Blue & White

It’s a classic that never seems to fall out of favor.  Blue and White feels appropriate in any season, in any place, and in any room. The above image is a family room I designed for a summer house on the South Coast of MA.  The clients were young and I wanted the room to feel sophisticated and classic but relaxed.  The wide striped rug from Barrier Island Rugs sets a sporty tone and the ticking stripe on the swivel chair and the Kelly Wearstler pillow fabric all play nicely together. (Upholstery by LEE Industries)

  Stark Carpet is a leader when it comes to broadloom and rugs.  They have an endless supply of patterns and styles and there is not shortage of blue and white.  I’m particularly fond of the ones in my photograph that I’m using for current client.   As you can see these patterns go from bedroom to living room to staircase, blue and white can be used to suit any space.  (headboard by LEE Industries)

The color story doesn’t have to stop at fabrics and rugs, Front doors, art and accessories are all fair game.  Here’s a shot of my front door, a clients house and one of my most favorite pieces of art by Marine Edith Crosta. Her unique miniatures are hand painted and framed in her East London studio.  The frames and glass that she uses are antiques so the sizes and characteristics can vary, which I love.

A blue and white palette benefits from an added neutral or a pop of color like red, but that doesn’t mean you have to add another color.  That said you can also play with the amount of each color you use to find the loo you want.  I love a dark blue room with a crisp white chair rail, like the Private club house I designed for a local Golf Club.

Things that go well with blue and white rooms:  Tortoise Bamboo Blinds, White Shutters, Brass Accents, a Pop of Color and more Blue and White. Thanks for stopping by…

Hudson Bay Blanket Obsession

I have always liked the classic Hudson Bay blanket.  The primary colors of the signature HBC Collection striped point blanket first became popular in the reign of Queen Anne (1702-1714). First commissioned by HBC in 1800, the multi stripe has never been out of production since. It is the most popular colorway of all the HBC point blankets, past or present. Over time, it has become the product most identified with HBC, and by extension, Canada.  Calling it a classic is an understatement I guess!

Careful attention to detail and authenticity ensures that today’s customer is acquiring the same high-quality blanket as the one produced centuries before. Today the Point Blanket is manufactured in Yorkshire, at the finest woollen mill in England. The number of points, or handmade thin stripes, on the edge of the blanket reflects its size.  Authentic HBC blankets are 100% woven wool.

I have a pair of mid-century chairs that belonged to my grandmother that I would love to recover this way.  Even though the textile is wool, I think the palette would support any season and wool is so durable.  Who wants to help me convince my husband this is a good look for our chairs in our tiny cottage by the sea?

In a very simple room (all white) this sheet set or duvet cover could look cute, but beware! a little bit goes a very long way.  Please avoid the pillows to match, the candle and the coasters, iPhone cover and everything else this pattern is tortured into covering.  I think it’s best look is just being a blanket and after that, upholstery.  It looks so good on this little ottoman, doesn’t it?

I’m Working On It

It’s always a lovely drive down to Narragansett Rhode Island… Several bridges, miles of coastline and farms and charming towns along the way.  I made a recent trip to deliver some goodies to a client there and here are just a few (non-professional) iPhone snap shots.  Just wanted to share what was keeping me busy these days.  Among other things I was picking up a custom sisal rug from Merida from their Fall River plant.  Very exciting to me as I had never seen their operation before and I’ve been selling Merida for over 10 years.

Check out this state of the art facility.  They have work tables that must be 30, 40 or maybe even 50 feet long!  I loved seeing the guys working on custom bindings, and I feel lucky to have the “workroom” so close – by just a few towns away – not because I intend to visit more… but because my orders come so quickly!  So after the brief tour of the Merida facility, I was on my way to deliver not only a beautiful sisal rug but ALL of this furniture (mostly LEE Industries).

This room was a totally different layout when I first saw it.  Sofas flanked the fireplace just out of the frame to the right.  It was cozy but cut the room in two, and no one was using the other half of the room and that was the space with the best views of the ocean beyond.  So, I pushed a sofa to the window and turned another sofa to face the fire-place.  English arm chairs covered in a Thibaut woven fabric flank the fireplace (so there’s still a cozy spot for cold nights) but the room is much more open and inviting. We 86’d green sofas and red and green striped chairs so the greige palette is quite a change. Once I place the coffee table and a few accessorizes this living room will be done.

Since the kitchen is open to the living area the client and I decided to update the yellowy kitchen too by painting the island a warm tannish grey Ben Moore Revere Pewter HC-172 and the other cabinets Ben Moore OC-85 Mayonnaise.  The white is still a warm white but the yellowness is reduced to something that feels white, without feeling like primer.  The existing kitchen had beautiful wood countertops but the island had a basic “builders special” granite top so we upgraded the counter surface on the island to this beautiful Calacatta marble.  We chose to have it honed, knowing a highly polished surface would give way to use.

