Something Beautiful Journal

Decorating My Dreamhouse - Carmel, California

2011-12-21T09:25:00.001-08:00

In my current Something Beautiful Journal entry, "Decorating A Dreamhouse," I'm imagining that I'm living in this Carmel Highlands, California house built in 1918 of native stone in Arts and Crafts style.

Called the D. L. James House it is a monument unique in the United States. As seen in the photo at left, the stone structure seems to have grown out of its site atop the rocky cliffs. It is difficult at some places to " . . . ascertain just where nature's rock has ended and man's masonry genius has begun," — Randell L. Makinson. Greene & Greene: Architecture as a Fine Art. Architects: Green & Green.

Factoids about the Carmel Dreamhouse area: Carmel Highlands is an unincorporated community in Monterey County, California. Carmel Highlands has an elevation of 318 feet. It is south of Carmel and north of Big Sur.

Big Sur is a sparsely populated region of the Central California Coast, where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean. Its stunning views and year round mild climate make Big Sur a popular tourist destination.

Big Sur's Cone Peak with its infamous giant redwood trees is the highest coastal mountain in the contiguous 48 states, ascending nearly a mile (5,155 feet/1571 m) above sea level, only three miles (4.8 km) from the ocean. It is also one of the few places on Earth where redwoods grow in close proximity to cacti.

You can search the world to try to find places that are as incredibly dynamic and yet so quaint and picturesque as Carmel, nestled in a pine forest above a spectacular white-sand beach.

It's some nice real estate.

We're going inside now so please join me as I write in my SB Journal on decorating the interiors of my house in Carmel, California. My dreamhome.

My Carmel, California Dreamhouse Entryway:

The interiors of the Carmel house are bare boned, pure, foremost in my mind when creating my home here. The entryway is really just a niche but I wanted to still give it some prominence. The casualness of the Etienne Writing Desk combined with the vintage, but elegant Windsor Candelabra are just simpatico! The Boy and Girl Shelf Sculptures - notice the girl's hand holding out an apple - give immediate comfort and intimacy.

I chose to top off this area with the 43" hand forged and hand hammered Sunburst Mirror. To me it adds a bit of flair and fun. Chair is Anjoux Chair.

My Carmel, California Dreamhouse Living Room

I love this particular artwork -- it draws your eye to the celebration of life. Joy and abandon are shared in Dancing On A Small Island by contemporary artist Brian Kershisnik.

The Whitney Sofa is a favorite spot for my family and if you could see it up close, the Boho Cocktail Table, with its oversize, industrial style casters, is simply posh.

Austin Chairs (check out the beautiful turned legs) with the Rodin Side Table and Mendel Table Lamp complete the seating area.

Surrounding the living room is more Brian Kershisnik artwork, above left, "A Woman With Dogs," and, on right, "Gardening In The Rain." And, for those homes that don't have a wine cellar, the unique Wall Wine Storage is a standout and practical piece.

My Carmel, California Dreamhouse Dining Room

My dining room is a place where I lovingly entertain friends and family - my everyday special people and/or an itinerant visiting friend or two. Know that dining rooms can be theatrical - when we entertain, it is attune to setting a stage, giving a performance and here the Treviso Twelve Light Chandelier is breathtaking for my dinner celebrations.

Again me and Brian Kershisnik. In person this artwork is irresistible - it draws you and I delight in art and accessories that have that appeal. This piece is a Triptych which also distinguishes it, entitled "Women With Infants."

Sitting atop my humble dining room table (Russell Dining Table), is the charming Nest Weave Candleholder. I so prefer table centerpieces that improve when dinner is served. The Nest Weave Candleholder with its ten candles lit wants to stay amongst your guests and delicious food displays. How much more can you expect from one accessory? The chairs are Christopher Arm Chairs and Christopher Side Chairs.

My Carmel, California Dreamhouse Master Bedroom

Angels is my only artwork in the bedroom with my 72" tall Celine Bed. There are a number of necessary pieces, dressers, etc. - but the view from the bedroom is mystical, so this room decor is subtle.

Next to each side of the bed is an Alexandria Chest topped with the Boule Table Lamp, which although brings light into the room, and smiles, it is somewhat indiscreet here, purposefully.

Now, let me mention my special view.

My Carmel, California Dreamhouse Garden and Pond

Amazing and so unexpected (not seen from the entry area of the house), hidden among the brilliance of Carmel, than the redwoods of surrounding Big Sur and of course, the Pacific Ocean, we have delicately carved and etched this grandiose garden and pond. Its very seclusion is magnificent.

From the master bedroom windows and French doors this garden and pond is extraordinary. From the dining room you are treated to slips of views of the creek rock, tall evergreen topiary and various ground covers, which when enhanced with accent lights, believe me, it is sweet add-on glamour to my dinner parties.

Carmel and Monterey County are magnificent, but combine it with Big Sur and the Pacific Ocean and my lovely Dreamhouse and it's hard to imagine a more beautiful place to live.

I could so live here. Couldn't you?

Click Below To Read: Other "Decorate A Dreamhouse" Articles
"Decorate A Dreamhuse - Basel, Switzerland"
"Decorate A Dreamhouse - A German Equestrian Estate"
"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Boston Back Bay Brownstone"
"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Belgiam Castle"
"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Florence, Italy"
"Decorate A Dreamhouse - English Country Cottage"
"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Beverly Hills, California"
"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Mallorca Island"
"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Manhattan Brownstone"

(Permission granted for use of D.L. James House Photographs, for this article only.)

Decorating My Dreamhouse - In Basel, Switzerland

2011-05-21T07:45:00.000-07:00

Written By: Patricia Lynne
Editor: Sarahjoy Crain

In my current SB Journal entry "Decorating A Dreamhouse" - - I'm imagining that I'm living in a three-story cottage house like the one above, in the charmingly, colorful City Of Basel, Switzerland ........

The Country Of Switzerland is beyond a doubt absolutely like no other!

Interesting geographic factoids: for starters, Basel is pronounced ˈbɑːzəl, with emphasis on the first syllable. Basel is Switzerland's second largest city and is located in the northwest part of Switzerland - where it is the heart of where three different Countries meet:

SWITZERLAND
FRANCE
GERMANY

Basel has a beautiful medieval old town center housing its historic City Hall here daily markets are held, making for a lively inner city and romantic old town. These street cafés, patisseries, sweet shops and traditional neighbourhood restaurants all provide unique opportunities to really become acquainted with the Swiss lifestyle.

Basel is a German speaking area, and being a non-German speaking ex-Pat, I was pleased to learn that both English and French are spoken enough so that many people are able to communicate 'comfortably' in everyday interactions . . . and will gladly work to understand you. Ahhhh! My sincere gratitude!

Borrowed French words are fairly common in everyday conversation; for example, Baslers often bid each other farewell with the French "adieu". Basel is among the most important cultural centres of Switzerland with the City hosting a large number of theatres and many museums, including the Museum Of Fine Arts, the world's oldest art collection accessible to the public.

You will love Switzerland's international Basle Bahnhof Train Station and the City's extensive tram (light rail) and bus network - the bright green trams and buses are the greatest. Imagine this: they are absolutely prompt, relatively inexpensive, clean and very convenient. Deep sigh.

Other things that distinguish Switzerland from any other Country:

* The Swiss typically take longer to get to know you, the stranger to their Country; they also are comparable to the British in their being more reserved. You'll probably have to make the first step, inviting them to your home for coffee, for instance and by all means, punctuality is very important.

* The supermarkets (and many other businesses) close at noon or 2pm, so your schedule will have to evolve around this. Food is not inexpensive and restaurant prices reflect this fact. The Swiss government protects Swiss farmers greatly consequently the cost of food is high.

* The Swiss approach to education is very different than in the United States. Children are selected based upon their abilities and as many as 70 percent of Swiss kids are selected to train in vocational schools of various sorts, rather than choices of a university education-

* Most of the Swiss rent rather than buy and the Country has well established tenant rights. The apartments have communal laundry rooms, with access on your designated days. In general tenants are most considerate of each other: no noise before or after certain hours of the day. Everyone in Switzerland recycles.

It is said about the Swiss they have "Savoir-Vivre," a French expression, meaning knowing how to live life. I interpret this that the Swiss live life well, live life with intelligent enjoyment, meeting every situation with poise, good manners and elegance.

We're going inside now so please join me as I write in my SB Journal on decorating the interiors of my house in Basel, Switzerland. My dreamhome.

My Basel, Switzerland Dreamhouse Mudroom:

The photo of my 'hard working' mudroom may not instantly reflect the importance it serves in my house, that is function, function, function.

Despite this truth even my lil' mudroom is getting some top treatment. I'm referring to the draperies in this room - goin' high style - with the prestigious company Lee Jofa through use of its quality, durable fabric, Mulberry.

With gardening the inevitable dirt comes in with the dirty shoes, into my lil' mudroom. The room is terribly well used, but I've designed it so that it functions well.

The potted geranium on top of the green cabinet is purposeful, not just because it services my mudroom.

Without flowers or plants, the inside of our rooms can become stale; adding something that is living can bring life to our spaces.

My Basel, Switzerland Dreamhouse Foyer

The foyer is full of tactiles, styles, and moods:

Tactiles - Tactiles are fun - they tend to help us rediscover our sense of touch. Here, the creek rock wall, wood beams and architectural pieces, and the flagstone floor are mixes of textiles.

Styles - Mixing old and new. The antiques live here like they've lived here for a hundred years, but I combined them with the extraordinary contemporary artwork of "Waiting," a black and white photograph and "Blue Door," a hand-colored photograph, both works by Vicki Reed, and both shown below.

Moods - Always wanting to make my living spaces inviting and yet not wanting to part with the severe bench seating, old side table and the utilitarian wash bucket, I knew I'd need to introduce some pieces to achieve my goal. The animated objects d'arte of the "Crow And Pitcher" (seen also here at left) a wood sculpture and its coordinating "Raven On Picklewood," both by Mark Orr, are whimsical, earthy and perfect for my room.

The hand woven rug is actually another lovely, varying tactile. I thought this area rug deserved its own mention because it has 'such responsibility' as a transitional floral piece, it helps pull my whole room's look together. This one is "Savannah," in chocolate/frost" New Moon Rugs' Tibetan Hand woven Rug. This piece accomplishes its job in an ever so subtle way; I love that.

My Basel, Switzerland Dreamhouse Living Space

This room works for me. It invites me to come in, sit down and be comfortable.

The amount of natural light is such a part of making this room work. It's always important to bring as much natural light as possible into our living spaces. Here, the woodwork and walls painted shiny white, a lite window treatment, a mirror and even this "Trellis Chandelier" help to bring in and reflect that light. A secret in this room is that the fireplace mantle flower pots are Lavenders by NDI Floral. Sometimes the best designers have to substitute beautifully made silk flowers to get the look we want. Thanks to NDI Floral.

