Maryalice Huggins, besides having a beautiful name, loves the artisanal and sumptuous quality of fine antiques and priceless heirlooms. And the heirlooms don’t just have to come from your family! Maryalice loves to mix and match from a variety of contemporary and historical artifacts and time periods, and we can do a lot to learn from her. Thank you, NYTimes.com, for bringing once again a refreshing mix of the old and the new to home and garden styling!

What if you want to recreate the aesthetic of Maryalice Huggin’s home? I suggest we start with a base layer of neutral, contemporary objects. Some standard white walls and solid colored rugs, some geometric sofas and glossy tables. From there, let’s look at some antique, rusted, inspired pieces to give your home a kick. Good objects to look for are mirrors, lamps, and table sculptures. Let’s take a look:

First, the base contemporary layer:

Zuo 900231 Fortress Sofa White: $1,322.00

And the antique lovely to set it off just right:

Uttermost 12525 Hesper Wall Art w/Etched, Antique Mirrors and Pewter Finish: $144.00

Find more contemporary style home decor at Smarter.com.

Canopy Swing Stand: On sale from $800 to $590, this beautifully built and organically curved structure will make you feel alive!

3400 Series Wood Chair: $114.99 Brings you back to memories of the old school house with this lovely, basic wood chair.

Shop for discount wooden furniture at Smarter.com.

What to take away from Grant K. Gibson: Luxury, antiques, brass, cool white and gold lighting and light fixtures, and sumptuous carpets and walls. Here’s how to get a start on luxury:

Glass Candle Sleeve: $12.00-$16.00

Buffalo China Dinnerware Set: $30.00-$60.00

While the Washington Post heralds Barry as being more than an interior designer but a “life coach”, I think there is some truth to the statement that “simple pleasures” are the way to live, but I don’t think Barry coined the phrase. Simple pleasures are defined everyday by people like you who want to enjoy some special and treat themselves with small graces instead of material gluttony and excess. Look for sumptuous fabrics or blankets to make you feel warm and toasty, or a certain beautiful cup or dishware for those lazy Sunday brunches that make you a little less haggard about the thought of work the next day.

Some simple pleasure items:

Colored Water Goblets: $34.98

French Press Coffee Maker: $34.99

Satin Sheet Sets: $39.99-49.99

Do all your discount shopping at Smarter.com!

Stained Glass Window by NVO.com: $95.00

Wooden Shalom Keyrack from NVO.com: $12.00

Shalom Plate 6.5″ from NVO.com: $12.50

Antique decorated room.

Vintage-inspired room.

Retro decor abound in this collage!

Antique, vintage & retro reproductions are so “in.” Everybody’s copying the rich character & form these pieces offer! Pottery Barn & Restoration Hardware are so in on the trend. From old cameras to shoeforms, vintage candelabras to glass jars with zinc tops.

So, will you be in or out?

Sources:  CountryLiving.com,  VintageIndie.typepad.com

Your garden seems to have it all but just like decorating the inside of your home, your garden is never complete without accessories. Here are my top three pics for accessorizing that garden:

1. Cast iron:

Nothing evokes rustic & charming than these kind of accessories. Find an assortment, from planters to thermometers.

Acanthus Urn: $69

2. Moss-laden ceramics:

These accessories will instantly bring you to an antique garden with it’s magnificent sculptures & enthralling fountains. The weathered look is simply beautiful.

Ceramic Pineapple Finial: $34.50

3. Aluminum:

Amazingly cheap & yet so modern-looking.

Aluminum Planters from Grass Roots Modern

Other options of course includes wood & wrought iron. You can mix & match different types of garden accessories, but make sure you stay with one look & you can have a complete garden vignette.

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for more planters.

1. The World is not Enough (1999)

Gold filigree, lavish textiles, Versailles blue, sheer curtains:  this is sumptuous style at its peak.  To emulate this style, first thing you need to look at is the walls.  You want to consider accent colors, like yellow or blue, that are regal and slightly muted and darkened in their color.  But not too dark, we’re not looking to recreate Gothic Victorianism.  It’s all about finding a luminous match for gold, which is the number one trickiest home decor color to use well.  Gold promotes elegance and reeks of status, but guests (and yourself) will immediately ask “is this really necessary?  The rest of the house is so post-modern, and then you get to the living room with the gold filigree around the door, gold-winged angel hunched over the ashtray, and gold tassels on the heavy blue curtains?  Who are these people and when did I go through the timewarp?”  Gold is beautiful in the most unlikely of places:  bed comforters, hands down, look beautiful in gold.  I love EgyptianPeddler.com’s 7-piece Bed-in-a-Bag Diamond Gold Comforter Set ($99.99).  Complete with a comforter, 2 pillow shams, 2 square cushions, 1 neck pillow and 1 pleat, this deal is featured at Smarter.com’s comparison shopping at the remarkable deal price of only $99!  Available in king, queen, or full, this is a bed set fit for a goddess, and is not too gaudy or rash in its coloring.  It’s very warm, but not too bright, and is made of some if the finest materials.

2. Quantum of Solace, Bedroom Scene (2008)

Freshest on my mind at least, the most recent Bond movie has remarkable architecture and scenery as well.  The opera scene still sends shivers down my spine.  But don’t forget about the leading (and second-tier) women of the film, who are just as remarkable as their predecessors.  Recently I attempted to cut my hair like the redhead in this photo, I think it turned out rather well (more reason to look to Bond for style advice in every lifestyle choice!).  What I want to point out about this photo is the beautifully crafted dark wood in the room:  the modernist bed frame, the window screens, the lamps and wall paneling.  While dark wall painting is rarely a good thing unless you’re setting up a photography darkroom, dark wood on the walls is absolutely beautiful, natural and elegant.  I am absolutely turned on by the bed frame:  check out the sultry equivalent created by William and Sonoma, called the Wood Bed Frame, Cal King, Cocoa Stain.  Boasting handcrafted solid hardwood and maple veneer, this high-backed bed is absolutely divine.  For $795, it is slightly pricey, but totally worth the investment.

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for more comforters and bed frames.

I’m in love with polished nickel ones.  Here are three of my favorite shops & their different takes on this accessory.

Amalfi Square Lanterns Restoration Hardware $15-$129

Arched Metal Lanterns West Elm $39

Seaport Lanterns Pottery Barn $39

I’m still trying to choose which ones to get, but whichever I choose I’m sure it’s going to be incredibly chic!  More summer outdoor decorating tips to come….

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for more lanterns.

Let’s start with some fabulous deals that Smarter.com features in terms of patio umbrellas:

Grandin Road - 8-rib Brella Lights-Patio Furniture for just $59.99, this beautiful spacious umbrella is illuminates your nighttime soirees!  Bathing your guests in a beautiful angelic glow, this umbrella is multi-purpose: it protects against rain and all the other nasties of the summer air, but also provides light so the party never has to stop!  This umbrella can be unplugged to then function as a normal umbrella.

In terms of the furniture, you want something long-lasting, affordable and summer chic: not too many frills or cushions.  The furniture should be able to get wet from rain, or the kids jumping around in the sprinkler and not ruin the entire look.  For this, you want to look at the Anderson Kingston Teak Armchair ($369).  This gorgeous teak armchair will last forever and never look distasteful!

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for more patio umbrellas and patio chairs.