Leslie May Designs

A Blast from the Past

2013-06-26T22:54:00.003-04:00

I have always loved the idea of reviving a fabulous grand old house with a kiss of the new, while keeping its old character in tact....one with real history and really good bones. I had hoped this would be a house I could actually live in but alas, not quite there yet! Next best thing, getting to decorate one! Late this spring I got to join some other amazing designers taking part in the Traditional Home Magazine / Greensboro Jr. League Showhouse. We took over the amazing Adamsleigh mansion, just outside of Hight Point - furniture mecca. It is one of those homes truly from another era...with a "prohibition room" in the basement and an iron gate on the second floor landing that the owners installed after the Lindbergh baby was kidnapped, to protect their own brood.

As you can imagine, Traditional Home was able to attract some design icons to work on the house...Suzanne Kasler, Miles Redd, Eric Cohler...to name a few. As was fitting among that company, I was assigned the maids room...at the end of a long hallway on the second floor:)

I attempted to turn this little nook into a modern day study hall and hang out spot for the young lady of the house. Perhaps a bit sophisticated for Justin Bieber karaoke parties, but you are never to young to surround yourself with beautiful design:)

I have to give a quick shout out to some of the wonderful companies that helped me....oomph's amazing tables and desk, South, Julian Chichester, Quadrille, Kravet and Ro Sham Beau. Thank you!!!

The house will be featured in the October issue of Traditional Home, here is a sneak peak!

Perhaps one of my favorite things in the design world is lacquer walls!! This paint is from Fine Paints of Europe...it makes the walls look almost wet...

This was the best part of the whole thing...my very dear friends Elizabeth and Allison stoping by for a visit:)

I covered the ceiling in this Quadrille fabric...love fabric on a ceiling, makes the whole room feel warmer.

This is one of the side tables from oomph (www.oomphonline.com). The most sumptuous part is the lizard skin top.!!

Family Style - In Black and White

2013-04-21T20:56:00.000-04:00

Despite my seemingly diligent and high tech blogging (ha, those of you who have been following me for a while know I tend to go silent for a while during the "busy season", i.e. big installs, back to school, Halloween, birthdays, Christmas...ok, its always a struggle for me to actually get on my computer, but I digress)....despite my affinity for blogging, I am a sucker for the real thing in design porn....high gloss, heavy paper stock magazines. Finding one of my favorites....Veranda, Tradtional Home, House Beautiful, Southern Living...hiding in my mailbox makes me abnormally happy. It is like someone, or I guess Martin our mailman, has left a little present for me. I like to wait until there are no children around me, ideally in my living room with an ice cold beer, before I unwrap and indulge. Now that you know a little about my romantic attachment to design magazines you can appreciate how excited and gitty I feel when I am fortunate enough to be featured in one of them!

This month it was Connecticut Cottages and Gardens....Cate Branca worked her prose magic and made the mantra I have been celebrating from my Family Style soap box, come to life in black and white! Take a look...I know this link won't give you quite the thrill of the real high gloss thing, but hope you enjoy!

Here is the link: http://www.cottages-gardens.com/Connecticut-Cottages-Gardens/April-2013/A-Wilton-home-is-perfected-for-a-family-of-five/

Here it is in high gloss...

Here are the other photos from the shoot....Dining Room

Foyer

Living Room

Family Room

Kitchen

Master Bedroom

Master Bath

Studio

Here is one more lucky placement recently in one of my favorites!!!

I love their Send Us a Picture section....

Wasted Space

2013-04-15T21:12:00.000-04:00

Why move to a bigger house or add on that extra square footage when you likely don't even use what you've got! There are so many spaces in our homes that we love to polish up and show off but we never go in there to enjoy ourselves! Wasted space #1....the Dining Room.

The Dinning Room is not just the place for Downton Abbey-esq dinner parties. Bring it to its full potential! As long as you don't have silk seat cushions make a vow to use the beautiful room with an expansive table and room the whole family, more often. The beautiful curtains, chic wallpaper and (hopefully) faux painted ceiling will remain unscathed....

