Sir Elton John’s love of interior design and gardens is legendary, so it’s no surprise that the luxury candles he has created with NEST Fragrances founder Laura Slatkin are extraordinarily scented and gorgeously packaged.

Featuring a festive blend of evergreen evergreen and balsam fir needles combined with rich woods and sparkling citrus, the Sir Elton John Holiday candle is decorated with an etching of a coat of arms belonging to a noble family that lived in Luxembourg during the 1800s. After modifying the design to include gold, red, and green seasonal holiday foliage, calligrapher Bernard Maisner blended in handwritten lettering in a Gothic style from the medieval era and an italic script from the Renaissance period.  For warmth and color, Sir Elton added a deep aubergine color to the glass.

For a lighter feel, the Woodside Garden candle features a sophisticated and arrangement of notes inspired by flowers from Sir Elton’s floral gardens at Woodside in Old Windsor, England, including hyacinth, freesia, rose, and jasmine.  Housed in a brilliant translucent chartreuse glass container stamped with a regal gold crown, Woodside Garden’s packaging includes lavender roses and green foliage drawn into the artwork.

And as an added bonus, a portion of the proceeds from their  sales of these candles will benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

See our entire collection of NEST Fragrances.

Brought to you by Pine Cone Hill. This cute video shows off many of their adorable pajama styles.

See all of our stylish Pine Cone Hill pajamas.

This adorably spooky spider candle has us bewitched, and Oprah, too!

Vagabond House is a family-owned American company specializing in fine pewter tableware, servingware and giftware. Largely inspired by nature, their exclusive products are designed to be unique, functional heirlooms for those who seek to express tradition and style in both family and formal entertaining.

Pewter was prized in colonial America, and continues to be a popular material today. Its subtle sheen is beautiful and doesn’t require polishing like silver. Pewter is perfect for those who appreciate quality but don’t want to spend a lot of time on upkeep.

Here are a few of our favorite pieces:

To see our entire Vagabond House collection, click here.

We’re excited to bring you the best of Jonathan Adler’s quirky and cool home collections. Adler, originally trained as a ceramicist, is well known in design circles for his bright, cheerful colors, irreverent patterns, and generally groovy aesthetic.

His bath towels and shower curtains will liven up any bathroom:

And his whimsical brass sculptures are both interesting to look at and useful:

To see our entire Jonathan Adler collection, click here.

I’ve just returned from a fantastic trip to the island of Oahu in Hawaii. Staying at a friend’s house right on the water in Kailuah Bay, about thirty minutes from Honolulu, I was able to get a first-hand look at how Hawaiians and visitors achieve that classic island style.

My friend’s house was well-appointed and stylish, yet relaxed and unpretentious. The exterior was lively with bright white walls accented by lime green trim and dashes of yellow. In a house that has been there for years, there’s always room for more sandy footprints on the rustic hardwood floors and more views to be seen on each of the quaint private patios.

Back on the mainland, the lifestyle may be less tropical, but that’s no reason to shy from tropical design. Since my return, I’ve noticed it everywhere, in kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms, and all over the house. Here are a few pieces that can bring island style to any home:

For more Beach Style inspirations, see our Beach House Lookbook.

These table accessories are so perfect for a Halloween party, it’s downright spooky!

The Black Widow Candle by L’Objet looks scary, but the Vetiver D’Orient fragrance will welcome your guests.

Hans Turnwald’s skull napkin rings are guaranteed to make everyone smile. Or at least, to smile at everyone.

Kim Seybert’s faux snakeskin placemats will add a pop of color.

Alternate the skulls with some slithery snake napkin rings for a ghoulishly great table.

Vietri’s Platinum Safari glassware mixes well with these accessories, and can be used all year long.

Pair the napkin rings with some ruffly orange napkins and a black tablecloth for a fun, festive look!   We love the Festival collection by Sferra – available in 101 haunting hues including black, orange, green and white.

This incredible book from Assouline brings together the work of some of the most important architects of the 20th century. Design lovers will delight in the full-size color photographs by today’s leading photographers.

An intimate glimpse into the world of recent American masterpieces. View Living Architecture here.

To see more, browse the extraordinary Books Section at Gracious Style.

Some of our favorite Sferra bed and bath linens are on sale for 25% off. They are only available until supplies run out, so now is a great time to stock up on Sferra!

Here are a few highlights:

All of the Sferra collections that are on sale are being discontinued, so shop early if you see anything you like. To see the entire range of items on sale, click here.

Did you know the French are also passionate about tea?

While the English are famous for their tea-drinking, the French have loved tea since the early 1600’s.  Tea was a favorite drink of the French royalty, who believed it would cure illness and old age.  Eventually it became associated with the aristocracy and the upper classes, and tea drinking acquired its own elaborate tea ceremonies and etiquette.

Today, you can find chic tea shops through Paris, offering exotic blends from all over the world in that ever-so-stylish French way:

We wanted to recreate this feeling back at home, so we held a tea tasting in honor of our new line of teas from Le Palais des Thés.  Powerful and inviting aromas surrounded us.

First we sampled Thé Des Alizes, a fresh green tea packaged in a delightful green and yellow tin that perfectly suits the carefree smell and taste of its contents. As we opened the tin, we smelled notes of fruity white peaches along with that classic green tea scent.  The first sip was clean and mild; not bitter like so many traditional green teas. The overall experience was a wonderful combination of fruity scents with a complementary subtle taste.

Thé Des Vahines Rooibos was next and it was a calming contrast to the more refreshing green tea. Rooibos is simply the Afrikaans word for “red bush”, referring to the plant with which an herbal tea is made. Again, with this tea, the scent was strong, yet not overwhelming. It was almost as intoxicating as being in a chocolate shop, with notes of caramel, vanilla, and almond floating in the air. The tea leaves were very fine and made for a smooth flavor with a slight lingering sweetness. Thé Des Vahines Rooibos is caffeine-free, making it a perfect treat for any time of day.

Finally, we tasted an updated version of a classic English tea, Thé des Lords. This is an Earl Grey with strong bergamot flavor and a vibrant overall scent. The leaves are very dark and created a deep flavor with a subtle smokey note. It has an intense flavor that would stand up to a dash of milk, though it’s mild enough to drink black, depending on one’s preference. We liked Thé des Lords as it was not too bitter and would be a great pick-me-up in the mornings.

Parisian cookies from Poilane and chocolates from Jean-Paul Hevin were also served at our tea and made for a decadent experience. The sweet treats went perfectly well with each of our teas.

We are really excited to be carrying fine teas from Le Palais des Thés.  We found that each of them was true to its traditional roots, yet pleasantly infused with new flavors and scents.