HAMPTON DESIGNER SHOWHOUSE DIARY

 photo by Eric Stiffler

I'm so excited to share with you all my room for this year's Hamptons Designer Showhouse sponsored by Traditional Home. It's such an honor to be chosen to participate and I was thrilled to be asked to design the dining room for the house.

Color inspiration for the room came from the Atlantic ocean and bucolic farmland that surrounds the Hamptons. I chose various shades of ocean blue punctuated by green as the color scheme for the room.  

When it comes to designing a room for a showhouse, it really does "take a village" and I was privileged to work with some fabulous partners. Beacon Hill provided me with fabric for the room and their glamorous Sakura stripe in Neptune was the starting point for my design. I love this print! The awning stripe, a summer classic, is elevated in glamorous silk with shades of ocean blues and white.  

I covered a lucite bench in Robert Allen's Perfect Wave in Calypso blue-- a whimsical print with the perfect beachy vibe.  

The room, shown below in a "before" photo has a large bay window and a pretty coffered ceiling but it needed some color!

Phillip Jeffries Juicy Jute in Tantalizing Teal had just the right pop of color for the walls. 

 The textured grasscloth has a beautiful sheen that reflects the rooms natural light and adds depth and texture.

 Pratt and Lambert's November, a subtle blue-gray paint color with a slight glaze added dimension to the coffered ceilings. 

There's so much more to go over! Next post will feature furnishings, lighting and art-

  

SHOWHOUSE READY!

 Here it is! Designing a room for a Showhouse is a little like having a baby and today I'm a proud mama! The room was inspired by my daughter CeCe who is heading to St. Andrews University in Scotland this Fall. I wanted to create a stylish guest bedroom suite for her, a spirited NYC girl with a penchant for exotic travel.  The suite is opulent yet casual, featuring an eclectic mix of bold hues and luxurious textures creating a uniquely Hamptons retreat. 

The grasscloth "Moroccan" wallcovering from Phillip Jeffries is a unifying element to the room bringing the 8'-13' walls together into one cohesive space. The fabrics were all Duralee, a playful yet sophisticated mix of greys, lavender and honeydew green in luxurious silks and velvets.  The carpet, Peony from The Rug Company,  is sculptural and feminine, the perfect compliment to the dark wood floors and wallcovering.  Modern black and white photography gives the room a young, edgy feel.

 Feminine Touches

Because the room was designed for a young woman, I added decidedly feminine touches with a modern twist.  The black and white photo is fun and slightly sexy and the lavender Kelli hide lamp from Arteriors adds a glamorous note.

Adding Vintage Pieces To The Mix

I found the pair of vintage Mid-Century chairs which are attributed to Vladimir Kagan C. 1950's on Ebay. They were in great condition-I had them reupholstered in a soft Duralee Oyster velvet and had nailhead trim added. A classic Bamboo garden stool is used as a table between the two chairs. Behind the chairs, a Vintage Hendredon Console C. 1970's sits below a whimsical Orbit mirror from Mecox Gardens. The sculptural and really fun Ion pendant from Hinkley dangles above the room.

 Consoling Thoughts

The Alexander Console from Clearly Classic at Donghia is the perfect addition to a side wall. The Moorish design echos the wallpaper but the lucite makes it a subtle statement. Personal pieces were added to the vignette-a shell collected and brought home from Santorini and a beautiful black and white photo complimented the Cig Harvey print and tropical coconut plant. Beneath the console I repurposed a pair of Bubble garden vases from Mecox Gardens and filled them with magazines bringing a pop of unexpected color.

Last minute touches-

The boudoir pillows are in a great zig zag silk fabric from Duralee. It's the first fabric I found for the room and really the starting point for the color and fabric selection for the room. The final finishing touch was the addition of a pair of plaster elephant sconces that I found at a thrift shop just days before. I think they look great resting on the Grace and Blake lucite X-bench!

The Result

CeCe loved the room and of course is hoping to see some of the pieces in her room sometime soon!

HAMPTON DESIGNER SHOWHOUSE ROOM PREP AND WALLCOVERING INSTALL

With the opening of the Hampton Designer Showhouse less than a week away I've been in overdrive getting the room prepped and ready and can finally share with you some room progress! 

The jump off point for the overall design of my bedroom suite was definitely the wallpaper. With sloped ceilings that ran from 8 to 13 feet, I needed a stylish unifier for the bedroom which would come from the wallcovering.  I chose Phillip Jeffries Moroccan in Elephant, a Moorish inspired design in a soothing grey that adds a contemporary, sophisticated flair to the room. 

The day the wall covering went up I held my breath--there was a lot of paper!  Because of the tricky ceiling, I had to make a lot of decisions as to which walls and ceilings I wanted the paper to cover. I knew I wanted  the ceiling over the bed area to be papered, which lends the area a cosy, intimate feel.

I'm so happy with the paper!  When you enter the room, you don't notice the disparity in ceiling height--you're focused on the great pattern.

Tomorrow--I'm sharing with you room lighting--a pendant with lots of glamour!

A TASTE OF THE EXOTIC- PHILLIP JEFFRIES

My design plans for the Hamptons Designer Showhouse have been progressing at breakneck speed. With a deadline of July 12 for the room to be "photo ready", I've been firing on all cylinders and am glad to report that the rooms fabric, wallpaper, rug, light fixtures, tables and bedding have been ordered! Whew! I've partnered with some fantastic companies, many I've had the pleasure to work with before, some new to me and simply fabulous. It's been so much fun to choose furnishings and fabrics to create my own dream room.

I've had a crush on Phillip Jeffries, one of the world's premiere wallcovering companies for a while, and have used their elegant grasscloths and silks to add just the right glamorous touch to client's homes. I'm thrilled that Phillip Jeffries has partnered with me for the Showhouse and I've chosen an exotic and elegant grasscloth for the bedroom. 

The stylish design reminds me of my trip to Spain last summer--the beautiful Moorish influences of the Alhambra are echoed in the wallpaper print--so subtle and sophisticated, the perfect backdrop to a modern room with references to a rich past. 

More news from the Showhouse soon!