The Pink Pagoda

Blue and White Memorial Day Monday

2012-05-27T22:10:00.001-05:00

The five images above are from A Passion for Blue and White by Carolyne Roehm.

The two above are from Alberto Pinto's Table Settings.

I hope you are enjoying the long weekend. My daughter graduated from eighth grade Friday and we are so happy to have some long overdue down time for our family. So, would you prefer to be in one of these Carolyne Roehm settings or the beachside Alberto Pinto table?

My Etsy Purchases Yesterday

2012-05-25T05:00:00.001-05:00

If you've been here before, chances are you've seen that I have a big interest in abstract art. I used to not like it, but now I LOVE. I'm wanting to freshen and update my staid interiors. Some abstract art is just what I need to add some fun and color. I've been a fan of Kerry Steele's work for a while now, and as I've thought the colors she uses are beautiful, they didn't work for my house. Until now. Yesterday, I was checking out her work and saw these two. The colors are perfect for my family room. I snapped them up just as fast as I could, and I can't wait for them to arrive at my door. Do you have anything you're looking for that you know is just what your room needs? What is it?

Christina Murphy Interiors

2012-05-23T05:00:00.012-05:00

House Beautiful

Lonny

Christina Murphy Interiors

Traditional Home

domino

House Beautiful

Christina Murphy Interiors

So did you maybe infer from the number of photos that I'm quite a fan? Christina Murphy is unbelievably talented and I'm seeing her work everywhere. I'd love hearing what you think about these interiors. Do you have any favorites?

The House of Pink on Reign Magazine

2012-05-23T05:00:00.009-05:00

You know I love pink anything. I was thrilled to be featured on Reign Magazine with these amazingly gorgeous, fun and very pink items. I think I'd like one of everything. Thank you so much to the oh-so-chic ladies at Reign!

Michelle Workman Interiors

2012-05-22T05:00:00.000-05:00

All these gorgeous images are from the portfolio of Michelle Workman. I'm still having a thing for green. And I'm really loving green and white especially. Did you see the interior of the secretary? Green lacquer? LOVE. Read interesting things about her here, like how she has a thing for the Federal Period (me too). Would you have guessed that from these images?

Blue and White Monday

2012-05-21T05:00:00.004-05:00

A page from my newest interior design book and the cover below

The photographs in this book of The Greenbrier and The Grand Hotel, are incredible. Carleton Varney redecorated both, and he includes interesting information about the historic hotels.

This is a photo from the book of the casino bar at The Greenbrier.

Kristen, of the blog Steel Magnolia, visited The Greenbrier for her anniversary and sent me this picture to show the unbelievable scale of the temple jars. You can see photos from her trip here.

I changed the prints in my breakfast room this weekend. I didn't take a photo of the opposite wall, but there are four different prints there. What was there before were ginger jars in different colors. I loved them, but it's fun to have a change! And I'm liking the more limited colors in this room. Happy Monday!

Dining in the Pink with Carleton Varney and Lilly Pulitzer

2012-05-18T05:00:00.003-05:00

Last night I was looking through my newest interior design book, Mr. Color, and saw this dining room. Carleton Varney is the designer, and I'll be sharing more on this home soon. All of the pink with the white furniture made me think of the dining room below.

We've all seen this fantastic dining room recently. It seems that everyone loves it. Which of the two do you prefer?

Look Familiar?

2012-05-17T05:00:00.003-05:00

Does any of this look familiar to you? Occasionally, I enjoy looking through Dallas real estate listings. I was perusing last night and saw this house. I knew immediately that it looked very familiar. I'd seen this house in the December 2008 issue of Southern Accents. Decorated for Christmas, it was so warm and beautiful that I shared the photos on my blog this past December. And can you guess the well known Dallas designer who created these lovely interiors? Cathy Kincaid, of course. Even though summer is almost upon us, you should still take a look at this house in all its Christmas finery. See it here.

Around Town -- Mecox

2012-05-16T11:08:00.001-05:00

Are you familiar with Mecox? There are eight of them in the country, and I visited the Dallas location Saturday. It's in Uptown and a stone's throw from the new Jonathan Adler store. These may be the most fantastic foo dogs I've seen in person. The photo doesn't show scale, but they are huge. And they should be for $800 for the pair.

