The Striking Sets Of Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

When I saw the movie Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps I knew it was time for another post on movie sets. The sets in this movie, as in the first Wall Street, convey a lot about the characters that inhabit them. Gordon Gekko's New York apartment this time around is sophisticated with a clean, edited design. The living room has a neutral palette punctuated with abstract art and wide open expanses of window looking out (down?) onto the city.

The architectural detail includes high ceilings and straight lines. The upholstered furniture has (again) straight lines, covered in light neutrals and softened with pillows and a throw. Nothing out of place, very controlled.

The production designer for the film is Kristi Lea and the set decorator is Diane Lederman. Well done.

The sets for the 80's Wall Street are bold and striking. The production designer here is Stephen Hendrickson. The bedroom has strong textured golden walls and unconstructed window treatments.  The furniture is a mix of deep curves and straight lines on the hard surfaces of marble and metal.

Gordon G's office is a mix of styles. The contemporary architectural details and leather sofa are in contrast to the bold green French inspired chair and artwork with a heavily carved gold tone frame. A dramatic design statement. Again, well done.

I enjoyed this movie and will watch  it again to see the wonderful sets.

photos from Cinema Style

Brooke Astor's Country Manor

The estate of the late Brooke Astor is for sale. This astoundingly beautiful home reminds me of how wonderful traditional design can be. The main house of the estate is a stone manor. The manor is located on sixty-four acres with views of the Hudson. Not bad...

When I look at the rooms I can easily imagine the life, the parties, the relationships, the business deals that began and ended all in this house, this stately, elegant home.

This staircase area is my favorite.I love the curve of the staircase, the white and black tiled floor and the wonderful wall of art.The living room is large and very charming. The traditional details on the walls, the wide expanse of window and the groupings of furniture arranged for conversation all add to the charm of this room.The dining room with its needlepoint rug and detailed architecture is is wonderful. But... I wonder what happened to the chandelier?

I love libraries whether its private or the public one in my neighborhood. The beautiful upholstered furniture and elegant window treatments make this library truly special. Here we have two of the ten bedrooms in the house. Each is filled with the gracious details of  traditional design. Its easy to imagine a guest having their morning coffee sitting on the loveseat enjoying the view.

And we knew there would be a canopy bed... Right? I love the way it almost skims the ceiling. What a wonderful, comfortable room.                              .

The sunroom is another favorite. I like everything about this room. The walls of glass, the cool tile floor, the mix of fabrics on the furniture combine to create a comfortable, bright room.                                                And then there is the view. A stunning combination of rolling hills, beautiful foliage and the Hudson in the distance. A truly wonderful setting for a gorgeous traditional home.photos from http://www.houlihanlawrence.com/

Is traditional your style?

Dining Rooms What's Your Style?

Our dining rooms become more important as fall arrives and we move back inside. So here's a look at a group of stylish dining rooms.

I love the modern elements of this dining room, the clean lines of the table and chairs and the cool color palette. Another great modern element is using the three pendants over the table for lighting in the place of a more traditional chandelier. Adding the pops of red to the room complete the look.                                               The neutral palette of this dining room gives it a timeless appeal. The stunning glass chandelier and the mirror in the alcove add reflection and a hint of glamour.This dining room is about contrast adding interest, the light floors with the dark furniture and the overall tailored look with the intricate chandelier. This casual white dining area is taken up several notches by using sophisticated fabrics on the chairs. A wonderful way to update.Fabric with vibrant color creates a fresh, lively look in this dining room with traditional architectural details.

Sometimes even our rooms have to multi-task. A dining room/library is functional and creates a comfortable atmosphere.

A round table creates a wonderful intimate setting in a dining room. The round table and curved arms of the chairs give this room style and grace.

Which dining room reflects your lifestyle? Leave a comment. I'd like to know your thoughts.

   All photos from Homes and Gardens

Polyvore.com

Polyvore.com is a fun site that combines vintage images and artwork with modern fashion ideas. I love their montages! Enjoy...

Babur From Osborne & Little

A short post today about this wonderful new fabric from Osborne & Little. The pattern is called Babur. It is made of cotton and has the most amazingly soft hand, so scrumptious. You want to roll up in it. Maybe I'm getting carried away but it really is wonderful.

The scale of the print is perfect. There is a delightful flow to the pattern. And the colorways, what's not to like?

Poem

"Clasp my love around your neck,
wear my heart on your finger.
My soul will be your pendant:
I live to adorn you -
you're the precious one."

~Grey Livingston

Dragonfly Dreams

This piece is a bit of a departure from my usual vintage designs, but it really is stunning. While roaming around Gemstar in Enfield, NH (if you love stones, you really must check out this place!), I came across these amazing snakeskin agate stones and had to make something with them. I already had the dragonfly at home and knew the combination would make a great nature-themed necklace. Then the search was on to find a pendant for the dragonfly to rest on...and this gorgeous green leaf jumped out at me at a local bead shop. Perfect. I "test drive" all of my pieces before I sell them to ensure they're comfortable and secure, and I got a LOT of compliments while wearing this piece. It makes a statement! Available for sale on my website.

Designers Guild Fall 2010

With the change of season comes a new collection of fabrics and wallcoverings from Designers Guild. The fall 2010 collection is inspired by grand gardens and theatre design. If you know me or follow this blog you know I am a big fan of Designers Guild. A showing of a new collection from DG is a big day for me. So, here is a partial showing of the new Designers Guild. I'm sure there will be more to follow...

This room setting is wonderful, the mix of fabrics, the color palette, the modern furniture in a room with traditional architecture. I love it all.
Dujardin/Magenta, Bakst/Raspberry and Beduzzi/Fuchsia are the fabrics in the window treatments. Dujardin is a printed silk, Bakst is cotton and silk blend and Beduzzi is also a cotton and silk blend. Eberson/Fuchsia is on the sofa and the chair. It is a plush, shaded velvet.

The details of this room are beautiful. The black and white tiled floor is stunning and the curve of the iron railing is a sensuous contrast to the tile. In this setting Designers Guild is showcasing the new Bosquet/Rose panel print. It is a wallcovering that is shown in a full panel, a vivacious focal point.

The window treatment fabrics are Bakst/Raspberry and Bosquet Floral/Raspberry. The chair is covered in Brenan/Moss, a shimmering upholstery weave.
This new collection has an amazing array of fabrics and wallcoverings. More later.

Interior Design Classes I Am Teaching

I am teaching classes this fall through St Louis Community College.
www.stlcc.edu
314-984-7777

The first class is Interior Design Resources at Design & Detail.
The class is Tues Sept 14  3-5pm.
For this class I will use the showroom to take students through the design process of selecting and designing custom furniture, window treatments, area rugs and more. Design & Detail  is a to the trade showroom and marketplace filled with exquisite home interior product.

The second class is Interior Design: Inspiration. This is a two session class.
Wed Oct 6  6:30- 8:30pm
Wed Oct 13 6:30-9:30pm
In the first session we will explore color, pattern and texture. The second session each student will create an inspiration board to guide them to their ultimate home interior.

To register for the classes contact:
St Louis Community College
www.stlcc.edu
314-984-7777

I'm looking forward to teaching these classes. They are going to be fun and informative. Do you want to join us?