Predictable Unpredictable May

May is an unpredictable month here in the NW. Nice for a few days then back to gray and rain. The great thing about this combination of weather though is the availability of more local produce. Rhubarb, asparagus, and artichokes just to name a few are showing up at farmers markets (we love Frank's Produce at Pike Place Market) and restaurants as seasonal offerings.

Another favorite vegetable in season now is celery. I found this delicious soup recipe through Food52 which was featured on Goop.com. I made some alterations to the recipe of course but it was a great base. I love it hot or cold.

Jane Grigson's Celery Soup by Genius Recipes

Serves 4, 6 if the rest of the meal is fairly copious

• 1/2 pound celery, chopped (outside stalks or celeriac - about 2 cups) "I peel the celery - no strings"
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup diced potato
• 6 Tablespoons butter  "I used 4"
• 4 cups turkey or chicken stock  "both low sodium and Campbell's full strength"
• 1/2 to 1 cup milk (optional)  "did not use"
• About 1 teaspoon dill weed (2 teaspoons for fresh dill)
• 2 1/2 Tablespoons cream

1. Stew celery, onion, and potato gently in the butter in a covered pan for 10 minutes. Don't let the vegetable brown. Add stock or water and 1/2 teaspoon of dill weed. Simmer for 20 minutes if you have a blender, 40 minutes if you use a food mill.
2. Blend or purée the soup. Pour through a strainer ("did not do strainer since I peeled the celery") into a clean pan, adding a little milk if too thick. Bring slowly to just under a boil, seasoning with salt, pepper, and more dill weed if required.
3. Put the cream into the soup dish, and pour the soup in on top. Swirl round with the ladle before serving, to mix in the cream. 

      On the topic of food, wine is always a great accompaniment. Whites and rosés are growing in popularity with sunnier weather. Delicious and reasonably priced rosés we love come from Chateau Routas. Clean and fruity most grocery and wine shops will have these wines in stock.

     With sunnier weather approaching, we tend to spend more time outdoors. What a great time to buy some outdoor furniture or have it recovered. There are so many different options for exterior fabrics in fun bright colors, or subdued classics. We recently met with Holland and Sherry to view many of their wonderful fabric and rug lines. They too have excellent outdoor fabrics with the polished craftsmanship Holland and Sherry provide.

A great local shop that we all love at PDR, Watson and Kennedy, the owner Ted Kennedy Watson has released his first book, Style & Simplicity: An A to Z Guide to Living a More Beautiful Life. I love sitting at my dining table (with of glass of wine) enjoying the beautiful images and tips thoughtfully curated in this book. I highly recommend getting one for yourself and a friend.

For years I have been designing sleek metal tables that fit into any design aesthetic for clients and for myself. I recently designed and had a table made for my own home. Constructed out of brass with a brass plated top with an antique finish, the end result is the perfect scale and just what I needed for a new dining table.

Similar designs date back to 1988 creating a timeless look.

Time to Get Organized

April is an unpredictable month for weather. We were fortunate to have a few nice days of sun but for the most part it was rainy and dreary. What a perfect time to get organized. One of the most frequently disorganized rooms can be the home office. If you work from home or a have place where you pay bills and collect paperwork it can become overwhelming.

Some of our favorite organizational items are also decorative. We love using trays, wooden bowls and antique Japanese Tansu chests to file and conceal all of the miscellaneous paperwork, pens, clips, etc. These chests can be had in a variety of sizes and configurations. They were used to store everything from kitchenware to clothing, the only storage in a Japanese home. They suit interiors from modern to traditional. These versatile pieces add visual texture and interest. We have used them over and over in kitchens, baths and living spaces of all sorts. Two of our favorite sources in Seattle for over 25 years is HoneychurchAntiques and its sister store Glenn Richards. The two are now combined under Glenn Richards. Tansus are great to add a bit of history and interest in your home or office while contributing to storage. 

Wooden bowls and trays are a simple elegant way to store mail, keys, loose photos, theater programs, and other keepsakes.

If you're looking for some fun desk accessories that you want to show off, look no further than Poppin. They have desk accessories, furniture, and even artwork to adorn your office walls or even other rooms in your home. Their website is easy to navigate where you can search by category or color that fits your personality. 

Home offices can sometimes be hard to acquire when you live in a small space. In such cases we love the Thomas O'Brien Hallings Secretary. It affords ample storage in a sleek traditional style that will fit in with any decor. We have used this desk in a few different client's homes and they all have loved the design, scale, and functionality of the piece.

As we spoke about in our last month's blog post, we've been reorganizing our own office here at 98 Union. When you first walk-in you are greeted by a portrait of Darling, Paula's little Pekingese (now in doggie heaven). This was a gift from a friend who carried a photo of Darling to China and had an artist paint his likeness on silk.

 New sleek desks and storage carts from Ikea have fit perfectly against the windows providing ample desk space and spectacular views. We positioned our scanning and printing station in the little niche behind the filing cabinets which took a few very long cords to reach from the computer but the final result is great. New rolling carts provides drawers for current client details and organization. Our newly painted celery wall has really freshened up the office and has become the focal point to our stainless steel bulletin board wall. Inspirational tear-outs, client fabrics, and urgent paperwork adorn the boards. The existing Teknion storage cabinets stayed in place which houses a multitude of PDR's  necessities.

 A masculine home office features dark walls, a large antique Chinese table with a rattan top used as a desk, and framed artwork. Located on the second level of the home, views of Lake Washington are enjoyed while sorting through emails and bills. A mirror on the South wall reflects more natural light into the space. Wood lateral files provide needed storage. A rug with a Greek key design in a fresh green  help ground the space, and balance the dark virility of the room.