Must read: Undecorate

As a decorator, I was a little hesitant to check out a book called Undecorate. What, are they trying to put me out of work?!? One review claims that Undecorate "emboldens readers to push aside stuffy, professionally-designed décor, showing them instead how to infuse their own personality into their home." Well, this was a relief. NO interior I've ever designed could be considered "stuffy" and the goal of personal, individual style is exactly what I help every client achieve. Phew! The bottom line is that some can do it on their own, some need good inspiration from a book or two and voila!......and the rest (thankfully) need a designer like myself to help execute their unique interior visions.

Feeling less threatened, I dove into the pages of Christiane Lemieux's new design bible and was smitten with image after image (much like I am with pretty much everything in the home textile and decor line Dwell Studio that she founded in 1999). "The No-Rules Approach to Interior Design" is perfectly in line with my personal and professional philosophy on good design. Melanie Acevedo's photographs are stunning. The 20 American homes profiled offer endless inspiration in an era when creativity is more abundant that design budget dollars, and undecorating is the new decorating.








All photos in Undecorate by Melanie Acevedo.

Monday Color: Yellow

Inspired by the brave daffodils that poked through the still-frozen soil weeks ago, withstood the premature spring showers, and are now blooming brilliantly in front of my house, I have chosen their vibrant yellow hue as the featured color for my weekly Monday post. If you've read past posts, you know my own front door is also bright yellow, which never failed to lift my spirits every day of this seemingly endless winter. Oddly I don't have a photo to share, but have included two bold yellow interior doors below that give me the same inner joy when I look at them. I was happily surprised at the abundance of yellow design inspiration I stumbled across in my web searches, only a fraction of which I was able to share below. Enjoy!!























Images above:

1. An example of the guest rooms at The Viceroy Palm Springs designed by Kelly Wearstler, to which I once made a pilgrimage just to be surrounded by the spirited yellow, white and black color palette.

2. Vibrant yellow interior doors posted on Remodelista. For more inspiration as an accent color, check out their brilliant post here.

3. Barn-style interior door in the same yellow hue.

4. A sunny breakfast nook created by designer Palmer Weiss.

5. An innovative use of color on the risers of a traditional staircase, via design blog Live.Like.You.

6. A genius wall art idea: ceiling medallions dipped in yellow paint.

7. A shot of a wall in Superette, the restaurant that is solely responsible for making me want to visit Capetown, South Africa.

8. Bright yellow ceiling fan, available from Sears.com.

9. Recycled Veranda Planter in Sunshine Yellow from Amazon.com.

10. DwellStudio's Facet Rug in Cream/Citrine (8'x10' shown; other sizes available)

11. Carpenter Lamp in a hi-gloss yellow powdercoat finish from cb2.

Hide & Sleep

Remodelista's recent post on alcove beds was inspiring; depicting innovative space usage, emphasizing the modern trend toward comfort, and making me feel an afternoon nap coming on. Here are some of my favorites from the post, with a few of my own window seat and sleeping nook finds added in:


A modern bed at the Hotel Aire de Bardenas in Spain (from Remodelista).


A built-in reading niche by Piet Boon (from Remodelista).


A built-in bed in Minneapolis, via Dwell (from Remodelista).


A window seat hideaway found in Ideal Home UK, via Dwellers without Decorators.


The perfect place to hide from the world.


As seen on The Green Door.


Guest room alcove beds from Posh Posh.




The two photos above feature a living room I designed in Atlantic Beach, NY and a close-up of the window seat lounge.


A cozy spot for reading and afternoon tea that I designed for a Manhattan client.

Take comfort - behold the perfect glider!!

Every nursery needs the perfect, sink-in-and-say-aaaaah chair. Storytime, 3am feedings and baby's first attempts at mobility are all more comfortable with the perfect upholstered piece to climb into. Having designed spaces for expecting parents for the past 6 years, I've only found a few models that didn't scream GLIDER! or that weren't covered with toxic ultrasuede and excessive stain-guarding chemicals. Modern rockers by Q Collection Junior and Duc Duc led the pack with their non-toxic finishes and sustainably harvested woods. And now the trendsetters at DwellStudio have introduced two glider styles into their line that look enough like a chair to live in any room, but provide all the comfort of a traditional glider.




The Thompson and Savoy Gliders are available in 8 fabrics and take 6-8 weeks to produce. They are crafted from sustainable hardwood that is certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and covered in 100% cotton or natural linen. The glide mechanism is made from recycled steel. Both are a reasonable $1190.

http://www.dwellstudio.com/thompson-glider.html

http://www.dwellstudio.com/savoy-glider.html