Adams Style

Bedroom photo via Nuevo Estilo

Which is called "Federal style" in the States.

Parlor of Jagdgut Wachtelhof lodge in Austria via Lonny

Or some might just call it "symmetry". 

Vignette by Phoebe Howard

Adams style is something I first heard from my Mom when I was a kid. She was a decorator and the classic notes of this neoclassical genre were apparent in her work. It was actually started way back in the 1700s by three Scottish brothers, but it took on a life of its own as it was applied by different architects of the time. And certainly, when it crossed the pond, the Americans were bound to put their own spin on it. 

Living room by Victoria Hagan

 

Although one of the more common associations with this style is symmetry, most of the rooms here would not look like a true Adam brother space. There would be far more medallions, scrolls, and swags. 

Home decorated by Robert Adam in 1777

See what I mean? I love Federal style. Give me a good pilaster over a plain wall any day. My Mom even had arched pilasters installed in the doorways leading to our living and dining rooms. So pretty. 

Floral frenzy by Tom Scheerer

 

What is interesting to me is how these old decorating tenets can permeate through to today's style: in furniture arrangements, furniture design. 

Design by Jackye Lanham

Something as simple as the curve of a chair leg, for example, could have been brought to us by people who lived thousands of years ago. 

Another Adam brothers design

 

The chairs in the picture above hark back to the ancient Greek klismos chairs, with their swooping back legs and curved backs. An old style, even in the 1700s, made new by a different perspective.

Design by Suzanne Rheinstein

And isn't that what continues to be wonderful about design today? Things made new by a fresh approach? Innovation in the details?

Design by Westbrook Interiors

Too deep? Haha! Alright then. I hope you all have a great week!

 

Gilded

Vignette by Madeline Stuart

I love to see flashes of gold throughout a home: in frames, mirrors, table legs, or lamps. It is so classic and, yet, it can be so glamorous. So, with that in mind, here is a little bit of sparkle for your Tuesday!

Dining room by Amanda Nisbet

Gold plus crystal and ebony equals some serious glitz!

Design by Thomas Britt

Design by Thomas Britt

Bleached wood acts as the perfect, neutral counterpoint to this enormous, gilded chandelier.


Entryway by Hillary Thomas



Veranda' Greystone Estate Showhouse bedroom by Windsor Smith

Fabrics, such as upholstery or curtains (like on the canopy bed above), are another clever way to add a few more karats to a room.

Bedroom by Westbrook Interiors

I hope you all have a great day today!

A Woman's Touch



Dining room in home of Raina Penchansky - Photo courtesy of Lonny


I don't want to be too prejudiced here, and maybe it's just all the time I've been spending with my sister and her precious new baby, but I think women have a different outlook on a home and, therefore, cultivate it in a different way... a softer way.

Living room by Madeline Stuart

Whether it's using a hint of pink, a cozy furniture arrangement, or accents that soften sharp angles (like pillows, lots of upholstered items, or billowing curtains), women can create warmth in myriad ways (and recognize the importance of that creation).

Home of Erin Fetherston - Photo courtesy of Vogue

So, with that in mind, here are a few examples of interiors that have that woman's touch. Enjoy!


Foyer by Susan Ferrier

An antiqued mirror reflecting the warm glow of light from underneath pink silk lampshades? Who wouldn't love to come home to an entryway like this one!

Living room by Chris Barrett (who is a "she")


Looking at Miss Barrett's portfolio, you could confuse her work with some of her male designer counterparts like Martyn Lawrence Bullard or Jesse Carrier, but, if you look closely, you can find softness in even the most modern of her projects, such as in the floral fabric on a banquette or the curved leg of a metal stool. She is amazingly versatile and you must give her website a look!

Living room by Barbara Westbrook of Westbrook Interiors

Another fabulously talented designer (and fellow Southerner) is Miss Westbrook. The room above is one of my absolute favorites. It is structured without being overbearing, and engaging even when done in a neutral palette.

Foyer by fellow Alabamian Melanie Pounds - Photo via House Beautiful

I cannot say enough good things about this foyer. I am a big fan of juxtapositions and this space is full of them: the stone floor paired with the pale rosiness of the rug, the solid structure of the chair upholstered in soft velvet, and the dark plaster of the walls contrasted against the cool damask tablecloth. So lovely!

Living room by Suzanne Tucker of Tucker and Marks

This last photo of the day is another one of my faves. It is so well-blended with its plush upholstered pieces and graphic modern art, layered mirrors, and tidy layout. To me, it's just one of those rooms that grabs (and holds) my attention.

I apologize for my extended lag in posting, but I am back on track now, so check back often for more fabulous design!

I hope you all have a great week!

Green with envy

Dining room by Grant Gibson

Green is not a color I really turn to in design, but, after several of my friends requested that as the foundation of their rooms' color schemes, I had to give it a second look.

