Container Love and Lust

We were at the store at the crack of dawn the other day, loaded up with Starbucks and jumping up and down with excitement.  It was Container Day and we couldn’t wait to see the fruits of our hard shopping labor finally arrive at Huff Harrington. We hired Ninh, our adorable photographer, to also arrive at the crack of dawn to photograph the pieces as they were unloaded.

 

The first piece comes off the container. We can hardly stand it, we're so excited.

The container is always a really big deal for us.  We get to fly to France and hit antique fairs and markets, ooohing and aaahing the whole time, negotiating politely and of course finishing the morning with a glass of bubbly.  Honestly, it’s the best perk of having the store and we thank our lucky stars everytime we find ourselves chatting with a nice vendor in the freezing cold at 7 a.m. in some exhibition hall or a field in the middle of nowhere.

Of course, we’re like kids in a candy store – and who wouldn’t be tempted with treats like these:

The ideal outdoor table; already beautifully weathered & patina-ed to perfection.

And, here it is in the store, proudly displaying our Laduree collection:

Safely arrived and on floor...

 

We absolutely couldn't resist these darling little Italianate chairs.

..or crunchy gold candlesticks.

And see how wonderful they are in their new home:

 

Perched daintily on a faux-bois table.

Ann found these funny little plaster manniquins from the 1930s. She was smitten, so she picked out three that we think have quite a resemblance to some of us here at the store:

Do these look like Huffingtons?

What about this one?

 

We think she's very sporty in her French Legionnaire's hat.

The fun of the fairs is that you see everything: from gorgeous 18th century fruitwood buffets to pristine and shimmering Louis VXI mirrors and even the odd relic from Napoleon’s days:

These got away... and we'll never stop missing them.Camp chairs that date

 from one of Napoleon's campaigns.

But we stumbled on these, which we are delighted with.  The only problem is they missed the deadline for this container so it will be a while before they arrive at their new Atlanta home.

Even though they missed the boat, we can't wait to have these..

We have a soft spot for fine old pieces that gleam with a patina that only age and use can give.  Feast your eyes on these:

 

This 18th century walnut buffet is just about perfect.

And then there's this beauty: an 18th century French

oak buffet. We just died when we saw this...

Et voila:

Here's the lovely buffet paired with a Louis XVI mirror, our

favorite modern wing chair and two gorgeous grisaille canvases we just got.

A dainty little Parisian Louis table with sexy legs finds a new home:

 

From the streets of Paris to the streets of Atlanta..

Two little Louis tables are perfect for an HHH vignette.

We’re often get asked what exactly it is that we’re looking for and that’s a hard question to answer.  Anything crusty, crunchy, patina-ed, whimsical, practical and just plain different will catch our eye.  And if there’s a good story, even better.

Gorgeous peeling containers that got snapped up one 

second before we arrived...

Love these!

 

And these..especially with their little iron baskets.

Crunchy & crusty always gets our attention.

 

These clocks made the cut for the container & are now at the store.

We think they're perfect for a family room, porch or media room. And,

they've got a good story: they're from a church in France near the Swiss border.

 We also have a slight table fetish going right now.   We like them rough and rustic, elegant and refined, painted and gilded – and we had lots of them on the container:

This is a 19th century console used for washing.

We just had to have this tres elegant glass and gold three-piece coffee table.It's

new but we are crazy about it.

And how were we supposed to leave this faux bois piece behind?

We couldn't!

We’re all about pairing the old with the new, the crusty with the sleek and the humble with the high-falutin’.  It’s always the mix that makes life so interesting.

We love a collected look. This is a perfect use for

a crunchy old bureau paired with a simple lamp & 

an interesting painting. From My Country French Home.

A splendid fruitwood buffet and a glowering portrait.

This is so European looking. From House and Home blog.

We also gave our walls a thought and fell in love with a gorgeous set of framed wildflower botanicals that date to the early 19th century:

Funnily enough, one of our very favorite blogs, Things That Inspire, just did a post on framed sets and botanicals  so we guess we’re not the only ones drawn to the elegant and organic personality of these.  We loved this image from the blog:

 

A glorious set of botanicals from Things that Inspire.

