Think Pink....In the Dining Room!

I was looking through my style file last night and came across this photo of Mathilde Agostinelli's Parisian dining which was featured in the May 2006 issue of House and Garden. I love the fact that it's pink- pink fabric walls, pink table linen, pink orchids (you can even see the pink sofa in the living room beyond). Pink can be hard to pull off, but it certainly doesn't look saccharine here. I think the neutral patterned carpet and chairs temper the pink and make it look sophisticated. And what about that spectacular chandelier??? C'est magnifique!

Classic Design- Tortoise

These Jansen chairs (sold by Benjamin Stork Ltd.) are fabulous and so inspiring! Of course, the Regency style of the chairs is very Jansen. But what really makes these chairs so striking is the tortoise print oilcloth.

Tortoise print is such a classic and sophisticated way to add zip to a room. Tortoise furniture and accessories were long considered to be a luxury, and we can now recreate that luxury with faux tortoise painted furniture. Markham Roberts designed the faux tortoise mirror below using warm, rich tones. Jeffrey Bilhuber, on the otherhand, used more neutral tones for his tortoise bookshelf.











To add some major wow to your room, why not give the tortoise treatment to your room's architecture? One designer created this knockout faux tortoise door using dramatic red and brown tones as well as a lacquered finish.

For a more stylized and whimsical approach to tortoise, Tyler Hall has designed a witty tortoise print called "Sardinia Tortoise Shell" which comes in five colorways, including a cool platinum.

Lovely Bedrooms

I'm a huge fan of prints of all types- stripes, geometrics, florals. I tend to avoid using too much of one print in one room. I think the result can look rather matchy-matchy. One room, however, where this does not hold true is the bedroom. I love bedrooms where the same print is used on walls, window treatments, beds, and upholstery. I think it can look quite smart.

World of Interiors recently featured Kate Spade's Upper East Side apartment. I was really taken with the guest bedroom. Spade chose to use Osborne & Little's "Rococo" toile to cover the walls and the bedspread. This toile packs a punch by being used on more than one surface. I also like that Spade upholstered the head and foot boards in a complementary apple green solid fabric. It really is a cozy room.



Chloe Sevigny and her decorator, David Cafiero, took this idea a step further (a big step!) in Sevigny's guest bedroom. Using Schumacher's Shangtu Floral, they covered walls, ceiling, bedcover, door, and desktop in this sophisticated floral print. By covering all surfaces (with the exception of the floor) with this one print, they really created a jewel box-like effect.

In Tents- Part 2: Richard Keith Langham does Palm Beach

Look at this chic little Palm Beach dining room done by Richard Keith Langham (featured in the Jan/Feb Southern Accents). Of course, the first thing that caught my eye was the tent awning on the ceiling (see my post from November 13 to see other interior tents). The soft pink and white strips contrast nicely against the pale blue walls. The same shade of pink is used in the drapes (I love the scroll work trim on the edges) as well as the coral and sea-horse sconces. The pelmet is the perfect crowning touch to the windows- notice the bells on either end of the pelmet. And although we've seen the Frances Elkins chairs used by many decorators, they really are perfect for this beach home. This room to me looks very "Dorothy Draper in Palm Beach"!

Robert Rufino on New York Social Diary

Today's NYSD House interview (on newyorksocialdiary.com) is with Robert Rufino, VP of Creative Services and Visual Merchandising at Tiffany & Co. I had admired Rufino's apartment when it was featured in either Elle Decor or House & Garden a few years ago. While the apartment is certainly masculine, the crisp and tailored furniture and the interesting bibelots would, in my opinion, appeal to those with a more feminine decorating style.

Rufino is a natty dresser, and his love of clothing is reflected in his choice of fabrics for his home (plaid and striped menswear fabric). While there are certain "modern" elements to his home, such as the somewhat austere slate fireplace and the sleek and tidy kitchen, he has incorporated rather traditional furnishings to create a home that reflects his style- what he calls "traditional with a twist". I also like that he adds punches of color through his use of brightly colored books and accessories.

And don't you love his simple Christmas decorations? I'm crazy for the Magnolia wreath in front of the fireplace as well as the massive fir and conifer arrangement on the cocktail table. Overall, what an elegant and cozy home!

Inspiring Room

I was very taken with the article on the home of Christopher Spitzmiller, featured in December's Elle Decor. I have been a fan of Spitzmiller's lamps for years, so it was interesting to see how he chose to decorate his home.

