If you’re a foodie like me then you’ll thoroughly enjoy two new blogs I just discovered that I’m excited to share. Both combine food and style and are completely addicting! First up is Sous Style…. a food blog created by Elle photo director Pippa Lord which chronicles the culinary adventures of fashionistas and tastemakers around the globe. The subjects are stylish and intriguing, the photography is stunning and the food is absolutely mouth watering. Pippa has dubbed Sous Style as a site for “a new generation of homemakers.” Think younger, hipper Martha Stewart types who love to cook and entertain at home. I’m completely hooked! Below is a look at what you’ll find inside and you can check out Sous Style here!

_{Sous Style Creator Pippa Lord (above)}

All photos above via Sous Style.

Next up is Lookbook Cookbook which is written by Toronto based Jessica Milan, a photographer and former model that also happens to be studying holistic nutrition. I was especially excited to stumble upon this blog not just because of it’s unique fusion of fashion and food but also because I eat (mostly) gluten and dairy free and this recipe based blog features all vegan baking recipes that are gluten, dairy and, best of all, guilt-free! Jessica bakes her tasty treats and then shoots super cute, impeccably styled models eating them which puts both the food and fashion center stage for a double dose of inspiration. Catch a peek at some of the site’s sweet shots below and you can check out Lookbook Cookbook here!

Above photos via Lookbook Cookbook

Nathan Turner

8546 Melrose Ave

Los Angeles, CA 90069

_{Photos by Nicole Gibbons}

One of the goals I set for 2011 was to start dabbling in television so I was THRILLED to appear on HGTV on a new show called My Favorite Place where I gave viewers a tour of my home. I was featured alongside Jonathan Adler and Jill Zarin…A total pinch me moment! I appeared in other TV segments as well but HGTV was definitely a highlight!

I also interviewed a number of designers whose work I admire greatly including Robert Couturier (above), Kristen Panitch, Hillary Thomas and more…

_{Ethnic textiles at the New York International Gift Fair}

I did lots of scouting for the best in design to showcase here on So Haute…

I  garnered press coverage in some amazing publications like Better Homes & Gardens, Money magazine, The Nest, ElleDecor.com,  Singapore’s Home & Design (above), Apartment Therapy and more…

And even penned an article for the New York Observer’s home edition…

_{Nathan Turner and his design director Carrie Kravetz – the subject of our very first ‘Meet the Assistant’!}

I also introduced a new feature on the blog called Meet the Assistant which received an overwhelmingly positive response…

_{Moi with Jennifer Boles from The Peak of Chic, my friend Colette, and Paloma from La Dolce Vita at Greystone Mansion} 

I caught up with blogger buddies…

_{Blogger & Designer Amber Lewis}

And met some awesome new ones…

All in all it was a great year and I can’t thank you enough for following along on my design adventures! There’s lots more to come in 2012!!

xoxo

Nicole

Just wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a wonderful holiday! I hope you all are enjoying time with your loved ones and filling your bellies with amazing food!  I know I am! It’s been such a great year and thanks to YOU for reading and for your constant support! It means the world!

Wishing you lots of love!!!

xoxo Nicole

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Maison de Luxe brought together so many uber talented designers under one roof and there were so many gorgeous rooms it was difficult to narrow down the spaces to feature here on the blog. Below are more of my favorites from the show house including rooms by Philip Gorrivan, Nathan Turner, Kathryn Ireland, Ron Woodson & Jaime Rummerfield, Suzanne Rheinstein and Oliver Furth.

Breakfast Room & Solarium – Philip Gorrivan

Philip Gorrivan‘s room for Maison de Luxe was originally the home’s breakfast room with an adjacent solarium. Philip created a chic salon style space that evokes a sense of glamour and luxury. The color palette of soft hues was a nice counter balance to the tailored furnishings which were mostly custom designs. The upholstery is from Philip’s fabric collection for Highland Court and artful wall covering was a custom design from Gracie Studio. Other highlights include the 17th Century Italian armoire and the the Herve van der Straten ceiling pendant which is one of only two in the world.

