I Love Hotel Portofino

Oh my goodness, are you watching the series Hotel Portofino? It may be the most beautiful series I've ever watched. The setting of the hotel in Portofino, Italy is breathtaking and the interiors and clothes are stunning. 

(all images from the series are via PBS.org)

I'm streaming it on PBS but I believe it is available on Brit Box as well. It is just the first season and only 6 episodes. I am hoping there will be more. Everything is just so beautiful and idyllic visually. The plot has some twists and turns and it is set in the Roaring 20's so historically we know they are recuperating from the first World War and there is a background of rising fascism. It is so worth the watch (and I keep pausing to look at furnishings and the gardens and so much wicker and rattan!)

The color story of this series is so rich and enticing. The lobby, hallways and some of the main areas are painted in tone-on-tone of a soft blue. There is a study or library that is the richest blue - the color of blueberries. 

The exteriors of the buildings are a rainbow of muted tones. The light is incredible and there are potted palms, lemon trees and greenery everywhere. There is just the right amount of darker wood tone and natural wicker and rattan mixed in. 

For me, it is the beautiful outdoor spaces that I relate to the most. Al fresco dining, porches to relax on, picnics near the water...

We are all going to want to recreate the relaxed elegance of the Hotel Portofino for our own outdoor spaces this Summer.

I decided to see if I could pull together a Hotel Portofino "starter"  board.

As always, start with local vintage shops, thrift shops and online auctions. You might just find all of the wicker and rattan pieces you need right there. I'm going to link some items and sources below in case you can't find some things locally or if you don't want to take the time to look - Summer is flying by!

If you want a set of wicker right away, I think the new pieces from @varnish.collection are just beautiful. Look at the style and design - a perfect Hotel Portofino look. 

There are so many vintage dealers on eBay, IG and Etsy, too.

Next, you are going to need umbrellas. They are dotted everywhere on the grounds and beaches.

 

This fringed umbrella is so charming but a less expensive one in white or cream would work perfectly with the HP aesthetic we are going for. There are several for less than $50.00.

In addition to rattan and wicker chaises right down on the beach, folding canvas sling chairs were spotted about. 

This pair works perfectly - wooden frames and white or natural fabric slings. And this pair is under $90.00 for both! Find a little wicker or bamboo table to place between them for a bowl of fruit and drinks glasses. 

Gorgeous Turkish towels are draped over the chairs and carried by everyone heading to the warm waters of the Italian Riviera for a swim. We have some for the beach and they are really wonderful. Turkish towels come in so many fabulous colors but most of the towels in the show were muted beige or soft creams so I've linked these. 

Potted lemon trees and potted palms are everywhere! If you have a green thumb then head to your local greenhouse but, if not, here are some fabulous faux options. 

Such a great looking faux lemon tree. I have a real lemon tree and a faux version and I love them both! This one is 6 feet tall. 

There are a ton of amazing fake palms on Amazon. This pair is about $100 for both. Hotel Portofino had potted palms everywhere. You can't go wrong adding as many palms as you like!

And, of course, all of the lemon trees and palms are potted in fabulous urns of all different

 materials. You can find urns in every price range. 

Urns in a classic profile would work perfectly. These resin (lightweight) urns are a perfect fit and are about $40.00 each. I have found a lot of urn planters while out thrifting so be sure to check locally so you can have several planters to complete your look. 

You could also use this DIY to create fabulous faux marble urns from simple plastic planters!

Add all of these touches or just a few to your outdoor space and it will feel like you've escaped to an exotic hotel in Portofino - just be sure you serve "Italian Lemonade" - watch the show and you'll know what I mean!!

And be sure to let me know if you add a little Hotel Portofino look to your outdoor space!

Coastal Grandmother or Coastal Grandmillenial?

"Coastal Grandmother" rages on as the trend of Summer 2022. Of course, it doesn't hurt that we are all currently obsessed with the latest AD feature on Nancy Meyer's home that was recently redecorated by Mark D. Sikes.

I'm not a trend follower but as I posted here and here, I've been a coastal grandmother for decades. Here's the thing about the trend (and I'd like to add "chic" to the moniker CG to up it's game a touch!) - making a shift to coastal grandmother does not require a huge investment in decor items or a complete redo of a room. It's all about an appreciation for enjoying life's little pleasures.

A lot of the home decor style aspect of coastal grandmother takes it's cue from Nancy Meyers films or Ina Garten's cooking and lifestyle posts.  Now, we all know these are homes and spaces created with larger budgets than many of us have, but because the look is simpler than Grandmillenial and other styles it's easier to recreate the look. Or just add a few touches of CG to your home for a little bit of Summery flair. Perhaps we might coin the term "Coastal Grandmillenial Chic" for those of us who are a little more colorful or collected in our decor preference?

What can you do with things you have on hand or items that are inexpensive and easy to find? Here are some quick and easy tips!!

Do you have... baskets? Yes, then pile them up to use in the kitchen. Fill them with lemons or limes to use in refreshing summer drinks or to make your daily water a little more exciting! If you don't have baskets they are easily collected from a thrift sore for as little as 25 cents! Grab a few. Look for rattan or wicker place mats while you are there too. Natural fiber accessories are key to this look. But you don't have to go crazy - just add as little or as much as you like. 

Fresh flowers are such a beautiful coastal grandmother touch. You don't need expensive flowers or fancy vases. You can pick flowers from your yard (or the roadside) and place them in something as simple as a clear vase or drinking glass even. 

Vases are always in abundance at the thrift store for a dollar if you don't have anything at home already. Dot them around the house - kitchen counter, sofa table, bedside table.

