11/23/2018

Start Decorating! Personalized Christmas with Collectibles

If you shop for Christmas in July, get a rush when sifting through thrift store merchandise, chances are you have a vintage Christmas home. Those who find excitement in beautiful things get emotional when discovering a distinguished piece, perhaps in an obscure color or size, which must be acquired. The home becomes a showcase for these finds, where a constant rotation of personal pieces is tantamount unless you want to battle an avalanche of keepsakes when tapping into storage. Christmas is the ideal time to display prized possessions and, perhaps, add some new collections.

Christmas decorating takes a personalized approach with a mix of personal vintage items and a unique color palette.

Color Theme

Decorating a festive home does not have to follow Christmas’s primary colors and themes. Simply arrange your favorite pieces, add some seasonal elements, and you will have a holiday home like no other.

Chocolate boxes that share our color palette add to the design.

Interesting Collections

Lynn Goldfinger of Paris Hotel Boutique has been hitting the casino lately but we don’t mean the slot machine kind. She came across antique casino chips from France and was immediately smitten. “I’m obsessed with them because in all of my years, I have never seen the color-dyed ones,” says Goldfinger. 

A holiday theme like no other is guaranteed with a personal collectible. Here, these vintage casino chips and French francs compliment the overall style.

 

For a purveyor of rare collectibles, Goldfinger’s coronation of the casino chip assures its covet factor. “These were used as gaming chips in France circa the 1870s,” she says. “They are extremely rare and hard to come by.” The chips have the ability to transport to an illustrious, more elegant time when gamblers dressed in their fanciest garb over the flip flop crowd currently taking over gambling arenas. The variety of geometric shapes have a mother of pearl shimmer, while the addition of hot colors delight the eye. “Mother of pearl casino chips are small works of art. I may place them in an apothecary jar, or on a fancy silver platter, and decorate with holly berries and pine to create a holiday feeling,” says Goldfinger.

Something edible and sweet always hits the right holiday notes.

Corresponding Accessories

Playing with casino chips for the holiday is an assured bet, especially when grouped with corresponding accessories. Ideal pairings are vintage Christmas tree ornaments, which create an attractive interplay of color and texture. For our dessert table, they add the right spot of color and intrigue to personalize the setting, allowing guests to spark conversation. Pull in some vintage French money, holiday greenery, and delicacies along with beautifully colored chocolate boxes that support the theme and you will have a table like no other.

Resources

Vintage casino chips and French francs: Paris Hotel Boutique

Chocolate boxes: Louis Sherry

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11/15/2018

The Importance of Lighting a Home: Experts Weigh In

Once we flipped a switch to light a room, a non-nondescript fixture that looked like an upside down crystal ball. Now lighting has evolved into artful objects that do everything from change colors, adjust remotely, and can uplift a grouchy mood. It’s no wonder that Sotheby’s has cast light on the category. The fine auctioneer known for selling the world’s most sought after luxury items by prodding the highest bid until the gavel strikes recently acquired Viyet. Their direction seals lighting’s importance as a lifestyle necessity while upholding quality and provenance.

An art filled living room is given the right jolt of color and design by the inclusion of the Francois seagrass chandelier by Au Courant Interiors.

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10/18/2018

Time to Winterize Your Home – and We’re Talking Warm, Textured Interiors

Cool weather equates to warm interiors, which is more than simply turning up the heat. Homes that are filled with rich colors, texture and accessories that cannot be sourced. The ideal spaces if you have an afternoon to dwindle and book to finish, which is what the British do so well. Enter Nina Campbell. If designers were to have a monarchy Campbell would be the queen.

A combination of bespoke pieces to unify color and scheme create a personalized Manhattan living room. Photo credit: Joshua McHugh

 

In her new book, Nina Campbell Interior Decoration: Elegance and Ease (Rizzoli, New York), Campbell features a range of international homes from her half-century career. Her inauguration to the trade began with such firms as Colefax & Fowler and Mark Birley before embarking on her own interiors firm. The designer’s esteemed pedigree infuses her designs. The rooms are cozy without diminishing their elegance. Detailing abounds with matching lamps, weighty window treatments and portraits of mannered ancestors blocked within heavy frames. Despite her layered technique, the style lacks museum-quality fussiness due to their inclusion of fresh colors and a stealth addition of a modern pattern or accent. Perfect for gatherings with guests who you rather not see leave.

