Monday, October 31, 2011

The Hand and Bamboo Door Handle

I adore these Hand and Bamboo Door Handle from the British company Soane. They would be brilliant on the doors of a study:

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Papabubble

What could be better that a store that mixes my kids passion with mine?

I can't wait to take my girls to Papabubble when I am in NYC in November. This hip candy store on Broome Street is designed like a science laboratory, complete with Erlenmeyer flasks filled with colored liquids used to make their hard candies. Everything is handmade right in the shop, so if you are lucky you can actually witness the candy making right before your eyes.







Photos for Remodelista by Seth Smoot


Happy Halloween

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Amangiri

A friend of mine just came back from the Amangiri  resort in Southern Utah.  Having posted on the Navajo trend this season I thought this would be a very fitting follow up.  I hope to make it out there at some point, it looks unbelievable!

“Every surface of Amangiri – the second North American property from the luxury hotel group Amanresorts – seems to suggest not only an aesthetic but a meditative state of mind.  Encircled by dramatic, sun-colored rock formations, the compound is set on 600 acres of southern Utah wilderness alongside eroded hoodoos and 5,000-year-old petroglyphs.  Its polished, low-slung buildings, dyed up to 10 times to match the nuances of the landscape, house 34 streamlined suites with timber-and-rawhide furniture and smooth concrete walls that frame surreal sweeps of sculpted sandstone…  It’s an instant classic for the less-is-more crowd.”
Travel+Leisure’s The World’s Greatest Hotels Resorts + Spas (Book), USA











Wednesday, October 26, 2011

A Navajo Fall

Navajo prints are everywhere this season, from runways to interiors:


Navajo






Whether wearing them or using them in your home I think they work best when used as accent pieces, mixed with other styles.

Image from Elle Decor



Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Beautiful Classics

One of my favorite accessories for a room are beautiful books. They immediately add warmth and personality to a space. I especially love these classics designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith and available through Penguin Books:


               

All images from Coralie Bickford-Smith

                           

Monday, October 24, 2011

AETHERstream

I am a huge fan of the LA based company Aether, so I was so excited when they launched their new     pop-up shop AETHERstream. They teamed up with Parisian designer Thierry Gaugain to design the   34' PanAmerican Airsteam.  After a complete gut job they installed reclaimed Carlisle Wide Plank Flooring, a leather couch and center table from Environment, a hanging fireplace from Focus, as well as cool vintage accessories from the Paris Flea Market. The outcome is an unbelievable mobile store that showcases their outdoor sportswear phenomenally!


You can check it out at 8207 W. 3rd in LA until Nov 1. After that it will be headed to Soho in NYC.









Sunday, October 23, 2011

Precious Stones

I found this amazing line of precious and gem stone slabs while looking with a client at Cumar for kitchen counter tops. They are all handmade and extraordinary looking in person. They are suitable for indoor applications and available in limited quantities. Here are some of my favorites with a fascinating explanation from Cumar of what they are made from:


STROMALITE

This stone has its origins in the first microbe on this earth. The Stromata microbe was the first living thing on the planet earth (over 3 Billion years old) and was the source of the increase in oxygen from 2% to 22% and so enabling humans to exist. It is a sea algae which still lives in a few localities, notably western Australia. This panel is made from many specimen pieces of Stromatolite to magnify its unique wavy pattern, which is a distinguishing mark of this particular stone.



CLASSIC QUARTZ

Classic Quartz is one of the most beautiful of all precious stones. It is probably the best-known precious stone because of its association with healing throughout history. Each slab of these specially selected specimens of Classic Quartz has been painstakingly laid out and hand assembled to take full advantage of the markings in this precious stone.



BLACK PETRIFIED WOOD

It took over 240 million years to create this precious stone from Madagascar, where rare specimens of petrified wood are blended together with magnificent ammonites and chambered nautilus. Petrified wood has been preserved for millions of years by the process of petrification. The process turns wood into quartz crystal. It is harder than steel. Some pieces of petrified wood have retained the original cellular structure of the wood and the year rings can be easily seen.



ICE BLUE CALCITE

Calcite is a calming stone, highly healing. It stimulates the metabolism and it reinforces the immune system. It reinforces the bones, purifies the blood and regularizes the heartbeat. It helps the spleen and the pancreas and it removes tensions that prevent vitality, creativity, emotions.




WILD TIGER IRON

The precious stone tiger iron gemstone forms naturally when golden tiger eye, red and yellow jasper and black hematite quartz band together forming a ripple pattern of vibrant colour.  This is considered the three in one crystal for its trio of grounding qualities. The Tiger eye grounds and give patience, Hematite grounds the self for emotional protection and Red Jasper is know to connect one to the earth.




These slabs are truly pieces of art.  I can envision using them as a feature wall, similar to this application: 


Interior by Kelly Wearstler

Or wrapping a structural column to make it the focal point of the room:

Interior by S.R. Gambrel



Thursday, October 20, 2011

Astier de Villatte + John Derian

What do you get when you mix Astier de Villatte + John Derian:


+



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Image from the New York Times

The French company Astier de Villatte has always been known for their beautiful handmade white tableware. Now, after 15 years they have decided to ask John Derian for help adding color to their collection. They have such a similar aesthetic so I am sure the collaboration will be brilliant. The new collection will include graphics of birds and insects as well as vividly colored marbleized pieces.






Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Kitchen and Bathrooms By Michael S. Smith

I had the pleasure of attending Michael S Smith's book signing today at Studio 534 in the Boston Design Center.  He just released his new book Kitchens and Baths:




For someone that decorated the White House I found him to be so humble and unassuming.
I think kitchens and bathrooms are two of the most important rooms in a house and the ones that are most commonly assessed for resale value.


I love the use of the wood floor and rug in this bathroom.  Michael S. Smith uses a lot of furniture and interior elements in his bathrooms to make them feel like real rooms.


Here he is mixing a free standing copper tub with a marble floor and Turkish rug. The chair looks Chinese but it is an Italian antique.


Again the use of the chair and the rug help to warm up the space. He is using Italian limestone 
floors with a vintage Chinese rug. 


A look at the other side of the room showing the free standing tub and closet.