Collective Elegance

Maienza-Wilson Design

I've got a project I'm working on that's going to involve me painting the rest of the day (hopefully I'll have pictures soon), but I wanted to post a few pictures for you guys first!

Miles Redd

Stephen Sills

Richard Holley

Carrier and Company 

Ralph Lauren

Home of Jeff Lincoln via NYSD

White Webb

Patrick Printy via Elle Decor

Can you tell that I love eclectic-styled rooms? 

I hope you are having a great week and enjoying the first buds of spring!

A great, big Southern "hello"!

Driveway to Furlow Gatewood's Georgia home - Courtesy Veranda

Well it has been WAAAAAAAAY too long since I've posted! How has everyone been? My life has been all over the place. I'm not a huge country music fan, but I think a Keith Urban quote is apropos here: "I got no money in my pockets. I've got a hole in my jeans. I had a job and lost it, but it won't get to me." Hee hee! So that about sums up my last few months. I worked with a professional organization and design firm here in town and it just "didn't work out", as my ex-boss said. Oh well. :)

But, it won't get to me, because I can get back to some super fun posts for y'all! So, here are some lovely interiors from "the prettiest country from Georgia to Tennessee". Enjoy!

Dining room in Birmingham home of Melanie Pounds

Piedmont Driving Club bar by Jackye Lanham

Quiet simplicity in foyer by Texan John Phifer Marrs

Thoroughly eclectic living area by Atlanta-raised Miles Redd

Come on, you all knew I was going to have to throw in some Miles Redd in a Southern mix! Yes, I am a little obsessed.

Seating area overlooking kitchen in home of Birmingham architect Bill Ingram

Bill Ingram is a prominent architect around these parts, but his interiors are also quite beautiful. His homes (primary and vacation) have been featured in House Beautiful (photo above), Southern Accents, and Cottage Living. They are generally masculine, but have a soft, earthy feel to them.

Living room with hints of pink by Tracery Interiors

I had the lucky privilege of attending the Independent Presbyterian Church's home tour this past Christmas season (a tradition for many here in Bham). I particularly enjoyed getting to see the Tracery-designed Birmingham Home & Garden Inspiration Home, as well as the actual home of Tracery designer, Doug Davis. Tracery interiors are always warm and especially elegant, but I love that there always seems to be the tiniest undercurrent of playfulness. Like the flashes of hot pink above or the large needlepoint of deer hanging on the wall in the Inspiration Home, they deftly insert touches of the unexpected in all their designs.

Bedside vignette by another Texan, Richard Holley

Love the black, love the objets, love the chest, love the drooping greenery.... This is just such an interesting layout to look at.

Living room in Georgia home of Furlow Gatewood - courtesy of Veranda

And last, but not least, the living room of Furlow Gatewood, John Rosselli's associate and antiques buyer in the South. This house, every room, is magnificent. If you did not get to see it featured in Veranda (May-June 2011),  you can see some of the pics here.

I hope you all have a wonderful afternoon and, I must say, it's good to be back!


 

Amalgam

Living room by Katie Ridder

As much as I love traditional design, I also adore the unexpected: that feeling of when you peek into a room and immediately want to see more.

So, today I am featuring rooms that are an amalgam of colors and styles. Whether it is a blend of mustard, moss, and purple hues (like the room above) or campaign chests living in harmony with graphic abstract art, I appreciate the energy and fun that these adventurous palettes and pairings bring to these spaces.

Family room by Windsor Smith

I love how Windsor Smith can do rooms that are so over-the-top glamorous and then do a room like this one that is so decidedly cozy and pretty. Don't you just love those ruffles on the ottoman?


Pillows in room by Windsor Smith

Here is a close up of the pillows placed on the banquette under the far window. What a lovely (albeit, girly) mix!

Design by Miles Redd as featured in House Beautiful

You know what is funny about this room? The palette that Redd used here is so vibrant that the "unexpected" color, to me, is that creamy apricot on the armchair! Redd's creativity and fearlessness are just endless.

Bedroom in home of painter Kolene Spicher

This is such a cozy space, not just due to the canopy and slightly rustic furnishings, but the combination of patterns and the softness of colors (like the almost untraceable pink on the walls and chair and the mauve-lavender of the rug). They all combine perfectly, creating interest without seeming busy.

Den by Sara Gilbane

What a happy room. It is just so cozy and interesting with its mixture of patterns and worldly accents, paired with such classical pieces as the Louis Philippe mirror and matching urn lamps. Just lovely.

Great room by Martyn Lawrence-Bullard

Mr. Lawrence-Bullard certainly does not shy away from a bold palette, as is illustrated by the room above with its mustard yellows and bold blues, combined with some mossy green and (why not) red for punch!

Unknown design

What a gorgeous layout. I love how the chaise is positioned in an unusual way: parallel to the entertainment console as opposed to facing it. A very creative plan for a small space!

