Tuesday, January 25th, 2011
I just realized how quickly time passes when I went to post my favorite images from the latest issue of House Beautiful and realized that I never shared my favorites from the previous issue! Tisk, tisk, Colleen! But at least I’ve read both issues cover to cover, which doesn’t usually happen this quickly. Thanks are due in part to our local cafe North Washington Cafe where we’ve been going to listen to live music, enjoy a little dinner and wine and catch up on reading (me) and work (the husband). If you are in the area be sure to stop in for live music Thursday nights or any of the other events they are adding to the calendar. I helped them with design ideas to quickly transform it from the black, royal blue and industrial steel look the previous coffee shop sported to a warm neighborhood wine bar.
These are certainly not your typical sliding panels to divide a kitchen from a dining room. These laser cut oak panels were designed by Thomas Hamel, the interior designer, to reference Indian jalis. With ceilings that high you have a lot of room to make a statement. I’m a fan of a well-designed Klismos chair and these have a great silhouette and finish. I’m not sure what the material is but it looks like aged metal. The custom dining room table has great legs too.
I like the new editor’s choice to do more large photo spreads in the magazine so we can appreciate the details in these rooms, but it does make more work for me! Oh well, some rooms are worth the extra effort. I love this new traditional living room. The sofas have white slipcovers and velvet pillows in icy blues and purples. The wallpaper and the chandelier are traditional but not too fussy. The arrangement on the mantel is casual and the coffee table is downright unexpected (in my mind at least). I would expect to see a glass and metal oval cocktail table or a more refined wood table in this room. It’s taking traditional elements and mixing them with more casual elements to create formal living rooms that people actually feel comfortable living in. Crazy notion.
This living room reflects one of the new trend in interior design for 2011: global world traveler with an emphasis on indigenous textile patterns and natural fabrics. The window treatments are made of burlap. The sofa is a mattress and box spring covered in painter’s linen. Then to mix it up he added a 1960s brass lamp in the back corner with a custom red linen shade and a Hans Wegner Wishbone chair on the left with a bright red finish which add a punch to the room. It’s eceletic and feels authentic. I can tell this is a space that he has filled with objects that he loves over time.
So, could you see yourself living in any of these rooms?
Tags: coffee table, dining room, global, House Beautiful, Klismos chair, living room, North Washington Cafe, screen, sofa, velvet, wallpaper, white
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Wednesday, December 29th, 2010
Okay, so this came in the mail a little while ago, but I figured I had a bit of buffer since it covers both December and January.
I like the cover image – all that great worn wood, tons of bookshelves, a minimal chandelier, linen slipcovered dining chairs and a giant farm table sound like the perfect place to gather with friends on a snowy day with mugs of hot cocoa (with a bit of Baileys or Kahlua for the adults).
This bedroom in a London townhouse designed by Alex Papachristidis has a fun groovy meets eccentric glam vibe that you don’t usually see. The Missoni inspired print on the bench pulls together the colors of the bedding and bedframe. The open framework of the base of the bench helps balance the weight of that large upholstered bed. The nightstands are open as well to keep the proper balance of visually light and heavy items in the room. The neutral walls and flooring let the bed be the start of this room, as they should be in a bedroom. The leopard print footstool, statue base lamps and artwork show the homeowners aren’t afraid to be quirky and individuals. I love that!
This living room is from the same London townhouse as the bedroom above. This room has a similar mix of ’70s, modern and antiques with a warm color palette and curving legs. The lamps have great personality. The gilded finish on the armchairs is a dull brushed finish which somehow seems more casual to me. Again neutral walls and flooring allow the acccents to shine.
This living room was designed by Brazilian Sig Bergamin. It has a very David Hicks meets Billy Baldwin (those slipper chairs!) quality with a preppy meets world traveler (minus the souvenir objet d’art) style. The modern art collection helps keep it fresh so it doesn’t read as your grandmother’s Park Avenue apartment. Clean transitional lines on all the furniture keeps it from being fussy and lets the patterns play against each other without being TOO overwhelming.
All photos from Elle Decor December 2010/January 2011 issue.
Tags: bedroom, Billy Baldwin, David Hicks, ecclectic, living room, Pattern, preppy
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Tuesday, October 26th, 2010
Well, this month Elle Decor has redeemed itself. There is a lot of good content to inspire this month, so let’s get right to it!
White kitchens continue to be universally appealing, judging by the countless versions I see each month in various publications. And this house is no different. But the designer Miles Redd convinced the client to trust him with a bold color choice in the adjacent butler’s pantry: marine-blue! It reads almost teal in photos, but I love it regardless. Obviously this would be too much for most people’s main kitchen, but in this secondary space it glows in the most brilliant way. The natural light from the window (which some butler’s pantries don’t have) allowed him to use this darker color.
In contrast, this Valcucine kitchen features minimal dark cabinetry balanced by the open structure of steel shelves against light walls. The color of the glass in the Niche Modern pendant over the island references the glassware on the open shelves beautifully.
