I like!

I have a picture folder in my files that is simply titled "Rooms I like".  Usually, I am a little more clever than that. 

This room was created by Dallas designer, Neal Stewart, and was featured in D-Home magazine.

Why do I like this space? 

I love the eclectic mix of furniture styles...french provencial chair, modern leather club chairs, mid-century coffee table...great mix.

I never thought I'd say this again, but I'm really loving this gilded gold Giacometti lamp.  I think I finally got rid of all my gilded gold about this time last year.  I guess I'm going to have to hit the GoodWill and see if I can get it all back!

The lamp's got a great traditional shape, and it's pumped up with the gold gilded finish...very chic and very 2010!

The linen panels are so complimentary to the putty gray of the walls.  The wall color is the backup singer to the Chinese red chest and the convex mirrors.  I love the way the mirrors brighten up the wall and fill up the space between the window panels. 

So tell me you expected a VERY large scale nude over the sofa in this room!  I think its a beautiful painting, but I'd hate to have to explain it to the grandkids.  I'm sure there would be some giggles.

No room is complete without books, if you ask me.  I  like the casual way these are stacked, like they are opened and referred to on a regular basis. 

I think this is a very livable room, and I like it!

Do you?

A Dallas Fav

This month's edition of D-Home Magazine reminds us of some of the most wonderful interiors featured in the magazine over the last 10 years. 

This living room, designed by Dallas designer, Myrl Talkington, was a real favorite of mine as well.

I love the beautiful, saturated color on the walls, the Aubusson rug and the rich coffered ceiling.  The abundance of rich fabric on the upholstery and drapes bring that feeling of casual elegance to this room.

 

Arched doors are always unique, and the detailed carving on these is magnificent! 

I don't even have words for this painted secretary....how about fabulous!

I'd love to know the back story on this piece, wouldn't you?

If I'd seen the glass coffee table in a showroom, I don't know that I would have thought about it for this space, but now that it's in place, the transparency of the glass allows the beautiful rug to show well.   Would you have pushed the envelop and placed this table, or something else?

Do you love the color palatte?  Robin's egg blue and yellow...a very traditional combination.  Even though the damask fabric usually brings a formal look to a room, the painted and distressed finishes on the chair frame bring a more casual feel.

I love the fringe on the oversized pillows too.

Photos of this room were first published in D-Home in May on 2008.  I think it's still a classically designed room that will continue to look fresh for more years to come.

What are your favorite features of this room?

I "heart" art !

I was reading the May editon of Architectural Digest on line today, and they showcased an article they had done on artist, Robert Motherwell in his Connecticut home back in 1984. 

Robert Motherwell and his wife, photographer, Renate Motherwell.

I'm pretty traditional in my design esthetic except where art is concerned, and I'm a big fan of the abstract paintings that Motherwell is famous for.

Architectural Digest, May 2010

I don't pretend to really understand much of Motherwell's art, or any other abstract art for that matter, I just like it !

Art always impacts a space, and sometimes we even build a room to focus on the art, so I thought it might be fun to see how art impacts the design of a space.

This painting seems like a perfect fit for this aqua dresser.  I love it against the sky blue walls.  The soft gray chairs and ottoman balance out all the blue-greens and enhance the deeper tones in the art. 

Of course the lamps are to die for!

I can't imagine this space without the art.  Clearly it is the star of this room by the late designer, Billy Haines.  The predominance of white in the furniture is no mistake.  It creates balance with all the orange in the painting and the rug. This painting was recently auctioned off at Christies.

Cameron Martin, Interior Designer as seen in D-Home Magazine

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not personally a fan of the all neutral color palatte, but I can appreciate the design behind it.  This painting is so subtle and soft that it allows you to focus on the shades of gray that make this room.  I count at least 12 different shades of gray in this room.  You would think it would be easy to design a room in a single color, but it can really be a challenge.

If the painting were anything more dramatic, how might that change how we see the room? 

I

Amanda Nisbet, Interior Designer

I'm not sure about the technique used to create these art pieces, but they certainly do compliment the room.  I'm guessing that the arrangement is symmetrical.  The drapes even mirror the design in the art...and what about the purple line around the ceiling?  Really draws the eye up, doesn't it?  But speaking of lines...look for them....they're a subtle design element in the room.  There's a lot to study here!

Wonder why they used a black and white painting here? 

Where does your eye go when you look at the room?

The symmetry of the design elements focus your attention to the art, but because it's black and white, I find my eyes are drawn to the one asymmetrical item in the space....the turquoise pillow!

Did they plan that???    I'll bet so !

Margaret Chambers, Interior Designer

Flowers always make good subject matter for paintings, and the tulips, both natural and painted,  bring so much color to this otherwise neutral space.  Can you imagine how this painting would lose it's punch if the wall were painted a bold color?  The soft buff background on the wall doesn't compete with the vibrancy of the tulips thereby making them front and center.

