The Great Bathtub Debate

To stand or to build, that is the question? In the past several years freestanding bathtubs have made an extraordinary comeback. There are many variations and designs, they range from extraordinary simple to incredibly ornate. The tubs themselves, as well as the plumbing fixtures that accompany them, can be stunning and are often designed to become statement architectural features. While there is no doubt that some of these freestanding tubs are works of art, I don't find them to be very practical.  

First and foremost there is no where to set anything! Part of the allure and stunning aesthetic  of a freestanding bathtub is exactly what the name says, it's freestanding and therefore intended to stand alone, This poses a challenge if part of taking a bath is the experience of taking a bath. For me this includes bubble bath, or bath salts with essential oils, a candle, my book and maybe a glass of champagne!  With only a small lip to most freestanding tubs there is simply nowhere to place anything.

Don't get us wrong, a freestanding tub can be stunning when centered in a large window or even in the middle of a beautiful bathroom but seldomly are the tubs themselves located in close proximity to a towel rack. Nothing is worse than getting out of the warm bath and having to walk more than a step or two to get your towel or tracking water across your floors!  Some people are okay with freestanding towel racks and don't mind having something else out on their bathroom floor. My personal preference is to have towels elevated and away from the floor, it makes cleaning the floors themselves easier and also helps to keep towels clean and fresh. 

Don't get me wrong, I am by no means a fan of the 1980's enormous built-in tub with a deck the size of an aircraft carrier, but I do prefer a built in tub to a freestanding tub, especially if you plan on using your bath tub more than a few times a year.  There are so many beautiful materials that now come in slabs that the built-in tubs bathtubs of today have the ability to be sleek, elegant, and practical. Pictured below is one of our favorite built-in tubs from the former Foster Residence located in Malibu, California. 

In order to be practical freestanding tubs require accessories such as a thoughtful accent table or stool and well placed towel bars. If one realizes the additional requirements from the very beginning of the design process and accounts for said needs then we think a freestanding tub can be a jaw dropping element of a bathroom. However,  if a design is created to look pretty and lacks practicality then to us it's more of a vision than design. As with any good design it's all in the details, so whatever your preference may be there's a thoughtful way to make it as beautiful as it will be functional. 

Cheers, 

Molly

Time to Wine and Dine!

This weekend my husband and I hosted our annual dinner party and wine tasting. It's an evening and affair that we both look forward to and one that came about due to my curiosity! Several years ago a friend of ours spontaneously and very generously opened an expensive bottle of wine when I casually mentioned that I had always wanted to taste that particular wine. My curiosity was sparked! The wine was delicious but it made me think, how did this particular wine compare to other notable high-end wines? Thus our annual dinner party and wine tasting was born.

Selecting and bringing together all of the details for this soireé is nearly as much fun as the evening itself!

This year we selected a simple silver themed invitation and an envelope with a contrasting liner in black and white. Silver and black inadvertently became the colors of the evening.  

Given the time of year I decided to step away from my favorite and go to whites for flowers and went for a vibrant Fall color palette. We have a wonderful local gourmet grocer that always has beautiful flowers. I am horrible with knowing the various types of flowers so aside from the large Dahlias I have no idea what else I selected. 

The top left arrangement is the one I made as the centerpiece for the table. The top right is a smaller arrangement that I made to place in our guest bathroom. The vase is actually a vintage crystal decanter. Below on the left is an arrangement that I placed on an end table in our great room and then I mixed the roses with the delicate yellow sprays to sit on the kitchen counter. You can never have enough flowers! 

Our go to for linens has always been Napa Valley Linens. Diana Cardenas in particular is spectacular to work with! They have a wonderful selection of linens from traditional and simple to fun and fancy. I also love that they will deliver and pick up linens even if its only a small order. This year I selected their "Ember Silver" linen for the table and paired it with "Faux de Soie" napkins in the Tahitian Pearl color. The combination made for an elegant table. Each place was set with a tasting card folded for guests to make notes about the different wines. This year we tasted five wines all were 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Each place was also set with a place card that sat atop a champagne cork. My husband sliced the top of each cork making it a breeze to secure the place cards. Each year we have wine glasses etched with the year and at the end of the evening we send them home with our guests as a favor to remember the evening.  

Party favors included etched wine glasses and homemade pumpkin spice bread. It's always nice to have a little something to send guests home with. 

It was a lovely evening filled with wonderful friends and great wine and I'm already looking forward to next year! 

Cheers!

Molly 

Pumpkin & Spice

This past weekend my husband and I hosted one of our favorite annual events, our wine dinner. More on that in an upcoming post! Given that it's officially Fall and we've had a few days here and there where it's actually felt like Fall is in the air it's gotten me in the mood for some seasonal treats! When I do cook or bake which isn't too often I like to keep things simple and healthy. I found this recipe for Pumpkin Bread online years ago and it has become my go to. I decided to make mini loaves as part of the favors to give our guests at the end of the evening. 

