Mother’s Day is the perfect time to celebrate Mom for the amazing individual she is. So why not give her a gift that is just as unique and special? Whether the traveler, gardener, or entertainer, Gracious Style has just the right gift for every type of mother.

For the Traveler: In soft cotton, John Robshaw’s bohemian throws are practical gifts for the jet-setting mom.

For the Entertainer: In all of spring and summer’s freshest hues, Juliska’s tableware makes the hostess shine at every party.

For the Sommelier: Inspired by Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, Moser‘s Dionys Decanter Set is the perfect gift for any wine connoisseur.

For the Comic: Rani Arabella‘s quirky yet sophisticated style is ideal for any mom with a great sense of humor.

For the Bookworm: With a swing-arm feature, Suzanne Kasler‘s gilded iron wall sconce gives just the right light for bedtime reading.

For the Gardener: Handpainted in the hills of Tuscany, this richly saturated planter brings the warm Italian sun to her garden.

For more great Mother’s Day Gifts, click here.

Renowned wedding planner and designer David Tutera knows how to make anyone’s special day unforgettable. So when he asked to feature our L’Objet Antique Bow Tie and Lorel Napkin Rings in an upcoming wedding, we were thrilled to participate! With a regal purple, cobalt, and gold color palette, these beautiful table accents have never looked more lovely.  All images courtesy of Yodsukars Photography.

L’Objet‘s Antique Bowtie Gold Napkin Rings add drama to these velvety plum napkins.

These gold Lorel Napkin Rings emphasize the eternal bond of this beautiful union.

These gorgeous napkin rings contributed to the perfect tabletop for this elegant ceremony.

A special thanks to everyone at David Tutera for including us in your beautiful photoshoot!

For more dazzling napkin rings, visit our full collection here.

Baby Showers can be so much fun – ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the adorable gifts presented to the mommy-to-be. If you’re looking for a baby shower gift that’s a little more inspired than yet another onesie, try some of these unique options:

Bambini is a smaller sized version of our best-selling Aladdin flatware – just right for children’s little hands. Brilliant lattice detail holds clear acrylic handles in happy colors for the perfect gift for the mother-to-be or baby.

Bundle your baby up in the softest cashmere blanket from Rani Arabella. The candy-colored stripes on the Fuchsia blanket would add a charming pop of color to a girl’s nursery. The Yoyo baby blanket is also available in Blue for little boys.

A perfect treasure to celebrate the new arrival, this Baby Love Cup will make young memories last with its tarnish-resistant Alloy material and beautiful silver-like luster.

With its timeless design, Christofle’s picture frame is the perfect way to highlight baby’s first moments.

A perfect keepsake to grow up with, Herend‘s Teddy Bear Figurine will be a gift to treasure for all the years to come.

A delight for both boy or girl, Kassatex‘s Zoo Friends Collection makes bath time a treat, not a chore.

Soft as a cloud and cute as a button, this adorable blanket is just the right size for a new-born.

Babies have sensitive skin, so pamper them with Children’s Linen Wash. This gentle detergent is specially formulated for fine baby bed and bath linens, and is fragrance and allergen free.

For more great Baby Gifts, please click here.

This outdoor courtyard from Traditional Home‘s February 2014 was a major project — just look at the inset of the before picture:

Wow!  An outdoor fountain has become an indoor/outdoor living space.  But for whom?  The matching pillows and cushions makes this space look like a showroom.  Pillows should be the most exciting part of the room, a place where you can really show off your personality and sense of style.

So let’s take our Pillow Personality Test — which outdoor pillow are YOU?

Serious and Sophisticated?

Beach-y and Carefree?

Exotic and Romantic?

Flower Child?

or Flag Lover?

 Submit a suggestion for an Instant Makeover by commenting below or tweeting us @GraciousStyle.

Color can be controversial when it comes to decorating your home. Some people instinctively gravitate towards it, while others shy away, preferring more muted, monochromatic environments. Not Nanette Lepore. The contemporary fashion designer, known for her peppy, pattern-splashed clothing, is making a major statement with her new home collection, Nanette Lepore Villa. Inspired by her global travels, and the vibrant color palette of her ready-to-wear line, Lepore injects the same liveliness and flare into Villa, using bold hues and striking prints fearlessly.

Exotic patterns and rich color combinations abound in Villa’s debut collection. Villa is intricate, yes, but never overwhelming. Jewel tones like cobalt blue, teal, fuchsia, and emerald add sophistication to graphic patterns like peacock feathers, animal prints, and Ikat.

In 2005, the whimsical fashionista commissioned Jonathan Adler to outfit her New York home.  As he recalls, “Nanette insisted we choose furniture that was light and movable because they are a family that dances.” The dance-party hostess collaborated with Adler to transform her townhouse into a space that felt colorful, collected, and eclectic. When it came time to design her own home collection, Lepore applied her same mix-and-match, cheerfully chaotic approach.  She says, “I set out to create something that was daring, energetic, and exciting to come home to.”

