There was major decor porn inflitrating twitter this past weekend thanks to blogger/photographer Jamie Beck of From Me to You and fashion blogger Kelly Framel of The Glamourai who spent the weekend at Kelly Wearstler’s Malibu beach house shooting a new campaign for Wearstler’s ready to wear collection for the 2012 Resort season. The pair posted several photos of their amazing weekend on Instagram including some beautiful shots of Wearstler’s home. Check it out:

 

Photos via @_frommetoyou and @theglamourai on Twitter & Instagram

I’m having a severe case of style envy over Nate Berkus Associates Design Directors Lauren Gold and Sasha Adler! These two young women sit at the helm of Nate Berkus Associates in Chicago and oversee all design projects while Nate focuses on his TV show and branding initiatives in New York. I remember seeing the pair featured a few years ago in Chicago Home + Garden where they talked about how they got their start in design. The piece also included photos of their impeccably chic condos and I remember thinking to myself back then that these two were going to become serious taste-makers one day. This year, they’ve done just that, having emerged from Nate’s shadow and received a ton of recognition including the honor of being named one of Trad Home’s top 20 young designers. Recently, Lauren & Sasha took Refinery 29 on a tour of their favorite shopping destinations in Chicago and shared their top tips for decorating with style.When asked about their must-have decor tips for a quick change Lauren said, “People sometimes overthink paint colors and get sucked into that whole ‘accent wall’ situation. If you’re stuck in a paint-color rut, I would recommend painting your walls a light warm gray and making sure your trim is a bright white—it will freshen up your home.” Sasha added, “You cannot go wrong investing in a gorgeous, over-sized mirror to liven up your space. It functions like a piece of artwork and immediately adds architecture to the space.”

To see more photos and read the full feature click here to head over to Refinery 29!

Above photos by Heather Talbert for Refinery 29

Lauren & Sasha’s shared office at Nate Berkus Associates. Photo via Lonny

People always ask me who my favorite interior designers are and one person that’s always on my list is British born, LA based designer Peter Dunham. I just love the global influences he brings into his work, the way he mixes patterns and texture, and the fact that his spaces exude refinement yet feel totally un-stuffy. I’m also a big fan of his textile line which is heavily influenced by Islamic and Indian culture. Peter has an amazing shop called Hollywood at Home, located in the heart of LA’s design district, where he sells his own fabrics and furniture lines along with antiques, art, accessories and textiles from several other amazing brands that share his worldly point of view. Hollywood at Home is a must-visit LA design destination so I always make time to stop by and see what’s new when I’m in town. Earlier this spring I popped into the shop unannounced, just before it was closing for the day and found Peter barefoot, wearing a white tee and jeans, huddled around a giant table working with his team on details for a client project. His presence was a true personification of the way he approaches his designs – casually elegant, relaxed and completely approachable. Peter was kind enough give me a tour of what’s new and let me snap a few photos of his impeccably decorated shop. Have a look at the photos along with a few tips for how you can incorporate some of his styling ideas into your own home!

Hollywood at Home actually occupies two storefronts at 724 and 750 N. La Cienega Blvd. This is his 750 space which is newer and mainly houses his furniture offerings.

I love this sitting area. One way to add a punch to a neutral space is to bring in accessories, like these brightly colored throw pillows for a pop of color.

In the foreground of this photo you can see a peek of Peter’s new Lexington Ottoman and on the right is the NYAC armchair, a reproduction of a rush chair once found at the Downtown New York Athletic Club.

Here are a pair of Dunham’s Cole chair upholstered in his Samarkand fabric.

This is the space located at 724 N. La Cienega which houses mostly textiles and accessories. I absolutely loved this bedroom vignette. A common decorating myth is that you can’t mix up too many patterns and here this myth is completely dispelled as  an array of mismatched John Robshaw fabrics patched together somehow all works together quite nicely. It evokes the feeling of a handmade patchwork quilt. The key is to mixing and matching such detailed pattern is using fabrics in the same color palettes like Peter has done here.

I also love the look of a well-dressed bed full of cozy throw pillows. It makes a bed look so much more inviting.

I often say that good design is in the details. Here a vase of daises brightens up a rustic bedside table.

Accessorizing with books is another great styling tip. Here vintage hardcover books add a pop of color and pattern, and added detail to this tablescape…

R.P. Miller is one of the newest fabric lines offered at Hollywood at Home. The line incorporates Japanese inspired patterns hand printed on Belgian linen.

I was also drawn to these vibrant ikats from Danielle & Sachrijara…

Browsing the wall of Peter’s gorgeous fabric designs is like taking a walk through textile heaven!