The restrained modernism of the kitchen continues into the bedroom of the same home. Natural elements (branch, basket under bed, shearling throw on floor) add texture to the crisp narrow lines of the bed and nightstands. The crystals on the small bedside lamp is a fun pop of feminity in what I would consider a rather gender neutral room.
This dining room has a similarly neutral palette with a splash of sparkle thanks to the C. Jere sculpture over the fireplace. The floating box shelves on either side of the fireplace are a fresh update of the usual built-ins you see surrounding fireplaces in most homes.
Finally we have this living room in Ossining, New York (not far from where I went to college… I always remember the conductor calling this station on the train ride from NYC.) This room features a lot of mid-century modern classics, but the textured walls and corner sofa keep the space from feeling like a DWR catalog come to life (which was the case for many homes featured in Dwell magazine in the past.) The swing arm lamp to the right of the fireplace makes me want to curl up in that corner with a good book, a mug of hot chocolate with lots of marshmallows, and a cozy blanket.
Tags: bedroom, Blue, bookshelves, dining room, fireplace, Kitchen, living room, midecentury modern, texture
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Tuesday, October 19th, 2010
Guess what arrived this week for our viewing pleasure? The new House Beautiful, and it’s their “The Ultimate Entertaining Issue.” I love to entertain and I think it’s fascinating how different people are comfortable throwing different types of parties. For instance, I enjoy a casual cocktail party with an open bar, a long counter covered with unfussy eats that will hold up at room temperature for hours. I’ve tried making fancy hors d’oeuvres or cooking up fresh pot stickers, but when people are milling around for hours time-sensitive food just doesn’t make sense. But if you have a cocktail party with a two hour window, go all out! In contrast, a dinner party for 10 requires a different plan, set up and thoughtful details like the seating arrangement (so the most talkative are across the middle of the table from each other so that everyone will feel involved in the conversation. Or put a quiet and talkative together, as long as they have plenty in common to carry them through the evening.)
Even if your are serving take-out on your best china, you will be spending time in the kitchen before the party begins. A beautiful kitchen makes the party prep more enjoyable. This kitchen has a great mix of rustic and refined elements. The old wood on the walls is all reclaimed as this house is actually brand new. The designer did a great job creating a space that feels like a really nice farm kitchen. The industrial scale faucet is an unexpected touch in this style kitchen, which is all the more reason to do it. And the butcher block counter under the window would make chopping up piles of vegetables so inviting. (But I find chopping up vegetables relaxing anyway, so maybe that’s just me.)
Creating a good impression when entertaining starts with the entry. This is a lovely, warm and inviting example. A nice place to sit down to take off your shoes. (I make my guests take off their shoes in the Japanese tradition. No high heel marks in the wood floors and no dirt tracked in.) The plant softens the space. I like that the rug doesn’t match the pattern on the sofa. It shows they aren’t afraid to be playful.
When entertaining, the front hall closet suddenly takes on importance because you need to fit your guests coats in it in addition to all the usual random items that are stuffed in there. These are a few good examples that highlight both good organization and use of color. I think wallpapering the bi-fold doors to blend in with the walls (bottom right photo) is a great idea for those less than fabulous doors.
Once your guests start arriving you might show them into your living room for some hors d’oeuvres. We don’t want them to get too comfortable and settled, so this living room strikes a nice balance. The beautiful vintage PK Sofa and Finn Juhl armchairs are approachable, so your guests won’t be afraid to take a seat and get conversations started, but they won’t be sinking in and getting lost in giant cushions either.
You might consider returning here after dinner to enjoy a nice fire in the real fireplace. The fireplace surround has such a clean minimal design that complements the furnishings.
An inviting dining area is important if you are hosting a sit-down dinner. This room emphasizes the fact that you don’t need a fancy space. The mix of chairs, worn wood, an old rug and lots of natural light makes me want to sit here for hours catching up with old friends. A couple of bottles of wine, a hearty bowl of soup, a rustic loaf of bread and some good cheeses are all you need for a dinner party.
After dinner you can retire to the library for a relaxing chat with your dearest. I love the mix of mid-century classics (the Egg Chair by Arne Jacobsen and the ubiquitous cowhide rug) and a sleek fireplace facade. The wraparound floating wood shelves update the library concept in a fresh way.
You’ve survived hosting a lovely party for your friends, so now it’s time to take care of yourself. Sink into a tub of lusciously scented warm water (bubbles optional). Enjoy a few more sips of wine (you don’t want the end of the last bottle to go to waste) with a truffle you kept hidden for your reward.
Now go curl up in that big bed and look forward to waking up tomorrow morning to a fresh new day in this soft and peaceful bedroom. (How fun is that sparkly stool next to the chair?! A great bench at the foot of the bed offers storage along with a place to throw your robe, extra blankets and throw pillows. I love that the bedside table has room for all the bedside necessities, with both open and closed storage options.)
Now you better start planning your next party so you can go through it all again.
