VT (for all of my design-obsessed peeps)

imagesourceunknown Peeps, This charming old kitchen reminds me of my childhood home.  In my mind's eye, I can still clearly see the yellow-painted walls of my mother's kitchen which had two windows--one with a long wooden counter beneath it on which all the rolling of pastry dough was done, and the other under which was the double sink, drain-board, and a white rubber-coated rack for holding glasses, plates, silverware and such.  If the person who had wash-up duty that evening could, the frying pan and a dark skillet of some sort were carefully stacked on top of all of the clean dishes and cups and saucers to avoid having to dry by hand with a cotton towel.  This was a special place to grow up; it was light years before the avalanche of product catalogues, life-style magazines and HGTV shows later convinced some of my siblings and a lot of my friends that heaven on earth entailed a Viking 60-inch custom sealed burner range, French doors on a smudge-proof Energy-Star...

sourceofphotounknown Peeps, You all know that I have always found the color pink to be one of the most versatile colors available, and one which I use frequently in bedrooms and living rooms.  When grounded by classical elements, it is quite sophisticated and elegant as demonstrated in this interior by Mary McDonald.  Balanced symmetry of slipper chairs with centre table, chinoiserie elements such as the wall mirror and blue/white vases adds visual zip, a zebra skin on dark floor introduces the exotic, and exquisite little oil paintings and stacked plates all contribute to this striking composition.  Truly, a wonderful and dramatic entry! Enjoy, Shane PS:  Diana Vreeland famously said, "Pink is the navy-blue of India;" could she have foreseen its easy assimilation into every aspect of design within these shores?

photocourtesykikette-interiors.blogspot Peeps, The Paris loft of Frederic Mechiche is undeniably a cult favorite among the design obsessed.  The historic interior has been reduced to essentially a shell for the display of art, objects, furniture, lamps, and assorted ephemera.  Against white walls and upon bare floors, this talented interior and furniture designer has skillfully conjured his highly personal and idiosyncratic version of a design palimpsest.  Spanning periods and styles, Frederic has collected photography by Mapplethorpe and Serrano; sculpture by Beuys and Dubuffet; chairs, tables, and lighting by mid-century icons;  carved and beaded creations from Africa, Oceania, and the Americas; and artifacts ranging from Roman helmets to Chinese temple guardians.  Limited to a palette of greys, whites, blacks, chrome, metallics, and antique mirror, this apartment tantalizes us with allusions of a rain-swept Paris afternoon, exploring a place probably u...

photobydesiretoinspirenet Peeps, Fun, fun, fun.  This is the most fun(nest) bathroom that I have seen in a long time.  Boy, do I get tired of seeing designer monstrosities in the glossy magazines; pseudo-artistic excesses by ambitious developers and/or misguided contractors which are triple the size of my little walk-down apartment, and filled with enough marble, imported tile, mirror, and sleek cabinets to outfit a Barney's ladies room.  Not to mention the art--bah!  I've seen it all: Impressionistic nothings, art deco travesties, contemporary put-ons and poster art incorrectly matted and expensively framed to convey 'taste.'  Sometimes, I wish we could just go back to the days of sunset beige or forest-glen green towels from Cannon Mills, .59 cent body soap, and Pert shampoo.  Anyway, enough with the past and onward to today's featured interior by the talented Steven Gambrel.  He has covered the walls with torn pages from books of the natural w...

sourceofimageunknown Peeps,  This living room by designer Colette Van Den Thillart beautifully illustrates how deep colors on walls need make a dark interior--a common misconception.  Here, deep and lacquered walls provide a rich backdrop for dramatic art and allows for the contrast between dark and light to be easily seen and experienced, as evidenced by the fireplace, coffee-table, the rug and decorative objects on the mantel.  Truth be told, deep colors create drama and intimacy, and more easily blur the room's edges and gives the illusion of endless space; this application is frequently quite successful when applied in bland or nondescript rooms with very little architectural features (ie moldings, carvings, etc). Enjoy, Shane

