To Mr. Drucker, a love letter

Dear Stephen:

When I heard last spring that you were leaving House Beautiful to take over (and make over) Town & Country, I'll admit I was a bit surprised -- and even more skeptical. Wasn't that just a step down? House Beautiful has long been my favorite interiors magazine. I anxiously await its arrival each month and, when it does finally arrive on my doorstep, I read it slowly, savoring every image, every word. Town & Country, on the other hand,...well, it started showing up at my house unannounced a few years ago and every now and then I'll flip through it, but I never would have paid for it.

T&C seemed to target a wealthy, high society, New York-centric audience that struck me as ridiculously dated. The magazine seemed more like an extended advertisement for this narrow lifestyle and rarely included any articles of substance. To be crass, I thought T&C sucked.

But then you came along and breathed new life it. You gave it a clearer voice and more substance. Who would have thought my favorite home of the year would be featured in T&C? I nearly gasped when I saw the feature on Miles Redd's Atlanta chateau. Not only was the home beautiful (and beautifully photographed), but the copy was entertaining and well written as well (yes, I always read the stories!).

So thanks for giving me another magazine to look forward to every month. And keep up the good work.

Sincerely,

Averill at Odi et Amo

* * *

Okay, enough of the mushy, sycophantic stuff. Let's get on with the house ogling, shall we? The reason I love this house so much is because it's so quintessentially Miles (colorful, traditional with lots of chinoiserie touches, plenty of animal print, lots of lacquer), but with a good dose of Southern style and architecture thrown in for good measure.

Check out the gorgeousness that is this atrium. I love the classical architecture paired with the chinoiserie wallpaper and cheeky cheetah slipper chairs. There's something grand and yet playful and even cozy about this room that seems perfectly suited to the young family that lives here.

The living room's slate blue and orange rug really blows me away. What a wonderful color combination! It's bold and current, but also very livable, and I love it paired with the camel-colored furniture in particular. I also love the modern art paired with the more traditional furnishings and architecture.

Another shot of the living room. Isn't that dental molding incredible? I also like that they went for a softer, yellower white for the trim. It creates less of a contrast against the blue than a strong white would and it works beautifully with all the natural light flooding in from the large windows.

The Butler's pantry. Like a powder room, these small, infrequently used spaces are a great opportunity to really experiment and go all out. The ceiling of this space was inspired by the zodiac ceiling of Grand Central Station (my favorite spot in all of NYC, after the NYPL). The bold turquoise continues onto the cabinetry and even the marble. The hits of brass in the fixtures brings a warmth and contrast to all the blue that nickel fixtures never could.

For me the oxblood study very, very Miles. It actually reminds me of a room in my grandmother's house, which was painted out in a similar shade of red and with plenty of gilt (my grandmother loved gilt). The brass trim on the built-ins adds such a sense of luxury -- and lightness to the room.

When you're working with a strong color like this, I think it's best to follow Miles' lead and keep everything as monochromatic as possible. It keeps the room feeling more calm, despite the brilliant red walls. The real interest here comes in the plays of texture and subtle patterns. I'm particularly fond of the pairing of the paisley print sofa, with the ikat pillows. Because the scale of the sofa's print is so much smaller (and more subtle) than the bolder, larger ikat print, it really works beautifully.

What Southern bedroom is complete without monogrammed linens? And what Miles Redd bedroom is complete without wall-to-wall cheetah carpet? [Hint: the answer to both questions is "none".] Of course I love all the soft blues here, the coolness of which are cut by the tans and browns of the walls and carpet. But what I love most is how sumptuously this bed is dressed. The thick duvet, the velvet coronet and bedskirt (all trimmed out in satin). Yummy.

What I wouldn't give some days for my own closet -- let alone my own dressing room! And how soft underfoot must that patchwork pony-skin be. Sure, it's probably not especially practicable, but on a cool morning, fresh out of the shower, how luxurious it must feel on your bare feet. Another great detail here is the tray ceiling, which is wallpapered in a beautiful de Gournay print of trees and birds. I'd take this idea and put it in a bedroom: it'd be like looking up int a forest canopy every night before bed. Very peaceful.

The lady of house enjoys not only her own dressing room, but her own bath, luxuriously appointed in Carrera marble (naturally). Note how Redd painted the bathroom door to mimic the veining of the marble. Isn't that fun? The wallpaper and the fashion drawings are both so wonderfully feminine but the color palette of soft blue and tan ties it all in with the adjoining master bedroom.

