Grande Entrée

Design by John Saladino

Here's to making a grand entrance into every new week!

Saladino Style

Living room by John Saladino

Always comfortable, sometimes minimalist, and typically enhanced with unexpected colors like lavender and apricot, John Saladino has such intriguing style.

Living room by Saladino - photo courtesy of House Beautiful

With interiors so classic and elegant, he is certainly a designer to be admired..... and emulated.

Great room by McAlpine Booth & Ferrier

The folks over at McAlpine, Booth, & Ferrier certainly have a soft spot for Saladino-style interiors. Even Bobby McAlpine's upholstered pieces for Lee Industries (aka, McAlpine Home), such as paneled screens and high-back, knole-style sofas, give a nod to traditional Saladino design.

Seating arrangement by Susan Ferrier of McAlpine Booth & Ferrier

 

Living room by Eleanor Cummings

Miss Cummings also puts her own, slightly more feminine, spin on Saladino.

Bedroom by Eleanor Cummings

 

Design by Barry Dixon


I love the ceiling-height, upholstered bench and how the pressed flower panels conveniently conceal a flat screen TV: grandeur combined with liveability.

Vignette by Amelia T. Handegan



Seating area by Phoebe Howard


Neutral, cozy, classic. Certainly rooms to live in.

Design by José Solís Betancourt

Note the scale of the various pieces in this room: from the visual weight of the wall hanging, lantern, and stone table down to the diminutive bench tucked underneath the coffee table.

Living room by Birmingham native Melanie Pounds

Melanie Pounds also has that Saladino touch. She actually worked for Circa Interiors here in Birmingham at one point, which has a definite McAlpine/Saladino vibe.

Living room by Melanie Pounds

Isn't this room just fabulous? Pounds says that she likes to live with things that are "quietly beautiful", and this room well illustrates that idea: so serene and warm.

Design by John Saladino

Whether real Saladino or Saladino in spirit, these designs are sure to last a lifetime.

Bedroom by Jeffrey Bilhuber

I hope you all have a great week ahead!

Bust a Move: Part I

Design by Michael S. Smith

I love accessories that have a weathered and sort of historic appeal to them, and busts certainly achieve that look. They seem regal and serious, bringing a stately mood to just about any interior.

A few months ago my mother bestowed upon me a bust that had been recently, well, busted. It was dropped by some movers and, she felt, ruined. But I liked the aged look it gave to the poor guy (seen in the photo above with his broken nose) and took him in as my own.

I'd say he fits in quite well with my random assortment of things!

Living room by Martensen Jones Interiors

I kind of like this smaller, more modern variation of a traditional bust. It suits the clean, bright interiors well, don't you think?

Photo courtesy of Cote de Texas

Conversely, the bust above seems right at home in this dark, opulent, and masculine library.

Foyer by Delphine Krakoff

Miss Krakoff gives the foyer above a touch of Hollywood glam with this intense and gilded model.

Design by Steven Sills

This vignette exudes a warm, but museum-like, feel. Is it me, or do the bust and antique mirror totally steal the show here?

Home of Tony Baratta courtesy of NYSD

I love the collection of busts and other sculpture displayed on these amazing shelves. So grand and, yet, so modern!

Design by John Saladino

This last photo for the day is from one of my favorites: John Saladino. His use of silk, stone, and architectural elements big and small, make him the most elegant of minimalists, giving his interiors the "aura of a Renaissance painting" (says one author).

Have a wonderful weekend and look out for more to come next week!

My Turkish Treasure

Design by John Saladino

Hello, all!

I am so sorry to have been away for so long! The holidays are certainly upon us and visiting family, setting up Christmas trees, and, not to mention, moving have set me back a bit!

Anyway, I wanted to share one of my favorite treasures I found this last summer, oddly enough in Florida: my Turkish cistern. I think they were originally used in fountains in the ancient baths there, and are generally made of very heavy marble or granite (as my mom and I found out when we were trying to haul that thing onto the table).

I enjoyed searching for how other artistic individuals out there employed their treasures....


Bathroom in home of photographer, Pieter Estersohn



Living area in home of Juan Carlos Arcila-Duque

My new place, a lovely little white house in a historic section of town, is still a work in progress, but, as I'm sure you all know, good design takes time! With that said, you must be kind when looking at these next two photos!

I nestled the glowing white basin between my two vintage lamps and found that gorgeous cascading rosemary plant to go in it. I love having herbs in the house: natural aromatherapy at its best!

The room has five windows and gets a good deal of light, although it's hard to tell in these photos since we've been experiencing our typical Alabama winter gloom recently.

