What's kitchen character? It’s the idea of using one unique element to make a kitchen memorable. Too often these days I see kitchens that are sadly cookie cutter. They often look so similar they become formulaic whether they are the classic all-white kitchen, black and white, wood tone, or one of the popular muted colors such as gray or pale green. Creating kitchen character … [Read more...]
High Gloss Ceilings
High gloss painted ceilings are viewed as glamorous, light catching, enlarging and energizing in any room. Paint is the least expensive and most powerful way to transform a room. But who wants to bother with the time and expense of high gloss ceilings? Smart designers do. Lacquer-like painted ceilings are gaining attention for their high octane impact even though they require … [Read more...]
Stone Bridge Dining Room
A renowned designer created a unique stone bridge dining room in a 17th C service passageway. An unforgettably unique and beautiful dining room occupies the lower level of a weathered stone bridge that spans the moat of the 17th century Château du Maris, 30 miles south of Paris. Formerly a service passage connecting two wings of the chateau, the the bridge is graced by an … [Read more...]
Vibrant Blue Kitchens
One of the easiest — and one of the most difficult — colors to imagine in a kitchen is vibrant blue. By that I mean saturated blue and blue-green which are cool colors that read hot. That’s because they are intense rather than muted. Vibrant blue and blue-greens are the anti-neutrals. We don’t see vibrant blue kitchens very often but when we do, it’s color-lover's … [Read more...]
Nate Berkus’ Greenhouse Kitchen
Glamorous but family-friendly, Nate's new black and white greenhouse kitchen is designer-smart x two. Celebrity designer Nate Berkus and his husband designer Jeremiah Brent have a stunning black and white greenhouse kitchen [top] in their newly renovated penthouse on Fifth Avenue, in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village. The showstopper feature is the 17-foot long curved glass … [Read more...]
Celebrity Kitchens Are Just Like Ours
Are celebrity kitchens just like ours? The answer is yes, and why is something of a surprise. When I saw these four celebrity kitchens in Architectural Digest I thought to myself: they re not especially formal, they have a variety of styles, and they were created according to the needs and wishes of the owners. That's what makes them just like ours. Take the all-white … [Read more...]
All Green Gardens
Some crave neutral interiors and want color in the garden. I like the reverse -- all green gardens. At this time of the year – the first official day of summer – my focus naturally turns to gardens. Even though I’ve freely admitted in the past that I Hate Gardening and I’m tragically allergic to mosquito bites, I’m an ardent admirer of beautiful outdoor spaces. For a long … [Read more...]
Mid-Century Furniture Updated
Classically styled, new mid-century furniture focuses on elegant finishes and contemporary fabrics. Although modern mid-century furniture has been a style favorite for many decades, its clean lines have left many of the younger buyers cold. That's about to change. DwellStudio has updated some of the classic mid-2oth century shapes for a new collection. It's Dwell's first … [Read more...]
Color Scheme Ideas
Inspiration for color scheme ideas often can be found in unexpected places. Several friends have asked me recently how I come up with ideas week after week. A previous post -- Citrus Color Twists -- was inspired by a bag of M&M's. I've been experiencing a bit of writer's block lately so I started going through magazines that needed to be recycled. I noticed a full page … [Read more...]
Screen Porch Heaven
Summer is prime time for using a screen porch, the ultimate indoor-outdoor room. Like a gossamer cage, a screen porch encloses a space yet rarely limits it. Anyone who has spent a warm afternoon or a brisk evening in one of these airy rooms that magically exist without walls or window glass knows the joy of feeling the flow of air while enjoying the view. Naturally, the … [Read more...]
Cool Blue Decorating
From baby to navy, cool blue remains a favorite color for family spaces. Call it a neutral. This freshly decorated outdoor pool house is saturated in color. Cool blues are accompanied by bright white and silver to create a soothing space. An over-sized painting by artist Gary Simmons adds a cool blue graphic punch. The horizontal lines of the sofa fabric and pillows are … [Read more...]
Repurposing Vintage Wooden Shutters
How detailed exterior vintage wooden shutters can be remade for interior use. After I shared my search for os de mouton chairs, I received several emails asking about the vintage wooden shutters door to the right of our fireplace. The space was originally intended to be a guest coat closet. Since we were able to add a closet to our back hallway, we had another use in mind … [Read more...]
Silver Ceilings
My fascination with silver ceilings began when I watched my dad use silver leaf on old furniture. My Dad would have loved these silver ceilings. He always had a project or two going. I remember watching him painstakingly apply the sizing (adhesive) then position oddly fragile, 4-inch silver leaf squares on a chest of drawers, peeling away the paper around them and testing out … [Read more...]
Picture Wall Sets
Picture wall sets make an impact with their multiple rows and same size frames. After a picture wall set of six antique Alexandre Bivort prints in my dining room (I purchased them at auction last January), I began exploring what to do on the adjacent wall. I still haven’t decided but a glimpse of a dining room picture wall in a favorite TV show, The Good Wife, made me think of … [Read more...]
