Crazy For Shells

I only feel comfortable with a small dose of ' SHELL DECOR ', but as my mother would say;

" It takes a lot of different horses to make a horse race .''

This house is in Austin Texas. I would expect to find it in El Cid, just over the bridge
from Palm Beach, where there are absolutely charming homes.

This picture drew me right in...........and suddenly I wanted to post.

(remember, I have been feeling stale)

The shutters are gorgeous, and the new or old finish is FABOO !!

In the garden behind the house there's a grotto with a koi-filled pond as its base.

This is the fantastic fountain. The owner collected all these shells herself.

This mantle would be the envy of any Palm Beach - er.

I think this room is wonderful, although...........I would have used a much lighter hand while applying the shells on the mantle wall.

But again, I repeat my mothers words; " It takes a lot of horses to make a horse race ."

This actually could be a picture of a Via off of Worth Avenue , in Palm Beach, Florida.

Detail of a shell-covered chest of drawers.

I could see this chest as in a cabana bath, maybe for towels etc. Or maybe small night stands in a guest house ( by the pool ). As I have mentioned before, the Shell Chic look is very hot in Palm Beach. And for Palm Beach , this look will remain a timeless classic.

" Next to the grotto ( koi pond )is a boudoir dans le jardin, a tester bed frame also embellished with shells. Many Austin homes feature outdoor sleeping areas, with beds outfitted in comfortable mattresses, colorful throws, and stacks of pillows—throwbacks to the days before air-conditioning replaced open windows. " I love this idea.

And I certainly could use this in Boca Raton , Florida. For many months of the year, we have nearly perfect weather in the winter months.

My posts on Koi:

http://reneefinberg.blogspot.com/2008/10/meaning-of-koi.html

http://reneefinberg.blogspot.com/2008/10/inspired-by-koi.html

http://reneefinberg.blogspot.com/2008/10/what-koi-personality.html

Article from:

http://www.traditionalhome.com/gardens_outdoorliving/beautifulgardens/shell_garden_1.html

Design:Landscape designer: Berthold Haas Design, 618 Lavaca St., Suite 11, Austin, TX 78701; 512/236-9645, bertholdhaasdesign.com. Shell art: Emily Haas, Shells on Twelfth, 512/740-1668, shellsontwelfth.com.

Renee Finberg 'TELLS ALL' in her BLOG.....