krister's Profile

Looks fine to me, LOVE the Union Jack ottoman (how's that for a Turkish/British collaboration). I don't understand why anyone would comment on the staging - would you prefer to see toilet seats up, not down, or dirty dishes or glasses out? Besides, looking at my living room, dining room and sun room from my vantage point, I don't see anything unnecessary sitting out, since I've always tried to put things away that aren't in use.

As a child, I always wondered why my mom insisted on daily vacuuming, daily bathroom cleans, etc. (and we had live-in "help"), but as an adult, I recognize the value of what she modeled - keep it clean so it's never even borderline disgusting, and keep it clean so it's a simple breeze to maintain.

It's funny, I remember the den of my childhood room - an expansive room with 25' of windows looking west, opening to a covered porch and then a swimming pool and gardens, and a 20' wall of books and redwood cabinetry, and another wall of stone and fireplace. The ceilings were soaring like a cathedral, with early 60's light fixtures. The furniture was mostly low. My mother's taste became my own, from the Rimini blue pottery to the atlases and artwork to the Moroccan carpets piled atop the floor.

We painted our pool a dark turquoise once (my idea), and the color shimmered.

I like it, especially how the "legs" of books mimic the stripes on the throw blanket on the sofa. And I'm scratching my head: how often do people actually bump into coffee tables and other pieces of furniture?

I'd add nearly anything by MFK Fisher, because while her books aren't cookbooks, they remind me why I like to eat and especially why I like to share meals with friends and family; Hazan's book of Middle Eastern Cooking because it's such an incredible resource; and the Joys of Cooking from the 70s and prior only because they include recipes for squirrel, and I think it's good to know how to prepare that particular varmint.

Using Indian spices - chicken thighs, rice, a side of lentils with peppers, and cauliflower. My beloved will prepare a galette using berries frozen from last summer.

I am inspired by the bookshelves. Adir and Marcello, did you add those, and if so, how?

Dinner tonight for friends - two roasted chickens on beds of vegetables; cranberries cooked with some honey; zucchini with leeks in a little white wine with some parsley; baguette from Ken's Artisan Bakery in Portland; and a soup that I made with squash, sweet potato, onion, coconut milk, ginger, garlic and cilantro. I bought dessert, a pear almond tart.

My partner and I both wear plenty of blues, turquoises, greens and dark gray - and our home reflects that. And if I protest that the pops of orange, yellow and red aren't found in the closet, I realize that each of those colors makes repeat appearances in our striped and Argyll socks.