Inspiration Rooms : A Study in Symmetry.

This room makes me want to say 'thank you, may I please have another'.  On the surface, it has all the things I love: Chinoiserie, sconces, chandeliers, french furniture (though I'm also a fan of English and American furniture as well). a beautifully proportioned room, but the feature it possesses that I think is the most admirable is it's use of symmetry.  Louis XV pier mirrors over Regence iron consoles flank the mantelpiece in matched harmony.  The Louis XV bureau plat is surrounded by Cresson bergeres that radiate out from the corners (a rather novel idea that serves to open up the defined conversational areas of the room), clusters of seating balance each other visually.  Symmetry gives a calming effect, and even when it is asymmetry at play, it is the balance in form and mass that give the effect of tranquility.

- Ian

Blue Room by Benjamin F. Garber and William C. Kennedy. 



Death by Television.

I have no words to describe how hideous the monstrosity I am about to discuss is.  OK, that is a lie.  I have words.  Lots of words, but I won't go down that road right now.  I went to the Greystone Showcase House sponsored by Luxe Magazine last December, and it was OK.  Lots of big name designers phoning it in for publicity, some quite horribly.  I'm not going to name names, but if you went, you probably saw something awful.  Don't get me wrong, there were some delightful things, but most rooms were forgettable and some of them should be burned.  Out of an entire mansion filled with every item imaginable, this monster topped my list of things that should never have been created - the flat screen television framed in Venetian mirror.

One of my cardinal sins is a television in the bedroom; it should never happen.  You'll never sleep.  Another of my cardinal sins is mounting a television above a fireplace.  This applies to every room in the house.  No TVs above fireplaces.  Period.  I know this Designer has done a Fornasetti screen saver to give the impression of art, but it's not cutting it.  Commit to a piece of art or even a mirror and take the high road.  Through this installation, I have also discovered a new sin I hadn't thought of, because who in their right mind would ever consider doing it; that sin is surrounding a television in Venetian mirror.  This grotesque invention was part of a scheme for a mans bedroom; sorry, but no man I know, gay, straight, bi, thai...would ever do that to a television.  I don't think you could be gaudier or more gauche than this, but then again, I didn't think something like this would ever happen.  This is the design equivalent of Lindsay Lohan.  This is Bruce Jenner's face in television form.  This is the hottest mess I have seen in a long time.

I'm doing this as a public service announcement, for your own safety.  As a Designer and a friend, I would never do this to you, but there a people out there that will tell you this is a good idea.  Those people need an intervention and possibly some sort of medication.  If you know anyone who has anything like this in their home, break off all communications.  You'll thank me later.

- Ian

The Govenors Mansion, Atlanta Georgia.



Staircase Rotunda at the Governor's Mansion, built in 1967. 
Architect Thomas A Bradbury, AIA.
A wonderful job was done recreating a period home
in the modern age. 
Scale, proportion, and details are all pitch perfect.

A long time ago, I remember watching an episode of Designing Women in which Julia Sugarbaker (the late Dixie Carter), in a brief moment of enforced fun, put her head between the railings on a staircase and gets her head stuck.  The staircase was at the Governors Mansion in Atlanta and the crew of Sugarbaker's Interior Design was decorating it for the annual Govenor's Ball.  The plot revolved around getting Julia's head out of the railing without having to cut through the wood handrail which was made of one continuous piece of timber (known is the episode as the 'Abbott Banister', a fictitious piece of historic memorabilia).

Silly little things like the plot of a defunct sitcom episode from 1989 have a funny way of sticking with you.  So when I found a spread in a 1970 issue of Architectural Digest that was all about the Atlanta Mansion immortalized (for me, at least) by one of my favorite television shows, I had to share it.  In addition to nostalgia, it's also a beautiful example of a Greek Revival style home that pays accurate tribute to its antebellum roots, but was built in the 20th century.  If architectural interest isn't enough, it's also home to a fine collection of American Federal antiques.