For more info on Hollywood at Home visit the website here.

All photos are by Nicole Gibbons

New York Social Diary has a great feature and house tour on textile designer Lulu deKwiatkowski and her Upper East Side home which she recently sold and will soon be moving out of. She’s been living in LA for the past three years and finally decided to relinquish her NYC apartment which she has owned for the past 13 years. de Kwiatkowski wrote a poignant and personal love letter to her apartment on her blog which really struck me so I thought I’d share it here…

“I lived in this apartment for 13 years. Started LULU DK in what became the babies room, painted and wrote my entire book LULU on the floor of my kitchen here…Wrote long love and break up letters to my now husband, experienced the passing of both my parents, organized my wedding…laughed, cried and had same GREAT parties here! So good-bye walls, floors and ceilings that sheltered me for all my growing years….and thank you Social Diary for being the last to capture the moment.”

-Lulu deKwiatkowski via Trail of Inspiration

See the full interview and house tour here on New York Social Diary

_{Photographs by Jeffrey Hirsch}

Although LA based interior designer Kristen Panitch is a traditionalist at heart, she loves turning tradition on its head. A hallmark of her design style in an ability to seamlessly integrate an unexpected mix of color combinations and patterns into a traditional setting to give it a modern edge and her spaces always exude a sense of comfort and refinement. Kristen is a designer whose work resonates with me personally so I was excited to have the opportunity to meet her during my recent trip to LA. I paid a visit to her home in Santa Monica where she also works and was lucky enough to get a first hand look inside her world.  Her home is to-die-for beautiful, filled with moody colors, eclectic patterns and the most gorgeous kitchen I’ve ever seen! (It’s being shot by one of my  favorite shelter mags so you’ll be able to get a peek inside soon enough!) Kristen began designing a little more than 20 years ago and recently she added another layer to her business with the launch of her new collection of stylish indoor/outdoor upholstered and wicker furniture. Read on as Kristen shares the scoop on her new line, her design career, plus gives us an exclusive tour of her pretty-in-pink office!

Tell us how you got your start in design…
I was in college working in a real estate office and one of the people in the building knew I was in school to become an interior designer and asked me if he could pay me to help him with his place. I think I was 20 at the time. It turned ot great and from there he referred me to another young person who had just bought a condo…and so there were all these little jobs that I started out doing and by the time I graduated I had a pretty good business going! Another early client was an agent here in LA and had great word of mouth and things just spread…I think I got really lucky!

What was it that initially drew you to this career path?
I think my whole life I’ve been puttering around with design. I would decorate my own room as a kid and I was always decorating my friends rooms. And I was feverish about design magazines since I was really young. After high school I went to Paris for three months and that really solidified that this was something I wanted to pursue in a real way. Also, my mother’s very close friend was an interior designer and I didn’t realize that was even a job at that time and I just thought to myself ‘wow, that’s it!’ and I went from there…

So what were the early days of running your business like?

Oh my God! Oh, it was awful! Thank God for getting a client who knew I’d never done it before because I got to apologize all the way through! I was very up front. I’d tell clients not to pay me a lot because I needed this as much as they did. I think I just got lucky to with a lot of young people who really couldn’t spend a lot of money so they were willing to just let me screw around and see what happened. And we weren’t sure how it was going to come out because, you know, they were also very young and didn’t know what they were doing so they were willing to take the risk so to speak. Luckily I didn’t have any major screw ups! I really learned on my feet…it was way better than school frankly. And I was working with tiny budgets! I was at Salvation Army and the flea markets really trying to make it work…

I actually think it’s more challenging to work with a smaller budget…

Yeah, you really have to be creative! And that original client was a huge collector so we had tons of stuff to work with. He had just moved here and his mother had tons of these beautiful porcelain dishes that we hung all over the walls and we just got to have so much fun with that project…And again I think him knowing that it was my first time out he was just happy to go along with me so it worked out.

Do you have any mentors or designers that influenced you in those early days?

At the time here in LA Michael Smith was quite well known and he had sort of a great classic, disheveled look that he was doing. I also loved Victoria Hagan back then. I’ve always been so much more driven by the architecture of a space and I still am and that was usually what informed my work. That was a period of time when I was working a lot of big, classic, traditional homes…a lot of Paul Williams and other really beautiful architecture in Hollywood which I loved and that was such a huge influence. Tearing it all back and going back to picture of where that home came from and working from that place is what I love.

When did you know you had arrived as a designer?
Wow…I guess It would have to be when I would meet people for the first time and they’d say ‘oh I love your work.’ Also I stopped for about a year to start having children and I thought maybe my moment was over. In this town if you don’t work for a year you think you’re over and forgotten but I remember people continuing to call me. They would ask when I was available again and how could we make things work and I thought to myself, ‘Gosh, I guess I’m for real!’

