Attic Design

With the holiday season fast approaching, finding the extra room to accommodate family members and close friends is a luxury by itself.

I came across these wonderful photos of an attic, which was used as a residence in France, designed by Christian Badin. Aside from using the attic for storage in a house,  converting an attic can be quite an investment.

 In this living room, light was nicely provided by the windows. The crisp white walls and ceiling made it look more spacious. Bookshelves were built around the door, providing color, storage, and interest, in addition to creating charm for the connecting room (the bedroom).

Notice the staircase on the right side; it leads up to a bathroom. Because of lack of space, symmetry was created by adding more shelves on the slightly upper level, which made it look cohesive.

 

 As for the elegant bedroom, it was covered with paisley, as you can see above. Its continuous pattern on the walls, drapery, and upholstery helped harmonize the traditional bedroom.

 The collaborative approach between the designer and the architect led to an effective use of the space for occupants, creating a comfortable and chic attic.

Photography by Roland Beaufre 

Afternoon Tea

Being a confirmed tea drinker, I have to start my day with a hot cup of tea. I think it’s a wonderful way to start and break the day, a time to slow down, or maybe conduct business over afternoon tea. However, with busy lives and schedules, does the afternoon tea ritual still exist?

The ritual of afternoon tea started in England in 1840 when the seventh duchess of Bedford needed some refreshments between lunch and late dinner. So, she requested to have tea, bread, butter and cake in her room.

Later, society women in the Victorian era started dressing up in special gowns to enjoy their tea, sandwiches, and cake in the drawing room. Eventually, drinking the afternoon tea became a national pastime.

The Milestone Hotel in London

The pleasure of taking tea is still being honored in hotels, mansions, museums and tearooms around the world

If you’re a tea lover, I think you’ll enjoy reading a book titled Tea & Etiquette written by Dorothea Johnson the founder of The Protocol School of Washington and Bruce Richardson, the author of many books about tea.

This book takes a fresh look at the ritual, and directs you on how to take tea for business and pleasure—in addition to detailing tea history and tales. The back cover says: Forget about all those raised pinkies- teatime can be gracious without being pretentious.

Photo 1,2 courtesy of Victoria, photography by Toshi Otsuki
 Photo 3 courtesy of Architectural Digest, photography by Scott Frances

Reaching High

In the eighteenth century, European nobility sought to expand their knowledge by studying literature, maps and touring countries around the world. Those travels led to accumulating books. Since books were more available, cabinetmakers started creating library furniture and built in bookcases to display the books in private homes, and in high ceiling rooms, ladders were a must.

Ladders come in different woods and finishes. By using them in interiors, it allows the use of every inch of the space. At the same time, it brings character, luxury, and maximizes storage where ever they are used:

Among books in the library

 In the butler's pantry

                          In the guest room                   

                     

In the bedroom

 In the office

Photo 1 courtesy of House Beautiful, photography by William P. Steele

Photo 2 designer Charlotte Moss, photography Pieter Estersohn

Photo 3 designer Bunny Williams, photography by Fritz Von Der Shulenberg

Photo 4 courtesy of House Beautiful , photography by William Waldron

Photo 5 courtesy of House Beautiful , designer Milly De Cabrol, photography by Thomas Loop

Photo 6 unknown

A Love for Books

I grew up in a home where education, and along with that collecting books, took precedence. My father had an extensive library of books that covered different topics and passions. My father, who was rarely without a book in hand, instilled my love for reading, and the constant desire to hunt for books.

In design, books are considered details that reflect the owner’s taste and interests. Designers always seek to display books in an unexpected way- whether in a bookcase, on a table, a chair, or simply on the floor. Stack them according to color, size, or subject and let the books speak volumes.

The antiqued mirror tiles on the ceiling gives the illusion of a bigger book collection, courtesy of House Beautiful, photography by Buff Strickland

Designer Stephen Shubel, photography by David Livingston

An architectural touch plus a wall of books in a Swedish loft...courtesy of House Beautiful, photography by Jan Tham

The Viceroy Hotel's study with the diagonal shelves... adds energy to the room.

Designed by Kelly Wearstler, photography by Grey Crawford

Photo 1 photography by Gilles Trillard

Classic Meets Modern

I always gravitate toward rooms that portray a clean, classic, and sophisticated design that has the mix of the old and the new, a wonderful balance between the past and the present.

In designing this boardroom, Anouska Hempel Design was faced with building restrictions, which would not allow the installation of bookcases on the floor, or making any changes to the ceiling.

Creativity took precedence, in order to retain the integrity of the eighteenth-century room, furniture designer Tim Gosling collaborated by designing lacquered bookcases which were supported by a base of steel plates. In the end an exquisite and a harmonious space was created.

Photography by Ray Main

The Great Lady Decorators

I recently purchased a great design book titled The Great Lady Decorators: The Women Who Defined Interior Design, 1870-1955. The book, written by Adam Lewis, is a tribute to all the pioneer women who became active in the field of design and interior decorating during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, from Candace Wheeler, Elsie De Wolf to Sister Parish. The book contains amazing illustrations by Jeremiah Goodman, and a foreword by Bunny Williams.

In the acknowledgment page, Lewis wrote:
“It would have been a far more difficult task to write this book without Albert Hadley. He knew each of the Great Lady Decorators personally, visited their shops, and was a guest in their homes.”

Being an admirer of design icons who paved the way to establishing interior design as a profession-from whom we learn so much in their varying points of view- I can only imagine knowing Albert Hadley, let alone others like Ruby Ross Wood, Elsie Cobb Wilson, Dorothy Draper, Frances Elkins, Rose Cumming, Thedlow and Marian Hall, Syrie Maugham, Nancy Lancaster, Madeleine Castaing, and Eleanor Brown.

Photography by  Amal for Picture of Elegance Blog

Distinctive Books

This amazing building displaying a beautiful row of books is the Kansas City Public Library’s parking garage in Kansas City, MO. The building was built in 2004, and the local residents voted on which books would be displayed on the facade. One of the books is the biography of President Harry S. Truman, who was a Missouri native.

Photography by Jonathan Moreau via Flickr