Happy Friday

June 23, 2017Leave a comment

My wanderlust has got the best of me. I’ve always wanted to “Summer in the Cape”. It seems like a perfect place to retreat from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Unfortunately, I can’t seem to get away this summer for any real vacation and daydreaming about life on the Cape for a week in the summer has quickly led way to my new addiction of browsing real estate listings for a tiny Cape Cod cottage to call our own. My needs are simple: something tiny so it is very manageable and easy to decorate. A view of the water would be a major perk. Something very modest would suit me just fine. How do I make this happen? Truly, a first world problem….

I was looking through some of my pictures from our last trip to New England, which included this post about staying several nights at The Chatham Inn at 359 Main in the charming Cape Cod town of Chatham, Massachusetts. Chatham is situated at the “elbow” of Cape Cod where land starts to curve northerly. It is really one of the most charming towns in the Cape and I thought I would share some of the details I found while in Chatham. And because today is National Pink Day (there is a holiday for everything!), today seems like a perfect day to share these particular pictures. Happy Friday, Happy Weekend, Happy National Pink Day!

Life gets just a little bit slower as you cross the bridge and enter Cape Cod.

chatham cape code via reviving charm

Original photos by Reviving Charm.

Marvelous Merrywood

June 22, 2017June 21, 20173 Comments

In McLean, Virginia, about 8 miles from Downtown Washington, DC, there lies a beautiful Georgian style estate known as Merrywood on the banks of the Potomac River. Built in 1919, the 23,000 (!) square foot home is situated on 7 private acres and is currently for sale by AOL co-founder Steve Chase but it was long ago the childhood home of Jackie Kennedy. She spent her teenage years here before going off to boarding school and often “summered” here.

I always love it so at Merrywood—so peaceful … with the river and those great steep hills,” Bouvier wrote in 1944, when she was a teenager. (via Town & Country Magazine)

merrywood estate georgian architecture

The property has been restored and much of its original architectural detailing is intact. The interiors were designed by acclaimed interior designer Barry Dixon in warm, muted tones. Now let’s take a look inside…

merrywood estate jackie kennedy merrywood estate 1 merrywood estate 3 merrywood estate 4 merrywood estate for sale merrywood estate 5 merrywood estate 6 merrywood estate 8 merrywood estate 7

Be sure to check out the video accompanying the listing of the property on the Sotheby’s website. The private gates are literally opened and you are transported down the beautiful stone lined driveway and welcomed into the home to provide you with a more in-depth look at this stunning estate.

Fit for a {Principessa}

June 21, 2017June 21, 20172 Comments

I have been learning Italian for a few years on and off as a hobby as opposed to serious study. Like many tourists to Italy, I started with a few basic phrases thinking it would be fun and a great way to immerse myself in the culture. I do not claim be proficient in the language by any stretch of the imagination but I know enough not to get myself into trouble…although I did have an argument with a gelato server for giving me the wrong flavor and I had to firmly point out to a cashier several times at the train station that he gave me the wrong change.

A few months ago I subscribed to the Italian version of Marie Claire Maison magazine. The current issue features the home of twenty-seven-year-old Princess Antea Brugnoni Alliata, her husband Maro Kinloch Herbertson (owner of the silk fashion accessories brand “Kinloch”), and their three children. A year ago the couple decided to move to Rome while maintaining their 17th-century Sicilian palace, Villa Valguarnera. Their new residence is decorated in shades of blues and greens with the most amazing wallpaper. It turns out that the couple recently debuted their own new wallpaper company, Roi Du Lac at Maison & Objet. Thier home seems to be a wonderful showcase of their new line, wouldn’t you agree? (You can learn more about the inspiration behind their new company here). From the limited photos, I can already tell that thier new home in Rome is definitely fit for a Principessa…

italian blue interior design Reviving Charm