a little Monday morning inspiration for you folks…

Love this chic panelling with gold leaf and antique mirror! From Kelly Wearstler’s latest book “Rhapsody”, cannot wait to get my hands on copy…

Black and Brass. Yum. Kelly Wearstler designed kitchen from the latest Elle Decor, photographed by Mikkel Vang.

My copy of the Kelly Wearstler book “HUE” arrived a little while ago, and it does not disappoint! I have already devoured it and am looking forward to having some more time to savour each and every drool worthy image. It’s quite a departure from her past two publications. While there is still plenty of the Wearstler signature saturated colour…there are also plenty of spaces that are decorated in a more easily digested sea of neutrals. Her new home is simply stunning, and is so…well, for want of a better word, eclectic. It’s definitely more modern than her previous residence, and actually looks quite European to me in the way that she has mixed sculptural pieces, bold art and lots of disparate elements against the classical architectural backdrop. I wonder how long it will take for her to be bored of it and move on? If nothing else, we can all live vicariously through her. I only hope that the next book doesn’t take so long to be published…I feel like I’ve been waiting on this one for years! Now….go get yourself a copy!

Its no great secret that my book wish list is about a mile long. I’ve treated myself and ordered a few lately in an effort to whittle that list down…although it seems there are more great new books being released than I have the capacity to buy…so alas, the list keeps growing. One that I did order that also was somehow off the radar is Selldorf Architects, the first (that I know of) monograph of the work of architect Annabelle Selldorf. Selldorf’s own apartment was featured in the latest German Architectural Digest so if you are a fan of her work like I am, go check it out.

As far as I’m concerned the best place to read said books is a quiet beach – or beach house. I’ve been fantasizing about the Malibu Beach House that Kelly Wearstler designed for her family and friends, and while I know this has already been blogged about probably a million times already, I just couldn’t resist sharing these images that were featured in the Spanish Architectural Digest this month. The beautiful photography is by François Halard, who also did the shoot for the recent Metropolitan Home spread, however some of these images are different.

I’m reserving one of the leather recliners in the living room (2nd image)…now all I need is someone to mix me a G&T!

…and now I have an overwhelming desire to go to Mexico…

Sea Urchin – Ivory/Bone

Bengal Bazaar – Graphite

Katana – Mocha/Cream

Confetti – Cream

Some of the new designs by Kelly Wearstler due to launch this Fall/Autumn (for the Northern Hemisphere). So what do you think folks….do you like them? Better still, do you think they’ll soon be as ubiquitous as good old Imperial Trellis??

I arrived home to find the October edition of HK magazine ‘Home Journal’, and after flicking through almost the entire thing without seeing much of interest, I stumbled upon a feature at the back on the goddess, Kelly Wearstler. Amongst a whole heap of stuff that was old news…(I swear magazines here are about 4 months behind the rest of the world)…they showed some of the new homewares range she has designed, presumably for Bergdorf Goodman. How exciting! I’m not too suprised – it seems very inspired by her typical vintage look. I am looking forward to seeing the rest of it though, especially how they merchandise it in store.

Yesterday’s post, the Carre Settee in particular, got me thinking about another of my favorite furniture companies, Augousti. Run by a husband and wife team, Ria and Yiouri, who are based in Paris, Augousti also uses shagreen and bone inlay on modern furniture – with just a hint of deco. They actually started out making handbags from other luxurious materials and have progressed into furniture and home accessories. If you are lucky enough to live in New York you can buy their goods at Barney’s. I’m coveting one of their chest of drawers, covered in ivory coloured shagreen, just like the one in the image below.

This image is of a model apartment Kelly Wearstler did for the new Eastern Columbia Lofts in L.A. It certainly helps that it has been paired with other beautiful objects, but this chest is a classic. Clearly, Kelly likes this chest too, so much so that she used them as nightstands in her bedroom in her previous home, as seen in the image below.

This is the gorgeous bar and restaurant that Kelly Wearstler designed at the Bergdorf Goodman flagship store in New York. I love the colours she has chosen for this space, they’re so fresh and modern, but also very glamorous and chic. Apparently BG wanted a space that would appeal to all ages, and I think she’s managed to accomplish that here. I think this project is also a bit of a departure from her ‘typical’ look, and she’s shown that she is capable of mixing it up a bit.

I love the wall panelling here, the gold and black work like magic together. Notice the mermaid sconce on the wall to the left? It’s the same as the one used in the dining room in my last post. They’re from Jean de Merry. I’ve noticed she uses a lot of their lighting in her projects, including her previous home. I just wish I knew where she gets her lamps from…!

I think Kelly has a fantastic eye for contemporary art, and has a talent for merging them into interiors that have great verve.

The wallpaper is from De Gournay, and it works so well here. I love the combination of the pale blue with this apple green. It’s so fresh.

The sconces here are also from Jean de Merry, and are the same as those used in the living room in my last post.

I just love the mirrored panels here – and the colours she’s used.

These ‘sea urchin’ ceiling lights are fantastic. The cabinet at the back of the room is KWID design.

I’m loving these canopied armchairs. She’s used them in a lot of projects recently and are starting to look old already, but I love them used here in this intimate table setting. All of the furniture seen here was made for the project by Sunview Finishing in L.A. (for anyone in the area, their number is 323-954 9263). Apparently she uses them a lot.

Images are from the KWID website and from Hospitality Design magazine – April 2006 (vo. 28).

I have been a big fan of Kelly Wearstler‘s work for a while now, but funnily enough had not got around to posting about her yet. I thought that for my first (of many, I’m sure) posts about her I’d share some images that are a little different from her usual colourful, ecelectic (yes, I think this word applies to her work) and seductive interiors. I love this home because it still displays some of her signature style, but its also a little of a departure from her well-known work because its a bit more restrained on the colour side, and mixes furniture and accessories from earlier in the century (1940’s), as opposed to a lot of the mid-century pieces she typically chooses. It still has a mix of periods and styles, but I think it has a very serene, sophisticated and glamorous look, as well as being sexy. I think its a testament to her skill as a designer.

This scan is pretty bad quality, sorry, but I love the colours in this room. She’s managed to make grey and yellow a very sexy colour combination (before anyone else, and its now a huge trend). I don’t know what the art on the wall is, but it looks like some sort of plaster relief. It’s beautiful. As are the lamps and that coffee table.

I j’adore this dining room. Proably because Kelly says she was inspired by the work of Andre Arbus. You can tell. I especially love those dining chairs, the side cabinets and the mermaid-like sconces.

This is such a masculine library, I love it. The red lacquered cabinets add a bit of a chinoiserie feel for me.

Images are all from House & Garden (US) September 2006.