Parlez-vous Francais?

Paris apartment of designer Lisa Fine

The French seem to have their own way of looking at, and living, life. With elegance and flair in apparent abundance, style seems to come naturally to our friends from the l'Hexigone. With today's featured spaces, I hope to give you a glimpse of that modern French style in homes both here and abroad.

Bedroom by José Solís Betancourt

Doesn't this room just glow? I love the cool grey, pink, and lavender tones combined with the warmth of gold.

Foyer in home of Matthew White - Photo courtesy of NYSD

How fun is this little dog bed under the fabulously grand console and picture? (And check out that faux limestone-block wall treatment!)

Design by Stephen Sills

Although rich wood tones fill this clean and classic space by Mr. Sills, the pale walls keep the space light and airy.

Living room by Timothy Whealon

I adore this giant room designed by Timothy Whealon. The combination of textures keeps it interesting, while the limited color palette keeps it serene. Pure elegance.

Living room by Timothy Whealon

Here is what appears to be a more casual seating area on the other side of the bookshelves on the left side of the first Whealon photo. I love how he breaks up the space into livable portions, without losing any of that wonderful natural light. (Clean and thoughtful design!)

Living room by Paint & Paper Library's David Oliver

"Soft", I think, is the best word to describe this room. As a color specialist for the UK's Paint & Paper Library, Oliver knows how to create mood with color, as is well illustrated in the grand-yet-comfortable seating area above.

Bedroom by Ryan Korban

Ryan Korban is an intriguing, young designer. His work is so glamorous, but not over the top. I love the idea of living with supreme elegance everyday. Truly French style!

Now, can't you just imagine wandering through the arrondissements of Paris to your own stylish little pied-a-terre? Ha!

Have a great day, everyone!

Short on time, but not on design

Hello, all!

I am a bit strapped for time today, but I still wanted to share some of the beautiful designs that make my little heart go "pitter patter"! Enjoy!

First up is a photo from Matthew White's Italy of my Dreams. Just seeing this pic alone makes me feel the need to make a mad dash to the store to get a copy!

Shifting from bright and airy to moody and warm, here is the living room of David DeMattei and Patrick Wade, the head honchos behind Lucky Brand Jeans. Love the Burberry throw, love the zebra benches, and totally love the contrast of the sparkly chandelier against the chocolate walls!

Alessandra Branca also knows how to play up the drama in a room. I love all those red lampshades and actually bought a pretty one for myself recently. Now I just have to pick which lamp to put it on!

Now just feel the calm wash over you as you look at this next room by Christina Rottman. I just love the scale of the mirror, fireplace, and palm.

Garrow Kedigian certainly knows his way around a muted palette as well, as you can see in these next two photos of his living room. His apartment was actually featured in the New York Social Diary's section on the home. He said that he was going for the "abandoned mansion" look. Well said! 

I just adore this room! Loving the mixture of furnishings, the textures. I love the pedestal supporting that large, sculptural bowl.

I found a fabulous marble sink, excavated from a Turkish bathhouse (or "hamam"), on an impromptu antique stop on my way back from the beach this past summer that is just waiting for just such a platform. (The thing is so heavy that it's still riding around in the back of my car! Ha!)  

That man sure can do pink! Fabulous. Enough said.

Living room by Stephen Shubel

Alrighty, one more fabulous space then I must be off. This exceedingly cheerful living room (note the gorgeous coral paint and grasscloth on the dining room walls beyond) is by design duo Bill Brockschmidt and Courtney Coleman.

This Florida home has such a soothing feel due to a limited color palette (coral, white, pale blue) and what Brockschmidt has cleverly tagged as a "tidy informality". I love that phrase!

I feel the same way about getting the positioning of furniture and accessories, and the introduction of color just right. Then, when everything is in its "proper place" (as Brockschmidt says), everything feels easy and nothing is jarring.

Orderly breeziness: my ideal decorating style! And what better theme to end on than that?