Country Decor Blog

This is not meant to be a morbid post. Nor is it meant to be melancholy. Think of this as a sentimental post! I’ve been thinking of the pet cemetery I came across more than a month ago in Ireland. I did write about it briefly, but I wanted to share a bit more detail because I did find it to be very special because it demonstrates the connection that people can have with their pets. For all of us pet owners, the thought of losing a beloved dog, cat or even gerbil, can be devastating. I admit that I’m a complete basket-case whenever I think of one of my many four-legged friends leaving me (so much so that I keep acquiring new pets in the hopes that they will precipitously fill any upcoming void!). That being said, all of us who love pets know that the time will someday come that our animals will leave us. That is why I was so completely moved by the pet cemetery tucked away at the Powerscourt Estate in Co. Wicklow, Ireland.  

When you first arrive at Powerscourt, you are greeted by an overwhelming sense of formality and structure. The garden is elegant and designed in keeping with the feel of an Italian formal garden. As striking as it is, it doesn’t have a personal feel to it.

the exceedingly sculpted formal Italian gardens at Powerscourt

After a walk through the park, there are signposts pointing towards “the pet cemetery.” Odd, it seemed, to have a “pet cemetery” in a formal garden, no?  But when I finally came across it, I was overwhelmed by the emotions I felt as I walked through it. Formal headstones mark the last resting place of the pets - from ponies to dogs – that belonged to the Slazenger and Wingfield families who once lived in Powerscourt. Many of the headstones date back to the beginning of the 20th century. Knowing that a pet was so beloved that its resting spot is still admired more than 100 years later is remarkable. 

I took photos of each and every one of the tombstones, not out of morbid curiosity, but rather because I was charmed by the visual images that each of the inscriptions on the stones implied. For example, Eugenie the Jersey Cow “died in 1967, aged 15 years, She had 17 calves and produces over 100,000 gallons of milk.” Or Kilfane the Irish Wolfhound who was universally beloved. The inscriptions are all personal and simply beautiful. And the fact that the public are able to wander through these tombstones and imagine the lives of the pets that once ran joyously through the grounds of Powerscourt. It has to be said, that my favourite is the one listed below. Talk about anthropomorphosizing your family bet. I whole-heartedly agree that it is the right thing to do!

Apologies for my lack of blogging - the internet connections (and possibly my laptop) have been causing me a significant amount of grief… But here I am, writing away at the Westville Hotel in Enniskillen, and I can’t wait to talk about my day at Mount Stewart, a national trust property in Northern Ireland. I promise to catch up on yesterday’s events a little later today! (hint: it includes barbecue sauce!!)

When I imagine life in Ireland, I usually think nostalgia. I’m not sure why, after all Ireland is a modern, bustling economic force, but I still can’t help but think of visions of  the 1920s… Maybe it’s my penchant for Merchant Ivory films, but whenever I’ve come across a National Trust property, I’m smitten. Mount Stewart is simply one of the best properties that I’ve ever been to. Perhaps it is because a family member is still present there. (Lady Mairi Bury is in her late eighties and resides in the magnificent house). Or maybe it’s because of the fabulous George Stubbs painting that hangs in the hall. Or the multitudes of family portraits that hang throughout the rooms, given you a glimpse into a kinder, gentler life. But in reality, I think it is because of the gardens. They are truly sublime. 

Designed in the 1920s by Lady Mairi’s mother, Lady Londonberry, the gardens are elegant testaments to her original vision. Lovingly cared for by the head gardener Owen (who I was lucky enough to meet) the gardens exude style, energy and grace. We got there at midday (not exactly the best time to shoot a garden), but we were lucky to have beautiful light, thanks to those endless Irish clouds. 

I’m thankful we had an opportunity to visit Mount Stewart, and I implore anyone who dreams of visiting Ireland to make sure that a visit - preferably a whole day there - is on their schedule. There is even a lovely spot to have lunch or tea (and they make a yummy carrot cake too!)

I haven’t been able to download my personal shots of Mount Stewart, but here is a glimpse courtesy of the Irish Tourist board.