How would you describe your aesthetic?
Understated, elegant and comfortable. I’m definitely a traditional designer but I think I give it a modern edge with the furnishings. I stick to the classics architecturally but with the furnishings I like to loosen it up a bit.

Speaking of loosening things up I always think that LA based designers have this very organic quality of comfort and livability in their work. Is that something that’s intentional?
Absolutely! I try not to over decorate! I don’t like it when someone walks into a home and says ‘Oh who was here?’ Obviously my spaces looks done but they also look personalized by the client…it’s welcoming, it’s inviting, kids are there, dogs are there and it doesn’t just look like it’s straight out of a magazine and that is something I absolutely strive for. In fact, I’ll even tell clients that if they’re not going to use a particular room then they have to do something else with it. Everything has to get used, everything has to get lived in or it just doesn’t feel good…

What inspires you most?
Traveling is a huge inspiration. But for me it’s more about the way they live than the actual interiors. We were in Tokyo and I was crazy over the organized style of their lives. I love the way everything is compartmentalized…I really love that sensibility over there. We also went to Rome recently and while I’m not particularly inspired by their interiors, the colors and the sunlight and the gardens were so much more inspiring…And the way they live so comfortably. It’s not about ‘oh I like that chair or that piece of fabric’, it’s more about a lifestyle. We also spend a lot of time out east and I love being there. We have a house in the Berkshires and I get a lot of inspiration from that area architecturally. I’m doing some work in Maine right now and also in upstate New York and I just LOVE that area and the design there. It’s got a really good sensibility.

What projects are you working on right now?

My project in Maine is a little tiny lake cottage that’s just beautiful….and I’m doing a house in Brentwood…and I have some wonderful long time clients that just don’t want to let me go and I’m working on their house in Santa Monica. I don’t usually take on more than 3 projects at a time. That’s been the max that seems to work really well for me with kids and if I want to be around and be a mom then three jobs at a time is it. My kids are 13 and a 10 years old. There are times when I think that maybe I’ll hire an associate designer and expand but I really like to be hands on and be intimate with the projects. I also tend to start jobs from the construction level so I get to be a part of that phase and a project can last a year or more. I like having that full process so being a part of more than 3 full processes involving construction would just be too many.

What are some of your favorite places to shop?

Brimfield is my favorite! I go once a year and pack a couple of trucks. I really really love it!  I definitely have my stores that I love to go to here in LA too. I’m in Hollywood at Home a lot. Peter [Dunham] happens to be one of my closest friends as well. I love Nicky Kehoe on Highland and for really special pieces I love this store called Blackman Cruz.  There’s also an antiques store in Massachusetts that I love called Berkshire Home Antiques. And 1st Dibs is just fantastic! I’m always searching on 1st Dibs…

_{Pieces from Kristen’s outdoor furniture line.}

Tell us about your new outdoor furniture line…

It all came out of really the need for finding great outdoor furniture for clients. I couldn’t really find any outdoor wicker that I liked so I finally just started to have pieces made. There were 9 pieces that I was repeating constantly on projects and pretty soon it became sort of a line.  In the last five or six years I’ve done so many outdoor rooms…everybody’s either putting in outdoor fireplaces or covered porches and that’s really how people live here in California so much of the year. People really want to be outside. Now I have pieces in Hollywood at Home and its going to be up on the website by May for people to order.

_{A vignette featuring Kristen’s furniture inside Hollywood at Home}

Is there anything else in your career you haven’t accomplished that you’d like to try your hand at?

I really would love to do a textile line! Its a lot of work and a lot of time but I’d really love to do that one day. And I  want to build on the furniture. After the outdoor furniture I think I’d like to do some upholstered pieces. And maybe open up a shop.

Finally, give us the scoop on your lovely office and what a typical day here is like for you…
Because I’m at home I usually just take my computer and answer my emails as soon as I wake up with my coffee. And then usually at about 10am I get in here and I’m either with my assistant or on the phone with him and were starting the day trying to figure out what the week is going to look like.

“Sometimes I’ll meet with clients here going through all my fabrics when were at that selecting phase….And then the rest of the time I’m on the road.”

“The wall covering is Cole & Sons India Papers.  I LOVE their papers and use them constantly. I went with the pink because I really didn’t want to play it safe. It’s been 5 years an I still love it!”

“The desk I had made and I wanted it big and chunky like a kitchen island. It’s great for two people and I’m sort of a mess so it works!”