Adcock Smith, Interior Designer

Many of you know that I was a mural artist before returning to design school.  I've always loved the BIG painting!  I know I have some weirdness in me sometimes, but I love this new take on the family portrait....a touch of whimsy in a very traditional room.  The chocolate wall is a smart way to highlight the giant canvas....makes me want to paint!

D-Home Magazine showcased the mid-century modern home of Eve Reid in the Design Book 2009.  The art is positioned so that it is the first thing you see when you approach the entry of the house.  The dramatic colors of the art set the palatte for the house both inside and out.  They are clearly the focal point the homeowner wants visitors to see.

OK.....it's pink, it's oversized and it's beautiful.  The color choice of this space is genius....the wall color is a match to the mid-tone in the painting.   Using the midtone allows the painting to have more prominence in the small entry way.  The pink is repeated in the bench pillows supporting the pink in the conch shell.  I wish I had painted this!

Patrice Cowan Bevans, Interior Design

Isn't this a pretty bedroom? 

I love this painting in this room, don't you?

The scale is perfect, the colors so balanced in the painting, and the symmetry of the furniture all points to the painting as the focal point. The yellow line just over the horizon is a complement to all the blues.   

 Love it!

Art is so personal, and I'm of the opinion that everyone gets to enjoy the art they love.  I love color, loose brush strokes, abstraction and whimsy.

What do you love??

Divine Dining

As we all come together as families over this holiday weekend, the dining room will be the center of attention. 

As I continue my journey through my dream house, I'm seeing a dining room that creates an ambiance that welcomes, engages conversation and entertains.

I hope you all enjoy breaking bread around your dining room table with the important people in your life this weekend and always.

Dallas Anchorwoman, Jane McGary's home was featured in D-Magazine this year, and I was so enamored with the use of color and whimsy that Kenneth Blassingame, interior designer, used throughout the home.  Such a happy place, vibrant and engaging.  I know a dinner party in this home would be filled with stories and laughter....certainly an element I want to see in my dream home.

This sweet little vignette of intimate dining is the work of ID, Neal Stewart.  I think it's a perfect place for dinner or breakfast for two.  The antique style mirrors framing the alcove set the tone for this romantic space. The velvet on the banquette and the bergere chair bring elegance and comfort to the space and joy to my face!

This dining room was designed by Sherry Haslip for the new director of the Dallas Symphony, Aaltje van Zweden.  The spheres by artist and furniture maker, Mike Stallilngs, were designed to hold pieces of music that were significant to the new director.  They are finished in silver leaf to compliment the soft grays and lilacs within the space.

You can read more about the space here.

Although this is not my personal style, what I love about this dining room is how it makes a statement while at the same time combines comfort and elegance.

I love the eclectic quality of this dining room.  Such a mix of styles and periods, but the balance is beautiful, and the room really works for me.  I've loved the lavender and green palette for quite some time for it's fresh and spring-like quality.  The curves of the stone table and the soft bend in the legs of the chairs brings an air of grace to this setting... a real juxtoposition of styles, and I think it's a beautiful place to entertain.

This is a small breakfast alcove in Jane McGary's home, and I can't think of a happier place to start the day with a cup o' joe.  The mix of colors and furniture styles gives a casual and friendly feel to this space.  The unusual table base is so chaming.  Who doesn't want that!

There's nothing more inviting and engaging than country french styling, and this breakfast room in the home of one of my clients is perfect for that overflow seating when all the family comes for Easter dinner.  Off of the kitchen, and overlooking the pool and lanai, it's the perfect spot to brunch as well.

Is your dream dining room all about drama?  Then this may be perfect for you.

The walls are fabric upholstered in an irridescent silk that reflects the light from the metallic twig chandelier.  I love the peacock blue chairs as the pop of color in the room.  Although this is not my dream dining room, I know I would enjoy having dinner here anyway watching the lights of San Fransico in the distance.

Interior design by Nancy Van Natta Assoc.  San Fransico

I've always loved the idea of combining the dining room with the library, and this image from Architectural Digest shows why.  I think the shelving anchoring the enormous art piece create the focal point that the room needs.  The addition of the wing chair, desk and library ladder really bring that library feel home. 

An intimate dining experience is sure to be had in this amazing library dining room.  I think the host must be an infamous mystery writer, hiding behind a glamorous pseudonym.  I'll have a lovely pino noir, please!

Many of my younger clients prefer the transitional style like this one from ID, Tom Stringer.

Graphic prints, a neutral color palette, and elements of the traditional home they grew up in, all speak to this generation of home owners.  I love the graceful lines of the chandelier, the back painted shelving showcasing a beautiful collection of white pottery, the subtle color of the drapery, and that wonderful splash of lime on the otherwise neutral table.

Regardless of where you are dining this weekend, I hope it speaks to your personality and your style.

Bon A'ppetite !