I'm a huge fan of the London based Firmdale Hotel group. Whenever Philippe and I are in London we stay at their Knightsbridge Hotel and its become our home away from home. One Denman Place with apartments for stays of 90 days or more has just been added to this distinctive group, located in the Ham Yard hotel in Soho, which itself opened just last year. There are one, two and three bedrooms apartments available with interior design by co-owner Kit Kemp in her singular eclectic style incorporating antiques, found items and an abundant mix of textured patterned fabrics.
Read More70's fashion is back and for some of us there's a sense of "been there done that!" However, the silhouettes have been refined and updated - I'm loving the cropped jackets, billowy dresses, woven wedged sandals and fringed bags. Etro's collection is pitch perfect in capturing that era's carefree bohemian spirit. Fabrics have customized dyeing, braiding and intricate embroidery giving the clothes an engaging mix of Native American-style details and Zandra Rhodes' gossamer, floaty handkerchief hems.
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 MoreEveryday Dressing
Although I love high fashion, I appreciate a certain elegant simplicity in my everyday dressing. Beautiful fabrics, unusual patterns, interesting color and texture combinations and an overall great fit are the signature elements in my wardrobe. So, for me Tory Burch often fits the bill for everyday dressing as the clothes are not fussy and as her collections have evolved, her aesthetic has become less preppy and more sophisticated. I love navy and this year I'm in luck as a lot of designers seem to be loving navy too. Louis Vuitton has a gorgeous navy blazer, tapered at the waist, small shoulders and gold button detail paired with tailored jeans, which if there's an outfit I'm lusting after, this is it. It's that quintessential casual elegance that always appeals to me.
Read MoreLisa Perry, the 60's era pop fashion designer not only dresses, designs and passionately collects clothes from that period, the sumptuous showcase penthouse apartment at 1 Sutton Place South she shares with her husband Richard, is also dedicated to the swinging 60's. I had a delightful visit to view their art collection last summer with the Perez Art Museum Miami. Walking into this very stately co-op, built in 1926 by the renowned architect, Rosario Candela located on quiet, sedate Sutton Place is a big departure from the dazzling white lacquer floors and walls of the atrium where the elevator opens on the penthouse level.
Read MoreClassic and Contemporary Tableware
Part II
At the other end of the style spectrum, the German porcelain company, Furstenberg founded by Charles, Duke of Brunswick in 1747, has just launched a very contemporary line of porcelain tableware. With only a few dozen employees each is a master of his craft, handcrafting and painting each piece. The Claire de Lune collection, which means moonlight, is part of the Aureole line consisting of a celestial pattern with different phases of the moon on each piece in black, white and 24-Karat gold created by the famous Korean porcelain master, Kap-sun.
Read MoreClassic and Contemporary Tableware
Part I
Two interesting but very different styles of tableware have debuted this Spring. Tory Burch, continuing to evolve her empire has created a line of ceramic dinner and serving ware based on the designs of Dodie Thayer. Ms Thayer was a popular Palm Beach hostess in the 60's and self taught potter whose hand-made ceramics were molded from cabbage and lettuce leaves, with some pieces taking two weeks to complete. Her beautiful and unique Lettuce Ware became collectors' items of such style icons as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, the Duchess of Windsor and Brook Astor, whose collection sold at Sotheby's several years ago for over $75,000.
Read MoreChristopher Bailey, Chief Creative and Chief Executive Officer at Burberry presented a creative re-imagining of those forever staples, the denim jacket and trench coat from the Spring 2015 Prorsum collection. The denim jacket has shrunk significantly and the sheepskin, silk, patent leather and suede details, gives this perennial favorite a new spin for Spring. Wearing this jacket immediately puts you on-trend and will remain your favorite go to piece for seasons to come. There was also a nod to the current fad for the 70's in suede for both the jackets and trenches.
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 MoreI've just read about a restaurant in the New York Times Food section that I found so intriguing I had to share it. Amanda Cohen is the chef and owner of Dirt Candy, one of the most prominent and influential vegetarian restaurants in the country and situated in the East Village. The original location was so small, seating only 18 that when Ms Cohen learned that Leonardo di Caprio was planning to come by one evening, she said no, rather than not be able to accommodate her regulars. Unfortunately, none of her regular patrons turned up that night either, a big mis-calculation for such a small operation.
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 MoreAlthough on the East Coast it's still arctic, I'm daydreaming about this spring's fashions and the look that's resonating for me is the tailored coat and gilet. Designed to be worn as part of the overall outfit, at Givenchy it's downright rocker-chick sexy. The workmanship is practically haute couture with highly detailed black and white latticed jackets and elaborate embroidery of whipstitching and filigree. Dior's court coats and gilets were shown with silk quilted Bermuda shorts for a somewhat informal effect, but with no less attention to beautiful embroidery details. Dior referenced an 18th-century court coat, as Style.com eloquently expressed, "evoked the historicism of Christian Dior's original Bar silhouette.
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 MorePeter Copping, who Oscar de la Renta chose to succeed him presented his first collection this week, just three months after taking on the role of artistic director. Previously, he was at Nina Ricci for five years as artistic director. Mr Copping managed to balance the de la Renta sensibility without being overly reverential, while subtly introducing his own. He has moved the design house forward, making it more youthful and contemporary while maintaining the elegance, meticulous details and luxurious fabrics.
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