A Breezy Beach House in Alys Beach

It's not often that you can see a home in a magazine that belongs to someone you actually know. Which is why we were delighted to find out that the breezy beach house in Alys Beach, Florida featured in the July/August issue of Veranda belongs to the family of one of my friends/sorority sisters from U.Va. (although I will admit that sounds a bit six degrees of Kevin Bacon-ish when put into writing!).

Alys Beach is a community on the panhandle of Florida that is centered around the principle of New Urbanism, meaning that sprawl is minimized by creating a community where most everything people need is in walking distance. Sounds inviting, doesn't it? The architecture is reminiscent of a Mediterranean village, with a touch of Bermuda thrown in, don't you think?

That contrast between a bright blue sky and a stark white building? Gorgeous.

The interiors of the home are by Georgia Carlee. The main thing I love about this home is that is says, "beach," not "BEACH!!!!" It perfectly captures the spirit of the Florida coast, but does so in an elegant yet inviting way. Take a look and see what I mean.

Above- the breezy white drapes and seagrass rug keep things light, but the four upholstered chairs dress things up a bit and create an inviting space for cocktails. Notice the shell console on the right- fabulous! I also love the unexpected framed coral art above the windows.

Above- Lucky bamboo is perfect for beach/vacation houses because it doesn't need constant watering!

Above- the driftwood table really makes the room by adding an organic touch. In the magazine, you can see this living room as a double page spread, but since I had to get these pictures the old fashioned way (by scanning them in- thanks a lot, Veranda!) you are only seeing the right side.

Above left- the shell hanging above the bed is a unique touch. And of course, in the bottom right picture, I love those blue and white garden stools.

The furniture in this room has a sort of rustic French vibe. A weathered desk is perfectly casual. Notice the sea curiosities inside the glass-front shelves.

More driftwood on the lamps and at the foot of the bed.

An inviting entrance.

According to the article, the chandelier is made from old wine barrels! We'll drink to that. A globe chandelier is unexpected, and we like it!

Finally, the courtyard patio beckons for a leisurely lunch under the umbrella.

What is your favorite beach town? Is there any beach you're dying to escape to this summer?

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Magazine Roundups: Elle Decor July/August 2009

Have you ever shelled out $5 or $6 for a design magazine and cozied up in your favorite chair, prepared to be inspired...only to flip through the pages and be thoroughly unimpressed? We definitely have, and it's the worst! To help you avoid the same fate, we're going to be reporting on our favorite design magazines intermittently to help you decide when to purchase...and when to pass.

Today's review: Elle Decor July/August 2009.



Things we loved:

• A "shortlist" feature with Miles Redd. We want to live in his mirrored bathroom!


• The "etcetera" page at the end features a fabulous selection of garden stools


• The features this month are very strong. Some highlights:

The main feature is Aerin Lauder's East Hampton home and her Manhattan apartment. Here are a few of our favorite pics:

Living room in the Manhattan apartment.

The library of the Manhattan apartment. Note the scroll detail on the coffee table. And that fur throw is awfully decadent!

Manhattan apartment dining room. We cannot quite feel this room. Maybe it's that we're not used to seeing tables that size with tablecloths....is that it?

We do love the breakfast area though! Love those bamboo chairs and the cheery blue fabric. And a great way to display kids' artwork.

The dining room of the East Hampton home. Love that bold zebra carpet. Less sure about the rather precious display of blue and white urns on sconces.

More blue and white. I think these must be holdovers from Estee, since Aerin inherited the home from her legendary grandmother.

Can we just live in this pool house? It's so inviting.

More in East Hampton.

Next we move on to Monelle Totah's San Francisco flat. Totah is the Vice President of Design for Williams Sonoma Home, and we are very inspired by what she's done with her flat. For anyone who thinks you have to have tons of color in your home for it to be exciting (and we admit, we're definitely guilty of that mindset), Totah's black/white/gray color scheme will definitely make you re-think things.