I am slowly getting projects done, like the gallery-style grouping of pictures (in the top left area of the photo above) and the custom pillows on the couch (in funky-yet-neutral tigerstripe and deep aubergine fabrics). The fringed, pale orange, herringbone throw is by Sferra and was a gift from my super-stylish Mom.

There will be plenty more pictures to come, so make sure to check back often.

Have a happy Wednesday!

Over the moon for overscale art

Room by Philippe Starck

Artwork says a lot about a person. (Like that they're a huge Dirty Harry fan perhaps?) I love collections of artwork (as you will see in an upcoming post), but, sometimes, one overscale piece makes a much bigger impact than even a hundred separate pictures could.

I absolutely love this room in the home of Victoria Pearson. It is cozy and earthy, and that wonderful picture of a hawk is the perfect addition. Although it is the only piece of art on the walls, the room doesn't feel like it's lacking in artistic expression. Between the wooden floor lamp and the oversized hawk, the room feels engaging and interesting, while keeping a calm, minimalist air.

Room by Todd Alexander Romano

Sometimes overscale art can be used to bring a new color into the space. The flowers in the picture above tie into the pale blue/lavender of the pillows, while the green in the background adds a new element of freshness and depth.

The black fabric panel and lampshades in the room by Martyn Lawrence-Bullard below add drama to what would be a rather neutral, airy space otherwise.

Room by Darryl Carter

Room by Eric Cohler

Overscale art can also bring a graphic element into a room. I love how the pattern in the artwork above contrasts with the ladylike bench and cozy pillows. The same effect is found in the living room at the home of Philip Gorrivan, below. The linear shapes in the photo by Michael Wolf complement the chevron striped curtains, but contrast with the plush sofa and classic console. I love the creative tension these pieces can create!

Rooms above and below by Martyn Lawrence-Bullard

In this gameroom at the home of Windsor Smith, a polar bear overlooks the space, bringing some depth to the endless black walls, but creating a bit of playfulness as well.

Space by Miles Redd

Miles Redd and Peter Dunham both have a handle on playful. I love all of their richly textured and brightly colored work. Their creativity is endlessly inspiring!

Room by Peter Dunham

Room by John Saladino for Veranda

Even a traditional landscape painting can have the same impact as a more graphic piece when it's done in a super-large size.

Home of Charlotte Moss

Our last picture for the day features an artist I just love (and dicussed at length in a previous post), Massimo Vitali. His prints are always amazing in larger sizes because you can make out so much of the detail that makes his photos so fascinating. 

You don't have to buy artwork from a gallery to achieve this style. I took a photo from a trip to Italy and had it blown up to almost four feet wide! I had it done at FedEx Kinkos and it was not expensive at all! Perfectly artistic, but perfectly personal as well!

Here's to living large!

The charming console

Room by Jay Jeffers

I love console tables! They can be used for just about anything! Throw one behind a couch to hold a pair of lamps and drinks. Put a tray, some wine, and glasses on one and you have an impromptu bar. In a dining room, it becomes a sideboard/server and, by the front door, it becomes a catch-all for bags and bills and phones.

Room by Jay Jeffers

Okay, okay. So sometimes they are for sheer beauty alone!

I love a console with a little more heft to it, like the dresser used above by Peter Dunham or the large sideboard used by Todd Merrill below.

Entry by photographer Victoria Pearson

Design by Jay Jeffers

Consoles also make a great spot for displaying artwork and collector's items, such as the bust and stone obelisk above.

Note how the photographs on the consoles below are casually propped against the wall. What a great effect that has! (These two photos are from Ellen Pompeo's house, which was designed by Martyn Lawrence-Bullard.)

Design by Michael S. Smith

I love how John Saladino uses a gorgeous tapestry to define the area above the overscaled console table. In his book, Style by Saladino, he talks quite a bit about scale: monumental, residential, and human. I love how he accomplishes that here, carrying the eye from the tapestry to the balustrade lamps to the pair of comfortable chairs. His use of grand pieces is never at the expense of comfort.

Aren't you just loving the fabulous variety in Jay Jeffers designs (such as the mid-century mod style above)!

So one final pic for the day: a console from a Park Avenue apartment by David Netto. This is my personal favorite from this collection of photos. What can I say, I like to save the best for last!

I love the marble top console, love the orange on the matching chairs, love the fossil, love the lamps, love the starburst mirror. Netto, I've got nothing but love for you! Ha!

My mom is giving me a fabulous antique, marble top, Empire style pier table that she no longer uses, and, looking at these pics, I just can't wait to find a home for it! I will definitely post pics when I do!

Enjoy the rest of your day!