Last but not least, what do you do when you walk into a clients bedroom and you discover they have a water-bed that they are not willing to part with? you recover it!  I chose this nautical looking woven from Thibaut to update a well made but dated wooden bed.  The dark nailhead coordinate with the bedside lights and sconces in the room and maintain our intended “tamped down” tonal, quiet range of colors.  We repainted this room too, a dark mocha to set off the view… pale blues and creamy whites brighten this master bedroom and keep it interesting.

 Different client, different house, different look.  I can and do use color.  Quite a bit in fact, even though I prefer to live with less of it in my life.  I enjoy the enthusiastic client that asks for color.  This hip couple wanted something that felt younger and more playful than what their pervious designer had given them.  The house is big, and formal and in an area where, um… Lets just leave it at the first designer made assumptions based on the house and the area, she didn’t know her client.  The shot above is a screened porch.  We started from scratch with the exception of the brown woven side chair, the set was newer and very useable so I found a dining table to match and we worked with it (recovered cushions of course).  The chaise can be flipped to allow the user to face the fireplace in colder months and away from the fire when the fireplace is not appropriate.

This is the same clients sun room, the only thing we kept was the woven wallpaper.  Oh, and I recycled the settee that has the Thibaut print on it,because it was the right scale, well made and it allowed us to spend more on other things in the room.  I love this room.  Plenty of color – NAVY is a color – for the client and still tonal and sophisticated and grown-up feeling too.  The dark inky blue sofa is from LEE, the custom pillows are all made from Thibaut fabrics.  All thats missing here is a rug.  Were going to go tan to pull the wall color because this fall the floors are going dark! The lighter rug on the dark floors with the tan walls is going to look amazing.

Thanks for checking out the blog, hope you got inspiration from it.  xo

A (random) Night At Home

Newest addiction: Hot water with Meyer lemon and local honey.  Best consumed in your jammies, cozy in front of the fire, catching up on my blogs, Facebook, Pinterest, etc. Caution! do not attempt without your readers –  I prefer Eyebobs.  They are relatively cheap, they have a style for every face, a color for every complexion, religion or persuasion.  Once your settled in enjoy the best prices on the internet on Ebay, usually… unless you – like I – covet the book Four Years in Paradise.  It’s giraffe cover is coveted by designers and other visually driven folks, but it’s selling for 250.00 or more. Anything nautical, LV luggage and a few other fetishes later I decide to indulge what may become my mid life crisis manifested: the Volkswagon Truck, volia!

The perfect “weekend car” right?  BTW, “weekend car” is code for Provincetown car.  I could shlep plants, dogs, firewood and bikes in a cool truck like this and look oh so cool doing it. Bikes!  oh yeah… I could really use a cool new bike. I’d like a white one please with leather grips and a basket, or maybe a black one? I love the idea of a pretty bike.  It’s like having a nice car.  These bikes didn’t come from Ebay, but they are pretty.

I’ve been on line for several minutes, I way beyond Ebay now. I’m looking at real-estate in Provincetown.  The thought of a summer house, ah… I love the daydream of furnishing a tiny house I call my own. Maybe it will look like this…

I love the Japanese-Modern vibe When you design homes for a living and you have hoarder like tendencies, this simple aesthetic (drink all you longtime readers) would be hard to manage.  I’m more of the everything white but layer it up kind of guy.  But the chair is pretty.

Slowly getting tired, the heat of the fire is making me sleepy, and this lemon-honey potion is a far cry from my evening coffee that is probably the root of my late night Pinterest affliction.  as I nod off and think about taking the dogs out one last time I’m wondering what my look should be for work tomorrow.  Maybe roughed up jeans with a chambray shirt and a blue blazer.  A nice pair of shoes can save even a borderline sloppy look.  I’ll do lace up cap toe brown shoes.  perfect.  now I can sleep.

Good night.

Interior Eye Candy from Pinterest

Ok, Ok… I spend more time on Instagram and Pinterest these days than I do writing blog posts.  I’m sorry.  In an attempt to satisfy my hunger for interior eye-candy and to share here with you I am combining in today’s post.  

Here are just some of the images I pinned, or re-pinned today on Pinterest.  I’m searching to a commonality, a theme and what stands out to me is a conscious “undesigned” vibe, as if these rooms just happened (they didn’t, btw).  And, I think they all have a masculine vintage-modern vein to them… something old something new?

I want to label these images, most have some mid-century element but the look ranges from mid-century, 70’s loft-style, minimal, and a whole lot more.  There is a spare yet eclectic aesthetic that I think I’m  responding to.  No pattern per-say, earth tones, it’s decorating made (to look) easy.  I for one have a hard time stopping, I like to just keep adding but I have to say I aspire to less is more.  Let me tell you that all these undecorated spaces were thoughtfully stylized, edited and controlled.  Theres a big payoff if you can just say no to prints, and all the other bells and whistles available to us all via the design market place.

