Fussy rooms are often heavily layered but for some that means warm and elegant. I’ve been suffering from an acute case of clutteritis, mood that pushed me to a hard appraisal of what I need and what needs to go. At one stage earlier this year I found little comfort in anything but Minimal Furniture. But after a huge house sale and a highly successful week selling the first of … [Read more...]
Bedroom Backdrops
Creating a bedroom accent wall behind the bed adds a stylistic backdrop and a tone for the room. “Well, duh,” you may be thinking. Creating a bedroom accent wall wasn’t that obvious to me. When repainting my bedroom I was mainly focused on finding a fresh color without making radical changes in the headboard or bedding. But having seen so many hideous painted, patterned or … [Read more...]
Diva Closets
Open or concealed? Room-size closets are all about the basic approach. When closets are turned into a full-fledged rooms complete with lighting, special storage or other clever ideas, I think of them as diva or Hollywood closets. And I’m always fascinated by the special features. In Los Angeles, room-size closets are more or less standard for actors, entertainers and fashion … [Read more...]
French Checkerboard Kitchen
Checkerboard tile, worked two ways, creates black and white visual "wow". A top European designer, the late Alberto Pinto, pushed the black and white checkerboard tile theme to the max in his own Parisian penthouse kitchen. Large-scale black and white tile, worked in a staggered pattern is used on the entire sink wall (right) all along the range wall (left) and in the butler's … [Read more...]
Moorish Tub Bathroom
Custom woodwork and exotic tiles create an exotic Moorish tub. Elaborate, unique and as cozy as a canopy bed, the tub in this bathroom has a unique and unforgettable style. The late Paris-based designer Alberto Pinto created it for a villa in Tunisia. Placing the tub in an elaborate niche, Pinto wrapped Moroccan tiles, with a small geometric, pattern around three walls. … [Read more...]