I find that if you do not give a space a purpose you won't use it. Give that to your dinning room, after all, it looks so fabulous! Family game night, book club, study hall, Sunday Super...your dining room is the perfect spot to host. Here are some of my thoughts on the space that will hopefully expand the square footage and living space in your home....

~use that beautiful sideboard to hold cards and board games
~cover your seat cushions in something extra durable...my fav here is faux leather (think snake or alligator)....even Sunbrella fabric will work in this dressier space
~if its not in your budget, hold off on the rug, the table will cover up the expansive floor...and depending on the age of your family you may end up with more food on the floor then the table
~if you do add a rug make sure you have at least 3 feet off the edge of the table on all sides so that you have room to move your chair around without "falling off" the rug!
~i am a believer that antiques get better with age, but if you are going to cringe at every falling fork, get a glass top made to fit
~every dining room does not need silk curtains. They can be gorgeous... but if you want to keep the space more in-formal, but still "special feeling", go for a more tailored window treatment in a more casual fabric...I am thinking linen panels with a scalloped edge...

Here are some dinning dens I love....

This Room looks ready for an elegant dinner party OR homework study session!
delightfullynoted.blogspot.com

This room by Suzanne Kasler looks glam and elegant but if those chairs are covered in a pale blue faux leather, there is nothing keeping family game night away!

Love the wallpaper in this dining room by Phoebe Howard.

If this were my dining room, we would eat every meal in here. Wouldn't it just make you happy to be in there??
by Miles Redd

This dining room is definitely on the more elegant end...but I say the slip covers say "family room".
by Suzanne Kasler

Family Style - elegant, chic and completely cozy

2013-03-18T17:03:00.000-04:00

This is a the very first blog post I put up three years ago...here is a replay for all those who are new to my blog! More posts to come!

No matter how many toddlers, teens or canines live in your home, every room can look like it fits on the pages of Elle Decor or House Beautiful and still be enjoyed by every member of your family. Why leave the decked out living room for only the occasional guest?

My Connecticut cottage is my cocoon, my refuge from the hustle and bustle of carpools, pediatrician visits and client meetings. I love to spend time in every room in my home and since a brood of three toddlers and two mutts follow me wherever I go, they feel at home in every space too. The advice I give my clients, and which I live by too, is to embrace the chaos of young and energetic households...plan spaces for the way you live, but do LIVE in every space. Then, this is the fun part, while planning your life add in a layer of sophisticated eye candy to cater to adult tastes, I like to call it the "Wow Factor" and every room needs one: exquisite trims, rich fabric and faux painting have a home in even the most boisterous space and when added thoughtfully do not need to comprise the life inside the home.

I started this blog to address all those other design savvy mothers out there that may have a fabulously well styled closet but put the house on hold until juice boxes or skateboards were a faded memory. I am telling you...don't wait! Embrace your home and do not compromise your design aesthetic.

I plan to offer advice in this blog on some of the more vexing questions others moms have presented me with...like what do you do with bookshelves!?? or paint, yikes! as well as share some of my tricks for creating spaces, like your living room for example, that are comfortable for babies, cocktail party guests and Sunday morning lounging --- all while looking completely fabulous.

Here are some examples of rooms I adore, for different reasons. But if you look closely, most of them would stand up to life!

I LOVE this playroom by Alessandra Branca. Why can't the kids space look like a million bucks!

The ceiling is a great place to spend your design capital with no fear of messy footprint.

This is such a dreamy room for a little girl...can't you just see the curtains pulled back before the show!

(this is by Mary McDonald, one of my absolute favorite designers)

Anyone would feel at home in this room with a glass of wine or story book. Ottoman coffee tables are a great way to beckon loungers into a room.

Throw back the curtains and let in the sun!

2013-01-14T21:54:00.000-05:00

I love, love, love window treatments! Fabric just makes me happy :) With the window as you canvas you can add color, texture, volume and couture tailoring that makes any room look like it is ready to walk down the runway.