The lacquered yellow walls of the living room create such a vivid backdrop to the room's furnishings. Spitzmiller mentioned that he was inspired by Nancy Lancaster's "buttah yellow" walls and used this as a starting point for the room. He was also influenced by the home of Mr. and Mrs. David Bruce that was decorated by John Fowler (to see a photo of the Bruce's drawing room, see my post from yesterday). Interestingly, Spitzmiller was able to purchase a few pieces that belonged to the Bruces, including two medallions that were painted by George Oakes. Oakes was an employee of Colefax Fowler who painted numerous pieces for John Fowler.

The living room is, in my opinion, very chic-traditional. You can tell that each piece of furniture was chosen with care, and each piece adds something to the overall design. I am also crazy about his bedroom. I love the paisley fabric walls. Very inspiring!

Fun Fabric

Brightly colored and boldly patterned fabric can make a drab room fab. Used sparingly, it can serve as an exclamation point to the overall decorative scheme of a room. One pattern that I've recently become taken with is Clarence House "Chine Copte", a colorful silk with a somewhat primitive looking peacock.

I first spotted the fabric in Nick Olsen's apartment, featured in last month's Domino. He used "Chine Copte" to upholster two vintage bamboo stools.


A few days later, I found the same fabric again, this time in Elle Decor (seen above). The fabric was featured in the Trend Alert column on ethnic prints.

I love the vivid colors against the red background, and the pattern adds a lot of wow. I would probably use it for cushions, a stool, or an ottoman. I think using it on a small scale would keep the pattern from overwhelming the room.

In Tents

Interior tents- current design trend?

In two recent magazine articles on two different New York apartments, tents have made prominent appearances. Jeff Pfeifle, president of J. Crew, tented the entrance hall in his formal apartment. Instead of concealing the ceiling with its beautiful molding, Pfeifle tented the walls only using a Greek Key motif with tassel trim. He covered the walls with tent like curtains, but thankfully chose to leave much of the antiqued mirrored walls unobscured. I think the tent is a nice contrast against the geometric design of the terrazzo floor, and the red gourd lamps with red lamp shades really pop against the cream colored fabric of the tent.

Another tent, albeit one much smaller in scale, was created by Nick Olsen, assistant to decorator Miles Redd. In order to create some visual interest, Olsen designed one which is attached to one of his walls. The exterior fabric is white, and the lining looks like a robin's egg blue. At the top of the tent, Olsen created a small tent-like awning that protudes from the wall. This was a very clever way to delineate his work/dining area within the confines of a small apartment.

Perhaps these designs will inspire you to create your own oasis within your home.

McMillen Chic

McMillen, Inc. is considered to be one of the most influential and celebrated decorating firms of the 20th century. During the latter part of last century, the firm was led by Betty Sherrill, one of decorating's grande dames. Mrs. Sherrill is still with the firm today and is joined by her daughter, Ann Pyne. In the November issue of House and Garden, there is a great story and photospread of the apartment of Elizabeth Pyne, daughter of Ann and granddaughter of Betty. All three generations joined forces to create a feminine and fun first apartment for Elizabeth.

The dining room is an interesting mix of iron furniture- a Mathieu Mategot bench and table and Rene Prou chairs. The classic modern furniture provides a crisp counterpoint to the traditional butterfly and floral wall covering.

The three women have also combined both traditional and contemporary furniture to create a living room that is both youthful and sophisticated. I like the Louis XV chairs with the solid green velvet upholstery next to the punchy fabrics of the curtains and the chrome bench.

And truly, what woman would not like a pink bedroom with Rose Cumming coral wallpaper and feminine linens?

Miles Redd Chic

I know that there has been much written about Miles Redd's NYC townhouse over the past few years. I, for one, can't get enough of it. I love Miles' work, and he truly is one of my favorite decorators of today (in addition to Albert Hadley, of course). Not only does he possess an inordinate amount of style, he is, like me, an Atlanta native!

I love the brown and white striped living room above, especially the decadent blue curtains. And the pink study, below, is tres chic. I would love to have a banquette like that in my living room. To me,the whole house screams Manhattan glamour, reminiscent of an old Astaire-Rogers movie.

And if you're interested in the mother-of-pearl cocktail tables in his pink room, I am assuming they are from Oscar de la Renta's Home Collection, of which Miles is Creative Director.