Wave on Wave

Tobi Fairley's Arkansas home is featured in this month's Traditional Home. While I'd seen many of the rooms before via her online portfolio, I was still excited to see one of my favorite designers featured -- and to see a few "new to me" rooms. Her entryway, with its bold black and white wallpaper is certainly a stunner, but it's actually the Vitruvian scroll molding on the stairs that really caught my attention. What's more, I knew I'd seen it recently in House Beautiful....

With its softer, cooler color palette, this dining room by John Howard (Phoebe Howard's husband) is just about a complete 180 from Fairley's bold entryway, and yet the pattern works just as beautifully here as a subtle nod to the North Carolina home's beach locale.

While the motif has traditionally appeared on architectural friezes, there's no need to restrict the pattern to hard surfaces. In this living room, Katie Ridder creates architecture and movement with draperies edged in Vitruvian srcoll trim.

Want to know more? The pattern is a classic -- literally -- and you'll find it featured prominently on Greco-Roman buildings and mosaics dating back thousands of years. The name Vitruvian Scroll is for Marcus Vitruvius Pollio, a first century B.C.E. Roman architect whose book De Architectura was immensely popular during the Renaissance. And yet, despite its antiquity, the pattern (like greek key, the angular variant of the same scroll motif, which I waxed poetic about HERE) still feels modern and fresh to me. The soft curves of the Vitruvian scroll, however, reads as more feminine, more sensuous. And, since it's not experiencing quite the same level of popularity right now as greek key, it also reads as a bit more unusual.

TradHome

Have you checked out TradHome, the new online decor magazine? It's a collaboration between Lonny Magazine and Traditional Home and I'm loving the fresh, updated take on traditional design. In some ways, the magazine reads much like Traditional Home as it features the work of the magazine's 20 New Traditional Designers, which in itself is great as the short article they usually run in the magazine always leaves me wanting more. Even better though, TradHome takes advantage of its digital medium by incorporating videos (love the short video featuring Jonathan Adler and Charlotte Moss!) and of course tons of visual eye candy in its over 300 pages.

The main feature of this inaugural issue (please say this won't be a one-off!) is the work of the 20 New Traditional Designers, some of whom I was familiar with and love while others were knew to me. Of the 20, my top 5 (old and new) favorites:

Bonesteel Trout Hall

Bonesteel Trout Hall consists of a dynamite trio of interior designers that nails classic Californian style with ease. I love the Moroccan-meets-Western influences of this master bedroom. While there isn't a lot of color, there's a ton of gorgeous textures and intricate details to keep the eye interested. 

Erika Powell

Erika's blog (Urban Grace) was one of the first design blogs I started following back in 2008, when my design obsession first took off. I've followed her career closely ever since and I was so thrilled to see her work featured here. Erika's style is decidedly traditional, but with a casual, beachy vibe that suits her Gulf Coast roots. And need I mention how much I love the vaulted ceiling in this master bedroom? I burn, I pine, I perish...

Jamie Herzlinger

The blue grasscloth wallpaper stopped me in my tracks while the intricate chinoiserie styling of the white chairs left me in a swoon. A rich cranberry velvet seat is a great balance to the blue walls and adds warmth that's nicely played up by the rich dark wood of the table. A modern chandelier is hung high enough not to obstruct the view of the gorgeous feature wall.

Sara Gilbane

Sara Gilbane's portfolio has been in my favorites' folder for some time now, but I love some of the more modern, updated work showcased in TradHome. This living room, which its classic Chesterfield done up in a peacock blue velvet juxtaposed with C. Jere's raindrops sculptures is a great blend of traditional and midcentury modern. Tonal horizontal stripes add subtle pattern and accentuate the high ceilings.

Tilton Fenwick

Another dining room with bold blue walls and white chairs, but this one has an entirely different feel with its luxe beach house look. I absolutely love the strong turquoise wall color, especially against the slick white furniture. Baker's tulip chair is a favorite of mine -- it's got a great classic shape streamlined and updated in a crisp modern lacquer. A white lacquer parsons table has a strong architectural presence that holds its own against (but does not compete with) the chairs' shape. It's "new traditional" at its best.