Imagine being able to live here?

Following our dreamy time there, we were picked up and taken to the Culloden Hotel and Spa, an exceptionally grand property on the outskirts of Belfast. It was the quintessentially beautiful old-style hotel. We checked in and had a (freshly baked) scone and tea. Yum! The beds were cozy. We were sad to only be able to spend one night there….

* Other than the Mount Stewart property, Lady Londonderry is perhaps best known for her role as ’society’s queen’ - a hostess to the rich and famous. Her close circle of friends included Winston Churchill, Lady Astor, Neville Chamberlain and Harold Macmillan who congregated in her salon, known as ‘The Ark’. Each of the members of ‘The Ark’ had nicknames, and Winston Churchill was known as ‘Winston the warlock’

**if you are interested in visiting Ireland, check out www.discoverireland.com

It’s official. I’m a Guiness drinker. But only in Ireland. I’m not sure whether it is because of the bracing winds, the intermittent downpours or the attractive Irish barhands, but Guiness seems to be the drink of choice on my tour of Ireland. 

Today started at the Powerscourt Estate in Co. Wicklow. A fabulous property that overlooks the ridiculously perfect “Sugar Loaf” mountain, Powerscourt encompasses the best of international gardening styles in one property. From formal Italian gardens (think clipped boxwood and tight circular beds planted with red roses) to a jewel of a Japanese garden, Powerscourt sparked my gardening imagination. One particularly quirky feature, however, was the family pet cemetary (the Slazenger family, of the eponymous tennis racket manufacturing company, vacated the house in the last decade or so). Some may find it morbid, but I found the stone markers of everyone from “Mrs. Mare, a brilliant hunter & companion” who passed away in 1940 at 19 years of age to “Sailor, a curly retriever, a faithful companion for 5 years.”

The animal kingdom theme continued at the Irish National Stud, which is the only Irish stud farm opened to the public, was our next stop. Of course, I was thrilled to see some incredible thoroughbreds first-hand. Better still was our second Japanese garden of the day, which depicted rather romantically the stages of life. The garden, which I will detail later this week, was simply spectacular. It will be celebrating its 100th anniversary next year.

But back to the most important part of my day: the delicious pint of Guiness that I consumed at the quintessentially Irish pub “Johnny Fox’s.” Where Irish music and dancing was the order of the day. I enjoyed my meal of colcannon soup, grilled salmon and whisky cake - perhaps a little too much! (I rarely eat dessert!). Until tomorrow’s adventures!

*of course I want a pint of Guiness!

**if you are interested in visiting Ireland, check out www.discoverireland.com

There’s nothing more amusing than walking into a powder room that’s decorated in quirky style. Case in point: a friend’s powder room that was wallpapered in vintage covers from The New Yorker, a loo at a stable in Creemore, Ontario that was wallpapered in the back page from the UK’s Horse & Hound magazine (the back page consists of outrageous falls and near-falls from horseback throughout history). The powder room also gives a homeowner an opportunity to pull out all the stops and decorate in a way that they may not in a larger setting. For example, if you love hot pink, it would make more sense to paint a tiny powder room in that brilliant hue (try it in high gloss) than to paint your living room walls that colour! On my Hampton Island visit in Georgia last month, I was delighted to come across a powder room that was having fun with trompe l’oeil. Wallpapered in a stunning fabric printed with reams of porcelain plates “hung” on the wall, the effect was quite intense. The fabric was a rich amber and the plates were black and white chinoiserie. The overall look was quite fun. As intrigued as I was by the initial appeal of the room, imagine my surprise when I realized that they’d actually attached REAL plates to the wall - on top of the fabric pattern! What a fun idea.

At any rate, a great idea for a powder room that I would definitely suggest stealing from the stylish team at Hampton Island!

