Chairish

 

Antique English Majolica Leaf Plates from Chairish

 Visual Comfort Brass Chandelier from Chairish

Vintage Chinoiserie Miniature Ginger Jar Vase from Chairish

Brass Bamboo Tray from Chairish

Brass Bamboo Tray 

Mid Century High Ball Glasses from Chairish

Mid Century High Ball Glasses

 

Go Fourth!

I hope all of you had a safe and happy Fourth of July!
I am heading to California for a visit this week, but I will be back next week. If you have L.A. recommendations…. I am all ears!

 

Yours in good taste-

Christina

 

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My Fourth of July tablescape in Florida.

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Emmie the pug. Always a firecracker.Fourth of July tablescape by The Potted Boxwood 4

plates: Furbish Studio

flatware: Neiman Marcus

Tablecloth: Williams Sonoma (no longer available online)

 

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