Inspired Spaces: White walls + Old Leather + rich wood = Luxe

Have ya'll seen the space put together by Will Kopelman (aka Mr. Drew Barrymore) in the latest AD?  It's the most anti-man cave, beautiful man-space I've ever seen.  In fact, I don't see any reason to designate it a "man space," as I'd move in in a heartbeat.

I'm generally a color gal, but throw in a neutral palette with some roughed up leather, and you'll get me every time.  Besides, the home office has enough suggestion of color with the enormous John Singer Sargent reproduction (Will's an art adviser - nice work if you can get it)  What I really love is the not-in-your-face luxe of it all.  From the rich polished wood paired with the contemporary pieces to the men's suiting fabric that makes the window treatments - all against the perfectly-white background.  As Ferris Bueller once said, "It is so choice."

Moving on to the bath and dressing room portion of the program, Will turns the tables and goes dark and rich.  The dressing room in black lacquer with hits of wood and brass still serves to scratch my itch for dark, high gloss rooms.

It also serves to remind me that rooms with drastically different feels can exist beautifully as neighbors - they key is the streamlined palette, and shared materials.

The bathroom is just - wow.  It's a lot, and I'm not sure I could deal with this much going on on a daily basis, but I LOVE that he went for it.  Like all-out, gentleman's glam.  I admire a man who knows his style and rocks it to the last detail.  Drew says she cried when she first saw the space - because it made her bathroom look downright granny.

I've had this white walls, rich wood, worn leather, mix of modern soup in my brain so much, I decided to use it to put together a design scheme for a class project.  My assignment is to design a Living/Dining room space.  I put more of a feminine twist on my interpretation, and the items I sourced would be filed under a budget known as...uh, dreamy, but here ya go.

In this room, every hour would feel like martini hour.   {sly grin}

The Male Equation

The other night, I was in a Pinterest-induced stupor, conjuring up images of what will be in our newly-purchased house in Virginia - code name: Wallingford.(because I know you want to follow that board)

Initially, we'll take a live-with-it-and-plan approach on a lot of the house, but we're tackling a few messier projects before or as we move in. One of those is the Family Room - or what we'll use as a family/tv room.
For starters - it is vewy, vewy small.

...and nondescript.

My hope is to do away with the circa 70s paneling, add some much-needed mill work, and turn it into a jewel box of a room, all glossy, cozy, and layered like so...

Key to my plans are: rich, high-gloss paint (color TBD), and saddle/caramel leathuh.

So, I was stoked when I saw this MCM-esque leather sofa from JCPenney getting good reviews.  The Hubster's not the biggest fan of this style, so....

Me:  "Ben, do you think you could stomach this sofa for the family room at Wallingford?"

Ben:  "It looks like I would slide off."

Score: Ben - 1  Sofa - 0

How do I compete with this?

Happy Monday, peeps.
(P.S. - no baby, obvs)

Inside a Design Mag Photographer's Head

A few weeks ago, the stars aligned, and I was able to meet professional photographer Emily Johnston Anderson.  You may not realize it, but you've seen her work.  Her photographs have been featured in Rue, Bon Appetit, and Remodelista to name a few. 

all photos by Emily Johnston Anderson

(duh)

I'm a big fan of her work, especially how she lets the natural light tell the mood and story of a space.  I have a geek-like interest in interior photo shoots; how they come together, how they're edited, and most importantly, how we all can make our homes "shoot-worthy."

Thankfully, Emily is as kind as she is talented, and let me throw together a little Q&A to help give me a little creative fly-on-the-wall perspective. 

Enjoy the morsels!

Q:  Your interior photographs have a unique (um, amazing) aesthetic - they're not falsely lit, and convey a very true "mood" of a space.  How would you describe your interior photography style?

I think I would describe my style as authentic and atmospheric.

Q:  I think I speak for many when I say it is a goal to have my design projects published.  In your experience, how are most published homes "scouted?"  

Great question! I like to pitch homes I've photographed to publications where I feel they'd be a good fit. I know editors are always looking for great spaces to feature. 

Q:  I've always wanted to be a fly on the wall of interior design photo shoots.  Partly from a styling, partly a photographer wanna-be perspective.  (I'm nerdy like that)  What do you try to capture when you photograph interior spaces?

I always look to capture the way it feels to be in a space. I'm looking for the images that capture the way a room struck me when I walked in. The colors, the scale.

Q:  In your opinion, what is more appealing to photograph, a perfectly-decorated home, or a highly personal home?  Why?

Definitely a personal home! A skillfully assembled collection of furnishings can be beautiful, but for me there's nothing like a room that's full of objects that carry memories and secret histories. 

Q:  We all see what appears to be perfect spaces in design publications - online and paper glossies.  Are the interiors you photograph ever as "perfect" as they appear?

Rarely... often all signs of daily life are removed, and curated "lifestyle" scenarios are recreated in their stead. Can you tell I'm a fan of imperfections?

Q:  I think we can all agree that a space can be beautiful, but if it is poorly photographed, the loveliness is often diminished.  Do you have any tips to offer the blossoming designer on photographing their work (other than hiring a professional)?

