05Nov

Villa Valguarnera is in my Pocket List of Dreams

I know I just came back from Paris and I shouldn’t be thinking about traveling right now, but no one says you can’t dream. I’ve been wanting to rent a villa together with friends somewhere in Europe, in either France or Italy, for a while and when I come across a photo of this gorgeous villa in Sicily yesterday I couldn’t help but dream. Villa Valguarnera is according to Conde Nast traveler, the most romantic hideaway in Sicily. I totally agree and you probably will too once you see the images of this stunning villa.

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Villa Valguarnera appears to have stopped in time with dilapidated walls that make the villa feel like a remnant of a very glamorous era. And in fact, it is, albeit part of it dark. In the 17th century, Sicily was the preferred summer retreat of Palermo nobility then after World War II, the area became a Mafia base. Today the villa belongs to Princess Vittoria Alliata di Villafranca, her many-times-over-great grandmother built the villa in the 18th century.

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14Oct

A.P.C. Founder Jean Touitou Perfect Minimalist Home

I’m so happy that I’m taking off tomorrow to Paris for a week with a couple of girlfriends. I’m in need of some serious distraction these days and this is the perfect excuse. As I’m sure you understand, the posts this week will be spare and light for the reason that when you are in Paris you have no other option than submerging yourself in the City of Light. You can always follow me on Instagram where I’ll be posting places and discoveries along. au revoir!

“If you want to be trendy, in the end you lose,” says Touitou to WSJ. “My design has been uncorrupted for 30 years.” Jean Touitou founded A.P.C. the eponymous fashion brand in Paris. The clothing line is characterized by its clean aesthetic. Although the apartment has minimalistic design the result is warm and inviting. Much in part for the for the space blond elm paneling. When we think of a paneling Parisian apartment, the first image that comes to mind is a more traditional ornate paneling but it’s also important to look a different interpretations of classic design. This is a great interpretation of modern and traditional design which in this case is executed in a very unique way as well. Just take a look at the laundry room, below for a lesson on subdued elegance.

Architect Laurent Deroo, who has worked with Touitou for the past 15 years on the design of the A.P.C. stores, designed the Paris.

30Aug

Beaverbrook Hotel: A English Hotel That Feels Like Home

Beaverbrook Hotel in the Surrey Hills was recently designed by Susie Atkinson. She is the designer behind the fabulous interiors of the Soho House group, and she has really raised the bar for hotels all over the world. Beaverbrook hotel, named after a close friend of Winston Churchill, is located in a late-nineteenth-century mansion in the Surrey Hills. Lord Beaverbrook apparently threw many wild parties, and each room is now named after one of those guests. There is a Churchill suite as well. Susie’s goal was to design something essentially British and romantic. ‘I knew it had to be gentle, floral, and quirky with a touch of madness,’ H&G.

12Aug

Tour This Charming Stone English Manor House With Lovely Interiors

Who wouldn’t love to have a stone house in the country with climbing roses and charming interiors? There is something incredibly charming and enduring about English country style, and this house in the Cotswolds designed by Joana Wood is entirely English but with a contemporary twist. On this more contemporary version of English country house style, we can find more solid fabrics instead of chintz, bare tables instead of draped ones and exposed furniture legs instead of skirted upholstery yet it still feels classic and livable.

22Jul

Quinta Da Comporta: A Wellness Boutique Resort

We got back from the south last Friday, and you may think that while heading north temperatures would get more chill, but the opposite was true. Temperatures across the US are scorching hot, and although many still decide to not believe in Global Warming, it’s something to think about, to say the least. In the ideal world, the government would believe science, and we would all be in this fight together. On the other side of the world; however, there are still places that do everything with sustainability in mind and all without sacrificing style. Case in point Quinta Da Comporta: Wellness Boutique Resort is a sustainable signature project envisioned and designed by renowned Portuguese architect, Miguel Câncio Martins.

One of the villas with the characteristic thatched roof.

08Apr

Restaurant Le Chardenoux in Paris

Paris bistro Le Chardenoux is located in the 11th arrondissement, an area known for its gourmet restaurants and hip bars. The stunning restaurant Le Chardenoux is the latest acquisition of Chef Cyril Lignac who hired Martin Brudnizski to give it a fresh decor; Martin is the designer behind the fashionable London club Annabel’s. The bistro features beautiful belle epoque influences with wall mirrors, perfect moldings, a stunning hand painted ceiling, red velvet banquets, brass lighting, and Laduree-like green walls.

La Chardenoux

Tag: European design

Villa Valguarnera is in my Pocket List of Dreams

A.P.C. Founder Jean Touitou Perfect Minimalist Home

Beaverbrook Hotel: A English Hotel That Feels Like Home

Tour This Charming Stone English Manor House With Lovely Interiors

Quinta Da Comporta: A Wellness Boutique Resort

Restaurant Le Chardenoux in Paris

juliepaulinodesign