Thursday, April 30, 2009

"Bigger . . . "


" . . . and better things."

Good evening,

It's been another one of those surfin'-the-internet-sipping-English-tea kinda evenings here at the house . . . and YAY,  I just ran across some images (originally from Domino Magazine) of my old friend Michael Bastian's witty apartment in Manhattan.  Michael and I worked together billions of years ago when I was still at Polo in San Francisco and Michael was in New York with RL Home Collection.


I remember loving Michael's quirky style 10 years ago!  and I've always loved his NY apartment.  There is just such a great mix of flea market finds and 'more serious' furniture and artwork carefully mixed together.  I was so crushed when the Domino website closed, because there used to be the most adorable video of Michael leading a tour through his charming place.  

Michael's moved on since those old days and now is a big player in the fashion world with his own men's clothing line.  I always knew he was destined for great things.

I hope everyone has great plans for the weekend.  I have one last concert on Saturday with my chamber choir . . . and then I can hang up my vocal chords for a few months . . . whew . . . lol.


Quiet Time


photograph courtesy of Tim Clark

Today is the closing of the sale of half of my company to a competitor (story of the year, yes?). Although I've been working on the legal aspects of the sale pretty much full-time since early February, it always seems like 90% of the work gets finished in the last few days. After a very long week, I'm seriously looking forward to some quiet time Friday night. And, for me at least, there's nothing like a good long soak (with a good book or magazine and a few scented candles) to wash the worries of the week away.

Until tomorrow though, I'll have to be content with dreaming. To fuel my fantasies, I thought I'd post some of my favorite bathrooms designed by some of the best designers in the business. Designers get extra points if the tub is adjacent to a fireplace or overlooks a beautiful view. And, hey, since it's my fantasy, I'll go all the way and request a glorious chandelier in there, too, while we're at it. The bathroom designed by Tim Clark (shown above) would definitely fit the bill.

photographs courtesy of Peter Dunham

Fireplace, gorgeous inlaid tile floors, a gigantic rain shower flooded with light that renders a bathtub completely incidental -- does it get any better than this? I also love the Spanish touches throughout the space, from the windows to the heavy wooden door. In short, if I owned this bathroom, bathing would become a religious experience for me.

photograph courtesy of Mary McDonald

I know this bathroom by Mary McDonald has appeared everywhere from the pages of domino to just about every design blog on the web, but I love how beautifully it merges class design with a fun, zany aesthetic. The monochromatic palette keeps it from veering into busy. The zig zag floor is a great modern counterpoint to the seersucker settee and Classical statuary (a wee bit cheesy, but I'll forgive her). One thing though I'm not sure I can forgive Mary for are the balloon curtains. I'm pretty sure I had the same ones (but in pink, naturally) in my bedroom growing up and it's just too '80s for me.


photograph courtesy of Tim Clark

This bathroom is very peaceful in a modern bohemian sort of way. I also love how the tub is centered underneath the large window, which is framed perfectly by the sloped ceilings. The hardwood floors and faded rug give the space a cozy quality. This bathroom (together with the other bathroom designed by Tim Clark shown at the beginning of this post) is also a great illustration of how bringing in "real" furniture (like the ottoman and side table) and accessories not normally used in a bathroom (like the rug and draperies) can really go a long way to sprucing up a bathroom.

photographs courtesy of Traditional Home

This his-and-her bathroom by Traditional Home's Robert Young for this year's Kitchen/Bath Industry Show is the mother lode of all bathrooms. Murano glass chandeliers, a Michael S. Smith free-standing tub, Chinoiserie-inspired glass mosaic from Ann Sacks, Phillipe Stark's Ghost Chair...in short, it's a design-lover's fantasy. Any one of the three rooms that make up this bathroom is spectacular, but altogether it's just mind blowing. One thing I particularly like about this room is how the "her" tub is a built-in shower/tub combo that is so typical of most homes (despite the growing trend for free-standing tubs). And yet, with the tub surround and tiling, the standard issue shower/tub combo is elevated to something really special.

photograph courtesy of Phoebe Howard

I've sung the praises of designer Phoebe Howard before, but I can't help doing it again -- Oh how I love this bathroom! In some ways, it's fairly standard (white cabinets, Carrera marble counters) but there are so many details (like the floor and mirror!) that make it fabulous. All that beautiful built-in storage would be great, too. I love how Howard tends to build out cabinetry all the way to the ceiling. Not only do you maximize storage space, but the added cabinetry makes the room feel so much taller (and so much more custom). My one reservation about the space is the toilet seat: I just don't get using a dark wood toilet seat. I know it's a bit retro, but I see no reason why you would want to draw extra attention to the porcelain throne.

