22Jun

All Chic Classic Style: Oscar de la Renta

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

17May

Mark D Sikes All America Outdoor Patio

Mark D Sikes Patio Summer version

Mark D Sikes has quickly become a very popular Interior Designer thanks to his All-American, exquisite timeless style as it’s greatly represented in his beautiful West Hollywood outdoor patio. Not to mention his own home which has been featured in probably
every single Interior Design blog. I myself became acquainted with Mark’s beautiful work when posting his black bathroom a few years back. But since summer is almost here and we’re all yearning for a comfortable and inviting outdoor patio ready for entertaining,
a venue to throw a party or two, we are relying on Mark’s outdoor patio for some style inspiration. What I love most about Mark D Sikes exquisite choices for his outdoor living space is the smart, four level terraces he created to enhance the architecture of the space. Regulars would just install a deck, fake wood included, but why be regular when you can afford to be exquisite, and when you are Mark D Sikes excellence is the only way. Good design planning pays off as in Mark’s case, where his lovely patio can be seen from almost every room inside the house. The fountain he redesigned and replaced can be heard from even the bedrooms upstairs, how soothing that must be… I saw a few before pictures of the patio where all there was a neglected hill. After seeing the transformation from a haphazard patio to a sophisticated brick paved outdoor living space, my appreciation for well design spaces is further enhanced, from Interiors, to patios to landscaping to a whole new level. It’s amazing what good taste and good design can create. I love to see before pictures, that’s when you can see the real magic.

03May

12 European Country Side and Provencal Gardens

Provencal Gardens design ideas with terracotta pots with boxwood and stone walls and shutters

Francois Catroux courtyard in Laurmarine, France. The Provencal garden has ancient fortified stone walls with shutters on the windows, the floor is in gravel and the green throughout is planted in terracotta pots.

Characteristics of Provencal Gardens

European Country or Provencal gardens are informal with a more laid-back atmosphere. When more European formal gardens are meticulously planned and focused on symmetry, many countryside gardens share a common thread that reflects their slower pace of life and unpretentious approach to design. As in many of their choices in life, Europeans first priority when it comes to designing their garden is about creating the space to celebrate the pleasures of life among friends and family. What an inspiring way of living, taking what you have and working with it, instead of falsely inventing what’s not there. Of course, not all of us
have the perfect surroundings of the South of France but there is something to be learned from this realistic low maintenance approach to design. Europeans have an innate sense of style and even though their country gardens are casual they sure are stunning and charming settings where we can linger and never get tired of them. One main element I constantly see in these gardens is gravel, typically used in patios and pathways as well as partitions between boxwood. These countryside gardens in Europe may be full of harmony, but make no mistake, these lush outdoor spaces are full of varieties. Usually lots of container
plantings for easy caring, lavender for the beauty as well as for the aroma, vegetable and herb farming for an organic living and ancient old trees. Since food and wine is an integral part of good living (in my and many others opinion), iron garden tables and simple chairs are a must for outdoor eating.
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09Dec

A Marbella Home designed by Eduardo Dorissa

Now and then when it comes to decoration one can get to the point where enough is enough. Anything too pretty, too perfect, too new, well, you get the point, can become dull and lifeless or make you feel you are in a cocktail bar. On the other hand, so is the opposite because no one wants to live out of a tent on an empty lot like a nomad. As in everything else in life, balance is one thing to keep in mind when decorating a home. This Marbella home designed by Eduardo Dorissa which I’m sure some of you may have seen before, strikes that balance between elegance and restraint. It’s the sort of house that everything inside and outside share a similar peace and importance. The perfect home to get away for a few days. Enjoy!

20Jun

Let’s go by the pool

Can you believe this swimming pool above? Talk about a privileged life! I
found the idyllic image on Pinterest and I don’t have any credit whatsoever, besides
the link to the page where I found it. I don’t even know if this is a
regular swimming pool, if it was carved out, if the whole thing is fake or if
it’s instead a natural mineral pool.
One of my dreams is to owned a home with swimming pool where guests can take a dip in hot summer days. Something like the image below with a background as impressive and dreamy as the South of France is perfectly ideal. Cypress trees have always have my name on them, all over. Enjoy!

most of the images via this Pinterest and this Pinterest

22Apr

For the home: A Planters Roundup

Bronze planters, Rams head terracotta planter, Black faceted planter, Tin and Twine planter, Nickel planter, hand painted metal planter, White square planter, Case study planter, column planters ,

It’s Earth day today! This beautiful and made-to-be-perfect, even though not so much lately, place where we live has a real threat called Global Warming. To help make a difference to GW, as in every other kind of change we want to see in the world, we should start with ourselves, in this case our homes. If you have a private yard why not plant a tree? Plant it on a special date or for a special cause and make it memorable, if you don’t have a private backyard then bring a tree inside the house. Since the choice of the plant is only yours, I hope you can find among this suggestions a few ideas for planters. Have green Earth day!

Versailles planter, Orange fiberglass planter,Block planter in bronze, Kingham planter, Decal Planter, Vaso planter in orange, Block planter in black, Yellow tripod planter, M2 planter, hammered planters, Hanging Planter

Tag: garden

All Chic Classic Style: Oscar de la Renta

Mark D Sikes All America Outdoor Patio

12 European Country Side and Provencal Gardens

A Marbella Home designed by Eduardo Dorissa

Let’s go by the pool

For the home: A Planters Roundup

juliepaulinodesign