 

Let the furniture say what you want the room to say.  Invest in quality sofas, chairs and case pieces… and by that I don’t mean expensive ( although expensive is often built well, and I wouldn’t say no to it).  Buy it because it’s right, buy it because you love it.

DAY (bed) DREAMING

I’m in the market for a day bed.  These images reminded me of one I had seen in the pages of  Elle Decor.  I love the high-sided coziness, the relaxed look… not quite a sofa not really a bed.  You get all the guilty pleasure of being in bed, but sitting – or laying – on something that a whole lot nicer than a twin mattress with a few big pillows on it.

This day bed shown in grey and flax are available from West Elm.   The upholstered Nailhead Trim Daybed comes in your choice of brushed heathered cotton and is finished with a nailhead trim.78″w x it is 41.3″d x 34.5″h. and has a solid and engineered wood frame. It is recommended for use with Twin Mattress (sold separately).  I think I’m going to need a full-sized day bed so I can’t buy this one but you should.  It’s great looking, buy two for a guest room / media room.  Here’s the one that started this whole thing… pretty right?

Second-Home Dreaming…

 

If I am ever lucky enough to have a second home near the ocean, I promise myself to not overdecorate it.
 I swear I will do my best to keep the furnishings simple and clean, understated and comfortable.  I’ll keep the finishes low sheen and matte, the fabrics soft, light and easy. I won’t insist on trendy patterns, I won’t use strong trendy colors and I won’t make so perfect that it’s not easy to relax in.

I vow to keep interesting books on hand for guests and renters, and firewood near the fireplace to cut the chill on cold nights. I will honor the bones of the structure, and celebrate the quirky oddities.  I won’t remodel with the latest and greatest, I won’t insist on marble countertops and stainless steel appliances.    

I gladly bear the burden of a single basin in the only bathroom, 

and…I’ll paint everything white (Simply White – Ben Moore).

I’m Working On It

Yes, sadly it’s been some time since my last post.  Don’t worry it wasn’t a tail spin created from one failed dessert… It was frankly a busy work and social schedule coupled with my discovery and love for Instagram.  Far less informative, it is great for eye candy  – mostly fashion, pretty people, pets, cars and destinations but there are some good designers and architects posting work… myself included).  Whats not on Instagram and what I have found I miss is the dialog that goes with the images, there is no real context.  Just pretty images, sometimes with a #tagline.  Stick with Pinterest, Houzz and good blogs for real information, resourcing and inspiration if your planning a project that involves design.

So here is what Ive been working on… The first two images are a sunroom I designed for a client that has been coming to me and Surroundings for years.  She is dedicated, open to guidance but has a good eye, willing to go the extra step and likes nice things.  Suffice to say it’s a winning combination when you add in a Virgo designer.   This space hasn’t even been accessorized and fluffed yet and it’s already a show stopper if you ask me.  The “greige” and cream color palette is puncuated with dark woods accents and glammed-up by the dash of mercury glass.  favorites of mine are the Palecek cocktail table made of petrified wood and the floor lamps designer and produced by Rich Brilliant Willing.

In recent months I also completed a summer-house for a young couple.  They were a delight to work for, and a designer is always happy when clients see the vision and allow a designer to do his or her job.  We chose nearly everything in 3 or 4 meetings.  I love the way this house turned out, every room is polished, the vibe is fresh without feeling too trendy there is quality built to last in every piece.  When it comes to furniture, you really do get what you pay for.  Most if not all the upholstery is LEE, the cool banded pillows on the sofa in the lower shot are custom with fabric from one of my favorites Kelly Wearstler, i think they add a edge to the room.  The cocktail table made from cut marble is as heavy as it looks and gets most of the attention, as it should.  It is an amazing piece from Global Views and makes the room.

I thought I’d better post a few jobs with color so newer readers wouldn’t think I only do neutrals.  All three of these rooms are for the same client, the first an apartment in Chicago, and the following two are in her home on the coast of Massachusetts.  She is a favorite, I’m not going to lie.  I am lucky to like most of my clients but this gal has guts, likes it bold and loves the details… thats my type of client.  There are way way way too many vendors to mention, fabric designers to credit and paint colors to list, so if you want info on anything  send a note.

