Thursday, 27 September 2012

A Touch of Green

One of the best ways to add a touch of green in a room is to buy a plant. Foliage adds texture, shape and variegated color to a space. Studies indicate that plants can reduce stress and many, such as English ivy, the Boston fern and the peace lily, can help improve air quality. Unfortunately, not all of us are blessed with "green thumbs," and keeping houseplants and indoor trees alive can become a daunting task. A low maintenance way to bring the outdoors in is to decorate with botanical prints, as well as wall coverings and fabrics featuring ferns, palms and other leaf motifs.   

The first few images that appear below were created by Becky Davis of Becky Davis Botanicals whose work is featured in the October - November edition of Garden and Gun. Ms. Davis wears waders and uses a canoe to gather the plants she dries and has framed. She even has encountered alligators while foraging for flowers near her South Carolina home.


Dwarf palmetto
Sabal minor

Netted chain fern
Woodwardia areolata



"Fern prints and a Regency bench lend presence to a small upstairs hall."
Interior design by Markham Roberts.
Photography by Francesco Lagnese.


"[Designer Tom] Scheerer visually linked twin beds in a girl's room with a single headboard, covered in Botanical Fern by Schumacher. 'I thought it was appropriate for a Maine house,' he says. 'It's a paradise of ferns here.' "
Interior design by Tom Scheerer.
Photography by Francesco Lagnese.


"In the master bedroom, a bed from Drexel Heritage's Postobello collection and nightstands by Thomas Pheasant for Baker are 'rich and elegant' against walls painted Benjamin Moore's Mesquite. Settee is covered in Cowtan and Tout's Trailing Leaf Linen."
Interior design by Allison Paladino.
Photography by Eric Piasecki.


"On the loggia, [designer Allison] Paladino used her favorite palm tree fabric, 
Brunschwig and Fils' West Indies Toile, on a pair of wicker armchairs from Whitecraft. Garden stools, the Van Cleve Collection."
Interior design by Allison Paladino.
Photography by Eric Piasecki.

"In this oceanfront Palm Beach house, designer Allison Paladino glazed the sunroom walls bright green to capture the light and painted the woodwork white to calm it down. Ficks Reed's St. Denis Lounge Chairs and ottomans are covered in Woodland Fern and Baker Slipper chairs are covered in Monterey in Citron Green; both fabrics from 
Brunschwig and Fils. Ferncroft needlepoint rug from Jack Walsh Carpets."
Interior design by Allison Paladino.
Photography by Eric Piasecki.


"To complement the green colorings that are prominent around the house, ivy-embroidered sheers filter the light streaming in through the large window in the library."
English Tudor-style home in the Hamptons, New York.
Interior design by Jack Fhillips.
Photography by Robert Brantley.
Written by Krissa Rossbund.


"In the master bath, a freestanding Empire tub by Waterworks is positioned under a skylight. Fern wallpaper by Spring Street Designs creates an instant tropical rain forest."
Beach house in Oyster Bay, New York.
Interior design by Christina Murphy.
Photography by Ngoc Minh Ngo.


"The master bedroom's knockout punch is a dramatically overscale headboard covered in Raoul Textiles' Exoticus Elephant  Leaf."
Beach house in Oyster Bay, New York.
Interior design by Christina Murphy.
Photography by Ngoc Minh Ngo.

"A guest bedroom has a deliberately old-fashioned look. Wallpaper is Adam's Eden by Carleton V. Chenille candlewick bedspreads by Chelsea Textiles."
Interior design by Tom Scheerer.
Photography by Francesco Lagnese.


"Stenciled wall paintings based on 18th-century wallpaper in Sweden's Drottningholm Palace Theater bring fresh air and drama into the foyer of a New York apartment. Designer Timothy Whealon extended the alfresco theme with a green lacquer David Hicks garden seat and lattice-motif Madeline Weinrib Brooke rug in Chocolate."
Interior design by Timothy Whealon.
Photography by Thibault Jeanson.


"The powder room is papered in Cowtan and Tout's Palm Frond in Plum Green."
Interior design by Allison Paladino.
Photography by Eric Piasecki.

" 'The floor is the room's biggest surface area, so I thought, why not a pond? Besides, I was tired of all the geometric floors everyone's been doing,' says [designer Christina] Murphy. Detail of the den floor's stylized lily pads, painted by Christopher Rollinson."
Beach house in Oyster Bay, New York.
Interior design by Christina Murphy.
Photography by Ngoc Minh Hgo.