We normally don't love slipcovered couches, but hers lookes fresh and modern, not shabby-chic.

Rats...we wish we'd gotten a cowhide rug from Buenos Aires now!

Soothing gray.

We love the bold black and white rug, as well as the mirrored console.

Here are some pops of color in a sitting area....we definitely recognize the bamboo dresser, the pillows, and the throw from Williams Sonoma Home!

A soothing bedroom. We love the grouping of the artwork over the bed.

Finally, the last feature is Scott Currie's weekend beach house in Southampton. Currie does PR for Elie Tahari, but his warm, inviting, and stylish beach house is worlds away from the more modern and streamlined clothing he promotes.

The portrait is of a sea captain; there are plenty of nautical touches throughout the home.

A stylish office.

A conch shell pink bedroom.

What an amazing backyard!

We love the rope-inspired chairs in the pool house.

What we weren't crazy about:

• Elle Decor goes to....Kansas City. Sure it was a great article and we're convinced that lo and behold, Kansas City is pretty stylish...but we're still not about to pack our bags just yet!


• "Higher Ground," a spread about Malibu real estate broker Chris Cortazzo's spread in Malibu Hills. The house itself is fantastic- we love the exterior shots, the inviting pool with majestic hills in the background, and the fab kitchen. However, we could not quite get past the extensive amount of African-themed artwork throughout the house- black and whites of lions and giraffes in two rooms, large (and albeit, striking) full size photographs of African women in the living room, close-up photographs of African children with painted faces in the bedroom, etc. It was a bit of overkill to us. But the furnishings are fantastic.

The Verdict: Purchase! This will be one of your summer favorites that you'll flip through over and over again.

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A Dog's Life

Here at MoS, we'll admit that we're a little (ok, a LOT!) obsessed with our pets! MoS Charlotte is home to an adorable, playful doggie, and MoS Washington hosts two dashing, handsome felines. We are thrilled that in the last couple of years, pet goodies- from leashes to bowls to houses- have come a long way from the run of the mill items you find at Petco. These days, pet accessories fit just as much into our everyday style as our favorite home and fashion accessories. So take a look, and we just think that your favorite Fido or Fluffy may like these items too!

We were inspired by this month's cover of Elle Decor. What a pampered pup!

You'll be the top dog at the dog park with this Lilly Pulitzer collar by MyMascot, $48. Perfect for spring and summer!

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And of course, don't forget the matching lead, $54.

Speaking of preppy, how about this fab nautical flag cat dish?

When you're not serving your favorite feline on this Fat Cat Luxury Cat dish, you could probably serve appetizers on it and no one would know the difference!

Have your dog be the envy of doggie day care with a Louis Vuitton collar.

Check out this old school repp collar (with matching leash below)--we are awfully partial to these UVa colors, but they probably come in your school colors too!

This modern litter box holder is a far cry than those ugly plastic trays, don' t you think? We're sure your favorite feline will agree.

How fab are these leopard bowls in pink and turquoise?

And if you've got an extra $6,106, your dog can live in your favorite colonial mansion!

Of course, anyone who loves Chinese Chippendale like we do will love this antique white iron pet feeder, $88.

And this temple standing feeder is the perfect accent for any kitchen. These may just be the most chic pet dishes we've ever seen!

And the dog bowls from These Creatures come customized for your favorite pooch breed. We love how they mount on the wall.

The crisp, square lines of this pet bowl is a modern fan's dream.

For years we've loved customized Leatherman belts, and now you can create a custom collar for your favorite pooch!

How fab is this Elizabeth Page Smith couchette for pets? This modern piece will fit right into any urban decor. Only your pet will know it's made for them.

We are LOL-ing at this Beverly Hills dog bed- do you even know any human with a bed this luxurious?- it's big on the drama!

These Holden Designs Pet Feeders look like something out of West Elm. They'll really add to any modern decor.

So take heart- now you don't need to look like a crazy cat lady to show the world how much you love your pets. Hope that these items add a stylish touch to your pet's accessories!

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