sourceofimageunknown Peeps, In this long space, the uber-talented Vicente Wolf has created three distinct seating areas sitting upon a continuous Oriental carpet.  He skillfully mixes furniture from different periods and cultures and connects the areas by the repetition of colors and shapes; against brilliant white walls, over sized contemporary art proves quite stunning.  Note:  lots and lots of natural light makes the white walls really come alive,  and patterns have been kept to very subtle woven patterns; colors are very subtle: greys/whites/soft blues with small amounts of excitement provided by the pink/red/rose of the carpet, artwork, and flowers.  I love how Vicente always introduces objects from his travels to Africa and the Far East as evidenced in the little African chair sitting next to the larger upholstered club-chair, and the beautiful Asian-inspired coffee-table.  What could have been an awkward space at the far end of the room has been ...

photocourtesyofmaterialgirlsblog Peeps, Numerous requests prompted more articles on small space living; therefore for this week, fantasies of vaulted ceilings, double-height libraries, and onyx-clad sauna-type bathrooms will remain just that.  I  must confess to feeling a little nervous in sharing my fantasy BBF's tiny yet sumptuous Manhattan pied-a-terre; and one that I believe is perfect for one (or hopefully two!!)  Todd Alexander Romano brings it down and then tears it up with his 600 sq ft loft designed for after 8 living, lounging, and loving.  This pad is, quite honestly, the epitome of uber-luxe; moreover this image should be carried in every design-obsessed peep's tote-bag.  Romano lacquers the walls in midnight-blue, covers the deep sectional (which doubles as his bed) in midnight-blue velvet, adds pillows in watery silks, and succeeds in keeping the mind suspended between wonder and desire.  The mix is tightly edited and includes bold ...

photocourtesyofalifemorefabulous Peeps, The home of Fransisco Costa, creative designer of Calvin Klein, is quite revealing for what it is  not .   Some may have expected sultry images of frolicking bodies in the vein of Bruce Weber, or an ultra-modern slant on minimalism in the style of Tadao Ando.  Suffice to say, there are no bleached bones, black-on-black Martinez pots, or mounds of pebbles in deference to O' Keefe and Juan Hamilton.  Instead we are treated to a Manhattan loft where a 40's European modernity is made sensuous and sensual through the addition of ethnic and natural elements.  I literally flipped for the horn and black leather armchair sitting center-stage; also Jones'd for the beautifully woven blanket (of indeterminate origin but perhaps of the Native American or South American tribes) folded on the settee; yes, I briefly considered a couple of years of lowly indenture in exchange for that lacquered wall screen--with a pattern ...

imagecourtesydesiretoinspireblogspot Peeps, Make every inch count!  Bigger is better!!  Go all the way up and then down!!!  Racy, almost naughty; nevertheless these mottoes are the tried-and-true advice given by the creative dwellers of small-space residences who have triumphed against any perceived limitations in homes of 450 sq feet or less.  Hanging art higher and lower; having fewer yet larger pieces of furniture tends not to crowd a space with small and inconsequential objects; wrapping the entire room in a single color instead of breaking the space visually through the use of multiple colors or worse yet, the cliched 'accent' wall; illumination on all levels meaning table lamps, floor lamps, task lighting, wall sconces, and chandeliers versus only dreary down lighting provided by ceiling-mounted fixtures that are still the staple of some unenlightened homes; and the use of mirrors to reflect light and provide alternative views of a space--these visual tri...

imagesourceunknown Peeps, DH  had it all; he rocked and swung his way all through London, New York and places beyond my heady dreams.  His interiors, whether commercial or residential may have all followed a format, but what a format and undoubtedly still relevant.  Bold color on the walls, over-sized contemporary art, antiquities (especially Classical statuary), period furniture done up in un-traditional fabrics, and crisp patterns for draperies, rugs, and wallpaper.  Legions of followers can't say enough about his legendary table-scapes where he mixed the high and low, the mundane with the magnificent; Sir Hicks took an almost irreverent approach to his use of objects and famously juxtaposed the playthings of princes with the less celebrated pittances of paupers and ordinary folk.  He was spot on in creating mood and drama; loved lacquer, metallic surfaces, Lucite, Far Eastern pottery, leather, flannel, modern lamps, antique prints--all this set in the ...