"Lighthearted brushwork, as seen in the lily-pad 'pond' Christina Murphy designed for the den, marks a welcome change from dead-serious 1980s faux finishes. Phillip Jeffries Extra Fine Arrowroot grasscloth freshens up the walls."
Beach house in Oyster Bay, New York.
Interior design by Christina Murphy.
Photography by Ngoc Minh Ngo.
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Sydney City Side Living

A Mosman Approach

General Features
PRICE GUIDE:  Over $4 Million
  • Property Type:  House
  • Bedrooms: 5
  • Bathrooms: 5
  • Land Size:  665 m (approx)
Indoor Features
  • Study
  • Floorboards
  • Built-in Wardrobes
  • Rumpus Room
Outdoor Features
  • Garage Spaces: 2
  • Outdoor Entertaining Area
  • Swimming Pool - Inground

 Well I don't know about anyone else, 
but my Feedburner feed doesn't seem to be working these days... :(
So I don't even know if people get this post sent out to them anymore...
Oh well,
I shall carry on anyway!

This house caught my eye because of the mix of old and new,
which I imagine is tricky sometimes for home owners...
But I liked this one, 
so here it is!

Yes it's a bit odd looking from the front,
but not too shabby inside!

 




 






 

AND here's the Master Plan!


AND here's what the Agent said about it!

An Inspired Transformation Creates a Stylish and Contemporary Family Home
A magnificent fusion of early 20th century space and tradition, with 21st century style and informality, has created a residence that exceeds the discerning demands of today's family.

Commanding an elevated corner holding of over 665sqm with harbour views from both levels, classic exteriors with impressive "Queen Anne" wrap around verandahs lead into a spacious, light-and airy contemporary environment where the focus is firmly on lifestyle. Bold, richly dark polished floors, crisp white walls and ceilings, plantation shutters and cutting edge finishes and features enhance today's design ideals ... the generous lobby leads to the huge, open-plan casual living and dining that interacts with the simply amazing kitchen and leads to the wrap around verandah and onto the safe, level lawns and gardens. With practicality and space to suit your needs, the generous formal dining room can perform as a fifth bedroom. The huge rumpus/family area to the rear opens to the covered outdoor entertaining area, that links to the multi-use two level lockup garage with loft and bathroom - ideal for teens or a great games area ... this the centre of your year-round indoor-outdoor living and entertaining. Level lawns and a plunge pool with swim jets complete the outdoor living story.

Upstairs under soaring ceilings, the grand master suite with harbour views opens to the verandah and offers a walk-though dressing room and designer bathroom. Bedroom two, with large bay, opens to the verandah, bedrooms three and four are generous, (all bathrooms are new, all have underfloor heating) a study is a practical addition. A current DA can provide a double lock up garage from Raglan Street with direct access to the home is an alternative to the existing garaging.

Surrounded by homes of equal quality, close to schools, transport (including the ferry), Sirius Cove dog off leash, waterfront reserves and harbour front walks and parklands, this stunning, impeccably presented residence seamlessly melds tradition with today and is ready to welcome your family.

WOW
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Tuesday, 25 September 2012

Sunbursts

Louis XIV was born in 1638 and was crowned king of France at the age of 5. He reigned for 72 years - a "golden century" during which France was the most powerful political and cultural force in Europe. Louis XIV enjoyed absolute sovereignty, which he believed was a God-given right. He moved his court from Paris to the Chateau de Versailles in 1682 - a strategy that allowed him to keep watch over his nobles and prevent them from rebelling against him. Versailles, with its Hall of Mirrors, was a fitting home for a monarch who chose the sun as his symbol. The sun god was Apollo, the patron of music, poetry and truth. Louis XIV, the Sun King, surrounded himself with the best artists and playwrights of the time. According to the Chateau de Versailles website, he played the guitar, rode horses, enjoyed billiards and was an excellent dancer who performed in ballets. The mirror was very popular in Baroque design (approximately 1600 to 1750), and the sunburst mirror became a symbol of Louis XIV's illustrious reign. Centuries have passed, yet the sunburst continues to add beauty to interiors of all types. 


Gold leaf sunburst frame from France c. 1780.
The sixteen rays appear to be symmetrical, but closer inspection reveals that each one has a different thickness.

