Gutsy Stripes

Love them or hate them, striped walls certainly make a statement. Graphic stripes are bold and at times brash (and I mean that as a compliment). Tonal stripes bring a more subdued and quiet look to a room. If the idea of painting or papering your walls with stripes is a bit too much, you can always achieve the look by using striped fabric, as Alessandra Branca did below. Here are a few examples of wild, snappy, and chic stripes.


Photo of the Chapman Radcliff showroom, courtesy of Ruthie Sommers


Photo of bedroom designed by Anne Coyle


Home of decorator Sam Blount


Showroom of Woodson and Rummerfield


Children's room by Alessandra Branca; photo courtesy of Southern Accents

Photo at top of Deborah Buck's fantastic antique shop in New York, Buck House

1936 Revisited

I love to look through old design magazines to see what the trends were for that time. My favorite era is the 1930s- such a glamorous era, at least in my mind! This past weekend I was looking through my vintage House & Garden magazines from 1936, and I was struck by how many of the styles and trends still work today. Mirror, bamboo, and chintz were popular then and are still popular today! Of course, there are some dead giveaways to the age of the rooms I'm showing below- namely the window treatments and the lampshades. I do hope that those frilly lampshades of yesteryear do not make a comeback. Excluding these, however, can anyone else see themselves living with these furnishings?

(If you're interested in purchasing vintage design magazines, Style Court just posted about Past Paper, which she says is a great source for vintage House & Garden issues).

Chameleon Fine Lighting

When some people shop for lighting, they choose function over form. Of course, the function of the light is of utmost importance, but there is no reason why lighting can't be chic and fun too. Lighting is, at least for me, an important decorative element that sometimes gets overlooked.

Chameleon Fine Lighting, based in New York City, is a terrific source for both antique and reproduction lighting. If you're looking for inspiration for your home, you need to look at their website. There are so many wonderful sconces, chandeliers, and lamps that it is easy to get lost in their site! Although the main showroom in New York carries both the reproduction and antique lighting, there are showrooms throughout the country that carry their reproduction "Signature" line.

"Pagoda" brass and gilt metal lantern, from Chameleon's Signature Line


"Lilly Burst" crystal and gilt metal sconce, from Chameleon's Signature Line


Antique French metal chandelier, circa 1940


Italian glass mongolfier fixture, circa 1940


French opaline chandelier, circa 1940


American Empire-style sconces, circa 1940


Chinoiserie sconces made by E.F. Caldwell of New York, circa 1900


French Empire-style table lamp, circa 1920

(All photos courtesy of Chameleon Fine Lighting)

Iconic Designers- Iconic Furniture

Many times a certain piece of furniture becomes identifiable with a particular decorator. Who doesn't associate the slipper chair with Billy Baldwin? Some decorators, such as Dorothy Draper, went beyond designing furniture for specific projects and created entire collections for prominent furniture manufacturers. Many of these decorators' designs, or imitations of them, are still being produced today. And if they aren't, these coveted designs have become highly collectible. Here are just a few iconic pieces of furniture that were either designed, owned, or championed by 20th c. design legends.


Parish-Hadley Table by John Rosselli, available at Ainsworth-Noah. Parish owned an antique table of this design (see below), which was auctioned off after her death. Reproductions of this table are being made by Rosselli.


Auction catalog with photo of Sister Parish's living room on the cover; her antique red corner table is included in the photo.


"Espana" Chest by Dorothy Draper for Heritage


Ad for Draper's Collection for Heritage


Klismos chair by T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, available through Eric Appel. Robsjohn-Gibbings' designs were heavily influenced by ancient Greece.


"Loop" chair designed by Frances Elkins; reproductions available through Downtown


Tables designed by John Dickinson, available through Antique & Art Exchange. Dickinson is most closely associated with his plaster pieces that incorporated "animal legs".


(Photo at top of room decorated by Billy Baldwin, which includes the iconic slipper chair)

Shell Savvy

Mother Nature is truly the ultimate designer, and shells may be one of her most beautiful creations. They are beautiful, sculptural, and durable. It is for all of these reasons that shells are a great way to incorporate nature into a design scheme. Of course, the shell motif is quite popular in beach houses, but there is no reason why those of us who are landlocked can't incorporate shells into our decor.

Marian McEvoy (whose home is featured in the top photo) is the queen of the glue gun, and she seems especially fond of gluing shells to anything and everything: beds, fireplaces, mirrors. If the thought of doing this is just a tad too overwhelming, why not buy a shell mirror, such as the one below from 1st dibs?

Vintage shell mirror from Gustavo Olivieri at 1st Dibs


Shell chandeliers, such as that in Muriel Brandolini's apartment (second photo down), are so striking with their ropes and dangles of little shells. This one, from Mecox Gardens, is particularly pretty.

Shell Chandelier at Mecox Gardens

When too many shells are not enough, Christa's South Seashells is the place to visit. This Palm Beach shop carries everything from tasteful antiques and home accessories to the wildest shell encrusted furniture and sculptures.

