Black and Blue

A few readers have suggested that I post about favorite paint colors, something which I thought would be fun to discuss. I have so many favorite colors (and so many favorite rooms) that I thought it would be better to have a few different posts that are segregated by color.

Today I'm featuring just a few of my favorite blue rooms (and one black room) . I am particularly fond of ice blue- it's so soothing, yet so chic, all at the same time. In fact, I've always had a blue bedroom. As refreshing as pale blue is, a deep, dark blue that veers towards black can be quite mysterious. These deep hues look great in living, dining, and powder rooms. Furniture and accessories seem to take on a sense of drama when paired with a dark colored room.

I hope you like the rooms that I'm showing, but I would very much like to hear what your favorite blue rooms are. Please note that I tried to include specific paint colors when I could. Stay tuned for other colors soon!

Icy Blue Living Room of decorator James Andrew. The lettuce green of both the tureen and the chair fabric looks quite vivid when paired with this color blue.

Dining Room of Brooke de Ocampo; the peacock blue walls and brown and white zig-zag painted floor were inspired by a photo of a room decorated by Parish Hadley. (Photo courtesy of the New York Times.)


Teal Dining Room in the Hamptons home of Aerin Lauder; custom color by Donald Kaufman


Deep, blue- black living room of designer Barclay Fryery; paint color is Black Panther by Ralph Lauren

Photo at top of designer Alexa Hampton's feminine blue bedroom

Breezy Blue and White

The blue and white color combination seems so right this time of year, especially when used in outdoor living areas, sunrooms, and really any room that opens onto a patio or garden. Mary McDonald is a master of this color scheme, and taking inspiration from this outdoor room that she did, I've found some blue and white pieces that are sure to add some "crisp tranquility" to any room.


"Notions" dining chair in Josef Frank's "La Plata" Fabric, from Anthropologie


"Walko" indoor/outdoor fabric by Pierre Frey


"Delft" cachepot from Tiffany & Co.


Blue and White Chinese Garden Seat from William Wayne & Co.


Mottahedeh Blue and White Tin Plates at William Wayne & Co.

Focus on Markham Roberts

Markham Roberts is considered to be one of the brightest young decorators in Manhattan, and it is easy to see why. Roberts, who used to worked under design legend Mark Hampton, has been fortunate enough to work on some pretty spectacular residences. What I like about his work is that while his rooms are sophisticated and at times formal, they are always comfortable. While Roberts' "look" is rather traditional, he manages to add fresh, bold touches to his rooms that keep them from looking dowdy. Some rooms are lacquered with rich colors, while others are defined by interesting patterns. Texture is another thing that I always notice about his interiors, such as smooth as glass lacquered walls and floors or sumptuous, tactile fabrics. And there always seems to be an interesting mix of accessories. Here are a few photos of his portfolio, courtesy of his website. Enjoy!

A Well-Stocked Bar

I love glamorous bars in a home, and I'm not talking about a small tray with a few bottles of liquor laid out on it. I like a bar that is both well-thought out and well-laid out. There are so many fun things you can add to your bar: a nice variety of liquor, a great array of mixers (Canada Dry or Schweppes anyone?), beautiful glassware, and chic bar tools. Of course a bar should first be utilitarian, but the "look" of it is important too. Perhaps that is why so many designers choose to put out glass bottles of Coke on the bar rather than plastic ones! While it may not always be practical to give up precious real estate in a house to a bar, they can be a sign to your guests that they're in store for a fun evening! (For ideas on bar tools and accessories, see my post "Glamorous Imbibing" from last year.)


Miles Redd's stylish bar in his Manhattan home (image courtesy of House and Garden, Sept. 04)


Eugenie Niven designed this apartment for her father, who is the son of actor David Niven. The photo of David Niven on the bar is quite apropos (image courtesy of House Beautiful).


Dining room with bar in the Paris home of Mathilde Agostinelli, designed by Jacques Grange (image courtesy of House Beautiful, Sept. 02)

Image at top of the "ultimate" home bar by David Hicks

The Beautiful Home of Tory Burch

Last week I posted about chic closets and I included a photograph of Tory Burch's dressing room. The photo was taken from an article in Vogue (I'm sorry that I can't figure out which issue). A few readers have asked for more photos of Burch's Manhattan apartment, so here they are. The apartment was decorated by architect/decorator Daniel Romualdez, who, judging by the photos, is quite talented at creating a sophisticated but comfortable family home.





View of the drawing room leading into the dining room. The drawing room walls are covered in a moss green velvet. The dining room walls are lacquered orange. Note that the trim is painted faux-tortoise.


Another photo of the drawing room. Romualdez designed the sofa.


Another Romualdez designed sofa, which he calls an homage to Givenchy. 17th C. Dutch painting.


View of the library. The fabric on the sofa and chair is by Madeleine Castaing.


