30Jan

A New York Townhouse That’s London Style In Many Ways

You know a home is well designed when moving to another country, you enlist the same Interior designer to replicate the best features into your next new abode. The owners of this chic and timeless townhouse in New York City moved from London and having loved their previous home it’s no surprise that they needed to incorporate the best of it. They enlisted Hugh Leslie to do just that.

The townhouse was infused with a modern color palette, comfortable furniture, and creative touches as the Mondrian inspired kitchen cabinets.

The three-dimensional floor in the entryway was one of the requirements of the owners. And I perfectly understand why, as I used the same design in my son’s bathroom.

11Dec

Modern Can Be Colorful As Seen In This Washington D.C. Home

colorful modern home decor, black and white graphic tiles bathroom

I love it when I come across a home that is colorful, modern, and timeless at the same time. Nowadays, when everything seems to be in black and white, it’s refreshing to see that there are still designers who dare to take a chance. I love neutrals because they can’t go wrong; however, a colorful home is always uplifting. Architect Carmel Greer created a home that is as personalized as it’s inviting. Pink living room with contrasting upholstery, who doesn’t like pink? She kept the bathrooms and kitchen neutral and fresh while sprinkled the open spaces with modern and colorful art.

Often Designers and Architects use their own home as a laboratory by implementing design choices that clients usually reject. Carmel told ED that she put in her own house things that clients haven’t really loved. I’m sure that many clients, after seeing the result will change their minds.

20Aug

Traditional American Architecture by Gil Schafer

I always wanted to be an Architect. As a matter of fact, I registered under architectural studies in Collage. For reasons I can’t even understand today, I decided to switch careers and went into international business and eventually interior design instead. My dream was to design, build, and oversee constructions of buildings. The most magical thing about design is that it allows us to build the life we always dreamt of. This latter, award-winning architect Gil Schafer does effortlessly. He designs new homes that look as if they were old, but classic and well-designed old houses.

“I design houses to be comfortable, gracious, and understated, and to stand the test of time,” architect Gil Schafer told AD. Good design runs in his family, Gil Schafer is the grandson and great, great-grandson of architects, so Gil grew up experiencing first hand what a well-built, thoughtfully-designed home feels like and what it takes to build it. He’s been designing beautiful homes for the past thirty years. Following undergraduate studies in Growth & Structure of Cities at Haverford College and its sister institution Bryn Mawr, Gil graduated from Yale School of Architecture with a Master’s Degree in 1988. While at Yale, Gil studied under several noted practitioners including Thomas Beeby, Robert Venturi, Josef Kleihues, Frank Gehry, and Benard Tschumi and was the recipient of the H. I. Feldman Prize, Yale’s highest honor for studio work, in his final semester. Gil Schafer served as the President and then Chairman of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art from 1999-2006 as well as in many other nonprofit boards.

This Nashville home was restored by Gil and decorated by David Netto. This entryway has everything I believe in, classic architecture, a beautiful graphic floor that adds a modern touch, ornate furniture and modern expressionist art by Jean-Michel Basquiat. I love everything in this entryway.

05Aug

Why Don’t You Try One Of These Unusual Paint Color Combinations?

unusual color combination, pink and navy blue, Steven Grambrel

Nothing transforms a room more dramatically and for less money than fresh paint color. And no, white paint doesn’t count unless you are starting off with a black painted room. I love to see unusual paint color combinations that are unexpected and soothing at the same time. As I’ve mentioned before there are a few Interior Designers that are exceptional at combining unique paint colors in a room. On the top of the list is Muriel Brandolini, she knows how to come up with unexpected wall colors that are incredibly soothing and one of a kind. Another one on the list is Steven Gambrel who can also create never seen before paint color combinations. See for yourself, below are the most unique and beautiful rooms painted in one of a kind color combos.

Living room designed by Muriel Brandolini. The walls are covered in a fabric she designed for Holland & Sherry in a color that can miraculously be every color from taupe, pink or even brown depends on the hour of the day. She paired this beautiful color with touches of ecru, yellow, browns and honey and makes everything looks like a warm degradation of colors.

01Jul

Jean Louis Deniot’s Los Angeles Home

Jean Louis Deniot's LA home, 1930's architecture

Jean Louis Deniot’s Los Angeles home is nestled in the hills above Sunset Boulevard, and it’s a 1930’s fairy-tale. “When the weather is nasty in Paris I jump on a plane and come to beautiful La La Land,” he told AD. It took Deniot two years to complete the renovation of the over 2,000-square-foot home. The charming house has Tudor style exteriors, and Spanish-style interiors, many homes in L.A. share a Spanish-style interior architecture. Jean Louis is known for his dramatic while livable interiors, but for his Los Angeles home, he kept things more on the relaxing side.

In the living room, a 17th-century Spanish chandelier hangs from a pointed vaulted ceiling. Klismos chairs and Moroccan add to the eclecticism of the room.

20May

Cozy Interior Corners: Built In Banquettes

Banquette seating used to be mostly for kitchens. Nowadays we can find them in any corner inside the home. A custom banquette is the best way to save space and add coziness to a space. Regardless of what interior design you prefer, there is a style for everyone, from elegant ones, upholstered in sumptuous velvet to more casual ones covered in stripes.

A banquette in the kitchen adds functionality and a multi-use area where families can not only eat, but also do homework, play games, and enjoy a morning coffee. Below, a few cozy options that will sure inspire you.