Black walls?
The results of the poll are in! Version 1 is the winner (with half of the total votes)! Thank you to all who voted! And now to some design….
I recently was able to convince a client to wallpaper their walls in the Kelly Wearstler designed Imperial Trellis (in onyx) for F. Schumacher and Co. It was not a terribly tough sell as the couple are very fashion forward and artsy. I showed a photo of the room to an editor at InStyle and she loved it but said she wasn’t sure middle America was ready for black walls. I say… GET READY!
Here are some examples and the original inspiration for my design:
Onyx Imperial Trellis Wallpaper F.Schumacher and Co.
Here is my inspiration for this room. Dorothy Draper (yet again) does it up at the Greenbriar Resort.
Greenbriar Resort Reading Room
And yes, Kelly Wearstler knows how to bring it with black too.
Viceroy Santa Monica
Here’s a great offering from Miles Redd.
Miles Redd Kitchen
Really!?! that is one sick kitchen! Lets see who else has something to show us… Oh yeah, of COURSE, Diamond Barratta Design has something black and elegant too.
Diamond Barratta Design New Jersey Seaside
Here’s a bit of lovely courtesy of Brandon Barre Photography.
Living Room
Hopefully middle America is out there reading this post and figuring out how they can use this ultra luxe, sophisticated and sexy look in their homes.
Let me know when you’re ready.
First Impressions – vote yours!
Some time ago I did a post asking for your opinion on a new logo, and you were heard! We went with the one that was most popular. Now I need your help again.
I have three different looks below and I need to know which one you like best. The images are of my website, blog, twitter page and candles – I am “re-branding” and having everything work together (sort of like interior design – not matchy-matchy but flowing one to the next) is at the top of our priorities. So please take a moment and cast your vote – it counts!
————–
VERSION 1
————–
VERSION 2
————–
VERSION 3
[polldaddy poll=3876168]
Nature or Nurture… Yellow and Purple
Here is another great color combination found in nature, purple and yellow.
Cape Cod Flowers
From Country Living, a light and sweet bathroom.
Another example of this color story in nature.
Photo by Cris Pierry
Jamie Drake is perhaps the King of Purple, and here are a few examples of his mix with yellow.
Jamie Drake
While looking for great examples of purple and yellow interiors I found that mostly I was looking at photos of weddings and childrens rooms, so I thought what do these have in common that people would use this color scheme predominantly in those places… hmmmm… HAPPINESS! Bright and happy this combo IS.
Cape Cod Flower
Pale or vibrant these colors exude vibrance, life and happiness. Last look before I wrap it up.
Living Room
A recent project of mine, purple living room with yellow accents.
Let the exuberant living begin!
Color!
I was recently going through a catalog (that shall remain nameless … but its initials are RH) and I was appalled at the lack of color. Don’t get me wrong I love neutrals such as grey and taupe but when paired with vibrant colors. Such as this shot of my showroom.
The Red House Interiors
A quote from the book Decorating Is Fun! by Dorothy Draper illustrates this philosophy exactly; “The drab age is over. Color is coming into its own again. Until very recently people were literally scared out of their wits by color. Perhaps this was a hangover from our puritan ancestors. But whatever the reason, brown, grays and neutrals were the only shades considered ‘safe’. Now we know that lovely clear colors have a vital effect on our mental happiness.”
The Greenbriar Resort
This shot of the Greenbriar Resort is from Carleton Varneys update of the delightful Drapers work.
Another design duo that uses wonderful color is Diamond Barratta Design, they are fearless and bold.
Diamond Barratta Design Long Island project
Kelly Wearstler is also unafraid of color, as witness here.
Kelly Wearstler
My theory is, people don’t want to be laughed at or ridiculed and therefore go with what is safe and acceptable, However, it is also bland and boring and doesn’t show any personality. Personally, I’d rather be laughed at and ridiculed than considered hum drum. What’s that old adage… laughter is the best medicine?
Be someones medicine.
CLICK ON IMAGE TO VIEW LARGER VERSION…
-
- Option A
-
- Option B
[polldaddy poll=3347251]
Design Board: For Belle and Alexandra
My Associate Designer Belle and my Personal Assistant Alexandra recently became roomies when they moved in together into a two bedroom apartment. Today I visited it for the first time and I was inspired to do a design for them.
I was inspired by their personalities; both girls are bubbly and happy, both are sophisticated. Belle leans toward modern design and Alex toward something more traditional and romantic.
I start with paint color… what could be more appropriate than pink for happy, bubbly girls? Nothing.
Benjamin Moore Pacific Grove Pink
Pink curtains.
Duralee Pattern 800132H-198
Window seat cushion.
Duralee Pattern 14547-299
A vintage Danish Modern sofa (from Belle’s grandmother) re-upholstered in turquoise.
