Love at 1st Sight…

 

They don’t call it kitchen of the year for nothing… 

House Beautiful’s kitchen of the year is featured in this month’s issue, and the worst part is this – I missed it.  How could this happen when I live right here?  I’m bummed…  Well truthfully I’m not surprised.  Trying to juggle multiple renovations and grand jury duty at the same time was not the summer I had in mind.    

Love at first sight…  This tile from Ann Sachs is stunning, but I’d fallen in love long before seeing it here.  One day while tile shopping, I spotted it.  Wow.  I HAVE to do this somewhere. It's hard to capture this feeling from a picture but trust me, it's a keeper... 

Well someone beat me to it.  Here it is – and so much more fun than falling for a sample board.  The shimmery irridescent quality is absolutely irresistible - it glows.  Much like the kitchen itsself.  Other things to love – the hammered sink, the polished open shelving, and the glam pot & pan storage…well basically all of it.  Pick up the issue and see what I mean…

Oh Baby...

I’m Loving this baby’s room.  What a lucky little someone - imagine having this as your first ever bedroom…

Years ago I worked on a nursery for a couple who bought a light fixture in Paris and had it shipped home – a wire cage with birds inside.  I couldn’t quite picture it, and it took forever to get, but like them, I fell in love instantly.  Well here it is again...

Since then I’ve seen it here in NYC at the Conran Shop below ABC Carpet – no longer such a long wait but still every bit as magical.  It MAKES this room…  And how about that rug?  This space no doubt is an all around winner from top to bottom.           

Loved...

AD didn’t disappoint this month – loved this soothing gray monochromatic bedroom, especially the chandelier.  I have one of these starbursts in my apartment and have found 2 more for clients of mine.  Let me tell you, these little numbers take any room to the next level. 

And if one is not enough, this stylish couple has 2 in this BR suite.  OK, that’s just showing off - not really, I’d do the same in a minute… 

Lighting is Everything, and in fact, it’d say it’s my top pick for creating the wow factor in any space.   If only I had more rooms…   Right now I have all the lighting I can have, but that doesn’t mean I’ve stopped collecting.  Noooooo….someday when I do, I’m already set!       

Way Up There...

Being a details girl, I’m always soaking them in wherever I can, wherever I am.  The ceiling in the far room is fantastic – not just the rustic blue wood, but the gold against it and the green.  I Love it. 

This took guts…  On paper it could sound like a winner, but it could have easily been a do-over.  Instead it’s brilliant… 

BTW I’m also loving the transom windows and doors in this room – a design I’m always looking to recreate from the salvage yard.  No surprise, I’m ready now with 3 arched transoms in storage for someday.  Whenever and wherever that is…            

Dreamy...

With so much time on my hands these days waiting around in between cases at grand jury duty, I’ve been reading A LOT.  My first book was Under the Tuscan Sun.  I’ve seen the movie but had never read the book, so I thought it would be a perfect “take me away” read.  After all, this is a subject I can relate to (renovating), and what better way to experience another facet I've not yet experienced than reading about doing one overseas.   It is similar in some ways...  I felt a little like I moved to another country when I renovated here in Manhattan for the first time – a whole different ballgame... 

Three weeks in, I’ve moved though several books, but I couldn’t help but be drawn to these images in the August issue of Homes & Gardens.  It’s almost like the images I dreamed up in my head when reading the book came to life, with a slight difference: France vs. Italy.   

These beautiful spaces were designed by Marie-Laure, an interior designer from France who relocated here to NYC and has since moved back.  I love her style.  It has that fantastic dual quality – old world and modern at the very same time.  I LOVE the stone and how it looks alongside casement style windows and doors.  Plus who wouldn’t want to be sitting at this pool about now.  It’s nothing short of dreamy...

40 Fab Rooms...

I opened my mailbox to find 40 Fabulous Rooms in Living etc and yes I agree – it’s fabulous.  BUT what exactly is "it" - wallpaper, tile, fabric, or paint maybe?  Drum roll please… 

Its tile (courtesy of Ann Sachs). 

I love the personality this bold pattern brings to a micro-office space like this one - I can’t take my eyes off it…  I have to admit though, tile wouldn’t be the first thing that comes to mind when dreaming up a feature wall, well outside of a kitchen or bath, but why not join the club and live fabulous too?

Underwater...

Just when I thought I couldn’t possibly fit another thing into my recently crazy days, I got blindsided with one opening of my mailbox…

Lucky girl – you’ve been selected for Grand Jury Duty – a sentence of 4 weeks + 1 day. AND as an added bonus, you’ll be stressed out and left with no summer or days off.

