While you’re on your computer we figured you
would want to hear from us too!  Cyber Monday special....50% off one of our favorite pieces for your mantle, your console table or an easy table centerpiece. Just add greens, holly, blossoms or wheat and DONE!
Retail $135...
Cyber Monday today only, $67.50
 Mark your calendar for this Friday night, December 1st, when Summit kicks off the holiday season. All the stores are open late to welcome you.....there will be festivities and fun....free horse and carriage rides, hot chocolate, carolers, live music all over the downtown and Summit Passport drawings!  Stop by the listed merchants all week long, INCLUDING GREATHOUSE, to receive your passport...visit 8 small businesses to get a sticker and drop off your card to win one of 3 $1,000.00 value baskets this Friday night! (Winner need not be present) AND SAVE THE DATE, December 15th!  I am so excited to host a festive book signing and demo on December 15th at 4pm. Amazing local duo Tara Roscioli and Beth Ryder Nydick, the authors of CLEAN COCKTAILS will be on hand to sign and share their recipes for the modern mixologist. Please join us!Hope to see you!,
Bonny XOXO
Please note delivery and shipping is available on all items
GreatHouse Bonny Neiman
p.908-522-8900
12 Beechwood Road | Summit, NJ
Monday-Saturday 10:30-5:30 |
Monday, November 27, 2017
A Little Cyber Monday Love!
Sunday, November 19, 2017
Just in time for turkey day!
Everyone loves the simplicity of Thanksgiving. Our focus is gathering with family and friends , reflecting on gratitude while enjoying a wonderful meal and the only hustle and bustle is at the food store. I think we make it even easier with some of our favorite finds. Call us or email for details on the selection here. We ship nationwide.
 FOREST FEAST is a beautiful read as well as a source for mouth watering fantastic current recipes. We are always looking for new appetizer ideas and the ON TOAST recipe books have the answers. Great to get, great to give!  Presentation is everything and I love the organic, yet modern, look to our rounded edge marble pedestals. They are perfect for cheeses or desserts. Our bisque pitcher and stone fruit add to a beautiful tablescape and are also well received hostess gifts.  LOVE THESE! Versatile serpentine vases in 2 sizes for the dining table, the mantle or console table. Instant creativity when you add wheat or succulents (we have both), single blossoms or greens from the yard. Your choice of 10 or 20 tube. So simple!  I get goosebumps each time I pass our antique cheeseboard display at GreatHouse.  19th century with amazing patina and character these statement one of a kind finds make everything you serve on them look great. Just hang one in your kitchen and feel the warmth of farm to table.  Amazing!  100% European linen kitchen towels or guest towels, hand printed. Our customers “go to” well received hostess gift $22. ea.  Hand printed cotton kitchen towels and napkins, $11.ea...every hostess loves AND NEEDS new kitchen towels! Great hostess gifts.  Another amazing artisan added to our team, Lyndsey creates eye catching and functional serving ware....food, microwave and dishwasher safe. Great gift idea!  (boohoo! Jessica is missing from this pic) I am deeply grateful for your continued and enormous support this year and truly value the role I have in your homes. My heart is full when I reflect on the many people who show appreciation and sweet conversation at GreatHouse each day. As we all know it takes a great team and I am very blessed to share my days with the happiest group of dedicated people I have ever known. Susan, Lauren, Matt, Suzanne and Jessica's boundless energy and laughter continue to inspire and motivate me as all of you do, too! I'll work hard to keep it going! Wishing you all a warm and fun Thanksgiving full of gratitude. Hope to see you!,
Bonny XOXO
Please note delivery and shipping is available on all items
GreatHouse Bonny Neiman
p.908-522-8900
12 Beechwood Road | Summit, NJ
Monday-Saturday 10:30-5:30 |
Sunday, October 22, 2017
Swiss Alps dream vacation!
I have always wanted to see the Swiss Alps since my sister visited in the 70's and described breathtaking mountains and quaint villages. When THE most picturesque photo of the Matterhorn came across my Instagram feed I immediately started to push buttons. It's amazing how much you can find out in one sitting on Instagram and I jotted down some locations, etc. I wanted to share the details of our spectacular hiking adventure to make it easy for you if you decide to go.
