Gilded

Bedroom by Melissa Rufty

I love just about anything that sparkles (i.e., crystal, silver, chrome), so gold (or, at least, gold-finished surfaces), naturally, is high on my list! In the bedroom above, Miss Rufty uses gold-trimmed bedding (in a fabulous scrollwork - reflecting her classic New Orleans style) and a gorgeous gilded, upholstered headboard to punctuate the serene elegance of the space. (Aren't those blushing pink walls and leafy lamps to die for?!)


Dining area by Jeffrey Bilhuber

I love the finish on these walls. It really gives a depth and formality to the space (and a little bit of 70s glam too).

Room by William Hodgins


This study has such a light, but layered, look to it. I love that golden armillary in the foreground and the touches of gold on the desk, chair, and picture frames. Even just a hint of gold can have a big impact!


Foyer by Jan Showers


Miss Showers uses a finish similar to the one in the dining room above, creating a dramatic entryway. Paired with the sunburst mirror and the shimmering light fixtures, the space becomes quite glamorous (a hallmark of Miss Showers style). I love how the black in the chandelier reflects the painted floor below it, as well.

These last two photos are of a bedroom by designer Gary Spain. I love absolutely everything about this room! The wallpaper is quirky, fun, and modern. The headboard is so classic with that nailhead trim. The lamps are just.... perfection! The faux bois bolster pillow on the bed adds a bit of whimsy, while the three oversized mirrors open up the space and add even more sparkle. Love the portrait, love the armchairs, love it all!

What a perfect room to end on!

Happy Thursday y'all! The weekend is almost here!

Luxe Lodge

Room by Christopher Coffin

It's another wet winter day here in Alabama, and my desire to hunker down inside has led me to a post all about the coziest of places: lodges. Yes, there may be a few antlers on the walls, but these are no run-of-the-mill, wood-paneled cabins!


Home of designers Dick Ridge and Rod Renault (courtesy of NYSD)

I guess my vision of a lodge is a bit more opulent and, again, British-inspired than something you might see in a true hunting lodge out in these Appalachian hills, but the theme is the same: cozy and warm.


Room by William Hodgins



Bedroom by Kemble Interiors



Bedroom by Christopher Coffin

I love the exotic flair in this room! It is so perfectly contrasted with the more traditional elements, like the oil portrait and vintage luggage around the bed.

Great room by Eric Lysdahl

One way to infuse a lodge-style interior with more modern flair is to use different finishes or pieces in a different style. Although the great room above has all the traditional lodge touches (wood paneling, antler chandelier, comfy furnishings), I love how Lysdahl gives it a mod twist by using a strictly black-and-white color palette. 


Study by Jay Jeffers


Jay Jeffers uses mid-century modern chairs and paneling in a lighter tone to create a more contemporary look in this traditional study. Check out that pair of swords and the brass horn lamp!

At the end of the day, if you've got a roaring fire and a comfortable place to sit, you've got cozy lodge-style perfection.


Design by Cathy Kincaid


Here's to a great (and, hopefully, sunnier) week ahead!

Mirror, mirror, on the wall....

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As I mentioned in my previous post, I cannot get enough of mirrors. I love how they enhance a space, making it feel larger and more polished. Although they cannot take the place of engaging artwork, mirrors are a design necessity in my eyes, creating focal points and vignettes in just about any space.

I absolutely love the antique mirror above, used here as a headboard. The piece takes the existing glamour in the room to a new level, and adds dimension and openness that one in a dark wood finish could not.

Photo by Chris Court

Again, the mirror is creating the illusion of space in this already large office. It adds sparkle and depth, and is quite the appropriate accessory for its fashionable surroundings.

In this lovely, albeit tidy, foyer by William Hodgins, the mirror is functional in that it is nice to take a quick glance at yourself before heading into the world. However, it also acts as a tool to punctuate the scale of the space, ascending all the way to the moldings. (Note the monumental scale of the lantern and mirror, the residential scale of the sconces and door-framing windows, and the human scale of the chairs and table.)

