Refectory tables, because bigger is better

I'm in love with this room. The colors, the fireplace tile, the chandeliers, the paneling, the rug, the windows... but most especially with that gorgeous, long expanse of table. Refectory tables have their roots in medieval design, a period that has suddenly reignited my interest thanks to some fun genealogical detective work. The tables usually have six to eight legs joined by stretchers just above the floor, and they're most associated with the refectory, or dining room, of monasteries. The tables were used in domestic settings too, often placed in the hall or principal room of medieval dwellings. They remained a common form into the 17th century, with a resurgence in the late-19th century as the Arts and Crafts movement looked to the medieval period for inspiration, as seen in this dining room. And while they were always intended as dining tables, I can't help but wish I had one for a desk... my laptop at one end, with the rest of the surface given over to joyful, if messy, piles of books and papers and magazines. 

The dining room above was designed by James "Ford" Huniford for a family in Northern California. I'm delighted to have just interviewed Ford for this month's edition of +RubyLUX. 

Click HERE to read the feature.

The Queen and her corgis, as you've not seen them before

As a writer for design and lifestyle magazines, I get a lot of press releases via email. None, however, have made me giggle quite so much as one that arrived this morning...

Spoonflower is a North Carolina-based firm that lets you design and print your own textiles, wall coverings and even wrapping papers. (How cool is that?)

So with their existing archive of 300+ corgi designs and ahead of Queen Elizabeth's ninetieth birthday this Saturday, they've released a body pillow of Her Majesty and ninety different corgi pillows.

I die.

They even thoughtfully included twelve factoids about the Queen and her corgis, which I'll paste below the images.

Enjoy. And by all means, plump gently.

12 Things You Never Knew About The Queen And Her Corgis

The Queen has owned more than 30 corgis (but none, as far as we can tell, with a name longer than two syllables).

Pembroke Welsh Corgis are her favorite breed. 

She has loved corgis since she was a small child, after first encountering those owned by the children of the Marquess of Bath. 

The first corgi she ever owned was called Dookie, which her father, the future King George VI, brought home for his daughters Elizabeth and Margaret in 1933. 

Elizabeth, age 7, picked Dookie from a choice of three Corgi pups, reportedly because of his longer tail – “So that we can see whether he’s pleased or not”.  

When still young princesses, Elizabeth and her sister Margaret, invented the “dorgi”, by cross breeding Elizabeth’s corgi, Tiny, with Margaret’s dachshund, Pipkin.

On her 18th birthday in 1954, the future queen was given a corgi named Susan. 

She was so fond of Susan that she took her on honeymoon after marrying Prince Philip in 1947.

Susan founded a corgi dynasty, spanning at least 10 generations of royal corgis.

Susan became one of several royal corgis to bite royal servants, when she nipped Leonard Hubbard, the Royal Clockwinder, as he was entering the Royal Lodge Windsor in 1954.

Holly and Willow, the Queen’s current corgis, are the last two remaining of a once 13-strong pack. 

Holly and Willow seem likely to be the Queen’s last corgis, after the announcement last year that she had ended her breeding programme.

Thoughts on collecting, and my latest Staffordshire figure

I recently came across this Eat Love Savor article about how young people aren't collecting anymore, and I've had to reread it several times as it's really stuck with me. At first I was sad... but then, if I'm honest, the hunter in me kicked in and I actually thought, "Wonderful, less competition!"

While, true, collecting is a hobby that requires free time and extra cash, something a lot of young people don't have, it's also a hobby (a passion) that provides an incredible source of pleasure and learning. There's such a feeling of reward when you discover something you've been looking for, or better yet, when you stumble across a completely unexpected find! My husband and I are lucky to live in an area with fantastic old homes, so estate sales have been a particularly incredible resource for discovering all the old bits and bobs I like... antique porcelain, out-of-print interior design books... you name it. (LA is also a great city for auctions and I'm still thrilled by the Ringo Starr wing chairs we got at Julien's last year! Never mind their cool history, they're insanely comfortable and let us linger long into the evening over a bottle of wine.)

I'm not sure when or how the collecting bug started but I can't quite imagine a time I'll give it up, or a time I'd at least stop looking and being interested. Maybe that's the key, really. To collect, you have to be curious, and I worry that many people today simple are not. And I'm just not sure how you teach or impart curiosity. My parents did it by taking me all over the world at a young age and by putting a huge emphasis on history and culture. My husband's parents did it by being passionate about entertaining at home. There are all sorts of ways. So what's happened?

But I'm not going to solve that now, so here's a look at the latest addition to my Staffordshire collection. Picked it up for a song at a Beverly Hills estate sale on Saturday. And I mean song! It's a late-19th century spill vase with a boy, a girl and a goat. I love their sweet expressions: his is contemplative as he gently pets the goat, and hers is one of pride, her arm draped around her love. Plus, the lead male character of my novel is a redhead, so I took it as a sign... a wonderfully encouraging little wink from the Universe.

Verdant views for writing inspiration

This afternoon is all about book research, so I'm delving into the gloriously green world of Dutch-born engraver Johannes Kip (c. 1652-1722) who worked for the royal court and followed William and Mary to London in the late 1680s. There, he set up a successful print shop and worked with a number of publishers on documenting England's stately homes and their expansive, park-like settings.

At home in L.A. with Ole Henriksen

A little behind-the-scenes photoshoot fun at the West Hollywood home of skincare expert Ole Henriksen and interior designer Laurence Roberts. You can see the whole feature here. Gorgeous home. Happy couple. And lots of Danish hygge. Such a fun story to write!