If this is the kind of aspirational living that the "new" Town & Country is intent on giving its readers, then I say "yes, please, and more!". After all, who couldn't use a little more fantasy material?

All images courtesy of Town & Country and via The Love List.

Out of the Powder Room and into the Closet...

While browsing Nordstrom's accessories department with my mom and sister yesterday, I spied Kate Spade's cheerful summer bon shopper ($175) with its playful, leaping zebras. If you're as fanatical a reader of shelter magazines as I am, then no doubt you are also struck by the similarity between this print and Scalamandre's popular zebra wallpaper. While the lack of arrows (which I'm not a big fan of anyways -- it takes the safari-theme too literally) and the different colorways make this print not an exact replica of the wallpaper, it nevertheless bears an uncanny resemblance to the iconic paper.

To refresh your memory, here are a few examples of the pattern in question being used by two of my favorite designers:

Massucco Warner Miller

Miles Redd

And lest you think the similarity is purely coincidental, check out Jack and Kate Spade's very own guest bath (via Habitually Chic), which sports the wallpaper in a cheerful green:

I should add that it's entirely possible (even likely) that Kate Spade had permission from Scalamandre to use this print; I have no idea. Rather than making any legal accusations, I'm more interested in generating some discussion around whether or not you like the increased interrelationship between fashion and interior design in recent years. So what do you think? Is what's good on the runway good in the home?

While I love the fact that runways and design showrooms now speak to each other (both literally and figuratively), I'll admit that I think the line isn't completely permeable. After all, fashion is (or at least should be) much more about trends and seasons: the "It" bag, the hot new colors for fall, etc. Interior design, on the other hand, should perhaps be more timeless and more impervious to trends. I think we've come a bit too far with disposable decorating, which is both fiscally and environmentally irresponsible. But I'd love to hear what you think on this one....

Lacquered Walls: A Maximalist's Dream

Christina Murphy

Now that I've blogged for a while, I've started to see trends emerge in my tastes and interests that I don't think I would've noticed without the virtual paper trail. One of the biggest things that I've come to realize about myself is that I tend towards maximalism -- not just in design, but in life. I'm a big believer that bigger is often better, just as more is often more. I've long been a fan of lacquered furniture and accessories. The glossy, almost liquid-like sheen is such a wonderful counterpoint to wood, fabric and other earthier elements. It's also supremely glamorous, and I can't help but love a little bit of sparkle and sheen in just about any room.

So why not take this love of lacquer, that I can only assume many of my fellow design enthusiasts share as the trend seems to show no sign of slowing down, and take it one step further? Let's maximize it and lacquer the walls. Sure, a true lacquer finish on your walls is time and labor-intensive -- and expensive. But the look can be approximated with high gloss paint (though to get a truly smooth finish you'd be best advised to skim coat your walls first unless they're already in pristine condition). High gloss or lacquered walls are particularly appealing in darker, more intense colors, like this gorgeous cobalt blue, which is incredibly striking against the black and white fireplace.

Miles Redd

If there is a true king of lacquer (do you think he'd mind if I dubbed him the "King of Shellac"?), then it has to be Miles Redd, the designer whose maximalist take on traditional decor has been incredibly influential in the resurgence of high style, color and Chinoiserie in interior design. And I think this hallway is a tremendous example of that. All the individual elements of this entry are incredibly traditional, from the black and white marble floors, to the blue and white porcelain to the intricate moldings and yet it feels so modern because the volume on everything is turned way up. The bold blue lacquered walls pop against the graphic floor and the hits of red in the lampshades and door (oh that door!) are such a strong, primary contrast to the blue.

Miles Redd

This room is a quieter, softer version of Miles' style, but it illustrates how you don't need a really bold color to make lacquered walls feel like a statement. This medium blue-gray, taken all the way up to the ceiling, creates an underwater, lagoon-like effect in this salon, while the larger white double sofa floats softly in the center of the room, like a cloud. Miles' signature zebra rugs, however, keep this room from putting you to sleep.

Miles Redd

Another great living room from Miles. The sophisticated, rich color of Farrow & Ball's Hague Blue is really at its best in a high gloss. Where the light hits it, the color reads as a peacock blue, while in shadow the gray undertones give it a quieter elegance.