“Inside the cabinets I’ve got fabric samples and wood samples…most of the drawers are different kinds of samples. I’ve also got client folders, resource folders and things like that. The amount of things I store is actually getting smaller because of the computer now. I don’t have the kind of bulk samples that I used to and it’s not overwhelming anymore.”

“I rip out every magazine! It’s usually something small that I’m drawn to.”

“I have a client who had given me a picture of this bookshelf [she points to the tear shown above of the color coordinated bookshelf] so I  gave the picture to one of my guys who’s a really talented organizer and he color coordinated all of the books in my clients house and it turned out great! It was like a rainbow!”

“I love working from home, it’s great. I definitely have to shut down though. As much as I love my office I have to close the door and not come back in here in the evenings.”

_{Robert Couturier in his home office with his favorite Elmo in the background.}

Recently I had the opportunity to meet famed architect and interior designer Robert Couturier who invited me into his elegant penthouse apartment to talk design. Couturier lives in modernist Soho building which also happens to house the offices of  his bustling design firm. The building’s elevator transports you directly into his glorious apartment which is impeccably decorated with a mix of 18th century antiques, modern classics and an enviable art collection. (It will soon be published in an upcoming issue of Elle Decor) The space also possesses a sense of refinement that makes you feel as though you’ve entered the world of someone very important. French born, New York based Robert Couturier is one of the top decorators working today. He’s been designing lavish homes of the rich and famous for more than 30 years but perhaps his most high profile project was in the late 80s when billionaire tycoon James Goldsmith tapped the young decorator to design his sprawling, 20,000 acre palatial estate in Mexico. To this day Couturier counts that project as his most proud career milestone. You might expect a decorator who works the ultra rich and lives in a world where luxury and opulence rules to be stuffy and uptight but I found Couturier to be exactly the opposite. He’s gregarious, charming, funny and refreshingly down to earth. Quite the character, Couturier listens to Eminem, is addicted to The Real Housewives of Atlanta and counts his favorite furry Elmo doll as one of the things that makes him happy! I really enjoyed chatting with him and I’m thrilled to give you a little glimpse into our conversation…

_{The living room of hairstylist Frederic Fekkai and Shirin von Wulffen’s Manhattan duplex designed by Robert Couturier}

Tell me about some of your early design influences:

Growing up my grandmother and her husband used to have mostly 19th century French furniture and I remember when I was a young boy I had a friend that invited me to his house and it was completely modern. So imagine a modern house in France in 1974. It was something I had never known in my life and I just loved the idea of having an incredibly strong modern house. When I came to New York in the late 70s, the first apartment I did for myself was navy blue and white and was all modern. And then slowly I started buying antique stuff again so think I sort of go from one to the other. I’ve also been influenced in the modern way by Jean Michel Frank. I think his style is tremendous. Also Jacques Grange because I’ve known Jacques since I was really young and I always admired him. He was always the person to emulate and he has this fluidity to his style which is heavenly.

_{The late billionaire Jame’s Goldsmith’s palatial estate in Cuixmala, Mexico}

What has been the most defining moment of your career thus far?

Probably the work I did for Jimmy Goldsmith in Mexico. It was unequaled. I’m not sure I’ll have the opportunity to do such a big job again. I don’t think they come that way anymore.

What do you mean?

I think in the 80s wealth was not a dirty word and I think being rich was something people aspired to in a nice way and I think now that has changed greatly. Now the rich are being very discreet in a way that they didn’t used to be.

_{A chic vignette inside Frederic Fekkai and Shirin von Wulffen’s New York City Home}

How do you think the design business has changed over the years?

I think it has changed enormously. I think decorators like me are dinosaurs and I think eventually we’re going to disappear. People now have accessibility to everything in a way that wasn’t possible years ago before the internet. Back then people had to go through us, through our eyes and our choices. Today all you have to do is go through the websites of all the designers you like, see what you like from each of them and then you go on websites like 1^st Dibs where you can buy directly from the dealers, then you go on all the blogs and ask them for opinions and you can really do your homes without people like us. You know, we’re a luxury. We’re an added expense. If you’re very wealthy you don’t really need to do it yourself so you might go through people like us but otherwise, why?

But don’t you think there will always be a group of people who will hire a decorator?

Yes, there will always be but far less than before. I think the upper end market will always be there because people are too busy but all the mid-market is gone and I think decorators are going to have to find different ways to adapt.

What do you think completes a home?

I think the presence of art really completes a home.

_{The entry designed by Robert Couturier for Frederic Fekkai and Shirin von Wulffen}

Let’s talk about some fun stuff. I hear you are a big fan of the Housewives series on Bravo?

Are you kidding, I’m completely addicted! Nene is my favorite!