Photo at left of Burch's twin sons' room. Foyer, at right,with Gracie wallpaper.


Burch's bedroom with bed in Fortuny cotton lined in lilac taffeta. The walls were stenciled to match the Fortuny cotton.


Pale green and white kitchen at left. Closet/dressing room at right.

Image at top is of the Tory Burch store on Elizabeth Street in New York City.

(All images courtesy of Vogue magazine and were photographed by Francois Halard.)

Everything's Coming Up Roses!

Spring is here, the trees are in bloom, and flowers seem to be on my mind. Floral prints are everywhere at this time of year. To some, the floral motif can be a bit saccharine. The good news is that there seems to be a floral print for all tastes- traditional, contemporary, graphic, sophisticated, or casual. Here are a few objects, fabrics, and wallcoverings that just might make you rethink the flower.


Porthault Linens at Sue Fisher King, San Francisco


Floral Swirl Lamp at Gracious Home


"Ravello" wallpaper from Tyler Hall


"Astrid" Chair at Anthropologie


"Japanese Floral" print fabric by Florence Broadhurst at Signature Prints


"Oriental Flowers" china by Meissen at Table Art, Los Angeles


(Image at top-room with floral prints by Mary McDonald)

Chic Closets

In the April issue of Domino, there is an article about the chic closet of Vivre founder Eva Jeanbart-Lorenzotti (see above), and I believe that it is every fashionista's dream. Although small, the closet was very cleverly thought out. There are plenty of shelves and drawers for handbags and sweaters, and there is even a closet within the closet in which she stores her evening wear. What I like about this room, though, is that not only is it functional, it is aesthetically pleasing too. Jeanbart-Lorenzotti chose a bluish/gray finish for the wood cabinets, and she used x-front mirrored doors for a glamorous touch. I have to admit, though, that I'm just not envious of her closet, but also of her extensive wardrobe!


I think that closets can be great place to do something daring. They may be small spaces, but it doesn't mean one can't do something fabulous. Kelly Wearstler papered a closet in her home with a bold, graphic wallpaper. And in Tory Burch's closet/dressing room, an island with drawers has a painted top with an orange and white zig-zag print that is similar to the prints she uses in her clothing line.


There are so many great closets that have been featured in various magazines. What are your favorites?



Closet by Kelly Wearstler


Tory Burch's Dressing Room/Closet

Rose Cumming Zebrine Wallpaper

(Photo above of Ashley Whittaker's apartment, courtesy of Domino, Apr 07)

One of my all-time favorite wallpaper prints has resurfaced! "Zebrine", a blue and white zebra print by Rose Cumming, is featured in the April Domino in the home of designer Ashley Whittaker. I first spied this print in the Jan '05 issue of House Beautiful in an article on decorator Robin Bell's apartment. According to Bell, this fabulous print was first used at El Morocco, the legendary New York nightclub.

Glamorous pedigree aside, this print is certainly a stylish but bold statement. I love animal prints, but one has to use them with restraint. All other design elements of a room- furniture, artwork, and accessories- have to be toned down when paired with such a gutsy pattern. I think that both Whittaker and Bell accomplished that in both of their homes.

(Photo of Robin Bell's apartment, courtesy of House Beautiful, Jan '05)

Striking Tablescapes

Creating the perfect tablescape can be a difficult task. It takes a certain amount of skill to create the "right mix" of objects. There are many things you need to take into consideration when creating a tablescape: Do you have objects of varying height? Do you have a mix of colors that is pleasing to the eye? Is there visual interest in your combination of accessories?

The godfather of tablescapes was of course David Hicks. In fact, it was Hicks who coined the term "tablescape". Hicks was a master of the art of arranging. His tableaux usually included interesting flowers, artifacts, and bits of his collections. Below are a few photos of tablescapes that I find to be pretty close to perfection!


Tablescape by David Hicks

Design by Anne Coyle Interiors

Design by David Netto

Design by Miles Redd

(Tablescape at top by David Hicks)

Paper Lined Bookshelves

An old designer trick is to paint the backs of bookshelves a contrasting or darker color in order to create depth and interest. This trick definitely comes in handy if you're displaying objects in the bookshelves. Remember how great Todd Romano's antique Queen's Ware looked against the black backs of his bookshelves? Another look that I'm really taken with is the use of decorative paper on the backs of the shelves. I remember seeing a room published in which the decorator (I believe Steven Gambrel, but please correct me if I'm wrong) lined the shelves with marbleized paper. The design on the paper gives such interest to plain shelves and makes them seem more dramatic. I most recently saw the paper trick again in Christopher Spitzmiller's glorious apartment which has convinced me that I should try this someday!

Todd Romano's Manhattan home in Elle Decor, Jan '07

Christopher Spitzmiller's home