The Hamptons Summer House
My April 2 post was about the quintessential English country house. The Hamptons weekend summer house is arguably, the North American equivalent. Habitually Chic had a lovely post this week about Aerin Lauder and her beautiful summer house situated in one of the exclusive Hamptons enclaves. Aerin's summer house is relaxed, welcoming and understatedly elegant. The gardens are particularly exquisite with all those gorgeous flowers in full bloom. The beauty of Aerin's house for me is in her liberal use of simple low maintenance materials like sisal, rattan, beach-grass, along with groupings of blue/white Chinoiserie porcelain, flora and fauna patterned fabrics, against a backdrop of white painted interiors and exteriors. All of which are elements of the classic Hamptons summer house. Use one or several of these elements to create your own summer oasis!
Read MoreFlower Prints are Back!
Flowers are currently abundant in home interiors. Flower prints were out of vogue for a number of years as the preference was for neutral, monochromatic tones and painted walls. But, as the saying goes "what goes around comes around" and flower prints are back, in both abstract and literal forms. There's also a welcome return, for me anyway, of repeating a pattern on windows and at least one piece of furniture in the room.
Read MoreAs Bottega Veneta continues to extend their lifestyle brand they recently opened a home store in no less than the 18th-Century Palazzo Gallarati in Milan. Art and commerce blend seamlessly with beautiful frescos painted by Giovanni Battista and Carlo Innocenzo, juxtaposed with the contemporary and elegantly spare Bottega Veneta furniture collection. Designed by Tomas Meier, "The Bottega Veneta home collection is dedicated to those who are drawn to understated, luxurious furnishings crafted with the finest materials in the heart of Milan, I wanted to create an intimate discreet destination for clients to be able to immerse themselves in the Italian art de vivre of Bottega Veneta."
Read MoreCountry Living
Browsing through the various blogs I'm currently following I came across Bloglovin's Habitually Chic post of Jemma Kidd's stunning home in Hampshire, England she shares with her two children and husband Arthur Wellesley, Earl of Mornington and heir to the Duke of Wellington. The house, named the Old Rectory dates back to the 18th-century and sits on the Stratfield Saye estate, Arthur's family home. There is something about a large country house in England that's hard to beat, combining acres of exquisite landscape, and seemingly unstudied interiors, which in this case contain many family heirlooms.
Read MoreMy 5 Fave Chandeliers for Spring
Still thinking about Spring and the tweaks that can be made to breathe fresh air into your home, I'm always on the lookout for fabulous ceiling chandeliers and pendants. This is the piece that establishes the personality of the room and it can be jaw-dropping like the Randy Kemper piece over the dining table in the photo below, or more subtle. While browsing through the stack of magazines lying beside my bed I came across some new designs that really capture the light contemporary mood I've been introducing to my clients. I've also included one perennial favorite, the Grande Charles Balustrade chandelier that has worked well for us above the dining table of a couple of projects.
Read MoreMore thoughts on the various ways to usher Spring into our homes - it doesn't have to be about buying anything new, but just doing a thorough top to bottom cleaning. In my in-box this morning from One King's Lane is a blog post from Max Kater. She and her husband are the team behind the environmentally friendly cleaning line Murchison-Hume. As her post expertly covers just about every aspect of house spring-cleaning, I've re-posted it here.
Read MoreSpring will be here in 4 weeks and I've started thinking about ushering in the new season with updates for the home. It could be a fresh coat of paint, new window treatments, rugs, or change of throw pillows. Pantone, Inc. the leading color authority has anointed Marsala as the paint color for 2015. According to Pantone, "The impactful, full-bodied qualities of Marsala make for an elegant grounded statement color when used on its own or as a strong accent to many other colors". Named for Marsala wine, a fortified wine made in Sicily with an alcohol content of 17 - 20%, its cousins are port, sherry and madeira.
Read MoreFinishing Touches
The finishing touches to any room come down to accessories. These are the details that catch the eye, giving the room its individuality and personal stamp. I will often place things of interest on the coffee table along with a small stack of books and a low vase of flowers. Objects can also be displayed to break up rows of books in a bookcase or exclusively in a display cabinet. Placing a small group of items of varying heights in a tray creates a vignette - disparate items brought together for their visual appeal.
Read MoreMy 5 Fave Sofas...
My team and I are constantly sourcing for the perfect piece of furniture to suit a client's particular needs. It's not always the new and on trend piece that we're seeking and return to the tried and true time and again. In the case of sofas, our favorites include B & B Italia's Ray and Charles sofas, designed by Antonio Citterio for B & B Italia. The Ray, introduced in 2012 can be customized into various combinations of sofa, sectional or chaise. The Charles, also from Antonio Citterio was first produced in 2003 and has become a timeless classic. Because of the comfort, versatility and tailored designs, both fit perfectly into a contemporary or transitional environment - we've placed them in living rooms, dens and media rooms with great success.
Read MoreAnimal print fabric is a timeless classic and powerfully influences the worlds of both fashion and interior design. Leopard is a neutral print that adds high style flair as an accent in a living room, whether as throw pillows, benches or lounge chairs. I love the versatility of being able to use it in modern, classic, contemporary or traditional interiors. It's equally chic worn as a coat, boots or bag, although preferably not all in one outfit. Whenever I think of animal prints it always brings to mind Hollywood movie stars from the 50s & 60s. See Ann Bancroft below...
Read MoreDesign Miami
Today we visited Design Miami at Art Basel. This year it seems to be all about lighting and world famous architect and my old boss, Peter Marino. Here's what caught my eye...
Read MoreElements for creating a luxurious bedroom
As mentioned in earlier posts, I could happily live in a hotel. The best hotel rooms are furnished for comfort, relaxation and indulgence. To attain a similar level of style and comfort at home, a bedroom with a queen or king bed should include a pair of table lamps to read by comfortably, a pair of nightstands with a surface large enough to hold a book or two, reading glasses, a tray for jewelry/change/pillbox/water-glass. On the bed a pair of pillows that are decorative and a pair that are functional.
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