We booked our direct flight to Zurich after deciding we would visit Lake Lucerne, Zermatt and Murren. Traveling midweek saved us $500 each off our airfare. We were advised to land and hop on a train to Lucerne and we were happy with the suggestion as it gave us more time in the mountains.
 I had reserved only our first night's stay prior to our departure as we read somewhere the weather changes rapidly and no sense heading to a town where torrential rain is planned. We also read "there are plenty of rooms especially in September". Although we had excellent weather this took the complete burden off of me to research and choose hotels ahead of time. GreatHouse was very busy and I had limited time. We landed in Zurich and bought our week long Swiss Travel Pass (I strongly recommend and no need to pay the increase for reserved seats.) which entitled us to have all train, rail and boat travel prepaid for. It also offers you ticket discounts to attractions. Throughout our travels we never had to stop at a ticket booth which was really nice. We hopped on to the train to Lake Lucerne minutes after landing and enjoyed sweeping views passing by our window. I booked the Hotel Des Alpes right on the lake because it was within walking distance of the train station. Great location right on the edge of the Old City. Small room but really nice hotel with a beautiful balcony, nice shops around and an ample breakfast buffet including to die for cheeses and champagne!  The friendly helpful desk clerk gave us the info we needed to walk to the boat dock to catch the ferry to cross Lucerne and board the worlds steepest Cog train through meadows and rock faces up to Mount Pilatus elevation 7000 plus feet. (First blog pic above is me amazed by the Pilatus Glacier) we spent the day taking the train up to the top, having lunch with spectacular views and hiking (walking) down from the halfway mark amazed by the vistas.  The cog train descending to the station. (We rode up but hiked down a few miles then picked up the gondola for the remainder) everything is easily marked.  The beautiful Alpenhorns greeted us at the mountaintop at Pilatus and you can also experience them at the Schnige-Platte if you travel to the Jungfrau region.  At the mountain top there are a couple of restaurants and even a beautiful hotel. There were a few ice covered paths that went further skyward and we laughed at the high heel sign.  When we returned to the hotel we enjoyed the view of the Chapel Bridge over Lake Lucerne, the oldest wooden covered bridge in Europe. Take a walk through... beautiful!  After a stop at the hotel we toured the Old Village Lucerne, where our hotel was right at the edge.  The next morning after a 5 minute walk to the train station we headed to our second stop, Zermatt, where once again, the 3 1/2 hour ride seemed like 20 minutes with the spectacular vistas. Frequently seen were thick hand cut slate roofs that made me swoon.  On the train I went to trip advisor and booked our next hotel, the Chalet Hotel Schonegg. It was GORGEOUS and charming! Desk assistants, fantastic! I was warned not to be disappointed as The Matterhorn is often shrouded in clouds and some visitors don't even get a chance to see it but VOILA! Our room view!  Zermatt is a charming upscale ski town village...all the houses look like this and all the geraniums are bright orange...LOVE!  Our walk from the train took us through a hillside via our hotel's passageway (with music!) looked like Disneyworld, LOL!  I booked the place in 5 minutes on the train because I wanted to look out the window and enjoy the scenery and the Chalet Hotel Schonegg was another lucky score!  Another really nice breakfast buffet where the waitresses slice the sausage paper thin for you while you watch.  The first day in Zermatt we took another cog train to the beautiful Gornergrat ridge of the Alps overlooking the Garner Glacier. There is a Hotel at the top and even a Chapel where I lit a candle. Amazing views with a spiritual feel at 10,250 feet elevation. You really are in the clouds. We hiked down. There are signs on the trail that state the time each hike takes. Very simple to follow.  I clicked this iconic photo of the Matterhorn reflecting on the lake while we hiked (walked) down the mountain.  The next day we went to the top to experience the "Glacier Paradise". A bit hokey but fun. Make sure you do a cartwheel on a glacier when you're there!  After our trip to the top we strolled through the old village which is a small quaint area with original settlers' homesteads. The thick slate discs on the foundation were to make it difficult for the mice to enter. During the extremely cold winter the settlers used to sleep with the animals to stay warm....sounds smelly!  