photograph courtesy of Nathan Egan

The New York-based design firm Nathan Egan Interiors is actually the design duo Wayne Nathan and Carol Egan, and if you aren't familiar with their work, I highly suggest to take a spin through their fantastic portfolio. The team's aesthetic is cutting-edge and modern, but still very livable. Their art choices, like the large-scale art work of a diver in the bathroom above, are also masterful. There's definitely a lot of whimsy in this space, like the ladder leaning to nowhere, and yet it still feels restful and luxurious.

What about you? Where do you escape when you're looking for some quiet time?

Best Day of my Life

With so many weddings this year (my brother, my sister, my husband's cousin and 3 close friends), I find myself reminiscing about my own AMAZING wedding, almost 3 years ago. It was really the greatest day of my life (which was then followed by the greatest three weeks of my life on honeymoon in Italy).

The hotel we got married at is the Figueroa Hotel in Downtown LA - it was the perfect combination of romantic and funky. It is designed in a Spanish Moroccan style - one of my favorite looks.... Here's a little hotel tour.

While I was doing my final primping, the guests were enjoying white wine in "Rick's Place"

Pink bougainvillea ALWAYS makes me feel like I'm on vacation.


They really know how to use candles to make the place glow...


We were married on the gorgeous tiled patio by the pool.

It was Fourth of July weekend at sunset and it was SO hot. I'm surprised none of the guests jumped in the pool...

After dinner by the pool, guests walked down this romantically lit hallway.



To enjoy dancing in Room Tangier...
Or just drinking and lounging in Club Fez (they are two adjoining rooms)

My husband and I got to spend our first night as a married couple in their Casablanca Suite - which is STUNNING.



For our next anniversary, I might have to book a night in their Marrakech suite.
All that Moroccan reminiscing makes me want to bring some luxurious Moroccan elements into my own home:

I LOVE Moroccan leather poufs - I don't think they will EVER go out of style.

From Just Morocco


Also from Just Morocco
I still love metallics. This is from Le Souk, a online shop of the Style Files blogger.


Lawson Fenning, one of my favorite LA shops, has these Moroccan-y two side tables.

Or another gorgoues tea tray and table from Le Souk.


For more stunning Moroccan looks, check out one of my favorite blogs, My Marrakesh!

She also sells gorgeous Moroccan goodies, like this gorgeous vintage Beni Ourain carpet
Look at this luxurious wool! Images from her Flickr.

I'm dying to go to Morocco, but until I have my plane ticket in hand, I might need to turn my home into a little Oasis here in LA...

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

"I'm gonna need a show of hands here . . . "

" . . . and possibly your credit card numbers."

Good morning,

This post will prove why I should not be permitted to surf the internet in the evenings.  So last night, I'm here at my flat, minding my own business, watching a bit of HGTV for mindless entertainment, and happened across an advertisement for HomeAway.com.  It's an online service for vacation rentals around the world.  Well, you know what comes next - 

So, here's a wonderful little flat in South Kensington, London.  Here are the salient facts: 2 Bedrooms.  2 Bathrooms.  Sleeps four.  And we could stay here for 2 weeks for 4 grand.  Do the math - that would only be $1,000 for each of the four people.  Who's in ?

We could enjoy an early evening by the fire, before we head out to the theatre.  

and we could each take turns making breakfast . . . I do make a damn fine scone.  I know the neighborhood fairly well . . . there's a great little market right around the corner for pantry supplies.   And, the rental includes housecleaning service as well.

One of the two charming bedrooms . . . with a balcony  overlooking the private park.

We could always enjoy our afternoon tea out on the patio.  Reading Shakespeare.  Singing Gilbert and Sullivan.  Comparing notes on the best antique stores.  

Or we could just enjoy an afternoon in the private park across the street.

Please submit your applications directly to me . . . lol.  

Week One: The Beginning

In spite of the torrential rains that the greater-Houston area has been experiencing since Monday, our builder has managed to break ground on our new house. My mom was in the neighborhood Tuesday afternoon and swung by "just to see" and -- as promised -- work has begun. I hope to make it by myself this weekend to take a look around at the progress.

