2008 July | So Haute

Jul

2008

Gone Shopping! Have a great weekend!

This weekend I’m off to the Hamptons for Super Saturday! In case you’re not familiar, Super Saturday is an annual fundraiser for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund that includes a ton of fun activities for the family but by far the highlight and the element that draws people to the event each year is the Super Saturday Designer Garage Sale where more than 200 top designers sell their goods at a deep discount to shoppers who pay a pretty penny to be there and all of the proceeds are used to fund the charity’s ovarian cancer research programs. This year’s event is hosted by InStyle Magazine, Donna Karan and Kelly Ripa and will feature designers including Marc Jacobs, Donna Karan, Ralph Lauren, Catharine Malandrino, Zac Posen, Prada, Hogan, Tory Burch, Louis Vuitton and more! It’s quite an event and a total scene…The most popular booth every year by far is Marc Jacobs where girls line up right at the start of the event to try and get 1st dibs on all of their great handbags which are marked down so cheap they’re practically free. Talk about mayhem! A few scuffles are always sure to ensue over at the MJ booth!

I also read in The Daily yesterday that uber stylist Rachel Zoe will be hosting her own booth which she’s calling “Designers from A to Zoe.” Her booth will sell designer pieces she’s scored over the years for her clients and celebrity friends. I’m sure her merchandise won’t disappoint but I can’t wait to see what kind of chaos will erupt at this booth!

As you can see from the photos above, lots of celebrities and high profile New York social types are always in attendance! It’s such a fun event, there’s food, cocktails for the adults, free mani-pedis…even a carnival for kids. This will be my fourth year going and I’ve scored some great deals over the years. If I get anything good this year I’ll be sure to report back. Hopefully I’ll come home happy and with a handful of bags like these ladies at a previous Super Saturday:

Have a great weekend!

Tags: Super Saturday

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Jul

2008

Book Shopping with Kelly Wearstler

In last Thursday’s Home section of the New York Times, the “Shopping With” column featured Kelly Wearstler shopping at Potterton books in Los Angeles. Potterton is a unique bookstore that specializes in both new and out-of-print design books. (Potterton also has outposts in London and New York). In the article Wearstler discusses how she gets much of her inspiration from old design books and that she collects them just as she would art. You can read the full story here.

Lately I’ve been wanting to learn more about interior design theory so I’ve been sourcing old design books for myself as learning tools. One book I recently purchased was Mark Hampton on Decorating. In this book, the late and esteemed decorator Mark Hampton (who David Hicks’ partner before starting his own firm) coves various aspects of design such as color, the use of accessories like draperies and rugs, room layouts and much more. He also shares how readers can incorporate his design principles into their own homes.

Above is the book cover which is lovely by itself but it’s all of Hampton’s hand drawn illustrations inside the book that are the real treat.

Here is a rendering by Hampton of the guest bedroom in the New York farmhouse of Keith and Chippy Irvine. Even though the book…and surely this room…was done in the 80s, the illustration has such a timeless quality and the colors are very inspiring.

Here’s another one of Hampton’s illustrations…

Throughout the book, Hampton gives an in-depth view on his approach to design. Accompanying the black and white illustration above, Hampton tells readers to “consider the aesthetic pleasure of looking through a doorway and seeing a painterly view of the room beyond.” In another chapter where he discusses tips for framing art Hampton says, “When I frame a number of pictures that are going to hang together, I use several framers to avoid a mass-produced look.” Quite insightful.

Although I haven’t yet finished the book I am thoroughly enjoying reading it and find it very inspiring. It’s definitely a book worth checking out. Another out-of-print design book I recently purchased is Carleton Varney’s Decorating with Color. Renowned interior designer Carleton Varney was a protege of Dorothy Draper and has been the president of the Dorothy Draper Company since he was 29, a position he still holds today. Varney’s design style embraces the use of bright colors, bold patterns and floral prints.

In this book, Varney shares his wisdom on the use of color in decorating. He also gives plenty of advice and helpful tips presented in Q & A format. One of my favorite Varney quotes? “Every room needs a touch of black.” Words of wisdom from a design legend!

Decorating with Color also includes many of Varney’s vivid interior illustrations. Above is the book’s back cover which provides a glimpse at some of the illustrations you’ll see inside. This book was written in 1972 but I think that any of these color combinations could still be used today. This book is a such a great source of inspiration and another title I would highly recommend picking up.

If you need some direction on where to shop for out-of-print books, I always have great luck on ebay or on Barnes & Nobles’ “Used & Out of Print” area of their website. If you’ve never read these two titles go find yourself a copy now!