My Basel, Switzerland Dreamhouse Guestroom

This tranquil guest room is by the interior design firm of Marshall Watson Interiors and it simply had to be in my lovely Swiss home.
There are some garnishments, the fancy prints of fancy chairs, the ornate embellished mirror and certainly the carved and painted dresser. The dresser is Chippendale style and manufactured by Smith & Watson. The armless chair in coordinating fabric is from Moderne Chairs By John Widdicomb. The tranquility is achieved here by the soothing colors, the lack of items that compete for your eye and I think by the strength of the horizontal bed. I find the soft stripe of the rug draws you to the bed and to respite from the world.

My Basel, Switzerland Dreamhouse Master Bedroom:

Jessica LaGrange Interiors, LLC designed this master bedroom for a special family that lives with savoir-vivre, a family that lives life well and with intelligent enjoyment. Every situation is met with manners and poise and elegance.

The Iron Barcelona Bed is by Perry. In the corner of the room is a desk that could serve to jot thank you notes, or enjoy coffee and a croissant. The distinct tall chair is a Jean Wing Chair by Century Furniture and finally, the breakfront cabinet that duplicates the fabric folds of the draperies is the Sofiero Breakfront-2 by Country Swedish.

It is true that Switzerland is beautiful with waterfalls, glacier-fed creeks, rivers, lakes, pastures, breathtaking mountain views. But beyond that, know this. Switzerland is safe. The crime rate is low (particularly for violent crimes) and it is a good place to raise your family. Living in this Country you are naturally more inclinded to get out and hike, cycle, do water sports, skiing, etc. These are all common, easy to do things. Though the people may take more time to get to know you, allowing for a bit of caution and protection, at its core Switzerland promotes harmony and peace and, of course, the lovely savoir-vivre.

I could so live here. Couldn't you?

Click Below To Read: Other "Decorate A Dreamhouse" Articles
"Decorate A Dreamhouse - A German Equestrian Estate"
"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Boston Back Bay Brownstone"
"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Belgiam Castle"
"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Florence, Italy"
"Decorate A Dreamhouse - English Country Cottage"
"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Beverly Hills, California"
"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Mallorca Island"
"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Manhattan Brownstone"

Ozzy Osbourne Lavender Bedroom

2011-05-20T12:17:00.000-07:00

From my lips, to your ears, lavender isn't an easy color to work with. Lavender's qualities of quietness, serenity, constancy and wonderfulness of strong reliability can intrinsically, subtly pull you to its other side, an even powerdull.

That is one point about this article. The other point is: this is Ozzy Osbourne's lavender bedroom.

Ha! Can you believe it.

We all know that Sharon Osbourne was really at work here even before having it confirmed by designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard who reports: “Sharon rules the roost when it comes to decor.”

It matters not, this is the master bedroom of Ozzy Osbourne, the "Prince of Darkness."

In their Hidden Hills, California home, recently profiled by Architectural Digest we get a succulent glimpse. To see the Osbourne's entire home via a slideshow, click here, Lawrence-Bullard, a master interior designer, delivers here.

The Osbourne bedroom is so well done: soothing, luscious . . . almost beyond words. The bedding is by Frette; the savory hand painted wallpaper is by de Gournay.

Ahhhh . . . . the chase lounge in the Osbourne's master bedroom.
I personally think everyone deserves a chaise lounge. It is a real thrill for me to see they chose this Marie Antoinette style piece, in lavender ..... in de Gournay silk velvet. In times past, chaise lounges were called 'fainting couches,' isn't that great! Uummmmmmm .........

So, when the Osbournes aren't needing a place to faint, they also have this sitting area; it combines a Romeo sofa by Martyn Lawrence-Bullard Design with an overscale ottoman.

The Candide tub by Waterworks is slender and streamlined but still shows off the curves of the molded base and embodies the beauty of classic French boat tubs.

Sharon Osbourne was clearly not intimidated in directing how she wanted her home to look and feel.

Beautiful Things - Beautiful Together

2010-12-29T09:48:00.000-08:00

This antique clock is beautiful.

The porcelain case painted delicately in pink - a very pink, pink - and the black trim are good accents, the black tones down what could otherwise be a 'too-sweet' pink color. The gilt details add a delicious richness.

Design Tip: This clock could stand on its own on a quaint table in an entryway. Or, it can be part of an great grouping. On a fireplace mantel, for instance, this piece is placed in the center and serves as the focal point. Place two matching objects on the left and right of the clock, cachepots filled with ivy or paperweights, etc. Finally on the far left and right, place matching candlesticks , lamps or vases.This special 19th-century timepiece made by English clock maker John J. Peters & Co. is offered by Coleen & Company, whom also carry their own decor pieces as well as vintage and antique goods. Click here for more info on this one-of-a-kind 'Pretty In Pink' clock.

The curvy gold-framing adds a soupcon of French style to the Petite Palais Mirror, and is available from the Something Beautiful Shoppe. By repeating the gilt gold and curlyques, the mirror is simply perfect with the clock.

Design Tip: When hanging a mirror always consider what it is reflecting. A mirror that echos a beautiful reflection is most pleasing.

For more information about the Petite Palais Mirror, click here.

Finally ..... check out this over-the-top chandelier, by Nella Vetrina. Is it awesome, or what?

I would place the antique pink clock and the Petite Palais Mirror in the same room as this Nella Vetrina chandelier.

Design Tip: These colorways work well. The black details on the pink clock - which we've established as a focal point on the fireplace mantle - tie in wonderfully with the strength of this particular chandelier. The Nella Vetrina Chandelier, in black, has an extremely strong 'visual' presence, which greatly attracts the eye, optically causing it to have 'weight' - despite that it is made of glass. Moreover this chandelier's curves, circle shapes, etc. are a repetition of those in the antique clock and the Petit Palais Mirror. These are spectacular when brought together.

For more information on the Murano Hand Blown Glass Chandelier, click here. It is also available in other colors.

Art Objects Make Room Come Alive

2010-12-28T05:49:00.000-08:00

This is an article I wrote in January of 2008 and is reposted here for fun! This is me! This article is so me.

"Cannonball Swimmer"

Objects of art are sometimes awfully energetic - for being inanimate objects, of course. We know clay is not alive, as in, clay is considered a non-living material. However, when clay is sculpted into a form, it can take on its own unique personality. Knowing how objects interact with us and our surroundings can be enjoyable as well as helpful in the creation of beauty.
This object, this ceramic piece, caused the stir. Looking through a Guild Catalog, I saw the object WAS that cannonball girl. I was seven years old. It was MY curled-up body. My knees drawn tight to my chest. I could feel the impact of hitting that water. I was under the warm summer sky. I felt the SPLASH! It was me, me, me. There is nothing like a cannonball! For a split second, I was the art.
Objects can have so much energy that there are times when we become one them, such as with Marie E.v.B. Gibbons’ “Cannonball Swimmer.“ I melt with it. When we can see and fuse with an element of beauty, either natural or man made, this energy is unique and can make for special moments. The Cannonball art piece is not just a beautiful sculpture, rather I know Gibbons’ swimmer intimately, she now has her own distinct personality
With objects that we already are endeared to (such as a framed photograph of a friend or family member) the energy may seem more understandable. If we place a cherished photograph on a small table, amongst a displayed collection of items, the strength of its energy makes it seem larger than it really is. The perceived size of the object is changed by its energy.
Recognizing how we interact with our surroundings, it's understood that what we see can affect the quality of our lives. Objects that we use in our environment are not seen in isolation. We must endeavor to place items as artistically as our eyes & our brains are capable of. If we want to consciously create a restful room, for instance, we will reduce items that individually and collectively cause tension to the eye.
Objects can cause emotion. The more we learn about their essence and the energy they give off, our world and how we see it and enjoy it is improved. In learning to recognize and more fully appreciate our surroundings we are more able to create beauty in our own lives.

This article is one in a series of Design Concepts, to go to the entire list, click here.

Decorating A Dreamhouse - A German Equestrian Estate

2010-11-21T17:45:00.000-08:00

Written By: Patricia Lynne
Editor: Sarahjoy Crain

In my current SB Journal entry I'm imagining I'm "Decorating A Dream House" in the Country Of Germany.

The house is a generous two stories including a third level attic with two dormer rooms. Ground level has room for parking three automobiles, which is almost unheard of in Germany.

My Germany Dream House also includes horse breeding and training facilities.

About Hamburg, My Dreamhouse City:

My Dreamhouse is located in Hamburg Germany, the second largest City in Germany, a City , bursting forth with pride. Something new can be discovered, experienced and marveled at everyday. Arts and Culture are at its finest. Worldwide successful musicals, superior and
entertaining theatres, a great variety of hotels and excellent restaurants. Historical landmarks from 1200 years of City history. The list goes on. Exquisite shopping possibilities and exciting nightlife.

The Dreamhouse is located near Lake Alster, which has a a circumference of 7.6 km. It makes for a great bike ride and is the hub for meeting friends for a lager shandy draft at one of the many cafes. I've been known to announce: "I'm in paradise," while watching the yachtsmen, oarsmen and paddlers enjoying Alster Lake.

If you visit this Lake which dates from the 13th century be sure to plan a ride on an Alsterboat. Providing tours of the lake including the canals and the bridges, these boatrides offer unparalleled sights of the city.

Lake Alster is surrounded by some of the best residences in Hamburg as well as by many, many landmark buildings, such as the well-known Atlantic hotel and St. Michaelis Church. This Church hosts a 132 meter high baroque spire covered with copper. The spire is a prominent feature of Hamburg’s skyline and has always been a landmark for ships sailing up the river Elbe.

Lake Alster, known as the ‘German Venice’ as it runs through the center of the city, competes with Venice for its number of bridges and canals.

Also at Lake Alster is the Port of Hamburg. Named Germany's "Gateway to the World" it's the largest port in Germany. It is the second-largest port of Europe and is experiencing major advancements in commercial and residential growth, cultivating multifarious layers of enriching diversity.

My City of Hamburg, Germany is bursting with such creativity. You'll see it in its contemporary architecture, art, fashion, events and design.

So, we're going inside now. Please join me in my SB Journal on Decorating A Dreamhouse - An Equestrian Estate in the Country of Germany.

My Germany Dreamhouse Formal Entry

Borrowing a French look with the Louis XVI Style Chairs, these are upholstered in Pierre Frey's "Les Camees." The table is a petrified tree trunk, but it is the photograph we are drawn to, an Andalusian horse in Susan Friedman's Equus Collection.

My Germany Dreamhouse Living RoomA horse photograph above mantle again by Susan Friedman, marble horse head from The Well Appointed House.
I love the slight pink paired with deep brown upholstered furnishings. Pink by itself can be considered too feminine, but it's what you pair it with that makes it work - consider a man in a black suit with a pink shirt and tie - it's a dynamic combination.

For our family this room feels soft and warm; it is instantly inviting, something necessary as we work hard outside with the horses, this ethereal space is for us.

My Germany Dreamhouse Dining Room
I love this dining room presentation. The simple fireplace and decor are fabulous, but most of all I love the 'borrowed' view of the steller staircase. We call it our 'staircase to heaven!'

If it is just the two of us for dinner, we often use the small table and chairs grouped near the fireplace. This gives us the feeling we've got the best seat in the house.

Photograph is from Motif Designs and the Something Beautiful Shoppe can help you access some items in the picture.

My Germany Dreamhouse Kitchen
In addition to working hard, we also entertain a lot. Friends and family from the States as well as newly-made "freundes" (German transl. friends) here in our new Country.