The solarium featured a neutral pallete with gold accents and more beautiful custom furnishings including a daybed that Philip designed and additional vintage pics from LA’s Blackman Cruz. The embroidered sheers which reveal a view of the homes beautiful gardens were one of Philip’s favorite elements of this space.

Recreation Room – Nathan Turner

Inspired by his grandfather who was an avid game hunter, Nathan Turner designed an elegant gentleman’s lounge with a worldly, ‘back to Africa’ vibe. Many of the furnishings are from his furniture collection for Elite Leather, the fabrics were from Ralph Lauren and many of the accessories seen here were from Pottery Barn. Gotta love a high-low mix! The giant pendant light is from Ames Ingham. To tie back to his original inspiration of big game hunting, he hung contemporary photography of safari animals throughout the space.

The room already had such beautiful architecture so the elements of Nathan’s design – like the block printed Indian paisley wall covering – were carefully chosen to compliment the intricate wood paneling and  other architectural details.

Mrs. Doheny’s Bedroom – Ron Woodson & Jaime Rummerfield

Ron Woodson & Jaime Rummerfield did double duty for Maison deluxe designing the upstairs bedroom that once belonged to Mrs. Doheny and serving as co-chairs of the opening gala.  Their opulent design paid homage to old hollywood glamour and the jewel box of a room featured vibrant shades of pink which was ultra-feminine and perfectly fit for the lady of the house.

I also really loved the standout Chinoiserie mural behind the bed which featured a peacock motif and served as a focal point in the space.

Guest Suite – Suzanne Rheinstein

Rumor has it that the Greystone mansion has been haunted since 1929 when a scandalous murder-suicide took place…a story that only adds to the intrigue of this historic estate. Designer Suzanne Rheinstein designed the infamous ‘murder room’ which she transformed into an elegant guest suite. The furnishings are from her popular LA Shop Hollyhock and the fabrics from her Lee Jofa collection.

Social Secretary’s Room & Upstairs Kitchen – Kathryn Ireland

Million Dollar Decorator Kathryn Ireland decorated two small but chic spaces at Greystone which included a secretary’s nook and the upstairs kitchen. The secretary’s nook was another one of my favorite spaces in the house and although small on space, it was definitely big on style. This beautiful Swedish secretary my favorite piece and I love how it was impeccably styled with family photos and objets. The modern abstract artwork above it provided the perfect old and new juxtaposition.

Opposite the desk is this cozy seating area that’s perfect for a relaxing drink by the fire. The English armchairs slipcovered in Kathryn’s fabric are from her shop on Almont Drive.

I had a chance to interview Kathryn for a fun project that I’ll be posting about in the new year and during our chat she gave me the full scoop on her kitchen design for Greystone. Kathryn’s design for the home’s upstairs kitchen was modeled after grand old English estates that would traditionally have a separate kitchen for the nanny to fix her meals own meals and also serve the children breakfast. The space is perfectly reflective of Kathryn’s signature bohemian style and her colorful fabrics used throughout added such a vibrancy to a space that was previously rather dull.

Because the home is a historic landmark much of its original architecture, including the kitchen cabinetry and counter tops, must remain preserved so Kathryn had to work around numerous limitations. She used a checkered fabric to create a skirt for the lower cabinetry and a matching inner curtain for the upper cabinets.  Here popular Marrakech fabric was used to create a roman shade over the kitchen’s windows. The space was effortlessly styled with family friendly touches like bowls of cereal on the table and even some of the pottery that her kids had made in school over the years.