This is also one of the best spots to spend your design dollars. Window dressings do not get the same wear and tear as a sofa, so splurge on that sumptuous kelly green trellis, you will have it for a very long time!

I will take simple linen curtain panels over a naked window any day...but what I really love is to add divine details that really dress the room. I love to do a scallop welt along the leading edge of panels -- that is decorator speak for the inside edge of each panel, where the two panels would meet if the curtains were closed:) Another fave is to create a box pleat trim, using the same fabric as the body of the panel, to apply to the leading edge. It creates kind of a tailored ruffle. Oh....and I love a good tape trim. Even on a fabric with lots of pattern, the solid line of tape just accentuates the print!

Another note for your little black book on decorating....It always amazes me how much window treatments soften a room. Clients often make the mistake of saying that they don't want anything on the widow to take away from a beautiful view....that is such a mistake! Sumptuous window treatments are like a frame on a love painting, they make everything even more beautiful!

Here are some of my muses.....

Here is a serene bedroom I did with a scalloped edge on the windows.
www.lesliemaydesigns.com

I love this! It looks like a fun ball gown.
Richard Keith Langham

Such a clean addition to creamy curtains.
Richard Keith Langham

Valances are like a fun hat at the Kentucky Derby. Love this one by Miles Redd

Here is another topper by Miles Redd

A Room of Their Own

2013-01-08T11:17:00.002-05:00

You know I am a big believer in making every room in your home welcoming to every member of your family....don't lock your kids out of the living room or pups out of the bedroom -- or you won't hang out in there either! That being said, I love the idea of creating a family room for kids that really fits their needs....but looks so fabulous that all the adults will want to hang out in there too!
If you have a spare spot upstairs, dress it up as a second family room with comfy seating, storage, art table, room for wii games or ping pong. This room is a great excuse for that vintage Ms. Pacman game you have always wanted to own. Here you can live vicariously through your children! Also create a nook for them to be organized and productive in their own chic study hall.

Here are a few rooms that I would like to call my own...and so would my kids!

I love this study hall. It will just make your children want to study physics! This most beautiful elements, that add the most punch; the wallpaper, shades and chandelier, are well out of reach of the daily wear and tear!
Annsley Interiors Boston

This is one of my favorite kid rooms! The ceilings and walls make it so crisp and clean and all the action happens below. This works for a playroom, study hall or tv room!
Alessandra Branca

Great idea to store all their stuff! This storage solution could be part of any great room!
houzz.com

This is it! Exactly what I am talking about!!
Suzanne Kasler

Grown-ups and kids will want to cozy up in this book nook!
housebeautiful.com

What a great room to hang for them to hang out with their friends. A TV on the opposite wall would make it a great movie room!
lmnop.com.au

The Gift of Design

2012-12-18T12:08:00.001-05:00

What could be a better gift to yourself then an afternoon snuggled up on the sofa while the children play quietly, maybe drinking a glass of wine, and you flipping through beautiful images of decked decors?? Well, we can all have a Christmas wish:)

If you want to give the gift inspiration here are a few of my all-time fave design books....

I love most everything she does...clean, crisp glamour.

This book is filled with elegant rooms that can give inspiration for even the most humble abodes...

This is the new book by Charlotte Moss...she has such an eye for interesting things...

I have been a fan of Charlotte's from an early age. This is the first design book I ever owned. My mother gave it to me for Christmas one year and I still treasure it!

Miles Redd does fabulous things with color...lots of lacquered wall....

Classic and Pretty

All I Want For Christmas

2012-12-12T10:54:00.001-05:00

Lets face it, kids, and really living in general, can be rough on your nest. There are some spots though, that are really immune to the hustle and bustle of life and I think worth a splurge.
Here is a Christmas list of a few goodies for Santa to put under your tree that have a good chance of remaining un-scathed in the New Year!

*Great Bedside Tables ~ I really can't stan a wimpy side perch here. I need lots of room for books, magazines, journals, flowers...

