Designers Guild in London

In 2008 I traveled to England. Part of my time there was spent in London viewing the latest collections from Osborne & Little and Designers Guild. I also visited the flagship Designers Guild shop on Kings Rd. The product and displays were amazing.   Much of the product is only available online in the US.
There was beautiful fabric, wallpaper, furniture, linen and bedding. The displays in the shop are innovative and lively, true to Designers Guild style. The hanging panels of fabric are a perfect backdrop to the displays.

Sometimes more is better. The mix of fabrics on the curvaceous chair is bright and spirited. Love it.

The low profile and clean lines of the sectional give it a modern style. The fabric, called Racine, is a soft, shimmering, ribbed velvet. Together they create a dynamic combination of fabric and furniture. The Racine covered sectional is soft, comfortable, sleek and modern.

The combination of colors and textures make this bedroom setting so inviting. The floor lamp is pretty amazing too.
Leave a comment. Let me know which of the displays is your favorite.

Because They Are Beautiful...

I love the colors in this room.They are soft and lively at the same time. This setting is an inviting mix of colors and textures, pink and turquoise, silk and linen. The antiqued mirror panels add reflection and an aged sense of luxury. The fabric treatment around the mirror is glamorous and amazing.
Fabrics and wallcoverings from Designers Guild

Silk pillows add a bit of sensuality to a room. I love the ruching on the side of the pillow. This adds a rich detail to an already fabulous fabric.
Fabric from Lorca

This chandelier from Michele Brand is wonderful. I am infatuated with the way the crystals puddle on to the table. Amazing

An already beautiful hallway is filled with the stunning puddling chandelier.

A Guest Bedroom

My client owns a townhouse. When we started working on  this room it was the master bedroom. The room was painted (Martha Stewart- Milk Pail), the fabrics were selected. The window treatments were made and installed. Then we stopped. My client had decided to purchase the townhouse next to hers, which would double the living space. This room would become the guest room. There was much to do for the renovations. The guest room was put on the back burner. It was a few years before we returned to it.We still loved the paint color and the window treatments. They stayed. Everything else was changed, removed or renewed. I selected a combination of new and vintage pieces.

A new bed was needed. I designed a fully upholstered  bed covered in a fabric called Platinum from Maxwell Fabrics. Its in a champagne color, subtle and beautiful. The bed was designed for comfort and style. The upholstered  headboard is great for reading in bed. The pattern formed by the buttons and stitching gives it a chic, modern style. The stripe of the window treatments was repeated on the vintage chair. Same pattern different colorway.

The dresser is vintage. Its low profile is a perfect compliment to the lines of the bed. The new upholstered chair and ottoman have a retro style. Covering them in a toile fabric is an unexpected combination. Used this way the toile takes on a more contemporary look.
The guest bedroom is stylish and comfortable. A great retreat for a welcomed visitor.

http://www.maxwellfabrics.com/

60s Style

Looking at 60s style and duplicating it is a bit of a craze right now. Some of the results are quite good, others are disasters. I like to go to the source, for me that means set decoration from movies made in the 60s. A great example of  this cool style is The Graduate.  The sets show the comfortable life in a California upper middle class home. Set decorator George Nelson created much of the mood of the movie. This hip den, bar area tells us who these people are. The wall of glass reinforces the upper middle class setting. The glass leads us to  lush, tropical plants, must be California. Its about black and white and sleek. The bar, the leather chair, bar stools are all in black and white. The glass, smooth floor and metal chair bases give the room a sleek, chic look.

A well stocked bar is certainly necessary.  Everything is accessible. Including Mrs Robinson...

From the slick, contemporary bar area  we can see the more traditional design of the stairway and the entry of the house. Mixed styles and mixed messages.

What I like about this bedroom is the classic style. Update the tech and you have a room ready for today.The Graduate tells an interesting story with a message. The set design and decoration are an important element in telling us that story and its message.

The Power Of Fabric Part 2

This beautiful chair resides in the bedroom of a client. It is a vintage piece that was not so beautiful when I found it. When I first saw the chair I could see that at one time it was a pretty pink chair. I pictured it in a girl or woman's bedroom. Time had taken its toll and it was now shabby and a bit smelly...
The updated version of the chair required new foam and padding on the inside. The outside was covered with a deep rosy pink and gold cut velvet from Designers Guild. It looks comfortable and wonderful in its new home.

Elle Decor Designer Registry

I am now on the designer registry at Elle Decor Magazine.
Click on the title above to check it out.

A Dining Room Update

My client wanted to make a few changes in her dining room. She has beautiful furniture and silk window treatments but the room still wasn't what she wanted. I encouraged her to put a dynamic color on the walls.I selected a Sherwin Williams red called Radish. It doesn't have a lot of orange and it isn't too brown. Radish is a deep, clear shade of red with with just a hint of purple.
The existing light was a builder grade, brass, Colonial style fixture.  The new light is a gorgeous vintage chandelier I found in a local shop. It was altered to fit the room's eight foot ceilings.  The all glass Marie Therese design is perfect in the room.
The artwork is an oil painting with vibrant colors. The traditional still life has been given an updated modern style.
These few changes have created a stunning dining room in my client's home.

The dining room before was nice, good even, but not the stunner it is now.