Month: June 2017

Steven Gambrel has been living every Interior Designer’s dream or perhaps it’s more appropriate to say every developer’s, architect’s and entrepreneur’s dream.  According to Elle Decor Magazine, Gambrel has restored over six homes in Sag Harbor, New York, as a matter of fact the designer owns a home in the town as well.  Enlisting Historical Concepts, a firm based in New York and Atlanta, Gambrel restores and preserves these homes to their original states of charisma while adding the modern touches of 21st-Century living.  Steven Gambrel’s style with its inclination to masculine lines and strong contrasting characters, is one that can appeal to both sexes, especially families.  One of his many elegant signatures is the use of a darker color paint on the inside moldings as well as on the kitchen cabinets trims.   His interiors usually exhibit a unique color combination, as I pointed out in this post about Unusual Color Combination in Interiors some time back.   Sag Harbor has been my favorite town in the Hamptons for its laid back bohemian vibe and also because it feels more like a beach town where you can walk.  I can’t imagine how rewarding it must be to be able to buy, restore and sell or even live in one of Sag Harbor’s charming homes.

Steven Gambrel Bridgehampton living room, sagharbor belle vivir blog

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When traveling to one of the most dynamic and fast paced cities in the world like New York City, I’m sure guests would appreciate staying in a hotel that feels like a home rather than a hotel.  Tim and Kit Kemp, founders of Firmdale Hotels are known for their layered and cozy atmosphere they bring to their hotels.  The Whitby Hotel located in the heart of Upper Midtown Manhattan, is the couple’s second Hotel in New York City, after The Crosby Street Hotel in SoHo.  The 86 bedrooms and suites were designed by Firmdale Hotel’s design director Kit Kemp in her characteristic English style.  Each room in The Whitby Hotel has its own color scheme, floor to ceiling windows, a great feature in any New York City space where light seems to be missing in Winter.  Bathrooms are in either marble or granite with a free standing bath tub.  I’ve seen a few pictures of the hotel bar and restaurant with its rich saturated upholstery and high ceilings.  Definitely, The Whitby Hotel a place to go and feel cozy in.

1-The Whitby Hotel New York City belle vivir

2-the whitby hotel nyc Bar belle vivir

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Rooftop Gardens, gardens, lauren santo domingo paris garden belle vivir interior design blog

Lauren Santo Domingo’s  Exceptional Rooftop Garden in Paris

Have you heard of “Harvesting Happiness”… I recently read an article about how hospitals and hospices are adding gardens or rooftop gardens as a form of therapy for well being. The belief is that gardens have strong restorative powers that promote healing and happiness. The idea being that Gardens enable us to get in the “zone” similar to the conscious state during deep meditation or after a good run while also providing the benefit of exercising by burning an average of 400 calories per hour. The benefits of gardening or being in a garden are seen not only at the physical level but also mental. “A garden lifts the heart, soul and spirit. Although those are quite ephemeral words, we know that when you put people in space with a view, it does something for their mood and anxiety levels.” Laura Lee, Maggie’s chief executive. It’s very comforting to see how over and over these psychological and environmental surveys often conclude on the simple fact that everything arises from and comes back to one main source, nature… beauty… all that comes from a higher source.

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If you have visited this blog before, then you should be familiar with my obsession with stripes.  I’ve been professing my love and constant use of stripes for years now so I’m always looking for ways to incorporate stripes into my wardrobe.  As if I don’t have enough of them… Nothing represents long summer days better than stripes… Certainly most people have one of two pieces with this classic pattern in their closets but there are so many different ways to wear stripes now a days… from long ruffled skirts to classic tunic to simple espadrilles…

incorporate stripes into your wardrobe belle vivir blog

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