Greek Details

I love this room because…
It represents a typical Greek house where the rooms have a restrained look, with simple whitewashed, almost sculptural, interior walls that lead to an open central courtyard.

Perhaps this room was once a storage room turned into a sitting room, where cushions and big pillows covered the platform allowing the residents to sit, recline, eat, and drink. Its seclusion from the noise and traffic of the rest of the house creates an alcove feel perfect for relaxation.

Photo courtesy of Camera press

Happy Holidays

I would like to extend my very best wishes for a wonderful holiday season and a happy and peaceful 2013. A special appreciation is expressed, and a heartfelt thank you to all my dear readers for your continual support.

  Photography by Rupert Tenison

A Holiday Mantel

The always sought after fireplace and its mantel can be the heart of any room. In addition to being an added source of our basic needs of heat and light, it can create a wonderful holiday focal point.

So how to accent the mantel for Christmas?

With a touch of nature

 With a garland of flowers

                                                   With a garland of berries

With personal mementos

With elegant stockings

With candles and holiday gifts

They are all certainly heartwarming…

Photo 1 courtesy of Veranda, designer Lisa Luby Ryan, photography by Erica George Dines
Photo 2 courtesy of Southern Accents, designer Pamela Pierce, photography by Tria Giovan
Photo 3 courtesy of Veranda , designer Renny Reynolds, photography by Thibault Jeanson
Photo 4 The White House 2009, photography by Chuck Kennedy
Photo 5 courtesy of Victoria,photography Jim Bastardo
Photo 6 Christmas with Southern Living2009
Photo 7 designer Carolyne Roehm, photography by Sylvie Becquet

Fashion

With our constant fascination with dress, observation of fabric, and the manner of its use, drawing inspiration from the world of fashion into the world of interior design unsurprisingly remains a constant.

I recently discovered a newly published book titled Fashion: The Definitive History of Costume and Style. This wonderful book has been produced in association with the Smithsonian Institution and forwarded by Susan Brown.

The book is brimming with design inspirations, detailing the history of fashion design from ancient times to the 21st century for both men and women.

Here is a glimpse of the wealth of information and the visual history this book provides.

The elegant male 1930-1940

The elegant cocktail dresses and the couture gowns of the fifties

Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution
Photo 1 jacket image : Corbis : Condé Nast Archive
Photos 2,3,4 my apologies for not  being able to identify the exact source

Red Does It All

I have always loved this red room designed by the design legend David Hicks, in which the red color defined and filled the space with excitement. This is a great example of careful planning- a perfect English red room, both balanced and classically styled.

The room was divided by the contrasting colors of red and white. The light colored ceiling and molding makes the ceiling appear higher. The dark fireplace was accentuated by the dark artwork, which was carried vertically, creating a beautifully symmetrical interior.

As for the lighting, as typical of traditional interiors, it feels like it was lit by candles, which makes the colors even more vivid.

Here are more examples of red rooms. Enjoy!
 

Photo 1 photography by Derry Moore
Photo 2 designer Jacques Garcia, photography by Jean- Francois Jaussaud
Photo 3 designer Gérard Trémolet, photography by René Stoeltie
Photo 4 designer Mark Hampton, photography Peter Vitale

Beyond the Exquisite at Hillwood Museum

The Hillwood Museum’s new exhibition Prêt-à-Papier is now on view until December 30 of this year. For the first time in Washington D.C., the Belgian artist Isabelle De Borchgrave displays her paper fashion collection derived from the history of fashion.

Inspired by European painting and fashion, the exhibition starts by highlighting the materials, methods, tools, and techniques used by the skillful hands of the artist and her team. By using the method of trompe l’oeil, opulent gowns, shoes, and dresses from the early twentieth century were created.

Yes...It's paper!

Isabelle De Borchgrave’s fascination with the dress and her interpretations of it are remarkable- she creates such delicate pieces that simultaneously have a powerful impact.

Some of the gowns are on view in the Adirondack building and exhibited in different rooms around the mansion.

Photos 1,2 photography by Alain Speltdoorn, courtesy of Hillwood Museum

Post Modernist Detail

By referring to the past in a modern interior, this oversized pediment was a historical embrace that brought back familiar ornamentation to the modern library designed by architect Charles Moore.

The postmodern style started in the seventies as the new way of thinking in design. Aside from creating design solutions to reach the different heights of shelves in this library, classical concepts were reintroduced…

Photo courtesy of House & Garden, photography by Tim Street- Porter