Which is your favorite piece from Villa? See the entire collection, and shop the look here.

With Easter coming up, we thought we’d share this story we read in the Herend Insider …

Rabbits have distinctive personalities and can be as playful as puppies, as independent and fascinating as cats, or as loyal and affectionate as dogs. Long-time rabbit owners claim that domestic rabbits are every bit as smart as cats and dogs.  In New Jersey, a woman with a rabbit named Patrick trained him to return to his cage every time she rang a toy bell and followed this with a treat. But within a short period of time Patrick began ringing the bell himself and waiting for a treat.  And if his owner didn’t respond quickly enough?  He rang the bell again until he got his goodie.  Well done, Patrick. Pavlov would be proud.

Herend’s rabbits are the most popular animals in the company’s large collection of patchwork creatures.   “Mother and Bunny,” a limited edition of bunnies introduced in 2013, is one of our favorites, so we wanted to share their transformation with you.

Here they are before they are fired:

Clay rabbits before firing

And this is what they look like after they are fired, painted, and detailed with 24 kt gold:

Talk about not having a hair out of place!  To see all of Herend’s rabbits, click here.  Which one is your favorite?

Embrace the Spring Season with a softer color palette. Whether you prefer light sorbet tones or bright sunshine touches, mixing these playful hues is as easy as a soft spring breeze!

For more great Spring Decor ideas, visit our Easter Shop!

Growing up in China, I spent much of my childhood in the Han dynasty.  Many of my childhood heroes came from this period, and I would travel 2,000 years back in time to go on adventures with them while sitting in class or doing homework.

As I grew older, I realized I wasn’t the only one.  The Han dynasty is probably the most important period in the history of China.  Its institutions were emulated by all the dynasties that followed it, and it defined what it means to be Chinese.  Even today, the word “Han” means a person in Chinese, most of the Chinese people are called the “Han people,” and the Chinese language the “Han language.”

Artistically, the Han dynasty has a more streamlined, almost modern, look compared to the floral styles of the later Ming and Qing dynasties.   This is the style which inspired Elad and L’Objet’s new Han Dynasty collection.  For example, the dinnerware’s border motif, available in gold or white, recalls the geometric pattern from those ancient times:

The tea canisters, black canister bowl, and black canister vase are based on the shapes of urns and other household objects:

Finally, these salt and pepper shakers vaguely remind me of both ancient Chinese drinking cups and geometric latticework patterns:

So even if I can’t go back in time to feast with my heroes, I can share a little of their artistic tradition.

Take a look at L’Objet’s other fanciful creations, richly inspired by art and history from around the world.  Which time or place is your favorite?

Easter is a time to celebrate and refresh. It is a special holiday for expressing gratitude and love to friends and family. Whether you are filling your family’s Easter baskets or thanking a generous hostess, these gifts are sure to spread joy.

To see more Easter gift ideas, click here. 

What makes Yves Delorme‘s Etoile Bath Towels so luxurious? Here at Gracious Style, we just had to find out for ourselves! From the vividly saturated hues to the thick but lightweight texture, these towels are an experience worth sharing.

When our Etoile Bath Towels arrived, we had the following reactions:

“What beautiful colors!” – Eve

“The different weave on the border really stands out.” – Si

“The color is sophisticated and the dobby border gives it a tailored look.  And if you look closely, you’ll see that the pattern on the border looks like small butterflies.” – Carolina

Next, we took them home for a test drive in their natural element: the bathroom.

This is where the feeling of the towels came into play. How would these be different?

“Right away, the softness of the material was evident, due to the combination of modal and cotton fibers. I have never used a towel with this fabric before, but now, this is the only kind of towel I use” – Eve

“It felt elegant …I really care about how linens feel, so I was thrilled to see that the Etoile was soft and not too heavy”. – Carolina

“The texture is soft and plush, like a teddy bear”. – Si

We had discovered the visual charm and irresistible feel, but it was the quality that determined our true satisfaction.

Due to the combination of materials, the unique modal-cotton blend makes Etoile lightweight, but still extremely absorbent.

“The fabric is softer and more absorbent without adding extra weight.  Best of both worlds” – Carolina

We came to the unanimous agreement that this towel made an everyday activity extraordinary. The only test which remained: would this towel maintain all of these essential qualities after washing? We washed, we dried, we repeated. The answer was Yes!

“I have now washed it three times with LeBlanc Linen Wash, and it is just as absorbent as it was when I first used it.  The color has also stayed the same” – Carolina

“The towel came out as fluffy and soft as it was when I first opened it, and had a crisp, fresh scent from the detergent”. – Eve

A true testimony to Yves Delorme Etoile Bath Towels, this collection not only has our stamp of approval, but our enthusiastic recommendation.

For more incredible items from Yves Delorme, click here!