One of my current clients has a large library of books, and as I redesign her room, I have been thinking about how best to store her collection. Book storage can be tricky. Options range from entirely closed bookcases to open etageres. A closed system hides clutter (and any embarrassing trashy novels you picked up at the airport!); but open shelving allows your library to be a design element in its own right– a highly personal design element. I tend to favor an open shelving system, but I recognize its drawbacks. Disorganized shelves can make a room look cluttered, and books are absolute dust magnets. Etageres often require bookends to keep everything upright. If you want to display your library, but prefer not to deal with the practical inconvenience of an open bookshelf, glass door bookcases are a happy medium. 1) Muller Van Severen Marble Bookshelf via 1stdibs 2) Jefferson Bookcase 3) Jonathan Adler lucite and brass Jacques etagere 4) Metal industrial barrister bookcase via 1stdibs 5) Mission barrister bookcase with leaded glass …
As the nights close in around us and winter settles in, we crave cozier surroundings. The idea of home as shelter and safe haven becomes more and more important. There are very few things as restorative and homey as a bedroom fireplace. Lapping flames, crackling wood, warm flickering light– fires are the perfect remedy to the cold winter season. Here are some cozy bedrooms that will make you want to throw on your PJs and jump into bed. 1) Home My Design 2) Primer Magazine 3) Rela Gleason 4)Home My Design 5) Linen and Lavender 6) My Lovely Things 7) Home My Design 8) House & Home 9) Home My Design 10) Blood and Champagne
Tilton Fenwick is a New York-based interior design firm founded by Anne Maxwell Foster and Suysel dePedro Cunningham. They are best known for layering colorful textiles and giving a modern twist to traditional patterns. I have been secretly lusting after this Tilton Fenwick pattern at Duralee for some time now, so I was super excited to discover that the design firm has put out a line of upholstered furniture at Target. They offer a range of settees, pictured above, as well as skirted chairs, headboards, and ottomans. This is high end style without the high end price tag.
There are some tried-and-true combinations that are a guaranteed success, and black, white, and brass is one of them. It’s glamorous, sophisticated, and sexy. And since this look is monochromatic, it’s easy to achieve a coordinated design without fear of colors clashing. Here are a few of my favorite black, white, and brass accessories. 1) Faux bois pillow 2) Brass oval box 3) Vintage Colflesh enameled bowl 4) West Elm Clint task lamp 5) Vintage mid-century lamp 6) Black and white picture frame 7) Feather prints #3 and #1 8) Dessert plate 9) Vintage Henry VIII brass rubbing 10) Wm. H. Jackson wood holder
Moroccan wedding blankets have long been one of my most coveted accessories– and they’ve certainly gained a lot of popularity in the design world over the last few years. Moroccan wedding blankets are a Berber invention, traditionally woven for brides to wear on their wedding days. After the ceremony, the blanket served as a token of good luck in the new couple’s home. It’s not difficult to see why these blankets, also known as handira, have become so highly cherished around the world. They are the perfect bohemian chic accessory: handwoven with graphic, tribal patterns, but still glamorous with a hint of sparkle. They are also incredibly versatile; they can be used as wall hangings, throw blankets, rugs, or reconstituted as pillow cases. The texture is complex, but the color is neutral– just the right balance of ornamentation and simplicity. 1) Vintage handira via Muima 2) El Ramla Hamra pillows via Decorator in a Box. A stunning bedroom with dusty rose chinoiserie wallpaper and a wedding blanket at the foot …
I just returned home from a long weekend on Nantucket for Thanksgiving. Even though I grew up in Boston, I had somehow never been to Nantucket before this trip! The island is full of traditional Cape Cod-style houses: low, symmetrical cottages with weathered shingles or wood clapboard siding. During the 17th and 18th centuries, Nantucket prospered inordinately as the hub of the whaling industry; but by the mid-19th century, whaling was in decline and a large fire destroyed most of the island’s earliest buildings. Jethro Coffin’s house, known in typical straightforward New England style as the “Oldest House,” is Nantucket’s oldest house still standing in its original spot and one of the few structures to have survived the devastating fire. Built in 1686, this saltbox house features a distinctive horseshoe design on its central chimney. I spent several days poking around the little shops in Nantucket Center. As it turns out, Nantucket has a notable retail history; R.H. Macy, founder of Macy’s department store, was born on …