Wonderful Wood

I think that wood-paneled rooms tend to get a bum rap. Many people think of wood paneling as a relic of the past- too old, too fussy, too dark, and just too gloomy. I agree with some of these opinions. When done badly, wood-paneled rooms can be pretty dark and depressing. But when the wood has that wonderful rich color and patina, it gives a room a degree of dignity that is hard to achieve with paint and paper. And all of this serious wood does not preclude a designer from being able to inject bit of dash and glamour to these rooms. Look at the way these designers worked with it.


A slightly eccentric entryway by designer Barclay Fryery


A fresh traditional room by Meg Braff

Glorious dark wood in the home of Mary McDonald (if I recall, the article in Town & Country mentioned that McDonald was going to embark on a major redecoration of this house, so this room might look quite different now.)

Image at top: There is nothing staid about this wood-paneled room by David Hicks.

Bold Borders

According to son Ashley Hicks, one of David Hicks' favorite design tricks was to outline the edges and corners of a room with a contrasting braid or paper (Hicks also liked to apply similar borders on window treatments and upholstered furniture too). The effect is one that is bold and graphic- it visually reinforces the shape of the room. Ruthie Sommers used a similar idea in a room she designed for her husband (above). Wanting to make the room look like it was "tied up like a package", Sommers chose a Hicks style paper for the walls and painted a dark, wide border around the edges of the walls. What intrigued me most about this decorating "device" (to use the words of Ashley Hicks) is that it was used in the former royal palace Kew Palace (England) during the late 18th/ early 19th c. In Princess Elizabeth's room (below), the walls are covered in a green verditer wallpaper, and a Greek key border outlines each wall. How interesting to see this type of decoration used in a historical home, in a mod sixties room, and in a 21st c. California home.


A graphic room designed by David Hicks


Another Hicks designed room; the walls are covered in a blue woolen fabric and the outline is achieved using black braid.


Princess Elizabeth's bedroom at Kew Palace

(Photo at top of Ruthie Sommers' Santa Monica home; courtesy of Cottage Living)

A Young Woman's Apartment

When I was going through my tear sheets the other day, I came across this apartment that was featured in Quest magazine a few years ago. The owner was a young woman in Manhattan who was starting a career as a clothing designer. To me, this apartment is so perfect for a young woman. It's youthful but sophisticated with a little bit of spunk thrown in to the mix.

The walls of the living room are a deep turquoise- a color that is a little unusual but completely dramatic. In order to keep the room from looking too dark, the floors are painted in a white and brown checkerboard pattern. For some shots of color, orange, yellow and brown are used to great effect. And the wallpaper in the entry! I think this particular print (can someone tell me what it is?) provides a little maturity to the apartment. All in all, a pretty great apartment for a lucky young woman. What do you think?













(All photos from Quest magazine; photographer: Fernanda Gilligan)

"Books Serve as Decoration"

How best to display books? This question seems to ignite passionate discussion. The first issue one should decide is whether to display books with the dust jackets on or off (I'm quite a fan of dust jacket art, so I choose to leave them on. This, however, is strictly a personal preference). Many designers who dislike the "randomness" of a sea of dust jackets choose to cover books in white muslin or paper, thereby creating a visually cohesive look. I would suggest this only for prop books; if you use your library for reference, you might be driven crazy by this design trick.

Once this thorny issue has been solved, then one must figure out how to incorporate their books into their decor. Do you display only books in your bookshelves, or do you incorporate a few decorative accessories as well (no tchotchkes please!). Do you organize them by color? By subject? By size? Or, do you forgo bookshelves altogether for stacks of books on tables and the floor?

Believe it or not, this topic of discussion was on the minds of designers and design devotees alike over seventy years ago. I found a brief article in a January 1936 issue of House & Garden titled "Books Serve as Decoration". Here is what the editors had to say:

So colorful are book bindings that, when used in large groups, they play a definite part in the color scheme of a room. They should be treated as a decoration. Two examples show practical application of this principle. In the room above, the depth of the wall made it possible to mass books as a colorful surrounding to a door between rooms. In the Chicago apartment of David B. Stern (below), they form a wide panel background to the desk and enhance the interest of the wall (Samuel A. Marx, architect in both instances).

OK, so this article didn't shed any light on the dust jacket issue, but it is interesting to see this acknowledgment of the importance of books in decor.

(Noted New York 20th c. furniture dealer Liz O'Brien has written a book on architect and designer Samuel Marx which will be published this fall: UltraModern: Samuel Marx Architect, Designer, Art Collector. You can also see some of his furniture designs on 1st dibs.)

Blue and White Bedrooms

Is it just me, or does blue and white seem to be one of the most popular color combinations for bedrooms? Certainly it makes sense- blue is soothing and serene (very important in a bedroom!) and white is clean and calming. On top of that, there are so many great blue and white prints that just seem so perfect for bedrooms. I think it's safe to say that a floral print for the bedroom is one of the most popular options. Soft blue and white is a very traditional and classic choice, but if you want to punch up your bedroom with some zing, why not try a turquoise shade like Betsy Burnham does below?



A mix of blue and white prints used with aplomb by Markham Roberts


A children's bedroom by designer Meg Braff


A snappy little bedroom in the home of Todd Romano


The use of turquoise in this bedroom gives this bedroom a little more energy than a paler shade would. (Design by Betsy Burnham.)

Photo at top: Bedroom designed by Charlotte Moss for the 2006 Kips Bay Show house

Inspiring Rooms of the Week

A few rooms that I find inspiring:


A living room designed by Ruthie Sommers. With Billy Haines as her inspiration, Sommers has struck a very luxe, glamorous tone here! (Photo courtesy of Domino).