A must visit is the tiny Zermatt museum on the Main Street next to the Old Church in town. It really connects you to the areas history. We popped in as it started to drizzle and, quietly strolled around reading and seeing photos, memorabilia and the flimsy equipment used in the early days of climbing. It made us us feel as though we were part of a courageous adventure team scaling the great Matterhorn, too! The great Matterhorn is one of the most famous peaks in the Swiss Alps. Since the first climb to the top in 1865 about 4 people die each year trying to hike to its peak. Conditions are brutal, snow, winds, unexpected weather changes. I was amazed to hear of Lucy Walker, seated in this picture, the first woman to accomplish this extremely dangerous feat in 1871 wearing a long flannel skirt people!! She was a mere 6 years after the first man! Can you believe her challenge and succumbing to the added difficulty of appropriate attire for a Victorian lady?? Severe steep rock climbing is involved and after 3 men from the first successful climb plunged to their deaths she succeeded finding footholds in a long skirt! And you know she wasn't hiking that skirt up to her waist either in front of the men. Makes you keep our daily challenges in check, doesn't it?  There are some upscale ski village restaurants but we opted for this oldie and liked it for its authenticity and grit. The waitress totally forgot about our order but we were entertained by the kids table next to us having traditional fondue. She offered complimentary desserts and drinks but we had had enough raclette and beer already! Raclette is a Swiss cheese scraped and melted and as it firms up is served with bread. (Tip..don't have this the same night you have fondue LOL)  A must have traditional dish is ROSTI! Shredded sautéed potatoes with various options you can choose on top. Lunch here was sausage and onions.  The desk clerks at each hotel detailed our trains and changes with platform numbers and departure times for us, so easy AND you are in Switzerland and you can count on the Swiss trains punctuality. After 2 wonderful nights in Zermatt we took a 3 1/2 hour trip (4 train changes then a tram ride, then a small cog train) to magical Murren. Murren is farmlands, charming pastures, a very small ski village perched on a cliff and when you get off the train you have to brace yourself for the panoramic views of the magnificent mountains. From our hotel the span of the peaks was breathtaking and you felt as though you could reach out and touch them.  The very best part of the trip for me was hiking across fields and pastures with the Alps view while listening to the cowbells near and far. It really sounded like a bell choir.  Small chalets dot the hillside.  We took well marked hikes through wooded areas, brooks, hillside farms all with the snow capped Bernese Alps watching over us. In Lauterbrunnen we visited the Trummelbach Falls.  We bumped into this cheese maker selling his goods at the train station in Lauterbrunnen. The air was filled with the aroma! One girl put a wheel in her backpack and got on the train!  The restaurant at our Hotel Eiger was VERY good. Attentive staff and mouth watering entrees. Cinnamon apple fritters with ice cream was my dream come true for dessert.  Some Grandmas bring stuffed animals home to their grandchildren, my granddaughter LOVES sausage. You should have seen her delight when I presented her with her homemade souvenirs! We walked and hiked for 2 whole days in Murren and it was therapy for the soul. Easy conversation and quiet moments and laughter with Roger I will never forget. We ended the trip with one night in Zurich hitting some shops in the old city. Switzerland was such an amazing vacation...truly the most beautiful place I have ever seen. I hope you go....the natural beauty you experience really stays with you. At GreatHouse we are gearing up for a fantastic holiday season with special merchandise arriving every day. I just got back from another trip searching out new pieces and am feeling I know just what you're looking for. Thank you for your trust and the opportunity to help you create the wonderful home to raise your families. It is a role I truly appreciate and value. It's going to be a great holiday season celebrating all we are thankful for. Hope to see you!,
Bonny XOXO
Please note delivery and shipping is available on all items
GreatHouse Bonny Neiman
p.908-522-8900
12 Beechwood Road | Summit, NJ
Monday-Saturday 10:30-5:30 |
Thursday, September 28, 2017
Next Thursday Sept. 28th!
The final session of Summit's Design Series is here....Don't miss it next Thursday night, the 28th! Many design stores in town are having special events and we hope to see you as you cruise between stores to experience what we have all put together for you! At GreatHouse, we are sharing The Art of Styling Mantels and Bookshelves: Quick tips for today's stylish home. It's a great night to see what I have been collecting all summer: unique lighting, rugs, textiles, accessories, art and furniture all with your needs in mind. Bring pictures of your mantels and bookshelves and we will even give you immediate help you can take home that night! Grab a friend, see what's new in Summit and enjoy a great dinner....hope to see you!
