Benjamin Dhong Interiors

It's Decorator Showhouse season again! Currently underway is one of the top showhouses in the country, the San Francisco Decorator Showcase. Benjamin Dhong, an interior designer who is designing for his very first showhouse, has created a really serene and elegant bathroom. Dhong was inspired by a trip through Sweden last summer where he saw rooms that were "a dazzling mix of high and low end furniture." Wanting to achieve a mix of traditional and contemporary, Dhong covered the walls in a very soothing, soft faux bois. But there's nothing rustic about this bathroom. I love the tailored shower curtain, table skirt, and curtain. And don't you just love the mirror and the smart little Saarinen stools? I think it's safe to say that Benjamin Dhong is definitely a designer to watch!

Marjorie Skouras Design

Much of my summer jewelry is heavy on the coral and turquoise beads- it's a great way to add some color to your wardrobe. And perhaps the same could be said for your lighting too. What about some turquoise and coral on your chandeliers and sconces? I think that the designs below by Los Angeles interior designer Marjorie Skouras are so striking, especially the turquoise bead chandelier. While Skouras' lighting line would be perfect for beach homes, I can actually see them working quite well in interiors in colder climates too. In addition to lighting, Skouras also designs accessories such as tiebacks, hardware, and candlesticks, not to mention furniture too. I've included a few of her pieces here as well as some photos from her design portfolio. Enjoy!


An eclectic room designed by Marjorie Skouras


Turquoise Empire Chandelier


Red Coral Sconce


Coral Tieback

Image at top: A Skouras designed room filled with pretty shades of pink, blue, and greens.

A Flair for Living

I've just finished reading Charlotte Moss' new book A Flair for Living- for the second time. I've long been a fan of both Moss and her beautiful books, and this new release did not disappoint.

In "A Flair for Living", Moss gives us a room by room tour of her gorgeous home (and the homes of a few of her clients). For each room, Moss shares with us her views on creating environments that are beautiful, comfortable, and most importantly functional. And while design and decoration are important, Moss emphasizes "Living". After all, a well-designed room with no life is really rather empty, isn't it?

In the introduction, Moss writes of her admiration for Nancy Lancaster and John Fowler, two designers who possessed the ability and skill to "humanize" a room. In my opinion, Moss has taken up the mantle of these two design legends, and quite successfully I might add. In "A Flair for Living", Moss discusses the importance of getting the bones of the room right. Furniture placement is obviously quite critical- you have to create a room that is conducive to daily living and entertaining. But Moss does not stop here. She discusses ways to imbue warmth into a room through objects, personal mementos, and books. Many times it's the details that can bring one so much joy. I won't spoil the book for you, but I do encourage you to read it. The text is certainly very inspiring, but I think once you see the gorgeous photographs in the book you will be anxious to hone your own flair for living.

Moss was kind enough to spend some time chatting with me about her new book and design in general. I asked her how her views on design and living have changed in the last twenty years. Moss said that she came to realize that interior design is not just about decoration- it's about making sure that the clients have what they need to "live" after the design project is over. Moss encourages her clients to relax and enjoy their home, and she gives them the tools they need to do so. Fortunately for us, "A Flair for Living" gives us the same sage advice that Moss doles out to her clients.

We also discussed gracious living and whether this concept is dying out (something which I very much fear). Moss believes that if you give people the history behind traditions- whether it be traditions involving entertaining, flatware, or books, for example- that you make these things relevant. People will understand these traditions and might in fact start to seek out the comfort of the past.

Of course, anytime we read books by designers, we inevitably want to know about specifics. I asked Moss to name the items that really make a room come alive. Among them are books that one actually reads (Amen!), flowers, people, a good fire, fragrance, personal objects, and a floor plan that is conducive to conversation. But most importantly, she feels a room needs people to come alive. So true.

Knowing that Moss has traveled extensively, I was curious as to the kind of homes that made the biggest impression on her. Moss mentioned her fascination with grand homes because of their level of detail and because that type of grandeur is incomprehensible. But the type of home that speaks most to Moss is one that is classically French- something simple and constructed of stucco and limestone. But most of all, Moss' favorite kind of home is one that is warm and layered.

Finally, I just had to dish on The Townhouse with Moss. The shop is just so beautiful that you feel as if you've been transported to an incredibly beautiful, elegant, glamorous, and spunky home. I asked Moss who she saw as the fictional homeowner of The Townhouse. To Moss, it would be someone who has lots of interests and a great deal of energy, a person who is spirited and curious, a traveler, a people gatherer, and someone who entertains all of the time. I think that this fictitious chatelaine of The Townhouse and Charlotte Moss have a great deal in common!

(To purchase "A Flair for Living", click here. And check back tomorrow for Charlotte Moss' Top Ten Book List.)


How gorgeous is this bedroom? This is just one of the many sumptuous photographs in Moss' book.

A Little Friday Eye Candy

Let's face it- there are times when all we want to do is look at photographs of handsome rooms. So, seeing as it's Friday, I thought I would just show a few images from Ashley Whittaker's portfolio. I believe her website is still being updated, but in the meantime, I thought this might be a snazzy sendoff to the weekend! Enjoy!








