How nice it is to receive word from Houzz stating that Mary Hickey Interiors was chosen as “Best of Houzz” 2013 by the Houzz, the leading online platform for residential remodeling and design. We are so honored to receive this award.

In the category of Design, award winners’ work was the most popular among the community of 11 million monthly users, also known as “Houzzers,” who saved more than 124 million professional images of home interiors and exteriors to their personal ideabooks via the Houzz site, iPad/iPhone app and Android app.


“Houzz provides homeowners with an in-depth, 360-degree view of building, remodeling and design professionals through images of their work, reviews and an opportunity to interact with them directly in the Houzz community,” said Liza Hausman, vice president of community. “We’re delighted to recognize Mary Hickey Interiors among our “Best Of” professionals for design as judged by our community of homeowners and design enthusiasts who are actively remodeling and decorating their homes.”

Thank you to all who have been inspired by our design work!  We look forward to sharing with you in 2013 more of our designs.

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Mary Hickey Interiors wishes you and your family a happy and healthy holiday!

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It’s 7:47 am the “day after”…

Yes. I lounged this morning- no 5:15 am jumping out of bed for ME.

I’m sitting in the living room reflecting on Thanksgiving Day 2012 and giving thanks at last because there surely was not a moment to do so yesterday!

And for that, I give thanks,too.

The story…

Two days ago I was PARTY READY for a casually sophisticated feast…tailored to be delicious AND attractive for my daughter, Anne Marie , her husband, Jack and their two children, Jay and Alice and my daughter, Elizabeth and her fiancé, Steve.

A small intimate gathering…the smallest I’ve been a part of in ten years.

Aside from my “day job”, everyone who knows me knows I love food and flowers and entertaining…

I had planned- the legal pad notes can attest. I had dreamt of a menu that was part traditional family, part “new” tradition… a kind of Ree Drummond/ Ina Garten mélange, if you will…

Turkey Roulade- straight  from Ina, stuffed with sweet/hot sausage and morsels of figs. I had made this for my family previously…soooo good!

Cranberries- “Joy of Cooking” style

Mashed and Sweet Potatoes – both and  yes, cream cheese and broiled marshmellows, for sure !

Peas with Applewood Smoked Bacon and Roasted Pearl Onions – my idea

Honey-glazed Carrots- cut on the bias, very pretty with bits of green parsley

Grapefrut, Avocado, Pomegranate Salad-passed from my Nana through my Mother to me..

For dessert..Pumpkin pie with “whup” cream, clementines and petit-fours especially for Jay who loves cake as his mother does!

The table setting was going  to be that “mix”, too…

My family’s Herend ” Rothschild Bird” patterned china and green goblets from my youth paired with Pottery Barn heavily woven placemats, “everyday” simple French stainless and flowers chosen straight from the grocery store kiosk, arranged by Mary.

Family…tradition…”twists”-

If you think I am building up to a grand crescendo of holiday disaster, I’m going to disappoint you a bit…

There were moments of pure bliss-

mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes without lumps…

the aroma of smoked bacon,

the wondefully caramelized bit of roasted onion and tang of a wedge of “ruby red” popped into my mouth,

as I stood in my sun-filled kitchen,

preparing,

pondering Thanksgiving pasts,

to the eclectic mix of tunes from Etta James, Frank Sinatra, Colbie Caillat, Amy Winehouse and my fave, Adele.

The sweet texts from Anne Marie…” Jay is asking every 20 minutes, ” when are we going to Mimi’s??” and sound of the door opening with Jay ringing out, “Hi Mimi…I’m here!” Seeing Elizabeth walk through the door with Steve and thinking about their wedding next summer…

Baby Alice’s first Thanksgiving, celebrated here at my house- “pretty girl” ( as Jay calls her) loving  peas and her first taste of sweet potato, sitting in the same high chair as her Mother and Aunt did years ago.

Family…traditions…new “twists”…

SO WHAT if I had to “hack” the perfectly formed roulade into pieces because the butcher provided a less than perfect “bird”…

And those envisioned delicately decorated petit- fours from the long depended on bakery?

Well, I guess they had decided to put a “twist” on their tradition, too-

Hahahaha…

Life is good, good.

