Congratulations to Emily Henderson, winner of HGTV’s Design Star! If you’ve been following the series then you’re likely familiar with  Emily, the quirky-cool blonde who works as a prop stylist specializing in interior and food styling. She didn’t make much noise in the first few episodes of Design Star but quickly made it known to the judges and the world that she had what it takes to be the next Design Star. Last night she was crowned the winner and will soon be the host of her own show on HGTV! I hate to sound like a know-it-all but I totally had her pegged as the winner from the beginning after seeing her stunning portfolio of work! Now residing in Los Angeles, Emily spent 8 years living in New York assisting noted stylist Cindy DiPrima. Her portfolio of work clients includes styling projects for editorial and advertising clients including the late Domino magazine (tear), Real Simple, Bon Appetit, Coastal Living, Martha Stewart Living, J. Jill, Garnet Hill and more. Check out some of her work:

Above, the winning room in Design Star’s episode 10 challenge which advanced Emily to the final round. Below are a series of beautifully styled photos from Emily’s portfolio. Enjoy!

If you want to see more from Emily she has a great blog called the Brass Petal which you can check out here!

_{A sitting area in Bunny’s office features BeeLine Home’s ever-popular Nailhead Sofa, gold Hourglass Table, Lemon Leaf Ceramic Lamp and Copper Lotus Hurricane (on coffee table).}

Earlier this week I had the pleasure of attending a cocktail party hosted by Bunny Williams at her office where she gave a group of bloggers and editors a sneak peek at some of the exciting new projects she’ll be launching this fall. I got to see photos of Bunny’s BeeLine Home Collection II which includes 45 new furniture, accessories and lighting pieces that will premiere at High Point Market in October. Her first BeeLine Home collection launched last spring to much praise and I’m certain the beautiful new additions to BeeLine Home will be a huge hit too! Bunny also announced that she’ll be debuting an all-new bunnywilliams.com in September which will combine the online homes for her eponymous interior design firm, BeeLine Home and Treillage (the chic garden shop she owns with her antiques dealer husband John Rosselli) into one website. The new site will feature an expanded portfolio of Bunny’s interior design work, beautiful photography of her new BeeLine Home Collection and the Treillage portion will feature online shopping and a bridal registry.



I’m especially excited about the impending arrival of her newest book, A Scrapbook for Living, due out November 1st which also happen’s to be Bunny’s birthday! Published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang, the book takes readers on a room by room tour of several homes designed by Bunny who offers offers practical advice, insider tips and boundless inspiration for creating a beautiful home.

Aside from hearing all of Bunny’s exciting new updates, a highlight was having the opportunity to tour her gorgeous office. A hallmark of Bunny Williams’ work is her ability to create spaces that radiate a sense of comfort and livability. Her office is  filled to the brim with books and beautiful objects and is so warm and inviting it feels more like a home than a workplace. The space is also impeccably decorated with beautiful furnishings and accessories from BeeLine Home. The above photo shows BeeLine’s blue Regale Armchair, Workhorse Desk, Chicken Feather Lamp and possibly the chicest trash receptacle I’ve ever seen – the Tote Debris Waste Bin made of brass and designed to look like a shopping bag! I also love how Bunny kept her beloved dogs in mind when designing her office space. You’ll notice the stylish cheetah printed doggie bed underneath her desk and another underneath a coffee table in the top photo.

_{A stylish bar display at Bunny’s office}

Bunny has a reputation for being a consummate and gracious entertainer and this event was full of fabulous food and drinks, interesting people, beautiful decor and, of course, Bunny’s warm hospitality which made for a fun, inspiring and truly special evening!

Artist and textile designer Lulu deKwiatkowski’s chic Upper East Side apartment is for sale and it can be yours for a cool $1,999,000! The prewar two bedroom apartment which has been featured in publications like Elle Decor and the now defunct House & Garden and Domino, features a spacious open layout and unique details like Moroccan style archways and built-in bookshelves. deKwiatkowski recently took to her blog to spread the word:

“Great doorman building on 64th Street between Park and Lexington. Two bedrooms, huge kitchen, terrace and loft-like living room all re-constructed by me. Asking 1.999. I have lived and grown, developed my company, painted every collage on the floor of my kitchen here in this apartment for the last 14 years. I loved every day of wonderful solitude in this magical space. I leave only good vibes, which is oh so important in a home. In any case, feel free to contact me if you are truly interested.”