The Mecox website has an incredible online catalog that you can see here.

Margaret, a customer, sent these photos from her recent powder room project. The way she had her prints framed is so pretty. I love the way she coordinated the prints and her towels. Aren't those monograms gorgeous?

Suellen Gregory Interior Design

2012-05-15T00:12:00.000-05:00

Does this image look very familiar? I kept seeing and loving it on Pinterest. Finally, I came across one that had the designer's name attached. It is Suellen Gregory, and I was glad to know who designed this fresh, fun bedroom. I immediately wanted to see what else she'd done. I wasn't disappointed! Enjoy the incredible work of Suellen Gregory of Richmond, Virginia.

I love so much about her work. I kept seeing shades of pink and red with pale gray and I think it's very pretty. I also thought the colors used in the first photo are incredibly lovely. It looks like a refreshing space. Well, what are your thoughts?

Blue and White Monday -- The Votes Are In!

2012-05-14T05:00:00.003-05:00

Ashley Whittaker

Patrick Wade and Paul DeMattei

Katie Rosenfeld

Round Hill Resort, Ralph Lauren

We started with the foyers post. Then, the next week you chose a living room. The Monday after you chose a dining room, and last Monday you chose a bedroom. These are the rooms you chose as your favorites. The biggest margin was the foyer. None of the others touched it. Thank you so much for voting and commenting. This was very interesting for me. I'm so impressed that so many of you can choose a favorite! I seem to choose a different room each time I look through the choices. Happy Monday!

Happy Mother's Day

2012-05-13T12:53:00.000-05:00

I hope you are enjoying a lovely Sunday and Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day Weekend!

2012-05-12T11:04:00.000-05:00

Mary McDonald

Carolyne Roehm

Mary McDonald

Better Homes and Gardens

Have a lovely Mother's Day Weekend!

Blue Print and Collins Interiors

2012-05-11T10:31:00.003-05:00

These photos are from Blue Print, an amazing and unique shop here in Dallas. It's located inside a lovely old house with high ceilings and fabulous architectural details. You can see from the photos, that what is a business, feels more like a beautiful home.

What I didn't know is that the talented designers who created Blue Print also have an interior design firm called Collins Interiors. The photos below are from their portfolio.

I think their work is gorgeous, and want to just go hang out in the unbelievably gorgeous store. I love the eclectic, clean, but well layered look they create. What are your thoughts?

Happy Friday!

Darling Dallas Listing

2012-05-10T05:00:00.000-05:00

Little mailers come constantly from local real estate companies and I usually don't even look at them. They go straight to recycling. A photo on one I received yesterday got my attention. It's below. Can you guess which one?

I'm not in the market for a new house, but I still looked up this listing. I think this house is darling. I love the blue and white and the light, clean look. That first room with the blue paint and the books is my favorite. What do you think?

Spotlight on Abstract Art

2012-05-09T00:37:00.001-05:00

I used to dislike abstract art, but now it's what I'm wanting over both of my fireplaces. I'm considering it for over a console table in my entrance hall, a gallery wall of it in the living room, and flanking the bay window in the dining room. The color and the movement make me happy. I know that adding some of this would help my house look fresher and a bit more casual and fun. Which is what I need to happen.

What are your thoughts? Do you like abstract? Anything here you like?

My Visit to the New Dallas Jonathan Adler Store

2012-05-07T20:09:00.002-05:00

We have a Jonathan Adler store in Dallas and I visited Saturday afternoon. When I saw that the store had opened, I was excited to go in and it definitely did not disappoint.

The orange in this store may be my favorite orange ever. I like it even better than Hermes orange.

My family room needs two of these.

The quality of the merchandise looks great in person. The furniture is very well done and the lamps are gorgeous.

This bold blue and white contrast is so fantastic in person. My phone camera just didn't make it happen here.

Incredible fixtures. This one is my favorite.

This everything is amazing. I love JA's irreverent take. These lamps are his version of Staffordshire dogs.

I snapped these all over the store. They're perfect with the happy, fun atmosphere. The people who work there are quite nice and friendly. I'll be going back soon as my daughter was very sad to have missed this excursion. Thoughts?

