04Jan

Cameron Kimber’s Home: An English Country-House Style

Cameron Kimber‘s home is located in Australia but after you take a look at it, it will strike you as a perfect interpretation of an English country-home. English country-house style is usually saturated with all cozy elements. Mostly rooted in classic style, steers away from stiffness and creates the most comfortable and charming of interiors. Sofas like the kinds of Chesterfield, English rolled arms and overstuffed armchairs provide ease sitting options while natural rugs such as sisal and jute support the laid-back side of English country-house style. We can also find oriental rugs. A traditional color palette inspired by the nature of the English countryside is an integral part as well, shades such as yellows, greens, blues and others are found abundantly. And who can forget about flowers, chintz in the forms of textiles and wallpapers are the cornerstone of English countryside style. Either in the form of upholstered furniture or wallpaper, flowers and trailing are one of the main elements of this cozy style. Such use of floral details acts as softener to the often dark wood antiques found in the English country-house style.

English country-house style cameron living room via belle vivir blog

It’s a style of living that allows us to live with the things we love and enjoy our home without worrying about ruining our rugs or sofas. This is only because prints, patterns and natural or oriental rugs create the most beautiful patinas out of the daily tear and wear caused by our pets and kids. Now, I think they call that a double winner… “Things are beautiful and comfortable, and that’s really all that matters” Kimber. This latter a repeating mantra of Belle Vivir Interior Design Blog for years…

7 Elements of English country-house style.

English country-house style flower print via belle vivir blog

Informality

English country homes have an informal aesthetic and ambiance. Things are not taken too seriously… it’s the mingle of different textures and patterns that creates the elegance but relaxed atmosphere.

02Jan

Daniel Romualdez Glamorizes A Manhattan Townhouse

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.

18Dec

Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent’s Los Angeles Home

Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent are behaving a lot like Ellen and Portia lately. When they are not selling their homes, they are buying and renovating others. There must be something in the California water. By all means this isn’t a complain. We all benefit from these beautiful creations, including us, mere virtual consumers. Designers Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent’s Los Angeles home is what dreams are made of… it’s what uplift spirits and.., you get the point. Nate Berkus’s refined eclecticism is on display in every room of the 9,000 square feet 1928 Spanish Colonial home. The landscaping is like something out of a fairy tail, encircled with stunning vegetation and a colonial courtyard. The couple told Architectural Digest that the house was in great shape when they bought it and as a result they didn’t have to do more than just decorate it. The decorating process required stripping, bleaching, and waxing mahogany paneling in the dining room, replacing fireplace mantels, replacing the kitchen fixtures and surfaces. The overall aesthetic of the design is a bit on the masculine side as Jeremiah prefers “We go for a very clean, masculine look. We don’t like to live with a lot of color,” Brent. If you haven’t watched the couple’s home renovations Amazon show Nate & Jeremiah by Design, make sure you do. It’s full of inspirations and design ideas. At the end of this post, you can watch the video where Nate and Jeremiah show their beautiful new home. But first, see below the beatutiful images of Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent’s Los Angeles home.

The living room is furnished in European mid century pieces and objects.

07Dec

Alyssa Kapito as seen at the Holiday House NYC

This harmonious living room was designed by Alyssa Kapito for this year’s Holiday House in New York City. The yearly Show House benefits the Breast Cancer Research Foundation by giving 91 cents of every dollar to the cause. The Show House showcases the work of 22 Interior Designers whose creations must be inspired by a theme or special occasion. This neutral living room was one of the many beautiful rooms created by many talented Interior Designers. The living room specially stood out to me because of the strong contrast that the black objects and furniture create. You know how I feel about the use of black elements in interiors. Alyssa Kapito went completely neutral with the decor of her space. The difference in texture and wood tones add a lot of interest to the understated living room. The space looks simple but the room had a lot of important pieces such as a portrait be Alberto Giacometti above the fireplace mantel, two chairs by Gustav Axel Berg by the desk. The over sized abstract painting above the sofa is by William McClure. I think the painting is spectacular in itself, it’s modern and subtle. Ideal for the atmosphere of the living room.

Alyssa Kapito living room front

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.

03Oct

The Glamorous Bathrooms of Steven Gambrel

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

Tag: Interior Designer

Cameron Kimber’s Home: An English Country-House Style

Daniel Romualdez Glamorizes A Manhattan Townhouse

Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent’s Los Angeles Home

Alyssa Kapito as seen at the Holiday House NYC

An Upper West Side Apartment by Robert Couturier: The Apthorp

The Glamorous Bathrooms of Steven Gambrel

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