Category: Interior Design

01Nov

12 Daring And Exotic Powder Rooms

We’ve all heard the saying, your Foyer should give the best impression of your home which is true, but so should your powder room.  Give your guest a token to escape to the land of endless possibilities by taking them out of their complacency and showing them what can be done when only space is the limit.   Yes, the limitation of space can actually work as a motivation and even an excuse to be as daring as you can in this case.  If the rest of our home is the dress the powder room is the piece of jewelry.  Some prefer their jewelry understated others opt for bling bling.  Since jewelry usually doesn’t have to match your outfit, instead it stands out by itself, the same goes for powder rooms.  Regardless of the direction your home design is heading, the powder room is perhaps the only room in the house which can own a style of its own.   These 12 daring and exotic powder rooms show us how to best do it…

12 Daring And Exotic Powder Rooms, mirror mosaic via belle vivir

Nothing says more glamor and exotic than mirror mosaic tiles on your powder room.

Read More…

30Oct

Modern Hamptons Living by Tamara Magel

A combination of All American Modern and Scandinavian design is found in this Estate located in The Hamptons, designed by Tamara Magel.  The estate that has 11 bedrooms and 13 baths sits on a 23-acre lot along the Hedges Lane.  The design has the best modern living has to offer, for those who appreciate modern design… Natural materials, cozy furniture, lots of light and an excellent selection of contemporary art… The final result in this state is a laid-back atmosphere with modern amenities…
Modern Hamptons Living by Tamara Magel, belle vivir

Love the simple lines of the marble fireplace

Read More…

23Oct

Reed and Delphine Krakoff’s Connecticut Home

Reed and Delphine Krakoff’s Connecticut home is a great interpretation of what chic is all about.  The Krakoff’s design aesthetic is usually represented via exceptional art, collectable decorative items, comfortable furniture and great craftsmanship.  The very stylish couple also have a penchant for houses with pedigree.  One of their homes is the Long Island home once owned by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’s Bouvier grandparents.  Their latest purchase is a estate in New Canaan, Connecticut that used to belong to heiress Huguette Clark.  Huguette purchased the house as a place to escape in case of a Nuclear War.  She never lived in the house and it was kept empty until the Krakoff purchased it after she passed away.  The French-style house, known as Le Beau Chateau, was in great shape but the Krakoff made a few changes to put their own chic stamp.  The 52-acre estate has nine bedrooms and eleven fireplaces and even when the Krakoff didn’t go overboard decorating it, the interiors look spare but elegant, traditional but chic and very Frenchy…  The honed chevron floors throughout the house are just my cup of tea…  and the massive library is an absolute dream.

Reed and Delphine Krakoff's Connecticut Home, AD-bellevivirblog

The beautiful estate was originally in red brick before the couple painted it in white

Read More…

16Oct

8 Colorful Kitchens to Brighten Up your Day

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.

Read More…

10Oct

An Upper West Side Apartment by Robert Couturier: The Apthorp

An Upper WEst Side Apartment by Robert Couturier

A living room in an upper west side apartment by Robert Couturier.  It looks livable and inviting.

The living room is my favorite room in this apartment, located in The Apthorp building.  The Italian Renaissance revival building was built around an interior courtyard and is one of the most beautiful residential buildings in New York City.  The stunning architecture that occupies a full block between 78th and 79th Streets, from Broadway to West End was built by The Astor in 1908.   The owner of this apartment is Jonathan Sheffer, a conductor and composer who moved into the magnificent building last year after moving from Downtown.  He enlisted Interior Designer Robert Couturier who designed the apartment with an “updated refined Mitteleuropean sensibility”.  He kept many of the old details of the 2,500-square-foot apartment intact, which I appreciate.  Why get rid of such strong identity features… The apartment is featured in the current issue of Elle Decor.

Read More…