West Grand Hall – Wendy Schwartz

Wendy Schwartz and her design partner Kristi Bender were newcomers to Greystone and designed a spectacular upstairs grand hall for the home’s west wing. I was obsessed with colorful abstract watercolor wall covering from Black Crow Studios which provides a modern contrast to the homes original mouldings. And the wall covering is actually removable! Many of the other pieces in this space were from CuffHome a – newly launched line of custom furnishings, accessories and curated vintage from Wendy Schwartz Design. One of the standout cuffhome pices was this sulptural rope covered chandelier above the console table which is available in the CuffHome shop.

Girl’s Room – Oliver Furth

Oliver Furth designed a teen girl’s bedroom which was such a fun space! I loved the salon style art wall and the whimsical pendant sculpture above the console by Elyse Graham which is made with balloons.  I also thought the high gloss ceiling was quite fabulous as well as the graphite wool upholstered walls. I wish I had a room like this when I was a teenager!

The Twilight Room – Kendall Wilkinson

Last but not least, here is the “twilight room” designed by San Francisco interior designer Kendall Wilkinson. Quite conceptual in its design, the twilight room’s highlight is an infinity mirror installation filled with flowers. I’d never seen anything like it before.

Maison de Luxe is in its final week so be sure to check it out before its close on December 22nd. 22nd. Click here for a link to purchase tickets.

I just returned from LA where I was invited by Luxe Interiors + Design to attend the opening of the Maison de Luxe show house at the storied Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills. Luxe editor-in-chief Pamela Jaccarino tapped 26 of the country’s top interior designers to re-imagine the living spaces of this 46,000 square foot landmark and each room was completely captivating! It was truly one of the best lineups of design talent and one of the most stunning show houses I’ve ever seen. I took a ton of pictures…so many in fact that I’m going to split them up into three posts highlighting my favorite rooms and I’m so excited to share them with you. Let’s take a peek inside Maison de Luxe starting with the exquisite first floor living room designed by Jamie Drake!

First Floor Living Room – Jamie Drake

This is the spectacular entry to the room. The house itself was beautifully architected with intricate moldings, ceiling beams and many stunning details.

Jamie’s room is one of the crowning jewels of Maison de Luxe. Known for his bold use of color, Jamie created a vibrant space with stunning visual details.

Jamie’s room showcased a sick assemblage of artwork including the insane, oversized painting by Lana Gomez above the sofa and the Peter Gronquist scupltures in the window which feature taxidermied deer with 24K gold plated machine guns as antlers.

Card Room & Grand Hall – Michelle Nussbaumer

Dallas interior designer Michelle Nussbaumer designed the grand hall/card room which is front and center when you walk through the doors of Greystone so she pulled out all the stops to create a truly captivating space.

Michelle’s room featured furniture from her must-visit shop Celyon et Cie as well as fabrics from Duralee and her own collection. The textiles are what really makes this room standout. The wall covering is from Gracie Studio.

Mr. Doheny’s Bedroom & Massage Room – Martyn Lawrence Bullard

If you’re as much of a fan of Martyn Lawrence Bullard as I am you’ll know there’s only one phrase that seems appropriate to describe this space: “totally delicious!”

 
The star of Martyn’s bedroom for Maison de Luxe was most certainly the textiles which are from his recently launched collection for Schumacher. I love the way he mixed so many interesting patterns which all work well together thanks to a unified palette of neutral tones. I also loved the faux ivory “Jaipur” bed from Martyn’s furniture collection which is covered in a canopy made from his Schumacher fabrics.

One of the things I love so much about Martyn’s signature style is how he infuses a sense of global style into his rooms. Here, there are many exotic accents such as intricate inlaid mirror and chair and perfectly chosen desk and accessories which lend an eclectic feeling to this bedroom. This was definitely one of my favorite rooms in the showhouse.

I’m sure you know that Martyn stars in the hit Bravo series Million Dollar Decorators and at the opening gala for Maison de Luxe Martyn and the rest of the cast were being followed around by camera crews filming season two of the series which was quite fun to watch.