Surrounded on all sides by fluted Doric columns, the rose-toned brick structure is a perfect example of the Greek Revival style popular throughout the South during the first half of the 19th century.  Assembling the furnishings was a two year process that involved acquiring important pieces attributed to noteworthy cabinetmakers from Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania and Georgia, plus antique chandeliers and period marble mantels imported from England.

I'm sure that in the past 40 years the interior of the mansion has changed slightly with new upholstery and window treatments, but with a grand collection of American Federal furnishings, significant American art and the drama of the architecture, the core strength of the home has surely stayed the same.  and I'm sure countless tour groups have attempted to get their heads between the rail, just like Julia.

- Ian

In the Reception Hall, American Federal chairs, c. 1880, surround an English podium table in the Greek Revival style.
The niche in the background holds a bronze bust of George Washington by Houdon, c 1778.  The marble topped pier table in the background, c. 1815, is one of four pieces in the home attributed to Charles-Honore Lannuier.

The State Dining Room room with reproduction 19th century chairs and a
New England accordion Federal style table attributed to John Seymour.

The State Drawing room features and Aubusson rug and a marvelous mantle with a
gold Greek Key motif.  The red upholstery, by Scalamandre, is a document silk woven originally for the Red Room at the White House.  The sofa,one of a pair, is Duncan Phyfe.

The Cherry paneled library with a Tabriz rug and a collection of books relating to Georgia.
I love the simplicity and elegance of the window coverings and that Greek Revival
chandelier with it's spare use of crystal and gold.  So understated.

The Ground Floor Guest Bedroom houses an alcove bed (with gilded Egypian busts and animal paw feet)
attributed to Charles-Honore Lannuier, c. 1815.  The rug is English needlepoint, the artwork
is a wallpaper panel illustrating Psyche showing her jewels to her sisters. 
The arm chair is Sheraton in style.

Julia gets her head stuck in a fence.

Inspiration Rooms : A Private Study.

Continuing to farm my vintage Architectural Digest collection, I came upon this room by designer James Julius Killough III, in Hong Kong.  As most would tell you my affinity for Chinese art and decoration is rivaled only by my affinity to cram as much of it as possible into one room without it looking like a Chinese take-away.  Obviously, this image was like ambrosia to me.  The Coromandel screen, the altar table used as a desk (an idea I LOVE), the Ming chair and that adorable little tea table make me want to light a cigarette and cuddle, and I don't even smoke.  The oriental carpet and those Queen Anne japanned chairs are just the fortune cookie at the end of the meal for me. 

With all of those marvelous things, I think the most unique and eye catching feature of the room is the pottery jar filled with an artistic arrangement of pampas grass and paper scrolls.  How fantastic is that!?  You know it was just for the photo shoot because it's absolutely impractical, but still, it's rather arresting visually and really, probably the most affordable accessory in the room.  There's nothing quite as luxurious as space, and to have personal area like a study is really a treat.  So why not deck it out with all the things you love?

- Ian

Inspiration Rooms : A Private Library.

I happened on this image in an old Architectural Digest from 1974.  The room is by the decorator Michael Greer; it's his private library.  How elegant with the metal mesh doors, the mirrored pilasters and the subtle color scheme.  I am rarely beige, and when I am, it's only when the occasion calls for it.  But in this case, the beige becomes a wonderful backdrop to that 18th Century terra cotta sculpture of Autumn (from a four seasons group) and perhaps more importantly, a wonderful foil to bold color, such as the turquoise blue Louis XVI bergere.  I'm also mad for those bouillotte lamps, the slightly contemporary Empire gueridon and those flaming urns atop the pilasters.  A beautiful room that's understated yet dramatic, and one that could be a source of inspiration for any room of your choosing.  How wonderful to replicate that cabinetry in a bathroom, walk in closet, or breakfast room.  So timeless and chic.  

- Ian

Designers Guild is Absolutely Fabulous, Sweetie.

Eddy and Pats are at it again, in beautifully appointed digs.