Shocking pink room designed by Ralph Harvard. Now this is bold, updated traditional! (I think Schiaparelli might feel at home here.)


A sweet bedroom designed by Nancy Boszhardt. I really like the paisley fabric the designer used for the curtains, the border on the walls, and the headboard. Very feminine!


A chic tableau, again designed by Nancy Boszhardt. Does this scream "Manhattan" or what?


Jewel tones are making a comeback in fashion (how very 1980s!), so why not in interior design too? (A Kips Bay Showhouse room designed by Christopher Maya. Photo courtesy of House Beautiful)


Dining room in the home of Suzanne Rheinstein- so very elegant and sophisticated, and is that chandelier not to die for?? (Photo courtesy of Domino)

And Now For A Little Masculinity...

As much as I love femininity, I have a major weakness for masculine design too. To me, masculine rooms are like a palate cleanser- they kind of provide a little clarity at a time in which the yin seems to be more popular than the yang. When I see a room that is traditional and tailored with a masculine bent, I can totally envision myself living there. One of my favorite homes is the Manhattan apartment of Christopher Gardner and the late Ward Denton (Elle Decor Dec/Jan '02). It's slightly English, somewhat eccentric, and totally stylish. I adore the red living room (above). You get the vibrancy of the red, but it has been tempered by the black and white accessories and the sisal rug. Accessories are displayed in full force here; in fact, the owners say that objects are what give life to a home (how true!). And while the overall look is rather "old", it doesn't look musty. If anything, I think of this home as having a restrained exuberance.

(Denton and Gardner owned a shop in Bridgehampton that people used to rave about; does anyone know if it is still in business?)

Stylish Displays

What to do with that dead space underneath a table you ask? Why, put something there! Of course one should be selective about what they display under a table. Size is important- an object that is on the small side would look dwarfed by the heft of the table. And visual interest is critical too. A classic design trick is to place a small bench or two under the table, which is a great space saving solution too. Or, you could use large ceramic pieces like Markham Roberts and Barclay Fryery have done. Whatever you choose to use, avoid clutter! Restraint is key, something which all of these designers have heeded.


An elegant composition by Kelly Wearstler


The double bench trick a la Ruthie Sommers


A leather and chrome bench under the table, by David Hicks


Blue and white porcelain is always a stylish choice (Markham Roberts-designer)


Barclay Fryery adds a dash of humor underneath this table


White ceramic jars and Manuel Canovas' Ming linen- what a fantastic combination! (Suzanne Coleman Bancroft- designer)

At top: The master Albert Hadley uses an orb for some style in this vignette.

High-Dowager Decor

A few weeks back I posted about old fashioned prints, and it reminded me of the Upper East Side home of Camilla and Carl Sorenson (published in Elle Decor, Dec/Jan '05). With the help of designer Steven Sclaroff, they set about decorating their apartment using "high-dowager decor". Inspired by the very English rooms at Chatsworth, they used a melange of old-fashioned prints; florals, stripes, and Chinoiserie prints are used together to give the apartment a slightly eccentric, slightly matronly, and altogether fresh look. What I like most about this home is that the overall design scheme gives a nod to the history of this pre-war building in a slightly cheeky way. This dowager decor will definitely grow old gracefully.

(To read my related post on old-fashioned prints, click here.)


The dining room is papered in a 1940s Chinoiserie print purchased from Secondhand Rose. The fabric on the sofa is Christopher Hyland's "Giuliana", and the armchair is upholstered in Maharam's Aria cotton velvet.


For a similar look, Secondhand Rose has this vintage Chinoiserie print on their website.


Another shot of the dining room, and a view of the living room with some fabulous gray and white cabinetry designed by Sclaroff. The armchairs' striped fabric is "Rayure Chenille" by Clarence House.


Top left: the master bedroom's sitting area with a sofa upholstered in Colefax & Fowler's Beaumont cotton-viscose fabric.
Bottom left: the dressing room with Clarence House's "Gothik Fretwork" wallpaper.

Photo at top: Another view of the living room; the sofa is upholstered in Scalamandre's "Foret" cotton.

... and Trompe l'oeil Today

Yesterday I posted about the rich history of trompe l'oeil, and this artistic trick is just as popular today. Of course, painting trompe l'oeil designs on walls and floors appears to be the most popular application. For example, some people choose to paint mouldings on a wall to give the illusion of architectural features that in reality are not there. But trompe l'oeil painting is only the tip of the iceberg. There are trompe l'oeil prints on fabrics and wallpaper, and trompe l'oeil ceramics have long been popular with collectors. Here are a few examples of creative uses of trompe l'oeil.


Trompe l'oeil painted headboard (Domino 3/06; photo by Paul Costello)


Trompe l'oeil chair in a Philadelphia home (Cookie magazine)


Closeup of "Bibliotheque" wallpaper from Brunschwig & Fils. This trompe l'oeil print of a library of books was designed by famed trompe l'oeil artist (and decorator) Richard Neas.


"Le Temple des Grec" wallpaper by Studio Printworks. This print has the appearance of a wall built of blocks.


1960s Trompe l'oeil screen by Daniel Greene, available at Benjamin Storck Ltd.


Trompe l'oeil tableaux cloths by Los Angeles designer Mark Cutler


Italian ceramic bowl of Barlotti beans from Gump's

Image at top: Charming trompe l'oeil vignette at Hollyhock. The walls were painted by Paulin Paris.