*Lights ~ lamps, sconces, chandeliers...let the light in!

*Collections on the Wall ~ this is a great spot to hang plates, mirrors, objet d'art...and no one can touch!

This is a room I did for a client and I just love the bedside lamps and two tiered bedside tables.
www.lesliemaydesigns.com

This is great side table from Oomph that you can do in any color of the rainbow and has lots of space for just stuff!
www.oomphonline.com

My latest lighting obsession is this lamp, the Ananas, from a company in Charleston, Ro Sham Beaux. I am hoping to find these under my christmas tree this year!
www.roshambeaux.com

These fun plates from C Wonder would look great as a collection on any wall.
www.cwonder.com

Here is his cousin the giraffe!
www.cwonder.com

There are so many great lights on which to splurge. I love these from Charles Edwards.
www.charlesedwards.com

Tis' the Season to be with Family

2012-12-03T19:39:00.000-05:00

This is my most favorite time of the year! Not only for the cookies, parties, gingerbread houses and more cookies....but to me Christmas is about family and friends cozy in a warm home with lots of good food and the glow of a crackling fire. Hello Currier and Ives:) I know a lot of people get stressed out about entertaining during the holidays but I think it's a no brainer. Every room in your house will look better with a little Christmas magic in it! Also, a little Christmas~ing is the best way to cover up those "not yet gotten to" holes in your decorating plan. No curtains on the living room windows? Throw up a glistening evergreen and no one will even know the difference! No fabulous wall art? Pin up a wreath with a great red linen bow!

My newest Christmas love....boxwood ~ wreaths, garland, cuttings. It just looks unique in a sea of pine:)

Happy decorating!

Ho! Ho! Ho!

I love wreaths on windows!
www.specialeffects.com

Simply beautiful...understated by Mary McDonald

Sugar Plum Fairy's Christmas Dinner table!
www.frenchcountrycottage.blogspot

Perfect for that spot of above the mantle that has been empty all year!
www.frenchimprovement.com

Simple and glittery
www.necessary-and-proper.com

Love this way to bring color into the foyer.
Designs by Kelli

What an elegant welcome
Mary McDonald

Cozy Kitchen

2012-11-05T10:00:00.000-05:00

If Family Style decorating had one room to be its poster child, it would be the kitchen. We all know that no matter how big, small, fancy or plain your kitchen is, that is where we all end up. Whether it is a cocktail party, toddler play date or just hanging out with the family, it happens in the kitchen. That is why I think every kitchen should have cozy seating, beautiful lighting and, as long as the only window isn't over the stove, fabric on the windows. You need to counter all the wood, stone and metal that makes a kitchen work with the elegant, chic and completely cozy touches that make it a happy place to be!

My recipe for a cozy kitchen:

~a really cool banquette - upholster it in a great faux corc or snake leather... spaghetti sauce just wipes off! This nook seating can work even in most spacially challenged kitchens.

~a pair of club chairs, or small love seats, and an ottoman - if you are lucky enough to have the space! Can't you just see your husband reading the paper, smoking his pipe while you cook dinner?? ok, maybe not that June Cleaver-ish, but a spot for family members to relax and share while meals are prepared.

~comfy bar stools - again, the wipeable faux leather is the key here....

~window treatments - fabric on the window does SO much to soften a space.

Here is some food for thought....

Family Style in action. I am sure my children NOT would look this neatly ironed, but other then that, perfect!
www.cityliving.com

Sunny and bright....looks like it is ready for a Sunday brunch party!
www.indulgy.com

I love this banquette! Nuff said
www.gretaschultz.com

So elegant!
www.smallspacestyle.blog.com

Imagine that a beautiful white kitchen is just behind the bench! This would be such a nice counter to all that white wood.
Mary McDonald

Another Mary McDonald that I love!!