And of course no decadent master suite is complete without a personal massage room…draped in Hermes no less! (They don’t call Martyn a Million Dollar Decorator for nothing – ha!) Stay tuned for upcoming posts highlighting more of the Maison de Luxe showhouse including rooms by Nathan Turner, Woodson & Rummerfield, Kathryn Ireland, Phillip Gorrivan and more. And if you’re in LA be sure to check out the showhouse which is on view December 2nd-22nd. Admission is $35 and proceeds benefit the Friends of Greystone which manage the preservation of this historic mansion. For more details on the show house including the full list of participating designers and link to purchase tickets click here.

_{All photos by Nicole Gibbons for So Haute}

Little old me and my apartment are featured on the Glitter Guide today and I couldn’t be more excited! The images were shot by the talented Emily Anderson who captured my apartment so beautifully. I would love for you all to check out the feature so please visit the Glitter Guide to read the interview and see all the pretty pictures! xoxo

Photos of me & my apartment by Emily Johnston Anderson for the Glitter Guide

Meet the Assistant profiles the assistants and associates who work behind-the-scenes with some of the industry’s top designers to help make beautiful spaces come to life.

Interior design duo Joe Lucas and Parrish Chilcoat run a successful, multi-faceted design business. First there’s Lucas Studio, their high-end residential design firm known for producing beautiful interiors that exude style, comfort and that intangible California cool vibe.  Then there’s Harbinger, their newly expanded retail showroom which features a range of to-the-trade fabrics and wallpapers as well as furnishings and accessories including pieces from their own Harbinger furniture collection. Between juggling high-profile interiors projects and running their bustling showroom, Joe and Parrish couldn’t get by without a little help from a superstar support team…which is where Jessica Spink and Tami Carey come in. Jessica, 30, is Lucas Studio’s senior designer who has been with the firm for a little over a year. She is originally from Boston and before joning Lucas Studio she worked for interior designers Michael Smith and Elizabeth Dinkel. Tami, who is 20-something, is originally from Canada but grew up in the Midwest. She is affectionately referred to as ‘the Shopgirl’ and manages the Harbinger showroom where she has worked for nearly three years. Read on to get to know Jessica and Tami and hear how they help Joe and Parrish keep it all together!

_{Tami Carey (L) and Jessica Spink (R)}

Tell me about the path you took into the interior design world and how did you land your job with Joe & Parrish?

Jessica: I used to rearrange my room constantly when I was young and would draw scaled diagrams on graph paper to make sure it would all fit. I also designed layouts of my dream house and would always label the bedroom windows “ocean view.” I was obviously a big dreamer! It wasn’t until much later that I actually realized that interior design was a career option.  I always thought I was going to be a big advertising executive like Heather Locklear on Melrose Place. Needless to say, I took a completely different path. I graduated from Boston University with a degree in Communication and also took quite a few interior design classes at UCLA before landing my first design job at Michael Smith. I have actually known Joe and Parrish for a long time – we are all part of a very close group of Michael Smith alums.  They were looking for someone at the same time I was looking for a new job and it all fell into place.

Tami: I knew nothing at all about the interior design world before I started except what I saw during afternoons of watching TLC and HGTV.  I am actually an actor which is what brought me to LA and I think I’ve had every job imaginable, except waiting tables, which is sort of ironic as an actor. When I moved out here, a friend of mine who was in the design industry introduced me to the Michael Smith and the Jasper offices and I started working with the Jasper Furniture production team. Then I met Joe and Parrish who were getting ready to open up the original Harbinger space so they brought me on to manage the showroom.

Did you cross paths while working for Michael Smith?

Tami: Jessica was on the design side and I was next door, in the Jasper offices, but our paths definitely crossed over the coffee pot in the break room and in the stacks, searching for rogue furniture.

 
_{A vignette inside Harbinger’s newly expanded showroom which recently re-opened on LA’s Famed La Cienega Blvd. (752 North La Cienega Blvd, West Hollywood)}

What’s a typical day in the office like for you?