I have to admit I don’t watch!

How can you not watch?!

I only watched the first season of the New York Housewives.

I like the one girl… the chef who now has another show.

Bethenny?

Yes, Bethenny, I like her!

What else do you watch?

I watch CNN all the time. That and Bravo.

_{Robert Couturier’s dining room in Connecticut}

Do you read blogs?

I read blogs that mention me because they come to me in a Google alert. I also love Facebook. I’m on it all the time. I did twitter for a while and then I lost interest. I felt like I was screaming in the dark. Facebook is much more interesting and relevant to me.

What’s on your iPod?

Oh my god I have 19,000 pieces of music on my iPod! I love classical. My favorite composer in the world is Johann Sebatsian Bach. I don’t think I could live without him. I have mostly classical on my iPod but I like plenty of other music. I love Eminem! I think he’s so cool! I like what he says, I like the irony and I like how crazy he is! He’s fabulous!

_{A vignette inside the Connecticut home Couturier shares with his partner Jeffrey Morgan}

Do you collect anything?

I collect everything! All my houses are full! I collect photography. I love china. I love silver. I’m a things person I guess. It’s funny though because even though I love to have things, if all the things disappeared I don’t think I would mind. I’m not attached to very much.

So if your house was on fire there’s not one special thing you’d want to take with you?

No because it’s all insured! I’ll take my dogs and that’s all I would worry about.

_{Robert Couturier inside his home office the day of our meeting}

Do you have a favorite piece in your home?

Him! (He glances up on the wall and points to an 18^th century English painting of a very dapper man) There’s so much story behind him. I like to say that his boyfriend paid for the painting!

What’s with the Elmo behind your desk?

I love it! He used to make me laugh so hard when it first came out. The company that fabricates it belongs to a client of mine and we were out to diner and I was talking about this and he says ‘I’ll send you one tomorrow!’

Do you have any guilty pleasures?

I have tremendous amounts of pleasures, but I’m not sure they’re guilty! I guess maybe I spend too much money…

_{Couturier next to one of his two closets filled floor to ceiling with custom-tailored suits from Douglas Hayward}

What do you buy mostly?

I buy art. I always buy things I can’t afford. And my tailor.

Are all of your suits custom tailored?

Yes, it’s great. The shop that makes my suits is called Douglas Hayward in London. Another guilty pleasure is ice cream but the problem is that if I buy too much ice cream I won’t ever fit into my suits anymore!

Do you ever wear jeans?

Never. I wear suits every day and on the weekends I wear corduroys and a jacket. If I feel slightly overweight I don’t see it when I’m wearing a suit but if I have on jeans it might make me look like a mushroom top!

_{Currently on Couturier’s wishlist: Left – Cloud table by Joris Laarman. Right – Michael Eastman’s Havana portrait.}

Is there anything you’re lusting after right now to curb your shopping addiction?

YES! You know the galleries Barry Friedman and Friedman Benda? They have the most beautiful contemporary art and furniture that you can find in the world and they have an exhibit at the moment of a photographer called Michael Eastman whose work I love. There’s one picture that he has of a house in Cuba which I would love to own. He has another artist called Joris Laarman. I love furniture that has an intellectual construct…I find it absolutely fascinating and Joris Laarman does that. He has a coffee table made of marble that’s actually a composition of clouds. He takes pictures of cloud formations and then translates the picture through the computer onto a piece of sculpted marble. I LOVE the idea of a cloud being made into a piece of marble. It’s so brilliant! I would love to have that too. I could just see it here!

_{Robert Couturier’s Kent, Connecticut house and garden.}

What do you like to do when you’re not working?

When I’m not working I’m in the country. I usually go on Thursday or Friday afternoon and come back Monday morning. My boyfriend is there and my dogs are there and my life is there.

_{The premiere issue of Trad Home will hit virtual newsstands in April}

Earlier this week I attended an exclusive dinner hosted by Traditional Home publisher Beth Brenner and Lonny editor-in-chief Michelle Adams who assembled a group of notable designers and industry influencers at Freemans to introduce the top 20 “New Traditional” designers to watch in 2011. The top 20 will be featured in the March issue of Traditional Home as in years past, while the inaugural issue of Trad Home (the digital Traditional Home/Lonny spinoff) will feature more extensive coverage of each of the designers and their work. Below is a look at the esteemed roster of this year’s young traditional designers to watch and if you’re interested in seeing a few fun photos from the Trad Home dinner check out this post from StyleBeat. Congratulations to all of the designers who were nominated!