I love a big expansive table for people to sit around and chat, nibble, drink....
Windsor Smith

Boo! A Color Treat for you

2012-11-02T15:59:00.000-04:00

Maybe its all the Halloween decorations still haunting the halls of my house...my 7 year old asked this morning if we could leave them up till we got our Christmas tree....but I think its nice to have a little "BOO!" in your life all year long....

I love a pop, I mean a really strong pop, of color when used sparingly. I am not a fan of a house that looks like a rainbow, with Roy G. Biv hopping from room to room -- if you have little ones you are probably familiar with that trick of Mr. Biv to remember the colors of the rainbow:) But I do love flipping through design books and seeing those gems of bold color that just pop off the page.

Color can be tricky....and many people are afraid of it. Afraid that they will get tired of it. Don't be! You can have those spaces that you see in magazines and say "ooo-la-la, if you do it in bite size portions. So that you are sure to smile when you walk by that color statement, instead of feeling like you need your sunglasses, just do it in one concentrated spot. I think it is most effective when really bold colors are splashed in small spaces, like a powder room, a study, the backs of bookshelves or just in an alcove. Even a bright color like Kelly Green can make a small space feel cozy when it envelops the walls. Here is some inspiration for your next trip to the paint store!

I would be happy cooking my umpteenth dish of mac and cheese in this kitchen.
by Miles Redd

Lacquer makes any color look better.
another by Miles Redd - a color master

Love this watery turquoise, you can pair it with any color, even zebra!

Here are a few of my favorite things

2012-07-24T21:41:00.000-04:00

Raindrops on Roses....you know the song. I thought I would start off my new resolution to find time to blog within this crazy three kid, two dog, one husband, sports schedule, pediatrician trip, laundry basket life....with some things I hope to see more of in the second half of 2012!

1. Traditionally tailored glamour

What a glamorous toilet!
habituallychic.com

2. Parties - any reason to celebrate

Glamor via stylemepretty.com

3. Food - I love to cook it, I love to eat it and look at sumptuous pictures of it...

Yum...I love everything Italian in the kitchen...

Bread, olive oil and salt cold be my last meal...

4. Pretty clothes

I want to design window treatments around the architecture of this dress...

P.S. My three year old son climbed on me like a jungle gym during most of this post...I think I need to see the chiro....

2012-07-17T20:54:00.000-04:00

Need a little inspiration in the bedroom?

Wouldn't it be dreamy if your bedroom was your favorite spot in your home? Your refuge, your sanctuary? Everyone says it, yet almost everyone I work with says "Lets do the rest of the house first, we are the only ones that will see the bedroom." I say "boo!" Treat yourself. Smile every time you wake up and feel enveloped when you walk in, weary, if your life is like mine, at the end of every day. Here is some food for thought....

Grey and white is my new bedroom obsession
(Mary McDonald via veranda.com)

Love the detail on this headboard and drapes behind the bed. Sumptuous!
(Mary McDonald via peakofchic.com)

(Melissa Rufty via Housebeautiful.com)

(Susanne Rhinestein bia elledecor.com)

(MaryMcDonald mackenziehoran.com)

Fabulously Chic- no AC required

2011-07-26T15:26:00.001-04:00

I love everything about summer....the food, entertaining, the lazy days, the food....When the freezing cold Connecticut air thaws for me, usually not till mid-May (I really am a Southern girl at heart) I am outside on our patio as much as possible. Watching the kids play, entertaining or just cooking out. And why shouldn't the patio get as much attention as the rest of your decked decor?? You can really make your outside space a real living space and with outdoor fabric it is Family Style personified:)
Sclamandre has some of my favorite luxy patterns. (I did their Neptune's Treasure on my patio with a pleated black trim on all the pillows - truly one of my favorite spots!) Quadrille and LuLu DK are a bit more modern and sleek...I love them too! Curtains, pillows, tailored cushions...treat the sunniest spot in your home with all the attention that you have given to the air conditioned ones!