Imagine I'm outside in the harsh weather, I dismount from a horse that I'm showing to a client and then come into the house for coffee and a chat. When renovating the kitchen I wanted an area that was easy and efficient. I always work with the best, and here I chose Nancy Thornett Associates.

My Germany Dreamhouse Daughter's Room

This room reflects my daughter's personality. Mature, feminine, romantic and orderly. Everyone who visits loves this room, as does my daughter.

The pairing of the soft pink with whites and greys creates an inviting feeling. No harshness here.

Susan Friedman's "Tempest 1" is on display here; Sherwin-Williams' Paint White Dogwood SW6315 was used when originally featured in House Beautiful.

My Germany Dreamhouse Master Bedroom And Bathroom

This master bedroom from Motif Designs and you can access it through the Something Beautiful Shoppe. This room is perfect for us. It's tranquil. We've got bedding that's like sleeping on a cloud.

It is literally a soaking tub, you can have water up to your shoulders . . . . every home should have one.

Freestanding Oval tub by Waterworks has clean, sculptural lines. I also like the simple 'table' next to it.

The Vanity is by Christopher Peacock
and it's topped with Italian Linen marble, to match the floor. Savoy sink and .25 faucet by Waterworks. Vintage knobs by Restoration Hardware and Ruhlmann Style sconces from Urban Archaeology flank a trifold mirror. These are all things that make our home dreamily beautiful.

I could so live here. Couldn't you?

Want More? Click Below To Read: Other "Decorate A Dreamhouse" Articles
"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Boston Back Bay Brownstone
"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Belgiam Castle
"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Florence, Italy

"Decorate A Dreamhouse - English Country Cottage"

"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Beverly Hills, California

"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Mallorca Island"

"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Manhattan Brownstone"

Bathroom Vanity Photograph: Julian Ross
Foyer, Living Room photograph from House Beautiful, January 2009
Research Source: Hamburg Germany Tourism, Hamburg Travel Guide
Research Source: http://www.cometogermany.com/
Research Source: http://www.hafen-hamburg.de/en
Research Source Climate: http://www.wordtravels.com/Cities/Germany/Hamburg/Climate

Posters As Art

2010-11-16T16:56:00.000-08:00

I can feel my own hair being tossed by the wind and it is my face embracing the sun as I enjoy this vignette. The French poster from Phillip Williams Posters is perfect. It accomplishes the goal of creating a beautiful room through selective placement of decorative art, furniture and accessories.

Decorating a room with posters can be both cost-effective and an engaging way to create beauty. Posters come in all shapes and sizes, themes and styles; and be assured, they can be introduced in a room with original artworks, oil paintings, etc.

Here are some suggestions on turning your dull space into an instant gallery.

Think about a feel or a theme you want for your room.

Example: the room above conveys light and airiness - a magical moment - on a beautiful day.

Another Example: an earlier article I wrote Decorate A Dreamhouse In Beverly Hills (click here to read it) is another good example, perhaps you could call it a charming example.

In that article I wanted to contrast in a big way the elaborate and over-the-top Georgian architectural style exteriors of the house - symmetrical, conservative, orderly with its interiors.

This helped me establish my theme or feel. I wanted drama . . . fun - and I wanted to flaunt it.

So there it was and who best to help me than Ms. Audrey Hepburn, that is, one particular poster of her. Wearing a tiara, a formal gown and long, silk, black gloves, Ms. Hepburn flirts with a long-stem cigarette holder. This poster I chose to anchor my varied but engaging grouping of black- and-white photographs.

Reading the rest of the article and appreciating my selection of flamboyant furnishings - perhaps you'll agree: who else but Ms. Audrey Hepburn to welcome visitors to this particular home.

Right, poster of
"Pablo Picasso's "Head Of A Woman," from Art.Com.

So, posters . . . . . Envision what you want your artwork and decor to do for your room.

* Posters can add color (coordinating or accent)
* Pull together a theme (marine life in a bathroom, sports in a den or child's room)
* Or stand in for a more expensive art collection (you too can own a Monet or a Picasso). Be creative.

You can bring a magical ocean view to any room with a wide-angle photographic oceanscape, such as the one above, by Marine Hugonnier. (More of this art can be seen at MarineHugonnier.com).

Recipe posters can double as cookbooks in a tiny kitchen. Reproduction movie posters from classic films can turn your family room into a home theatre.

Browse. Shop for posters online, at craft supply and decorating stores, in museum gift shops and at flea markets. You may start looking with one idea in mind, and be captivated by something completely different.

Frame your posters once you've chosen them. You can also find simple, classic, inexpensive poster frames at art supply stores and discount department stores. But posters can be more classically framed also; again, it is all what is within your theme. If you are grouping posters on the same wall, choosing identical frames is a great look.

Using posters as art can be an adventure - enjoy!

If decorating isn't easy for you or if you are in need of some particular interior design assistance, our designers at the Something Beautiful Shoppe will be happy to work with you - working with professional helps assure you get the look you deserve while helping eliminate costly mistakes.

If decorating isn't easy for you or if you are in need of some particular interior design assistance, our designers at the Something Beautiful Shoppe will be happy to work with you - working with professional helps assure you get the look you deserve while helping eliminate costly mistakes.

Adrian Swinstead Ancient Trees As Furniture

2010-11-15T07:15:00.000-08:00

Adrian Swinstead studied fine art at Hornsey College of Art, followed by postgraduate studies at the Slade School of Art, London. Living and working in the middle of woodland for the past twenty-five years, Swinstead's work is driven by a love of the material and the creative possibilities that it presents.

From Adrian Swinstead's website, the artist states:

"Whether it be in the shape of a sycamore tree trunk resolving in the shallow arch of a bench, the traceries of spalted beech in a cabinet panel, the graphic of light and dark found in the heartwood and sapwood of yew and displayed by a table top, or the shape of a board's edge expressed in the front of a cabinet, my desire is to make pieces with the capacity to feed the eye and imagination whilst fulfilling a practical function. "

(About the table shown above: It is a bog oak and glass circular dining table, bog oak found in Wereham Fen, Norfolk, bog oak air dried for four years.)

Swinstead Bog Oak Bowl

5,000 Year Old Bog Oak

From Connington Fen

Two photographs here are showing Adrian Swinstead Sycamore Arch Table, Cut from a concave section of tree, Sycamore from Geddington, Northamptonshire, fortified acrylic toughened glass

This last piece is actually a bench - Sycamore Arch Bench - cut from a concave section of tree, sycamore from Geddington, Northamptonshire with 50 mm plexiglass

For more information about Adrian Swinstead's work, click here to visit his website.

For more reading on furniture as art and objects d'art, go to:

"Design Art, Brad Pitt & Marc Jacobs & We Can Enjoy The Style" - Something Beautiful Journal Article that also covers the famous $237,000 Cinderella Table, made of a solid block of white marble

~ and ~

"Coco Channel, Marc Jacobs On Who's Who Of The Most Famous Owning Lalanne Sheep" ~ Something Beautiful Journal Article

Decorate A Dream House - A Belgian Castle

2010-06-12T15:34:00.000-07:00

Written By: Patricia Lynne
Editor: Sarahjoy Crain

In my current SB Journal entry I'm imagining I'm "Decorating A Dream House" in the Country Of Belgium. Actually it is a castle., like the one above. About my DreamHouse Castle:

A castle - in its simplest terms - is a private, fortified residence.

My DreamHouse Castle has a moat - history tells us is a ditch with steep sides, and could be either dry or filled with water with its purpose being to keep the walls of the Castle from being undermined from invading armies.

My DreamHouse Castle has a great tower, sometimes called a "keep," and this is where a dungeon would be located. The great tower was the strongest part of a castle and most strongly defended, and the last place of refuge if the outer defences fell. You may be surprised to consider that the keep was not left empty in case of attack, but was used as a residence by the lord who owned the castle, or his guests or representatives.

My Dreamhouse Castle is located in the very small Country of Belgium (approximately the size of Massachusetts) and it is one of the Country's approximately 3,000 castles, farm-castles, citadels, manors or palaces. While mine is perhaps not Belgium's most exquisite castle (Belgium is thought to have the highest density of castles per square km, worldwide), it is beautiful, with views that are picture-postcard perfect. I particularly love the arrival of spring: my lambs give me beautiful babies (lambs usually give birth to at least two ewes at a time) and my Castle is enveloped with the magnificence of trees and plants in bloom. (My little lambs are kept separate from the gardens or all my flowers would be gone!)

My Dreamhouse Castle is located is Brussels, which is the capital of Belgium. Brussels also serves as the Administrative Centre of the European Union, earning it the title, the 'Capital of Europe'.

Brussels is very multi-lingual ~ you can expect to hear almost any language while strolling about the Grand-Place. The Eurostar train links London and Brussels in just under two hours. Bicycles are a free form to get your all around the parts of Europe via trains (you can travel with them on the regular trains).

Belgium is a genuine paradise for gourmet lovers. If you have ever had a chance to read "Asterix and the Belgians," you would already know a unique truth about this Country: Belgian cuisine is as good as the French one, and as generous as the German one. Another fun food fact ~ you do not need to go to a 3 star restaurant to really enjoy a delicious and original meal. Belgium food is simply amazing.

Craving for gourmet chocolate? Unlike wine, beers and other fluids, airlines have not yet regulated the amount of chocolate you wish to bring back to Chicago. Belgian chocolate has been the food of champions, a lure for lovers, the indulgence of the rich and later, the favorite of the masses - at left is photo of Le Chocolatier Manon.

Then there is the Belgium fashion and nightlife. Belgium is fast becoming THE destination in Europe for the 20-30 somethings. It seems they are flocking to cities like Brussels for stylish, inexpensive hotels, great food, and a pulsating nightlife. Brussels also offers fab fashion, even the opportunity to go from rags to riches via the flea market in the common Marolles, where authentic ‘Brusseleirs’ mingle with trendy import youngsters . . . . to walking a few hundred meters further for the extreme contrast flavour with the golden glitters of the very upscale Grand Sablon.

When you go outside, crossing the moat, as is typical with castles, you encounter grand gardens with paths, arbors, fountains and waterfalls. (Photo at left, bench and chairs are antique, "Serena," oval table is from Axel Verdoordt.)

Castles are very often decorated with armor, tapestries, silver, lace, china, paintings and sculptures.

This is a contrast to typical Belgium interior design style which routinely includes a "Frenchness" (traditional French decorating) - except that Belgium is more casual). Things are very simple, with only a complicated piece or two (like perhaps a single "curvy" chair). Rustic, worn elements are welcome and cherished. This Belgian style has a practical sensibility, and it is usually un-cluttered!

So, we're going inside now. Please join me in my SB Journal on Decorating A Dreamhouse - A Castle In The Country Of Belgium.

My Belgian Dreamhouse Castle Formal Entryway

Its rough - its old - but I think it is the most uniquely-beautiful entryway I've ever seen.

My classic, highly-detailed, carved-wood staircase is uncommonly marvelous. It's in outstanding condition, especially for how old it is.

Opening the doors of the Castle, the stature of the entryway unveils itself to you and it'll literally take your breath away.