Sara Gilbane – Sara Gilbane Interiors

Sasha Adler + Lauren Gold – Nate Berkus Associates

Lisa Sternfeld – Studio LSID

Jeff Andrews – Jeff Andrews Design

Jayne + Joan Michaels – 2 Michaels Design

Jamie Herzlinger – Jamie Herzlinger Interiors

Erika Powell – Urban Grace Interiors

Heidi Bonsteel, Michele Trout + Jill Hall – Bonsteel Trout Hall

Amanda Malson & Jolene Ballard – Domicile Interior Design

Tom Delavan – Tom Delavan Interior Design

Suysel dePedro Cuningham + Anne Maxwell Foster – Tilton Fenwick

Nicki Clendening + Calie Jenschke – Scout Designs

Ryan Korban – Ryan Korban Interior Design

Ron Marvin – Ron Marvin Design

Robert Passal – Robert Passal Interior & Architectural Design

Patrik Lonn – Patrik Lonn design

Nina Freudenberger – Haus Interior

Amy D. Morris – Amy D. Morris Interiors

Megan Rice Yager – Megan Yager Design

Kim Winkler – Westbrook Interiors

One of the booths at the NYIGF that I was eager to check out was John Robshaw. I’m a huge fan of his ethnic block printed textiles and I especially love his bedding collections so imagine my delight when I approached his booth and found John himself making one of the display beds! A consummate perfectionist, John was re-making the bed because, as he says, “the quilt wasn’t laying quite right.” (I snapped a few photos of him in action so I could study his technique – He likes to stack his pillows, FYI!)

Robshaw’s booth showcased his bedding, bath, pillows, tabletop, travel, clothing, window coverings and giftables for spring and as usual his  latest offerings for are perfection!

The bedding seen here is a new introduction called Matar. That sublime coral color was seen all over the spring fashion runways and now you can incorporate it into your home too! I think Robshaw’s choice of patterns and colors are always stunning!

This bed featured a mix of patterns but my favorite is the one near the front with the green, periwinkle and marigold colored Indian floral pattern called Ludoli. The others are a mix of Gent’s Stripe, Stitched (solid white with the moss green embroidery) and Metallic linen which can all be found at JohnRobshaw.com.

I loved this colorful mix of cotton ikat pillows. (I told you ikat isn’t over!)

The pillows on the left here feature hand painted Indian inspired floral and animal motifs while the black and white pillows on the right showcase traditional African mudcloth prints.

I also really like the idea of mixing a few of these colorful picture frames in with your traditional silver frames – it would make for an eclectic display of your family photos!

John’s inspiration for these stylish cotton and canvas travel bags was Jack Nicholson’s voyage through the Sahara in the movie The Passenger.

There were also plenty of travel pouches, passport covers, luggage tags and chic stationery travel accessories and accessories and paper goods. You can shop the entire John Robshaw spring collection here.

“I never quite understood why interior design in the traditional sense has no sex appeal.”

New York based “it” designer Ryan Korban loves creating spaces that exude sexy, something he feels there’s not enough of in the design world. His own 550 square foot apartment is a testament to his fresh, sexy and fashion forward take on interior design. Swathed in fur, silk, chrome, brass, marble and exotic materials like shagreene and zebra, Korban’s place oozes sexiness and luxury. For him, design is about creating a fantasy and his approach is certainly one that breaks the traditional mold. He’s the first to admit he doesn’t have a lick of formal training and he’d much rather shop the Brooklyn Flea than the D&D. But then again, breaking the mold is what Korban is all about. Even his appearance – with his long black hair, grungy rock star dress code and veil of mysteriousness – suggests he’s not your typical interior designer. It’s no wonder downtown “cool kids” like fashion designer (and Korban’s BFF) Alexander Wang, actor James Franco, Karl Lagerfeld muse Vanessa Traina and of-the-moment models Jessica Stam and Natasha poly all count Korban as their go to decorator.

Recently, I caught up with Ryan to talk design and he was kind enough to share photos of a stunning and sexy space he designed for hip British fashion mag Another Magazine held at Milk Studios’ Penthouse during fashion week. Read on to hear more more about the Milk Penthouse project, his love of luxury and why he strives to bring more sex appeal to interior design…

Tell me a little about the space you designed for the Another magazine dinner at Milk.

The dinner was held in Milk Studios’ amazing penthouse. I’ve been to many events there so it was exciting to get my hands on it. When Jefferson Hack and Another Magazine wanted to collaborate on their annual Fashion Week dinner in the space I was thrilled. I really wanted to approach the space as an actual residential penthouse. The idea of entertaining at home with the best of taste.

What was the mood you were trying to create?