I do love vibrant color, and this leafy, emerald green (like in the pic above) is one I can definitely see using. However, the other shades in this post certainly give me pause to rethink my opinion of this quite diverse hue.

Living room by Jeff Andrews - Photo courtesy of Trad Home

Love those flared, wing-back chairs by the fireplace! (So much so that I am actually sitting in one of my own right now!)

Enoteca restaurant design by Angie Hranowsky

I love the very classic-yet-cool vibe of this restaurant. What an interesting twist the green curtains and banquette give to the space.

Green leather chair at Scout Designs office

Study by Kim Winkler of Westbrook Interiors

Dining room by Melanie Elston

Living room by Markham Roberts

Roberts shows here what a perfect match green is with grays and deep aubergine.

Library by Timothy Whealon

This last room is so beautiful: glowing wood bookcase, wool oriental rug, and rich green velvet chairs. Classic!

I hope you are all having a good week!

Worldly Wise

Home of Madeline Weinrib

Whether kuba cloth pillows or tribal masks, Moroccan rugs or Indian block prints, I love a bit of exotic flair in a home!

Guest bedroom by M. Design Interiors

Home of Theory's Istvan Francer

One of my favorite rooms ever! I love the accent colors (lavender and orange - so unexpected), the kuba cloth pillows, the glass lamps, the portraits, the accessories... I love it all!

Bedroom from the Viceroy Mayakoba - Design by Kelly Wearstler

Dining area by Peter Dunham

Typical Dunham style: colorful, cozy, and classically eclectic. (Yes, yes, again with my alliteration!)

Bedroom by Westbrook Interiors

Isn't this room so bright and so interesting? What an amazing combination of pieces.

Library by Tom Delavan

I love the traditional seating mixed with modern (aka, the Saarinen table and zig-zaggy task lamp) and exotic (antique suzani and tribal masks) elements. So sophisticated!

Bedroom by Martyn Lawrence-Bullard

Sky-high mosquito netting? How dreamy!

Living room by Thomas Hamel

As you can see, exotic doesn't have to mean wild or over-the-top. These spaces are comfortable, sophisticated, and sure to intrigue both guest and owner alike!

Here's to a great week ahead!

Mountain High

Kitchen by Dan Carithers

As the temperatures rise here in the South (as, I imagine, everywhere else), it makes me think of a tradition held in some parts of the country of retiring to higher ground for the summer, where the air is crisper and even a few degrees cooler makes all the difference in the world.

Foyer/hallway by Kim Winkler of Westbrook Interiors

I think a mountain house can be warm and inviting - and atmospheric in a rustic sort of way - without being cliche or overbearing in its presentation of theme. (Although a few antlers here and there are to be expected!)

Great room by Kathleen H. Rivers

The room above is from a house located in Cashiers, North Carolina. Cashiers and its close neighbor Highlands (covered by Southern Accents some years ago) are two hot spots for escapees from cities across the South (such as Charlotte, Atlanta, Charleston, and even Birmingham).

I think this room is a great example of tastefully rustic design, which Rivers says was inspired by the mellowed, layered look of English country houses. Southern antiques and handsome fabrics mix beautifully with exposed wood beams, weathered stone, and exotic tribal rugs.

Paneled bathroom by Westbrook Interiors

As you are probably beginning to see from my selection of photos, there are certain fabric patterns I favor for a rustic, mountain or lake house setting; gingham, ticking stripe, and crewel being the front-runners.

Dining area by Jane J. Marsden Antiques & Interiors

I love all the fabulous rugs used by these designers. Whether tribal or traditional oriental, rugs can really complete a room, don't you think?


Bedroom by Jill Morris



Vignette by Phoebe Howard



Guest house living area by Marshall Watson and Jeffrey Kilmer

What a beautifully eclectic room! I love how it has crewel and gingham, a fabulous mix of antiques (Swedish, Italian, English), flashes of gold accents, and those perfect lanterns. A lot of thought was given to the wall treatments, as well, where a combination of beadboard (around the fireplace) and multiple layers of pigment and glaze, applied by decorative painter Judy Mulligan, was used.

Porch by Myra Hoefer

You've got to have a place to take in the cool mountain breezes, too!

Bedroom by White Webb

When paired with a simple iron bedframe and unfussy furnishings, the crewelwork becomes the star of this elegant room.

Living room tableau by Elaine Griffin

We are finishing off the post today with a picture that, I think, perfectly exemplifies sophisticated mountain style. With a deer-head chandelier, neutral fabrics on classic furnishings, oversized hurricanes, and a grand oak-leaf arrangement, this room perfectly illustrates a theme done right!

I hope you all had a great holiday weekend (for my Stateside readers) and I hope for a great week ahead for everyone!