Nick Olsen

Decorator Nick Olsen has a very similar decorating style to his mentor Miles Redd, but with a bit of English granny thrown in for good measure. In the most recent issue of Lonny, Nick talks about wanting his small one-bedroom Nolita apartment to feel like an Opium den. Well, mission accomplished. The red glossy walls, black chintz sofa and bold painted floors are a wonderfully modern spin on a 19th century London opium den.

Melissa Rufty of MMR Interiors via Matters of Style

In my opinion, eclecticism (of the type heralded and popularized by domino) is just another type of maximalism, and this room does it beautifully. I adore all the colors, patterns and layers; it feels curated more than decorated.

Canadian House & Home, January 2010

When this house was featured in Canadian House & Home back in January, I had mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, it was colorful, original and had some very fun elements (like that wallpapered ceiling) on the other hand, it would date quickly and had a few tacky moments. But ultimately, I appreciate the risk taking of shellacking your walls in orange and papering your ceiling in metallic paper. It's bold and not to everyone's taste, but it's fun and I always respect a sense of humor in design.

Steven Gambrel

"But Averill," you say, "maximalism just isn't my speed. Can lacquered walls work in a more minimalist interior?" The answer is an resounding "yes!". In fact, just follow Steven Gambrel's lead (never a bad idea) and incorporate lacquered walls into quieter, more masculine interiors for an unexpected bit of shine and glamour.

Steven Gambrel

This kelly green feels like an unexpected choice for a hallway, but it's such a great contrast to the otherwise neutral palette and traditional architecture. It also creates a certain moodiness that Gambrel so often displays in his work that I find very appealing.

Steven Gambrel

I love a dark, cozy den and you can't get cozier than this one. The goldenrod colored ceiling is a great touch here. It's both dark and warm enough to keep the black walls from feeling too stark and it ties in beautifully with the carpet and leather sofa. While I like the chalkiness of a matte black wall (especially if you're using an off-black or deep charcoal instead of a true black), I really do love a glossy, true black wall. The sheen reflects so light while the dark walls recede into the background. It's a wonderful way to make a room feel larger and cozier at the same time.

Katie Ridder

Studies seem to be the frequent beneficiaries of lacquered walls. Perhaps it's because they're often smaller, less frequently used rooms that can handle the high sheen and bold color. This coral color is such an unusual choice for a study, but in high gloss it reads as more sophisticated than beachy. I particularly love how Katie picks up on the color in the suzani print throw pillows, which ties the white couch in with the chairs and walls.

Elle Decor

I love the raisin-colored walls in this study. It's the perfect backdrop for the salon-style art hanging and looks wonderfully fresh with the black and gold writing desk and the animal print fabrics.

Amanda Nisbet

I love the contrast of the shiny walls with the velvet upholstery. Textural juxtapositions are a great way to create interest without making bold color or pattern statements. The acrylic coffee table brings in the smooth, polished finish on the walls into the furniture grouping and helps tie everything together.

Rob Southern

While this Houston entryway (featured last year in House Beautiful) looks like it has black lacquered walls, it's actually a glossy vinyl wallpaper (Phillip Jeffries' "lacquered walls" wallcovering in eyeliner), which is a quicker (and cheaper) solution to a true lacquer finish. According to the designer, it's also more kid-friendly.

And finally, another photograph that I wish I could credit to the talented designer but can't (anyone? Bueller?..Bueller?). You don't frequently see white lacquered walls (furniture and accessories, yes, but not walls) but I think they really work well here in this more modern interior. And I absolutely love the finish allows the light from the wall sconces to positively glow. The touches of turquoise in the cushions on the dining chairs (which are a beautiful shape in their own right) and in the equine statue on the coffee table add a hit of fun and color to the otherwise neutral and more grown-up space.

Going Green

Christina Murphy

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I thought I'd be pretty uncreative and pull together some of my favorite green rooms. I'm always a fan of bright, monochromatic (or dichromatic) spaces and green is one of my favorite colors when you're trying to go bright and bold, but still have a "liveable" room. Unlike, say, orange or yellow, Green -- and even bold greens like kelly green -- read as a neutral when they stand alone or when only paired with true neutrals like white or black.

Amanda Nisbet

I've been coveting these Ava dining chairs from Annie Selke for months. I also love how Amanda carried the green onto the heavy beams, creating a real architectural feature out of what could otherwise best be described as bulkheads. I also love the soft brass fixtures with the green, the warmth lends a richness and depth to the room that I don't think nickel or silver could.

Jonathan Adler

With its cheerful color palette and midcentury touches, this room is classic Jonathan Adler.