  We all have organization on our minds in September and our handmade baskets help you add style while you're getting it together.....mud room, bathroom, bedroom, any room....nothing like great texture to add some WOW! Mention this email for 10%off! Hope to see you!,
Bonny XOXO
The organic luxury towels featured are our favorites by Boll and Branch!
Please note delivery and shipping is available on all items
GreatHouse Bonny Neiman
p.908-522-8900
12 Beechwood Road | Summit, NJ
Monday-Saturday 10:30-5:30 |
Tuesday, July 18, 2017
Don't miss our Summer Showcase!
While spending time in the store helping you all, sometimes the easiest hint we give is welcomed by you as fabulous! I love sharing simple tips and info so I had the idea of bringing together tastemakers I truly admire at a summer party at GreatHouse! These stylesetters will share a few of their latest with you to wow you with "I can do this too!" Don't miss it!!
From "what to wear" to "what to serve", easy peasy tips you will add to your own fallbacks and BAM! update your summer entertaining style.
Please join us tonight July 18 at 6 PM! Prizes too!
Summit has lots of great restaurants with outdoor dining so you can make a perfect summer night of it!
Our Generous Contributors
Summit House @summithousenj
Stacey Caron @staceysnacks
Matt Allegretta @thecreativebuttinski
Emi Havas and Deidre Karner @paperfolio
Jenna Noonan @BoldLipsBoutique
Olga Sahraoui @saholany
Gabrielle Newkirk @the.collective.nj
Denise Schoenfeld and Danielle Fidacaro @sissys_jewelry
Hope to see you!,
Bonny XOXO
Please note delivery and shipping is available on all items
GreatHouse Bonny Neiman
p.908-522-8900
12 Beechwood Road | Summit, NJ
Monday-Saturday 10:30-5:30 |
Friday, June 16, 2017
Our visit to CUBA!
Hi everyone!
Thanks to all of you who keep in touch on a regular basis by tuning into Instagram. There is so much I like to share and I post every day to keep you in the loop on the super busy goings on at GreatHouse. It seems I don't get the time I used to to blog post and sales and events get announced only on Instagram. For those of you who don't have an Instagram page, it's really easy and we can get you set up if you reach out. Most recently you have been enjoying "Five o'clock FLASH SALES" every day with crazy pricing on great pieces as we clean out the warehouse! Also the website has been updated with new pieces although not everything is posted.
I just got back from a great trip to Cuba and I wanted to share the details in case you are planning a trip.
Although the Cuban beaches are beautiful we wanted to limit our exploration to the capital city of Havana as we heard it is a step back in time and it certainly is. I have visited third world countries before but I have never been to a third world big city .... tall buildings are crumbling, sidewalks and roads are in terrible disrepair. Conditions that would never be tolerated in our own country are the norm. It was shocking.
Unlike you have heard we did not have to travel with a group. Roger planned the whole trip taking to the internet and finding a travel agent online who handled everything. (Her contact, below) We did need a visa and had a great direct flight with Jet Blue out of Kennedy airport in NY.
The Hotel Saratoga was our home base and, although the staff was lovely and accommodating, we knew not to expect the usual 5 star feel. 
The room was 1940's charming with its green tile and dressing area.
It is a city of contrasts.... La Guarida is a spectacularly beautiful restaurant set inside a decaying mansion. This lover of patina and all things old was "wowed" by the distressed elegance and opulence from earlier days. It seemed as if it was 100 degrees inside and we had to adjust to dining without air conditioning. This was a post dinner picture and you can see how I was sweating.
Stylish diners enjoyed creative cuisine and interesting cocktails.
If you are dining at that certain hour be sure to request the third floor to capture the breathtaking sunset over the city. I understand that Natalie Portman and Helen Hunt had been recent visitors.
Our first mojito, famous cocktail originated in Cuba!
The bathroom was photo worthy with its marble sink and interesting towel storage.
This is Roger giving his leftover tuna to a cat roaming the hallway. Notice the floor in disrepair. This is what you walk around inside the restaurant on the first floor. This is a good example of the contrasts in Havana... beauty amidst the extreme disrepair.
 We met our guide Patrizia the next day who walked us through the city and answered so many of our questions. 
The population receives ration cards where they are redeemed in "markets" like these. They are allotted one pound of chicken per person per month. You can see the jars on the shelves with the cards taped underneath showing the amounts of rice and beans etc, allowed.