I've chosen to hang only one painting in my entry. It's a very old oil painting of an older man praying in a gilded scrolling frame (available from Antique Trading Company.)

My Belgian Dreamhouse Castle Living Room (And More . . . )

I'm lucky to have been able to fill my My Dreamhouse Castle with a bunch of furniture vintage to its heritage (the casegoods have survived over time better than the upholstered pieces). However, a lot of the furniture and accessories are reproduction Belgium and/or European antique pieces.

An excellent example is here in the living room. According to Architectural Digest Belgian designer Axel Vervoordt is "One of the world’s most respected antiques dealers, collectors and interior designers." It is Axel Vervoordt's Brian Sofa, here in a perfect blue padded upholstery that forms the focal point of this room.

Don't even think the room's detailed built-in library bookcases are reproductions however ~ they are as old as my Castle ~ and they hold some secrets.

Looking at the photo, notice the ladder in the corner of the room. This ladder accesses you to an unexpected second story walk-around, library bookcase area, which surrounds the entire living room.

Additionally, once you've climbed the ladder to the second level, one can see it has a walk around area. It is here you can find that there is one certain bookcase that has a secret - a built in trigger that opens up a hidden room.

My Belgian Dreamhouse Castle Hidden Apartment

The hidden room which I'll call 'the apartment area' is diminutive at just 300sf, it manages to include a kitchenette, bathroom and small living area. Like the tower and moat, this hidden room would have been built originally as another form of defense. (Don't you think "private, fortified residences," aka, castles, are fascinatingly unique as homes?)

I chose to use the 'more typical Belgian interior design' in the apartment - consequently, its layout is more casual, especially compared with the rest of the Castle. Here, things are very simple, and rustic. Worn elements, such as the table, are very cherished. This Belgian style has a practical sensibility which is ideal here because the apartment is small, requiring careful use of space.

The one valuable and precious object that is on display in the "apartment" is a European tapestry.

In general, castles were typically cold and tapestries were more than just forms of art. They were hung everywhere on walls of the castles as forms of insulation. In this room, rather than using framed art, a wall tapestry completes the traditional, but more casual mood.

To be exact, this (17th/18th century) tapestry of Mytos and Apews Kissing with 8 figures looking on is actually for sale from Newell Antiques. The 117" wide x 92" high tapestry has been featured on The Stepford Wives, The Pink Panther, and Great Expectations. It can be so much fun designing a Dreamhouse, especially when you have 'props' like these!

My Belgian Dreamhouse Castle Kitchen

Almost everything in my kitchen is vintage - do you not LOVE the curved ceiling?

When I touch the stones I imagine the history of my Castle, knowing that the Country is actually fairly new, established in the mid 1800's. This area we now call Belgium has been trampled over and over by warring parties. The great thing is that in good times, parties and entertaining occurred here and it is fun to fantasize about those events and that they were probably brilliantly magnificent.

A few of the appliances are reproductions - such as the Elmira 48" Dual Fuel Wood burning Stove - with Gas Burners from Vintage And Bath.

Gotta' love those modern inventions.

My Belgian Dreamhouse Castle Bathroom

Again, the woodwork is vintage to my Dreamhouse Castle, with reproduction bathtub and hardware. There is some great reproduction bathtub products out there, such as the Marie Louise Cast Iron Claw Foot Bath Tub With No Faucet Drillings , from Vintage Tub And Bath.

The artwork (in the bathroom!) is an antique painting from The Antique Trading Company.

When decorating a bathroom - castle or a modern townhouse, be sure to make it practical as well as attractive.

These blue cabinets open up for storage. Not just castles should hold extra guest towels and soaps. Incorporate this practice in your own homes - it is a gracious touch. The chair may look randomly placed, but it is actually hugely practical. It can hold a book and reading glasses, your towel as seen here and when you are finished, you can then use the chair to sit on it while you finish dressing.

My Belgian Dreamhouse Castle Master Bedroom

As was often the case the tower or keep held the master bedroom, during times of peace. Nowadays a circular stairway is the main entrance, but there is another secret access that would have been for purposes of defense during times of war. It has no evil feeling remaining; this tower is beautiful and the windows are level with the seawater.

The Master Bedroom is very much French traditional interior design style. This room has tie-back drapery bed panels which is a leftover look from when Castles, being naturally cold, had four-poster beds with heavy curtains that were pulled for warm at night. But, as time passed it was "away with dusty bed curtains and in with the healthy fresh air!" So, down they came except for a drapery tieback panel or two, stirring in new "decorative breezes".

I mentioned that I particularly liked the changing screen in my Castle's master bedroom.

I can't give you the specifics of that folding screen's origins.

But, check this one out at right: it is a changing screen that I would love to do the 'changing the clothes behind' thing!

It is from Newell Antiques and is an European, three-fold screen with six Chinoiserie designed, painted oil panels with figures and monkeys is 67-1/2" wide x 67-1/2" tall. This single three-fold screen is for sale for approximately $45,000.

I could so live here. Couldn't you? --->

Want More? Click Below To Read: Other "Decorate A Dreamhouse" Articles

"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Boston Back Bay Brownstone

"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Florence, Italy
"Decorate A Dreamhouse - English Country Cottage"
"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Beverly Hills, California
"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Mallorca Island"
"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Manhattan Brownstone"

Dinner On The Rooftop - 30 Stories High At The Kimberly Hotel

2010-06-05T12:14:00.000-07:00

You enter the express elevator at street level and you are whisked thirty stories up to an urban oasis, way atop Manhattan ..... Viola!
It is a roof top, called 'Upstairs,' and it is so very unexpected. Don't you love when that happens!

"Upstairs" (at the Kimberly Hotel):

~ 4,000 square foot, roof top, thirty stories up and offering outstanding food and drinks
~ "Upstairs" has retractable glass ceilings and walls - and - ambient heated floors, in consideration of weather
~ 360 degree view (the iconic Chrysler Building as always is the star of this show)
~ living green walls, cascading down bronze panels, framing the surrounding cityscape from every possible angle
~ a fresh spin on old Hollywood-glamour, vintage theatrical lights and strings and strings of incandescent bulbs, floating overhead, emitting an intimate, sensual mood
~ a room that is as elegant and inviting in the winter months as it is sunny and sophisticated in the summer season

The "Upstairs" by AIA award winning design firm De-Spec, in association with architect Frank Denner , Pentasia Design and lighting designer Brian Orter presents an outdoor rooftop design that literally overwhelms the senses at every turn.

An evening Upstairs will be an experience
like no other, focusing on refined service
in a relaxed luxurious setting, offering its
guests a one-of-a-kind rooftop experience
and the desire to come back.

I love the lead designer's approach to the 'Upstairs.' As explained by De-Spec lead designer designer Farnaz Mansuri:

"Upstairs follows a characteristic approach to our work,"

"Rather than objectifying the architectural solution,

Space is choreographed to rooduce the desired experience,

and so in essence 'experience' is designed."

Deliberately shying away from outdoor lounge-style furniture typical of most rooftop bars, "Upstairs’" furniture was carefully curated from renowned houses such as B&B Italia, Knoll and Moooi. The "Upstairs" rooftop offers clean lines and elegant form that at once seem hyper-modern and neo-gothic, inviting guests to relax and unwind in an environment that exemplifies subtle, urban sophistication.
Did I mention the chefs? The food?

Executive Chef Gwenaël Le Pape has worked with such culinary masters as Jean-Georges Vongerichten and celebrity Chef Anthony Bourdain. Raised in Brittany, France, Chef Gwen has cooked all over France, Miami and New York, most recently at Maison d’Azur in Miami garnering three and a half stars for the South Beach eatery under his direction. Here are a few samples of Chef Le Pape’s signature dishes:
Seared Steak Tartar
Spiced Duck Cigars with Pomegranate Dipping Sauce
Truffled Mac &Cheese and
Baby Lamb Lollipops with Ratatouille
In addition to great food, the bar will feature a sumptuous list of specialty cocktails featuring modern takes on tried and true classics. (From the Kimberly Hotel's Upstairs website.)

Thirty stories up, the "Upstairs," of The Kimberly Hotel - I am so..... goin' there for a tasty lil' treat of a night!

Outdoor Showers - Perfect Way To Cool Down

2010-05-09T10:57:00.000-07:00

A vacation home our family stayed at had an outdoor shower and and the family used it all day long. It's the perfect way to cool down when it's hot, and you can put them anywhere, from lawn to roof to beach to deck.

According to Ross Sicote of Walpole Woodworkers, a firm specializing in custom yard and garden features, "A shower outdoors is one of those things that seems odd at first, but when people see them at someone else’s place, they end up wanting them for their own backyard,"

Here are some playful looking outdoor showers, from stand alone to wall mounts.

From Orvis, this outdoor shower is easy to install on any deck or patio. Hooks up to an outdoor hose spigot, and can be easily adapted for hot water. Made of water- and weather-resistant nyatoh wood."

Minimalist Outdoor Shower From Atelier Tradewinds:, a small,Belgian Company, "The acacia wood frame is set on a couple of nylon gliders so that the shower can easily be moved. The shower tube itself is made of galvanized steel; a simple tap attached to the tube regulates the water pressure."

Jaclo offers these above two outdoor showers including other forms of decorative plumbing.

There are essentially two kinds of outdoor showers — stand-alones and wall mounts. Stand-alones attach to flexible hosing and are mobile. Wall-mounts are stationary. Deciding whether your shower will be a portable or permanent installation is the first step in deciding what type of shower will work for you. The very simplest of showers can be hooked up directly to a garden hose. Shower seekers can craft their own using fittings, tubing, and a showerhead, or purchase a shower package from any number of retail outlets.

Summer will be here soon ~ stay cool!

Decorating A Dreamhouse - Boston Back Bay Brownstone

2010-03-17T10:17:00.000-07:00

Written By: Patricia Lynne
Editor: Sarahjoy Crain

In my current SB Journal entry "Decorating A Dreamhouse" - - I'm imagining that I'm living in a vintage Victorian-style brownstone, like the one above. In Boston's Back Bay ........ Lovin' It!

Architecturally the area is dominated by elegant, Victorian brownstone buildings. It's definitely upscale, the Back Bay and neighboring Beacon Hill, are all a part of the prestigious Back Bay of Boston, Massachusetts. ~La dee dah, I'm livin' the sweet life! ~

Bostonians Reclaim Back Bay Area And Incorporate Economic Development

One could only imagine what the "Back Bay Area" was like prior to the 19th century. The Bay was literally, as with much of the New England coast, very tidal, with water rising and falling several feet over the course of the day. However, at low water, part of the bottom of the bay was exposed, exposing just a foul-water, back bay site.

The Back Bay was reclaimed through: bringing in fill from Needham and 'back filling the tidal area' was completed ~ and ~ with an extensive economic development plan based on a successful renovation plan in Paris, commissioned by Napoleon III.

Bostonians turned water into clearly one of the most efficient residential areas of New England.

The Back Bay Neighborhood Today

The Back Bay's main thoroughfares emphasize order, with strict regulations producing a uniform and well-integrated architecture, consisting mostly of dignified three- and four-story residential (or once-residential) brownstones. Thoroughfares of Back Bay are wide, parallel, tree-lined avenues and more homogeneous architectural styles. Five east and west corridors run the length of the Back Bay.

