Category: Interior Design

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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Even though the late Oscar de la Renta is not with us anymore, his legacy and excellent taste will forever be.  His exceptional training and career led him to creating one of the most admirable fashion brands in the world.  But as any extraordinary taste maker, his exceptional taste did not stop at Fashion, rather was represented in every single part of his lifestyle.  A true gardener, as his closest friends knew him and many witnessed, it was his homes, full of chic classic style that enchanted and inspired many.

oscar de la renta new york city bedroom chic classic style shared with his first wife, francoise de langlade

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I posted about Interior Designer Julie Hillman‘s modern warm interiors a few years ago and while visiting her site lately I realized how avant-garde her work is.  She is capable of creating modern but still warm interiors by juxtaposing classic furnishings of clean iconic lines with modern abstract work.  Exactly what I believe dreams are made of.  A home that is far from common and boring, a home that interprets its homeowner’s lifestyle, travels and tastes but manages to be collected, sophisticated and mostly comfortable and livable.  And, if the home decor happens to meet half way between traditional and modern a.k.a transitional Interior Design, sign me up because that right there is what Chic Comfortable Interiors are to me.

julie hillman design living kithchen via belle vivir blog

Julie Hillman spent 10 years as a fashion designer before moving to Interior Design and she also went to Parsons, I’d like to think that we share a lot of things in common, the same awesome name, pardon my lack of modesty, we went to the same school and we have a love for 1940’s French furniture.   Julie describes her style as Modern Eclectic. A mixture of collected antique and modern masterworks, balanced with sumptuous fabrics and comfortable furnishings, tailored to each client’s individual needs.  I love how Julie can keep the color palette to neutral, of course always warm neutrals, and still make her interiors look exciting and warm perhaps that is due to her abundant use of quality art.

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out east book via belle vivir blog

You might have seen images of a very Global Chic cottage called Woody House in the Hamptons featured in the current  Architectural Digest issue.  The home, designed by Peter Marino is one of the more than 25 houses, cottages, and pool houses appearing in the soon to be published book Out East: Houses and Gardens of the Hamptons by Jennifer Ash Rudick with photos by Tria Giovan.  I got a copy of the book over the weekend and had a great time looking at the pictures of beautiful, meticulously designed gardens.  Now that summer is here, I can’t think of anything more appealing than gardens and outdoor spaces.  Below, some of the images released by Vendome publisher.

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There has not been a better time for the design industry than now.  The access to good design and good living has never been more available.  Everyone wants to live and do work in a beautiful environment, accordingly laundry rooms had to rise to the occasion.  Who could’ve ever imagined that stylish and laundry would share a sentence… These stylish laundry rooms are not the typical rooms you never want to be in, on the contrary, you would even find yourself making excuses to go into one.

Dina Bandman design de Gournay wall paper via belle vivir

How about a laundry room so exquisite that will make you want to come back every time.  This laundry room above has a de Gournay wallpaper, graphic floors and a pet shower.  Design by Dina Bandman for The San Francisco Show house.

Draza Stamenich laundry room via belle vivir

Draza Stamenich chose a hand painted wallpaper by Gracie for this sophisticated laundry room.  Love the chicken wire on the closet door.
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The Architect Daniel Romualdez is among the most celebrated Interior Designers due to his extraordinary talent of creating consistent stunning interiors.  After studying economics at Yale University, Romualdez decided to follow his heart and pursued a career in Interior Design.

Daniel Romualdez library via belle vivir blog

After completing a master in Architecture from Columbia’s School of Architecture, he worked for two internationally recognized Architectural Firm, Thierry Despont and Robert A.M.  Recently, Romualdez was in charge of designing the interiors and the 46 units of 70 Vestry in Tribeca, a luxury waterfront condominium by architect Robert A.M. Stern.  Romualdez’s ability to conceive sophisticated interiors in multitudinous of styles, from traditional to modern has granted him an A-list of clients such as Daphne Ghinnes, Ina Garten, Tory Burch, Aerin Lauder and many others.

tory burch home daniel romualdez via belle vivir blog

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