The recipe was pretty healthy to begin with and uses egg whites and yogurt, however it called for oil which I substituted with apple sauce. I like to add chocolate chips for a little sweet treat. 

The Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 large egg whites

1 cup pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

1/4 canola oil *substitute with apple sauce

1/3 cup low-fat plain yogurt * I used non-fat vanilla yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

* 3/4 cup chocolate chips = sweet treat!

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Spray metal loaf pan with nonstick spray

Mix brown sugar, egg whites, pumpkin, apple sauce, yogurt and vanilla

Add flour, wheat flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda

Stir until combined

Pour batter into pan and bake 45-50 minutes

Let cool 10 minutes

I wrapped the loaves and tied them with a simple bow and note that said, "A Sweet Ending to a Wonderful Evening!" 

Cheers!

Molly

EATNSMK | A Smokin' Hot Design

Bond Daws Design is all about design! Our perpetual curiosity, love of details and intrigue about all different types of designs has us always on the lookout. A friend recently stopped by with a custom built BBQ smoker and we have to admit, while we are sure that it turns out some incredible BBQ we were captivated by it's design and details. 

Built by David Mazaika and fashioned out of an old air compressor tank, not a detail has been overlooked. Practicality, function, engineering  and a stunning design are just a few of the elements that have been joined together to create this incredible BBQ smoker. The smoker itself has been raised above the trailer and sits atop the wood box where logs are stored to fuel the smoker.  The wood box can easily be accessed from either the other side of the trailer or from rear of the trailer.

The construction of the smoker is incredible. The symmetry of the wheels and rivets on the smoker doors are what first caught our attention, not to mention the fire engine red color. The thoughtfulness and level of detail invested in this project is amazing. The welding alone that was done to transform this from what it once was to this beautiful and practical design is phenomenal! 

Either side of the trailer has Butcher Block platforms, lit by lights that have been built-in to the overhead frame of the trailer. The Butcher Block on the back side even has a built-in brass cup holder for the beverage of your choice. There's also a beautiful wood door with sturdy hardware that leads to the storage compartment where all the essentials are kept. From rolls of paper towels, to spices, aluminum foil and silverware this rig is fully outfitted with everything you might possible need for one incredible BBQ. There's even a pop up flag pole to display whatever flag might be appropriate for the venue.

We love the rustic look of the wood and heavy duty hardware that have been used to create the primary storage for the smoker. Even the storage compartment is lit with a beautifully fitted flush mount light. The door to the firebox even has a horseshoe from the family's ranch affixed to it. On the side of the storage box is a bottle opener and Coca Cola catch bin to collect the bottle caps. Details, details, details...oh how we love them! 

If the lights, flagpole, dual cooking platforms, multi-level smoker, detailed firebox and custom drink holder weren't enough how about these jaw dropping shiny dual exhaust pipes. It's hard not to just stop and stare. This rig is pretty remarkable, even it's license plate has been customized. You can feel the heart and soul that has been invested in creating this beautiful smoker. It's easy to imagine the stories that will be told and the laughter that will be shared as friends and family gather around. We're so grateful that we had the opportunity to see this beautiful design. 

Putting her to the test, our good friend and local firefighter Shawn Anderson brought the smoker to a BBQ memorial to honor one of his firefighting brothers who was recently and tragically killed. We believe that the best designs are meaningful designs that enhance your life + style and we think this is one fine design! 

Cheers, 

Molly

Live what you love!

My husband sometimes thinks I'm crazy because I love to curate and style everything, but he's realized that it's something I truly love to do! Last week we decided to enjoy a quiet evening at home, the weather was lovely and it was the perfect opportunity to relax together and have a little wine + cheese in the backyard before we began to cook dinner.

I could have easily taken some crackers from the pantry, sliced some cheese and thrown it on a plate and been done, but what's the fun in that! Instead I grabbed a simple white tray and thoughtfully placed some cheeses, a couple of types of crackers and a few other goodies. Given that this was an impromptu decision we didn't even have some of the items I would usually have included when making a charcuterie board. Don't ever worry if you don't have "everything," that's what improvising is all about and chances are you will be the only one that knows or notices! The entire process took only a few minutes more that it would have if I had just tossed everything on a plate and it's the small details like this that create ambiance and make something as simple as enjoying wine together a memorable experience. 

I always try to consider what kind of experience can I create, whether it's for a dinner party, a gala or even just my husband and I in our backyard on a random Tuesday.  My husband works incredibly hard and I really wanted him to truly relax and for us to just unwind and enjoy some time together, so I made the charcuterie board, turned Sonos on with his favorite XM channel, grabbed some flowers I had sitting in our kitchen and my favorite vessel for chilling wine + champagne and headed outside. My husband is ALWAYS in charge of the wine selection in our home so that was his duty for the evening. I arranged everything outside and with wine in hand, my husband turned to me and said, "Sweet Pea, you always make everything so beautiful!" I knew I had succeeded, my husband was able to relax and together we had a wonderful evening.

Cheers,

Molly