Have you checked out TradHome yet? If so, what did you think? Who were your favorite New Traditional designers?

Vintage, yet modern kitchen

When you look at shelter magazines and design blogs as much as I do, it can sometimes feel like you've seen absolutely everything before. Been there, done that. Sometimes it feels like the more I dive into design, the harder it is for designers to truly knock my socks off and show me something I haven't seen before. Kitchens and baths seem particularly vulnerable to my growing design ennui as designers and builders continue to cling to the same predictable styles and materials.

But of course, every so often a room comes along that reinforces why I fell in love with interior design  in the first place. This updated vintage kitchen belongs to Bob Williams (of Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams) and it, along with the rest of the home, is featured in this month's Traditional Home. And I love it. The mix of materials, from Carrara marble (an exception to my grip about tiring of seeing the same materials over and over again) to honed granite (a finish I'm loving so much more than polished right now!) and butcher block is superb, especially alongside those dark teal cabinets (brilliant!) and the mix of new and old appliances and lighting. It's the best of vintage and modern and perfectly suits an older, remodeled home. The overall effect is elegant, but also warm, inviting and intensely personal.

The modern red drum shades are a bold touch of color that matches the intensity of the deep teal cabinetry and beautifully sets off the black and white tile floor. The few upper cabinets along the back wall are painted off-white to blend in with the walls and help keep the room feeling open and bright.

While there's a lot to be said for ultra-modern, high tech appliances, they never have quite the same charm as a vintage piece. The concealed vent hood ensures that the focus stays put on the 1930s range.

In yet another nod to the home's period, Williams converted a vintage 1940s walk-in cooler into a pantry. Now how clever is that? I also adore the marble baseboards and wall-to-wall subway tiles. Talk about easy cleanup!

10 Reasons I Love this Master Bedroom

1. The color palette. Wheat and cream punctuated with cool slate blue and rich coffee is soothing, gender neutral and classic. The perfect choice for a master bedroom where you're looking to balance competing tastes and create a sense of calm. 

2. The iron chandelier with wood bead trim (Visual Comfort). It's a wonderful mix of materials that lends the traditional shape a very up-to-date feel.

3. The bold curtains. While the fabrics used on the bed are quiet and monochromatic, the African inspired print from Peter Fasano lends a much needed graphic punch. The dark coffee tone picks up on the dark wood of the bed frame while the slate blue trim ties in with the other blue accents used throughout the space.

4. The ceiling moldings! I'm a sucker for a gorgeous ceiling, and the beautiful trim here is classic, but still streamlined enough to work in a more transitional space.

5. The greek key rug. I'm of the opinion that greek key is a pattern that goes with absolutely everything -- and it's a great way to bring in some geometry when you're working with florals, paisleys or other more intricate (and feminine) patterns. Besides, I love something soft underfoot in the bedroom. 

6. The sunburst mirror. Despite being ubiquitous, sunburst mirrors are still a favorite of mine -- and this one from Ironies is absolutely stunning.

7. The curtains hung around the bed. The oatmeal linen (the same linen used on the duvet) with the wrought-iron hardware is simple and unfussy -- essential for keeping the room more gender neutral and adult. The subtle ribbon and button trim on the drapery adds a touch of glamorous luxury while still keeping the overall look understated. I also like how high they're mounted (to the height of the windows), which accentuate the high ceilings and help balance out the large windows adjacent to the bed.

8. That painting (by Christina Long). While I'm a lover of art for art's sake (and not just for matching your decor), that painting does an outstanding job of bringing together all the colors used in the room. It's also lovely and intriguing in its own right. Bonus: Christina Long's work is also relatively affordable!

9. The beautiful throw pillows. If the bed is the star of a bedroom, then the throw pillows are the star's jewelry -- and it's essential that they shine. The mix of fabrics and styles on these pillows is lovely and tie in the room's color palette without feeling matchy-matchy. Note how the bolster includes a trim reminiscent of the drapery's zebra-inspired print while the euro shams incorporates the embroidered linen on the bed's drapery.

