Klismos

Dining room by Thomas Hamel

Today I wanted to feature a piece that is so graceful and striking: a chair called a klismos that comes from a centuries-old Greek design. Ancient form translated into modern use? Classic!

Klismos chairs are typically seen in black, as above, but I'll feature a few twists on that tradition in this post, as well as some classic examples. (Don't you just love all the contrasting materials Hamel uses above: the pale wood fretwork against chunky stone floors, the almost dainty glass and chrome chandeliers above the slab-top table and deep black of the klismos?)


Living room by Jeffrey Bilhuber

Bilhuber goes in a completely different direction with his klismos: painting them white, upholstering them in a plush fabric, and placing them in a traditionally designed country house! (I love how he always keeps me guessing!)

Seating area in New York loft by White Webb

Isn't it amazing that this chair's design is so old, yet it looks perfectly at home in such modern digs?

Design by Courtney Giles

I love how fellow Southerner (and fellow Auburn grad) Courtney Giles uses these gilded-back examples in this hearth-side arrangement. They seem to mimic the gold of the Louis Philippe mirror above and the black fireplace surround below. Great design!

Dining area by McAlpine Booth Ferrier

Here are two photos that show the design range of klismos chairs... and of McAlpine's interiors as well!


Outdoor dining patio by McAlpine Booth Ferrier

Goodness, this picture gets me every time. It is from an Atlanta home that was featured in Veranda some years ago, and it is still just as gorgeous to me now as it was when I first saw it gracing the cover!

Patio seating area by Paula + Martha

Dining room by Martensen Jones Interiors

What an elegant space. I love how the klismos chairs help anchor all the pale and pastel tones in this room.

Living/dining area by Jackye Lanham

This last photo absolutely takes my breath away: so warm and, yet, so intriguing. Interiors like this make me wish I could just wander all over this home to take in all the fabulous details!

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Sparkle

Photo courtesy of the late Southern Accents (designer unknown)

I am a bit of a girly-girl so, when I see a room layered with mirrors, crystals, silver, and chrome, I swoon! Isn't the room above just delightful? Those feathery pink pillows, the gorgeous Venetian-style mirrors, those silver Christopher Spitzmiller-looking lamps, and that totally glorious chandelier give the room a lightness and formality that provide quite the contrast!

Dining area by Aman & Carson

The snowflake pictures in this room by Steven Gambrel are appropriate for the 30s temps we've been having around here! They are well-complemented by the faded silver lamps and glass and mirror coffee table. Even the velvet on the couch gives off a wonderfully sparkly sheen!

Gambrel keeps the color palette simple and pale in this lovely dining room. Despite the whitewashing, the room maintains a warm, comfortable feel.

The folks over at Martensen Jones Interiors know the way to cool, shimmering rooms! Their website is full of rooms that have such a freshness and glamorous modernity to them. You must check them out!

Below, they pair a mirrored console, below a curvy mirror, with a glowing stone lamp. What an interesting piece!



Design by Kelly Wearstler

Wearstler is truly a master of glam. Some call her work "Hollywood Regency", but I think it has that hint of old-world combined with a collector's eye, that make the interiors feel so much more complex and multi-dimensional than that label can impart.

Ahh, Tom Scheerer. Talk about refreshing interiors! I love how he combines styles so seamlessly: the curvy Panton chair, the polite settee, the silk curtains, the earthy tabletop planters, and, again, that sparkling chandelier!

Our last photo of the day is from one of the fabulous homes of Mark Badgley and James Mischka. It is astounding to me how their talents apply not only in the fashion world, but in the interior design realm as well. I guess they simply know beauty, and can create it in whatever form they wish!

Just look at all that glimmering silver! This room is fabulous from top to bottom!

Here's to a bit of added sparkle to your day!

You're so vain, you probably think this post is about you

Room by Timothy Whealon

There is nothing more decadently feminine than a vanity, and I absolutely love them! I think I love the idea of having a place reserved just for your daily, girly activities. It is far better than leaning over the bathroom sink!

Plus, vanities and dressing tables give you the opportunity to bring some glamour into a space. Look at the fabulous bathroom by Stephen Shubel above. I love the color of the walls (guaranteed to make you look like you just came back from St. Tropez!) and those billowing silk curtains. (Have I mentioned I love silk?)


Room by Martensen Jones Interiors



Bedroom by Meg Braff

It appears a lot of designers turn to mirrored pieces to find that touch of glamour. I love all the different incarnations of this diva staple: femmed-up (like the version by Braff above), flashy and European, or truly eclectic.


Design by Martyn Lawrence Bullard



Unknown design

However, you may prefer to have a simple and quietly elegant place all to yourself, like in Broadway producer, Candia Fisher's, Manhattan bedroom (designed by Aman & Carson).

Although you may not have space for a true dressing table, I think it's important to create a space just for you (even if it is just a small mirror and shelf, or an antique valet, like in the home of Waterwork's Barbara Sallick below). 

Here's to convenient primping for all!