Mountain Style

View from my bedroom

I truly apologize for my lack of blogging and missing out on our last"By invitation only" posting. Having a free moment this morning, I will try and catch up on my fellow bloggers' post

 I was snowbound in the French Pyrennees where my parents spend the winters. Hurling winds and record snow made skiing very challenging, but I loved it all the same.

Waking up this morning to a windy, sub zero snowy day, I feel this is a perfect opportunity to write my  yearly "Mountain Style" post.

I have a very deep love for the mountains. I embrace the challenge of the weather , love trekking up the mountains, love extreme high altitudes and most of all love the snow.

However, I am a designer after all and my surroundings and interiors are also very important to my sense of well being. 

Enjoy!

My village and ski resort in the French Pyrenees:Saint -Lary

 

 

 

 

 

 

A guest retreat, part of a ski house I designed in Utah

A spa retreat

 

A place to forget about the world...

A Bientot,

Francine

Please visit my new website: www.interieursdesignstudio.com

My Girlfriend's Wedding….

I recently had dinner with a friend and  sharing over Sushi at Nobu' bar (our get together cantina), our thoughts about life, infinity, black hole, religion and…girlfriends.

I cannot envision my life without my girlfriends. We are always there for each other, with quite a few years behind us, we all have experienced the roller coaster that is life…our joy, our fears, our defeats and successes, but above all the incredible support and love we have for each other.
I am truly blessed with the most loving friends and their trust in me.

While walking in the woods near my house, my friend Cheryl announced in passing that…YES! she was getting married to my good friend Tom….I introduced them to each other a year ago at one of our Interieurs' party. Then I asked: where are you getting married? We looked at each other and without saying we knew…at the house, right? The house being our home in Connecticut where we celebrated my friend's Suzanne's (referred to at the time as my kids' second mom) wedding… a beautiful affair 10 years ago. On a side note, my husband is a lucky man, having been surrounded all these years by these beautiful, kind, funny, generous women, the women in my life.

Cheryl and Tom said yes on a glorious autumn day….not a dry eye under the tent… there was so much happiness, love, tears and laughter. This was a very intimate wedding,  lunch in our living room, where we spent so many moments together, Christmases, Thanksgiving, celebrations, always great food and wine, compliments of my husband, the chef and patriarch who knows how to take care of "his girls".

My friend Judith and Francesca (she really is a med student..) helped me with the flowers, my sons  moved all the furniture out of the house, Julie baked the most amazing cake. Everyone was there to celebrate. To Tom, this is an official sealed welcome into our crazy, fun, loving  family.

The setting

The preparation: flowers in season

Lunch for 40

The beautiful ceremony officiated by Tom's sister

Austin gave his mom away…

mom and daughter

The dashing boys…Austin and my sons

Here's to you "Mr and" Mrs Robinson!

Staying ZEN….

I have entered a period of great change and restlessness … so much so that even my two wonderful rescue dogs are picking up on my moods. 

I wish that after the numerous trips I've taken to Asia, I would have spent more time listening and absorbing the teaching of Buddhism. My heart and soul gravitates to the Zen philosophy.

Change is scary … in such times, ones needs to find their own peace and reality. My surroundings deeply affect my moods and I find refuge in nature and my home. I am able to capture moments of great but simple beauty, be it a sun ray of pure morning light casting shadows of tree leaves on my walls, the sound of morning dove, the thought of a friend.

All the emotions and feelings are part of the personal journey reflected in my design work.

Share with me a few moments of Bliss, Zen and Beauty ….

These images are from my various Interior Design projects.

Soon InterieursDesign Studio by Francine Gardner is too launch.

Join us on October 14th at Interieurs, 228 East 58th Street for an intimate gathering celebrating our design work and our new website.

Dreaming of a Zen refuge…email me: fgardner@interieurs.com

Looking for a designer?

My Portfolio on Dering Hall

They are quite few venues for a designer to showcase their work other than their own websites, advertising, showhouses, being published, self promoted via hosted sites such as Houzz.

I have done all the above and am constantly looking for opportunities to show my work. I have been on Dering Hall since the launch of the site and it never ceases to amaze me. The latest feature showcases its designers' members work and make their portfolios searchable by designers, style, type of room.

Visitors to the site will be able to access designers portfolios by simply searching for "traditional living rooms" or "master barthrooms"... As a designer and member of Dering hall, your portfolio can be found through this easy and visually attractive search mode.

Looking for a designer? check out Dering Hall

Want to re-design your living room ? go straight to Dering Hall

Dering Hall portfolio

Welcoming the fabulous David Scott to Dering Hall

 

A bientot,

Francine