The Art of Living

Our Nation's Garden

Our Nation's Garden
In 1986, at the urging of Mary, the wife of a prominent US Senator, and the help of the American Rose Society, the rose was named the national flow...

True North

True North
Following your inner compass        The premier issue of La Vie Claire debuted in the summer of 2004.  But, the idea had been conceived six years p...

Behind the Design - What is a Cat Boat?

Behind the Design - What is a Cat Boat?
If you are from New England, or a mariner who loves to sail the waters of the islands off the Massachusetts coast, you will easily recognize the ic...
Posted in cat boats, Nantucket, rainbow fleet, sailing

The Stories of Yarn

The Stories of Yarn
The following article appeared in the Fall 2007 issue of La Vie Claire magazine. Some women set down a record of their days in a journal, but not ...

Behind the Design - Cape Contemporary Shells

Behind the Design - Cape Contemporary Shells
When you think of Claire Murray's beach-style rugs, you envision soft pastels of blues,greens, pinks and lavender.  But, when a customer asked for ...

Behind the Design: A Thousand Flowers - The Millefleur Collection

Behind the Design: A Thousand Flowers - The Millefleur Collection
It is a no-brainer that Claire has an intense love for flowers.  Specifically, those she can see and grow herself.  Her time living on Nantucket in...

Behind the Design: The Nantucket Lightship Basket

Behind the Design: The Nantucket Lightship Basket
In 1987, Claire designed the Nantucket Basket rug.  Inspired by these iconic baskets, this simple yet colorful rug shows a traditional basket overf...

Behind the Design: Women and the Sea

Behind the Design: Women and the Sea
In 2004, Claire began publishing her award-winning magazine, La Vie Claire.  Filled with stunning photographs of gardens, destinations, lifestyle i...

Behind the Design: The Button Rug Collection

Behind the Design: The Button Rug Collection
In the early days, Claire made all her own rugs hooking them with wool strips - the more traditional or "primitive" method of hooking.  Wool strips...

Behind the Design: The Gray Lady

Behind the Design: The Gray Lady
As the mariners would approach the small island of Nantucket, it would often be shrouded in fog.  Only 7 miles wide by 14 miles long, it was once t...

Behind the Design: the Nantucket Girl's Song

Behind the Design: the Nantucket Girl's Song
This evocative rather tongue-in-cheek poem was found in the journal of Eliza Brock who was the wife of Master Peter Brock on a whaling trip onboard...

Behind the Design - the Sea Turtles

Behind the Design - the Sea Turtles
In April of 2010, the Gulf of Mexico suffered what was considered to be the largest oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry with the exp...