"A raw umber glaze over stenciled walls adds some age. Moorish tiles from Country Floors. Benches covered in Lyon Stripe from Travers. Sunburst clock from John Rosselli."
Interior design by Cathy Kincaid.
Photography by Reed Davis.

"The living room walls are painted Benjamin Moore's Bridal Pink, a soft color balanced by the deep browns and earth textures in the room. Hanna chairs in leather flank an antiqued brass drum table, both from Oly. The girandoles are 19th-century French. Natura carpet in Seagrass is from Stark."
Interior design by Stephen Shubel of Stephen Shubel Design.
Photography by Jeremy Samuelson.

"A circular carpet from Galerie Diurne, designed by [Jean-Louis] Deniot, simplifies the five-sided living room. A 20th-century gilt-wood sunburst clock echoes the carpet's pattern."
Pied-a-terre in Paris.
Interior design by Jean-Louis Deniot.
Photography by Marina Faust.
Text by Penelope Rowlands.
"A la Mode"
Architectural Digest (January 2011).

Midcentury mirror in Austin, Texas home.
Interior design by Jan Showers.
Renovation architecture by Steinbomer and Associates Architects.
Photography by Stephen Karlisch.
Text by Degen Pener.
"Clearly Luminous" produced by Mary Jane Ryburn.
Veranda (March 2011).

"A graphic mirror over a sculptural tub illustrates the power of simplicity.
Tub with burnished metallic finish, faucets; by Waterworks. Sunburst mirror, Baker, repainted by Rising Tide. Limestone floor, Architectural Ceramics."
Marwood Estate (outside of Washington, D.C.)
Renovation and interior design by Mary Douglas Drysdale.
Restoration architecture by Anthony S. Barnes.
Photography by Peter Vitale and Max Kim-Bee.
Written by Susan Stiles Dowell.
"Capital Idea" produced by Charles L. Ross.
Veranda (May - June 2011).

"A 20th-century gilt-wood clock hangs above a custom-made marble mantle; the antique screen is covered in a de Gournay wallpaper; the 19th-century chair is upholstered in a cotton by Luigi Bevilacqua, and the rug is from Galerie Shabab."
Living room of Jane and Michael DeFlorio's Manhattan townhouse.
Interior design by Celerie Kemble.
Photography by William Waldron.
Text by Ingrid Abramovitch.
"Tailored to Perfection" produced by Anita Sarsidi.
Elle Decor (July - August 2011).

"Sofas by Janus et Cie and 1950s French woven chairs from the Nicholson Gallery beckon from the terrace; the sunburst mirror is vintage."
Atlanta, Georgia home of interior decorator Suzanne Kasler.
Interior design by Suzanne Kasler.
Architectural renovation by William T. Baker and Associates.
Photography by Pieter Estersohn.
Text by Jen Renzi.
"A Perfect Union" produced by Howard Christian.
Architectural Digest (April 2012).

" The first thing designer Meg Braff bought for this Palm Beach living room was the fabric on the club chairs, Cowtan and Tout's Tortola in Multi Fern, and then she pulled her palette from it."
Interior design by Meg Braff.
Photography by Thibault Jeanson.
House Beautiful (April 2011).

" 'I found this amazing embroidered satin from Bergamo Fabrics and used it on the bed, to create a little jewel box,' [Windsor] Smith says. 'And then I added that whimsical Italian mirror. It's like a star hanging over us.' Slim chaise covered in Kravet's Obsession, and Zebra Bed from Windsor Smith Home."
Windsor Smith's Los Angeles, California home.
Interior design by Windsor Smith.
Photography by Victoria Pearson.

"Designed by Kim Fiscus, this tiny dining room, once an office area, is practical  . . . with a touch of drama. The 18th-century gilt starburst is six feet in diameter and probably from an Italian church."
San Francisco, California house of Bruce and Kim Fiscus, an antiques dealer specializing in 18th- and 19th-century European pieces.
Interior design by Kim Fiscus.
Photography by Reed Davis.
Interview by Mimi Reed.
House Beautiful (June 2008).

"The walls of the dining room were meticulously hand-painted to look like ikat fabric. Chairs in Schumacher fabric with linen backs, dining table, sunburst mirror and chandelier, all custom."
Dallas, Texas home of designer Kelli Ford and her family.
Architecture by Larry E. Boerder.
Photography by Max Kim-Bee.
Text by Jeff Turrentine.
"Haute Hues" produced by Carolyn Englefield.
Veranda (January - February 2012).
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Saturday, 22 September 2012

Orange Spice

Today is the first day of fall, so I am thinking about the color orange. Orange leaves. Orange pumpkins. Rooms with a bit of orange spice . . . 


