Clay Stephens Lifestyles Blog

Interior Design Trends Snapshot 2012-2013

Clay Stephens — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 12:14:03 +0000

All that glitters is gold!

Cool gray tones move towards brown.

Modern, clean lines in furnishings; less ornamentation.

Eclectic, personal style.

Aqua shades are still du jour.

Sunset colors-orange, pink and red.

The “collected” look- my favorite!

Aged finishes and antique styling juxtaposed with modern, clean interiors- a great mix!

I hope you have enjoyed this brief Interior Design Trends Snapshot for 2012-2013!

Live Life with Joy, Wonder and Style!
Clay

Veggie Pepperoni Roast- Delicious and Easy!

Clay Stephens — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 23:18:00 +0000

I just made up this recipe for a veggie pepperoni roast and it turned out really delicious!!

Olive oil a shallow roasting pan ( I used a glass one)

Put in the pan- 1 can of baby artichoke hearts; 2 quartered, large, tomatoes; 1 thinly sliced large onion; 1 small jar of sliced pimento with juice; add sliced turkey pepperoni; drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, cumin and freshly ground black pepper ( and salt, if desired). Toss all together and bake at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and serve on a bed of romaine salad; drizzle with Caesar salad dressing( I buy the refrigerated kind in the produce section of the grocery store).

Delicious!!! Easy too!

Next time I’m going to add some sliced black olives———should be fab!

Interior Design Trend Snapshot 2011-2012

Clay Stephens — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 20:15:02 +0000

This interior design trend snapshot for 2011 through 2012 is a compilation of my observations of what’s hot in interior design for now and into 2012.

All things reptilian;Snakeskin, Crocodile and Alligator on everything ! lamps, furniture, wallcoverings, fabrics and the fashion runway. Love it!!

Graphic print fabrics; bold stripes and chevron in particular. Zebra fits into this category and is one of my favorites and has become a classic—-works with anything!

Lucite furniture. An old favorite of mine re-interpreted in new ways!

Abstract, modern art; especially wonderful when mixed with a traditional interior—-love the juxtaposition of the two different genres!

Wallcoverings are making a comeback and especially grass cloth which I have used for the 3 decades I have been in the business.

Unapologetic elegance and glamour!! Think Hollywood in the thirties and forties! Fabulous!

Of course, anything organic and/or green———-save the environment!

The artful mix; eclectic, in other words! Love, love it—-especially Bohemian, global and ethnic designs!

Persimmon—- HOT and spicy! The new, lush, shade of orange .

I hope you have enjoyed this trend snapshot for 2011 -2012! Stay tuned for more!

Always remember to “Live Life with Joy, Wonder and Style!”

Clay

RECYCLE; REDESIGN-DEBUTING THE QUEEN VIKI CHAIR

Clay Stephens — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 12:31:14 +0000

This is a perfect example of how to recycle and redesign a chair and end up with a one of a kind object; fun and quirky!

This recycled and redesigned chair comes with her own matching brush for maintenance!!

I’m sure you can tell the before and the after!

The Power of Decorative Pillows; A Sofa Make-Over

Clay Stephens — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 15:30:07 +0000

These pictures illustrate the power of decorative pillows for a sofa make-over.The first picture is the before ( but you knew that, didn’t you?). You can change the look and feeling of a sofa by changing a few pillows as I did with this one taking it from traditional to a more transitional look. I did a faux gold and silver leaf effect on the legs; they were a dark cherry as you can see. Paint is the next best thing for an easy make-over of any space. You can paint just an accent wall in a contrasting or complimentary color or paint the whole room (and don’t forget the ceiling!!! Please! No white ceilings————just saying) ! You can pull the color from a fabric in the room………..I try to pull one of the more obscure but dramatic colors in the fabric.

Get creative, have fun, and use your imagination to create your own sofa or room make-over!

Till next time, remember to” Live Life with Joy, Wonder and Style!”

Clay

Bunless Burger Stackers-Low Carb Diet

Clay Stephens — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 18:16:47 +0000

For the 4th of July we really wanted the traditional hamburgers and hotdogs but we had to get creative since we’re on a low carb diet. I came up with Bunless Burger Stackers ! Here’s how-

Cook your burger patties to the desired doneness.

Top with a sautéed onion slice and smear some mayo on top.

Salt and Pepper to taste at this point.

Next layer is a thick slice of tomato(hopefully home-grown and not refrigerated) topped with some ketchup , mustard and dill pickle slices or pickle relish.

Place a slice of your choice of cheese and melt under the broiler.

Top with sliced avocado.

Serve on a crisp bed of lettuce.

Voila! Bunless burger stackers! So wonderful and you are still on your low carb diet!

Interior Design 2011- Trend Alert!

Clay Stephens — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 20:10:01 +0000

During periods of national and global unrest and times of crisis we often look to a time in the past when we felt safe and our lives were calm and secure. Following are some interior design trends for 2011:

-Looking to the past;all things vintage

-Ethnic designs; drawing on our heritage.

-Calming neutral colors such as brown, beige and white punched up with bold colors of optimism such as orange, turquoise, red and yellow .

- Simple clean lines in furnishings; less clutter and less ornate- traditional and Old World lightened up with a contemporary mix.

-Anything natural, organic and sustainable; this makes us feel good about re-using, re-purposing, re-working and doing something positive for our planet!

-Renewed interest in family, hearth and home; we are spending more quality time with family and more time at home.

I hope you have enjoyed this interior design 2011 trend alert and I would love to hear your opinions on our times and how you see it affecting our lives and the way we live today.

