Showing posts with label home decor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label home decor. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

How to Reimagine a Dated Fireplace - A Lesson in Interior Design



After the Paint and re-design but previously ----




This was the old fireplace "before" or the "mid-before" - after the first deconstruction 

Oh, if I’d had a dime for every minute I spent designing the interior decor around a dated piece of a pre-renovation, fixer-upper element of our country house home. 


We inherited a fireplace that extends from floor to ceiling. The imposing structural piece sported what is commonly referenced as a 70’s harvest gold influence - even though the fireplace might’ve been there since the house was first built in the swinging 60’s.

First the paint: Gold? Terracotta? Putty? Beige?



I posted color swatches

I looked to color coordinate the gold stones with a complimentary wall color that would also work with the butter yellow of the kitchen, the dreamy blue quartz island and counter tops, and the dining space that are part of the area’s open floor plan.

We worked the furniture reupholstery swatches

We chose the French blue and yellow and gold tailored fabric to redo the two couches.



From the copper inserts in the new tile floor to the rich, jewel-toned coppery, nutty-colored fabrics…

I was coming around to be quite satisfied that the blue and gold and yellows and the brown wood of our new, antique table, were working together nicely.



Eventually, the colors, including the new putty or terracotta - or is it cinnabar? - of the new rug - all came together. That element, along with the textures was balanced and well, rewarding.

I very much subscribe to the Dorothy Draper style of orchestrating adjacent rooms that allow the flow for the eyes -- and the experience -- to gracefully unfold and moreover - move you through from one space to another.

I had managed to go from a soft blue in the entry hallway to the soft, butter yellow to gold - onto to that melon/terracotta/sunrise-inspired saturated “glow” color of the Garden Room beyond.



So life went on. Terrific tablescapes; divine dining…



But then, maybe four or so years later, while enjoying one of my “Ladies Who Lunch” with an award-winning interior designer, Mary Fran - who I was introduced to by another accomplished woman - seamstress and designer Aimee Humphreys (Love a good “Ladies Network”) - that the design look took a decided turn. For the better.

For those who don’t follow regularly - I am so committed to learning from great, accomplished, artful women that I schedule as many “Ladies Who Lunch” experiences as I can. I’m always open to learning and seeking the counsel and advice of experts - especially the best dames. I continually long for more…
Back to the design issue at hand.

While Mary Fran and I were touring my house and garden designs - the inspired design epiphany floated in.

Allow me to readily admit that Bill and my taste runs to the eclectic. Each and every element is hand-picked, artisanal, unique -- utterly charming and sophisticated and elegant and personal; over time, reviewed by media and friends and family alike - as top-tier… We so appreciate and are so grateful for the decor feedback… It’s been a true labor of love creating the look.

Yet, you can understand when I say there could’ve been some awkward moments showing a professional interior designer my own designs and compositions. But there wasn’t any of that. Just lots of mutual, simpatico, love of interior and exterior design.

Winding up the tour, I asked Mary Fran: “Anything you want to critique - feel free to suggest and share…”

And then, so gently and honestly and refreshingly, Mary Fran flicked her decor head, nodding towards the end of the room to answer my challenge. “I’d paint the fireplace.”

What?! I eagerly replied. Followed by a quick, “How can we do that?”

“Simple,” Mary Fran said. “ Just like you had your front-of-house bricks painted, here too you can paint the fireplace stones.”

The logic was embarrassingly overwhelming. A head-smacking epiphany.

Here it was. A timely design alternative.

Now that I learned I could readily paint those buggery gold harvest stones, I was design engerized.

Happy day! I was excited to change the room’s look to better enhance the elegance of the room; to coordinate the true decor and spirited ambience, with the open space kitchen and dining area that embraces the fireplace.

I eagerly headed to select a palette of blue-grey paint colors.




I monitored the painter and the application of the variety of the different paints to achieve the subtle hues and shades to achieve the natural grey/blue/slate look, including the hearth.