The area is well known for its plush shopping areas, and as well as being the home of the Berklee College of Music. The Back Bay is dense with luxury hotels including:

The Lenox Hotel
The Colonnade Hotel
The Westin Copley Place
The Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel,
and the largest hotel, The Boston Marriott Copley Place
The new Mandarin Oriental opened in October 2008, with an arcade area housing a number of upscale designer boutiques and restaurants. The Copley Square area is close to the Back Bay railroad terminal, and is the eastern nexus of a system of hotels and shopping centers connected by a set of glassed-in pedestrian overpasses. The large Copley Place mall includes the first Neiman Marcus opened in the New England area. These overpasses extend over half a mile to the Prudential Tower and the shops surrounding it.

The 52-story Prudential Tower (known to locals as "the Pru"), thought a marvel in 1964, is now considered an eyesore by some. However, the Prudential Skywalk, a 50th floor observation deck, is currently the highest observation deck in New England that is open to the public and offers views of Back Bay, Boston, and surrounding areas. Inside the Pru Building is an urban shopping mall and a Roman Catholic chapel.
The John Hancock Tower which rises to 60 stories and is Boston's tallest building, is located a few blocks away. Recently completed high rises nearby include 111 Huntington Avenue (36 stories, completed in 2002), and the Clarendon (32 stories, completed in 2009). (Boston Back Bay District Data Source: Wikipedia.)

Getting Around The Boston Back Bay

You can have access to anywhere in Boston and its suburbs via the MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority), but I've found walking is by far the best way to enjoy:

~ the absolutely-delicious shops of Newberry Street (for those of you who are from the West Coast, think Rodeo Drive with major spots of art (of the very avant-garde style).
~ the excellent architecture of Commonwealth Avenue - ranging from chiseled, grand churches to a par excellence collection of gargoyles (don't you love the dichotomy!)
~ first class commercial shops and centers on Boyleston Street like voluptuous Copley Square and a range of restaurants to meet every gustatory delight
~ a quick walk west is crackerjack fun - the major avenues join at Kenmore Square and Fenway Park, the oldest venue used by a professional sports team in the United States (and home of the Boston Red Sox - "Go Red Sox!" )

We're going inside now so please join me as I write in my SB Journal on decorating the interiors of my Back Bay Victorian Style Brownstone. My home.

My Boston Back Bay Dreamhouse Formal Entryway

"In a picture I want to say something comforting."

~ Vincent Van Gogh ~

Just as Van Gogh desired to bring comfort through his art, I want to incorporate comfort in my surroundings. I like that at the house entryway enjoyment through the sense of touch is bestowed. This design is part of our everyday pleasure and nurturing ..... measured out in a sophisticating style.

The Channel Bench, made of a non-porous material, is in use here as a table and topped with an unusual but elegant wood sculpture and glass vase of flowers.

Under the table is a truly standout piece - the Kargo Bench - check out its hand-crafted, woven leather with top stitching. Both the Channel Bench and Kargo Bench are available from Powell and Bonnell. (P.S. Do you not love the funky, natural-wreaths being displayed as major wall art?)

My Boston Back Bay Dreamhouse Living Room

The tall white leather Kudo Chair was my first pick for this room. I was charmed by its lines, both traditional and contemporary in one piece. The round Strata Side Table is transitional in style but I really like that the Side Table, in a small amount of space, gives me room to display many of my favorite things, which is of great importance to me.

When I am designing, I always endeavor to display things that I love - special books, a vase that makes me feel good because it originates from a country I want to visit, etc. (For more design-concepts info regarding displaying items, click here "Objects Come Alive With Energy.")

Despite the large number of items in this room, it isn't cluttered. Guests are naturally captivated by this room. They like the desk set (which is really an Avenue Chair with its tapered wood legs pulled up to the Mirage Table, which has a cool floating glass top and also has tapered wood legs). They also tend to like the small benches such as the wooden structure bench next to the Kudo Chair and the natural-woven, small, black benches in front of the round side table. Good design stirs energy and/or causes emotion - such as the feeling that is created when momentarily, in our hearts, we're little children who want to sit on all of the fun and whimsical seating spots. These pieces are also available from Powell And Bonnell.

My Boston Back Bay Dreamhouse Dining Room

This dining room is so perfect because it is not elegantly perfect - this is a dining room that has a much more casual presentation. The table with its waxed antique top is absolutely "user friendly". This room is also stunning because it is sweetly proportioned. The style, the wood, and the scale of the legs of the table and chairs are all in harmony. Additionally, the chairs are practical because they are not too heavy in scale which would make them too cumbersome to move around. It's important your guests not feel that the chairs are immovable. The Haviland Chair and Russell Dining Table are both available from the Something Beautiful Shoppe.

New age philosopher Joseph Campbell is quoted as saying, "Awe Is What Makes Us Move Forward," ....... let's move onto the rest of the house.

My Boston Back Bay Dreamhouse Master Bedroom

Although designer Betty Burgess of Atlanta designed this dreamy master bedroom, I'm including it here as ideal for my Boston Back Bay dream house.
I'm passionate about this process of passing through the various spaces of my dream house, luxuriating in the functions of the different rooms. I love to see the application of the varying layers of color, texture and form.
The bedroom uses luxurious faux suede from Yoma Textiles called Mockingbird, in the color Stone. It graces the walls, the headboard, the bedskirt, drapery, and seat upholstery.
Speaking of the headboard, is this upholstered one tall enough for you? This thoroughout is some serious glam'. But the room isn't exactly overly so - not too many pillows, the calming, muted-mellow color scheme, even the scallops of the linens have a nice rhythm and feel. The bedskirt is box pleated but still casual.
A bedroom is for the most part a private place. Create this area for your enjoyment only. It is a feast for your eyes, not open to the opinions of others. It is here that your spirit can be open - it is here that your surroundings should be what is most welcoming and beautiful to you. (Photo is from Veranda Magazine, April 2009)

Writing my "Decorating A Dreamhouse" is always a greatly anticipated job for me. The Back Bay of Boston, Massachusetts is an extraordinary venue in our own country. If you've not visited Boston and especially the Back Bay, put it on your must-see agenda.

I could so move to the Back Bay. Couldn't you?

Want More "Decorating A Dreamhouse" Journal Entries? Click to read:
"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Florence, Italy"
"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Beverly Hills Mansion"
"Decorate A Dreamhouse - English Country Cottage"
"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Mallorca Island"
"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Manhattan Brownstone"
"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Boston Back Bay Brownstone

New Products I've Found

2010-03-16T16:12:00.000-07:00

The Stray Dog Shop says they have 'fetching home accessories ........ ' and that they do. I loved the whimsy of this pendant lamp. To find some silliness today, check them out.

Recently my family traveled to Laguna Beach and we found a new art gallery to add to our favorites: Fingerhut Gallery (they also have a location in Sausalito).

What drew us into this gallery was a seven foot tall bronze Cat In The Hat, and then we were greeted by hundreds of beautifully-framed serigraphs of Cat In The Hat art.

Green Eggs and Ham - 50th Anniversary
Hand-Pulled Serigraph on Paper
Limited Edition of 295 with 155 Collaborators’ Proofs

Said Dr. Seuss, "I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living; it’s a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, and that enables you to laugh at life's realities.” I so love this quote and concept! Rock on, Dr. Seuss artwork fantasyland!

With this in mind, go here to savor more time with more wonderfully Seussian characters, linger with each, recal your own connection to these lasting messages, enjoyable memories and life principles passed along through them.

Click here to see more of Cat In The Hat artwork from Fingerhut Gallery and remember, they have a shop in Laguna Beach and Sausalito.

But in the above very same Laguna Beach, California Fingerhut Gallery I found the following artpiece. This exquisitely-painted folded screen by Chinese artist Jiang Tiefeng is on display in the same shop where I found the comical and crazy but noteworthy Dr. Seuss art, I found artwork by Jiang Tiefeng including his painted folded screen.

I personally stopped in my tracks and snapped away with my camera: here it is:

In fact however I apologize for just being able to give you an image from my digital camera. I would much prefer to bring you the artist's own professional photographic representation, but I wasn't able to come up with it.

I love folding screens and I love this one. (Click here to see one of my previous articles about folding screens, including some in world-wide-known, historical locations.)
With permission of Ms. Marguerite Bartel of the Fingerhut Gallery of Laguna Beach, I include the folding screen here. The shop's phone number is 949-376-6410; Fingerhut publishes this product for artist Jiang Tiefeng (the screen is priced very reasonably).

Mr. Important Design Firm Debuts Vegas Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Nightclub

2010-03-15T09:43:00.000-07:00

This is a photo of a womens' restroom

- at the recently opened Vegas Hard Rock Hotel & Casino's nightclub Vanity! Rose-gold lips, framing perfectly pearlescent teeth, and an impossibly aqua eye, shimmering with makeup, face off over the sinks.

From Interior Design Magazine: "Charles Doell calls himself Mr. Important Design—a name as exuberant and outré as his nightclubs and restaurants." Definitely a headliner that recently debuted, for the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino nightclub Vanity in Las Vegas, Doell went the limit."

Further from the magazine, "The club is a phantasmagoria of shiny and sparkly surfaces. Take the canopy above the dance floor: a flamboyantly undulating form aglitter with 20,000 crystals. '“Risk-taking is now standard operating procedure for many large players in the hospitality business,” he says. “We completely love that.”'

Click here to see a slide show with more photographs; they're fabulously over the top.

Decorate A Dreamhouse In Florence Italy

2010-02-18T09:45:00.000-08:00

Written By: Patricia Lynne
Editor: Sarahjoy Crain

In my current SB Journal entry "Decorating A Dreamhouse" - - I'm imagining I'm living in a vintage apartment style house, like the one above. In Florence, Italy, that is!

As recorded in my Journal: in every nook and cranny around my vintage Florence home are unbelievably beautiful symbols of Italian and European culture.

I can simply pedal my bicycle and dive right into the European Renaissance by riding the Ring of the Renaissance, which overlooks Florence and borders along the Valdarno and the Valdisieve. This bike ride delightfully combines the elegance of the country's nature with its amazing art and history.

It is impossible not to fall in love with the Country's beautiful places and enjoy its incredible panoramas. Including the view from my own windows - which is to die for.

Close to the heart of the community my location allows me to taste the local foods and scrumptious wines of the area with the greatest of ease. There isn't a day that I cannot take a break and eat in one of the trattorias or cellars for a 'sensorial' experience.

Honoring the vintage style of Italy and the universal geniuses Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo I've accessorized the inside of my home by leaving the walls natural rough fresco. My color scheme celebrates the chromaticity of Tuscany, having incorporated some of the old style formalness (through both the use of antiques and reproduction Italian antique pieces such as from Bennetti's Italia, USA).

We're going inside now so please join me as I write in my SB Journal on decorating the interiors of my worldly apartment style Florence, Italy. Home.