As if all that work wasn’t enough… I helped two dear friends pull together a wedding in my back yard earlier this summer.  It was a great time, everything looked great, the food was amazing and every seemed to have a really good time.  Designing the wedding cake and helping with the flowers were the “work” highlights.  Maybe I’ll post more pictures and details of thier wedding and my nieces wedding in the coming weeks, stay tuned!  I hope you feel inspired to tackle a project, get creative, invest in some good quality furniture, hire a designer… do what ever it takes to love where you live.    BB

Oly

There are a hand full of companies that produce a line of furniture that offers so much good and pretty furniture.  Oly consistently delivers on quality, design and updatedness without feeling like their pieces have a history.  The styles tell a story and what you choose basically creates the ending, your beautiful room.  I find their pieces also mix well with many other styles, pieces  add an updated and glamorous touch and depending on what you choose to mix together to possibilities are endless.    You know how much I love white on white.  well this livingroom grouping delivers on.  The woven raffia side panels on the settees adds depth and texture, and is a good foil for the polished metallic framework on the coffee table and sideboard.   They had me with that chandelier.

I’m ordering this bed for the shop.  I love it.  this is the type of piece you make room for.  Maybe I need it in my life?  someone needs to get this bed asap.  I really even like the pale pink they show it with.  

Hello Again

It’s been a while.  I’m sorry.

I’ve been distracted by, I’ll admit it, Instagram.  It’s so narcissistic and a bit voyeuresque… but for a kid with a little ADD, it’s great.  I still troll design sites, blogs, retailers, vendors, and manufacturers of blog worthy design.  I have a desktop full of images I had intended to say something about over the course of time I have been neglecting this blog.  So here is a deposit of chic white rooms, with black and natural wood tones dominating the aesthetic.

I do love a clean and serene environment but damn if I don’t fill up every table top with birds nests, twigs, stones form trips to beautiful beaches and do-dads I pick up along the way.  These rooms for the most part have a un-designed design to them, intentionally “thrown together” creating an environment that is comfortable, feels organic, and is beautiful to experience.

 I should mention two things: There is not really anything new about black and white in design with the exception that it seems to go along with the quirky anti-design design and feels current and clean and edgy.  2. Black and White was the strongest trend to come out of High Point ( the furniture and lighting and home show in North Carolina).

The rooms shown here are curated, found objects, collections… each item chosen for it’s color, texture, shape value and  visual weight.  A balanced room dosen’t feel like a museum, or shed for that matter.  Don’t over do the amount you decide to display or live with.  Less is typically more (unless however, the pieces used in the simpleset of vingettes must be of stellar quality beauty and form.  Put your best feet forward kids!

A Well Dressed Room

A sofa, chair, table, rug and lamp really isn’t all that different from a jacket, shirt, tie, pants and shoes.  Designers are constantly referencing lighting as jewelry in the room, and that’s because it quite literally IS the jewelry of the room.  Small accents in metal, glass, stone, mirror, ceramic and the like serve a similar purpose to jewelry.  Sure they provide light but they also add a sparkle, a layer of something small and pretty. Paired with a large swath of fabric (sofa or sweater) the two create a beautiful relationship and complement one another.
Much like wearing a suit (pants, jacket, vest),  a room can be furnished with matching sofa chairs and ottoman.  The look is clean and polished, simple maybe… but done in leather, cashmere or linen the vibe can be tweaked to become something extraordinary.  Rooms can also be a lot like a pair of jeans and an old favorite sweater.  A slip-covered sofa in a hard-working twill and a cozy wool  blanket only needs a fireplace, a good view or a reading light and a book to make it complete.  Whats the point? When you’re furnishing a room, think about getting dressed. Start with how you want the room to look or feel – if you were getting dressed you’d be thinking about the weather, the occasion and of course whats clean – So you should start with whats right for this room, apartment, home. Decide on a palette or a vibe and maybe pick an inspiration piece to guide your decision-making – like a pair of shoes you just have to wear! Your room will need underwear, a good foundation aka. paint and flooring. You’ll need the basics… Rug, sofa or bed, tables or dressers, a chair perhaps (and if we were really getting dressed, a belt, watch, shoes and sox, jewelry, tie pocket square and maybe even a hat and coat!) this means lights, pillows, books, art and of course accessories. Each layer is important and will help give your space a finished quality. Attention to detail is key, you’d iron your shirt right?