Bill painted the fireplace grill a basic, sophisticated matte black.

Now, the wall behind the fireplace could be completed -- and painted to compliment with the other kitchen and dining room’s pale sweet butter-colored walls. Voila!



The change has most assuredly updated and changed the look of the entire space. We love it. And in fact, the change prompted me to reconsider the color palette of the furniture. I determined we could redo the couch that’s there - giving it a more tailored look and new fabric, along with the dining room seats.

I visited my go-to fabric emporium here in Gotham, Mood Fabrics --

home of Project Runway - and the cutest, most revered pooch, “Swatches.”



I came away with a valise full of fabric swatches to consider and rifled through them in situ - and surprisingly came to choose the fabric for the seat and reconfigured couch rather quickly. Both are a kind of textured, almost ultrasuede, in two different soft shades of a blue-ish, grey-ish, green-ish celadon.

Now, the colors better capture the greys and blues and seafoam of the fireplace - and the persian rug under the dining table -- and ultimately to the water views just beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows that face the dining room and kitchen. Do you want to see?


   






And we retained that iconic Dorothy Draper room flow that leads the eye



Thank you, Mary Fran. I couldn’t have been more appreciative and honored.

Until -- until I saw Mary Fran featured in NJ Design Magazine! She’s a star.

And I was lucky she was in my constellation. I love the design community - so creative and giving.




So glamorous…

Sunday, March 25, 2018

Dining by Design DIFFA Tablescapes at the Architectural Digest Design Show

Benjamin Moore’s “Caliente” Dining by Design Tablescape

The Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS (DIFFA) Dining by Design tablescapes are an over the top, giddy highlight of the annual Architectural Digest Show. While this is a fundraiser and a serious cause that deserves our continued support, t’s a key feature of the AD Show and shouldn’t be missed. If you love tablescapes and table designs and entertaining - this is the Architectural Digest Show you must see. 


Our press tour provided a sneak peek of the styled vignettes with a poignant AIDS message rendered in a tablescape design, with access to the designers who shared their inspiration and design elements.


Benjamin Moore. (I have these same Moroccan candles in a variety of gem tones!) The Caliente color was a radiant highlight of the “Night in Tangiers” tablescape theme.

The most romantic, dreamy tablescape was created by one of my favorites: Ralph Lauren Home. Their entry was inspired by Lauren’s Paris courtyard restaurant. The blue-hued vignette featured four different patterns to mix and match: new blue ticking, the brand’s new blue and white graphic Cote d'Azur plates that look crisp and inviting as a classic still life - especially with the blue and white hydrangea centerpiece. Lauren also introduced basket weave wine totes with blue and white linings. Loved the campaign table composition with the wine totes and accessories.





Crate & Barrel Tablescape design amplifies the brand’s iconic ampersand - and a clean, sophisticated, graphic look in the brand's endiuring Black and White color combo. Emerald green banquettes are available as a classic, custom-design, and all the other products are for purchase now.

The porcelain radial design at Florim4Architects who partnered with Studio TK/Teknion included a "timeless" and fabulous creative: a round dining pavilion featuring the brand’s porcelain tiles in shades of grey on a low table with seat puffs. The napkin rings are a stroke of genius -- watches! The timepieces amplify the time theme. All the tabletop items are Crate & Barrel.







One Kings Lane - a serene space inspired by a Moroccan theme with lots of layers and their outdoor rattan furniture.



The Sunbrella tablescape was warm and more formal tablescape, featuring their iconic sunset/sunrise turquoise and orange colors. Love the ranunculus floral centerpieces flanked by artful gallery busts by . The chairs were covered in embroidered names of famous artists.



This whimsical twist on a Vermeer Dutch master was elegant and sophisticated is from the Rottet Studio. Note the classic fruit and flower still life centerpiece. A mix of black and plum colors in lacquer and other finishes; grape wisteria accessorize the walls; Fendi Casi chairs are sublime.  And the twist on the "Girl with a Pearl" painting is hilarious - look close and you see she's wearing a plastic bag on her head! Love it.