Photos: Trail of Inspiration

I’m always delighted to hear that my blog is a constant source of inspiration for others. Recently, New York based fashion stylist Genevieve Yraola emailed over photos of a fabulous DIY skirted sink she completed in her bathroom after seeing my post on skirted tables. Take a look:

After reading your blog on skirted tables, it inspired me to give my bathroom a quick DIY makeover. I wanted to hide the ugly plumbing under my pedestal sink as well as give extra storage. I made my skirt using fabric and velcro purchased from Mood Fabrics and grosgrain ribbon from M&J Trimming. First I measured the height and width of each side of the sink and just added a couple of extra inches for seam allowances on all sides to each panel. I hot glued a velcro strip under the sink as well as the coordinating strip to the top of each panel. I used permanent fabric glue to create my hems and to attach the grosgrain ribbon trim. For a clean finish, I cut each tip of the ribbon at a diagonal. I attached the front panel first, followed by the side panels. The entire project took me 3 hours and $25 to complete!

If you have a fabulous room, an ingenious DIY project or an amazing before and after transformation you’d like to share, email me at info {at} sohautestyle.com and your project could be featured on So Haute!

Since the full house tour of my apartment was recently revealed on Apartment Therapy I thought you might like to see some before and afters of my space. I’ll start with the bedroom and show you how I transformed it from a boxy, soul-less space into an inviting and elegant retreat.

This is what the bedroom looked like when I moved in three years ago. It had zero character and was also quite small at approximately 11 1/2′ x 12′ with just one modestly sized closet. Aside from creating an elegant sleeping room, I also needed to design a layout with plenty of functional storage…a must in any small space.

Here’s the floor plan I came up with. My bed is the focal point and is centered against a wall opposite two windows. I incorporated a pair of chests on either side plus an armoire for additional clothes storage.

This was my inspiration board that illustrates my initial creative direction for the space. My goal was to create a beautiful bedroom that exudes comfort and sophistication. The key elements are the Chonioiserie floral pattern (inspired by the walls in the Miles Redd designed bedroom shown on the top left) a soothing blue color scheme, bright pops of turquoise, an upholstered headboard in a graceful shape and just a touch of ikat.

Here’s the result of my bedroom transformation. My headboard is custom, upholstered in a pattern called Sestina from Kravet. My Baker campaign chests which I found on eBay are vintage from the 1950s and have deep drawers for storing clothes. The turquoise egg shaped lamps are by Haeger Potteries from Lamps Plus and provide a much needed pop of color that adds a touch of whimsy and makes the space feel youthful. To me one of the things that makes a bedroom feel polished and pulled together is beautiful bedding and I’m particularly a fan of crisp white bed linens. My duvet set is from Pottery Barn and the monogrammed shams elevate the level of sophistication. The ikat pillow was fabricated with a pattern from Kravet that I had my upholsterer use on the reverse. The white bedding combined with loads of down filled pillows really makes the bed look inviting!

My rug is Madeline Weinrib’s Mimm print wool rug which I scored at the ABC Carpet & Home outlet in the Bronx. I have several favorite pieces in my bedroom but by far the most special and most personal are the reverse glass Chinese emperor and empress paintings shown on either side of my bed which I inherited from my grandmother. I believe strongly in surrounding yourself with things you love that have deep, personal meaning like family photos, souvenirs from your travels or items inherited from loved ones. Those are the things that will give your space a sense of your own personality and history…and will make your house feel like home.

My Chinese antique armoire seen here was another eBay find and provides plenty of extra space to store clothing & accessories. I keep my collection of blue & white porcelain as well as all of my clear glass vases on top. The Japanese  scenic painting to the left of the armoire was an auction score that I got for just $25! My chandelier is from eBay and the soft bronze color and delicate vine and leaf motif really compliments the space.  It was fun pulling this room together but, of course, a decorator’s work is never done! I plan to re-paint my walls at some point, most likely a soothing blue-gray, and I’m constantly on the lookout for new bedding. Stay tuned!