Needless to say the outcome of this letter has been this - I’m up late at night trying to play catch-up and my blog postings have trickled. I’ve figured out how to survive the days of waiting and confinement to an uninspiring space with hard chairs.  Reading and listening to music helps, well when I’m not powering my phone up and down in between cases.

BUT this week my goal is to get back on track… Oh and buy another book or two maybe. Honestly when this grand juror badge expires, I’ll feel like I’ve been let out of jail or detention, never mind that no crime was ever committed – not by me at least….

A Must-Try…

I’ve been a fan of ceiling hung curtains ever since I had them in my studio.  Modern and practical, they never miss in creating an instant pulled together look.  Sooooo why not in the bathroom? 

My philosophy on shower curtains is always the same: hang them as close to the ceiling as possible - the longer the absolute better.  Long draws your eye up and adds a luxurious, vacationesque vibe to any bath. 

Well here is one better for curtains in the bath – on the ceiling.   The look here is effortless, easy, and perfectly done – floating just above the floor. 

Note to self: add to your must try list.  My only wonder is the liner – not sure how that works, BUT I will figure it out, as inquiring minds may want to know…   

Old School...

I’m going old school at the moment designing an ultra traditional bathroom.  My client has visions of a claw foot tub in her head.  Well here’s one…done right. 

I love the simplicity of this room and especially the painted variation of the more typical white-white.  This bath has an earthy old world feel from the fixtures to the herringbone floor to the corbels in the entry; yet somehow it also appears minimalist and modern.  

Another atypical touch – the wide open plan.  I can see liking this for the tub and the sink, but the toilet?  That’s anything BUT traditional… 

Another World...

There's a whole other world in this city that most of never ever see…   

High above street level on top of many buildings there are entire houses constructed up on the roof.  This is one of them.  In my first apartment I use to stare at one in particular across the way from my apartment overlooking Central Park. It was brick, multi-level, and surrounded by gardens - absolutely fantastic.  I always wondered who lived there.  Years later when attending an open house with a friend I saw it in person.  Turned out, it was not at all what I had imagined and in fact not a house at all.  It was a beautiful roof space and a brick façade covering the water tower.  I was soooo disappointed.    

This is not one of those – it’s the real deal.  There's a similar space to this one in plain view from our roof deck and again I wonder who lives there – for real…      

Summer Playhouse...

This is adorable… Featured in today’s House & Garden section of the NY Times, it belongs to Maxwell Gilliam Ryan, the founder of Apartment Therapy. Built for entertaining, it’s part of his extended family’s weekend home in the Hamptons (Mom on one side and his brother on the other).

I’ve always thought this alone would be enough for a get-away space, as long as it was wired and plumbed. The layout is great – high ceilings, open space, and doors on both sides to let the outside in. This is simplicity at its best – not too big or too fussy, just relaxing and fun. I Love, Love, Love it.

See for yourself:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/21/greathomesanddestinations/in-east-hampton-the-founder-of-apartment-therapy-learns-from-his-design-mistakes.html?_r=1

Embossed...

I Love stationary and especially anything personalized.  I have a few custom embossers in my card making collection and also like to give them as gifts.  The same is true for towels I guess… 

I found these in the back of Homes & Gardens in one of their promotional ads.  How cute.  As an alternative to monogramming, specify a letter and get yourself a custom embossed towel – face, hand or bath.  I want one, or two maybe… I only wish they had a bath mat option. 

Take a look:  http://www.balineum.co.uk/bath-towels/auberge-monogram-towels

Some Serious Drama...

I know nothing about this image aside from where it came – House Beautiful. I also have no clue when it was featured. So how did an issue slipped by me? I can’t remember when I wasn’t a subscriber, and my Mom one before me….

Anyway, it tickled me that someone put their laundry behind all this drama. I’m sure you would think, if you saw these doors in any space, that something way more than an everyday chore would be back there. But why not? I wonder what else is back there?

Honestly if these doors can’t make doing laundry fun, nothing will.  I Love it BUT laundry on the other hand….

On the Edge of 50’s…

I went to an Open House recently with a friend of mine looking to buy. The apartment was a fixer-upper with a 50’s style kitchen. The counters were white with speckled Formica and a chrome edge detail all the way around – very retro diner-ish. So what ever happened to this way of designing counters because it looks great...

