Invaluable - Plein Air Provincial

Welcome to the third and final edition of my Invaluable series where I've been illustrating how to incorporate artwork into the home! So far we've looked at two very different spaces: one featuring old school landscapes and one featuring colorful abstract works. Today I want to look at my favorite genre of painting: plein air! 

Dining area by Peter Dunham

"En plein air" just means "in the open air" in French, but it is often used to describe a style of painting where the artist is capturing not just the landscape, but the atmosphere of the place where the piece was painted: the salty air, the warm sun, etc.

Painting by Lovell

I think one of my favorite types of decorating is what I consider to be California style. But, really, it is more likely California designers' interpretations of French Provencal/country style. Whatever you want to call it, it usually features colorful fabrics, comfortable furniture, and plenty of these "plein air" paintings.

Paint - Curtains - Loveseat - Lamps - Rug

I would start out with either white or pale blue walls. Then I'd start layering on some texture, like these linen curtains and a nubby striped rug. A floral is a prerequisite for any good country house (especially one with a French accent). A pair of bright green lamps would bring a pop of color and a little unexpected crispness to the room.

Reese Witherspoon's living room by Kristen Buckingham via Elle Decor 

The artwork is so subtle in spaces like this, but it is setting the scene and creating a mood in the space.

Invaluable Painting by Albert Namatjira

I would love to have this pair of paintings! Just look at the light in them. You really get a sense of being in the middle of the Australian outback.

Invaluable Painting by Albert Namatjira

Living room by Kathryn Ireland

Suzani by Ayatcreation

I would add in a colorful throw like this since it has such a lovely balance of cool and warm tones.

Chair - Table - Paint

An old farm table, bistro chairs, and fresh flowers add to the bright but casual look.

Sitting area by Schulyer Samperton

Eric Stonestreet's living room by Nathan Turner via House Beautiful

This slightly masculine room by Nathan Turner looks so stylish but, more importantly, how comfortable does it look?! I just want to dive into that corduroy couch!

Invaluable painting by Maslanka

Now it's time to pile on the pillows!

Dining area by Schuyler Samperton

And I mean LOTS of pillows....

Stripe - Lotus - Quadrille - Fig - Floral - Dot

I created this combination of color and pattern because, like with the suzani above, you are balancing the warm tones (i.e., reds, pinks, browns) with the cool tones (i.e., blues, greens, lavender, grey). You also want to balance modern prints (i.e., lotus and fig leaf) with cozier, traditional ones (i.e., stripes and cabbage rose).

One more by the fabulous Ms. Samperton

Again though, it's all about what you love, and what makes you happy and comfortable.

Thanks so much to Invaluable for all the artistic inspiration! And I hope all you readers visit again soon!

Pattern at play

Design by the fabulous Hal Williamson

I may experiment with color, but, for some reason, piling on the pattern has always intimidated me, whether in fashion or interior design. It is a shame because, as these designers show, that layered look creates warm, engaging, and, often, dramatic rooms.

Design by Omniarte

Whether using a bold pattern like the wallpaper above, or a combination of prints, the effect is really dynamic and interesting.

The pic above is from decorator Milly de Cabrol's New York apartment as covered in New York Social Diary. I love how she piles on the printed fabrics (and books and art!) in this room, draping the table and settee in hand-blocked prints, giving the room a really cozy feel.


Bedroom by Katie Ridder


I love the subtle patterns Ridder uses above. Isn't that headboard just lovely? The room feels so airy, but textural too.


Den by Raymond Boozer from Apartment 48

I am a huge fan of a chevron pattern. Doing the couch in tone-on-tone greens keeps it from being too bold, while still mimicking the pattern in the rug.

Dining room by Schuyler Samperton

Schuyler Samperton combines traditional and trendy patterns here perfectly, using an ikat on the dining chairs over a gorgeous oriental rug. (Check out the beautiful wall panel in the background!)

I really can't get enough of Phoebe Howard's designs! She is so talented! The vignette above is so well-composed: the splash of color, the textural tortoise shells, the mirror, the avian prints. Look closely and you will see that the wallpaper has the most subtle pattern on it, giving even the walls a woven effect.