Today, through the magic of the Internet, I was able to see the first episode of the highly anticipated return of Absolutely Fabulous.  The new season is set to air on BBC America January 8th, but who wants to wait that long?!  As expected, the show that lampoons, and harpoons, fashion and pop culture did not disappoint.  Fashion faux pas abound, cigarettes are perpetually lit, morally questionable situations arise, but I will not spoil it for those who have yet to see.  What I will be spoiling for you, however, is the interior design of Eddy's Holland Park townhouse. 

As usual, Eddy (played by Jennifer Saunders, who also writes the show) is our fashion victim while Patsy (Joanna Lumley) is the chic fashion editor of indeterminate age who has more vices than fingers to count them on, but Eddy's home, for the first time, is ridiculously chic and incredibly refined.  It's bold, feminine, and glamorous, but not one bit out of sync with good taste (atleast not to me).  This is a first for Eddy, who regularly redecorates to keep up with trends, but who always seems to fall short of something this undeniably elegant.

I had to watch the new episode a second time through just for the interiors.  The design was flawless, but I had seen parts of it before; something about it was incredibly familiar.  When I thought about it, it looked very much like the work of Designers Guild, the English firm established by Trisha Guild in 1970 known for bold color and riffs on historic patterns.  Think exploded florals and damasks in maroon, lime green, turquoise or pink.  I hopped over to http://www.designersguild.com/ and was able to find every wallpaper used in Eddie's townhouse, with the exception of daughter Saffron's bedroom, and even Eddy's gorgeous bedding (which is now on sale!!).

So, have a look around Eddy's new place and if you have any questions, you know who to call.  And if you don't know who to call, call me.  ;)

- Ian

Our first room on view is Eddie's bedroom, covered in Designers Guild/Christian La Croix 'Arles' fabric and 'Oxbridge' stripe wallpaper.  As usual, Eddy's bed floats in the room, meaning it does not touch any one wall but rather acts as an island.  The bed is a black lacquer four poster style, flanked with black acrylic Kartel Bourgie lamps.  The bedding is 'Darly' by Designers Guild, a printed cotton sateen with feather-y French scrolls and painterly floral motifs.  Above the Victorian fire place hangs a Japanese screen depicting a gnarled tree on a gold leaf background; a nice foil to the rest of the wall composition.  Also, it should be known that one of the earliest fashion obsession for Eddy was La Croix, so it's very fitting that her boudoir is covered in his patterns. 

'Darly' bedding from Designers Guild.

Behind Eddy's bed is a wall mural called 'Forum', also by Designers Guild/La Croix.  I love how dark and sexy Eddy's bedroom has become.  Earlier incarnations were gauzy and monastically white.  There's a new maturity to Eddy's interiors now.

Eddy's kitchen also got an over haul, but no wallpaper.  As with most homes, the kitchen is where all the action takes place, so hers is a large open space with a garden view sink, a large table, and split height island (an idea I love) and a large range.  Logistically, having the range so far from the sink and fridge doesn't make sense, but for looks it's marvelous.  I j'adore the horizontal pine wall cladding, and that green-gray paint used on the cabinetry.
  

Looking toward the range in the kitchen.  Love that double height island and the way the pine has spread to become part of the range hood.  The kitchen is below street level; the stairs lead to foyer.

Looking toward the sink wall.  I like the floating shelf over the subway time wall, and how the tile runs all the way to the ceiling.  It's a very old style treatment for tile, if we think back historically to great service kitchens found in hotels and country houses.  Also like the idea of the missmatched enamel metal chairs. 

Behind Eddy is an open, free standing armoire, painted in the same green as the built in cabinets.  Behind that is a service hall lined with three frosted wine coolers, each packed with champagne.  This hall also led to Eddy's ill fated panic room.  To the right of the coolers is the door to the back garden.

The next room featured is the foyer, a double height space papered with more 'Oxbridge' stripe and also a grayscale floral called 'Mehsama'.  In earlier seasons this room was a hectic catch all of ethnic artifacts and furniture. Now it's a restrained nearly Georgian space, minimally furnished with emphasis on architectural detail.  I love the black doors with white trim, as well as the silver cast iron railings; so elegant and dramatic. I also like how they have split the paper patterns, with the stripe continuing down the stairs and the floral on the wall.