Blue and White Monday -- Choose a Bedroom

2012-05-07T05:00:00.000-05:00

#1 Mary Anne Smiley

#2 House Beautiful

#3 Carolyne Roehm

#4 Phoebe Howard

#5 Miles Redd

#6 Carolyne Roehm

#7 Alessandra Branca

#8 Mario Buatta

#9 Round Hill Hotel, Jamaica

#10 Mario Buatta

#11 Massucco Warner Miller

#12 Christina Murphy

This is the last week of my "Pick a Room Series." I've taken votes for foyers, living rooms, dining rooms and today I'd be so appreciative if you'd vote for your favorite bedroom image. Next Monday I'll be sharing all of the winning rooms. Seeing the top choices has been interesting for me. It seems there's either a clear winner by a huge margin, or one wins by a vote or two. I have to say that you all have fantastic taste! Thank you so much for participating. Please share what you like and why. I'd love to hear what you think!

Happy Sunday!

2012-05-06T11:50:00.002-05:00

from A Passion For Blue and White by Carolyne Roehm

Happy Sunday!

Saturday Link Love

2012-05-05T01:38:00.001-05:00

Decorator Showhouse in Atlanta

Atlanta Homes shows gorgeous photos from the house last year. The above link will take you there to see all the talent and loveliness.

Carolyn Roehm From a Passion for Blue and White

Happy Saturday!

Anniversary Interview With Chinoiserie Chic

2012-05-04T05:00:00.001-05:00

Home Office of Luke and Julie Janklow from Vogue

Happy Third Anniversary to Chinoiserie Chic! Beth, a lovely friend and the best blogger ever, is celebrating the third anniversary of Chinoiserie Chic today. I know I'm not alone in being so happy that she does what she does. Do you adore getting to peruse beautiful Chinoiserie images everyday as much as I? Beth was lovely to answer the following questions, and her answers are very interesting.

1. When you first started Chinoiserie Chic, did you have any idea that there were so many Chinoiserie enthusiasts out there?

I think I realized there was an audience, but I think I have had a small part in expanding and focusing that audience. I get so many emails and comments from people saying they have always loved this style but didn't know what it was called or that it even had a name. I created the term "Chinoiserie Chic" for my new blog simply because I liked the "Ch Ch" alliteration, and it is now a part of the interior design vernacular. How cool is that?

I believe that the number of potential Chinoiserie enthusiasts is limitless because it works with literally any style. As an example, I have had two male clients who were not, shall I say, favorably disposed to using Chinoiserie in their bachelor apartments. Now they adore their Chinese lacquered screen, black Chinese porcelain, Chinese horses, and black lacquer furniture that are part of their homes. Chinese emperor portraits and terra cotta warriors happily coexisting with their leather furniture and flat screen televisions. Michael S. Smith is a perfect example of someone who uses a more masculine approach to Chinoiserie.

2. How and when did your interest in Chinoiserie develop?

My parents' house was mid century Danish modern without a drop of Chinoiserie. I however was always drawn to English antiques, chintz, botanicals, gardening, Chinoiserie, and pink, all of which were bizarre tastes to my parents. I wanted a canopy bed - I got a red wool teak daybed. Now I have the canopy bed. I think I may have been switched at birth.

3. What is it about Chinoiserie that you think people find most appealing?

It adds instant character, elegance, beauty, style, whimsy, fun, and sophistication to any room and any home. Chinoiserie exudes a joie de vivre - a joy of living that everyone wants to have in their lives.There is a timelessness and universality to it. My grandmother adored Chinoiserie and so does my daughter who is in her twenties and used it in her very first apartment. She and I "fight" over finds at HomeGoods and flea markets. I won out at T.J. Maxx on Sunday when I found a gorgeous Ralph Lauren Home blue and white Chinoiserie lamp for $79.99 that retails for $600.00.

Chinoiserie also has an incredible versatility that allows it to work in virtually any space. I don't think there is any room that could not be made more lovely with a well chosen dose of Chinoiserie. Let's take this wonderful dining room by Grant K. Gibson. The only thing in the room that is Chinoiserie is the collection of blue and white Chinese porcelain, but imagine the room without it.