My best,

Mary

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(Yes, since early “mommy” days thirty years ago, it remains to be a habit of mine to tease my senses and creative mind by sitting in my living room surrounded by the first cup of coffee, sketch pad, my favorite Russel + Hazel legal pads, colored pens, piles of magazines, post-its, cookbooks and the latest autobiography!)

I digress…

Anyway! I was flipping through the VIEW section of the magazine (my favorite part) when I came upon a lovely, moody shot of swaying grass, a beautiful model and…a gorgeous printed robe. The designer? My friend and client, Monica Nassif.

We all know this talented woman has launched Sophia Graydon; we are on her website’s mailing list, but VOGUE! Oh, my!

Thanks, Monica. You have always been a great friend and inspiration. You’ve “saved” me again – this time from “blog boredom”!

It’s 6:00am…time to do the “toilette” and start my day – exhilerated and restored by my Vogue foray. Please take a few moments to peruse our blog for more insights and creative thoughts gained from the October issue of Vogue. It’s a veritable treasure chest this month!

My best,

Mary

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I do love London… Ido… but I was taken with Chloe’s Clare Waight Keller’s move (Channel Crossing) to Paris from London with her family.

Among her 3 lessons in how to be the perfect modern Parisian, was a thought on “How to Decorate”. The pivotal thought for me… “The two agree that what makes an interior quintessentially French in a modern way is the judicious placement of objects, the combination of the serious and playful deployed against a rigorously plain background” (as opposed to the pile-one-more-thing-on ethos of Keller’s birthplace).

This statement says it all!

This month’s Vogue VIEW Section, “Channel Crossing”

Jean Royére Furniture at Galerie Chastel-Maréchal

Keller with Joseph Dirand at Galerie Chastel-Maréchal.

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Images:  Pinterest

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This past winter while in Chicago I went to the Chicago History Museum to view the Charles James Exhibition. I wasn’t familiar with his work prior to attending the exhibit, but left a big fan. What struck me while being so close to these couture gowns and classic day dresses was the incredible detail – while some details more obvious than others, it was the least obvious details that made me appreciate good design even more.

The Charles James “Tree” gown (shown above) is obvious in the details – the pleating is breathtaking, but what is not shown to the casual observer is the detail underneath. They actually took x-rays of the dress to figure out how it was made!

This day dress by Charles James, while it looks simple in the details is actually quite detailed.  Angelina Jolie actually wore this 1940′s vintage dress in The Tourist.

Made of mohair with bell sleeves and fitted bodice, what actually is not as obvious to the eye is the detail at the waist. A secret, hidden detail in the design that makes the waistline adjustable to the wearer allowing for a more fitted and customized look. Genius!

Which brings me to interiors. We can see a room in a magazine that is full of furniture, patterns, tassels, trims, a variety of colors and finishes and you know a lot of detail is put into that room.

However, it’s a room like this one designed by Mary Hickey, that makes the “design is in the details” statement ring true, just like with the vintage Charles James dresses. Not many fabrics or patterns were used in this room, nor was it over-accessorized, but the details are what make the room. The scale and proportion, the exact shades of grey tones used in the custom mural and the tile in the fireplace, the way the lamp was chosen so the light bounces off the lamp and reflects into the room, the chair ties – keeping them simple and uncomplicated so as not to fight with the interest going on in the mural.

A good designer knows how colors play off each other and in the way light in a room can look different throughout the day. Good designers also knows scale and proportion, when and how to be reserved and refined in design and to make something in the room important and so much more. All this is done while still making the room function, just like that reserved, yet functioning vintage Charles James day dress.

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At the office, Mary has recently mentioned her feeling that the long-prevailing use of greys in design will soon be replaced by another range of neutral: browns…and according to this year’s car show, her ‘Designer instinct’ is right on! The new cars on display were represented in the staple hues of white, black and red, with a brown color thread running across all of the manufacturers at the show.

Volkswagen

Kia

Porsche

Audi

Cadillac

From camel to espresso, be on the lookout for this color trend this year!

Farvel,

Anne.

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Restoration Hardware "French Herb Garden Kit"

Sagaform "Triple Herb Pot" Preserver

Boskke "Sky Planter"

West Elm "Open-Face Terrarium"

Normann Copenhagen "Herb Stand"

Happy growing/”herbing”/cooking!

Farvel,

Anne.

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