Spanish Colonial... with a twist

I love the fun mix of patterns and textures Madeline Stuart uses in this beautiful Spanish Colonial home. The bold colors, plus the modern artwork, combine to create something really unexpected, fun, and beautiful!

Lovely!

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!

Repose

Vignette by Jackye Lanham

It is finally Friday, time to start relaxing and thinking about the long weekend ahead!

Home of Jim Aman and John Meeks - Photo courtesy of NYSD

What better way to do that than kick off your shoes and kick up your feet?

Bedroom by Thomas Hamel

I hope you all get plenty of rest and have a wonderful weekend!

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!

Deconstructed

Living room by Dan Marty

One of my favorite living rooms ever: unfinished upholstery, armchairs in lieu of the traditional sofa, massive fireplace, towering palm, custom fabric lampshades, punches of red, and plenty of weathered, worldly charm. What a talent.

Heaping Spoonful

Sitting area by Steven Volpe

I love to see how various (and quite different) designers use the same piece of furniture. Here, I am featuring just a few photos of graceful spoonback chairs. They are so lovely and, as you can see, quite adaptive to their environments.

Living room by Barry Dixon

What an eclectic assortment of pieces here. (Love those touches of yellow combined with a gray-toned base. Isn't that just one of the most perfect color combinations?)


Seating area by Alessandra Branca

Here, Mrs. Branca uses a more dramatic, black-painted chair to complete a fireside arrangement.

Living room by Jeffrey Bilhuber

I love Bilhuber's use of unexpected items in a room. He manages to create interest, without overwhelming the viewer. The room above is actually quite serene, despite the bold, oversized artwork, touches of saturated color (LOVE the purple chair), and sharp angles of the star accessory.

Living room in home of designer Paula Caravelli

Sorry for such a quick post, but I am getting my wish and heading to the beach today! (Yay!) I hope you all have a great remainder of your week and I will be back with more beautiful rooms on Monday!

King Eclectic

Living room by Alberto Pinto

Known for his creation of elegant, worldly spaces and "haute interior design", Alberto Pinto never fails to supply inspiring rooms to clients and design fans across the globe.

Look at all the different elements he has pulled together to create the living room above: the silk/satin upholstery, the mirrored coffee table, the artwork, the huge screen, the lamps, the flowers. So many pieces working in complete harmony. Just beautiful! 

Have a great weekend!

Cupid, draw back your bow...

Living room by Timothy Corrigan

I thought I would wrap up the week with some pure elegance. This room has long been one I return to for inspiration. The scale of the pieces, the way the artwork is hung, and the fabulous arrow accents catch my eye time and again. (Those gilded arrow tables and curtain rods are just to die for!)

For me, finding beauty in the small things is so important. When things are messy or confusing or stressful, I find it so therapeutic to just stare at this kind of beautiful image and, soon, all seems right with the world again!  :)

Have a truly wonderful weekend, everyone!

A Return to English Country

Vignette by Rosa Bernal via Nuevo Estilo

In honor of our little milestone yesterday, I decided to revisit a topic that is responsible for the most viewed post on my blog: English country interiors. Since this seems to be a favored subject (and I want to pay tribute to all my wonderful viewers out there), I thought I must give you more of what you want!

Living room by Kemble Interiors

Classic English style: warm and rich with layers of texture and color.

Vignette by Charles Faudree

Although Faudree is better known for his French-inspired interiors, I think there is a bit of the English politeness and subtle sophistication in this pretty little vignette.

Photo courtesy of Country Living

I love this room. It is sensible and slightly masculine, and has the most wonderful English touches (such as the portraits and that fabulous Regency-style chair in the foreground)!

Image of foyer courtesy of Cote de Texas

Isn't this picture so beautiful in its simplicity, with its marble-top console, rustic basket, and antique hall chairs?

Home of Bunny Williams - Photo courtesy of NYSD

Vignette by Cathy Kincaid



Design by John Peixinho


What a cozy space. I love the long ottoman by the fireplace and the way the mantel is set with such delicate pieces.

Design by Joe Minton

"The British brought back many different cultural influences from their colonies, so we didn't just stick to one type of furniture or style", says Minton. I think this design objective is what creates that layered look present in so many English-style interiors.


Living room by Sara Gilbane


Have a great day!

For the birds



One of my favorite rooms of all time


I love it when designers have a signature: that piece of furniture, fabric, or accessory that they turn to again and again that puts their creative stamp on a space. One of my favorite designers is Tom Scheerer. His interiors are always bright, full of texture, and inventive. Since I spend so much time going through his portfolio, I began to pick up on a certain avian influence in his work.

Personally, I love the exotic, yet almost Victorian style the bird prints bring to his interiors. I have always been fond of Audubon and other botanical and natural history prints, and these Olof Rudbeck prints used by Scheerer are no exception.

What a difference these prints can make in a room! Try to imagine botanical prints or landscape paintings in their place, and you begin to see the atmosphere that these curious and novel prints impart. I think the scale of the prints also adds to their dramatic effect.

But, Mr. Scheerer is not alone... Apparently Jeffrey Bilhuber enjoys birds too!

I hope everyone has a good week ahead of them!

Black and White

Design by Robert Couturier

I have to admit, I am a girl who is all about color, but, looking at these warm and elegant interiors, I can begin to see the benefits of such a bold color scheme.

Photo courtesy of Matters of Style blog

I love how cozy this room is, despite the graphic ottomans, rug, and toile-covered couch! (Isn't that Louis Philippe mirror above the mantel just gorgeous?)

Vignette by Windsor Smith

Creating bold yet stunningly glamorous rooms, Windsor Smith does not disappoint with this soft and gleaming vignette.


Photo courtesy of Nuevo Estilo


Melding modern and traditional pieces in this combination living/dining room creates a space that is breezy and fresh.

Photo courtesy of Nuevo Estilo

Living room by Kemble Interiors

I love the texture and scale of the pieces in this room: plush velvet, towering lamps, shimmering mirror, etc. Another example of how black and white can still be cozy.... but in a decidedly luxurious way, though!

Design by Michele Bonan for the J.K. Place Hotel

A final, shimmering example of how glamorous this color scheme can be!