Aging Beauty Gets a Facelift

I took this home from a dark English colonial/country house to an elegant and sophisticated chateau. The client requested a romantic yet glamorous look. Throughout the house lush fabrics were used: satins, silks, velvets and linens. I used all the existing pieces of furniture and reupholstered everything. I brought in many new occasional pieces, lamps, mirrors, and artwork; all with a distinct 1940's glamour to them. The result was a light and bright home with elegance as the theme.

Malibu Minimalist

I was brought onto this job during the construction phase, and I wanted to bring the organic feel of Malibu into the home. My main focus was on the surfaces: flooring, countertops, tile and lighting. We ended up with a home that feels as if you are out of doors at all times; even the kitchen countertops look like swirling tidal pools. In an effort to mirror the many banks of windows that constitute the front of the house, Lucite chairs, occasional tables, and hardware were used in the kitchen. Everywhere you look organic is juxtaposed with steel or man-made materials.

Whimsical Country Home

The house was undergoing major renovations when I came on the job. The client’s key design direction was whimsical. One challenge with the house was that it was disjointed; it had been upgraded with new floors and such, at different times over the years and had no real continuity. I set out to bring the house together as one cohesive design and style, yet keep the place whimsy. This translated into lots of pink, red and green, as well as fun lighting, all within keeping a country feel. The result was a fantastic space that the homeowner can entertain in but still feel fun and cozy.

Hollywood Penthouse with a French Twist

This space was really dark and brooding when I began. I wanted to create a French Bohemian feel, so I brought in some distressed vintage pieces and put a “row” of three chandeliers in the high-ceilinged living room, lightened the walls to a warm light green and left the French doors bare except for a simple swag in yellow silk. This allowed the room to be filled with light all day long and a large living room was made to seem even larger. It was comfortable and inviting – perfect for entertaining, which the clients did a lot of.

Dorothy Draper Goes Avant-Garde

The client had inherited traditional pieces that were from her childhood home, but they did not work in her newly purchased modern condo. She wanted to do something that was entirely new and not traditional, so I suggested a plum lacquer on the walls and to paint all her family pieces bright shiny white. We designed every aspect, right down to new dishes. She was very adventurous and willing to live with something, even if her immediate response was no, she ended up loving it once it was in place. She loves sparkly and she loves bold, so she now has a beautiful space that all her friends have said is “her” completely!

West Hollywood Condominium Meets Palm Beach Estate

The client moved from Connecticut and had some traditional pieces that she wanted to keep and incorporate into the design; however she wanted to change the look she had from back East. She wanted white walls and white furniture, but the rest was up to me! With all of the new furnishings, I went with a modern shape so that the only traditional shapes would be from her previous home. The result was bright, cool and crisp, yet entirely welcoming. We also gutted the kitchen, which had been very traditional, but without any joie de vivre. The result was a simple, clean space with a splash of ornamentation in the hardware.

Craftsman Architecture – Traditional Feel

A family home with young children and a memorable warm home was desired; the family wanted their children to remember their first home with fondness. The space really wanted to be lightened up, so I papered the walls with very sweet and light wallpaper. On the furnishings, I used bright and cheery colors that were found in the wallpaper. I incorporated pieces the family already owned with newly-purchased furnishings. The kitchen and bathrooms had undergone a horrendous renovation in the 1940’s, so we brought it back to its 1913 roots: carrara marble and hex tile. The house is very traditional yet not stuffy.