Added bonus: Here are a few pics of Whittaker's apartment from the domino website.





(Images from Domino; photographer Justin Bernhaut)

Blue and White and Wow All Over

With the upcoming release of Carolyne Roehm's new book A Passion for Blue and White, there is sure to be a lot of talk about this classic color combination. It's one of the easiest color schemes with which to work, and you never have to worry about it not looking chic. Of course, Roehm is not alone in her love of blue and white. Here are a few designers and fashionable persons who make these two colors look so great that you too might develop a passion for blue and white.





I love this vibrant dining room designed by British decorator John McCall. He based the blue and white color scheme on the Delft tile in the fireplace and the owner's collection of blue and white porcelain. (British House & Garden; photographer Bob Smith)


Updated yet classic American style in this bedroom designed by Sara Gilbane. The punchy print is a youthful take on timeless blue and white.


Who wouldn't want to be invited to a dinner served at this table? Dining room of the always stylish Oscar de la Renta, photographed in 1971. (Image courtesy of Vogue Living, Spring/Summer 2008; photographer Horst)


Isn't this over the top? And totally fabulous too? The Capri home of Valentino, photographed in 1971. (1971 must have been a fun year in design!)

Passementerie Lighting!

Passementerie sconces?? Why those are two of my favorite words in the design dictionary! As soon as I saw mention of them on 1st dibs yesterday, I had to immediately visit the site of the mastermind behind this quirky lighting line- Hélène Aumont. The California based Aumont not only designs lighting but furniture and accessories as well. And if that isn't enough, she is also an interior designer (I am assuming that she decorated the glorious Paris apartment of Patrick Aumont, who was featured on 1st dibs.)

But it's the passementerie covered chandeliers and sconces that have caught my fancy. They're wildly chic and whimsical and reminiscent of 1930s French design. What do you think?


Passy Grand Chandelier


Passy Petit Chandelier


Pompidou Sconce


Orsay Sconce

Image at top: A passementerie sconce in a Paris apartment designed by Hélène Aumont.

Haute Couture for the Walls

I've long admired British designer Alidad's interiors. They're luxurious, opulent, and rather grand. You almost feel like you've stepped back in time- a Russian tsarina or a French nobleman might feel quite at home in these rooms. What strikes me most, though, is his treatment of a room's walls. Not one to be content with a little paint or some simple paper, Alidad adorns walls with stamped leather, bespoke wallpaper, and verre églomisé panels. The effect is one that is enchanting and hypnotizing.

There has been much discussion lately about whether luxury is dead. In fashion, the argument is debatable. But with artistry such as Alidad's haute couture wall coverings, I don't think the same could be said for interior design.


A dining room wtih verre églomisé panels (at top is another view of the dining room)


A detail shot of a verre églomisé panel by Alidad (based on an antique design)


"Opium" bespoke wallpaper


A library with "Opium" covered walls


A dining room with "Tree of Life" stamped leather panels


A close up of "Tree of Life"


"Pomegranate" leather wall panels

Peter Dunham and Hollywood at Home

I just returned from a trip to California and was fortunate enough to visit some of Los Angeles' finest design shops. Seriously- I write about them so often that I had to see them firsthand. My biggest challenge was that there are just too many fabulous shops to visit in three days time. Still, I managed to see quite a few and thought I would share some photos with you this week.

One store that has generated buzz as of late is Peter Dunham's Hollywood At Home. The jewel box of a store, located behind Nathan Turner's fabulous shop, not only carries Dunham's eponymous line of fabrics but Carolina Irving's textile line as well. Quite truthfully, these two fabric lines are a match made in heaven. Additionally, the shop sells vintage design books, furniture, home fragrance, and accessories. I think what I like most about this shop, though, is that in a way you feel like you've walked into a witty and stylish salon where inspiration abounds. How could you not be charmed by a stairwell in which you can walk on a red carpet replete a velvet rope banister and Dunham's star print wallpaper? Get it? It's your very own red carpet moment!


Dunham's airy, breezy fabric:





Carolina Irving's fabric:






The Red Carpet:

Stefanidis Fabrics- Spring 2008

As I'm sure you've deduced by now, I'm absolutely taken with John Stefanidis' fabrics. The colors are so vivid; the designs so opulent and rich. And with such exotic pattern names, don't you feel like you've been transported back in time to Shanghai, Constantinople, or Venice?

I have so many favorites in the line, and I'm very anxious to use some of them soon for a project (hopefully for me!). Mr. Stefanidis has just added some new prints to the line for Spring 2008, so I thought I'd share them with you. Enjoy!


"Gonfaloniere" in cotton. A Gonfaloniere was a prestigious government post in Italy during the Renaissance. These distinguished citizens wore coats with elaborate embroidery which inspired this fabric design.


"Emma" in cotton; inspired by a 1730's English woven silk.


"Udaiphur" cotton fabric. I think this is one of my favorites.


"Fishbones" in cotton.


"Esrajim Stripe" in cotton sateen.

Image at top: One of my favorite Stefanidis rooms.