Tag: Interior Design

The entry hall of the Manhattan townhouse that Architect and Interior Designer Daniel Romualdez reconfigured and decorated for a couple is what sets the tone for the overall elegance and glamor found in the rest of the house.  The mirror paneled walls, framed inside moldings disguise the beautiful Jib door on the left.  The entire townhouse carries a perfectly balanced color scheme of caramels- as the golden brown found in the dining room, different shades of browns, taupe, beige and gold.  All that degradation of color finds its balance counterpart in the white on the walls.  Romualdez used three different shades of white in the living room, technique I’m sure creates the effect of subtle depth in the space.  Usually Architects are heavy on drama when decorating an interior, Daniel Romualdez however, besides his unique talent of executing diverse styles, is consistent in the final outcome of them all, which is for most, polished and edited.  Stunning curated spaces.  Daniel has designed many project for Tory Burch.

Interior Designer Daniel Romualdez, mirrored entry hall via belle vivir blog

This beautiful townhouse was featured in the January issue of Veranda Magazine, which very well deserves a big shout out.  The issue is entirely dedicated to exquisite New York design and every one of the homes featured deserves an independent post.  Everyone should buy a copy and keep it for their collection.  It’s that good.

Interior Designer Daniel Romualdez, caramel brown dining room via belle vivir blog

Lovely contrast between the caramel walls and the white dining table and the custom ceiling light.

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Amanda Brook 1 via belle vivir

Amanda Brooks is known as a writer, contributing editor at Condé Nast Traveler and AD and ex fashion director at Barneys New York.  What you may not know is that she is a great Lifestyle Architect too.  If such title exists, she’s earned it.  Amanda Brooks is a New Yorker who moved with her family to the English Countryside and had created an idyllic countryside life style.  All with absolute no previous experience.  It all started when Amanda decided to take a year break from the hustle and bustle of her busy career in the City and moved with her family to the farm where her husband grew up in Oxfordshire, England.  Yes, she traded attending front row fashion shows, dressing head to toe in designer clothes and attending the fancy after parties for the calm and charm of the English countryside, complete with horses, sheep, pigs and pretty gardens.  The one year became years and now is the family’s permanent residence, as she told AD where their Farm was featured.  Amanda also told AD that she is currently writing a book about the whole experience.   Her Instagram account is like a dream no one would like to wake up from, at least not me, full of beautiful and inspiring images from nature, gardens, dogs and her children.  You can also appreciate snippets of her home, Fair Green Farm, and how unpretentious and beautiful she decorates it.  Everything looks so livable and tangible… yet so tasteful.
I love to hear stories like this because it’s all but a reminder that the real pleasures in life are about substance and whatever fills your heart.  It’s about what makes you wake up in the morning with a full heart.  Of course all better when done in style, as Amanda shows us.

Amanda Brook farmhouse via belle vivir blog

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I came across this top image randomly in Google that reminded me of this post from a few months ago.  Green is probably the most conservative way to use color while staying neutral.  If there is one color that truly represents nature that is green with all different shades directly linked to one of Nature’s greatest flora.  The darker the shade of green the more coziness it adds to a room.  I especially love to see it paired with unconventional opposites such as taupe, pinks and browns…

The Beauty of Green in Interiors, via belle vivir

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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.

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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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