I was trying to create a sexy, luxurious, casual space. An extremely posh environment where people used the luxury and didn’t just stand around it. Sitting on fur, lounging on zebra skins. We really wanted it to feel like a dream experience. A dinner where the design felt extremely high end, but the idea of formal only related to the quality of food and decor and not the way people were expected to behave.

Sexy is a word that immediately comes to mind whenever I see a space that you designed and that sex appeal seems to be a common thread across all of your work. Is that intentional?

I am so happy you say that. Sexy is something I try to convey in everything I do. I never quite understood why interior design in the traditional sense has no sex appeal. To me I love playing with three main ideas: sexy, fantasy and romance. I love feeling like a different person because of the environment I’m in. Its similar to what people strive to achieve through their choice of clothing.

You also use a lot of exotic and opulent materials and lots & lots of fur which I think adds a sense of drama and glamour to your spaces. Why do you choose to bring such an abundance  of luxurious materials into every day spaces?

I do this because I think opulent materials and exotics felt like a privileged thing for so long. It felt like luxury that was locked away or only reserved for the uber elite. The idea of beating luxury up and making opulence feel urban felt really young and fresh to me. For me it’s no longer about the trophy living room you cant actually live in, it’s about using fur on the floor or beating up a silk settee. Its what I have always responded to and I find it so desirable. Its how I live and how my friends live.

You’re known for mixing high & low and I hear you’re a huge fan of the chic, high-end antiques shop Flair with whom you collaborated to design this space. We all love high end but what are some of your favorite budget conscious shopping haunts?

Who doesn’t love high end!! And Flair is my ultimate oasis, I never do a space with out using them, I have yet to find a retailer in the world that speaks so directly to my aesthetic. I also enjoy finding very inexpensive items. The mixing of high and low is important to my career because I do have a fairly young client base. I love flea markets. I love finding old furniture in Brooklyn at and at Housing Works around New York City. Nothing is more exciting than taking a dumpy old sofa and transforming it.

I hear you have no formal training…when did you officially become a designer?

This is true! I can not draft a floor plan for the life of me, but I truly believe good taste can help you start any creative career.  I started when I began to study European history in school as well as art and realize enviorments were what I wanted to create. I began by designing my first store in Tribeca and realized, “Hey, I can do this!”

And you’re only 26! How has all of the recognition you’ve received in such a short time impacted you and your business?

Its amazing, but its not something I dwell on I just keep moving forward. I am pretty hard on myself and my business. I think if you get too excited you’ll get side tracked so I’m always on to the next. Its a great frame of mind to have for this type of business.

What ha been your most proud moment in your career thus far?

Every time a potential clients sends back a signed proposal I think “wow, I did it again”. The fear is that they will stop coming!

Do you have a dream project you’d like to take on?

I think my dream is to keep doing what I am doing…Its for this not to end. A fantasy would be re-doing Kensington palace when Princess Diana was alive.

What’s next for you?
I am currently in the middle of two designer flagship stores in New York. One in Soho and the other on upper Madison Ave, so that is keeping me pretty busy along with my residential work.

_{Top Photo: The Selby. Remaining Photos: Carly Otness/Billy Farrell Agency}

_{L-R: Vicente Wolf, Thom FIlicia, Laura Kirar, Jonathan Adler}

The New York Times Store recently released a series of images from its 100+ year old photo archive, many of which have never been seen before and to celebrate, the Times tapped 5 celebrated interior designers Laura Kirar, Kelly Wearstler, Vicente Wolf, Jonathan Adler and Thom Filicia to curate a selection of 10 photos from the archive that reflects their design aesthetic and appreciation for the use of photography in interiors.  The collection is called 50 Photographs and is now available for purchase at The New York Times Store. I attended the launch party at the Staley-Wise Gallery on Monday and it was chock full of design stars including the 50 Photographs guest curators (minus Kelly Wearstler), style icon Iris Apfel, design maven Charlotte Moss, newly appointed Architectural Digest editor-in-chief Margaret Russell (sporting a cast on her right leg!), Barney’s Creative Director (& Jonathan Adler’s husband) Simon Doonan and fashion designer Naeem Kahn. Below are a few fun snaps from the party along with a several of images from the collection including my favorites from Jonathan Adler who chose nine photos of chic people wearing masks at high-society parties plus one of the New Jersey Turnpike. Says Adler, “I like to look at pictures of glamorous people having fun in kooky outfits and then when I get too carried away I like to remind myself of where I came from – hence the Jersey turnpike picture.” Check out the photos below and be sure to check out the full collection here. I just might have to add Adler’s whimsical pick featuring the masked leopard people to my own collection…so chic!