Thomas Jayne

This room feels classic New England to me, with the roaring fire, heavy moldings and quilt on the bed. The color, however, really pulls it into the 21st century. I don't know if you'd call this color a blue-green or a green-blue, but I love it.

Lindsay Coral Harper

I typically try to avoid competing shades of a single color in a room, but the lime green walls and turquoise chairs really works together here. The overall effect is updated Palm Beach, without the hyper-coordination that can often make a room feel stuffy.

Phoebe Howard

Ah, another set of dining chairs that I'd love to own for myself -- anyone know the source on these? All the major elements in this room are neutral, but the room feels very colorful thanks to the green curtains, seat cushions and plates. In a few years the owner could easily switch these elements out with a different color for an entirely different look. It just goes to show you that you don't need a lot of color to make a big impact.

Jamie Drake

The mix of modern and traditional elements in this room is wonderful, but the best feature by far is all that gorgeous natural light streaming in from the floor-to-ceiling window.

Meg Braff

I think I'm increasingly obsessed with grass cloth -- if only I could find a place to use it in my own house! In any case, I love the mix of patterns in this room. The graphic rug, the cheetah print chairs and the grasscloth on the walls all lend different but subtle patterns, the combination of which is really greater than the sum of its parts.

Katie Ridder

Using a great print as a jumping off point for a room is a sure-fire way to achieve a cohesive design. The lavender and lime color palette is pulled from the fabric used on the ottoman and side chair in the foreground. The fabric is then repeated in the pillows on the sofa, ensuring a balance between both sides of the room (after all, it would feel a bit "off" if all the print were on one side of the coffee table and all the solid fabrics were on the other).

Miles Redd

These forest green leather doors with brass nailhead trim make me realize that my hollow-core doors are such a missed design opportunity. I also like how the hallway stands on its own design-wise, yet still works with the adjoining entry as it picks up on the greens in the wallcovering and generally harmonizes with the browns that dominate the adjoining space.

John Willey

I love the tight brown and lime color palette in this room -- it really enabled John to mix prints with abandon: plaid, Ikat, butterflies, geometrics...and yet it all harmonizes beautifully because all the prints contain the same colors (and when they don't, like in the plaid and Ikat prints, Willey added the missing color in as trim). I normally shy away from floral or butterfly prints as too girly, but the color palette and the great mix of other prints makes this room feel gender neutral to me. Also, did you notice the trim on the ceiling? What a great (and inexpensive) way to bring some interest to your fifth wall!

Hillary Thomas

Pink and green is such a classic, preppy color combination, but it's one that never fails to make me happy. It's even better when the colors are turned up a notch as with the hot pink drapes here. The softer neutrals in the rug and chairs help the room from feeling too much like the inside of a Lily Pulitzer store. I will say though that the composition feels a bit unbalanced to me, as all the saturated color in the green sofa and yellow pillows isn't set off by anything. I'd perhaps have included brighter pillows on the neutral side chairs and the white flokati pillows on the sofa...but that's just me.

Martha Angus

More fabulous pink and green, but this time both the pink and the green are in bold, saturated shades. I particularly love the contrast of the modern pop art with the very traditional handpainted wallpaper. Such a great contrast really makes this room stand out for me.

Sixx Designs

As much as I love a serene bathroom, I can't deny that this bright green bathroom from Sixx Designs is tons of fun. The salvaged pharmacy sign is a great touch and picks up on the retro black and white tiling. I really love the strong blue of the pendant light fixture. It's an unexpected, but brilliant touch in this room.

Tobi Fairley

Tobi is definitely a designer after my own heart. She's fundamentally traditional, but she's fond of bold color schemes, patterns and tightly edited spaces, all of which is perfectly exhibited in this green, white and gold living room. It's unusual to see two side tables that are actually taller than the sofa arms, but I like the built-in, cozy look that it lends the room....Oh and I would give my right arm for that coffee table. My only complaint? That Tobi karate-chopped the throw pillows. I hate that! Why do people do that?! Fluff, don't chop, I beg you.

Amanda Nisbet

I love the sophisticated, yet tropical feel of this bedroom. Again, I love the grasscloth wallpaper and its chartreuse hue is a very modern touch against the cottage-style bed as almost any other color green could have read as too country here.

