Category: Interior Architecture

From bold color saturated kitchens to more subtle ones, these kitchens will certainly brighten anyone’s morning.  There is something welcoming and energizing about colorful kitchens that makes us cheerful.  Whether you decide to go full course and paint the kitchen cabinets in a bold color or just add a few colorful accessories, the sky is the limit… Small and clever moves such as painting the island, adding colorful stools or painting the floor are only but a few of the options there to bring color into our kitchen.  Of course you can always go the Kelly Wearstler‘s way and paint all the cabinets in one bright green, add a splash of brass or gilded backsplash…. or you can keep the color designated to the island and make it a focal point as Commune did in the kitchen below.

For more traditional kitchens, a bold printed upholstered chair or banquet will also add some jazz to the ambiance.   Breakfast nooks are great spaces to experiment with color.  As you can see small details can bring vibrancy to any kitchen.  Usually, the smaller the space the bolder you can go.  Take the small green kitchen designed by Miles Redd where he painted the entire kitchen in a high lacquered green.

Graphic tiles are also very handy to add a jolt of energy as you can see in the kitchen below by David Netto.  David added graphic tiles all the way to the ceiling for a pop of color.

Colorful kitchens, Green

Kelly Wearstler is no shy when it comes to color and bold statement.  The kitchen she designed for Cameron Diaz in Manhattan has brass accents that help to make the space brighter.

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If you think that bathroom renovation is an expensive task wait until you see the details of these glamorous bathrooms of Steven Gambrel.  You may or not know that Grambrel is a trained Architect and the founder of S.R Gambrel, so it’s understandable that the level of detail found in his Interior Design body is as exquisite as it can be.  His skilled eye for architectural enhancement is found in every one of his designs.  No DIY here.  Judging by these bathrooms everything in them is custom, unique and executed by professionals.  Steven’s interior design borders in the perfect line of masculinity and family living with some restraint and lots of elegance.  The same design elements are found in the bathrooms Gambrel designs.  Walls are wrapped in unique exotic marble; vanities are usually framed in the same marble, even moldings and crown moldings are custom designed in marble.  This latter especially is quite expensive to get done.  Not only are these bathrooms glamorous and elegant but they are also functional with a utilitarian layout, a good source of lighting and the right amount of storage.  In other words, these elegant bathrooms don’t sacrifice utility for pure vanity.  Of course one of the characteristics of Steven Gambrel’s design firm is his selection of color which are usually not cheesy but instead rather a palette that is tasteful and constrained.  You can see more of Gambrel’s beautiful restored homes in Sag Harbor, New York.  If you like me love Gambrel’s design, but you happen to have $9M to spare, you can buy Steven Gambrel’s West Village townhouse which just came on the market.

glamorous bathroom Steven Gambrel -shelves

As you can see in this bathroom, the selection of materials is unique and the construction of all the moldings in marble, including the niche with shelves is not only elegant but also succulent. Image via Elle Decor

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Introducing La Belle House by Belle Vivir Blog

We recently purchased a house in a complete outdated condition inside, which mean the house is in a perfect Interior-Designer-State-Of-Mind… What we like more about it is the stone structure that resembles a lot the stone homes around Provence, France.  The house is located in a very strict area where everything done to the exterior needs to be of natural material so no plastic windows and no plastic siding.  I’m happy and ok with that, although the rules sometimes go too far as to limit us when it comes to choosing the type of windows.  For instance I would love to replace a few for steel casement windows but that wont’ be possible.  However, we are very exited with our remodeling which I might share in this blog, only if I can figure out a way to do that exclusively with subscribers.  I need to see how can that be possible… Never done it before.  The process of the house will not be public, thus only shared with those that sign up for follow ups from this specific post… I still need to come up with a name for the house but for now we’ll call it La Belle House…

I’m very happy and excited to share this endeavour with you…I hope you join us.  Looking forward…

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Stephen Sills Hi Low Farm Kitchen

Stephen Sills Hi Low farm kitchen strikes the right balance between minimalist and transitional.  His kitchen is located in Bedford, New York.  After an extensive renovation that included an addition in his Farm Hi-Low, yes I believe that’s the name, the kitchen is the place where everyone visiting ends up.  “I love kitchens but it’s very contradicting, because I normally don’t like anything utilitarian”  Sills says.  Stephen Sills has had the estate for a long time but he only took on the addition and renovation project last year… The kitchen is as stylish as it is functional with no need for excess with a mixture of raw and sleek with the raw side found in the limestone floors, raw-cypress islands and distressed terra-cotta tiles.  The sleek opposite side is in the matte stainless steel cabinetry, white quartz counter top and simple few accessories.  Humble natural materials mingle with man made polished ones… “No matter how many people are here,” Sills adds, “everyone wants to pile into the kitchen”.

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Concurrently with La Biennale Paris, the auction house Christie’s Paris is offering The Collection of Alberto Pinto auctioning objects from the Interior Designer’s Paris apartment.  The over 1,000 lot collection spans a great range of artistic periods and styles from the Renaissance to European and Asian porcelain, silverware, linens and works by Claude Lalanne.  Besides being a passionate collector, Pinto also knew how to decorate the most extraordinary table settings for his clients and his own parties.  The Collection of Alberto Pinto at Christie’s Paris will be offer from Sept 12-14 and you can bid online.

The collection of alberto pinto at christie's paris

The collection of alberto pinto at Christie's paris

Alberto Pinto was born in Casa Blanca to Argentinean parents.  His many cultural influences since a child can be easily seen in his eclectic interiors.  Pinto studied at the Ecole du Louvre in Paris after he moved to New York City where he founded a photo agency specializing in architecture and decoration.  After doing various photo shoots for press group Conde Nast, he developed a particular flair for Interior Design.  His newly discovered passion led him to open his own design firm in Paris.  After Alberto’s passing in 2013, his sister Linda who had always worked at his side, took over the management of Alberto Pinto Interior Design which employs 80 people.  Architectural Digest featured Linda’s Parisian apartment early this year, you can see it here.

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While flipping through House & Garden magazine I was delighted to come across Henri Fitzwilliam-Lay.  I had seen snippets of her sophisticated interiors here and there but did not notice the Interior Designer behind them.  “Henri Fitzwilliam-Lay has always worked in a creative field, she started in New York City as a fashion stylist for some of the top department stores and magazines such as ELLE and then graduated into art direction, managing photo shoots and layouts for renowned stores like Bergdorf Goodman, Brooks Brothers and Bloomingdales. This set her up for her next move to the United Kingdom and interior design.” H.F.L

With such a background, exposure to top creative fields and exquisite environment, it’s no wonder that Henri Fitzwilliam-Lay’s interiors are enveloped in an aura of culture and refinement.   Her finely detailed rooms exude a sense of coziness and elegance juxtaposed with modern touches that make them mature and elegant but still cozy and inviting.

henri fitzwilliam-lay living room

This stunning living room, upholstered in blue and green, was the one responsible for introducing me to Fitzwilliam’s work.  I admire very much how harmoniously she uses color in a room. 

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