You can splurge on grocery store flowers or a small fern (place in a little basket) to add a touch of life to a room. Potted herbs are a great choice too because they are pretty, aromatic and useful. 

What's a coastal grandmother without a few seashells?? Just grab those shells you've collected on previous beach trips and pile them in a bowl on the coffee table or the middle of the dining table. They don't have to be museum specimens! Just show off their natural beauty. Don't have any sea shells that you collected personally? I found bags of seashells at the dollar store and Goodwill. You don't need sign that say "Beach" or kitschy coastal items. A few shells, a piece of driftwood or other natural finds are just the right touch. 

Lamps and candles are a nice CG touch as well - adding atmosphere to the porch, kitchen or living areas in ways that overhead lighting can't do.

 I'm really enjoying a citronella + vetiver candle from Bath and Body Works because it smells good and keeps mosquitos away. I'm using it on my screened porch just in case one sneaks in. I also love candles from Candlefish in Charleston SC. I prefer to use only white candles in my home and Candlefish creates white candles in hundreds of scents - you can even create your own signature scent. I've never done it because I love so many of the ones they have in their library of scents!

So, are you strictly a Coastal Grandmother by definition using minimal color like Nancy Meyers or do you think you're a little more "Coastal Grandmillenial Chic" (using my new terminology!) like I am? All of the items below are things that I use in my summery decor and some are items I use year round - natural materials, a mixture of textures and metals, a touch of coastal decor and shells, plants and/or flowers and definitely blue and white. 

Where The Wild Things Are (Color Theory)

I had a little color theory series going earlier in the year and life got in the way! I do plan to finish it up but I decided to stick this post in (that I had near completion) right now because of a fun animal print collaboration I'm in on IG! 

Not exactly true color theory subjects but I decided to include Animal Prints simply because I personally love them. Maybe too much - we will see :)

I have a group of IG friends who feel the same way and we will joke from time to time that "leopard is a neutral" and "never too many animal prints!" Jenna Lyons was quoted as saying "As far as I'm concerned, leopard is a neutral." How do YOU feel about animal prints?

 

(This tiger print pillow from Annabel Bleu looks good literally everywhere!!)

I love a great zebra print rug (mine are faux!) and have them in more than one spot. I have an amazing new one in a softer gray in my entry way and a fabulous bold black and white one that I thrifted in my Library. I think they are different enough to use side by side. You can read all the zebra rug details here and here.

At one point I had an indoor/outdoor zebra rug on my screened in porch. It was a great online buy years ago and looks like a hooked rug. 

I've got this fun zebra fabric waiting  in my "stash" while I decide where I might use it. 

Tigers, Zebras and ... Leopard print!! Interestingly enough what you call this spotted animal print seems to be generational and not because we are able to tell one spotted animal from another zoologically. I say "leopard print" but many younger people call it "cheetah print!"  There is a difference - leopards have rosette markings and cheetahs have solid spots! We do tend to use the terms interchangeably in the design world. 

Some people feel strongly about unnaturally colored animal prints but I do not draw the line there - I like a blue leopard print or turquoise zebra print. I've used them both and more!

I love this blue leopard chair that came from Tortoise and Hare Vintage in Chattanooga TN. I've got a bright tiger print pillow tossed in it (Annabel Bleu again!) Makes for a very fun corner in my family room.

My kitchen curtains are an orange and coral leopard spot print. They are fun and bright but still a little understated because they read like a texture from a distance.

You don't have to make a big commitment to using leopard print in your home. I use these inexpensive (under $10) fleece throws on our porch to add a little animal print to our screened porch. A touch of British Colonial, maybe?

(Note: the back pillow is a brown and white outdoor zebra print pillow!)

Remember how I said you don't have to make a big commitment to animal print in your home? Well, I don't have a problem with making a commitment to animal print! I slipcovered the cushions on the wicker couch in my family room in leopard fabric!!

I searched high and low, over several months, to find a nice looking, neutral indoor/outdoor leopard print that felt nice and I could afford. I spent hours on this. And then one day I discovered ShopFabric.com and there it was. I ordered samples of two different colorways and then ordered yards and yards of it. I love it. From a distance it reads as a neutral and it looks great on the dark wicker couch. And it was $7.98 a yard. I know!! Amazing.

(I've now purchased yardage from ShopFabric.com several times. Great service and quality each time!)

In case you were wondering why I was hoping to find an indoor/outdoor fabric that had a nice feel to it for the humans sitting on it :)

Cooper has always been a fan of leopard print!

You can add just a touch of animal print or you can go WILD!!

Do you decorate with animal prints? Do you wear animal prints (I do!!)?? I'd love to know!

Chinoiserie Carpet Balls

Carpet Balls are pretty much just what they sound like - they were originally used for playing a bowling type game inside on carpet. The game originated in Scotland (according to most sources) in the 19th century.

 The game is played much like Bocci, Boules or British Lawn Bowling - just inside on carpet. The porcelain balls were originally painted with plaid, stripe or small flower designs in greens and reds. 

I'm not sure when the chinoiserie designs began appearing on them but all colors and designs of carpet balls have become very popular collectors items.

 They can range in price from a few dollars at a thrift store to hundreds for very old celadon glazed ones. 

I have found all of mine in thrift stores for just a few dollars each. 

I don't see them often but I grab them when I do. 

Be sure to check local vintage shops, eBay and Etsy as well.

 Check online auction/estate sale spots like Auction Ninja. 

I've seen them at estate sales in person and online.

If  you haven't had any luck thrifting some or finding any vintage ones 

new chinoiserie carpet balls are readily available as a decor accent. 

I'll link some below. 

A reasonably priced set of 6 on Amazon.

These are slightly larger 4" carpet balls and come in a set of 3 from Amazon.