Burning Wood

Ok ya'll, as many of you know, we moved to Texas in part because of the weather; we were sick and tired of winter on the East Coast and wanted milder winter months. For the most part, we've certainly gotten what we were looking for: While our friends and family have been dumped on in the north, we've had so many days when we could spend time outside in the sun. However, in early January, we were (un)lucky enough to get about an inch and a half of snow while staying at Oliver's parents' house and this last week in Austin has been BRUTAL for our what has quickly become our very thin skin! It even snowed last night here. It's supposed to be in the 50s tomorrow, but....WHAT?

Oliver's parents' backyard in the snow:

Note the boar skull I found nearby. I've aptly named him Boris (or Boar-is? You decide). He now resides in Austin, TX.

Lucky for us, Oliver's parents have a wood stove. We had that thing roaring for three days and nights:

COZY!!

Back to the present: after a weekend of jogging in shorts (SHORTS!) and bragging to Northerners about our mild winter, the temperatures haven't crept above freezing for a few days. We now live in a pier and beam home, which means the pipes are somewhat exposed. When temperatures are below freezing, we have to drip the faucets (inside and out) to prevent them from freezing and bursting - let's hope the water bill isn't in the four bazillions this month!

Our living room – ain't it grand?

Totally not our living room: 18th century fireplace at the MET

I know, my sad little complaints are falling on the deaf ears of friends and family in the North and Southeast, who have been pummeled by blizzards this year. Snowfall, especially when it's rare, makes kids happy; it makes cranky winter-haters like me sulky and unmotivated. The warmth of the wood stove made the cold bearable and it got me thinking about wood stoves as a design element. We've seen a million fire place and "winter interiors" images circling the 'net, but what about wood stoves? They are said to be more efficient at heating than fireplaces because they are closed and controlled, making for less heat loss. Wood stoves – especially antiques – have seen a resurgence of late. We don't have a fire source in our new house, but lets virtually warm my soul by taking a look at some deliciously cozy interiors with gorgeously chic wood stoves, shall we?

I can't get over this stunning wood stove in the home of Robin Petravic and Katherine Bailey, owners of  of Heath Ceramics:

Maybe we look at it from another angle for a sec:

Photos courtesy Heath Ceramics, via Design Sponge

Loving this antique!

Via Home-Shabby-Home

Achieve a more modern look with one of these fancy hanging wood stoves – it rotates, too!

Via lyring.com

The decor in this place is a total mess (plaid drap-y curtains? Flimsy wrought-iron chairs in the background? Randomly place seating?) and you'd need a lot of space for this bad boy, but it looks warm, so here you go:

Via Hometone

Forest fire, anyone?

Camino Steel tree by Paul Grassilli

I've secretly always loved fire orbs:

By Fireorb



Available through Focus

Woodstove in the fireplace? Sounds weird, but apparently it increases the efficiency of the stove.

By Charnwood

Neat-o porcelain wood stove:

Image via Between Spaces

Kind of beachy but probably warm:

Via Country Living

I like this one because storage was built right in, keeping everything neat and tidy – and chic!

Source unknown

Look at this little cutey-patooty chimney-free indoor stove with the glammy brass reflector! It burns ethanol, not wood, meaning no smoke and no soot. It's purdy.

Piet Indoor Stove by Fredrik Hylten-Cavallius

These are really more for use outdoors, when it's warm, but there's fire, it's compact, and right now anything with fire looks warm to me, so I'm including it:

Mini River Rock Fire Bowl, available at Restoration Hardware

Merry Christmas!

Via Elements of Style

Good morning! I can't believe 2010 is almost over and Christmas is tomorrow. This has been quite a year and I suspect 2011 has lots of exciting stuff in store. Thank you to everyone for keeping up with us and reading The Studiolo!

Chances are your holiday decorating is complete, but for those of you still pulling together last-minute gatherings and decor, enjoy this Christmas imagery.

Photo courtesy Domino

Great holiday party setup:

Source unknown

I can always count on Bakerella to come up with fun holiday designs for baked goods:


Holiday ornament cards by Baker, letterpressed by Studio on Fire.