4. So many designers incorporate Chinoiserie into their work. Who are the 3-5 who you think do it best?

I love the worldly sophistication of Alessandra Branca, the Hollywood glamour of Mary McDonald, the Palm Beach colors of Meg Braff, the fearless confidence of Miles Redd, and the timeless elegance of Joe Nye. Joe Nye is probably the closest to my own aesthetic, but all five of these interior designers use Chinoiserie in the most wonderful ways.

5. You have such a keen eye for detail and an incredible memory. How have you seen Chinoiserie and interior design change during the last three years?

A change that has delighted and excited me is that Chinoiserie has taken its rightful place in interior design. Can you name a top interior designer who does not use Chinoiserie? - and many subscribe to Chinoiserie Chic! It is hard to find an issue of a shelter magazine that doesn't have rooms with hand painted Chinoiserie wallpaper, blue and white Chinese porcelain, a Chinese garden stool, or a Chinese Chippendale chair. These are not fads. These all go back hundreds of years and are just being reinterpreted in ways that are relevant today.

We are coming up on Mother's Day and I think it is so charming that a grandmother, mother, and daughter can all share a love of Chinoiserie yet use it in their homes in very different ways. Chinoiserie binds us to the past with a historical reference yet is so relevant in interior design today. These three living rooms below, for example could belong to a grandmother, mother, and daughter all of whom love yellow and Chinoiserie.

Happy Anniversary, Chinoiserie Chic!

Green, Black and White

2012-05-03T00:40:00.001-05:00

Carleton Varney

Miles Redd

Sanity Fair

M. Design Interiors

Sherrill Canet

Martyn Lawrence Bullard

The combination of green, black and white is bold and stunning. I'm seeing it in interior design,

and in fashion. These four images are from Milly.

Vashti, from Like Me Some, is also a fan of the color combination. She created these amazing inspiration boards and posted about her plans for her study. I loved what she came up with, and can't wait to see what she does.

Vashti's post inspired me to create some new items with green, black and white.

Malachite Pagoda

Kelly Green Elephant on Black Lattice

zazzle

I should have done this a long time ago. Thanks for the inspiration Vashti! What do you think about these colors together?

Kelley Proxmire and Exuberant Color

2012-05-01T23:51:00.003-05:00

All photos from Kelly Interior Design Service

This room is reminiscent of my house growing up in that it's a sea of 18th Century mahogany. Lots of brown, and lots of English. That's why its fun for me to see these still traditional rooms with exuberant color, beautiful lucite and a sense of fun and whimsey. Kelley Proxmire is very talented and diverse. She also creates interiors with a more subtle palette. I'll show you more soon. Today I was in the mood for more color happiness. What are your thoughts? Could you live with all this color?

Color Happy

2012-05-01T01:02:00.001-05:00

Beth, of Chinoiserie Chic, posted some of these colors on her blog as fantastic paint color inspiration for us when we happen upon an amazing find that needs a new coat or two. I asked her where she found the beautiful color and she sent me to look at Lilly Pulitzer fabric books online. If any of you have seen many of my prints you won't be a bit surprised I love these colors. Lina, an interior designer and customer realized right away that my prints would work with Lily fabrics. She sent me a link that took me to a site where I could see the fabric in her daughter's room. I did some custom color for her and you can see the result below.

These 10 photos are from High Point 2010 where The Lilly Pulitzer Home Collection made its debut.

This is from the New York Store.

This is a house just a couple of blocks south of me. Ann Fox is the designer, and you can see there's plenty of Lilly influence here. D Home did an interesting feature on the house that you can see here.

So, what do you think of all of this color?

The Pink Pagoda

Blue and White Memorial Day Monday

My Etsy Purchases Yesterday

Christina Murphy Interiors

The House of Pink on Reign Magazine

Michelle Workman Interiors

Blue and White Monday

Dining in the Pink with Carleton Varney and Lilly Pulitzer

Look Familiar?

Around Town -- Mecox

Suellen Gregory Interior Design

Blue and White Monday -- The Votes Are In!

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day Weekend!

Blue Print and Collins Interiors

Darling Dallas Listing

Spotlight on Abstract Art

My Visit to the New Dallas Jonathan Adler Store

Blue and White Monday -- Choose a Bedroom

Happy Sunday!

More Saturday Link Love

Saturday Link Love

Anniversary Interview With Chinoiserie Chic

Green, Black and White

Kelley Proxmire and Exuberant Color

Color Happy