Bedroom in home of Jamie Meares of Furbish Studio

Now talk about unexpected! Candy colored walls, bold artwork, a dalmatian print pillow, and black bedside tables all collide in this festive bedroom. Miss Meares often works with what clients already own, mixing high and low, modern and traditional, to create something new - a talent that, as her website says, is "a rare combination of good taste and accessibility that could only be born in the South". I totally agree.

Home of Sara Tuttle

I think this last photo of the day perfectly encapsulates the idea of how bold pops of color and irreverent combinations of styles in rooms can make them so fresh, happy, and perfectly personal.

(And I just cannot end the post without pointing out the fabulous gilded barometer, malachite box, and footed orchid bowl! Just gorgeous!)

Here's to happy spaces for all! I hope everyone is having a great week so far!

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)!

Wallflower

Foyer by Eddie Ross

A recent comment by the lovely Miss Regina of Fauxology made me realize that walls are just as valuable a palette for creativity as the rooms they surround. I tend to stick to paint alone to create a mood in a room, but these designers (and the wallpaper or artists and artisans they utilize) show that decorative wall finishes significantly enhance the beauty of a space.

Bedroom by Miles Redd

I love how shimmering and ethereal this space is - perfect for a bedroom! Redd makes sure to ground the space, though, with a few traditional wood pieces and the rich green fabric on an accent chair.


Vignette by Todd Gribben of Gris


I love this vignette set against the painted wallpaper: all those lovely warm tones!

Design by Robert Couturier

Look closely and you will see the diamond pattern on the walls. What a great way to add texture and a subtle hint of geometry to a room.

Design by Elaine Griffin

I love this room: the tables, the chair, the lamps... the walls!

Design by José Solís Betancourt

Where would you use these finishes/wallpapers in your home? Or would you?

Have a great weekend everyone!

No Fear

I am beginning to work on a few small design projects for friends and, when I asked another design professional what advice she would give a novice like me, "No fear" was her simple and poignant reply.

So I have looked to the works of the design greats to show me the way to be fearless...

With color!

Design by Cath Kidston - Photo courtesy of Lonny

Bedroom by Miles Redd

With pattern!

Design by Charlotte Moss

Design by John Loecke Inc.

With custom pieces!

Bedroom by Laurann Claridge



Vignette by Michelle Adams

 Here's to being fearless in all facets of life!

Thrill of the Hunt

Living room design by Miles Redd and Gil Schafer

I'm sure many of you out there have experienced this: you see a picture of a beautiful room in which you find that perfect fabric that you've been searching for. But only then does the adventure begin. Who makes the fabric? What is it called? Where can I find it? You will search for hours on the computer, hunting determinedly to find that gorgeous material.

Both my mother and I are experiencing just such a labor of love, hunting for a Cowtan & Tout cotton (upholstering the tufted chair shown in both pictures above) and a Kravet silk, respectively.

My mother's living room is not unlike this one so cleverly assembled by the spirited Mr. Redd. It is grounded with a similar, massive oriental rug, punctuated and structured with warm antiques, and doused in natural light from a broad wall of windows. The chair fabric, enigmatically called "Rupert Cord Cotton" (where they find these names I do not know), would be a natural fit in such a room.

Design by Alex Papachristidis featured in Elle Decor

This is where I first saw my elusive fabric: in the latest Elle Decor. (Please excuse the terrible quality of the photo above.) The interiors Papachristidis created for this space are intriguing, glamorous, and even a bit sensual. My own bedroom may only aspire to be these things, but I cannot help but feel that this fabric would bring my room far closer to that ideal than any other could.

This photo shows one side of my little bedroom. Would the warm browns and exotic ikat on that Kravet silk not be a perfect complement to my happy little collections? (By the way, the walls are painted with quarter formula Cliffside Gray by Benjamin Moore, the lamp is antique, the tiny painting is by my father, and the bust was a recent hand-me-down from my mother. You may recognize the other objects from a previous post of mine....)


Kravet "Passage" silk/wool in Stone 


I believe this is the color Papachristidis used in the London apartment above, although his version is admittedly more extravagant due to the hand-beading and embroidery he added in order to make them "sing".

Bedroom by Garrow Kedigian

Another designer with similar style (who is also a favorite of mine), Garrow Kedigian, used this same fabric in a different colorway to frame the huge iron casement windows in a Manhattan bedroom, which was featured in the latest House Beautiful.


Kravet "Passage"silk/wool in Bluestone 

I love how this fabric provides the only cool tones in this warm and rather neutral room. The combinations of patterns and textures, however, are anything but boring: the furry blanket, the lattice-like print on the rug, the striae composition on the armchairs, the gilded paper panels on the wall. Ahh, to wake up in such a place!

Many discoveries-cum-searches like this are, inevitably, in my future, but isn't the hunt all part of the fun!