What the Garden Remembers

The garden is not really mine. I am the current keeper. A meditation on flowers, mothers, daughters, Celtic heritage, and the four generations of women whose hands still tend these plants alongside my own.

The Design EyeMary Madore-HickeyMay 4, 2026mix old and new decor, heirloom decor, layered tablescape, French inspired table setting, timeless table design, how to style a tablescape, layered table design, home decor inspiration, intentional gathering, pacific ocean, coastal inspiration, coastal art, coastal landscape, creative process, founder led brand, creative discipline, intentional living, creative restoration for women, emotional leadership, work life balance for women, women and authenticity, Provence, Botanical Skincare, Artisan Craft, Women Founded, Intentional Living, Craftsmanship, Skincare Ritual Routine, French roast chicken, Sunday roast, slow living recipe, bouquet garni, Le Creuset chicken, vermouth chicken, French Home Cooking, French country garden, hydrangeas, design with the heart, slow living, the design eyeComment

The Design Eye | Spring 2026 — Gathered from the Garden

The most beautiful arrangements are never the ones we plan. They are the ones the garden offers in its own time — and we are quiet enough to receive them. The first edition of The Design Eye explores what a morning after the rain taught about beauty, intention, and the design of a gathered life.

The Design EyeMary Madore-HickeyApril 20, 2026mix old and new decor, heirloom decor, layered tablescape, French inspired table setting, timeless table design, how to style a tablescape, layered table design, home decor inspiration, intentional gathering, pacific ocean, coastal inspiration, coastal art, coastal landscape, creative process, founder led brand, creative discipline, intentional living, creative restoration for women, emotional leadership, work life balance for women, women and authenticity, Provence, Botanical Skincare, Artisan Craft, Women Founded, Intentional Living, Craftsmanship, Skincare Ritual Routine, French roast chicken, Sunday roast, slow living recipe, bouquet garni, Le Creuset chicken, vermouth chicken, French Home Cooking, French country garden, hydrangeas, design with the heart, slow living, the design eyeComment

French Roast Chicken with Vermouth and Fresh Herbs | A Sunday Slow Living Tradition

There is a particular quality to a Sunday afternoon when something good is roasting in the oven. This French inspired roast chicken — made in a blue Le Creuset with vermouth, fresh herbs, and root vegetables — is a recipe inherited from a mother's kitchen and refined through French cooking classes. Slow living at its most nourishing and beautiful.

Composing Rituals in Provence: Craft, Concentration, and the Art of Intentional Care

A story of Provence, memory, and recognition. This feature explores L’AUGUSTE, a French botanical skincare house shaped by art, ritual, and the women behind its creation.

Garden Themed Table Design For Easter

A garden inspired Easter table designed for a relaxed spring brunch. Layered linens, seasonal flowers, and simple details come together to create a setting that feels natural, welcoming, and quietly beautiful.

Home and Decor, Gather with IntentionMary Madore-HickeyApril 2, 2026liechtenstein, journeys through europe, communicating, how to communicate to each other, love one another, travel blog, easter dessert, lemon mousse, lemon and rose mousse, easter lemon mousse, spring entertaining, floral styling, garden inspired, gather with intention, tablescape designComment

Easter Themed High Tea Party

There is something about Easter that invites a softer way of gathering. A table shaped by the season, small details that feel considered, and a moment to slow down and be together. This high tea is a reflection of that, simple, layered, and meant to be shared.

Returning to Art Later in Life: The Painting That Reminded Me to Begin

In a quiet corner of my studio hangs the only acrylic painting my mother ever created. Surrounded by objects that bring comfort and memory, it reminds me that creativity is enduring and deeply rooted within us. Even during seasons when life asks for our full attention elsewhere, the instinct to create remains quietly present, waiting for the moment we are ready to welcome it forward.

Home and DecorMary Madore-HickeyMarch 12, 2026intentional gathering, layered table design, creative entertainingComment

Styling a Place Setting Around a Single Antique Piece

An antique aqua and gold porcelain bowl anchors a layered place setting styled with linen, etched glass, and roses. A study in how antique and contemporary pieces can come together to create an elegant and thoughtful table.

Home and DecorMary Madore-HickeyMarch 6, 2026intentional gathering, layered table design, creative entertainingComment

A Formal Table for Fifteen in a Small Washington Condominium

When fifteen friends gather in a small space, intention becomes essential. From layered greenery and French bistro flatware to a carefully paired menu, this evening reveals how creativity shapes atmosphere and memory.

Home and DecorMary Madore-HickeyMarch 3, 2026intentional gathering, layered table design, creative entertainingComment

The Warmth of Becoming: The Climb That Shaped Me

For many years, my life was defined by the climb. Strength was rewarded. Softness was rarely acknowledged. I learned to endure, to lead, and to hold everything together. What I did not realize was how much of myself I had carefully kept within the lines. It was not until I stood before the turning sea and its fearless spectrum of color that I understood balance was not about dividing my time, but about reclaiming space to see myself clearly again.

Overlooking the Pacific Ocean

Overlooking the Pacific Ocean, I encountered a landscape defined by layered color, shifting current, and bold coastal contrast. What began as daily walks along the California cliffs became a season of creative clarity, restoring my eye for depth, structure, and disciplined observation.

Mixing Old and New: Designing a Blue and White Table That Feels Like Home

Learn how mixing old and new decor creates a blue-and-white table that feels layered, personal, and timeless. Discover how heirloom pieces and modern accents come together to design a table that truly feels like home.

Mary Madore-HickeyFebruary 18, 2026mix old and new decor, heirloom decor, layered tablescape, French inspired table setting, timeless table design, how to style a tablescape, layered table design, home decor inspiration, intentional gathering, gather with intention, intentional entertaining, heritage at the table, women gatheringComment

When Women Become the Village

Women often become the village through experience, awareness, and care. This essay reflects on creativity, heritage, and home as a place of restoration and return.

Women and BecomingMary Madore-HickeyFebruary 10, 2026creativity and women, intentional living, creative restoration, thoughtful living, editorial lifestyle writing, home as a place of restoration for women, creativity as a return to self, how women find balance through home, intentional living inspired by heritage, women and becoming, ambition and balance, personal evolutionComment

The Rise of Lived-In Beauty

Beauty feels different when it is lived with rather than preserved. In the return to antiques, natural linens, and hand-crafted materials, our homes are once again becoming places of warmth, memory, and belonging.

Women and Becoming, Home and DecorMary Madore-HickeyJanuary 26, 2026heritage decor, collected interiorsComment

A Valentine’s Season of Gathering, Design, and Intention

A thoughtfully curated collection of French-inspired Valentine’s Day gatherings, from brunches and intimate dinners to cocktails, desserts, and tables designed to linger.

Gather with IntentionMary Madore-HickeyJanuary 21, 2026gathering with intention, intentional entertaining, meaningful dinner party, friendship and community, celebration and meaningComment

Live beautifully. On purpose.

Journal