My Dreamhouse Formal Entryway

Benvenuti nel mio Firenze casa - in English, "Welcome To My Florence House" and I do, welcome you. How does one hold in their hands, or more succinctly, place in their entryway, such a piece of history - and then invite friends - it seems so presumptuous. But this is Florence, Italy, everyday!
I love this artwork. And the accessorizing with a few plates and tall candle holders. I felt like I kidnapped this 17th century Italian credenza from Michael Haskell Antiques. Who OWNS something like this - this could be a museum piece. No reproduction here - this is a real find from Michael Haskell's shop. Secret: once in a blue moon, no matter the budget, splurge! I applaud you to invest in a truly fabulous piece, like your name was written all over it. For me, this was it.

My Dreamhouse Living Room

Moviamo per favore al soggiorno e piacere il caffè - or, please let us move to the living room and enjoy coffee.
Now, as you decorate, understand it is okay to use reproductions. Here I have used beautiful reproductions sofa, loveseat and awesome accent chair that are available from the Something Beautiful Shoppe. Their 48" ottoman is comfortable, elegant and useful as a practical spot when entertaining to place a coffee tray and servings. The urn vase full of roses on the ottoman is integral to the overall design of the room - when building the rose display, I utilized the 'more is better' concept to hold the room together. Just in case you wondered, yes, the accent chair is favorite amongst my family and guests.
The Bell 6 Candle Vine chandelier from Studio Steel Lighting is yet another place where I indulged myself - Studio Steel creates one-of-a-kind custom wrought iron fixtures for private residences and public spaces. Each piece has a hand-rubbed finish and exquisite appointments. It adds luxurious luminescence to my home. I've piggybacked splendor and brilliance to my living room by indulging myself with a custom chandelier, picked hopefully to be treasured for generations.

My Florence DreamHouse Dining Room

Dining together is a formal affair for Italians, especially if you are comparing the average American family.

"Il Mio amore che la tavola non e' affittato" will be expressed sharply and distinctly if someone at the table dare rush the Italian dinnertime. This expression means, "My Love, the table is not rented."

This is the time to sit. To enjoy the fruits of your labor. To embrace your family and friends. The adult members know this; but it is the squeamish youngsters who (silently) question this daily European dinner tradition. Questioning of this tradition is met by laughter from family members who've learned to trust this sacred old family tradition. (The dining table and chairs shown here are from the Sorrento Collection By Fremarc.)

My Dreamhouse Master Bedroom

Note how the bed is not flush to the wall. This reflects a style from the Renaissance. Back when the rooms were chilly and high framed beds also were curtained all about in sumptuous woven and embroidered fabrics. Often placed in the center of a chamber, the bed was like an enclosed room, within a room, within a house. The draperies when dropped, offered seclusion for pillow talk.

Here pulling the bed away from the wall allows for artwork to have a separate form of prominence - one can walk right up to it. It gives the room a feeling of layers - the bed and nightstand, the fireplace area, the gallery of artwork.

Staying true to my Florence, Italy home heritage, the black leather upholstered headboard brings a slight feel of the contemporary. But, don't be fooled, the sumptuous over the top bedding is too significant for any real modern feel.
Candles are a must in the bedroom, as well as sensuous lotions and scents. Create a room you are drawn to . . . that your body longs to cuddle up under its covers beside your favorite someone. Create luxury and serenity. Living in Florence, Italy one quickly learns to honor life and its gifts. In the busyness of everyday life, even here, honoring our bedroom is like honoring ourselves. Much less an indulgence than a necessity.

Bedding is Montefalco by Sweet Dreams.

Writing my "Decorating A Dreamhouse" is always a great job for me. Florence, Italy is such a big amazing City. I hope you enjoyed tasting a small slice of what my life would be like in Florence.

I could so move here. Couldn't you?

Want More? Click to read:

"Decorate A Dreamhouse - A German Equestrian Estate"

"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Boston Back Bay Brownstone"
"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Belgiam Castle"
"Decorate A Dreamhouse - English Country Cottage"

"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Beverly Hills, California"

"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Mallorca Island"

"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Manhattan Brownstone"

Transforming Space With Light

2010-02-18T09:30:00.000-08:00

Getting the lighting right in our homes will transform our spaces. Additionally, we know that the human eye is instinctively drawn to light sources upon visiting someone's home. Light fixtures create warmth and visual movement around the room.

Most homes are underlit. Underlit homes often tend to make rooms feel smaller and can cast an unappealing light on the room as well as on the folks who live there.

Here are some tips in getting your lighting right to help you transform your space. The tips will be simple but not obvious if you haven't thought about this before.

* Three Points of Light: Every room should have at least three points of light, which allow for the basic triangle of visual flow around the room. In the bedroom above, from Studio Steel Lighting, for example, this is the lights on either side of the bed and the chandelier. Another form of how to incorporate the three points of light in a bedroom would be lamps on nightstands on each side of the bed and a third lamp on top of a dresser. FYI: More light is always fine. (Studio Steel Lighting Chandelier)

* No Bare Bulbs: Indirect light is most comfortable and most flattering. Contrary to the below photo, for the most part you should remove, redirect or cover any bare bulbs that you can see. I included the below photo (from Skona Hemm a Swedish interior design magazine with regular features on home decor) knowing that it is a break-the-rules bare bulb light fixture because it is so unique and it does work. I believe that is because the bulbs are at a low level and additionally, they give off a soft, not harsh light.

* Keep Light Below Eye Level: Low positioning is best so that it lives on the level where you live - not on the ceiling.

Table and floor lamps should do most of your lighting, and track or ceiling fixtures (pendants and chandeliers) should shield their sources and direct light downward onto furniture or walls so that you notice the light most by where it is shining, not where it's coming from.

* Dimmers, Dimmers, Dimmers: Dimmers are easy to install, don't cost much, save electricity and allow you to adjust your lighting for many different occasions. They make a huge difference.

Design Concept - Golden Mean And Golden Rectangle

2010-02-17T08:05:00.000-08:00

Understanding design concepts such as the Golden Mean regarding proportion - the ideal relationship of things to themselves - will help you not only be better prepared to create beauty around you but it will enhance your enjoyment of that beauty.

It is noteworthy that since Renaissance times, the concept of the Golden Mean and the Golden Rectangle have been used in the undertaking of art and architecture. Not just artists and architects have incorporated the Golden Mean, but mathematicians (and more recently, readers of "The Da Vinci Code,) have been fascinated by mathematical proportions and the Golden Mean. It's the basis of much of the artwork of Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo.

Today for architects and designers, the Golden Mean has become a standard proportion used:

in facades of buildings,

in first story to second story proportion,

in the dimensions of paintings and picture frames,

in planning a room or elevating a wall and the sizes of the windows or the spaces between or above or below.

Definition of Golden Mean: is a formula for dividing a line at between 2/3 and 1/2 its length. This formula is believed to result in the segments being satisfactory proportions, believed to be pleasing to the human being.

Definition Of The Golden Rectangle: is any rectangle in which the ratio of the short side to the long side is 3 to 5 or of course any extensions of this ratio such as 4 x 6, 6 x 9, etc.

Example of Golden Rectangle in an area rug, a typical interior decor item:

This Ocean Corsaro area rug from Gumps San Francisco measures 4' x 6', it is an example of the golden rectangle.

Example of Golden Rectangle in a significant historical architecture - the Parthenon.

The Greeks built the Parthenon so that its width is perfect in relation to its height, as in the golden rectangle.

Determining the Golden Rectangle: Let's say you are considering adding on a room addition and your available area is 18' in width and plenty of land, what should be the length of your room? Divide the 18' by 2 and arrive at 9'. Add the 9' to the 18' and you have 27'. Therefore the dimensions of your new room should be 18' x 27'.

You can create the ideal proportion whether you base the measurement on the length or the width. For example, suppose the length of the room were 18'. What would be the ideal width? It would be 12', because when you divide 18 by 1.5, it becomes 12; therefore the ideal dimensions would be 12' x 18'.

When you know good proportion, you can see why an area rug is so satisfying and why a long hall gives you claustrophobia.

Interior designers have ways to correct flawed proportions in many instances. The hallway shown in the above photograph has been architecturally corrected by the beautiful archways. If you have a long narrow hallway, a less expensive idea is to place a mirror at the end of the hall to bring in light and visually widen the space. You can either hang a traditional mirror in a frame or mirror the whole wall from cornice to baseboard.

The ancient Greeks called proportion the soul of what we see.

The Design Concept Series endeavors to help you bring more beauty and harmony into your home by helping you learn to see better and by helping you to know how to incorporate important design principles

*** Art Objects Are Alive With Energy

*** Balance - Achieving It In Designing Rooms

*** Lines As Forms

*** Rhythm - Its Good For Dance & Room Design

*** Scale & Proportion - Helps You More Assuredly Create Beauty

Something Beautiful Shoppe! Coming Soon!

2010-01-08T19:19:00.000-08:00

The Something Beautiful Shoppe - features a diverse range of luxury home furnishings products from top manufacturers and dealers.

We can hardly stand it because we know you are gonna' love it so much.

Following is a sample of one of our vendors' products--just to give you a taste!

Motif Designs Sold In Something Beautiful Shoppe:
Enjoy:

Meet Motif.

We’re a design company dedicated to real homes, real customers, and real style. For 25 years we’ve put our talent where our motto is, designing fabrics and wall-coverings that are chic and sensible. Now we’ve broadened our reach, adding furniture, lighting, and mirrors to our stable of design collections.

Our aesthetic is fresh and sophisticated. It’s also pragmatic. Motif co-founder Lyn Peterson "a.k.a 'the real life decorator,'" insists each piece be great looking and also enduring. The sofas and tables are superbly crafted, the fabrics and wallpaper designed to hold up, not to mention hold their own. Even the smaller details, "lamps, scones, and mirrors" are high-caliber and bright with panache.

Decorate A Dreamhouse In Beverly Hills

2009-12-11T11:39:00.000-08:00

Written By: Patricia Lynne
Editor: Sarahjoy Crain

In my current SB Journal entry I'm imagining I'm "Decorating A Dreamhouse" in Beverly Hills, California, like the one above. The home:

* exterior is typical Georgian architectural style: symmetrical and orderly; paneled front door located at the center of the house; decorative crown over the door, with flattened columns on each side of the door
* front and rear yards symmetrically landscaped and the rear yard has a dramatic swimming pool with a guest house, all in Georgian style
* views of the surrounding mountain foothills
* is located in a City who's residents actively participate in entertaining, private and public dinners and philanthropic events
* the interior decorating of the house is not conservative and it is not symmetrical - it is dramatic and even flaunts a bit.

It is easy to enjoy the swimming pool and exterior yard guest house. Beverly Hills in particular enjoys nearly perfect weather - with almost year-round sunshine.

So, we're going inside now. Please join me in my SB Journal on Decorating A Dreamhouse - in Beverly Hills.

The Dreamhouse Beverly Hills House Entryway:

The entryway area introduces the fun; no matchy matchy 'perfectness' here (that is left outside for the public eye - ahah!)

The first piece we confront is an extravagantly painted black console from Giorgio Piotto's Home and Glamour Collection.

The entryway is painted a warm grey paint color - which is different and it works here. The paint color also happens to make a nice segue when we finally go to the next room (with pinks and purples).