10. In short, this room epitomizes classic, thoughtful design at its best.

Photography Credit: Traditional Home. Interior Design: Amy Bergman.

Introducing High Gloss

I'm so excited that the premier issue of High Gloss, the latest web magazine to hit the virtual newsstands, has arrived. The brainchild of fellow Houstonian blogger Paloma Contreras (of La Dolce Vita), High Gloss is all about interior design, style, fashion and entertaining. HG promises to deliver high style combined with a fresh, stylish (and thankfully, colorful!) perspective that I honestly haven't seen in its competitors (though let's face it, there's always room for another good decor magazine, isn't there?).

Of course, as a contributor for this first issue, I say all this with a wee bit of bias. You can check out my small contribution as the copy writer of the "Modern Makeover" article, which features a truly gorgeous Houston home designed by local favorite Sally Wheat. The home is truly drool-worthy and I've been dying to share it with y'all. 

Of course I'm not going to go and spoil all the surprises now that the issue is up -- you're going to have to go check it out for yourself. I did, however, want to give you a little sneak peek of the living room, with its more traditional bones, modern furnishings and pops of bold color in the accessories. It's chic, but also incredibly livable.

You can also see me on the list of contributors on page 10. Gotta love how I'm astride the virtual fold, right? In any case, I couldn't be happier for Paloma and her fellow editors at the reception the magazine has been receiving. Congratulations, ladies, on a job very well done! And Paloma -- I'm here whenever you need me!

Black Walls: A Lasting Trend?

Kelley Interior Design

More than a decade ago, my cousin painted her small living room black. At the time, I was skeptical, but now it's perfectly clear that she was truly ahead of her time; indeed, in retrospect, those black walls with her black and white toile sofa was super chic).

In any case, black walls have been a growing trend in the design world for several years now and they don't appear to be going anywhere in 2011. I've been a bit slow in embracing this trend (despite my love of darker wall colors like plum, navy and peacock blue), but I can say now that I've fully come around. While I'm not sure how and if I'll work it into my home, I do enjoy coveting some of the amazing rooms that designers have created featuring black walls.

The large bedroom above is an absolute favorite of mine. What I find particularly striking is how light the room feels, despite the dark walls. A good tip for those looking to test out black walls but scared of making a room too dark: keep your ceiling, trim and your floors light. The accents of red in the room, inspired by the black grounded shell motif fabric used throughout the space keep the room from being too monochromatic. Much as I love black and white, I find a total lack of an accent color to be too hard to live with.

Windsor Smith

Black walls really highlight the detailed molding in this small office. The graphic effect is mimicked in the iron windows and wrought iron lantern. I particularly love how Windsor painted the ceiling in a glossy pale blue. It adds a touch of lightness to the space. Oh yeah, and how awesome is that flame stitch office chair?

Atlanta Decorator's Show House

Black is an obvious choice for a study, library or den, where a cozier, darker environment is a welcome respite from a day's worth of work and chores.

Sally Steponkus

If you want the graphic punch but are a bit afraid of feeling closed in, try just painting one wall. I'm not generally a fan of an accent wall, but I do think it works well in a bedroom (of course, you have to put your bed against said accent wall to pull this office!). Of course, the white bed frame and side tables against the dark wall makes the most of both. Remember: it's all about contrast!

Ruthie Sommers (via domino)

Tight spaces can sometimes really benefit from the black wall treatment. It may seem counter intuitive but dark walls can really create a feeling of more space as they recede in the background -- and can highlight other great features like a fun turquoise door or high ceilings.

Sherrill Canet

This dining room is an all-time favorite of mine. The black background of this gorgeous wallpaper modernizes classic Chinoiserie and the silver ceiling generate some serious drama. The more casual dining table and chairs keeps the room from feeling too stuffy. To paraphrase Mary Poppins: it's practically perfect in every way.

