My husband and I returned this week from the fabulous wedding of Garland H. Barr (Andy) and Carol Leavell in Lexington, Kentucky.  The wedding weekend consisted of days of parties and celebrations for the 500+ guests in attendance.  It was truly Kentucky at its finest.  This wasn't the first time we had been out to Kentucky to visit our dear friend Mr. Barr (ever the true gentleman), attend the Derby with him, races at Keeneland, bourbon tastings. etc. but this time was that much more special because it all involved the charming Ms. Leavell.  She is truly about as All American as one can be, a classic beauty in all ways.  She was filled with all of the grace and charm one would expect of a rosy-checked bride-to-be on her wedding weekend.  I truly enjoyed watching her taking it all in from the rehearsal dinner at the Keeneland Clubhouse overlooking the race track complete with jockey centerpieces at each table to the brunch the following morning at the Bodley Bullock House downtown.  As we were walking down along a serpentine brick wall  approaching the entrance to the brunch we saw Carol dash and hide in a corner so that her husband-to-be wouldn't see her as he was coming to join the brunch a bit earlier than expected.  We loved remembering all of the traditions that go into a wedding weekend.  Robert Clay (a close friend of the Barr family and past president of  the National Thoroughbred Association and on the board of the Breeder's Cup) brought us back to his stunningly beautiful Three Chimneys Farm http://www.threechimneys.com/ truly a horse-lovers dream  and home to Big Brown, Dynaformer (father to Barbaro), Smarty Jones, Seattle Slew and other famed thoroughbreds.  It is one of the most beautiful farms in the country.  The wedding itself was held at the Idle Hour country club.  The evening was perfect and the hundreds of guests spilled out over a beautiful Southern veranda and onto the grounds of the club as music played and bourbon was poured.  The bride and groom looked as happy as could be as the left the evening amidst a shower of rose petals and flash bulbs.  We were happy to have been included in such a fun-filled weekend and I left thinking about how many items on The Well Appointed House website evoke true Kentucky living.  If you were to do a Site Search with the word "horse" as we have done here http://search.store.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/nsearch?catalog=wellappointedhouse&quer... you would come up with hundreds of equestrian related items.  There are too many favorites to list but here I have posted a beautiful oil painting that we sell for just $362!

For those of you who love all things horses, please do a search to see all of the wonderful home goods that we sell that will fit right in with your decor.  I personally have an entire library at my home that is decorated all around our love of horses.  The equestrian theme has thrived for centuries in decorating classic homes  and will continue to do so for years to come.  We have equestrian themed needlepoint pillows, cachepots, paintings, figures, bookends and more!  Happy Shopping and best wishes to Carol and Andy Barr on their marriage and for continuing to inspire those of us who love horses!

-Melissa Hawks

Melissa Hawks - The Well Appointed House Blog

I am pleased to report that Domino Magazine has included our fabulous White

Ceramic Elephant Side Table in its June/July issue.  The photo above is

from their shoot.   It is one of our more

unique pieces and the kind of thing that we like to think symbolizes the

"traditional with a twist" design style The Well Appointed House embodies.  

It measures 30"H x 30"L x 13"W.   While I am

holding on to the one used in the Domino photo shoot at my own home, more are available for

just $580 and can be purchased

here. 

Enjoy!



 

The Well Appointed House - Republican and Democrat Plates

Now that primary season appears to be behind us, let's let the big debates
begin!  Our "Born to be a Democrat" or "Born to be a Republican" plates make a
great gift for the newest and smallest additions to the political parties! 
Encourage future debate and future leadership!  This is the perfect time and
these make the perfect gift!  They are each only $56 and can be personalized
with baby's name. 

To order "Born to be a Repulican"
click here
and to order "Born to be a Democrat"
click here!

-Melissa Hawks

I try to maintain a healthy balance of work and family and so I brought my two young children ages one and a half and two and a half to Tod's Point in Greenwich, CT this morning for some beach time.  It is truly a spectacular spot for families and today was exceptional.  Temperatures approached 80 and there was a nice haze on the horizon.  We looked out on the Sound between Connecticut and Long Island and saw two or three beautiful yachts, a few fishermen and a barge.  The beach wasn't crowded and so we were able to walk and pick up seashells.  What a wonderful start to the summer!  It made me think of these beautiful pillows.  Sold as a set of four, two are coordinating shells (one facing left and one facing right) and the other two are coquille images (one of the back of the shell, the other of the front).  Each in the set has a handwoven aubusson design in the panel, surrounded by a beautiful pale blue silk and trimmed with tassles.  This set of four would look spectacular either on a light colored sofa and love seat or even adorning side chairs or on a bed in an elegant summer home!   They are sold as a set of four for $940.  The item number if you are searching for it is FMC-PAW3020-PAW3019-PAW3037-PAW3038.

I highly recommend this set! Each pillow has an heirloom quality that is ummatched.  Enjoy these first days of summer and I hope that you find your home decor inspired by nature!

-Melissa Hawks

It is always exciting when we add new products to the site and this has been a big week.  We have just added over 100 new items.  There aren't enough hours in the day for me to talk about them all.  This is a favorite of mine because of the clean lines and chic design.  It is truly a versatile piece that can be used in a contemporary room or a traditional setting with chinoiserie accents.  It is available in six colors: Robin's Egg Blue, Blossom Pink, Celadon Green, Vibrant Orange, Navy Blue and Blanc De Chine.  We are selling it currently for $625.    Matching end tables are available. This is sure to become a Well Appointed House favorite!  Perfect for a Hamptons Hideway!  http://store.wellappointedhouse.com/minreccoftab.html

Speaking of the Hamptons, we are all looking forward to some time there in just a few weeks!  I love perusing the antique shops and getting ideas for the website.  Stay tuned for my weekly blog that will include unique summer finds.  We have many clients on the Vineyard, in Nantucket and of course the Hamptons.  I hand-select all products for the website and it is such a treat to see the orders flying in for summer homes all over the Eastern seaboard!

Wishing you all a delightful week before the Memorial holiday rush! A sale might just be in the works, so stay tuned!

-Melissa Hawks, Owner



The Well Appointed House, LLC