My entryway wall grouping . . . . again . . . fun. It seemed appropriate for Ms. Audrey Hepburn needed to be a part of it. She so needed to be a part of welcoming visitors to the home. Ms. Hepburn and the rest of my art grouping here is from Art.Com.

The contemporary wall art grouping includes a slightly-fancy wall sconce from Brighton. I enjoy the bit of fancy that both Ms. Hepburn and the inclusion of the Brighton wall sconce bring to this display.

So, this is my informal, formal entryway.

The Dreamhouse Beverly Hills Living RoomWe're now in the pink and purple room. My living room.

The colorways of the room are predominantly shades of soft sugared sweetness. The walls are papered in a gorgeous lavender and purple with a large, sultry stripe.

In this room separate than the pink and purple, there are a few select black pieces, with those accents serving to ground the room, preventing too much sweetsy feel.

The focal point of the room appears to be the oversized burnt velvet Nella Vetrina victorian style sofa. It is wonderfully comfortable - filled with down.

But as you look around the room, you can enjoy that it has the feel of being part of an Andy Warhol composition, and now the Victorian sofa is just part of something larger, more dramatic.

The cocktail table from Giorgio Piotto's Home & Glamour Cadre Collection is also oversized, its marvelous detail, attention grabbing. Both the mass and color of the table allow it to act as an anchor for the rest of the room's furniture, except the one black lacquer side chair may be relocated as required by the room's activities.

Gotta' love these Roberto Savi Bergere Chairs. The silk damask upholstery is vintage-y and old looking while the wood frame has a more contemporary look, making a lovely fresh mix.

It seems that if you have a purple pink room with ornate and oversized Victorian pieces, you should flaunt it; so, along with Andy Warhol artwork (from Art.Com) - this room is workin' it!

My Beverly Hills Dreamhouse Dining Room

Home and Glamour Maurice by Nella Vetrina produces this fabulous dining room set. The green and purple of the dining room pieces, the black chandelier and finally, the artwork (including the one piece sitting on the floor) all make this room rock.

The walls are painted a very muted light blue, the draperies are simple, matching the purple of the furniture pieces.

This dining room's pieces become a part of a total transformation when the room is up for a entertaining event or a dinner party.

Because it is very practical for childrens' homework and entertaining activities as well, this is a high use room - unlike dining rooms of previous generations that fell under the "look-but-do-not-touch" heading.

The Beverly Hills Dreamhouse Master Bedroom

Drama, action, romance ......... If things are gonna get hot and spicy, this is the room for it. Baby you're in the spotlight now - literally. Can't you see yourself holding a glass of champagne, nibbling on a cheese and fruit platter all wrapped up in that faux fur throw.

This bedroom collection by Home And Glamour Bed by Nella Vetrina so full of style - the bedframe - true beauty! With this headboard, a large piece of artwork overhead would be just too much.

Then darling, we have a tall chest of drawers ............ for him, for her, with curves in all the right places. If you desire reading material, here is a corner for you: an area for books and storage of magazines (see below) while on the wall is a grouping of similarly framed black and white photographs. One chair - almost five feet tall, in white leather, appropriately named the Grace chair, can also hold you and your favorite book. Ooh la lah! Baby, you are so home........

This has been so much fun, writing my "Decorating A Dreamhouse." A home in Beverly Hills is a dream, however you look at it. Of course I just imagined decorating it, but I desired to create an spacious, comfortable but dramatically colorful with a bit of flair home.

I could so live here. Couldn't you?
Want More? Click to read:
Click Below To Read"
Other "Decorate A Dreamhouse Articlers:

"Decorate A Dreamhouse - A German Equestrian Estate"

"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Boston Back Bay Brownstone"
"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Belgiam Castle"
"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Florence, Italy"

"Decorate A Dreamhouse - English Country Cottage"

"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Mallorca Island"

"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Manhattan Brownstone"

Window Treatment Trends

2009-12-11T08:56:00.000-08:00

Trends in window treatments
The trend in window treatments is leaning toward:

* a modern look
* clean-lines
* uncluttered drapery panels
* organic materials or natural woven products

Fortunately not only is this the really fresh style right now - its a classic look, never going out of style.

Looking at the photo above, the addition of Roman shades, here natural woven shades, adds nicely to the simple drapery panels design. (Photo Smith + Noble.)

Another fun element to consider as we incorporate natural and eco-friendly looks is adding this to the window hardware - think drapery poles such as bamboo drapery rods from Smith + Noble and also in finials and pulls.

Cindy O'Reilly, product development manager for Smith + Noble says about woven shades, "They let in diffused light, so you can see what's going on outside, but it's not just an open window, so you have some privacy."

Trends In Color For Window Treatments

Blue is becoming the new "red" in the window treatment industry, with a variety of ocean hues in teal, aquamarine and soft green. At right is a collection of Robert Allen blues.

Soft lavender and gray, dusty hues round out the soothing part of this palette. According to O'Reilly, "We've seen white paired with black or navy. Persimmon, orange and gold will be popular jewel tones, while brown continues to dominate. "[Brown] has been, and continues to be, the new basic." says O'Reilly.

Trends In Luxury Design Treatments:

The key fabrics in the luxury category are the silks, velvets, damasks, fur, leather and suede, according to Grace McNamara Inc. She states firmly, "While the overall design trend leans toward simplicity, the lux trend will remain popular with those who desire an ultimate embellishment look."

Photo at left: Silk never goes out of style. The fuchsia silk drapery treatment at left is by Patrick Sutton Associates for a Baltimore client.

Linda Henry, editor-in-chief of Window Fashions magazine, says the lux trend includes "sparkling crystal, beaded tassels and lavish embellishments on every element of the window — hardware, trimmings and fabric."

Ceiling Decor

2009-12-11T08:00:00.001-08:00

Brass, chrome, copper and paintable white 2' x 4' ceiling panels make up Armstrong's "Metallaire Decorative Ceilings" line, which have intricate detail reminiscent of late 19th century metal ceilings. The ceiling line has been so successful architects and interior designers are pleased to know the line has just been extended so that the ceiling panels are available for backsplash applications.

Ceiling Decor

The ceiling should be considered the fifth wall in a room, and should always be considered when developing an interior design plan.
Paint: Just like the other four walls, the quickest least expensive way to change your ceiling design is by painting it. Even if your walls are white, your ceiling doesn’t have to be. Color on the ceiling will give the room dimension and personality. Soft colors will make the room open up and evoke feelings of the outdoors. Imagine painting your bedroom ceiling a soft blue, sunset peach or mellow yellow. If you have a dark room, you can paint the ceiling in a high-gloss finish that will capitalize on the room’s available light (Caution: high gloss paint will highlight flaws in a surface). If you have high ceilings and you want to ‘bring the ceiling down’, you can paint the ceiling a dark color such as chocolate brown. If your ceilings are low or average height, consider painting the ceiling a lighter shade of the wall color (mix one part of the wall color with two or three parts of pure white).
Paint Pattern Designs: Another option when using paint on the ceiling is not to paint the entire ceiling in a color, but to paint large squares, circles or diamond patterns. The paint colors can be monochromatic, or a mix of different complementary colors. This approach is particularly good for modern/contemporary design plans.
Painted Murals: You can hire a professional artist to paint a mural on your ceiling. It doesn’t need to be a complicated design; it needs to flow with the other design elements in your space.

(By clicking here, you can go to an article by Martha Stewart with practical tips on painting ceilings.)

Other Ceiling Options: As seen at left, there are many options in ceiling decor. You can use wallpaper, tiles, even architectural details such as beams, molding, crown molding for decorative lighting, and often adding beauty to a chandelier, add a medallion.

In summary, ceilings should not be boring or ignored.

Use the ceiling to emphasize and enhance the décor of a room. Have fun and make your ceilings something pleasant to look at that will compliment your home and give it unique style.

Decorate A Dreamhouse - Manhattan Brownstone

2009-11-06T07:51:00.000-08:00

Written By: Patricia Lynne
Editor: Sarahjoy Crain

In my current SB Journal entry "Decorating A Dreamhouse" - - - I'm imagining I'm living in a Manhattan Brownstone in the Upper West Side Of New York, like the one above.

I record in my Journal that the Brownstone is among New York's finest neighborhoods, with its charming, brownstone facade and classic styling; the neighborhood is favored for its historical value, dating back to the nineteenth century. Its wonderfulness includes:

* My Brownstone has been tweaked a tad - I painted every inch of the exterior of my unit a beautiful enamel white. The detail of the stair rails appears even more stunning in white.
* It is flanked by the East River so in addition to the beauty of living on the waterfront, I can enjoy the amenities of living in a beautiful urban downtown such as world renowned museums and parks.
* The interiors are a fresh, sophisticated cottage look, with a mix of Swedish and French antiques. The color scheme is subdued; my unit is open and airy and full of light helping to provide a feel of endless space - enhanced by 12' ceilings.
* Although it is fresh-looking and on the side of contemporary, there are unexpected accents throughout the house that are antiques or that have been painted and decorated in a way that lend intentionally to the drama of agelessness.
* Ensuring that wonderful quality of comfort, I have purposely made it welcoming and romantic through the combination of color and texture (including provision of monogrammed bedding, Egyptian cotton sheets and wonderfully soft blankets and throws).

We're going inside now so please join me as I write in my SB Journal on decorating the interiors of my sophisticated Manhattan Brownstone.

My Formal Entryway:
When you enter my Brownstone there is a small formal entryway and here you are greeted by the resonance of this significant Swedish late Gustavian Grandfather Clock as it chimes in the new hour. The warmth of its sound brings life to my house.

It is one of the many beautiful antiques available from Talisman Antiques of London.

My Manhattan Brownstone Living Room:
Windows in my Brownstone are significant - they are numerous and oversized owing to the 12' ceilings.

The window coverings are simple but elegant, also a nod to a more contemporary look. I've avoided ornate valances, cornices, tiebacks and tassels. They are a simple silk drapery style that just slightly forms a "puddle and poof" on my floor.

Hanging in the center of my Manhattan Brownstone living area is this dramatic 31" black Murano Chandelier .

The chandelier's style is a reproduction 17th-century Venetian-style chandelier, with scrolling leaf and flower motifs, and it repeats other designs throughout the room. Made in Italy, it is available from Design With Reach.

Fell in love with this white linen Swedish settee From Tone On Tone Antiques. The curbed backrest and cut outs are delicate and a perfect backing for the detailed embroidered and pearl decorated lumbar pillow. The frame includes laurel leaf trim, applied lion masks & flowerettes, front turned fluted legs & rear sabering legs.

The coffee table measures 58" x 33" - and is definitely 'art as furniture.' By Eva Zeisel, this piece is one of my home's favorite unexpected accents.
Born in 1906 and still designing today, Eva Zeisel is known world wide for her work with clay but it was not until she was in her 80's that she began designing coffee tables. Zeisel is a recipient of the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award For Lifetime Achievement. The Eva Zeisel Coffee Table is available from Design Within Reach.

Again I chose muted fabric color tones on these upholstery pieces, my Club Chairs, French Napoleon III, dating back from the 1870's to 1880's. From Tone On Tone Antiques, the chairs are covered in a heavy Belgian linen and each chair holds a very soft-colored, floral decorative pillow.