Image from Marie Claire Maison

A black bathroom, like a black kitchen, is a fun deviation from the standard white -- and I'd argue it's just as classic. Of course a black clawfoot tub is just the icing on the cake. One thing I don't like about this room though: those floors. That shade of green reminds me of the green marble that was oh so popular in the '80s. Yuck.

Jenna Lyons - Domino

Somehow, I feel like the Jenna Lyons spread in domino a few years ago was a major catalyst for the black wall craze that's been raging ever since. I'll admit that the black cast iron tub paired with the brass fixtures and herringbone wood floor still leaves me breathless.

Image via Metropolitan Home

I can describe this room in 3 words: Drama, drama, drama. This image appeared on Metropolitan Home's last book Glamour: Making it Modern and I can tell you that it was just about the sole reason I picked up a copy (yes, I did judge a book by its cover!).

Anne Coyle

Black walls are a great backdrop for artwork. Like white walls, they let the art do most of the talking, but unlike white walls, you won't feel like you're sleeping in a sterile art gallery.

Stephen Shubel

While I love a white kitchen, black cabinetry is definitely growing on me. Shubel did a nice job here of keeping the look monochromatic and graphic. The flatweave rug is very chic. I also like how he selected two different countertops. The black marble on the island creates a ton of drama, but the white marble on the cabinets behind tone things down and blend in seamlessly with the creamy walls.

Image via Canadian House and Home

Another black kitchen, this time from the 2010 Canadian House and Home designer show house. The mix of materials is great and I love the crisp white beadboard ceiling. The stone floor and kitchen table and chairs add a French bistro touch that nicely balances all that black and stainless steel.

Rob Southern (via House Beautiful)

Entryways and hallways are great opportunities to experiment with black walls without really having to live with it. These walls are actually covered in vinyl wallpaper, which I'd imagine would be more cost-effective and long-lasting than lacquered walls.

Image via House Beautiful

I like how this den feels less buttoned up than most black rooms. Instead of dramatic, it feels cozy -- but it's still sophisticated (as evidenced by that fabulous KWID fabric).

Steven Gambrel

This den feels at once incredibly masculine and incredibly dramatic. The liquid leather armchairs combined with the glossy black walls (and glossy marigold yellow ceiling!) are admittedly pretty over the top. And yet Gambrel manages to balance them with smart striped curtains and a softer, more beat up leather sofa and armchair.

So what do you think, are black walls a new classic or still just a passing trend?

To Mr. Drucker, a love letter

Dear Stephen:

When I heard last spring that you were leaving House Beautiful to take over (and make over) Town & Country, I'll admit I was a bit surprised -- and even more skeptical. Wasn't that just a step down? House Beautiful has long been my favorite interiors magazine. I anxiously await its arrival each month and, when it does finally arrive on my doorstep, I read it slowly, savoring every image, every word. Town & Country, on the other hand,...well, it started showing up at my house unannounced a few years ago and every now and then I'll flip through it, but I never would have paid for it.

T&C seemed to target a wealthy, high society, New York-centric audience that struck me as ridiculously dated. The magazine seemed more like an extended advertisement for this narrow lifestyle and rarely included any articles of substance. To be crass, I thought T&C sucked.

But then you came along and breathed new life it. You gave it a clearer voice and more substance. Who would have thought my favorite home of the year would be featured in T&C? I nearly gasped when I saw the feature on Miles Redd's Atlanta chateau. Not only was the home beautiful (and beautifully photographed), but the copy was entertaining and well written as well (yes, I always read the stories!).

So thanks for giving me another magazine to look forward to every month. And keep up the good work.

Sincerely,

Averill at Odi et Amo

* * *

Okay, enough of the mushy, sycophantic stuff. Let's get on with the house ogling, shall we? The reason I love this house so much is because it's so quintessentially Miles (colorful, traditional with lots of chinoiserie touches, plenty of animal print, lots of lacquer), but with a good dose of Southern style and architecture thrown in for good measure.

Check out the gorgeousness that is this atrium. I love the classical architecture paired with the chinoiserie wallpaper and cheeky cheetah slipper chairs. There's something grand and yet playful and even cozy about this room that seems perfectly suited to the young family that lives here.