…Maybe I exaggerated a bit about my favourite country bathroom in my last post. At least, I thought it was my favourite - that is until I saw this bathroom the next day. At Hampton Island, a tiny private island on the coast of Southern Georgia, beauty and nostalgic architecture reign supreme. In fact, one of the houses that is available to guests of the Hampton Island club appeared in a famous American decorating magazine (which I won’t mention - after all, they are a competitor!). That being said, the decor at Hampton Island is a nice blend of elegance and glamour infused with laid-back country style. The master bathroom in one of the houses had tons of great ideas to steal. I’ll go through all of my favourites here:

1. Create a trompe l’oeil carpet with mosaic tiles.The use of mosaic tiles in a dark charcoal juxtaposed the sleek white carrera marble tiles gives the illusion of a “carpet” under the top. It works well in this large bathroom to help delineate the space where the tub sits. I also like how they have used carrera marble mosaic tiles on the wall - it bridges the two tile styles on the floor.

2. Install a porthole window in your showerOne of my favourite things in my own shower at home is the tiny window that my contractor installed just above eye-level. It’s too high for peeping Toms in the house next door to look in (unless, I suppose, they get on a ladder), but it lets in a wonderful amount of natural light - sometimes I can even imagine that I’m showering outdoors! I loved how this shower, tiled in tiny perfect Carrera marble mosaic tile, has a porthole window. Very fun!

3. The demi-lune is a hit as a vanityContinuing on the theme of creating furniture-like items in this bathroom (i.e., the mosaic “carpet”), these feminine demi-lune vanities with their gorgeous bianca marble (I think that’s what it is) tops, are just perfect. I’ve always loved the demi-lune shape for a table (I have one in my front hall). It is simple but elegant all at the same time! A true “little black dress” of furniture!

4. Please, no angled glass showers!My dad has a lot of influence over me - still - and though I will deny it if anyone were to tell him, when he tells me something, it usually sticks in my mind like parental glue. In the case of designing a bathroom, he always said that a square shower is the way to go - forget about slicing off the corner to create more space. Angled shower doors are “mincey” in his words. And I have never forgotten it. Every shower I have ever designed looks pretty much like this one. (although I always add a shelf for beauty products!)

5. A room of one’s ownDoesn’t this photo feel like something out of a Merchant Ivory film. The soft light filtering through the floor-to-ceiling windows, the muted colour palette, the rich look of the room. This simply perfect country bathroom has a lot of wonderful qualities and ideas to steal for your own bathroom at home. I know I have been inspired! And for sure this bathroom is REALLY my favourite!

When I think about the country bathroom ideal, it ALWAYS has to involve a clawfoot tub. None of those decadent four-person, air bubble tubs for me! But imagine if you could take that bath on a screened-in porch? That’s exactly what I did the other night while exploring Hampton Island, a fascinating private island in Southern Georgia; just half an hour from Savannah. The developers have created an idyllic community that blends the best of nostalgia (carriage rides pulled by 18-hand white Percherons), with nature (kayaking and hiking), with gourmet food (a fabulous biodynamic organic farm). The houses that have been built so far all have that Southern sensibility blended with modern-day panache. I plan on chatting about the decor of a number of my favourite rooms here. But first, the bathroom! Simple, elegant and most importantly, built from reclaimed wood. This bathroom is actually a tiny rustic-looking powder room, while the bath was in a separate screened-in space. I like the idea of using a vintage cast-iron sink, as well as the fun 1950s calendar. I have two more “country baths” to show you in upcoming blogs, but honestly, I think this one, in all its simplicity, is my favourite! Take a look at my shots and let me know what you think!

Okay, okay. I know I just wrote this past weekend about how delightful it is in the cold of winter, but I lied! Today’s unbelievably low temperature has caused my toes to freeze and my blood pressure to rise! What I normally do when I’m chilled to the bone is to either hop into my clawfoot tub (it’s by Kohler and I LOVE it) or remind myself of some recent warm weather travels. I recently travelled to the Puerto Vallarta region of Mexico and stayed at some pretty exceptional hotels. My favourite (from both a location and a decor perspective) was called Cafe des Artistes hotel. The view overlooking the Pacific Ocean was spectacular, and the decor (and decor ideas) were even more inspiring. Forget about the balmy temperatures, the decor was enough (okay maybe with the infinity pool as well)