Our last two photos of the day come from designer Stephen Sills.

Now this is the way to bring energy to a room by using pattern! Love the rug, love the throw on the back of the couch, love the stripes on the ottoman. (And I totally love that leather chair!) This room is warm and comfortable, but artful and stimulating as well.

Another space by Sills is featured in this month's Architectural Digest (which is newly helmed by ex-Elle Decor editor Margaret Russell) and the interiors are so amazing, you must go get a copy immediately! It looks like Russell is really going to up the ante and makeover AD in the best possible way. I can't wait to see what's next!

Here is a taste of Sills fabulous AD-featured design.....

Heaven!

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Where'd you run off to?

I'm sorry I disappeared for a few days, but I have a good excuse! I was lucky enough to accompany my sister to a conference at the absolutely drop-dead-gorgeous Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Florida!

My adoration for this place is beyond words. The interiors are mind-blowing: giant aviaries, shimmering stars painted on indigo ceilings, arabesque carvings, stone columns, polished marble floors, trompe l'oeil moldings, giant painted wood beams, and every other beautifully crafted embellishment you can think of!


One side of the lobby (read: not even half of it)


The hotel was built in 1926 as a collaboration between hotelier John Bowman and Coral Gables founder George Merrick. It was the best of the best back then (and still is today), hosting opulent parties and weddings, and a myriad of Hollywood guests such as Ginger Rogers, Judy Garland, and Bing Crosby. Franklin D. Roosevelt even set up a temporary White House office here when he would come to Miami for fishing trips.


Everglades Suite


It even hosted the notorious Al Capone, who - according to legend - ran a speakeasy out of the 13th floor during the days of prohibition and even killed hit man Thomas "Fats" Walsh in the suite. They dedicated the room to him, politely calling it the Everglades Suite (as opposed to the "Al Capone Suite", as it is known to most of the employees).

For some period of time, the pool was the largest in the world and was the site of many events such as synchronized swimming, alligator wrestling, and diving. A world record was even achieved in this pool, by none other than Tarzan-actor Johnny Weissmuller (who was then a swimming instructor).

I know it sounds cliche', but these pictures truly do not do the place justice. It is fabulous in every way. There is an air of extreme luxury that is imbued without pompousness or snobbery. Everyone who works there is truly willing to help you with anything!

I must give credit here to Frank at the concierge desk, who always steered me in the right direction. I had a day to myself to wander the gloriously tropical streets of Coral Gables (where the yard of each Spanish-style house is manicured yet colorful, and the streets are lined with banyan trees).





Frank suggested I walk into town to this awesome little bookstore called Books & Books, where I found endless design and art books in a modern, yet warm environment. (Let me note here that the people of Coral Gables were consistently friendly, albeit quite curious about where I was from..... possibly due to my tell-tale accent? Ha!)






I had lunch in their open-air courtyard, which was complete with huge red umbrellas, creeping bougainvillea vines (heavy with blossoms), and swaying palm trees. I'm telling you, this whole town is saturated with ambiance at every turn.

As I took in the architecture and the variety of languages being spoken around me, I realized that Coral Gables doesn't even feel like the U.S., a small, coastal European village perhaps, but not a town mere miles away from a booming Florida metropolis. I guess that is what makes the luxury and, more particularly, the fantasy of this town complete.


Design by India Hicks


So, with the memory of swaying palms and ocean breezes on my mind while I bear the freezing temps back at home, here are a few interiors that convey that tropical vibe.

To me, India Hicks is the queen of island style. In fact, she has even written the book on it: Island Life. Although her style is more British Colonial (perhaps due to the fact that her grandfather was the last Viceroy of India), it certainly conveys that exotic and luxuriant feel of the tropics.


Living room by India Hicks



Room by Schuyler Samperton


Miss Samperton has a definite flair for the exotic as well, as you can see in this fabulously bright living room. I love the pink curtains (of course), but it is their pairing with the heavy wood tables and scenic artwork that, I think, gives the room that worldly feel. (Giant bouquets of bougainvillea don't hurt either!)


Room by Schulyer Samperton



I hope you have a wonderful week ahead, and I hope we can all find inspiration to brighten the wintery gloom!