 And, at the end of long day, there’s always the wonderful reward:

This adorable monsieur was pouring bubbly at 11:30 a.m.

so we actually didn't have to wait all day.

This topped everything off:

The most delectable dessert was the perfect end to the day.

And…not to worry.  We’re already planning the next shopping expedition…

Ta ta.

Ohhhh La Laduree!

For as long as we can remember,  we’ve been absolutely crazy for Laduree and their little oh-so-Parisian treats, the famous macaroon. (Or as it’s properly spelled and pronounced, the macaron.  Roll those r’s in the back of your throat…)

We’ve often thought the macaron reward totally justifies an Air France ticket – the pastel-hued delicate little orbs of delicious pastry sandwiched around a creamy, sweet filling are that darn addictive and delicious.

 

Utterly beautiful & delicious too...les macarons de Laduree...

No Paris trip is ever complete without a stop at our favorite Laduree shop (the one in the 6^th on rue Bonaparte) and an ecstatic exit clutching the trademark pistachio green and gold bag.

 

 We could spend hours at the Laduree counter in Paris if it weren't for the long line of French

 madames waiting behind us..

And boy, are we popular when we get back to the U.S. (even if macarons arrived slightly smooshed and a little worse for wear.)  We adamantly swear by the company’s elegant presentation, their gorgeous packaging and the very Frenchiness of them.

Our very favorite Laduree location in the Sixth Arrondisement.

 Only in Paris.. the chic-est food truck ever.

Flashback to January 2013 and we’re at Maison et Objet, the gigantic show in Paris we like to do twice a year.  We stop at a booth, our eyes taken by an unusual array of clever folding trays.  A nice little conversation ensues and then we happen to notice a glimpse of the unmistakable green and gold, this time in a very smart looking box.

“Bonjour.  What’s that?” we inquire.

“Oh, it’s Laduree…” answers the lovely vendor.

“Bien sur, we recognize the gorgeous packaging but it’s not the macarons. Is it a candle?” we guess.

“Mais oui…” answers our new best friend who goes on to explain that Laduree has a lovely line of candles and home fragrances as well as a beauty line that she herself sells in her home furnishings shop in a fancy suburb of Paris.  We begin to swoon just a little, already imagining how perfect Laduree would be at Huff Harrington Home.

We were already picturing ourselves selling Laduree at Huff Harrington Home...

Well, you can probably imagine where this conversation went. By the time we moved on, our new best friend had promised to put us in touch with Laduree.   But, she cautioned: don’t get your hopes up. Only a selected few retailers are approved to carry the famed Laduree line.  And, the macarons themselves only go to dedicated bakeries (now very slowly opening here in the U.S.)  However, there is a slight, very slight, chance you might be approved for the home and beauty line…

With fingers and toes crossed that the sun, stars and planets would align, we waited with bated breath for a phone call from Laduree.

And it came!  This time, the thought of macarons did  justify an Air France plane ticket and Ann was able to schedule a meeting with them.  And, in the most lovely and serendipitous way, we got the oui, oui, oui from Laduree.

 We were thrilled to get the "Oui!" from Laduree...

Fast forward again to April and a delivery from France: boxes filled to the brim with the most gorgeous and elegant merchandise we’ve feasted our eyes on.

We are so proud and feel so privileged to be one of very few U.S. retailers of Laduree’s beauty, home and fragrance line: silky smooth and luxurious body creams and lotions, heavenly bath salts; room fragrances and candles.  We’re having so much fun displaying them at Huff Harrington Home and we’re delighted to announce that they’re flying off the shelves.

But we’re not surprised. And please excuse us if we sound a little like an adoring parent. We just can’t help it.  The products are simply beautiful, elegant and so Laduree…and now, here are some of the beauties now available at Huff Harrington Home:

 Part of the collection: cheeky and adorable limited edition candles named after

Paris, London & New York. Here's Paris, $68.

 The Laduree Paeva candle, $64.

 

 The Laduree New York candle, $64.

 The unforgettable Laduree orange blossom candle, $64.

The line also include creams, lotions, perfume and room sprays:

 

 Mimosa room spray a la Laduree, $75. We're crazy about the atomizer.