Down stairs, the walls return to white with dark floors, light carpeting and a stunning theatrical floral arrangement.  This profile will be seen again in Eddie's living room, and it's not especially subtle.  You can also make out an Art Deco style console beneath the upper stair run.  I am absolutely mad for this foyer!  It's really some wonderful to behold.

The final room we are re-introduced to is Eddy's Living Room, decorated in bold red and black with white walls.  The classical urns are placed before an other wall mural by Designers Guild, this time it's 'Ornamental Garden', which depicts Old Master style florals in urns on a black ground.  In previous seasons, the location was home to Saddam Hussein's feet, remnants of the fallen statue that was a by product of his demise.  The airplane wing desk is a hold over from a past series, first used in the Living Room when Eddy had to downsize her PR company.  It's an incredible piece.  Also a very nice use of slat blinds, they reinforce the architecture of the room without having an overbearing presence.

The Living Room, looking toward the over-sized Georgian fireplace. I am crazy for this feature!  I love that it's matte black, to match the doors throughout, and I also like how they have inserted a gas burning chrome cube to act as the 'fire' (if you look, you can see Eddy's shoes reflected in it).  The scale of the installation is marvelous.  You can also see the button tufted stain screen, which is a very feminine touch and also a nice contrast to the visual weight of the mantle.  I'm also a fan of the over sized candle sticks and lamps, and the minimal number of accessories.  There's plenty to look at, but it's not a load of twiddly little things.  All the accessories are high impact and large, reducing the visual clutter in the interior.

The Kenneth Salon : A Billy Baldwin Blowout

An artists rendering of Kenneth's Salon.
Exotic elegance.

Being a guy, my Salon experiences have been limited to waiting in the lobby of Marcia's Country Lady (the Salon my Mom went to) when I was 8 and doing my homework.  It was papered in a blue and white stripe with little flower garlands, the sofas were a matching Federal blue, and the occassional tables were oak with cabriole legs and leaded glass insets in the top.  There were prints of country cottages, Battenburg valances, and the receptionist operated out of an oak roll top desk.   It was very comfortable and homey, not especially striking or overwhelmingly dramatic, but it was memorable.  If anything, Salons have become all but anonymous today, with slick, severe, minimalist interiors and a concern for turn over rather than comfort or even glamour.  While they may provide a great cut or color, many leave something to be desired when it comes to high style.



An artist rendering of the Manicure and Hairdryer stations.
Campaigne stools!  Leopard covered Rattan!  Turkish footstools!
The chandelier and tented ceiling and walls, a Baldwin hallmark,
caps off the decadent fantasy.


Imagine, if you will, the smile that bloomed across my face when in my readings I happened upon the Kenneth Salon in New York, which was decorated by the incomprable Billy Baldwin; decorator to Babe Paley, Jackie O., and Diana Vreeland, to name a few.  Kenneth, hair dresser to Jackie Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe ( you can bet the bookings were carefully monitored there) opened his own salon in 1963 in a townhouse on 54th Street that was previously owned by the Vanderbilts, after winning the Coty award for his work in the industry.

Parquet flooring, an opulent tufted velvet pouf, bamboo chairs & vanities,
tasseled cornices, trellis papered walls and ceiling and some very modern
drum pendants creates an exotic oasis in the city.

Baldwin created a stunning Salon inspired by Brighton Pavillion, a Regency era confection.  Striped awnings, wrought iron doors, exotic furnishings, exuberant color, and pattern upon pattern filled the space.  To the devoted Kenneth clientele, this must have appeared as a temple of beauty, somewhere to spend an afternoon being pampered with your closest friends, somewhere you'd never want to leave.  Salons today should take note, and then call a Decorator.  Hint.  Hint.