Tami: I do a lot of talking and typing and running back and forth, I send a lot of emails and make a lot of phone calls answering questions and processing quotes and orders. I help clients who come in to the shop which entails printing tear sheets and pulling samples, introducing them to the different lines that we represent, and helping them with whatever they need.  I talk with our vendors. I also manage our website and send out news blasts.  These are all pretty general things that are consistent day-to-day but I’ve really found that each client and order and new piece often require slightly different things, so I just adjust accordingly.  It keeps me on my toes!

Jessica: Every day is different, which I think is why I love my job so much…never a dull moment.  There are days when I am at client meetings with Joe and Parrish all day. Some days I’m out shopping for items like fabrics or carpets and some days where I’m sitting in the office doing paperwork.  It really varies a lot.

_{Joe and Parrish}

Has working with Joe & Parrish influenced your personal design style at all?

Tami: Oh yes. I’ve definitely paid attention to how they mix styles and new with old or put unexpected fabrics or finishes on a piece that totally work.  It’s made me look at individual components completely differently.  I love seeing their before and after pictures for clients’ homes and coming into the shop after they’ve moved everything around.  I would never think to arrange things or use the space the way they do…I’m still working on learning that.

Jessica: I don’t think you can help being influenced by who you work for.  I have such an eclectic style and it is definitely due to the fact that I’ve worked for designers with a wide range of aesthetics.

 
_{A kitchen design by Lucas Studio}

What are the most valuable design lessons you’ve learned from Joe & Parrish?

Jessica: I would say one of their many great strengths is selecting paint colors.  Before I worked here, I would have always painted trim work, cabinetry, interior doors, etc. some shade of white.  I never realized what an impact you could make by painting all of the interior doors in a house a fun, dark color.  Or by painting the kitchen island a different color than the rest of the cabinetry.

What is the coolest thing you’ve gotten to do at your job?  

Tami: This spring, I went to New York to visit the printer who prints several of the fabric lines we represent.  They showed me the whole process…the screens, the color mixing, how each line works…so I could have a better idea of what’s involved when I call and ask how quickly they can print an order or what custom options are available.  It was really interesting and gave me a much better perspective on what happens behind the scenes.  It also helps when talking to clients.  I knew these lines were hand made but to be able to explain to someone what that actually entails makes each line and each fabric so much more special.  And if that wasn’t enough, I also got to meet with the owners of several lines that are based in New York and learned about their inspirations, how they started, the history of the patterns, how they select colors and ground cloths to work with…It really was the coolest thing.

 
_{A vignette from a sitting room designed by Lucas Studio}

Jessica – as a young interior designer where do you like to shop for your own home?

Jessica: I don’t have the budget that our clients have so I’m always on the lookout for unique, inexpensive finds.  I love going to the Rose Bowl and Long Beach flea markets which is where I’ve found some of my favorite pieces for my house.  I’m also not ashamed to say I have quite a few pieces from Ikea. I am totally a fan as long as you choose wisely and spread the pieces out throughout your house so it doesn’t look like an Ikea showroom.  I do think upholstery is something that shouldn’t be skimped on and would always have the important pieces like my sofa custom made.  Surprisingly, it’s really not that much more expensive than buying one off the floor at Pottery Barn and will look exactly how you want and will last much longer.

What do you like most about your job? 

Tami: I love the people I work with- both in our office and clients who come to visit.  I think this industry is so fascinating and I love to see each person’s unique take on design.  It’s constantly inspiring and gives me a new perspective on a daily basis.

Jessica: I love that we have so much fun and Joe and Parrish are like a non-stop comedy team.  Even on the most stressful day, we all manage to make each other laugh!

Photos of Joe, Parish, Jessica and Tami by Kiya Gibbons for So Haute. Additional photos courtesy of Lucas Studio Inc and Harbinger.