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 love stripes. Simple as that. To me, they are a design classic that never date, and work in almost any situation. I love them wide, I love them narrow. I love them for curtains, I love them for upholstery. I love them vertical, and I love them horizontal. I’m especially partial to a pinstripe, or a mens suiting stripe. I would almost put stripes on everything if I didn’t hold myself back. Here are just a few that I particularly like…
Schumacher, Olivia Stripe -Aqua
Lee Jofa, Oxford Stripe – FD561
Lee Jofa, Matt Stripe – Esspress
Highland Court, 31377-30
Highland Court, 31380-639
Highland Court, 31738-587
Kravet, 24629-3
Kravet, 25863-616
Kravet, 26585-716
Kravet, Bibendum Silk – Melon
Kravet, Bolero – Bronze
Paul Smith for Maharam, Bespoke Stripe – Navy
Paul Smith for Maharam, Dandy – Pewter
Paul Smith for Maharam, Syncopated Stripe
Kravet, 23866-316
Luna, Queue – Dapper
Schumacher, Scintillation – Ermine
‘Kashgar’, a silk/linen mix from Loro Piana
‘Glace’ – a wool satin from Donghia
And finally, I think the favorite so far is ‘Serenity’ – a wool/silk mix from Larsen
A few recent examples I found were from the new collections of Poltrona Frau, and the Spanish designer Jamie Hayon. I love their interpretation of a modern take on a traditional style.
Edward Wormley slipper chairs, from 1st Dibs
James Mont armchair from 1st Dibs
Tufted settee (source unknown)
French Canape from 1st Dibs
Ottoman (source unknown)
1920’s leather settee from 1st Dibs
1940’s silk headboard from 1st Dibs
Fabric from Kravet (pattern 9091)
“Harlow” wallpaper from Evans & Brown
Interior image from Beach Studios
Interior by Nicholas Haslam
Image from Kor Hotel group
Interior of Miles Redd‘s Living room
I thought I might profile a few of my favorite designers / style icons. Someone who’s style I admire greatly is Nancy Corzine, the furniture, textile and lighting maven. I had a chance to visit her showroom in the D & D Building in New York. Her range of furniture, lighting and textiles are beautiful and sumptuous. I found an interview with her today that I thought was interesting and wanted to share, so please enjoy. I’ve been searching through my magazines for some pics of a showhouse she did recently, but to no avail….might have to wait til the weekend when I have a bit more time.
So, just wanted to rave a bit more about how much I loved New York….
Design-wise, it has to still be the capital of the universe for sure. I had so much fun just wandering the streets and checking out shops that are not available outside the US including Distant Origin (stockist of Chair Couture), Kate Spade and Anthropologie (where I bought a dress by Corey Lynn Calter – so cute! – see the photo of me wearing it) as well as heaps of fabulous book stores like Barnes and Noble, Strand (tones of 2nd hand as well as end of runs, great bargains to be had, and I’ve just discovered they ship overseas..) and Potterton Books (in the foyer of the D&D Building – specializing in rare and hard to find design books).
I picked up a few great finds, a great book on Andre Arbus that I purchased through an Amazon vendor and had delivered to my friends apartment (they won’t ship outside the US). What an amazing designer he was. His pieces are so timeless and graceful in proportions. The book is written in French (I’ll have to get my husband to translate it for me!) but the photos are amazing, and have inspired me to change the décor of our apartment…You can click on this link to see some of the designs that are currently in reproduction, or see 1stDibs for a selection of originals.
Speaking of the D & D (Decoration and Design) Building in New York, I spent an afternoon there, which I thought would be plenty of time, but with 18 floors of showrooms (a decorators paradise) I barely got through half! I did manage to check out some of the fabric and furniture showrooms including Clarence House, Quadrille, F. Schumacher (I checked out the Kelly Wearstler and new Jamie Drake collections up close), Brunschwig & Fils, Ralph Lauren, Holland Sherry, Donghia, Nancy Corzine, Kravet, Patterson, Flynn & Martin/Rosecore (for Kelly Wearstler’s rug collection, which is much more beautiful in the flesh), as well as the furniture collections of Maxine Snider and Jan Showers at Tui Pranich & Assoc.
All in all it was a fantastic trip, and I’m now counting down the days til we can go back again….
A few weeks back I had the honour of being the first designer in Hong Kong to view the newly launched uber luxe interior textiles collection from Loro Piana. For anyone who isn’t familar with this textile house, the family owned Italian company produces the world’s finest cashmere fabrics, along with other world renowned natural fibre fabrics. The new interiors collection consists of fabrics made from the finest cashmeres, wools, linens, cottons, silks etc. They are absolutely beautiful and sooo luxurious, and they’ve inspired me to post some photos that were in Elle Decor (US) a few months back, of the NY based fashion designer Zang Toi‘s apartment. He has used the Loro Piana cashmere on his sofa, trimmed with mink. I can’t think of anything more beautiful and indulgent to live with. I love this apartment, its so fresh and so light, and very Parisienne.
I won’t be able to post again for a few weeks as I’m off to NY myself, and hoping to have some great photos or samples to show all on my return.
Has anyone else noticed the resurgence of Ikats, Suzani’s and other Middle-Eastern and Asian textiles? I’m totally in love with them, and the indigenous colours and designs from each region. So I thought I’d share a source that I found for original Ikats and Suzani’s that are hand made in Uzbekistan. Uzbek Craft is an American company with ties in the region that sells textiles and other products online, and they deliver worldwide. Here are just a few of the designs that I fell in love with over the weekend…
These Suzani’s are fabulous, and I’ve noticed in a tonne of design magazines lately that people are using these beautiful textiles for bedcovers or wall-hangings. Another history lesson anyone?