Tags: Bathroom, bedroom, closet, dining room, entry, Kitchen, library, living room, midecentury modern
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Friday, September 17th, 2010
Inspiration, round 2. I find it fascinating that someone I know thought this was the best issue of Elle Decor they’d seen in a while. But when I scanned through it to find my top pictures, I was underwhelmed. Maybe it’s more of a slow burn issue: I’ll get into reading all the articles in depth and suddenly get new appreciation for the designs. Or not.
Case in point: this is one of my favorite images – and it’s an ad. Granted, I’ve had favorites that I wanted to share in previous magazines that were ads, but there was always too much good editorial content to waste a spot on an ad. But this kitchen is beautiful in it’s own right, plus it’s well staged, well lit, and the copy tells a story. Doesn’t that stroller throw it off from expectation just right? It’s showing the viewer that this kitchen is not only beautiful but it’s functional for real life. There’s food in the cupboards that requires real cooking. Those copper pots aren’t just a collection for display, they get used. And you thought it was just a cabinetry ad.
How lovely is this Alpine retreat? I’m not a hunter, so as much as I appreciate the beauty of animal hides, I’m not always completely comfortable around them. But this room pushes the limit. The pillows and stools covered in springbok pelts are still beautiful in all their natural coloration. But I’d feel odd leaning against those pillows, I can’t lie. Nonetheless, there is something so chic and clean about this room. The Serge Mouille floor lamp and navy sectional against the rough hewn wood walls, antlers and stacks of firewood framed in white is a beautiful balance. The bleached floors keep the room from feeling too dark.
I’m not normally a purple girl. But this room has a sofa warm quality thanks to those gray couches and amazing window treatments. The flounces on the valances remind me of a wedding dress, in the best way possible.
This is a punchy living room with a great mix of styles. Bold contemporary art influences the color palette, but the furniture pulls from diverse periods. A 1940s sofa, a contemporary faceted coffee table in three laquered finishes, a traditional table lamp from the 1950s, and an 18th century chair. A difficult mix to achieve without it feeling choppy and disjointed, but when it’s done right, it works. What’s interesting is that this is just one side of a double sided living room. There are two sofas back to back across from this sofa, and there are chairs upholstered in orange velvet on the other side of the room, to tie in with the oriental rug.
Tags: antlers, art, Elle Decor, gray, hides, Kitchen, living room, October, purple, sectional, Serge Mouille, sofa, window treatments, Wood
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Thursday, September 16th, 2010
I can’t believe how quickly a month passes when you’re busy! I just got hit with a fresh wave of inspiration in my mailbox: House Beautiful AND Elle Decor! What’s a girl to do? Why share with you, of course!
You know fall is just around the corner when you start seeing pumpkin recipes. This pumpkin cupcake with maple frosting and toffee topping was too luscious to resist sharing. Ina Garten (the Barefoot Contessa) always offers up such tempting recipes.
I love this feature: same desk, four different designers’ take on furniture and accessories. Just goes to show how diverse my style is: I like all 4, depending on context. Which would you pick?
This room grabbed my attention immediately. The drape of the linen at the end of the sofa that puddles on the floor so nonchalantly. That blue grasscloth wallcovering. The vintage screen hung on the wall to bring in pattern. The way the PK22 chair in wicker with steel legs references the texture of the sisal floor covering and the tripod floor lamp. And then the animal hide layered over the sisal under a dark coffee table. Such a well layered space. Love it.
I love the way they showed this airy bedroom in a triptych layout (though it’s a bit difficult to capture with a seam in the middle of the magazine). The finishes are all ethereal feeling, especially with those curtains on the desk wall framing a piece of art like a view out a window. Plus it’s fun to learn more about the designer, rather than just the clients (at least from my perspective). I think the client and their needs and personal style are so vital to the final product, but the designer always influences the outcome, no matter what.
And if we’re going to talk about designers with personality, it’s so appropriate to transition to this kitchen, by none other than Jeff Lewis, the star of Bravo TV’s “Flipping Out.” They time these things perfectly across multiple media platforms because I was able to watch the episode of “Flipping Out” where Jeff met with the House Beautiful team and all the sponsors to lay out his concept for the kitchen while I held this article in my hands. They approved it on the spot, which I could tell just by looking. I think he did a really nice job, and it’s interesting how he incorporated rooms around the perimeter of the kitchen. Be sure to check out this article if you can’t make it to Rockefeller Center to see it in person (anyone want to sponsor a trip to NYC for yours truly to see it? Worth a try.)
There were lots of interesting photos in this magazine I scanned right away, but I’m trying to keep myself to a limit on these, so you’ll have to pick up the magazine to discover them for yourself!
Tags: bedroom, cupcake, desk, Flipping Out, grass cloth, House Beautiful, Jeff Lewis, Kitchen, linen, October, PK22, pumpkin, sisal, tripod lamp
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Colleen Fox Slack | email: colleen@colleenfoxinteriors.com | phone: 612.868.0348
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