Campbell has worked with an exclusive clientele that includes everyone from Rod Stewart to the Duke and Duchess of York. She came to be identified as the arbiter of traditional English style for the dweller who craves their own personal interpretation of the cultivated design no matter where their home may be pitched. Campbell is a firm believer of the collaborative process so the client can tailor her oeuvre in a way that connects to their lifestyle.

Classic English design realized in this elegant bedroom. Photo credit: Bethany Nauert

 

3 Design Traits that Hallmark a Nina Campbell Space:
  1. The home is a series of rooms that can remain connected with a unified color or pattern.
  2. Take classic elements into the present day with an attention to modern elements and understated luxuries.
  3. Create spaces with fine detailing and craftsmanship by adding specified joinery and bespoke pieces.

    An example of Campbell’s balance between wit and function via an injection of contemporary patterns and reflective mirrors aside open windows to bring in more light and the illusion of a larger space. Photo credit: Simon Brown

 

A home with Campbell’s imprint will make a confirmed minimalist reconsider their aesthetic. Though cluttered spaces they are not. Every piece has a deliberate purpose in relation to the overall scheme. The design mentality is less concerned about square footage allotted to garage space yet reveres craftsmanship. Comfort and style coexist, diminishing the likelihood of a seasonal redesign.

Scenes from Nina Campbell’s comfortable and classic British childhood. Photo credit: Collection of Nina Campbell

Resources:

Nina Campbell Interior Decoration: Elegance and Ease: Rizzoli, New York

 

 

 

 

 

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Posted By
10/02/2018

Pink – So Misunderstood

Pink has a lot in common with the dumb blonde who’s really smart–seems like fluff and fun but there’s a deeper side. Pink’s association as the signature shade to announce the birth of a girl connects it to all things girly. Pink ribbons, lipgloss, frosted cupcakes and a young girl’s bedroom accented with fairy lights and unicorns further portray the color as ultra feminine. Though pink has grown up and, historically, has had diverse connotations. Says Valerie Steele, chief curator of FIT in her new book Pink: The History of a Punk, Pretty, Powerful Color, “The stereotype of pink-for-girls and blue-for-boys may be ubiquitous today, but it only gained traction in the mid-twentieth century.” 

Fenty Puma by Rihanna, Spring/Summer 2017. Photography: Tim Walker. Stylist: Jacob K. Creative direction: Rihanna. Photo courtesy of Puma.

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09/11/2018

We Love Great Legs – And We’re Talking Furniture

Great legs aren’t designated to models and paleo dieters, they are also a covetable feature in home decor. Jenny Lind furnishings is a popular design, which has carved, knobby legs that look like a stack of Christmas ornaments. (The name is attributed to the Swedish opera singer who was the Victorian’s version of Beyonce due to her fame as a Barnum headliner.) The style evoked the cottage elegance of New England summer homes of the time. Today the look still reigns and is fashioned for a contemporary aesthetic. You’ll find pieces with slim silhouettes, bright colors, and varying scales to mark a designed quality to any space.

The Polly platform bed by AllModern shows how an inspired palette can command a look.

Slim Based Furniture Must-Haves

 

  1. Lucano Two-Step Stool 2. DaVinci Baby Changing Table 3. Grand in Road Victoria Side Chair 4. Bed Bath & Beyond Platform Bed 5. Home Meridian 3-Drawer Dresser 6. Ashley Furniture Metal Bed 7. Crate & Barrel Lamp 8. AllModern 3-in-1 Convertible Crib 9. Crate & Barrel Bookcase 10. Sauder Side Table

 

Resources:

Polly Platform Bed: AllModern

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Posted By
08/29/2018

No-Fail Styling Tip: Add Art and Accessorize

Experiencing a decor crisis? A challenging space that craves more than a house plant and sweet picture of the seashore? Add art and accessorize, which is a dependable prescription to any design dilemma. Overlooked areas can bedevil the most accomplished designers, which is why enlisting dependable accents can guarantee a designed home.

In the “calm room” an interplay of accessories and art are stitched together to create a playful theme of color and comfort.