1/3 of your life is spent in bed

The amount of time you spend sleeping In your life is around 30-35% precent of your daily life, supposing you sleep the recommended 8 hours every day, which is 33% of your day, approximately.  Of course,in some cases,you may have to wake up early for a field trip or something and sometimes you may want to sleep in, and sure we all have a late night every now and then…it really depends on the person, but generally, the range is from 30-35%, assuming you are an average sleeper.  Obviously if you fall into a coma, it could be much, much longer.  Have I made my point? your bed, the room it occupies is important.  The bed in the top image is from Hickory Chair.  I believe it is called the Lakehouse bed.  Inspired by a classic 1840’s acorn post bed, this design features the elegantly scrolled headboard, shapely turned posts, and gracious proportions that distinguished the antique. Instead of executing the headboard in wood, my hero Thomas O’Brien translates the form in curvaceous upholstery with standard nailhead trim. Available in Queen, King and California King sizes along with endless finish, nail, fabric and leather choices. Love the dark wood finish in the custom paneled alcove for this glamorous set-up.  It reads very Hollywood to me, old world and “of quality”.  Swing arm lamps are the perfect detail for reading in bed, looks like there might be some hidden storage just inside the  alcove… everyone needs a place for a bottle of water, an iPad or Kindle and maybe a late night snack. It’s a tight squeeze but they got three twin beds into this room.  A great set up for children and teens, I have fond memories of the bunk room at my families cabin in Lake Tahoe, CA.  We slept in sleeping bags so we didn’t have to do laundry on vacation so this room is definitely a step up from my good ol days, but it was fun just the same.  No room for three traditional twin beds?  No problem… try this fancy set-up, perfect for a coastal home.  Just be sure you get strong rope and that you hit a stud in the wall when you fastening the supports to the wall.  Love the grey white and yellow color story. 
I love a big bed in a small room, so of course I really love two big beds in a small room.  When you really only have the space for a bed… make a statement.  Black was the perfect choice for this cool blue bedroom.  there is a great energy and a nice play between hard and soft. Minimal is always a chic and comfortable look.  Keep your bedroom uncluttered and simple and you will find unwinding and letting go of the day will come easier to you.  Create an oasis of calm, a cocoon for yourself… a place when you emerge from your refreshed and ready to take on anything. Masculine, moody and rich (sounds like a catch!) it also sounds like this yummy paneled wall.  No headboard needed.  simple table, simple light, simple bedding… showstopper wall.  it’s really all you need.  Well that and a very good mattress.  Don’t cheap out.  Spend as much as you can afford, a very good mattress could be 2000 to 3000 dollars.  Test a lot of beds, ask a lot of questions, you might be the Temperpedic type, you might like a pillow-top and you could be an extra-firm.  

 

TARGET’s Look-A-Likes

I slipped in to our local Target store yesterday to buy some Champion brand gym clothes that they have on sale.  I needed more high performance clothing now that I’m performing at a higher level ; )  My trainer and gym membership have been working – even with an occasional, ok frequent, cheat.  Since I was already there, of course I had to see what they were pedaling in the house-wear and garden centers.  Now you might not be quite as shocked as I was to see these cute little side tables but let me tell you after having sold this table to a client I WAS SHOCKED to see a look-a-like in Target of all places.

This little table is a design from OOMPH, and is clearly a knockoff.  I’m a bit torn about this.  On one hand I love that the masses get this great design for a fraction of the better made side table from Oomph… good design for all!  But, It makes me sad that with all the resources Target has, they couldn’t have designed their own cool table and not taken design ($) from a small company like Oomph.  The bottom line is it’s good for you.  This table is 39.99 and available at Target.  It is a chic little table that would look great next to a slip-covered swivel chair, and the end of a sexy settee or even alongside your bathtub holding am iPad and glass of wine. Jonathan Adler has become a household name in recent years.  We went from obscure pottery artist to world-class decorator and retail giant but marketing a look we really haven’t embraced since the days of Merimeko, Vera and other 60’s Modish designs.  And, do you know how you can tell when someone has made it really big?  They get knocked off by a big box chain like Target ( and in this case Nate Burkus ).  Yeah, Yeah tortoise shells have been used in interior design for decades but this white version I’d something Adler has really made iconic.  Bad for Adler… diluting the market and creating a trend so strong it’s bound to be over-played, but great for you because it’s only $19.99 at Target.  Now I may be wrong here but I’m 99% sure this is an Arteriors original design.  And yep, you guessed it… now available at your local Target.   It’s nearly $800.00 from online retailer Zincdoor.com  was it really only $24.99 at Target?  Wow, crazy cheap.  This table is not as well made and they changed the proportion of it a bit from the original – taller and a bit more delicate looking – but come on it is so a copy.
Jamie Young is my “go-to” lighting resource.  They have up to the minute, white-hot lighting at prices that are fair for the well made and well designed quality products they produce.  This white floor lamp from Target is so a Jamie Young KNOCK-OFF.  Bad for Jamie Young… Great for you.  I don’t think it’s nearly as pretty as one of Jamie’s – the high gloss looks cheap and this lamp isn’t made nearly as well – but for the cheap price $69.00? I might be able to live with it.  click here to see the Jamie young version.

Caramel & Cream

I should warn you… I’m dieting, hence the title  I’ll try and keep food references to a minimum.  What I did for today’s blog was just go through some unused pictures on my desktop looking for a common theme.  It’s no surprise that I’m a major fan of whites, off whites and creams all used together.  Well is seems I really like a dash of caramel mixed in with my whites.  