Design by Christopher Coffin

I love trumeau mirrors, and this one is no exception. The finish is neutral but the carvings are intricately elegant; a perfect match with the other proper, yet almost-rustic, furnishings.

I love this dining room in the home of Sonia Kashuk, successful makeup artist and entrepreneur. It is so bright and airy, yet cozy and comfortable. The way the gilded, overscale mirror is casually leaned against the wall further accentuates the easy elegance of the space.

Angie Hranowsky creates a mod vignette in a dining room, contrasting the clean lines of a dresser and crisp white accessories with a swirling gold mirror. I love how the mirror is small and off center, perfectly unexpected!

Mirrors can also be used as wallcoverings, of a sort. Here, Todd Alexander Romano accents a seating area with a panel of antique mirrors. The blend of textures here is wonderful: the parquet floor, velvet bench, leopard print pillows, glimmering mirrors, and the rich darkness of the oil painting.

Melissa Rufty also opts for antique mirrors in her New Orleans home, filling the interior of an antique, carved overdoor with squares of antique mirrors. This seems to give the room more history, and a feeling of permanence. The silk curtains, oriental rug, and crystal chandelier add classy touches of Southern charm as well.

In this fabulous room by Todd Klein (featured in House Beautiful), the mirror is juxtaposed against clean, black-and-white furnishings and a cool blue backdrop. The shimmer of the gold frame, the elaborate bird and leaf design, as well as the scale of the piece make it a showstopper in this space.

How gorgeous!

One last pic from another fabulous Southern designer, Hal Williamson. His interiors are just magical. (You must check out the entire house, when it was featured here in House Beautiful!)

I am already partial to pink, silk, and glittering Venetian mirrors so, to me, this composition is sheer perfection! So beautiful!

Have a great weekend!

Listening to the fire crackle and the cat purr...

Design by William Hodgins

Just kidding. I have neither a cat, nor a fireplace, but this cool September morning is making me wish for the latter. I love, love, love lighting a fire on cool days, not just for the warmth, but for the glow and the ambiance it creates.

Design by Jay Jeffers

A fireplace, to me, epitomizes luxury and lounging (two of my favorite things!) and creates a cozy (or opulent) focal point in the room.

Steven Gambrel added this amazing deco fireplace surround in a bathroom. Oh, the extravagance! It is so unexpected and so perfect with that marble. Classic Gambrel style.

Alessandra Branca keeps it traditional in this lovely living room. Notice the way she manages the monumental scale of the room: accenting it with a tall mirror, bringing it down to residential scale with the large vases and floral arrangements, and arriving at human scale with the cozy seating surrounding the fireplace. 

Eric Cohler illustrates here, in his Charleston home, that he also knows how to manipulate scale in a room. I love the huge etageres standing guard on either side of the hearth. I also love the way he casually leaned the photos and artwork on the mantel, as opposed to hanging them, giving the room a more modern, breezy feel.

As usual, Melissa Rufty wows us with bold, playful colors that, here, act as a perfect contrast to the classic marble mantel.

As you can imagine, I love the color of this room in the home of Jared Goss, a curator for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. I also love how the room, designed by Bill Brockschmidt and Courtney Coleman, has a fabulous blend of styles: the traditional portrait, the dark - almost Victorian - mantel, the antique mirrors, and don't miss those lucite "ghost" chairs!

Room by Kristen Panitch

Love the wallpaper, love the ikat, love the tiny lamps, and LOVE that roaring fire! Contemporary cozy at its best!

Of course, Charlotte Moss knows how to pull off cozy elegance. This room is so classic and even grand, yet, as always, Moss manages to make it a comfortable retreat, perfect for curling up by the fire.

Another fabulous example of the work of Eric Cohler. This room seems soothing to me, perhaps because of the muted blue and green palette, but there is really a lot going on: the checkered floor, the tufted settee, the ornate mantel, the collection of sunburst mirrors. I find his work is truly a treat for the eyes!

Well, the sun has come out, the temperature is back in the 70s, and so my fireplace fantasies must be put on hold for now. But I will leave you with one last superbly cozy fireplace....

Unknown from House Beautiful