Bust a Move: Part II

Manolo Blahnik at his home in England

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! Now let's get back to our sophisticated sculptural subject: busts!

I love the contrast of the red upholstery and the cool aqua walls in the room above. The bust, however, is in perfect sync with the grand mantelpiece and moldings.

Vignette by Eric Lysdahl



Living room by Thomas Britt

More red upholstery abounds in this sunny room by Thomas Britt. I love how the plants in the room are used as a type of sculpture, too, punctuating the doorways and large windows.

Design by Jay Jeffers

Another great contrast. Here you can see how the bust (along with that unique suit-of-armor mirror) ground the rather fanciful lavender walls and mirrored dresser.

Design by Garrow Kedigian

What a warm and masculine room. I love the combination of the wall color, painting, and dark, plush settee.

Vignette by Gary Spain

Gary Spain certainly knows how to go bold, but I love how, in this case, he tempers the graphic wallpaper with warm flooring, traditional furnishings (I love that dresser), and solid accessories.


Design by Gary Spain



Dining room by Richard Norris and Mark Leslie

I like how Norris declared that, since this dining room is not isolated, it has become a place to "linger over meals, plan trips, and discuss our problems".

Foyer by Timothy Whealon

Love, love, love this foyer! It seems more like a garden room than a foyer. What a cheerful room to come home to!

Living room by Matthew Patrick Smyth

I am ending today with one of my favorite designers: Matthew Patrick Smyth. I love his elegantly eclectic interiors, and this space is a perfect example. The pair of busts at the far end of the room have great scale, anchoring the space perfectly. My favorite pieces in the room are, by far, the delicate, gothic armchair and the fabulous, painted pedestal table. (Oh how I would love to have one for my own home!) This room is pretty but tidy, and grounded yet bright. Lovely!

Have a happy Tuesday!

Modern Onyx

One wall color I keep seeing everywhere is black. Although I was wary at first, my research for this post certainly gave me a new perspective on how such a sooty hue can be so sophisticated. The amplified drama of these spaces is unquestionable and, therefore, makes them quite stunning visually.

I think the successful application of black has to do with the design's commitment to drama, the availability of light (natural or electric), and/or a homeowner's willingness to live with the almost Victorian formality that the color can imbue into a space.

These first two photos (designs by Tom Scheerer) display that formality I referred to above. The intensity is heightened in the library by pairing the wall color with dark furnishings, while the the intensity is lessened in the living room by painting the area below the chair rail a crisp white.

The bedroom of modern furnishings expert, Troy Halterman (which was featured in Elle Decor's "best of" book, Style and Substance - a must-read for inspiration on chic and fearless interiors), illustrates this color's ability to offset artwork beautifully, creating a masculine and, almost, museum-like quality.

In this lovely bedroom by Paolo Moschino for Nicholas Haslam, the texture of the wall covering and the pale, cool tones of the furnishings provide a soothing counterpoint to the black. 

While furnishings and light may help to dilute the severe effect of this color, one may prefer to limit its use to only one wall, or panel, as shown below in a bedroom by Eric Cohler. (I just love the contrasts here: the white linens against the black panel, and the plush headboard against the sharp lines of the panel squares and Greek key pattern on the linens.) 

In the bedroom above, designed by Thad Hayes, the black and white contrast perfectly to provide a clean crispness to the room. (Hayes' book, Thad Hayes: The Tailored Interior, is on my wishlist of design books.)

In another Style and Substance room, this one created by Matthew Patrick Smyth, black has been used to showcase the daybed area nestled among the wall of built-ins in this office. Again, black does a dutiful job highlighting the abstract art lit by matching swing-arm sconces. (See Smyth's website for more views of this room and all his fantastic projects!) 

These incredible interiors have definitely opened my eyes to the intensity and, yet, remarkable quiet that this inky hue can create, and, I hope, will inspire you to keep an open mind even to the most dramatic of design concepts!