Even though it is a “neutral” I like to use caramel as well as tan, camel, light brown, and other warm mid-tones as I would a color.  In a white room with tonal upholstery, those rich warm colors can be the accent or the “punctuation” in a space.  But there is more than just a strong color story here.  The furnishings are transitional to modern – in a mid-century meets 70’s bohemian mixed with Scandinavian leanings type thing.  The look is decidedly masculine, yet appropriate for either sex.  I love the simple and clean look of these spaces with the extra dash of exuberance in the layer of found/collected/layered accessories.

Art has a great way of really taking center stage in rooms like this.  If you think you’re going to try for this type of vibe I suggest you pay strong attention to the walls.  If you can’t afford statement pieces, found and collected groupings of interesting small pieces will work, but you can’t put multiple groupings on every available wall, so plan ahead!  I’m a sucker for a four-post bed, but in white in a white room with the warmth of the wood floor and doors, perfection!  The softness of the drapery header, the easy matelasse coverlets and the simple bedding are classic, simple and just perfect.  The hide rug really sums up the prefect color palette white and tan dash of black… the percentages of colors is right on.

You can knock it out of the park with this color palette in the kitchen too.  I’ve helped many clients create kitchen palettes with cabinets in both whites or creams mixed with a yummy pecan, fruitwood or other warm stained mix.  They are the perfect compliment and reinforce the “furniture” feeling in some kitchen design that is still so popular today.  The mix works with traditional, country, as well as shaker, contemporary and modern.  I love the open and random boxes used in this kitchen.  Found object meets function for a look that is easy, not too precious and fun to be in.  I WILL USE THIS IDEA in my beach house.
I’m mixing in this shot because I love the room and because It proves that this “look” can work with any style.  The glam of the gold mirror and sconces and the deeper tones of the wood pieces suit the white and camel upholstery and elevate the textures in the space to becoming the pattern.  A room with no pattern is not as easy to produce as it sounds.  Texture becomes very important… the crown moulding, the basket, the books, that great mirror! even the legs of the stool all become the details your eyes see.and just because I love the feeling of these images…

They all seem to suit the idea or vibe of the spaces I’ve highlighted today.  

James Perse

James Perse Furniture is a natural extension of the brand, with the same essential qualities as the clothing. It is classic, simple, and timeless — the essence of casual living. The collections – Malibu, Nor Cal, Los Angeles and Brentwood – appeal to a broad style of homes, from traditional to modern, and include both indoor and outdoor pieces.
James Perse Furniture is made in the USA and sold exclusively at James Perse Boutiques and the James Perse Showroom in Los Angeles.   For more information, please contact furniture@jamesperse.com or visit the James Perse Showroom.

Brentwood Collection
The Brentwood collection is sleek and sophisticated lending itself to a wide variety of décors. Its design is classic and suits both elegant and casual environments. The collection is available in ash wood with an espresso or white finish, as well as top quality teak grown on an environmentally friendly farm.   The collection includes the Balfour Dining Table, BurlingameTable, Barrington Coffee Table, Hillcrest Console, Concord Desk, and the Helena Dining Stool.

 

 

Los Angeles Collection

The Los Angeles Collection is a modern interpretation of the Craftsman style – warm and rustic with clean elegant lines. Pieces are available for indoors, in rough sawn white oak and can be upholstered in 100% Belgium or Italian basket weave linens or a cotton linen blend. For outdoor use, the collection is available in top quality teak grown on an environmentally friendly farm and upholstered with premium all weather fabrics to ensure lasting outdoor use. The collection includes the Craftsmen Bed, Sofa, Chair, and Ottoman. 

Nor Cal Collection
A collection of upholstered pieces that capture the refined and relaxed quality of the James Perse aesthetic: modern and timeless. Fabrics are offered in 100% Belgium and Italian basket weave linens as well as a cotton linen blend, and express a lived in and laundered look. The collection includes the Sonoma Bed, Sofa, Chair and Chaise, the Napa Sofa and Chair, and the Carmel Ottoman.  

    

Malibu Collection
A collection of classic outdoor furniture updated and refined to reflect the James Perse aesthetic. Made of top quality teak grown on an environmentally friendly farm, the Malibu Collection is upholstered with premium all weather fabrics to ensure lasting outdoor use.  The collection includes the Malibu Sling Chair, Westward Wedge, Montecito Daybed and Chair, Carbon Chaise, Cross Creek Director’s Chair, Colony Chair, and the La Piedra Side Table. 

     

Pacific Design Center
8687 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles CA 90069
Tel 323 606 7660

 

 

 

Hedingham Castle

Hedingham Castle was constructed in 1140AD, both by and for the famous de Vere family. These Earls of Oxford lived here for more than five centuries, and to this day the castle remains under the ownership of their descendants, the Lindsay family. As one of Britain’s oldest buildings, the stunning keep still overlooks almost the entire county of Essex, with its 12-foot thick walls and original Norman architectural flourishes having been admired by numerous royal visitors including Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. Close by is the Queen Anne House, constructed in 1720 and overlooking a lake and glorious wooded grounds which are populated by a profusion of birds, flora and fauna.

