French Vintage Home

Find French Vintage Home on Ruby Lane

French Vintage Home from frenchvintagehome on Ruby Lane

My French Country styling

I was fortunate to be asked to style and attend a dinner party in the Dordogne region of France. I was in the medieval village of La Tour Blanche in the southwestern part of the country. My new friend and business partner, Audrey Friedman, is well known in the region for being a talented hostess. A 14th century pavillion at the end of her property served as our location. We decided to use "the Ivy" restaurant in LA as our inspiration. Colorful pillows and as many flowers as we could find developed our color story.
Because the light in France is so lovely, I felt no additional lighting was needed.
Oooh, those beautiful flowers!
Many of you may already know, Audrey and I are starting a French Antique business called "French Vintage Home" our collaboration grew from our love of adventure, travel, beauty, and of course all things French! I used some of our French vintage enamelware and antique chateau, monogrammed linens for the table.
The french champagne flowed...

as well as the lovely french reds...
As the candles burned away, a wonderful french evening was had by all.

floral design, styling and photography by Laura McGuire

Feeling Blue...and White

Summer's Bounty

Heirloom tomatoes are the most lovely of the season's fruits. With all their very unique colors and patterns, they add Summer's very essence to table.
I had been dying to design a photo shoot story, with all this glorious color, as the star of the show.
The results are these images, art directed and styled by me, and photography by the food master, Michael Haskins.
I am invited to a design your own pizza party this week and I think I will use heirlooms for my secret ingredient.
Does anyone have any other delicious ideas using Heirloom tomatoes?

michaelhaskinsphoto.com
lauramcguire.com

Santa Barbara Dreaming part two

My list of "what to do in Santa Barbara" was too much to include in one post, so this is a continuation of what I love to do when in town.

I just scratched the surface of the "Upstairs" home collection at "Pierre Lafond Wendy Foster" on last week's post. Here are more images of their beautiful assortment of neutrals.




Every Friday morning ,the Montecito farmer's market on Coast Village Road in the lower village, is one of my favorites. From farm fresh eggs, to heirloom tomatoes,to blue hydrangeas, and French tulips, I am always delighted by the local bounty. It's setting, nestled between the ocean and the foothills, the air fragrant from towering eucalyptus trees, is breathtaking.

I always make it by Jeannine's for breakfast. It is right next to the farmer's market and it is nice to plan on doing both. The strawberry scones are a must and the patio is fun for people watching. There's always a possibility for a celebrity sighting.
http://jeannines.com/

While in the lower village, stop by "Maison K". Kimberly Phillips does a beautiful job of blending European antiques with inlaied ethnic pieces for that lovely layered, world traveler look that I love. Look for French ceramics, Italian chandeliers, and mother of pearl mirrors from Syria
http://maisonkinc.com/

When I think of plants that remind me of Santa Barbara, succulents usually come to mind. I'm always inspired by the amazing potted succulents at "Botanik" in Summerland ( the charming beach town adjacent to Santa Barbara). They're known for their sophisticated organic style. Their collection includes rare items from Europe and South East Asia for both interior spaces and private gardens. The shop inside is filled with wonderful glassware, rare orchids and unusual tabletop items.
http://www.botanikinc.com/

Anyone who knows me knows I love Indian textiles. There is a wonderful, open air shop on State street called "India House", that is piled high with the rich art of old India. Their treasures include Indian kurtas, textiles, and accessories. I always make a stop there to see what's new.
http://www.indiahouseusa.com/

I love staying in my best friend, Piper's darling cottage guest house in Summerland. Her home dates from the 1800's and was one the original beach houses in the community. I made this week's arrangement with flowers collected from her garden. Even the container I used was her son, St. John's, beach pail.

Santa Barbara Dreaming

I thought to begin my style blog it should be about a special place that is near and dear to my heart. It has been ten years since I lived and worked in the central coast area of California. We Texans tend to want to have our feet on Texas soil, but I do truly miss the natural beauty of the ocean and mountains. Not to mention the near perfect climate. I have been fortunate to travel back to Santa Barbara often to continue my friendships and renew my soul. Something about arriving in a small airport and being met with the scent of flowers is something I will always look forward to. I thought I would share some of my favorite places I've discovered along the way.









No list of things to do in Santa Barbara would be complete without mentioning a visit to "Pierre Lafond Wendy Foster".
Wendy Foster, my previous boss, friend and mentor has long been regarded as the creator of Santa Barbara style. That effortlessly casual and relaxed look we all love. Having been in the business of fashion for over 30 years, the "dress shop" that Wendy oversees is known for the most artful collection of all their clothing stores. She has created a rare trouve' of beautiful luxury staples, one of kind items, and handmade ethnic items from around the world. In the know, celebrities and stylists often travel from LA to see what is new. Wendy's buying journeys take her from LA, to New York, to Milan and Paris for the selection of clothing for her store. She always has her eye on great design with a respect to what has lasting value.






Wendy and her husband, Pierre Lafond run an empire of businesses including four clothing stores, and interior store, a gourmet deli and restaurant and a winery. You may remember the restaurant as the location the Kardashian sister's visited on their girls weekend trip to Santa Barbara. I admit it, I watch it.


"Upstairs" at Pierre Lafond is the beautiful home collection shop. The look is European elegance with California coolness. Shelley Khoury does a perfect edit of neutral environments and with a few accents of color.


http://www.wendyfoster.com/index.html