Margaret at Marthaland!

Welcome to Megan and Margaret’s blog!  I’m the new owner of The Summer House in New Canaan, Connecticut along with Megan, my childhood best friend extraordinaire who is joining me in this adventure. 

This is our first blog so bare with us as we navigate the world of weblogging.  We thought we’d start out with an introduction to who we are.

First, I am so proud to be the new owner of The Summer House.  Tyler Taylor has done an incredible job building this store over the past six years and we can’t wait to get in there and build on that success!  Being a part of the New Canaan community is something we are looking forward to!  

I am a local gal having grown up in South Salem, NY but when I was in college I worked at Irresistibles in town and fell in love with New Canaan.

Decorating my interior space has always been important to me.  Even at boarding school I made my room look like an escape with large pieces of fabric hanging on the walls, inspiring photos, and crisp, clean linens.  College was the same.

My love of interior design lead me to pursue a career where I could be involved in décor.  So, I started working at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.  Over my four years there I worked in various roles and I loved it.  I am certain Marthaland is THE most creative place on the planet, although terrifying at times as well.  In recent years MSLO has had some challenging times but I still believe in the power of that brand and I wish my friends who are still there the best of luck.

When I left Marthaland I knew it was time to express my own creativity!  And here I am almost a year later following my dream, inspired by Martha.  And I’m not that far from her old stomping grounds, either!

While I was at MSLO we were taught that clean, understated spaces were important.  We worked in an all white office in an industrial loft building with concrete floors.  Although the spaces were industrial in style, the employees made their desks entirely their own.  People had pictures of friends and family, ribbons, color chips, paintings, fabrics, and objects that inspired them.  Some desks and offices were covered in these items and some chose a fewer, big impact items.  Your desk was your expression of you.

Typical work row

Photo: Time Out New York

My old Editorial Director of Martha Stewart Weddings, Darcy Miller standing next to her famous inspiration board

Photo: Time Out New York

Kevin Sharkey's Office - One of Martha's adorable French Bull Dogs is named after him

Photo: Time Out New York

The roof deck is the site of all the summer soirees

Photo: Time Out New York

My desk always had a clean white surface with a galvanized tin filled with pens and glue sticks sitting next to a stapler and a tape dispenser.  Just the essentials.  That is unless of course it was Christmas when I had a miniature pink feather tree that everyone in my department helped me decorate.  Apparently, that tree is still brought up frequently.  I’m on the hunt through my old stuff to see if I can find any pictures of my desk.

That is my style.  Pared down with a few high impact statements.  I love a mix of modern and traditional.  I might have had a pink feather tree but I decorated it with miniature glass ornaments.  Finding your style and designing your home around that style should be fun.  And that is what we aim to do at the Summer House.

The Summer House is a mix of old and new, traditional and modern styles.  Every time you visit The Summer House you will find something new.  We are always looking for vintage pieces.  Whether that's an antique in a French country style or midcentury modern, we'll take that piece and breathe new life into it.  We keep an eye out for something you might not typically think of for your home but bringing in a statement piece is liberating and can help push you out of a design rut.

I know this was a long post but it is my first one and I just can’t contain my excitement!

Thanks for reading our blog and we welcome any comments!

Margaret