Left: Iris Apfel and husband Carl Apfel. Right: Laura Kirar

From L-R: Gallery Co-Owner Etheleen Staley, Margaret Russell, Naeem Kahn and wife Ranjana.

Left: Charlotte Moss. Right: Simon Doonan and Jonathan Adler

Oversized Cars, 1954, Eddie Hausner/The New York Times (Vicente Wolf)

Geisha – Tokyo, 2001, Gary Knight/VII (Vicente Wolf)

Park Benches, Vincent Laforet/The New York Times (Kelly Wearstler)

The Steeplechase, 1939, Andrew Herman (Laura Kirar)

World’s Fair Dinosaur Dismantled, 1965, Robert Walker/The New York Times (Laura Kirar)

Leopard People, 1966, Larry C. Morris/The New York Times (Jonathan Adler)

Going Groucho, 1974, John Sotomayor/The New York Times (Jonathan Adler)

Summer Reflections, 1997, Suzanne De Chillo/The New York Times (Thom Filicia)

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!

_{L-R: Nate Berkus, Laura Kirar, Nicole Gibbons (Moi!), Steven Gambrel and Jesse Carrier. Photo:  Marion Curtis}

Tonight was a big night for So Haute! This evening myself, along with co-hosts Pierre Frey and Josh Greene hosted an exciting cocktail party and panel discussion with interior designers Nate Berkus, Steven Gambrel, Laura Kirar and Jesse Carrier of Carrier & Company! We were so thrilled and honored to have such an esteemed group of featured speakers! The designers spoke about building a brand, the state of the industry and what’s “right now in design.” It was a really amazing and inspiring evening. For now I’m exhausted but I’ll be back tomorrow with a full recap and plenty of photos to share.  I also shot the first episode of So Haute TV tonight so I’ll soon have a fun video with an inside look at the event to share with you too! Off to bed now but check back tomorrow for all the details! xo



Right now we’re totally obsessed with the portfolio of Dutch architectural and interior design firm Decoration Empire! Based in Gouda, Netherlands and led by principals Anne Noordam and Thong Lei, Decoration Empire creates timeless interiors with the perfect mix of styles, periods and worldly influences. Although their style is rooted in tradition, their spaces are thoroughly modern in feel. The firm’s philosophy dictates that it strives to create a sense of mystery and intrigue with each design. Their work is not only intriguing, it’s absolutely stunning! Check out the photos below and click here to visit the Decoration Empire website and browse their portfolio which you’ll find is chock full of inspiration!

LA based designer Rose Tarlow’s aesthetic is synonymous with beauty, comfort, artisan quality craftsmanship and old-world sophistication. With a career spanning more than three decades she is one of the most internationally renowned and influential designers in the industry. Tarlow began her career as an antiques dealer and then went on to design her own lines of furniture, fabrics, wall coverings, lighting and accessories under the label Rose Tarlow Melrose House which is also the name of her flagship showroom on Melrose Place in Los Angeles that first opened in 1979. Now, more than 30 years later, Tarlow has opened her first New York City showroom in the famed Design and Decoration (D&D) building and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to get a sneak peek just before it opened in April. The beautiful, 3,000 square-foot space is flooded with natural light to evoke a residential feeling and features four beautiful rooms envisioned by Tarlow which showcase all of her her signature collections in addition to one-of-a-kind decorative finds from her travels. Previously Rose Tarlow Melrose House products were only available at Holly Hunt.

_{The entry table inside Rose Tarlow Melrose House brand new NYC
showroom.}

“Having a shop here means I can offer New York designers and interesting collection of my favorite designs and fabrics and of course my new contemporary pieces and rugs,” says Tarlow.

_{A peek inside the new Rose Tarlow Melrose House showroom
located in New York’s D&D building.}

I am especially a fan of Tarlow’s textile designs with their worn and washed out looking patterns in subtle hues. New fabrics which I was able to see up close in person include gorgeous glazed linens and an exotic collection of African inspired fabrics that were hand woven in Senegal.

_{A bedroom vignette inside the new NYC Rose Tarlow Melrose House location.}

Very meticulous and the consummate perfectionist, Tarlow occasionally takes on interior design clients although she is extremely selective about the clients and projects she takes on. Her design style combines California casual with European influence and is slightly rustic in feel. Although she has an exclusive roster of celebrity, music and film industry clientele for which she has designed homes, Tarlow prefers to refer to herself as an antiques dealer and product designer rather than a decorator. She can also claim the title author as her hugely successful book titled “The Private House” which released in 2002 is now in it’s third printing. For more information on Rose Tarlow click here and I hope you enjoyed this little peek inside the new Rose Tarlow Melrose House New York showroom!

Design & Decoration Building