The Dark Side

Dining room by Markham Roberts

I am growing more and more fond of chinoiserie and the flair that that style of fabric, furnishings, and accessories can bring to a home. However, it seems to me that a lot of the styles we see right now are brightly colored, festive sort of pieces. Since I am girl who likes a bit of moodiness in my interiors, these black chinoiserie pieces strike the perfect balance between the dramatic and the exotic. They are dark and glamorous and fit in such a wide array of spaces.


Living room by Amanda Malson and Jolene Ballard

What a great combination of elements in this room: Moroccan rug, mid-century Eames lounge chair, large chinoiserie cabinet, neutral upholstered pieces, colorful accessories. Doesn't black ground a room just perfectly? I like that Malson and Ballard balanced the cabinet with the Eames chair, setting them opposite each other and using them to create a nice contrast with the paler-hued items in the room.

Bedroom by Timothy Whealon

Here is another large cabinet used, this time, in a bedroom. The size of this piece works so well with the scale of the room and other large furnishings (like the grand canopy bed).

Vignette by Phoebe Howard

I love all the textures in this arrangement! Wicker, chrome, wood, glass.... Just fabulous!


Photo courtesy of Southern Accents


Here, again, this painted piece is providing a lovely contrast to the delicate wallpaper and curtains, as well as to the painted armchairs and glass side tables. Light, dark, large, small, colorful, neutral: it is all about that tension.

Study by Mary McDonald

Mary McDonald is well versed in chinoiserie style, but, here, uses only one dramatic cabinet which she then contrasts against decidedly different styles, such as the baroque-style desk and Louis XV armchair. I love all the black accents in this room, especially when paired with the unexpected grayish-teal and magenta curtains.

Vignette by John Robshaw

Robshaw uses this amazing chinoiserie find as a bar (above), while Couturier (below) uses the subtle hint of black from a desk to contrast with the dark hues of the tapestry over the bed.


Bedroom by Robert Couturier


Our final pic of the day is from one of my favorites, Mr. Miles Redd, and this photo shows just why. Combining grand and, often, glamorous pieces (such as this mirrored canopy bed and oversized chinoiserie screen) with more traditional elements (like the diminutive side table and creamy linens), Redd creates unforgettable, truly one-of-a-kind interiors.

Bedroom by Miles Redd

Here's to a great week ahead (and, hopefully, no more Blogger technical difficulties)!

Global Warming

Living area by Molly Luetkemeyer of M. Design Interiors

Don't you just love a home that has that far-away flair? There is something so energizing about interiors that can create a fantasy, making you feel like you are a world away from everyday life.

Molly Luetkemeyer does just that in the living room above with a carefully selected mixture of modern, traditional, and exotic furniture and accessories. I love that rug and the fabrics on the sofa pillows!

Bedroom by Greek designer Tetty Stefanou

From the suzani on the wall to the antique curtain fragments that make up the bed cover, this room's design is sure to carry you away to distant lands. (It's location in the Greek isles doesn't hurt either!)


Bedroom by Peter Dunham

Designer Peter Dunham has been a world traveler since he was a child, and his sense of the exotic is certainly reflected in his interiors and fabric collections.

Bedroom by Kemble Interiors

How great are these vintage suitcases? The pairing of chocolate brown and blue is quite classic, but the pattern of the fabric and texture of the wall gives the room a more modern allure.

Jacques Grange gets playful in his own home, displaying a wild assortment of art and objects.

Could you work a feathered headdress into your interiors?


Bedroom by John Robshaw

I originally came across the bedroom above when I was looking for inspiration for a friend's bedroom, but I fell in love with the room's combination of patterns and wall color (and green is not something I would normally gravitate to). Travelling to places such as China, India, and Thailand, Robshaw has perfected the art of creating exotic, block-printed textiles.

Bedroom by Lisa Fine

Here is a bedroom by yet another textile designer, Lisa Fine. Aren't those green bed posts intriguing?

Vignette by Schuyler Samperton

Love the bone-inlaid chest, love the blue and white vases, and love the fiddle-leaf fig tree peeking in the side of the photo!

Living area by Sara Gilbane Interiors

I think this last room of the day perfectly illustrates what exotic accents in interior design can achieve in a room: interest and warmth. Combining a rich wall color, an unexpected light fixture, a zebra rug, and some striking textiles gives this room a cozy, yet worldly look, and creates quite the romantic reverie!

Classic Colors: Gray-Blue

Foyer by Daniel Sachs

My sister was recently pining away for a beautiful gray-blue paint color for her "grown up" living room, and, as any good design-obsessed sibling would do, I began to do some research into rooms shrouded in this sophisticated, yet moody, color. The shade above is Knoxville Gray by Benjamin Moore, and I think it complements the dark wood of the entry table and mirror and the striped dhurrie just perfectly.

Bedroom by Phoebe Howard

The fabulous Mrs. Howard creates a casual, yet textural, feel to the bedroom above with a striped coverlet, woven window shade, and, again, dark wood furnishings. (Check out the bobbin, or spool, canopy bed. I think it well matches the historical feel of the wall color.)

Study by Ben Soleimani

This was actually my first photo find in my search for this beautiful color. It is in a study in the home of Ben Soleimani, one of the talented designers at Mansour Modern (the newer, more modern branch of the venerable rug company, Mansour). I love the masculine look of this room, which is filled with beautifully structured antiques.

Design by Jeffrey Bilhuber

I love the door surround shown above. It, combined with the golden shade in the curtains, creates a interesting and welcome contrast to the cool blue walls. (And aren't those painted floors wonderful?)

Another great Ben Moore shade in this color family is Jamestown Blue, which I have seen used in photos and real life, and is a perfect option for those looking for something that is neither too dark, too gray, or too blue.


Bedroom by Chad Eisner

This bedroom, like that by Mrs. Howard, uses wood furniture and interesting textures to create warmth in this room. Eisner's designs, in general, are masculine and textural, and his website certainly deserves a look!

I especially love the pattern on the curtains; similar styles can be found at John Robshaw on beautiful, blockprinted linen.

This last photo is a gorgeous, whimsical dining room by the ever-inventive Charles de Lisle. I love the scale of the objects in the room: the huge evergreen trees, the shimmering chandelier, the black armoire, the gleaming white table. A study in contrasts for sure!

Here's to the beginning of the end: the first day of the last week of 2010!