The living room's slate blue and orange rug really blows me away. What a wonderful color combination! It's bold and current, but also very livable, and I love it paired with the camel-colored furniture in particular. I also love the modern art paired with the more traditional furnishings and architecture.

Another shot of the living room. Isn't that dental molding incredible? I also like that they went for a softer, yellower white for the trim. It creates less of a contrast against the blue than a strong white would and it works beautifully with all the natural light flooding in from the large windows.

The Butler's pantry. Like a powder room, these small, infrequently used spaces are a great opportunity to really experiment and go all out. The ceiling of this space was inspired by the zodiac ceiling of Grand Central Station (my favorite spot in all of NYC, after the NYPL). The bold turquoise continues onto the cabinetry and even the marble. The hits of brass in the fixtures brings a warmth and contrast to all the blue that nickel fixtures never could.

For me the oxblood study very, very Miles. It actually reminds me of a room in my grandmother's house, which was painted out in a similar shade of red and with plenty of gilt (my grandmother loved gilt). The brass trim on the built-ins adds such a sense of luxury -- and lightness to the room.

When you're working with a strong color like this, I think it's best to follow Miles' lead and keep everything as monochromatic as possible. It keeps the room feeling more calm, despite the brilliant red walls. The real interest here comes in the plays of texture and subtle patterns. I'm particularly fond of the pairing of the paisley print sofa, with the ikat pillows. Because the scale of the sofa's print is so much smaller (and more subtle) than the bolder, larger ikat print, it really works beautifully.

What Southern bedroom is complete without monogrammed linens? And what Miles Redd bedroom is complete without wall-to-wall cheetah carpet? [Hint: the answer to both questions is "none".] Of course I love all the soft blues here, the coolness of which are cut by the tans and browns of the walls and carpet. But what I love most is how sumptuously this bed is dressed. The thick duvet, the velvet coronet and bedskirt (all trimmed out in satin). Yummy.

What I wouldn't give some days for my own closet -- let alone my own dressing room! And how soft underfoot must that patchwork pony-skin be. Sure, it's probably not especially practicable, but on a cool morning, fresh out of the shower, how luxurious it must feel on your bare feet. Another great detail here is the tray ceiling, which is wallpapered in a beautiful de Gournay print of trees and birds. I'd take this idea and put it in a bedroom: it'd be like looking up int a forest canopy every night before bed. Very peaceful.

The lady of house enjoys not only her own dressing room, but her own bath, luxuriously appointed in Carrera marble (naturally). Note how Redd painted the bathroom door to mimic the veining of the marble. Isn't that fun? The wallpaper and the fashion drawings are both so wonderfully feminine but the color palette of soft blue and tan ties it all in with the adjoining master bedroom.

If this is the kind of aspirational living that the "new" Town & Country is intent on giving its readers, then I say "yes, please, and more!". After all, who couldn't use a little more fantasy material?

All images courtesy of Town & Country and via The Love List.

I want more Shade

I thought I'd leave you this weekend with some images of the very, very cool Harlem home of designer Roderick N. Shade. Shade's home is the kind of place that makes me want to know the owner/designer -- after all, any man who can embrace fuchsia like Shade did (or who even has a name like Shade!) must be fabulous.

Shade's tiny 550 square-foot apartment was featured in this month's Architectural Digest and I think it might be the first spread in AD that I've actually been inspired by. [Every month when my AD arrives, I'm typically just reminded how inadequate it is as a replacement for domino and do little more than half-heartedly flip through it before putting it in the recycling bin.] By sticking to a (hopelessly hip) color palette of khaki, white and fuchsia throughout the tiny apartment, Shade creates a sense of cohesion and increases the visual space as each room flows seamlessly into the next. I also love how he was able to take a tiny, cramped, poorly lit hallway and make a real showstopper out of it. In many ways, it's my favorite part of the apartment.