The power of good composition is an often-overlooked factor in interior imagery. Think about what you want in the frame, and what you don't, and play with moving objects and furniture a little bit to one direction or another. Also, leaving a little bit of strategic negative space in the image makes for a pleasing balance -- try framing things off-center!

 
Thanks again, Emily!

Highlighting Interior Photography

As I'm gradually accomplishing projects around my house, and planning to put together a portfolio of my interior styling work, I'm focusing more and more on what it takes to present a room amazingly.  A professionally photographed space can take a less-than-extraordinary room, and with incredible angles and lighting, make it look straight out of a design glossy.  A poorly-lit and photographed room, however inspiring it may be, will never earn its true merits.

I came across the work of Ashlee Raubach, who's photographs of interiors capture light and essence perfectly, creating a sense not only of a beautiful space, but of actually wanting to be a part of them. 

Talk about inspiring!

 

 

 

Living Vicariously: The New Furbish Store

It's pretty amazing when the opening of someone else's boutique gives you heart palpitations.  But that's exactly what I'm experiencing after seeing Honey + Fitz's pics from the new Furbish store in Raleigh, NC - the brainchild of decorative artist extraordinaire, Jamie Meares.

I'm more than delighted to live vicariously for a few moments as I virtually go through the store and pick out what I'd take home.  Although, it'd probably be easier to select items I wouldn't want to buy.

The entrance:  the yum factor is just getting started.

A bubblegum sofa. "Oh, I couldn't."  Um, oh, YES I could!

One of my favorite vignettes:  layering art upon large, graphically-enhanced walls.  Brilliant.

Evidence that I need a bit more animal in my life:  leopard bowls...

...and cheetah rugs

Headboard: to die for.  Ms. Meare's ability to layer and mix patterns: OFF the charts.

I'm working with someone who's guest bath is screaming for one of these custom, ikat shower curtains.

If you're into subdued/neutral and subtle.  I dare say Furbish is not your place, but everyone's space needs a jolt of some sort.

I'm due a mommy getaway trip, and I'm seriously considering a mecca-like pilgrimage from Brazil to Raleigh.   Anyone wanna meet me there?

*All pics courtesy of Dina of Honey + Fitz *used with permission*

Inspired by October

Now that October is in full swing, I feel I have permission to begin seasonal sprucing around our casa. I don't go all-out for the holidays in general, but I do love Halloween. This month, I'm playing hostess-with-the-mostess for a couple of small soirees, so I'll probably go a bit beyond my usual.
Avery is dying to decorate pumpkins, and I need a new centerpiece, so I'm thinking some blingy pumpkins might be a fun projecto.

Source: stylelist.com via Alison on Pinterest

..but otherwise, I think a subtler approach - maybe a hint at glossy black goodness, or a speck of harvest orange might be enough to set the mood just right.

Source: None via harim on Pinterest

High gloss black doors can do no wrong in my book.

Source: google.com via Ashley on Pinterest

Whoever said dark walls retract space clearly never saw a powder room this grand.

Source: thedecorista.com via Jen on Pinterest

However, an all-white kitchen benefits from a shot of color

Source: bystephanielynn.com via DL on Pinterest

Making a huge mental note on the pumpkin detail of the bookshelves amid the slate-y walls. And wait! Is that a cowhide? Cut to mimic Moroccan tile? I die.

Source: flickr.com via Alison on Pinterest

New Trad goodness. Stripes never fail.

Source: janiemolster.com via Lacey on Pinterest

There's just so much gone right in this reading room, but I'll go ahead and note the orange leather.

Source: stylebyemilyhenderson.com via Virginia on Pinterest

So, go on. Let some orange and black do the talkin'.

Let's see...what else have I got?

Wow, you all were decidedly not interested in baby Oliver's to-be rockin' nursery. Four comments? ..and I worked my tail off on that board, too. Sads.

Well...how about this? We learned yesterday that baby #3 is another GIRL!! From the get-go, I figured we were destined to have girls, but I took one of those Gender Predictor tests, and it said Boy. So, I had sort of gotten used to the idea that we'd have an XY child in the mix. Turns out, I should've trusted my instincts, as an ultrasound tells no lie, and a baby girl it is. No worries, though, she's looking perfect, and we're delighted and blessed for that.

Still not what you're looking for?

OK - how about some pretty rooms...The latest Lonny killed it. Sent me into some kind of design schizophrenia.

The house full of creamy (and in some cases, contrasting) neutrals have me seriously questioning my devotion to color...

...and then I spy glossy persimmon and aqua velvet (the fabric, not the aftershave), and I feel a tugging at my soul.

Lacquered walls - will we ever get over it? Not when it's this good.

How perfect would this be to reflect our overseas life?

Hey! They're mooching off my inspiration!

3-D butterfly art, Lonny Style:

3-D Butterfly art: Casa G Style:

Lonny's Glossy Turquoise Bureau:

My Glossy Turquoise Bureau:

See? We are of equal, rad style.

This pink couch, amid all this amazing natural light, gives me huge amounts of inspiration for when we move to Rio. What? Did I just say that? It's a secret, so shush.

Now for the quiz:
1) What two things did I reveal in this post?
2) What Missoni item did you snag from someone else's cart yesterday at TarJAY?