Clay

The Cabot Trail in Fabulous Nova Scotia

Clay Stephens — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 17:14:50 +0000

Nova Scotia in the fall is one of the most beautiful and scenic places I’ve ever had the good fortune to visit! As we drove the Cabot Trail with breathtaking views of oceans and bays, mountains, forests and waterfalls, we sampled exquisite local seafood dishes at every opportunity!

Searching out the most rustic and unassuming restaurants, our contest to see which prepared the best seafood chowder resulted in finding a very charming eatery (unfortunately, I can’t remember the name and have lost my notes from that trip) housed in an old log cabin. They served large bowls of chowder MOUNDED with shrimp, scallops, fish and lobster! The mountain of seafood, surrounded by a tomato-garlic based sauce, towered at least 6 inches above the rim of the bowls! We couldn’t believe our eyes and it was, and still is, the best and freshest seafood chowder I have ever tasted anywhere!

Following is my recipe for bouillabaisse with flavors reminiscent of that restaurant in Nova Scotia, on the Cabot Trail. If you have never driven the Cabot Trail it is a treat not to miss!

I started making this in 1984 and have served it, with some tweaks along the way over the years, to my dearest friends and family with rave reviews!

This is somewhat time-consuming and requires constant attention but is well worth the effort, not to mention the expense!

Bouillabaisse for Eight

2 lbs. grouper filet, or other white fish, cut in small portions

Fresh mussels, at least 4 or 5 per person

40 large shrimp, shelled and deveined

2 lbs. cooked lobster meat, big chunks please!

4 slices lemon

4 slices orange

pinch of cinnamon

A healthy pinch of saffron or 1 tsp. turmeric

1 red bell pepper, chopped

Fresh garlic, to taste , chopped

Freshly ground black pepper. I use a lot!

Salt to taste; to me, the seafood and tomatoes have enough natural salt but you may want more.

Small sprinkle of cloves

2 large sweet onions, chunked up

2 large tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 cups chicken broth, preferably homemade

1 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup tomato sauce or ketchup

Handful chopped parsley for garnish

In a large pot , saute onion in olive oil till transparent. Add the chopped pepper and garlic and cook for a few minutes, till you smell garlic strongly. be careful not to burn the garlic, it will be bitter if you do.

Add all other ingredients, except seafood and simmer on low until all flavors are nicely blended and you can smell the orange slices, maybe 10 to 15 minutes. *If at this point you feel you need more liquid, add more broth but remember this is not a soup and should have more seafood than sauce.

Add grouper and cook for 5 minutes

add shrimp and mussels and cook, covered, 5 minutes or until the mussels have opened. Be careful not to over cook! Nothing worse than overcooked seafood!

Add lobster meat and briefly heat through.

Remove orange and lemon slices and serve topped with some of the parsley along with some dense, crusty bread and the rest of that white wine.

As my aunt Mary would say,”It’s so good, it’ll make your tongue slap your back teeth out!”. Now that’s good!

I hope you will enjoy this taste of Nova Scotia and the Cabot Trail !

Clay

AAHHHH………..DINING ALFRESCO!

Clay Stephens — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 17:15:56 +0000

AAhhh………..dining alfresco! One of summer’s great pleasures and a great way to enjoy the soothing sights and sounds of nature. Communing with nature always gives my spirits a lift and what better way than dining in an outdoor setting; on a boat dock, under a large tree, in a secluded garden, on the loggia or a poolside deck.

For dinner at dusk, my friend Suzanne used to set a formal table under a large oak in her Alabama backyard complete with a beautiful tablecloth, fine china and silverware, crystal goblets and silver candlesticks. She would hang an old candle chandelier from a tree branch to complete the setting. It was a very special and unforgettable experience!

Food just seems to taste better alfresco and I always have so much fun coming up with creative and unique table settings. Mix and match china, flatware and unexpected object d’ art to create exotic, whimsical, formal or country casual themes. Fresh flowers are a must and of course candles for those special evening dinners.

So give your imagination some free rein and create your own enchanted space for dining alfresco!

ANCIENT RUINS- I HAVE A VISION!

Clay Stephens — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 13:59:15 +0000

I have a vision! You know how much I like the juxtaposition of ancient and organic architecture with modern and clean lined furnishings; like the 12th century oil mill recently featured in Freshome magazine—–love it!

Wouldn’t it be fabulous to build a modern glass house into an ancient Roman temple ruin? Inspired by a trip to Tunisia, where spectacular Roman ruins are plentiful, I created in the side yard of my Cocoa Beach home, a meditation garden using a Corinthian column that I chipped up with a hammer and faux painted to look like an ancient ruined Roman column. I added a classic three-tier water fountain, an iron Mediterranean style garden gate, large old olive urns, lots of Bougainvillea and comfortable garden seating. It was my favorite place to sit with a martini and unwind after a hard day’s work!

Expanding on that idea, I had planned to build a moat around the front of the house with more “ruined columns and a bridge to the entry.

These ideas have evolved to the concept of the modern glass house integrated into a “ruin”. Of course you could never build on a historic ruin, but you could construct a “ruin” with crumbling stone walls, “ancient” columns and “ruined”Mosaic floors topped with a modern glass house like architect Phillip Johnson’s famous glass house in Connecticut.

Can you see my vision? Wouldn’t it be spectacular to live in?Can we start construction right now?

I would love to hear your ideas on this concept. I look forward to your comments!

Thanks, Clay