With classic baroque style and innovative modern design, the Louis Ghost Transparent Chair is both enchanting and comfortable.
In a short time this chair has become an iconic piece in the canon of Philippe Starck for its instantly recognizable Louis XVI chair shape pared down to an essential form and boldly reinterpreted in plastic.

And ..... it is sitting in my living room - - a-hem, just a cute little sidechair.

The "Manuscrit Rug" is my choice for underfoot - Joaquim Ruiz Millet is an architect and designer, and a writer, filmmaker and gallery directory. His Manuscrit Rug is an expression of all of his passions and features a romantic poem that he wrote in his native Catalan. It features the actual handwriting of the designer, the rug is an enlargement of a page in a novel Ruiz Millet is working on. It is available from Design Within Reach.

Last but not least, artwork for my living area's walls:

I have chosen this one oversized artwork by Pablo Picasso, "Evening Flowers". It has been framed and matted to just over 5' .

I find that my living room area is dynamic with its tall, elegant drapery presentations, beautiful but subtle Swedish pieces, the explosively-black chandelier, overhead, the artwork-as-furniture coffee table by Eva Zeisel and then, of course, the Manuscrit Rug. It is lovely and complete and I rest at the selection of this one very large art piece.

My Dining Area:

This beautiful dining collection is from Maison Home Interiors which is located in Richmond, Virginia.

I love the tall global candleholders and how they play off the glass reflections in the crystal chandelier and off of the tall cabinet's glass fronts.

On the opposite wall I have the Ballards Canterbury sideboard in cream, and also from Ballards, the Lemon Topiary Tree.

My Master Bedroom:

My bedding is romantic with its scrumptious feeling, goose-down insert duvet, monogrammed pillow shams and embroidered bedding. Both the bed and bedding are from Pottery Barn.
I like comfy places to sit and read. I like to put my feet up, I like a nice view. These two pieces fit my needs and I like the tactile feel and look they offer my bedroom - the natural woven Seagrass Wingback Armchair and Ottoman, are also from Pottery Barn.

I love waking up and seeing this Anastasia Mirror - it is graceful while the shelf with its contents allows it to look as if it is a functional piece.

This has been so much fun, writing my "Decorating A Dreamhouse," this time as a Manhattan Brownstone. Of course I just imagined decorating it, but I desired to create an inviting, sophisticated but enchanting home.

I could so live here. Couldn't you?
Want More?

Click Below To Read: Other "Decorate A Dreamhouse" Articles

"Decorate A Dreamhouse - A German Equestrian Estate"
"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Boston Back Bay Brownstone"
"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Belgiam Castle"
"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Florence, Italy"
"Decorate A Dreamhouse - English Country Cottage"
"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Beverly Hills, California"
"Decorate A Dreamhouse - Mallorca Island"

Decorating For Serenity, Less Things, More Life

2009-11-05T03:44:00.000-08:00

The little country of Norway is known for furniture styles that are sleek, clean and minimalistic. I recently learned a wonderfully-interesting fact about this Country. "The people" who study on country's citizens' contentment levels in life and lifestyle report that Norway tops these scales..... Hummm .......

A lovely Norwegian woman (sorry, didn't catch the name), said, succinctly, "Less Things, More Life." Ahhhh . . . . . it makes my back and shoulders relax!

I will use this lovely quote as an example of an important design rule. A cluttered environment can greatly affect one's serenity and sense of calm. The more stuff we have that clutters our lives literally and figuratively = the less actual space we have to enjoy our lives.

Here are some beautiful yet comfortable - sleek, clean and minimalistic looks.

This furniture line is available from the Something Beautiful Shoppe - I love it - the Colony Chest Ocean with polished nickel drawer pulls has a seventies modern shape (available in four lacquered finishes: Ocean, Creme, Cinnabar and Java. Framed in Cherry wood.)

Also available from the Something Beautiful Shoppe, the Empire Table Lamp is conical-shaped crystal on a finely detailed, crystal-faceted base (topped off with a simple, natural, parchment shade. )

This is good design. The "solidness" of the chest and headboard paired with the transparent effects of the Empire Table Lamp and flower vase are exquisite. The photo frames are simple, not dark, heavy or ornate and it also helps that the photos are more lite than dark. The pairing of items - especially the crystal ("spaceless") vase and lamp - allows for four items on top the chest with no appearance of clutter. Viola! This is good design. The furniture pieces are pretty and they are presented keeping with their style.

This one is beautiful and fun - this is a very,
very traditional chair style, of course, but it has been tweaked.
This chair sashays a contemporary fun feel with its chic clean leather look. This is the Jonathon Chair, also by Motif Designs. It is a delight to the eye . . . clean and sleek. The vignette with the chair, the glass blocks - instead of a window pane, displays no excess. But it does display beauty and serenity. Note the base of the floor lamp's design, it is almost invisible and yet draws your eye up to the lovely floral arrangement. All of this is easy on the eye and again, we have a winner in good design!

The fun catalog Frontgate has a couple pieces to help keep the clean, sleek organized look. These two organizing units from are au currant - check them out! Clean, sleek and of course the ultimate, one of them has a surge protector! Super wow!

The Wood Burl, Solid Mahogany Charging Station from Frontgate is so just what everyone who wants to be organized needs. It's quietly, superbly efficient - a cool way to rid yourself of that typical desk or countertop clutter - you'll now be organized and your cell phones, PDAs, MP3 players, or games, electronics, fully charged. Its surge-protected power strip is concealed inside charging station, hidden from the public eye -powering up to four electronic portables at once. The charging station boasts drawers and slots to hold mail, keys, and miscellaneous items .

And another organizing tool . . . .

The Burled Desk Caddy is equally beautiful open or closed, and is a stately, yet practical addition to any office. Neatly fitted with drawers and cubbies, the tabletop caddy conceals and organizes checkbooks, stamps, keys, pens, and correspondence.

When we are furnishing our homes we have a certain look that we're hoping to achieve, i.e., decorating for serenity, less things more life. Its often important to consider certain rules of design to assure we do achieve that look that we seek. As seen here, if you are careful in the selection of the exact furniture and accessories and in their placement in your home, you can still have many items as necesssary and desired and still achieve that beautiful, serene feel.

Omvivo Bathroom Products Wow!

2009-11-04T12:37:00.000-08:00

The intention was to create a complete suite of luxury pieces that combine beautiful yet simple aesthetics with flexible design, suitable for a varied range of bathroom environments.

Was it a success? Beyond a shadow of a doubt. "Latis" by Omvivo is an opulent and sculptural range of bathroom products that compliments both modern and traditional spaces. In the industry we call that a classic.

The Omvivo designer is said to have been inspired by the fundamentals of tradition and quality. Uncomplicated, elegant forms combine with beautiful materials such as natural stone to create a luxurious contemporary range with eternal appeal. Named after the Celtic Goddess of Water, the Latis range includes basins, the trestle vanity and a remarkable bath. The basins are available in round and rectangular designs with soft curves, in a variety of finishes. The deep bath features an optional timber end with practical open shelves. The bath and trestle vanity both have clean angled lines that contrast and compliment the sculptural form of the basins.

The elegantly-minimalist Le Cob Bath pays homage to Le Corbusier’s famous chaise lounge. This bath tub is not something you see everyday.

The "Le Cob" bathtub is designed by Omvivo CEO & Chief Designer Joseph Licciarsi - this bath tub creates a unique bathing experience. The soothing cascade overflow is naturally therapeutic, reminiscent of a river, as the water falls onto the pebbles below. The Elegant Le Cob bath is handcrafted from a combination of Corian® and glass. It has everything, it arrives supplied complete with overflow tray and pebbles.

Washplane Basins - Check These Out!

The Omvivo Washplane - Omvivo offers an truly original range of bathroom sinks – Washplane. Its name perfectly reflects the best feature of its models – slimness. These bathroom sinks almost haven’t any hollow for the water. If you needn’t to hold the water then these sinks could become an interesting choice for you.

Behavioural changes over the years indicate that we are now using a continuous flow of clean water, rather than using soiled water in a plugged basin. This observation allowed Omvivo to change the whole design approach to a ‘washing vessel’. Without the need to hold water, a basin could be slim, elegant and sculptural, and at the same time use considerably less water through the utilisation of a restricted water outlet, such as the Omvivo Ulisse outlet.

There are a lot of models which are differs by materials and a little by shapes available. One of the most attractive models of this company is a wall-mounted sink made of seafoam glass. This material adds a natural and unique touch to this sink and makes it refine and sculptural. Supporting elements are made of high-quality stainless steel which perfectly combines with glass. These bathroom sinks are available in different sizes and can be comfortable as for one as for two or even for three persons. Above are shown two of these new sink basin styles, the elegant Linea Washplane Seafoam Glass and the Geo Washplane Stone, which is made of Carrara marble.

Omvivo Bathroom Products are available through interior designers - - if you are interested in this product line, contact one of the professionals at the Something Beautiful Shoppe. If decorating isn't easy for you or if you are in need of some particular interior design assistance, our designers at the Something Beautiful Shoppe will be happy to work with you - working with professional helps assure you get the look you deserve while helping eliminate costly mistakes.

Savio Firmino Classic Furniture, Italian Style

2009-10-06T16:10:00.000-07:00

Classic Italian furniture is distinct but Florence, Italy's Savio Firmino’s Collection really captures this style's essence. The Collection is on the expensive side - but take a look - it is absolutely delicious.

The chaise lounge or aka the 'fainting couch' - can you even get enough of it! I think I have a need to lay down, pull the decorative large decor pillow from the fur rug up onto my tummy and top it off with a good book. Yummmm........

Collezione 1941 (Bathrooms Collection) - If you like luxury designs and minimalism is definitely not your thing; if you dream to create a bathroom similar to the royal styles of the 19th century ~ and ~ if you dream to surround yourself by beauty and splendor, then you will love Savio Firmino Collezione 1941.

Savio Firmino doesn’t follow fashionable modern trends. It creates unique and wonderful furniture, with Collection 1941 made in the neoclassic style. Every piece in the collection is defined by its refinement and elegance, almost each piece decorated by jewels and gold or silver leafs. Sophisticated hand-engravings make this bathroom set even more marvelous. This bathroom design is timeless and created to calm and relax.

Notte Fatata (Bedding) is Italian for magical night - and more specifically, is Savio Firmino's bedding collection for the baby nursery and even the older child. The pieces can adapt with your little tiny princess even as she turns twelve. The furniture collection has a exquisite traditional design and comes in light gentle colors and to make it the ultimate in luxury, Notte Fatata can be covered with gold or silver foil.

Check out how the Notte Fatata baby cot piece can be easy transformed to a big and comfortable kid bed and the swaddling table can become a practical sideboard.

This furniture is worthy of a Tuscan mansion - and I thought it worthy of writing about in my Something Beautiful Journal. For more information, go to Savio Firmino. The Savio Firmino line is available through interior designers - - if you are interested in this furniture or in need of some particular interior design assistance, our Directory of Designers can help you locate a professional in your area. Working with an interior designer helps assure you get the look you desire while helping eliminate costly mistakes.