- Ian 



Great Design is in the details.  Here we see the combinations
of patterns withBamboo trellis paper contrasting in scale and mood
with a scattered floral garland paper.  The vanities are also a masterpiece
of design done in ivory and orange lacquer with coordinating orange mirrors.
The buffet lamps in a Palm tree style are just plain elegant.



The building Kenneth occupied was Renaissance Revival, and it's
Calssical details are seen in this vestibule.  Roman arches, Corinthian Coumnls, etc.
I am in love with the opulence of those chairs.  Nestled up to the dome dryers,
they are infinitely more elegant than the typical Naugahyde chairs.  How could a person,
whether staff member or client, not feel like a million bucks in this interior?
Beautiful spaces really do shape our mood and mindset.

A sconce from the Salon.  How incredibly elegant!  I love the way the
Rococo arms compliment the curves in the Paisley wallpaper.
Baldwin was a huge advocate of wallpaper; Baldwin and his close friend Woodson Taulbee,
founded Woodson Wallpapers when Baldwin was dissatisfied with the papers
he was seeing in the market. 

Louis Vuitton and L' Art Nouveau

An image from Vuitton's Fall Winter 2011
campaign.  Red Guard goes S&M, with lovely
accessories.

 Sometimes, it's hard to imagine that there really was, at one time, a man named Louis Vuitton.  In the era we live in, luxury fashion houses are owned by multi-national conglomerates who sometimes change designers as frequently as they change color stories; seeking to steal the limelight for a few seconds more to gain just that little bit of extra publicity.  With this m.o., many brands have lost the identities of those who founded them in favor of a more flashy and faddish existence. 

Of course, Vuitton hit pay dirt by employing Marc Jacobs to reinvent the classic motifs and silhouettes of the house for a new generation of consumers, but as with most things, we tend to focus on the current incarnation and willingly let the foundation of the past fade into a foggy memory.  We are left with the salable superficial beauty of the modern age, but we have no idea of the path we traveled to arrive at our destination.  True identity is often lost, in it's place a few epithets and a coveted logo that make up nothing more than a designer headstone in a grave yard of sentimentality.

The exterior of the Vuitton home shows an eclectic mix of
modest profiles and elaborate ornament indicative of the
Art Nouveau movement.

One thing, however, remains constant when it comes to discovering the true character of anyone; the home.  Nowhere else can we see the exquisite beauty of everyday life so well.  All that is human is on display for all to see in the sacred inner workings of the home.  Case in point, Villa Vuitton in Asnieres, just outside Paris.  The family home of the Vuitton's couldn't be further from the homogenized glossy commercial model of the Louis Vuitton boutiques that populate the up market shopping districts throughout the world, and that's an incredibly beautiful thing.


In 1859, Louis Vuitton purchased a plot of land just over an acre in size in the riverside village that was once the haunt of Monet, Manet, and many of the Impressionist painters during the 19th Century.  Vuitton would build a factory on the site, which would remain the companies sole production facility until 1977.  The whir of sewing machines and the sight of delivery trucks bearing freshly milled timber and leather for luggage would be commonplace.  The facility is still in use today, producing Vuitton's trunks, case goods and custom orders.

The Vuitton home has as much Art
Nouveau decoration on the outside
as it does on the inside.

 Vuitton also chose this plot of land to build his family home, which was occupied by his descendants until 1964.  The Villa dates to 1869; previously Vuitton and his wife Emilie occupied an apartment on the top floor of the factory.  Never one for overwrought extravagances, Vuitton aimed to build a dwelling that was 'homely and comfortable' where he could raise his family and also supervise production at the factory next door.  The modest aspirations for his home were just as well; during the Franco-Prussian War, army officers temporarily took over the Villa.