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Posted By
08/21/2018

Simple Ways to Update a Dated Space

The Laguna Beach home I fell for was retro. Though not from the cool glimmer of a disco ball or vivid Pucci print, it was an artifact proving that mustard yellow and linoleum floors were once design darlings. The challenge in transforming a Brady Bunch beach house from its 70’s grooviness to the present began with freshening up the walls with gallons of white paint. To further update the space, green floors were ripped away and replaced with a light shade of maple. Once dated elements were removed the rooms glowed, putting to proper use its walls of windows and Pacific Coast sunlight.

A change of paint color, flooring and an attention to accents and furnishings update a space.

While making decor alterations to the home may not seem as simple as adding jewelry to an outfit, the process is refreshingly similar. Begin with a basic scheme that relates to your personal style and embellish. Design with a modern palette that you can live with. I am a believer in using white as your canvas and accentuate with color. Consider your scheme, budget, and source the accents that will support your direction. A worthwhile expense was to reupholster the bristly green bench fabric with a lighter color in a current print, providing interest and comfort, and updates the space.

A wood burning fireplace is a sought after vintage piece though its original coloring has a lot to be desired. Embrace what you have and adjust your scheme so the installation blends.

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Posted By
08/14/2018

10 Tips to Creating a Styled Vignette

An expertly styled vignette is not a daunting compilation of luxurious items only mastered by stylists in skinny pants. Walk through your home and details for a curated display abound. Use personal belongings as props for an artistic setting since they were sourced by you, acquired and kept because they convey your stylistic language. Pull in other elements to help build your visual, like baked goods or personal memorabilia, and you’ll achieve a grouping that’s second to none.

Creating a styled vignette will add interest to everyday items.

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Posted By
07/24/2018

Block Prints Command Summer Style

There’s a profile attached to those who adore block prints, showing a devotion to the design like titled ladies who dwell in homes heavy on chintz. Though it lends a more relaxed environment over a floral manor house jammed with twee and portraits of relations who married cousins. Hand block printing is a centuries-old trade originating in India and Asia, further stretching to other parts of the world, which uses ink dyed woodcuts to embellish material for an artisanal quality. 

Block prints is versatile with a casual, organic style.

 

The textiles are typically little girl’s nightgown soft, designed in a range of color combinations, which elevate the piece to heirloom material. Indicative of boho or surfer style, it also has an elegant side that Julia Amory, Founder of India Amory, does so well in her collections. “Block prints are whimsical and casual but mixes so elegantly with more formal pieces,” says Julia. “It’s the perfect backdrop for a slightly undone summer table. Never to formal or overdone”

Julia Amory sets an en plein air table that mixes classic elements with haute earthy touches. Even the way she dresses relates to the theme, as seen in her barefoot ladylike style. Photo courtesy of India Amory.

 

Hand block prints are a dependable element to enliven an ensemble. “Our block prints incorporate elements of traditional Indian design in a fresh and playful way,” says Julia. We rely on inspiration from provincial French block print design as well.” Contemporary block prints tap into this traditional method for a modern effect, which any gypsy with a penchant for luxury will love.

Our favorite hand block prints finds:
  1. John Robshaw towels 2. Tilonia Sprig linen set 3. Block Shop textiles runner 4. Roberta Roller Rabbit pillow cover 5. Cambria quilt 6. Petite Croix napkins 7. Kalyana Textiles quilt 8. Kariby Krity napkin set 9. India Amory pareo 10. Kari Fisher Designs swatches 11. Mia + Finn scarf  12. Kerry Cassill pillowcase 13. Clay McLaurin fabric 14. Pom Pom at home shower curtain 15. Soane UK fabric 16. Natural Quilts quilt
Posted By
07/02/2018

Why Stripes Will Always Be Classic

Show your stripes and we do not mean simply in a patriotic way. Architects of the American flag secured a classic when stitching thirteen red and white lines to create one striking symbol. The pattern has movement, adding adornment on everything from wallpaper to phone cases. Stripes inject instant chic to an otherwise unmotivated ensemble. Wear stripes with denim and you have casual cool. Pair a striped dress with leather sandals and Mediterranean flair happens. Dress a pig in stripes… You get it.  

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