WHAT ARE YOU IN THE MOOD FOR?

Today I thought I'd share with you a design project I'm currently working on. My clients are a young couple that live in a prewar penthouse apartment that features rooms of cherry wood floors and heavy paneling. The home felt dark and masculine, definitely not the design aesthetic the young couple wanted for their home. We decided to lighten things up by adding modern furniture and fixtures and infusing the space with soft texture and color, starting with the small foyer which is accessed through a private elevator. The foyer was lacking character; drab green curtains and an old black bench framed a large window which overlooked a stunning garden and swimming pool. Unfortunately these gorgeous features were lost in the lackluster entryway.

How did we fix it? 

We brought the color palette of the outdoors in with soft, silvery blues, infused the space with subtle texture and pattern and added some warm metallic pieces for a touch of modern glamour. Here are two of the design boards I presented to my clients. Do you have a favorite? My client's did.  I'll let you know later when I announce the winner of the Exotic Taste-Orientalist Interiors giveaway! 

THIS IS GLAMOROUS

I'm always on the look out for fantastic wallpaper with a little something extra-maybe a subtle shimmer or texture that brings a sophisticated elegance to a room.  The Modern Glamour line recently launched from Schumacher nearly stopped me in my tracks. The collection of handcrafted and embossed wallcoverings in nature inspired tones carry a touch of glimmer in subtle shades of gold, bronze and silver.  Looking for a bold statement?  The Greek key sisal and shagreen is ripe for the picking in unexpected shades of blue and orange.  I see myself using the faux crocodile in chocolate in a powder room with contrasting white trim-so sophisticated and glamorous, and couldn't we all use a little glamour?
Are you a fan of wallpaper? Let me know!

 Urban stripe in champage

Chevron texture in burnished bronze

 Chinese Orange Shagreen

 Greek Key Sisal

Crocodile texture in Java

All photos courtesy of Schumacher

WISTERIA INSPIRED

 

Simply stunning, this waterfall of blooming wisteria graces the front of a brownstone is my neighborhood.  The luscious blooms are now in their prime; delicate and beautiful, their violet shade and sweet fragrance compels me to stop and pause-the rites of spring are simply spectacular.

A few inspirational prints from Schumacher, new and just in time for spring.

"The Jugglers", a Schumacher's classic chinoiserie motif was the muse for the new Shanghai Silhouette print.  The whimsical pattern is an artful pairing of traditional Chinese designs featuring fanciful figures and foliage on a clean background.  The print feels chic and modern in a delicate wisteria hue, the perfect print for a sophisticated living room or bedroom. 

Summer Palace Fret, named after the storied eighteenth century Chinese palace, is a classic fretwork pattern combining traditional architectural elements and geometric design.  The subtle silver violet color softens the fabric's strong lines;  the pattern translates beautifully to both traditional and modern decors.

NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK

Hot House Floral

Choosing fabrics is a part of the design process that people look forward to most.  It's a chance to express yourself through a room filled with colors and textures of your choosing.  Certainly, there are days when the fabric choices for a room comes together with relative ease, but more often than not, it takes a certain amount of patience, fortitude and luck to find the right mix of colors, textures and styles.

I'm currently working on a project for a young Manhattan family with three children under the age of seven. They wanted a living room that read young and modern but didn't want to sacrifice style for comfort. Plans were drawn for two separate seating areas with two sofas and several upholstered chairs. My client fell in love with Celerie Kemble's Hot House Flowers, a modern, large scale floral that is smart and contemporary with a soothing palette of silver blues, beiges, browns and blacks. We decided to use the fabric on two club chairs and using the colors in the print as an anchor, we chose a palette rich in neutrals and texture.

 This smart Kravet love seat will be upholstered in a handsome chevron print with a double row of polished brass nailheads running up the sofas arms.

The room's large windows will look fantastic surrounded by Kravet Couture's Velvet Gate linen and velvet fabric.

The Schumacher chocolate velvet was both a luxurious and practical choice for the modern Robert sofa from Hickory Chair.  The dark velvet will keep little fingerprints and errant dog hair nearly invisible.

My favorite piece is the sophisticated Oly Benjamin chair covered in cobblestone leather. The smaller scale is perfect for apartment living.

The room was coming together nicely.  All that was left was the ottoman, which would be positioned between the club chairs and chevron print loveseat and used as a coffee table. But the two yards of fabric needed proved to be elusive-we wanted a print that would compliment the floral and not overtake the sporty chevron print.

We came very close with:

 Manuel Canovas Tate in Noir

Kelly Wearstler Katana by Groundworks

But everything was just a little off.  A little bleary eyed but still optimistic, we found our needle in the haystack on the second floor of Clarence House with the beautiful linen print in ink and beige with a free flowing, natural design-perfect for the room.

Alfonso in Ink

STUDIO BON- NEW AT SCHUMACHER

 

Black stool upholstered in Fuzz

Bonnee Sharp's new fabric line Studio Bon , is bright, punchy and youthful.  The fabrics are cleverly inspired by those things found in everyday life: the curve of grass and the loops in a hand knit garment are some of the objects referenced. With cheeky names like Fuzz, Grass and my favorite, Bang, the cotton and linen fabrics are a beautiful marriage of color and texture. I forsee the teal London Bridge fabric making its way onto one of my library's club chairs in the near future! Available exclusively at Schumacher.

 

Grass in orange

Fuzz in pink

London Bridge in teal

Scallop in yellow

DESIGN 911 FOR SMALL BATHROOMS

Guest bathrooms can sometimes be a design challenge--tight spaces, windowless rooms and odd shapes are just some of the obstacles you may face.  If you look at the space as a creative opportunity you can create a unique, beautiful room by using color and texture to bring personality to to the room.

I recently worked with beautiful alabaster wallpaper squares for a guest bathroom in a townhouse in Manhattan.  The shimmering panels caught the light of the antique light fixtures and gave the windowless room a glamorous feeling. These alabaster chevron patterned tiles are from Maya Romanoff.

I would really like to work with  Schumacher's Nest Collection wallpaper.  Crafted entirely by hand of natural feathers, these wallpapers bring the beauty of nature into your home. The Peacock wallpaper is a statement making exotic blue--gorgeous in a small bathroom. Caumsett in sable shimmers in tones of gold and brown.

For a warm, luxurious, clubby feeling, Ralph Lauren has a beautiful collection of faux leather and exotic skins.  I particularly like the Yacare Crocodile in red and the Ostrich in dark camel.