Vuitton's son, Georges, had a different idea for the design of the home.  After his fathers death in 1892, Georges called on Louis Majorelle to redecorate the Billiard Room and Salon in the most luxurious and up to date style, Art Nouveau.  A style truly fit for a luxury brand of that era and the family that built it.   Majorelle, along with Louis Comfort Tiffany, Rene Lalique and Emile Galle, was one of the leading proponents of the Art Nouveau style which dominated the Decorative Arts from the 1890's through the early 1900's.  It is this incarnation of the Vuitton home that is still seen today.  The home is dramatic and beautiful; compelling with it's intricate leaded glass windows, soft ethereal colors and incredibly ornate plasterwork, but for all of its jaw-dropping qualities, it is seen not as a show piece or a museum, but a living home, designed with comfort and family in mind.

A view into the Billiard Room with beautiful cove ceilings and stunning
leaded glass windows.  I am in love with those understated but dramatic
pendant fixtures above the pool table. 

The characteristic sweeping whiplash curves and fantastic organic motifs fill the space with an almost dream-like effect.  The leaded glass windows and interior are decorated with motifs that incorporate irises, poppies, nasturtiums, chrysanthemums, and clematis.  Columns are formed from florid leaves and flowers, and ceilings are ornamented with delicate tendrils of hand sculpted plaster.  The kitchen, also done during this time, is said to have had handmade tiles bearing the famous LV monogram, which was designed by Georges in 1897.  Georges' widow, Josephine, was the last Vuitton to live in the family home.  After her death at the age of 103, the house was gutted and converted to storage space and offices and the original furnishings dispersed among the family.


An alcove off the Salon is defined by the intricately carved columns and is filled
with eclectic furnishings such as the Beaux Arts settee, mahogany table and a bronze Crane.



A bay off the Salon houses a circa 1900 English cane furniture suite and
majolica style planters. The leaded window panes are dynamic with their
pencil thin whiplash curves and borders of leaded glass flowers.

A most exquisite chandelier of gilded bronze
and frosted glass leaves springs down from a whorl
of plasterwork tendrils on the Salon ceiling.
Matching sconces can be seen flanking the fireplace.

 In 1984, a decision was made to renovate the Villa and turn it into a museum chronicling the development of the Vuitton brand.  The Billiard and Salon were reconstructed through the use of old photos.  Plaster friezes and moldings in floral forms were remade, and a copy of the immense turquoise ceramic mantelpiece was installed.  Furnishing, purchased at auction, were selected to recreate the spirit of the original Art Nouveau interior; Louis XV bergeres, Beaux Arts settees, mother of pearl inlaid Chinese tables, Majorelle lamps, bronze sculptures, art pottery planters, and oriental carpets contribute to the eclectic, exotic, and sensual feeling that Art Nouveau is known for.

The Villa Vuitton stands as an emblem of the company's origins; a modest family home built by a proud patriarch and entrepreneur, then embellished by the heir apparent as the company grew.  Beyond the established brand image, the home is more than just a status symbol, it is the people that make it a home.  It's slamming doors and creaking floors and cracks in the plaster.  A home tells volumes about it's family, all we have to do is be ready to observe and listen.

- Ian

Hand painted details add charm to the entire room,
as this fragment of a white Lily frieze indicates.
I'm also smitten with the elegance and simplicity of
the egg shaped brass knob.  Given the exuberance of the
interior, this detail is restraint at its best.

The stunning turquoise ceramic mantelpiece was
recreated and installed.  Note the marvelous upward
sweep of the wainscot panels and the shield shape
of the mirror.  Epic drama on a residential scale.
And look at the art pottery hearth!  J'adore!

Dorothy Draper, Off the Collar.

The Draper Necklace at Mizrahi's F/W 2011
show.  I'm also smitten with the dyed to match
pooch.  No need to dig out the lint roller!

I eagerly anticipated the departure of Isaac Mizrahi from the realm of Target.  He was far too good for the likes of mass marketing.  True, it gave him the opportunity to dress a broad spectrum of women and give style to any income bracket, but it was heartbreaking to see a wonderful design executed in a lack luster fashion via poor craftsmanship and sleazy fabric.

Since departing the land of the red bulls eye, Isaac has returned stronger than ever over the past few seasons with incredible designs that are undeniably fresh, making the traumatic plug pulling by parent company Chanel so many years ago seem like a case of drastic short sighted decision making.  Case in point his witty, irreverent, and inspired homage to decorator Dorothy Draper, rendered in white enamel and rhodium. 