Many of the furnishings were repurposed flea market (and even dumpster!) finds. It just goes to show you what a little paint and fabric can do. Suddenly a seen-better-days chair is the highlight of the entire room. I also think one of the keys to the success of this space is that all the furniture is appropriately sized for a small room -- there's no big, monstrous sectional taking up all the visual (and literal) space. I also like that by keeping all the furniture low to the ground, the room appears taller, and thus larger.

With the metallic sheen on the fabrics, plush pink carpeting and matching floor-to-ceiling drapes, this room evokes a hip downtown lounge vibe that makes me want to kick of my heels, grab a cocktail (or two) and kick back

Like Beth over at Chinoiserie Chic, I love the idea of using a screen as a headboard and this pink one is a real show stopper. With a little paint and ingenuity, Shade created a wonderful fuchsia trompe l'oeil ceiling medallion around a simple and inexpensive Japanese paper lantern and I think it really makes the room. I also love the white bedding with the pink and chocolate brown stripes -- I wonder if Shade made these himself or bought them as-is?

All told, Shade spent just under $23,000 to completely gut, renovate and furnish his home. Shade's website (currently under construction) promises potential clients that they will "experience world-class design that's astonishingly affordable and joyously collaborative". If his own home is any indication, I have little doubt that Shade will deliver on this promise.

A Loft Fit for a King

While unarguably little more than a brilliant marketing tool, Metropolitan Home's Showtime House is nevertheless a whole lot of fun -- and not just for those who are fans of Showtime's many original TV series. The two Tribeca penthouses totaling approximately 14,000 are a wonderful opportunity to see top designer's like Kara Mann, Michael Berman and Susannah Drake at their most irreverent. Sure, interior design can be serious business, but the Showtime House shows that even the best in the biz can let lose and have a little fun. As a lifelong Anglophile, I'd love to have a gorgeous linen chair hand painted with Henry's portrait and studded with crystals. Talk about a conversation piece.

The two penthouses focus on six of Showtime's most popular shows: Dexter, United States of Tara, Californication, Weeds, Nurse Jackie and The Tudors. With the exception of Nurse Jackie (which I simply haven't gotten around to watching), all of these shows are perennial favorites at the Conn house. The rooms inspired by The Tudors though, are my favorites of this year's bunch. Decorated by Richard Mishaan, Piero Lissoni and Nicoletta Canesi, these rooms are a lighthearted blend of 16th century motifs and twenty first century style and technology. One of my favorite examples is the dining room, which features six traditional side chairs, each one silk screened with one of the six wives of Henry VIII. Note that the chair with Anne Boleyn's image (center) is dripping with what looks like blood.

The dining room is awash in King Henry himself -- but then again, wouldn't an egomaniac like Henry want to be surrounded by his own image?

I love the gilt border on the walls of the sitting room, whose lettering and style are dead ringers for 16th and 17th century decoration still visible in many churches and palaces around England. The spare line drawings above the fireplace recall the Tudor Rose, the heraldic emblem of the Tudor family and a symbol of dynastic unity following the defeat of Richard III by Henry Tudor (Henry VIII's father) in the War of the Roses.

The sitting room is a wonderful blend of Elizabethan and modern. Here, artwork resembling Rose windows hang on one wall. On the floor, the circular motif is continued in the graphic and thoroughly modern rug. A gray sofa with modern lines is juxtaposed with traditional damask pillows.

I love the masculine color combination of gray, gold, black and red that the designers used in the sitting room. While all of these colors might have been seen in the King's quarters at the Palace of Whitehall, they have a fresh and modern feel as well that suites the downtown loft. The nude torsos on the console table are a not-so-subtle nod to Henry's lascivious nature.

Like the dining room, the rooftop terrace features more silk screened images of Henry's ill fated wives. Groupings of white pillar candles recall the candlelight that the Tudor family would have had to rely on for light.

Doesn't this look like a great place to have a party? The view alone (especially at dusk as photographed here) is worth the price of admission. That said though, I love the idea of one giant outdoor sofa for lounging, intimate chats and even a little courtly intrigue.

Be sure to check out the other rooms inspired by Showtime's other shows here and let me know which is your favorite.

Photographs courtesy of Metropolitan Home.