Hedingham Castle’s famous Norman keep, and its fine Queen Anne house, together with their beautiful grounds, lake and woodland, provide superb locations suitable for a wide variety of filming and photographic shoots.

The historic buildings include the well-preserved 12th century keep consisting of four floors, with a magnificent banquet hall and minstrels’ gallery. Adjacent to the castle is a Queen Anne house (most of these images are of it) with elegant old-fashioned rooms overlooking the lake, and a charming octagonal dovecote built in 1720.

Some of the productions the castle and house have been hired for include the BBC drama “Ivanhoe”, various documentaries such as “Made in Britain” with Fred Dibnah, The Shakespeare Theory with Sir Derek Jacobi and History of Britain with Simon Schama.

Hedingham Castle is on the North Essex / Suffolk border, 60 miles from London.  For location charges and further information please contact them.

The Castle was also used for a feature film starring Willem Dafoe & Gina Mckee with Renaissance Films entitled “The Reckoning”. Magazine and photo shoots include “Vanity Fair” featuring Alexander McQueen… oh, and the grounds are lovely too!

A Day In The Life… (of a designer)

Not going to lie… The PUPPY along with a busy work schedule is taking its toll on me.  I’m runnin every day, working on designs for clients, making deliveries, and managing the paperwork, scheduling and other details that go along with a busy design practice… But today I found the time to have a runner installed on the back stairs at my house, yeah… MY HOUSE.  You’ve heard about the cobblers kids right? …they go around with old or no shoes, well I am no longer the designer with an unfinished staircase.  I have been a fan of this pattern for some time (I’ve used it more than once for clients) and love the way it turned out.      
Speaking of clients, the sofa for this room finally arrived today.  The clients were in town last week for just a day or two are thrilled how things are turning out.  I can’t wait to hang art add accessories and the finishing details.  Once that happens I’ll be sure to get some professional shots before the clients start enjoying the house.  I have a beautiful pair of embroidered pillows in mind for that sofa!While at the New York Gift Show I spied this new color of the ever popular “Cats Paw” rug from Dash and Albert.  A fan for years of Dash and Albert for Summer homes and coastal cottages, I can not tell you how happy I was to see this affordable and durable wool rug in a palette I am literally in love with.  This rug is my soft, tonal, “greige” dream-come-true… It looks good with warm tan walls, grey walls and countless other colors and that’s why I ordered several for the store today , so excited.And, I helped install these custom-made drapery today.  The green flange at the lead-edge coordinates with a slip-covered chair and ottoman and the neutral colored sofa and love seat have orange and lime patterned pillows, perfect!  Now All I need is the sofa and the love seat, they’re still at the upholsterer (the slip-covers are custom).  I have been assured they will be done before this client returns from traveling for work.

I ‘d be lying if I told you I worked out today… But it has become a regular thing for me.  I’m seeing my trainer two to three times a week, I am committed to having the body I want by summer.  A trip to Mexico at the end of this month is coming a bit too quickly, I’m not where I want to be just yet, but the warmth and sunshine will be a good reminder of why I’m working out and help me stay on track.  I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t splurge from time to time.  Last week in Boston I had a great meal at cinquecento and I did have dessert.  This panna cotta was infused with bay laurel and was served with a cherry coulis, and it was worth every calorie!  If you’re in Boston check out this boisterous and popular eatery.   In my down-time (7pm to 10pm) I blog, Facebook, Instagram, cook healthy dinners, play with the dogs, wash the dishes, email family, and occasionally try to catch-up on my DVR’d TV shows (Downton Abbey being the only show I try not to miss) and I squeeze in a bit of work from time to time.  I actually love sitting on the sofa, with a dog on my lap, poking around Pinterest, Zinc Door and many other great resources for furniture and accessories with my husband across the room while I enjoy the warmth and the crackle of the fireplace.  

the New York Gift Show

I got back late last night from the New York Gift Show. We’re talking acres and acres of home accessories, tabletop, jewelry & bags, and plenty of crazy randomness in between to keep it comical. There was much to see and I managed to see a lot ( enough ) in the one full day I was there. Buying for the store is like decorating for a dozen clients or more, all at once. You have to think about crafting a vision for merchandising when things arrive, buying “whats next” while buying what feels clients will be comfortable with and you have to cater those tastes to as many potential buyers as possible… After all selling your wares is the name of the game.

I expected to be buying hot bright colors for Spring/Summer, Dash & Albert rugs, indoor-outdoor ottomans, Sunbrella throws and the like but as you will see, my heart, my style and my gut all lead me back to rich and subtle tans, greys, aqua and navy. Always in my comfort zone and always in good taste.