I ran across this kitchen recently on Desire to Inspire, which I love, and here it is again. Hmmmm could this design trend be coming back? I certainly hope so - I love it…

PS: The only hold-back – I need to figure out where to have this done.

Anything But the Blues…

This blue bedroom is calling my name… It’s so casual, you can’t help but want to be right here in it.

I’m working on a beach house at the moment with 3 such bedrooms. Each has its own unique personality, but I’m hoping “ this” is the way guests will feel when they come to stay.

Beach house bedrooms should be relaxed – giving off that air that you’ve left your everyday life for something without any fuss - stress-free, fun, and high on casual style…

Well this is crunch time…the painting and floors are done, the wallpaper goes up this week, along with custom curtains, bedding, lighting and accessories. Nobody but me will ever understand all that went into making these rooms special, but I certainly hope anyone staying in them will feel absolutely 100% so…

Seal of Approval…

This vintage bench just arrived for the entry hall of my client’s beach house. It’s so cute I wish I could keep it for myself. And it’s not just me, clearly it has kitty’s seal of approval too…

The shape is a keeper – I Love the detail on the front of the seat and the double seat design on the back. The orange won’t work in the room, so off it goes to the upholsterer. Well that is if I can get my little orange guy to move – he’s enjoying it from every angle.

I now know one thing for sure: this kitty has an appreciation for design, no question…

Trove Showcase...

This is not your Mama's wallpaper - that's for sure...  I'm always on the hunt for my next paper fix, and since ICFF is just around the corner I'm hoping to get one very soon... 

When searching on Trove, as I'm about to hang another of their papers, I found this image.  A picture's worth 1000 words they say, and sometimes it tops even pure imagination.  Concentrated in one horizontal band, the pattern orientation in this paper is unexpected and very cool -  a room maker... 

PS: This last few weeks have been the craziest I've ever experienced yet...  With so many projects happening at once, every day is scheduled to the minute.  How many things can I get done in a day - lately more than even I can imagine.  Soooo I suppose that explains it - my less than usual posting recently.  I'm hoping things will slow a little soon, so I can get back on track, and come up for air... if only for a minute to post an inspiration or two.           

Unseen...

Now this is something I’ve not seen – waterproof art panels.

Studium, a favorite tile stop of mine, will be carrying them – whatever they are… I need to find out more about this new art form and what the options are. Very cool…

This one reminds me of some stunning coasters I’ve seen in Anthropologie, but supersized. The colors are soothing, like the ocean, and the pattern is reminiscent of the inside of a shell – for sure a must-see on my next trip there...

It’s That Time…

It’s that time of year again when house tours are in full swing and I’m the happiest of girls…The NY Times ran the full list of local tours yesterday - I wish I could hit them all...

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/03/garden/home-and-garden-tours-around-the-country.html?_r=1&ref=garden

Tomorrow is the Junior League Tour, a fav of mine. A year seems like forever ago, when my apartment was on the tour, and honestly not a minute too soon - ever since then I’ve been boarded up behind tall scaffolding. If only it had gone up while the work was going on. I’m truly counting the days until it’s gone…

Anyway, let’s not forget, it’s also Kipps Bay season – another not-to-miss event. It’s usually hosted in an amazing townhouse or mansion, which in my opinion is half the fun, but not this year – this one takes place under new white box construction. That usually means out- of-the box kitchens and baths that all look the same, but I REALLY hope not. This bath btw was designed by Larry Laslo for a previous Kipps Bay Decorators Show House and it is a keeper. The tile is 5-star, as is everything really. I Love, Love, Love…

http://www.kipsbaydecoratorshowhouse.org/index.htm

To Dye For...

In one of my recent trips to the D&D, I stumbled upon a GREAT hand dyed linen at Designers Guild – a tie dye-ish color-faded fabric covered one entire wall of the showroom. Honestly, it was a “love at first sight” moment…

I have always been drawn to tie dye, and this is no exception. Lucky for us, DG offers it up in several colors.

What could be more crisp and clean than a fade from vibrant color to bright white? For curtains this fabric is a home run. Look - Home & Gardens featured this very thing in their most recent issue.

http://www.housetohome.co.uk/room-idea/picture/design-ideas-dip-dye/5#./1?&_suid=133597090458308020493868469385

Years ago I bought a similar fabric from DG and upholstered 4 French dining chairs. I still have them. They were gorgeous and I would buy it again in an instant, if they hadn’t discontinued it. I sooo hate when that happens…. In the spirit of this resurgence, we really need a comeback.