Patrizia told us we walk in the middle of the roads because the balconies crumble.
This building was next to our hotel. Notice the cinder blocks stacked inside the arches to hold up the second floor.
The capitol building in view from our hotel is currently under renovation and the government offices will move in once completed. The beautiful opera house had also been renovated and is home to the National Ballet.
Patrizia took us to this park in the center of Havana lush with foliage. The pics on the right is a very old building made solely from coral pulled from the surrounding sea.
Everyone knows the popularity of a Cuban cigar, I grew up with my Father raving over the smooth draw. The picture top right are the 2 part wooden forms. After the cigar is rolled they are placed inside and pressed. I honestly enjoyed mine, it was pleasant. When I sent a picture home my Mother commented "that's a nice ash!"
We lunched at Notre Dame des Bijoux which I highly recommend as a super casual Cuban dining experience. We entered through the home of a former classical male ballet dancer who had dozens of China plates hanging on his walls. It was odd to be walking through his living room while he watched TV as he waved us towards an extremely steep flight of iron stairs out back. Mosaics everywhere and a very friendly gentlemen eager to please greeted us on the outdoor top floor. Our chef/host showed us the food choices, served us cocktails and grilled the meal all while masterfully balancing a "good ash" on his cigar as pictured on the right!
Delicious and friendly even with a big language barrier.
When we drove for about 20 minutes one night and showed up at the Cabaret Tropicana I thought "whose idea was this?" It was an old fashioned Vegas style show. It reminded me of an adult "Disney tiki room" where out of the darkness scantily clad dancing and singing men and women popped out in front of you, behind you and even above you out of the darkness. Lots of costume changes and rumba sleeves while the staff hurriedly plopped a bottle of rum and 2 cans of Cuban Cola per couple as we sat at Vegas style long tables. People were into it and we cracked up at first but ended the evening feeling as though we had experienced the Cuba of yesterday which is what the trip really is, genuinely. I say Cuban Cola because, of course, there are no American made products. No commercialism whatsoever.
Seen on the streets at left a man coming out of the store with eggs and another newspaperman "delivering" the tiny rolled up newspaper by throwing it up to the balconies.
The Museum of the Revolution told the story of the the Cuban dictator Batista's fall from power and Castro's rise. In 1952 Batista was still on good terms with the US. After the overthrow by Socialist Fidel Castro in the late 1950's he ended ties with the US.
Above the arched window on the left you can see the bullet holes from the machine guns of the revolutionaries that stormed the building to kill Batista in what was originally the Presidential Palace.
We saw life size childish caricatures of our political figures with sophomoric comments thanking us for strengthening their revolution.....seemed like a childish display.
Changing gears, (LOL!) everyone we came in contact with was friendly and charming and more than happy to receive this new attention and also dollars that tourism has brought. Since there are no longer American products allowed our cars from the 1950's are considered national treasures to the people. Some rides were in jalopies without air conditioning where the driver had to get a wrench to open up the windows as they had no handles. Keep in mind they can not get even new parts from American carmakers. Antique taxi cabs are the norm and the drivers are proud to speak of their restorations and origins in their family. Roger brought his catalogues for them to have. They immediately were happily pouring over them as the drivers outside our hotel had never been exposed to the opportunity. It's an adventure to navigate conversations with the language barrier but the friendliness was always apparent.
We loved Cuba, it was exciting and we will return to go to the beach resorts someday. The restaurants above are definitely worth your time and I really can't choose a favorite they were all great experiences where the staff seemed so happy to see us.
The travel agent who took care of everything seamlessly from the USA was
Laura Valdiva, Laura@dmcandtravel.com 305-316-3450. Roger was amazed that with the distance even our airport ride home showed up on schedule ...a reservation made weeks before. I hope you go and if you do please email me when you return. For more pictures head to Instagram.
Also we are planning a summer entertaining showcase, July 18th at 6 pm!, with some of my favorite talented people. You can get the details following Instagram in the next week or two or by stopping in.
HEY! HAPPY SUMMER! take some time to kick back XOXO
Love and hugs,
Bonny
Please note delivery and shipping is available on all items
GreatHouse Bonny Neiman
p.908-522-8900
12 Beechwood Road | Summit, NJ
Monday-Saturday 10:30-5:30 |
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