We bought tables full of Chinese ceramics, blue and white pots, vases and bowls. Beautiful Tibetan rugs in pale heathered hues in (what else) tans greys and aquas. As well as deep colbalt table lamps, burnished brass decorotive mirrors and chandeliers made of hemp and beads of glass or stone… AMAZING!

So there are some of the Navy treasures, and here are some pretty aqua inspired finds I couldn’t live without…

 

LINEN & the Mr. Barr Drinking Game

Linen is one of the oldest woven fabrics in human history. Made of fibers from the flax plant, this material was once considered suitable only for royalty.  This is an expensive fabric to manufacture. Flax is a temperamental plant to grow, and the quality of the finished product depends largely on the quality of the plant itself. The flax fibers are found in the stalk, which is picked by hand to preserve the fibers’ integrity — another reason flax is expensive.  Separating the fibers is also a long and tedious process if performed correctly. Some flax is processed on cotton machines, but this results in a lower-quality finished fiber. Most fabric flax is grown today in Western Europe, and the finer quality linen comes from there, as well.  Linen is a strong and natural fabric suitable for everything from Window treatments, to bedding to upholstery to clothing.

I love linen because it’s the only fabric I feel you can invite to any party.  Linen does black tie, mix it with crystal, gold, Rocco details and silk and it fits right in.  It’s a quality fabric and makes a beautiful velvet and looks like a million embroidered.  Not the style your looking for? No problem, Lien plays well with Cotton (Denim, Duct, Twill, Poplin, you-name-it).  When Cotton is Linens Baby-Daddy the product is an easily cared for, all natural blend that….   Linen will mix with iron and glass, marble and polished chrome and brass and lucite it just depends on how you employ it.Linen makes a great sofa fabric high brow or low brow however I prefer it tightly upholstered.  It behaves better.  If you want slip-covers look for a blend or go cotton so it has complete and total washability, the reason for slip-covers if you ask me.   Linen drapes hang beautifully but don’t expect a crisp starched look.  Very quickly after hanging linen will find it comfort zone and relax into a soft edged vibe that begs you to relax and unwind.  Try linen drapes in a bedroom, beach house or any where you want a soft romantic aesthetic.

(SIDE BAR: Drinking Game!  Every time I refer to my self (I, ME, MY) you take a DRINK, everytime I use the word love, you take a DRINK and every time I use the word aesthetic finish your drink… BOTTOMS UP!  Thats it’s.  Please if you decide to play, try to read after 5pm, in the comfort of your own home… and remember DRINK responsibly)

OK, back to Linen and it’s many virtues.  did you know… Good quality linen is soft and largely free of the “slubs” or small knots often associated with it. Slubs are only found in lesser quality fabric.  Linen is moth-resistant and repels dirt. It can absorb and lose water quickly, and it can also help “wick” perspiration away from the skin.  Modern garments made from linen are expensive because of the expensive manufacturing and weaving process. However, the fabric readily accepts dye, so it can be manufactured in many colors. The material is lightweight, which makes it suitable for spring and summer wear. It looks crisp, cool and neat, even on the warmest days. Most linen can also be washed in a home machine.

My Style

Being an interior designer is a funny thing.  You create environs for others to live in and during that process, you negotiate… you are the curator but the result must be something the client likes, you are striving for good design, taste, scale, aesthetic but ultimately the client will pay for it, own it and live with it.  There are handfuls of designers that execute their own style every time the decorate for a client.  This client is typically wealthy beyond your typical well-off client and emotionally removed from the project in some way ( It’s hard to care about a ski house in Aspen when your on Mustique with family and worried about your New York City apartment not being ready when you get back from vacation).  Those clients exist, they are great clients to have but most people spending tens (ok 100’s ) of thousands on the interiors of a home are invested, have an opinion and want a certain look.  You’re a lucky designer if they tell you they want “your look”.

I get pretty charged when I fall for something, a sofa, piece of art, a certain print fabric, a rug… I fall hard and I hit an emotional brick wall when client don’t respond to said item the way I have.  I bounce back, I have to and I learn something about the client along the way, his/her likes or dislikes and I move on… But a tiny little piece of my creative soul dies – trust me it is minuscule and there is plenty of creative soul in me, I can afford to lose that weight!  But the project doesn’t stay on the route I saw it taking, even if we end up at the same place in the end, forks in the road are not certain when there is a client who approves ( or disapproves ) colors, furnishings or art &  accessories.  When it comes right down to it, my style is not such an easy target to hit.  I love a white-painted floor and exposed rafters, but it has to be appropriate to the structure and it’s location.  I’m partial to clean masculine lines and modern details, but currently I live in, and celebrate, a turn-of-the-century house so my “look” has become a tad traditional in recent years.  And, of course there is the small detail of budget.  I love what I have but if $ were no object, I’m sure things would look a tad different in my house.