Tags: Kelly Wearstler

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Jul

2008

Global Chic!

I love this bedroom by designer Matthew Patrick Smyth. It was featured on the cover of Elle Decor’s December 2005 issue and for good reason…the room and everything about it is absolutely stunning. I love the refined mix of prints and styles from all over the world. The headboard is made from pieces of the facade of an 18th century Moghul* home. The chandelier is European. The fabrics used on the pillows are from India and bring to mind the Les Indiennes fabrics that I blogged about yesterday. The rug and the suzani provide the perfect pops of color and the Moroccan bench, tables and trunks all add to this well polished room which defines global chic! Photo by Simon Upton.

*For more context on Moghul architecture read this article.

Tags: Bedrooms, Matthew Patrick Smyth

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Jul

2008

Les Indiennes

Lately I've been drawn to ethnic printed fabrics so I thought I'd devote a post to a purveyor of ethnic textiles that I really love. Les Indiennes produces the most beautiful, hand printed Indian textiles and their fabrics have a casual, bohemian elegance that I find very appealing. If you aren't familiar with the company, after reading this post you'll probably start noticing the brand often in the media as they receive a fair amount of press and are credited regularly in magazines such as Domino, Elle Decor and House Beautiful.

Les Indiennes was founded in 2002 by Mary Mulcahy, a former fashion editor and stylist who sought out to create a line of beautiful yet simple hand blocked textiles that were authentically Indian. Les Indiennes' fabrics are made entirely by hand in a small village in India and the prints are derived from the ancient art of Kalamkari–a complex printing process which requires 13 steps and 40 days to complete. Their organic cotton fabrics are sun bleached and hand printed using only natural dyes. A five meter bolt of fabric costs $550…quite expensive but totally justified given all of the labor involved plus the fact that it's imported.

In the About section of the Les Indiennes website there is a step-by-step synopsis of the Kalamkari process, illustrated in the photo above, which is quite an interesting read.

Be sure to visit their online shop where, in addition to fabrics, you can also purchase bedding, pillows, wall papers and more.

On their main website you'll also find plenty of inspiration in the gorgeous photography that is featured. Below are a few photos I found particularly inspiring. Check out more here.

_{All photos via lesindiennes.com}

Tags: Bedding

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Jul

2008

Writing Desks in the Bedroom

_{Photo via kristaewart.com}

There’s something so chic and refined about a writing desk in the bedroom. Here’s a collection of some of my favorite bedrooms, complete with well dressed desks! Above is one of my favorites– the guest bedroom of designer Krista Ewart’s Santa Monica cottage which features a stylish ebony Italianate desk by the bedside. I love all of the ultra feminine details like the porcelain lady head, ceramic lamp with water lilies and the vintage fashion illustration.

Jay Jeffers for the ’07 San Francisco Decorators Showcase…a well dressed room with a stylish bedside desk…

_{Photos via jeffersdesigngroup.com}

A close-up view…

_{Photo by William Waldron for Elle Decor}

This handsome bedroom and its cozy little writing nook is from the Connecticut home of designer Matthew Patrick Smyth as featured in the October ’06 issue of Elle Decor. I love the brass elephant lamp…

_{Photo via saragilbaneinteriors.com}

I absolutely love the colors and the textiles used in this bedroom by Sara Gilbane. And the blue antique secretary is such a chic addition.

_{Photos by Paul Costello.}

The two rooms above belong to sisters Nicole and Merrill Hanley who have identical apartments in the same Manhattan building. This was such a fun story to read in the October ’07 issue of Domino. It was interesting to see how each sister approached the design of her space. Nicole’s has much more traditional taste and you can see this reflected in the antique desk that she chose for her bedroom. I love how she juxtaposed such a classic desk with the very modern Lucite chair. Her sister Merril’s style is obviously more modern and she dresses up her streamlined desk with a traditional Louis style chair that was spiced up with leopard printed upholstery.

_{Photo via robertpassal.com}

This citrus yellow colored bedroom designed by Robert Passal features a modern yet timeless white lacquered parsons desk. I think a writing desk that doubles as a bedside table is such a great idea, especially in small spaces, because it maximizes the functionality of the piece while also saving you space.

_{Photo via milesredd.com}

This Miles Redd designed bedroom is full of drama so I thought I’d save it for last. The placement of the desk here is so unexpected and I love it! The casually draped olive colored slipcover adds to the room’s drama as does the suede bamboo chair positioned in front of it. All of the details here are so sophisticated, well-tailored and well-edited. This room is Miles Redd at his finest!