Inspired by Spring is Luxe Magazine’s fantasy cocoon designed by Wesley Moore. From the floral chandelier to the Cowtan & Tout fabrics and layered china -- this is an inspired display.

Be sure to spend time at the DIFFA tablescape show for ideas and entertainment. In addition, you can bid on the silent auction items. It’s for a good cause.

And what could be more key to tablescapes than the actual table?  In a gesture of true "Table Manners" - Top Reveal's senior editor, Kate Evans, saw this post and reached out to tip me off to her curated list of top table furniture finds for the home.  Thanks for the Garden Glamour, love, Kate!  I like your style! And after perusing your list, I am hard-pressed to choose which one I like best; however I am taken with the Chevron, Vintage, and Classy Round designs.  Those looks called out to me.

Back to DIFFA. A portion of the proceeds from all ticket sales benefits Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS (DIFFA). To learn more about DIFFA, visit DIFFA.org. I did two years ago and while it was a nail-biter of a finale - and more than a bit over my budget (!) - I have never regretted the purchase and adore my peacock Lenox china service; the table settings are an enduring, delightful, and elegant design element to my own inspired tablescapes.

To purchase tickets, visit ADDesignShow.com.

About DIFFA

DIFFA Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS raises awareness and grants funds to organizations that fight HIV/AIDS by providing treatment and direct-care services for people living with or impacted by the disease, offering preventative education programs targeted to populations at risk of infection, or supporting public policy initiatives. DIFFA is one of the largest funders of HIV/AIDS service and education programs in the U.S., mobilizing the immense resources and creativity of the design community. Since its founding in 1984, DIFFA has emerged from a grassroots organization into a national foundation based in New York City with chapters and community partners across the country that working together provided more than $42 million to hundreds of HIV/AIDS organizations nationwide. To learn more, visit diffa.org.

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Nora Ephron Loved Food and Gardens and Home Decor


I miss her.
Nora, that is. 

This home renovation diary honors Nora Ephron.  

She brought laughter to us through her writing for the big screen and her books and blogs.   

I am still saddened for our collective loss.

Nora created authentic, inimitable, champagne-bubbly and martini-sophisticate narratives in her literary and cinematic work.

Further, I love that the New York Times championed her career as “a journalist, a blogger, an essayist, a novelist and a playwright, an Oscar-nominated screenwriter and a movie director.”
(What blogger and writer doesn’t like to hear that career hat noted?)

Nora was a dame. 
She was funny, smart and spot-on when it came to showcasing and illuminating contemporary fin de siècle home décor and food and an enriched homegrown lifestyle. 

Over the years I’ve read some critic’s reviews that said her movies showcased a too-perfect world of garden and home design.    
They said the worlds she created were not real or average. 
Really?
The world of cinema is magic.  And aspirational.
And I for one am thrilled that she touched a nerve.

She loved food so much. She wrote that when filming “Julia & Julia” she made sure not use any chimera-inducing sleight of hand. 
The real food was all the magic she needed. She worked all day on the camera angle to get the rich, reach-out-and-taste it epicurean ingredients just write. She fairly danced in the door, exclaiming to her husband that she’d “nailed it.”
Take that action movie men!

I joined the New York Times Nora Ephron book club in order to stay a bit closer to her.
I also pulled an excerpt from a piece written for my other blog, “Master Chefs and their Gardens,” for the cookbook party for both Amanda Hesser and Melissa Clark at Chelsea Market some two years ago…
I saw Nora among the food enthusiasts there. She was enjoying herself immensely and posed gamely for my photos:

Here is the narrative as written then:
Heading for the Luchy’s Whey center table featuring cheese from Cellars at Jasper Hill, I see Nora Ephron.
Nora Ephron at the book signing party.  She was stylish!


