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.
This week's New York Magazine Fashion issue features an article with Kehinde Wiley, a highly regarded artist with a worldwide following, and an upcoming retrospective at the Brooklyn Museum. Wiley is famous for painting classically inspired portraits of contemporary black men with dazzling results. In 2011 he completed a series with 7 black women - "over the next several months, Wiley photographed them, had them fitted for haute couture gowns by Riccardo Tischi at Givenchy, then painted them large scale, in works modeled after French and British portraits from the 18th and 19th centuries."
Renowned interior designer, Anouska Hempel is known for creating arguably, the world's first boutique luxury hotel, Blakes, in 1978. Located between South Kensington and Chelsea in London, Blakes was built from a row of converted townhouses. Anouska's incomparable design style is unique, extravagant, sumptuous and occasionally veers into the theatrical. "Anouska Hempel" the just published volume, written with Marcus Binney, architecture correspondent for the London Times is divided into thirteen chapters, each highlighting a particular project and giving an in-depth look at how this London-based talent layers her evocative spaces with historical details, rich textures and saturated tones. I've been following Anouska's extraordinary career for many years and her creativity and ability to reimagine spaces continues to be utterly captivating.
Some inspiring ideas to help celebrate Valentine's weekend. Seduce your significant other with candles, lingerie, flowers, desserts or better yet, jewelry.
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.
It's a little too early for me to talk about Spring especially as there's a winter snow advisory, predicting 3-5 inches this weekend. However, it's always the right time to discuss denim. One trend that's gathering speed is high-waisted jeans, and in my opinion not a moment too soon. The low-rise jean was one of the most uncomfortable and often unflattering looks I can remember in a long time. That style also gave us the "muffin-top" and no-one was happy about that. So, now the high waist is back, but not in a mumsy way - it's very stylish, accentuating a wasp waist and if you like your sweater or blouse tucked in to show off that wasp waist and belt buckle, they will now stay in place. I couldn't be happier...
I'm a little fixated on Valentino Garavani at the moment. When I think about who embodies a truly sumptuous and exclusive lifestyle, Valentino is the first name that pops up. His is a world enjoyed with a very small, wealthy group of mostly European jet-setting friends, traveling the world according to where is in season when. With homes in London, Paris, New York, a private jet and a yacht - he lives very well indeed. "At The Emperor's Table," Valentino's coffee table book gives us a peek into his beyond fabulous life and the inspiration to incorporate some small segment of it into our own lives.
Continuing with my White Series for January, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Perpaolo Piccioli the designers for Valentino created an enchanting series of white lace dresses for Spring ready-to-wear 2015. The collection was based on the long gone tradition of the Grand Tour, where the British Aristocracy and the very wealthy would travel to France and Italy in pursuit of improving their culture. The designers used the Grand Tour as their inspiration, creating a collection that was poetic, graceful and beautiful. The detail and intricate workmanship of lace was quite astonishing.
Animal 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...
Today my inbox contained a post from Bloglovin of an extraordinary restaurant, Heuso in Mexico. Heuso is Spanish for bone and inspired by celebrity chef Alfonso Cadena and his brother's studio, created the interior design from 10,000 cast aluminum animal bones mounted on timber blocks. Pipes and various cooking utensils were also mounted. Using the white brick wall as the backdrop, all the items attached to its surface are covered with layers of paint. The restaurant now resembles an art installation rather than the more conventional interior of a restaurant. Not sure whether I love it or hate it, but it's certainly unique!
It's January 2015 and time to start afresh, make new resolutions and promise to commit to improve whatever we deem lacking in ourselves and/or our lives. Nothing says fresh new start quite like white. In this and the following posts are some of the inspired turns white has taken for January. This morning I read in the Times that two high fashion retails stores, The Webster, Miami Beach and Le Bon Marche Rive Gauche, Paris have launched a designer collaboration series all white collection. As Hilary Moss explains, it's a Bon Marche tradition since January 1873, when the store's owner Aristide Boucicaut stocked a selection of snow-hued garments to fill his shelves following the holiday shopping season.
Biras Creek Resort, Virgin Gorda is my second favorite island destination. The resort is located on a narrow strip of land between two hills with stunning views of 3 distinct bodies of water; the tranquil North Sound, Atlantic Ocean and the turquoise Caribbean Sea. Accessible only by boat or helicopter in the British Virgin Islands, the laid-back architecture and interior design of Biras Creek makes this resort an island paradise. The lifestyle is very informal with adventures to be found on land or at sea. At sea activities include snorkeling, scuba diving and Boston whaler excursions. For those preferring to stay on land there's tennis, hiking, horse riding and a fabulous aromatherapy spa using the Decleor skincare line.
It's January 2015, I'm in New York expecting a snowstorm and thinking about a winter escape, which for me means the Caribbean. I've done my fair share of island-hopping through the years and two of my favorite islands are Barbados and Virgin Gorda. Sandy Lane on Barbados is an ultra luxe, no expense spared hotel resort, catering to your every need in lush surroundings. Amenities include a world class golf course and spa. An extensive recent interior design renovation by Nina Campbell has restored the hotel to its former glory and if you want to splurge and indulge this hotel will not disappoint.
It's the holiday season and to celebrate, bring out all your best china, glassware and floral arrangements to create a festive dining table setting. Your guests will enjoy and appreciate your efforts! Here are a selection of inspiring table settings I came across on LuxDeco. Link to article...
Christmas is my favorite time of year to visit London. Central London is particularly festive with beautiful street decorations and truly wondrous window displays. During this trip several friends were also visiting, giving us the perfect opportunity to go store window gazing and hotel bar hopping.