Part of his Fall 2011 collection, the Baroque collar (which also has matching earrings that I haven't found yet but they can be seen on the last photo of this entry), provides a graphic and delicate foil to his bold swaths of exuberant intense color, a Mizrahi signature, and his sculptural and voluminous silhouettes of the season.  

The Draper Necklace is available at Saks
and http://www.saks.com/ for $880.00.

The Draper necklace, as it is called, looks to be inspired by Drapers work in the 1940's for the Palace Quitandinha, in Brazil.  At least it does to me.  The dangling shell, the central lattice cartouche, and the scrolling volutes all appear in her designs executed in white plaster and wrought iron and carved stone throughout the resort.  The necklace is also done in bright white, another Draper hallmark. 

These calling cards are not found solely in her work in Brazil; Drapers penchant for the Baroque and her desire to render everything over scale (I often refer to it as 'bombastic') can be seen in every installation she has ever done.  Subtle and nuanced were not in her vocabulary.  Draper was a full on assault of the most decorative kind. 

I am sure this piece will fly off the shelves, especially with so many decorators out their (many of whom I went to school with) pledging their allegiance to the United States of Draper.  While this trinket won't give them any more talent or skill, it will at least help them keep Draper close to their hearts.  And as for Isaac, I can do nothing but commend him for his tongue in cheek salute to one of America's most notable decorators.  

- Ian 

The trellis cartouche above the doors is very similar to
the one seen on the necklace.  Also note the stark
white trim.

One of th  many fountains at the Quitandinha, the
scrolling volutes and the shell motif echo those found
on Mizrahi's design.

The leafy acanthus scroll arms of this wall sconce recall
the scrolling leaf forms seen at the neck of the piece.



The matching earrings shown with a pink dress.
I think it's smart to keep the necklace and earrings
apart.  No one wants to look like a Showgirl.



The Little Kitchen That Could is Finished!



I am crazy for the beautiful simplicity of this corner.
It's all just so right.  Also, even though I was cramped
for space, I was able to find an oven that gave the owner
options.  This model has a full size oven, plus a smaller
area that can be another oven, a warming oven, or a broiler.
Such a good use of space.



And we're done!  After 3 months, the Kitchen is complete.  Painted, plummed, electrified, tiled, floored, and full of new appliances and fabulous semi custom cabinetry.  It was a marvelous project, and I'm proud to have done it. 

A lot of Designers I know of wouldn't have wanted this Kitchen, because it wasn't glamorous, it had limitations on space and budget, and they couldn't go over the top and radically change everything. 

I'm sort of the opposite.  Don't get me wrong, I love carte blanche projects, but I think restrictions can also help push a project to be truly great.  Finding solutions takes more time, but it also helps you refine your options and make choices that will ultimately be the best for your situation.  There's nothing wrong with working inside a set of parameters; where you get in trouble is venturing out and looking at things you know you can't have. 

For instance, I had a total gut on this kitchen; everything had to go.  I knew I needed new electrical and plumbing, appliances, cabinets and a floor.  Keeping this in mind, I went straight for the moderately prices products.  Why dream of a Viking Range when my kitchen is as small as my budget?  No one likes being the heavy, but we all have to be realistic, and the right choice is there if we're open and willing to work it into our plans.  

- Ian 





In keeping with the idea of a Period style Kitchen, I ordered
a scalloped wooden valance for above the sink and window seat.
It was an option my Vendor said many people didn't go for.
I completely understood, but it is so right for this little
charmer of a room.




This is silly, but i love details: I found a vintage reproduction
door bell and had my GC install it.  It's perfect, and it
also works, two features the old door bell lacked.



Attached to the kitchen is a rear hall.  A narrow space
that's mostly storage, but with some cute little features,
like the built in desk and book case.  The Kitchen floor
continues into this area.  For fun, I painted the cabinet
interior Green to pick up on the Kitchen color.