Black & White Entry

A black & white entry floor is always timeless and classic. Whether done in honed or polished, diamond or checks it is the perfect way to make a good first impression. Here are some standouts:

House of Windsor for Veranda 

SR Gambrel

Tory Burch in Vogue

Popham Design

I am looking forward to using the new Hex Target tile from Popham Design on a project that I am working on.  Popham Design, a Marrakech based company, fuses traditional Moroccan cement tiles with a modern design sensibility. The patterns are inspired by life in Morocco and designed so that they can be done in different layouts and color schemes. They are extremely versatile and can be used for both interior and exterior spaces. 

Hex Target in Cabana

Other designs from Popham

Urban Electric Co + Steven Gambrel

The Urban Electric Co  and designer Steven Gambrel have teamed up to create an elegant collection of new light fixtures.  Urban Electric, a Charleston based company, is know for their beautiful craftsmanship. However,  the scale and materials involved in this collaboration really tested their skills. They feature unique details like hand blown colored glass, mirrored banding, and intentionally diffused lamping. Here are some of the stand-outs:

Ksar Char- Bagh Marrakech

I have my sights set on Marrakech as a travel destination for 2013 and Ksar Char-Bagh is definitely on the list of places to stay. The hotel, which was built three years ago, only has 13 guest rooms but they did not spare any expense when it came to the details. They have hand-carved silver door keys, their own blend of toiletries in silver bottles, private gardens and terraces for each room and their own herb garden, farm and blend of olive oil for the restaurant. The owns have coined the term "Guest Palace" to describe the hotel and it certainly seems deserving!

Ann Carrington

One of my favorite artists, Ann Carrington, was given the great honor of making this Royal Jubilee Banner that hung from the royal barge in the Thames Diamond Jubilee procession for the Queen. The banner is embroidered with half a million gold buttons and features the Coronation Crown flanked by a unicorn and a lion. It will be available in limited edition prints through her site.

Royal Barge

Detail of Banner

Another patriotic piece that I love of her's is the Pearly Crown Jewels of Pentonville. This is also made out of buttons and available in a limited edition print.

Detail of the buttons