Green is, ultimately, a natural color choice in interior design. It pairs well with both complimentary colors (like pink) and analogous colors (like yellow or blue) and is a great accent color for predominately neutral palettes. Green can read as energetic or calming, intense or calm, glamorous or laid back. Green also works in a variety of design styles, from traditional to modern. But whichever direction you choose to take green in your design, you can be assured that you'll be bringing in a little bit of Irish luck into your home.

May love and laughter light your days,

and warm your heart and home.

May good and faithful friends be yours,

wherever you may roam.

May peace and plenty bless your world

with joy that long endures.

May all life's passing seasons

bring the best to you and yours!

~ Traditional Irish Blessing

Anatomy of a Console Table

Sara Gilbane

Generally speaking, there are precious few "rules" when it comes to decorating. After all, taste isn't really a matter of following a prescribed list of "do's" and "don'ts", but instead a more elusive art form: it is emotional rather than logical. There's an often repeated mantra that good taste can't be taught -- and perhaps that is in fact the case. However,I firmly believe that if we take the time to train our eyes, we can learn short cuts and handy tricks that can at the very least help us approximate good taste, even if it isn't innate.

One area of decorating that appears to have surprising uniformity is styling a console table. A console table is the true workhorse of occasional tables -- it works equally well behind a sofa as it does in foyer -- and it's also an amazing opportunity to practice styling on a small scale. For many designers, the task can even be broken down into a rather simple arithmetic formula. Take for example Sara Gilbane's alcove (shown above). The classical elegance of the console table is anchors the statement-making gilt mirror. A pair of tall vases flank either end of the table and help bridge the space between the mirror and table top. Smaller-scaled picture frames and a decorative bowl fill in the center of the table and create further symmetry. This symmetrical arrangement is then echoed on the lower shelf with two small plants flanking the inlaid box.

Following this symmetrical formula is a simple and guaranteed way to achieve a visually pleasing arrangement. A few more examples from some of my favorite designers to illustrate some of the many variations on this theme:

Hillary Thomas Designs

John Willey Interior Design

David Jimenez

Mary McDonald

Meg Braff

Ashley Whittaker

Miles Redd

If you have a longer wall to fill, follow the lead of Miles Redd (above) and Sally Steponkus (below) and try flanking the console table with a pair of smaller chairs. When company comes, you'll have the extra seating, but otherwise the chairs will be out of the way for day-to-day activities.

Sally Steponkus

Kristen Hutchins

If you're ready to move on to the next level, try breaking up the symmetry a bit, which can create a far more interesting (and less "decorated") look. The key to your success though will be to maintain the balance. Here, Kristen Hutchins uses only one table lamp (a good choice as the console table is on the small side), but balances it with a small floral arrangement at the other end.

Kara Mann

Here, the very symmetrical arrangement of mirrors above the console is loosened up by the more haphazardly arranged orange boxes below. If the boxes had been stacked more tidily, the overall effect would have been far too geometric, which would have felt too studied and not in keeping with the more organic qualities of the decorative objects on the table itself.

Ruthie Sommers

If you're trying to break up the symmetry a bit, I'd suggest keeping at least one element symmetrical, as Ruthie Sommers did here with the pair of sconces flanking the mirror. This is a simple trick to bring balance back to an asymmetrical space. [Random aside: Did you notice the adorable dog lounging on the stairs in the mirror's reflection?]

Lindsey Coral Harper

Sometimes a simpler, less cluttered arrangement is best, particularly in a small entryway or hallway. Here, Lindsey puts the emphasis on the vertical space of the room rather than the horizontal by using highly reflective elements (the metallic wall paint, the gilt mirror, the glittering wall sconces). The effect is further realized by placing the mirror and sconces higher up on the wall. A word to the wise though: when hanging wall art, mirrors, sconces, etc. it's best to keep them below the height of the door or window frame.

Tim Clark

Time for the masters' class! In this vignette by Tim Clark, nothing is symmetrical and yet the arrangement is still highly successful. The red rattan chair is balanced by the palm in the red pot and the height of the pot is similar to the height of the floor lamp behind the chair. The green stools echo the color and shape of the small vases on the opposite side of the console table. As each side speaks to the other, the eye moves back and forth across the vignette.

Amanda Nisbet

A final point to consider is that sometimes fewer, larger pieces are far more effective than a bunch of small tchotchkes. In this vignette by Amanda Nisbet, the scale of the mirror, lamp and bust create a lot of drama without creating a lot of visual clutter. The neutral palette also ensures that these disparate pieces work harmoniously together.