The Fanciful World Of Meg Braff

While reading the June issue of House Beautiful the other night (which, by the way, is a fantastic issue from cover to cover), I was delighted to read about the Newport home of designer Meg Braff. It's so refreshing to see a house full of color and pattern. The look of the house is traditional and preppy (perfect for a town like Newport) and a bit reminiscent of the late, great Sister Parish. I adore the Scalamandre "Shanghai" wallpaper in the dining room (see above), especially when juxtaposed against the vivid Farrow & Ball "Blazer" painted trim and mantel. Patterned walls are also found in the library with Farrow & Ball's "Ringwold" in blue , and again in the snappy office with its Bob Collins' bamboo print "Chinese Lattice" wallpaper. Much of the traditional furniture has been given new life with brightly colored finishes and fabrics. I think what I like most about the house, though, is that there are so many layers to each room that it takes time absorb everything. What an inspiration!

Living Room with Chinoiserie accents


Library with Farrow & Ball "Ringwold" wallpaper


In the Powder Room, "Jardin Chinois Red" wallpaper by Waterhouse Wallhangings


Master bedroom- bedskirt in "Bijoux Stripe" by China Seas; animal print on slipper chairs by Brunschwig & Fils.



Dressing Room/ Office with Bob Collins' "Chinese Lattice" wallpaper.

(All photos taken from the June 2007 issue of House Beautiful)

Cream of the 1st dibs Crop

I end up spending an inordinate amount of time looking through the weekly updated listings on 1st dibs, and this week was no exception, especially with the addition of so many new vendors. Here are a few of this week's picks:


Painted Italian Secretary, circa early 19thc., available at Galerie de France


Aluminum and red leather armchairs, designed by Dorothy Draper for the Fairmont Hotel, available at Sultana


Jean Picart le Doux tapestry "Lumiere d'Ete", circa 1940, at Little Paris Antiques


Sue et Mare Teaservice, 1927, at Modernism Gallery


English Brass Bar Cart, 1960s, at Buck House


Louis XV Style Fauteuils at Threshold by Kendall Wilkinson

Image at Top: Plaster Urn by Jean Michel Frank, on base by Christian Berard, 1930s, at Benjamin Storck Ltd.

Party Inspiration

Photos of lavish parties and beautiful weddings are a great way to find design inspiration, not just in terms of flowers and table settings, but for color schemes, furnishings, and accessories as well. Perhaps the colors of a particularly striking floral arrangement might inspire you to repaint a room, or maybe a planner's use of chair covers or table skirts might encourage you to rethink that remnant fabric you have in storage. Whatever the case may be, these images of fantasy and festivity can certainly be applied to the quotidian, and they just might make it more fun, too.




This table, created by event planner David Monn, caught my eye because of the ribbon-adorned lampshades, a trick that could easily be replicated at home.


Another Monn event, this time more masculine in feel. I like the gray suede and nailhead- trimmed console and ottomans.


A wedding designed by Charleston planner Tara Guerard of Soiree. I love the pink, white, and black color scheme which could work well in an entryway (for a very feminine look) or on a patio.


An exotic tented tablesetting by Antony Todd. The mismatched chair covers create added visual interest to an already vibrant table, an idea that would work well for summer outdoor entertaining. If you're really daring, you could even add some plumage, just as Todd did.


Preppy pink and green by party impresario Preston Bailey. How great would this floral arrangement be for a summertime dinner party?

Image at top by Preston Bailey- no, you may not want to recreate those topiaries on your dining table, but they're fun to look at.

Get The Look: Hollywood Regency

For those who crave the Hollywood Regency/ Kelly Wearstler look, you may want to visit Inside Avenue. The online furniture and accessories retailer sells a variety of "looks" for one's home, but where they really shine is in their separate Hollywood Regency department. Looking for that Greyhound dog sculpture that Wearstler made popular? They've got it. Want some mirrored furniture to add to your home? There's plenty of that too. This site is a great resource for those accent pieces that one sees frequently on the pages of Domino. Here are a few picks that caught my eye:



Red Mirror Nesting Table


Versaille Table Lamp


Mirrored Ceramic Garden Stool


Yellow Temple Jar

Photo at top: Joy Bedding

Tastemaker- Philip Gorrivan

In the new "Tastemakers" issue of House & Garden, designer Philip Gorrivan has garnered the new title "Cosmopolite" because of his ability to create luxurious and sophisticated interiors that are modern and fresh, a look that he achieves by throwing in some traditional pieces for good measure. Not one to shy away from color, Gorrivan punches up his interiors by using shots of bright, bold color. Pattern is also evident in his designs, especially China Sea's Saya Gata print, which Gorrivan has used in a few of his projects. Here are a few photos of his work that I found on his website.













(All photos courtesy of Philip Gorrivan)

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)