Shell console from Christa's South Seashells


Shell "David" from Christa's South Seashells

Finally, if all you want is just a small touch of shells, this wall bracket from Ruzzetti and Gow is just perfect.

Shell encrusted wall bracket from Ruzzetti and Gow

(Photos at top from "Rooms to Inspire" by Annie Kelly and Tim Street-Porter)

Brown and Aubergine

Last week I posted on blue, red, and pink rooms, so continuing in this vein, today I'll post some of my favorite brown and aubergine rooms.

These two dark, rich colors really pack a punch, and they go a long way in creating a luxurious and warm atmosphere. I love the way the light and bright colors of fabrics and accessories play off of dark walls. If you're scared of dark colors, perhaps you should embrace them in a small way, such as in a powder room. Flat browns and aubergines are always right, but if you want a high wattage effect, then go for the lacquered look. And if Billy Baldwin embraced these dark colors, then you know you can't go wrong!

Dining Room by Richard Keith Langham; color is Flat Brown by Pratt and Lambert (photo courtesy of Southern Accents)


Room for the 2005 House Beautiful Showhouse by Joe Nye

Room at top by Mario Buatta in a custom lacquered aubergine

Hot Off The Presses- "Rooms To Inspire"

I just picked up my copy of Annie Kelly's "Rooms to Inspire: Decorating with America's Best Designers" and it's truly fantastic. If you're on the fence about getting it, I encourage you to go out and buy it! Although I have not yet had the chance to read the text, I can say that the photographs by Kelly's husband Tim Street-Porter are beautiful. There are a lot of big names in the book: Kelly Wearstler, Miles Redd, Muriel Brandolini, and Jonathan Adler. While many of the chapters focus on these decorators' homes (some of which we have already seen before), there are also chapters on colors, kitchens, and outdoor spaces, with examples from other decorators as well. I thought I would include just a few pictures because I don't want to spoil it for anyone. That said, there are so many gorgeous photographs that it was really hard to choose just three. If you've already gotten your copy, let me know what you think.



Home of Marian McEvoy


Suzanne Rheinstein's Los Angeles shop Hollyhock


Room by decorator Kerry Joyce

(All photos from "Rooms to Inspire")

The Look of Lucite

This season, the Lucite shoe is having its moment in the fashion spotlight. No longer relegated to bargain basement status (or to the feet of Vegas showgirls), many of the big named designers such as Chanel, Manolo Blahnik, and Tory Burch have embraced the plastic trend. And in their hands, it doesn't look half bad.


While Lucite may come and go in women's fashion, it is actually a modern- classic look in interior design. The problem is that there is a fine line between "classic" Lucite and "tacky" Lucite. Obviously, you don't want a house full of it, and you probably want to steer clear of those purple acrylic pieces, but a little Lucite never hurt anyone. Lucite occasional tables can look quite nice, while Lucite vanity stools can bring out one's inner diva. And for a primer on Lucite- Lucite, Perspex, and Plexiglass are all tradenames used for this type of synthetic material, generally known as acrylic.



Lucite twist lamps at Mecox Gardens


Louis Ghost Chair at Graham and Greene


Lucite Tray Table by Jordan Cappella at Woodson & Rummerfield


Lucite TV tray table in Todd Romano's apartment


Lucite chair in Amy Fine Collins' apartment

(Shoes at top by Manolo Blahnik, available at bergdorfgoodman.com)

Benjamin Moore Aura Launch Party at Gracious Home

Gracious Home has generously extended an invitation to all Peak of Chic readers to attend the launch party of Benjamin Moore Aura Paint, to be held on April 26th from 6:30pm -9:30pm at the Broadway location (1992 Broadway @ 67th St.). The new Aura paint is environmentally friendly, covers with just one coat (possibly two for dark colors), drys in one hour, and is washable and fade resistant.


There will wine and hors d'oeuvres, seminars on the new paint as well as faux finish techniques, and blank sheet rock set up (on the street) for you to try out the new paint. And, while you're there, you can also check out the new Lulu DK for Matouk bedding!

Kitchen Splendor

In honor of May being "Kitchen" month for various design magazines, I am featuring a few of my favorite kitchens from the past few years. Overall, my picks tend to have much in common- marble counters and backsplashes, stainless steel, and simple cabinets. Some of these kitchens very easily could have been designed in the 1920s or 30s- minus many of the modern conveniences, of course. In terms of color, I tend to be a purist, preferring white and other neutrals. I did, however, include a black kitchen- that of Miles Redd- because it's just so glamorous. And the wild card here is the Fifth Avenue kitchen of socialite Anne Slater (in a McKim, Mead & White building, no less). I love this chocolate brown kitchen because it's a time capsule- it still has the original stove and cork floor. Even though it's slightly dated, it's refreshing to see a homeowner whose self-confidence precludes her from having to redecorate and renovate every few years.

Kitchen featured in House Beautiful, Feb 2006


The Nussbaum's kitchen, House and Garden


Kitchen of Miles Redd, courtesy of New York Social Diary


Kitchen of Anne Slater, courtesy of New York Magazine

Kitchen at top from House and Garden