Mother Nature provides the WoW Factor here
(Ty Larkin, Housebeautiful.com)

California Chi
(Fern Santini Housebeautiful.com)

This is outdoor living!
(Mary McDonald via peakofchic.com)

My favorite Scalamandre for outside!
(scalamandre.com)

Luxe Leather

2011-04-28T20:46:00.000-04:00

Hot pink, shocking turquoise or kelley green....leather is not just for the your fathers library chair anymore! "Leather", I put it in quotation marks because I really mean the fake stuff, is the embodiment of Family Style. I love it because it instantly infuses even a traditional space with a youthful vibe. I also love it because spills, smudge and drool wipe right off!. My obsession right now is this fabulous cream croc wallpaper from Stark that I am using on the walls in a very elegant, traditional and antique laden living room. (the trim is painted farrow and ball full glass lacquer in the same cream, a stunning combo!) I also love pleather on breakfast room banquettes and any dining chair. Or as the ultimate room topper, leather papered on the ceiling adds a subtle hint of texture that can be sublime!

Here of some of my favorites!

Love the leather upholstered doors...why not!
(Miles Redd, House Beautiful)

Sumptuous pink leather for this elegant eating perch.
(Johnathan Berger, House Beautiful)

This breakfast table can stand up to strawberry pop tarts!
(Johnathan Berger, House Beautiful)

Oh, by the way, check me out in the Paint section of House Beautiful this month!
xo Leslie

Deck the halls, walls and playroom dolls!

2010-12-02T22:56:00.000-05:00

Anyone who knows me, knows I love Christmas. I think the root of my love of Christmas is a love of home and the idea of being in cozy surroundings with good friends, family and always good food. The other things I love about Christmas is decking the halls! It is the true embodiment of Family Style decortating...a train set in the living room is acutally part of the design scheme! Let yourself be a kid again. It is a licsense to go kitchy, quirky or elegant. You don't have to limit yourself to red and green -- pink and gold are my other favorite yuel tide colors. Go with what works in your space. This year I am doing all red lights on my tree...the pinks and blues of the multi-colored lights I had last year clashed so with my red alligator and creme suede walls that it made my eyes blurry! Christams decor is also a great way to compensate for the inevitably long tally of things you haven't gotten to on your decorating wish list....put your big tree in front of that bay window that still doesn't have curtains and hang a wreath on the blank canvas above the fireplace that you are still trying to solve. And don't neglect your children's rooms and guest rooms. They are a great spot for fanciful table top trees. I put a purple one in my daughters room. She loves it!
Then, have your friends over and show it off. I think this is the best time of the year to entertain... your house always looks its best with a little Christmas magic!

Happy Jolly Days!

A vision of sugarplums!
(This one is from www.queenoftarts.blogspot.com)

These next few photos are the prefect example of an elegant approach to adding holiday cheer.
(www.traditonalhome.com by Gregory Van Boven)

Ho!Ho!Ho! Merry Christmas!!

Hide and Seek

2010-10-28T13:38:00.000-04:00

Let's face it, you are not going to hang out in your living room if the only activities it is set up for is your annual Christmas party and your dinning room table will just collect dust if it is only reserved for Thanksgiving dinner. Take back these museum rooms and set them up for actual living...but don't dumb them down either!The best way to do this is by finding creative ways to stash. Whether it is text books, Chutes and Ladders or art supplies, hide these necessities of life in your more "grown up" rooms so you will have a reason to go in there with your "less grown up" family members. Here are some ideas that will keep your space chic but inviting too...

This fabulous armoire from Chapman Radcliffe Home is the perfect hideaway for any clutter

Have your ottoman built "pop top" to stash cozy blankets, toys, school books...(this one by Markham Roberts from via housebeautiful.com)

Have a seat...

2010-09-18T15:22:00.000-04:00

Upholstered furniture is my absolute favorite blank slate to create upon because it combines several of my favorite things: fabric, trim and tailoring. The only rule when designing upholstery is that it has to not only be comfortable to sit in but it needs to look comfortable too! A sure fire way to keep people out of your living room is to fill it with stiff furniture, like those elegant wood-framed sofas, perhaps passed down by a grandmother or two... They just don't invite you in!

