Luxe Lodge

Room by Christopher Coffin

It's another wet winter day here in Alabama, and my desire to hunker down inside has led me to a post all about the coziest of places: lodges. Yes, there may be a few antlers on the walls, but these are no run-of-the-mill, wood-paneled cabins!


Home of designers Dick Ridge and Rod Renault (courtesy of NYSD)

I guess my vision of a lodge is a bit more opulent and, again, British-inspired than something you might see in a true hunting lodge out in these Appalachian hills, but the theme is the same: cozy and warm.


Room by William Hodgins



Bedroom by Kemble Interiors



Bedroom by Christopher Coffin

I love the exotic flair in this room! It is so perfectly contrasted with the more traditional elements, like the oil portrait and vintage luggage around the bed.

Great room by Eric Lysdahl

One way to infuse a lodge-style interior with more modern flair is to use different finishes or pieces in a different style. Although the great room above has all the traditional lodge touches (wood paneling, antler chandelier, comfy furnishings), I love how Lysdahl gives it a mod twist by using a strictly black-and-white color palette. 


Study by Jay Jeffers


Jay Jeffers uses mid-century modern chairs and paneling in a lighter tone to create a more contemporary look in this traditional study. Check out that pair of swords and the brass horn lamp!

At the end of the day, if you've got a roaring fire and a comfortable place to sit, you've got cozy lodge-style perfection.


Design by Cathy Kincaid


Here's to a great (and, hopefully, sunnier) week ahead!

Mirror, mirror, on the wall....

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As I mentioned in my previous post, I cannot get enough of mirrors. I love how they enhance a space, making it feel larger and more polished. Although they cannot take the place of engaging artwork, mirrors are a design necessity in my eyes, creating focal points and vignettes in just about any space.

I absolutely love the antique mirror above, used here as a headboard. The piece takes the existing glamour in the room to a new level, and adds dimension and openness that one in a dark wood finish could not.

Photo by Chris Court

Again, the mirror is creating the illusion of space in this already large office. It adds sparkle and depth, and is quite the appropriate accessory for its fashionable surroundings.

In this lovely, albeit tidy, foyer by William Hodgins, the mirror is functional in that it is nice to take a quick glance at yourself before heading into the world. However, it also acts as a tool to punctuate the scale of the space, ascending all the way to the moldings. (Note the monumental scale of the lantern and mirror, the residential scale of the sconces and door-framing windows, and the human scale of the chairs and table.)

Design by Christopher Coffin

I love trumeau mirrors, and this one is no exception. The finish is neutral but the carvings are intricately elegant; a perfect match with the other proper, yet almost-rustic, furnishings.

I love this dining room in the home of Sonia Kashuk, successful makeup artist and entrepreneur. It is so bright and airy, yet cozy and comfortable. The way the gilded, overscale mirror is casually leaned against the wall further accentuates the easy elegance of the space.

Angie Hranowsky creates a mod vignette in a dining room, contrasting the clean lines of a dresser and crisp white accessories with a swirling gold mirror. I love how the mirror is small and off center, perfectly unexpected!

Mirrors can also be used as wallcoverings, of a sort. Here, Todd Alexander Romano accents a seating area with a panel of antique mirrors. The blend of textures here is wonderful: the parquet floor, velvet bench, leopard print pillows, glimmering mirrors, and the rich darkness of the oil painting.

Melissa Rufty also opts for antique mirrors in her New Orleans home, filling the interior of an antique, carved overdoor with squares of antique mirrors. This seems to give the room more history, and a feeling of permanence. The silk curtains, oriental rug, and crystal chandelier add classy touches of Southern charm as well.

In this fabulous room by Todd Klein (featured in House Beautiful), the mirror is juxtaposed against clean, black-and-white furnishings and a cool blue backdrop. The shimmer of the gold frame, the elaborate bird and leaf design, as well as the scale of the piece make it a showstopper in this space.

How gorgeous!

One last pic from another fabulous Southern designer, Hal Williamson. His interiors are just magical. (You must check out the entire house, when it was featured here in House Beautiful!)

I am already partial to pink, silk, and glittering Venetian mirrors so, to me, this composition is sheer perfection! So beautiful!

Have a great weekend!