 Laduree does lotion: heavenly body cream, $78.

 Ohhh la la... body powder & an irresistible pink puff. We want one.. $68.

 For the sweetest smelling bath: violet bath salts, $48.

So, just in time for Mother’s Day (or just about any special occasion you can think of), may we suggest the most perfect little gift? The recipient will thank you profusely for your excellent taste and your refined sense of French style.  And, while you’re at it, why not indulge yourself with a little soupcon of ohhh la Laduree?

Ta ta…

 

Franke in France

 

Franke in France- toujours happy!

I'm one of the lucky ones who got to visit Nancy while she was painting in Paris. Not that it took a lot of arm twisting.

We had received a couple of emails from her, with a few snippets of her life in Paris.  Photos of her painting shirt hanging to dry on the window.  Glimpses of the Eiffel tower that dominated the view from her garret.  Pictures of paintings hanging on stairs to dry.  Labels from wine bottles enjoyed the night before.  Paintings of elegant Parisiennes, strolling the streets.  And most of all, fresh flowers, everywhere.

Flowers on her table

Flowers in the window

And flowers on her easel

We always like to visit our artists’ studios (especially the ones in France!) and we always like to see what inspires them in their surroundings. And it’s especially important when an artist is preparing for an exhibit as Nancy has been for her upcoming show, Franke, Foltz & Friends – which opens this Thursday, at Huff Harrington Fine Art.   So visiting her in France was a pretty easy argument to make, given the prep work needed for a show  (and the fact that Nancy’s month long sojourn in Paris overlapped with the best antiques market in France!).

Nancy and Michael were lucky to be staying in what we Huffingtons call our favorite hood, just steps away from the famous Rue Cler, which is dotted with fabulous flower markets and loaded with charming little restaurants and purveyors of fine foods and chocolates.  So we knew that there was no shortage of inspiration, in both the floral and food categories.  But we really had to laugh when Nancy published an adorable blog about her love of butter, and how butter was infusing everything she did and thought about, including her painting style!  Doesn’t every discussion in France eventually turn to food?

The food, the wine bottles, the flowers, the view, the paintings stacked up on the floor (especially the one wedged between the stairs, which I was just dying to see in person),  combined with Nancy’s effervescent personality (and her adorable hubby’s too) were too much to resist … and  I couldn’t have been happier to come up with a slew of excuses to justify a visit.

Paintings drying everywhere in Nancy's studio

Of course, seeing Nancy in Paris is kind of like seeing Pavarotti at La Scala.  She just belongs and thrives there!  Surrounded by museums filled to the brim with favorite artists, and every site on every street corner oozing with inspiration, not to mention the daily interactions and politesses with all the local merchants in her almost fluent French and the long three hour dinners in divine restaurants and the six mile walks every day  –  what’s not to love, especially for an artist?  It was a double treat for me to be there, since I got to see Paris through her ever-enthusiastic, well curated lens.

 

Rue de Rivoli, through Nancy's lens

Le Pont Alexandre, that caught our eye drying on the stairs

Champ de Mars

And then of course, as the work started to pour in, some of it still dripping with paint and oozing with butter, we were all jumping up and down with excitement.  Nancy has a magical touch, which has gotten lighter and looser over the years, but still manages to evoke  the warmth and essence and emotion of every subject she paints.  Combine that with her warmly diffused palette, her perfectly balanced compositions captured in just the right light, and her experienced editing skill  which enables her to pull away from the painting at just the right moment, leaving you to complete the details in your head so that the  interpretation is that much more personal … And there you have it: The je ne sais quoi Nancy Franke magic, that has us all enthralled.

I think for Nancy, the Paris experience was the perfect icing on the cake, adding to her explosion of senses (not to mention food metaphors!).  And those of us who get to see the work she has prepared for her upcoming show will get to share in the experience, almost as she did.  Bravo, Mme!  Franke in France was a sweet success and we can’t wait for your show to open on Thursday … and to embrace the fruits of your labor.  With butter!

Ta ta,

HH

Nancy signed off on one of emails with this picture.. the perfect embodiment

of Franke in France!