Last year's cards are worth looking at, too:

Ornament holiday greeting card by Dingbat Press

Got a party to go to, but no gift to bring? Jonathan Adler could save you with these animal and banana ornaments:

Loving the color-coordintated interior, ornaments and gifts:

Photo courtesy Domino

Photo courtesy Homes and Gardens


Via Country Living

These are great ideas if you don't have much space, but want to have some big Christmas cheer in your home:

Via Martha Stewart


Source unknown


Photo courtesy Country Living


Source unknown


Via Design Sponge

Some fun tree/ornament alternatives:

Papered resin deer by Ruby's Lounge


Custom Christmas wall decor by ATLITW



Source unknown


Photo courtesy Domino, via Apartment Therapy

If you don't have a yard to create a Christmas scene, just bring it on inside!

Photo courtesy Domino

Merry Christmas to everyone!

Trend Watch: Fur

Outfit by DSqaured2, courtesy Style.com

It's impossible to ignore the fact the it is now winter, at least in the North East of the U.S. (Australia: I'm jealous.) As I type, I'm looking out the window seeing the tiniest flurries floating around, and I know it's already snowed in some states. Yikes! Winter is tough, fashion-wise. It's difficult to choose outfits that work both inside and outside, a particular challenge in cities whereby most inhabitants spend a fair amount of time on and off public transportation. Wearing a giant, puffy down coat will keep you toasty on the way to the station, but once inside the train, all those feathers get really stuffy, and it's not like you can peel the coat off and get comfy when you're crammed up against 50,000 other warm bodies (some creepier than others). But the real tragedy is that all the down puff obscures what you're wearing underneath (which may or may not have taken twenty minutes to put together)!

Fur has a long, and controversial past – as a p.c. pre-teen I was staunchly anti-fur – but there's no denying that it is CHIC. Adding a splash of fur to winter outerwear is the easiest way to ramp up style without sacrificing warmth, and, from what I can tell in New York, I'm not alone in this belief. Fur is everywhere! Real, faux, full-length coats, vests, collars, trim – it's everywhere and it looks fantastic!

Yves Saint Laurent


Dynasty Clutch by Angel Jackson


Versatile vest by Fendi


Mink and velvet "Ava" necklace by Louis Vuitton


Gorgeous coat by Altuzarra


Nesta fur-trim bootie by Manolo Blahnik


Bottega Veneta coat - at once cozy and chic


I love the elegance of this simple outfit, and the fur collar adds a fun, unexpected, but very chic twist.


Darrington clutches by Michael Kors


Electric blue at Versace

It's one thing to see a trend on the runway or in magazines, but how regular people bring it to the streets is a whole different ballgame. On The Street fashion guru, Bill Cunningham recently shared his favorite fur findings on the streets of New York in this video for the NY Times, and it's worth a look.

I bring it to the streets, with my favorite winter coat; a vintage 1960s fur-trimmed number I picked up in 2008 at a favorite shop in Soho that has since closed. I coveted it for a few months and when I saw it come down in price I snapped it up. Boy am I glad I did; it has made me feel so much less drab and sad for the last few winters!

Yes, I was photographed outside of Buffalo Wind Wings (in Brooklyn, no less)! Don't hate.

This being primarily an interiors blog (that touches on graphics), I can't, in good faith, ignore how the fur in apparel fashion translates to home fashion! We've been seeing furry, fuzzy pillows and throws for a while now. Prices run the gamut, but they all make a home look and feel warm, despite the freezing temperatures.

Photo courtesy Lonny


Living room by Patric Johansson for Elle Interior


Another Lonny gem


Chic interior by Ryan Korban - a fur throw and fur upholstery, which is a great take on a classic modern chair


Via Elle Decor

Heather Clawson, of Habitually Chic wrote a great piece on Carolina Herrera, illustrating how fur intersects in fashion and interiors.

Bringing the style into your own home is easy – stores high and low are offering great furry options; from Ikea sheepskin rugs to West Elm to Williams-Somona Home to trade-only vendors like Donghia, there are fur accents for everyone!


West Elm


Williams-Somona Home


Donghia