I had to tell her I loved her feature article in the December issue of Town & Country.  She smiles and says a sincere “thank you.”  She looks great in person too. (No neck thing whatsoever!)  The T&C story is a Q&A with Ina Garten.  Ina’s publicist doesn’t email anymore…  I asked her to be in the Long Island Homegrown Cookbook and she said yes, then no.  I give up.  So Ina’s not on my favs list. But Nora is.
And I will make a point to attend Nora’s latest play, “Love, Loss, and What I Wore.”

Good listener, too


Upon Nora’s passing, Meryl Streep wrote: “You could call on her for anything: doctors, restaurants, recipes, speeches, or just a few jokes, and we all did it, constantly. “She was an expert in all the departments of living well.”

In her set designs and in her love of food. 
I share Nora’s passion for living well.

Here is an update on our dining room and sitting room as part of the
Home Renovation Diary Update:

The silk duiponni drapes were made from fabric I got from Mood – the same place that the hit TV show “Project Runway” uses. This was unbeknownst to me until I stepped off the elevator to a veritable party and I inquired if I was in the right place.  It’s managed chaos there.  The bulldog “Swatches” is just too cute, keeping a calm eye on all things fabric…
We had to wait some months, because Mood didn’t have enough of the silk drapes for our needs.  Eventually, after some frustrating follow ups, we were back on track and had the drapes in time for the Independence Day fireworks party.  
Wendy, the seamstress, brought the completed drapes.  She is a cutie pie! 


Wendy steamed the ball gown-like drapes.  I wanted them very, very full and the silk fabric allows them to stand on their own – as if a petticoat is underneath supporting the skirt.
When the breeze captures the hem, it’s more than a flirtatious, sexy Marilyn moment…

I designed the valance to be wide enough for the drapes as well as the solar shades behind them – the shades offer protection from the rays of sun to protect the material, the wood of the dining room table – and our skin.  Shades from Smith+Noble.  www.smithandnoble.com



I had to match the switch plates to the wall color.  Things you never think about! 
So on the advice of our electrician, I took a trip to Chinatown's Lendy-- the go-to the place for all things like this.  







More shopping close to home:
The porch is outfitted with a rug we had in the garage. 
I repurposed a cocktail cart, a table, and the small, gurgling fountain for some nice meditative nature sounds.  

In the end, I opted for the light, open-weave Sunbrella outdoor drapes – even though the color was charcoal.  I
However that color was in canvas and I knew it wouldn’t have the same light, see-through, blow-in-the-breeze texture and look.  And the color looks elegant with the black iron furniture and urns. 

I wanted the “walls” of the porch to “drip” with Sunbrella drapes.   The mildew-resistant drapes are ready made with nickel grommets.  This made hanging easy.
So now, when I do my yoga or have a massage, we can “pull” the drapes for added privacy.  Other times, it’s a sensuous design accent.  I secured the drapes from Ballard Designs.   www.ballarddesigns.com  They are very professional and helpful.

The reconstructed terrace was made whole again by the masons – who were quite cruel with the original.  The colors are cool blue and grays.  I thought the succulent plants would play nicely here. The plants’ architecture and color shades are stunning.  
Love these cool blues & ice grays

The new terrace furniture was supposed to be here for Memorial Day!  It’s on back order.  Digits crossed it makes it oh – sometime this summer!
Patience is a virtue with a home renovation…





Nora’s Lists
In her hysterical, fun-read, “I Remember Nothing,” Ephron concludes the book with two lists: things she will not miss and things she will miss. The New York Times concluded its obit with this reference.   “…Of the things she will miss, begins with “my kids” and “Nick” and ends this way:
“Taking a bath
Coming over the bridge to Manhattan
Pie.”
Pie indeed.  As an homage to witty, literary home design and foodie “friend,” we will enjoy homemade blueberry pie.  With a deserved dollop of homemade ice cream… Enjoyed on our new porch.