F. Schumacher & Co.
A side chair – reupholstered in pink cheetah from Quadrille.
Side Chair
Quadrille Conga Line
A white upright piano.
An acrylic coffee table.
A small bubbly chandelier for their bay window and built in bench area.
Possini Bubbles Chandelier
A pair of Gorgeous lamps from Swank Lighting.
Swank Lighting Vintage Seguso Murano Glass Lamps
This is the rug that they already have.
Morocco Rug West Elm
Finally a bit of art for the walls.
Patrick Demarchelier
Patrick Demarchelier
A fun, young and happy space – for fun, young, happy girls!
Design Board… Victorian Rock and Roll?
I recently used this wallpaper from Osbourne and Little – it’s called Teatro Goldoni and it is Delicious! According to the showroom I am the first designer in the the U.S. to use it (heh…heh).
I decided to go a different direction with this design/post than how I originally used it (the wallpaper) in a clients house. I decided to create a Victorian Rock and Roll design – here you go!
Osbourne and Little Teatro Goldoni
and snug up against this sexy wallpaper would be this equally sexy bench from Downtown.
Downtown Muirfield Bench
The Victorians were collectors, they loved stuffing cabinets full of curiosities – specimens of the natural world. Some people are repulsed by this but I find it to be a celebration of nature.
Deyrolles Taxidermy
They also loved to mix periods and I find their furnishings to be a real hodge-podge of styles and periods. This a great example of a room with mixed periods – this is the room we are putting all of our elements into.
Campbell Home - Wichita KS - circa 1890
D.L. and Company makes beautiful candles but they also create morbid accessories – these dessert plates and place-card holders would be perfect in this design.
Seven Deadly Sins Dessert Plates
Skull Place-card Holder
I found this great photographer Charlotte Cory – who’s work makes me chuckle and reminds me of a Victorian Hodge-Podge.
Photographer Charlotte Cory
Finally some sexy drapes are a must. This is Glimmer from Osbourne and Little, I would use the gold colorway seen here.
Osbourne & Little Glimmer
Bedrooms I want to live in.
Here are a few bedrooms that have inspired me over the years.
One of my favorite design teams is Diamond and Baratta, and this bedroom in particular I have felt was ahead of its time. This design was featured in House and Garden (awwww… I MISS H&G!) many years back and had such a joie de vie that I became an instant and faithful fan of their work.
This is another example of their work, a wonderful mix of bold color and pattern on traditional forms.
Diamond and Baratta Florida Bedroom
Alessandra Branca is another designer whose work has inspired me.
Alessandra Branca
And here is some genius by Miles Redd.
Miles Redd
One of my earliest influences as a designer was Parish-Hadley — the mix of uber traditional with dashes of modern, and copious use of Chinoiserie have always been delightful to me. Below is a bedroom they did for one of the Astors in Manhattan.
Parish-Hadley Bedroom
The common denominator in these rooms is that they are colorful and alive – they make me want to live and lounge in them.
“I like sexy rooms, and I don’t think all-beige is very sexy.” Albert Hadley
Nature or Nurture (Yellow and Black)
I did an earlier post about color combinations found in nature. This one is on Yellow and Black and how this color combination excites the mind and spirit.
Cape Cod Black Eyed Susans
Black-Eyed Susans engender thoughts of hot summer days, and dark cool nights.
Discontinued Scalamandre Fabric
This fabric from Scalamandre was spotted in an antique store – it is discontinued but hopefully they will pick it back up again as it is as chic and beautiful for todays interiors as it once was.
Kelly Wearstler kwid.com
Kelly Wearstler uses this color combination to stunning affect in many of her Viceroy Hotel projects.
Black and Yellow Hooded Oriole
This stunning Oriole justifies the love of Yellow and Black.
Christian May L.A. Designer
L.A. Designer Christian May creates a beautiful juxtaposition with yellow Chinoiserie and Zebra stripe stools.
Bumblebee
I must also include nature’s perfection… the Bumblebee!
Black and Yellow Dining Room
My own foray into the delicious world of Black and Yellow… Schumacher wallpaper, and Duralee fabric on the seat cushions.
Summer in Cape Cod
Last Summer I posted to my blog for the first time. It was during a family vacation in Cape Cod, which I still reminisce about on a regular basis. I never posted all the pictures from that trip and thought I would share some of the beauty that was captured on our walks and while antiqueing.
White Hydrangea?
Little Lambs
Barn-side Advertising
Fence and Post
Silver Silver Silver
Crab Traps
Cape Cod House
Thanks to my Sister-In-Law Jessica Kimen Schofield for joining me on my wanderings and taking such gorgeous photos. You can find more of her beautiful work at: www.jessicakphotos.com
Hope you enjoyed the brief walk through my Cape Cod summer.