So far, it's a lot of pipes and dirt, but suddenly it's starting to feel very, very real.

Chanel-O

Ever wished your powder room could look like a Chanel bag? It can. Phillip Jeffries Ltd has this FANTASTIC wallcovering - Quilted Lacquer.

In Black, like Coco herself would have done.

Or Cream?


Platinum would be INSANE in a walk in closet. First I need a walk in closet.

Or brushed gold! Can you imagine touching up your lipstick in a powder room with this? Fierce.

Coco Chanel would be so proud.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

"O, Sweet and Joyous Blogspot . . . "

" . . . how I have missed thee."

Good morning all,

Sorry I've been a bit 'radio silent' for the last week or so . . . the good news is that business has been really great, and the opera production was a blast.  The draw-back was I seemed to have almost no time to blog . . . either reading or writing . . . lol.

But, I'm feeling all bright and shiny this morning (just home from a great workout), working from home today,  and thought I'd share some of these amazing bright, perky interiors that I found digging around in my image files.

I traditionally don't use very much yellow in my design work, but these beautiful rooms are making me rethink that position.  Seriously, how beautiful is this elegant room?

And I always love the addition of a graphic zebra skin, just to keep things interesting.  And the dark woods and chocolate velvet just adds to the drama.

I just read somewhere (please don't ask me to try to find it at this point . . . sorry) that yellow is on track to be the next big colour in design for Spring 2010.  Maybe we should all get ready to live in a much more bright, shiny world . . . yay.

I should be getting some proper images from the opera production and I'll post them as soon as they are available.


I'll take Susan's advice (from the first comment) and ask - what interesting talent or hobby do you love.

I'll go first - I sing opera and fence.




Houston Goes Green

Via my good friend Maple, I recently learned that Chief Justice Adele and Dan Hedges, a high-powered Houston legal couple here in Houston, have just recently completed the first
LEED platinum home in the Bayou City. [Adele Hedges is the Chief Justice of the 14th Court of Appeals and Dan Hedges is a named partner of a top-notch local law firm.] Designed by the local husband-wife team of Adams Architects, the 3700-square foot house is in Upper Kirby, a neighborhood in Houston not 5 minutes from my own. The interior is designed by Marlys Tokerud, lead designer of the Houston-based design firm Tokerud & Co.

The house harnesses energy from a multitude of sources, from geothermal radiant heating and cooling below ground to solar panels covering every square inch of the roof (see above). During daylight hours, the house is powered entirely by the 140 solar panels. At night, the house runs off the power grid, with a back-up battery available in case the grid go down (a very smart investment for Houston's hurricane-prone summers).

The galley-style kitchen is flooded with light from the large windows, which largely eliminates the need for artificial light during the day (and bring in great views of all the mature oaks on the property). Bamboo cabinets are topped with Richlite, a durable and nonporous composite countertop made from FSC-certified and/or recycled paper products. I'm not sure what material the mosaic-tile backsplash is, but I would guess recycled glass.

I love how the living room is divided into a multistory sitting area and a cozier, low-slung library around the perimeter. By varying the height of the room, the architects were able to delineate between public and private zones within the same space. The window seats underneath each window provide extra storage and welcome nooks for readers.

The electric fireplace is cleaner and more energy efficient than traditional gas or wood-burning ones. The house's steel frame is left exposed throughout the house, lending an industrial feeling to the rooms. While I appreciate the restraint the interior designer (and clients) used in decorating their rooms (the place is completely devoid of clutter and chotkies), I wish they wouldn't been a little bit more venturesome color-wise than the beige, steel gray, and white color palette.

The Hedges' large two-story master bedroom is definitely a "less is more" kind of space. I particularly love the Venetian plaster on the far wall where the chaise lounges sit -- the traditional architectural feature is a stunning contrast to very modern room. Unadorned clerestory windows let in plenty of light during the day, yet are high enough not to become a nuisance should the couple sleep in.

The screened-in porch runs the length of the home and -- while I think I would like this even more if it were a wee bit wider -- the modern skylights, natural wood decking and sparsely modern furniture are lovely. I can just imagine dining al fresco here on a spring day. Delightful. I am left wondering though what the large gray conical piece is in the corner -- is it sculpture or does it perform some other function? Any ideas?

For more information on Houston's greenest home, go to the full-story as it appeared in the Houston Chronicle HERE. All photographs courtesy of Aker/Zvonkovic Photography.