After you have met that criteria, the sky is the limit! Well tailored upholstery is a great place to add that WOW factor that takes a room up a notch. These are the type of details that customize your look and are immune to the wear and tear of life....a boxy Crate and Barrel sofa and a well tailored sofa with sculpted arms and a tufted back will hold up just the same against a a little girls slumber party, I have tried it!

Here are some of my favorites:

I love this bedroom from www.mrshoward.com. Just want to dive right in!

I designed this chair to incorporate this fabulous red alligator fabric I found to compliment the yummy cut red fabric from Scalamandre.

I love the back height of this chair, just high enough to rest your elbow. This one is from Robin Bruce furniture.

A tufted sofa can work in a living room or a playroom...it is not necessarily a more formal look, it just shows you thought enough to add a little extra touch. This one is from Robert Bruce furniture.

Welcome Home

2010-09-06T11:00:00.000-04:00

Welcome back! I feel like the fall is really my "new years" fresh start. I guess I am still in the Back to School mode after all these years...even though none of my children are really there yet! What better way to be welcomed home then by this fabulous pink lacquered door. It pinpoints my philosophy that your foyer, and for that matter, your front door is the first thing your guests, and you, will see. So let it set the tone for the rest of your house. This one is from Kelly Wearstler and I love it!

Foyers are a great place to add those unique finds that may not have a specific purpose but are just so chic. Like this, Muirfeld Bench from downtown20.net.

Add some really fun fabric...maybe kelley green or hot pink...and it would be a knock out! Without too much to lure little ones or their teenage siblings into hanging out in the foyer, it is one of the "safest" places in the house to add some Wow! Happy hunting!

**just a note to those that have signed up to "follow" my blog: I have added Feedburner as another option for getting updates when I post and I find it a little more user friendly, sending emails directly to you when I make a new post. So you may want to go that route!

What's on the Wall....

2010-08-14T11:20:00.000-04:00

Walls are one of my most favorite spots to add Wow Factor. High gloss lacquer, wallpaper, faux paint, upholstered suede (like I have in my living room...photos to come), and intriguing arrangements of prints, mirrors and quirky objects add so much too a room, even if you are not ready, or can't afford, to add a stick of furniture! Chic walls are also fairly immune to the ruff and tumble living scars of goldfish crumbs, spilled cokes or pet hair :)
I will write a lot about this topic in the future but just wanted to throw out a few ideas to start...

***A note about high gloss lacquer. My absolute favorite is Farrow and Ball. They have stopped making their oil based lacquer but the water based one they replaced it with is just as great. It almost makes the walls look wet. I have many clients that have one or two rooms that aren't in the budget to tackle right away. This is a fairly inexpensive way to make a spot fabulous. Paint these empty rooms in a bold color....charcoal grey, mustard yellow...in the high gloss lacquer. Instead of these empty rooms being sluffed off and hidden when guests come by they will be like a movie preview of what is to come....

This is part of Tory Burch's home featured in Vogue a few years ago. the walls are upholstered in kelley green velvet...yummy!

Mirrors are a great alternative to expensive artwork. While I am sure this fabulous one cost a pretty penny there other great ones out there....I love to hunt them down in antique markets.

Even piece of coral can become art on your wall. This is from Mrs. Howard, a fabulous site!

Even the white walls of this hallway fell finishing and luxurious in white lacquer!

Family Style -- elegant, chic and completely cozy

2010-08-03T23:42:00.003-04:00

Here are some examples of rooms I adore, for different reasons. But if you look closely, most of them would stand up to life!

I LOVE this playroom by Alessandra Branca. Why can't the kids space look like a million bucks!

The ceiling is a great place to spend your design capital with no fear of messy footprint.

This is such a dreamy room for a little girl...can't you just see the curtains pulled back before the show!
(this is by Mary McDonald, one of my absolute favorite designers)

Anyone would feel at home in this room with a glass of wine or story book. Ottoman coffee tables are a great way to beckon loungers into a room.