Interior design by Stephen Shubel.
"House of Spirits"
Elle Decor (June - July 2002).

"A 1950s fashion photograph inspired a passion for orange. Hermes boxes and a vintage Gucci bag rest on a Louis XVI gilt console in the master bath."
Interior design by Windsor Smith.
Interview by Christine Pittel.
Photography by Victoria Pearson.
House Beautiful (September 2009).

"[Carol] Curtis and [Sarah] Norwood removed the doors of a closet to re-create a niche they'd seen in a photo of a bedroom designed by the legendary Frances Elkins. Curtains in Jim Thompson silk frame an 18th-century Provencal commode."
Atlanta, Georgia home of Carol Curtis.
Interior design by Carol Curtis and her daughter Sarah Norwood.
Photography by J. Savage Gibson.
"A Makeover with Mood" by Christopher Petkanas.
House Beautiful (February 2008).

 "In the dining room, daring orange, drawn from the hand-painted de Gournay wallpaper, and the high-gloss gray moldings and taffeta curtains that temper the vivid emerald silk background showcase the flair for color demonstrated by designer Melissa Warner."
San Francisco, California house built in 1900.
Interior design by Melissa Warner of Massucco Warner Miller.
Photography by Werner Straube.
"Color Coded" written and produced by Sabine Rothman.
Traditional Home (April 2010).

"Guest bedroom: Orange bedding accents brighten a white room." 
Interior design by Benjamin Dhong.
Photography by Lisa Romerein.
House Beautiful (September 2012).

"Headboard in Fortuny fabric and Keleen Leathers. Pillows in Fortuny and Rubelli fabrics; Houles trim. Bedside lamp and bedspread fabric, Nancy Corzine."
Santa Barbara, California home.
Architectural renovation and interior design by John Saladino.
Photography by Luca Trovato.
"Classical Cues" text by Degen Pener.
Veranda (November - December 2010). 

"Lamp, Saladino. Curtains in Rubelli taffeta." 
Santa Barbara, California home.
Architectural renovation and interior design by John Saladino.
Photography by Luca Trovato.
"Classical Cues" text by Degen Pener.
Veranda (November - December 2010).

"Walls covered in Antinous wallpaper in persimmon from Brunschwig and Fils. The dining table is vintage George Nelson and the French chandelier is from Treillage."
Gramercy Park, New York apartment of Shyama Patel and family.
Interior design by Miles Redd.
Photography by Simon Upton.
Text by Shyama Patel. 
"In the Mood" styled by Carlos Mota.
Elle Decor (November 2006).

"To [Karyl Pierce] Paxton, mixing cultures makes a livelier room. . . . 
dramatic painting by David Harouni."
1897 side hall Queen Anne cottage in New Orleans, Louisiana. 
Home of Karyl Pierce Paxton.
Interior design by Karyl Pierce Paxton.
Photography by Kerri McCaffetty.
Interview by Mimi Read.
House Beautiful (January 2008).

"In her dining room, a French neoclassical-style dining table, circa 1800, wears its original paint. Pulled up to it are Louis XVI-style chairs upholstered in a silk from ABC Carpet and Home. Upping the room's sex appeal are orange embroidered Indian silk curtains from the Silk Trading Company."
1897 side hall Queen Anne cottage in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Home of Karyl Pierce Paxton.
Interior design by Karyl Pierce Paxton.
Photography by Kerri McCaffetty.
Interview by Mimi Read.
House Beautiful (January 2008).

"Travel the world in one room. . . . Lithograph, Dominique Rousserie. Snake prints, Williams-Sonoma Home."
Interior design by Michelle Nussbaumer.
Photography by Peter Vitale.
Written by Degen Pener.
"High Spirited" produced by Mary Jane Ryburn.
Veranda (July - August 2011).

Charlottesville, Virginia home of Jan Roden, co-owner of the design shop, And George.
Interior design by Jan Roden.
Photography by Gordon Beall.
Written by Ted Loos.
"A Fresh Look at Tradition" produced by Senga Mortimer.
House Beautiful (December 2003).

"Benches, Nancy Corzine. . . . Antique bergere. Throw, Hermes."
Atlanta, Georgia home.
Interior design by Suzanne Kasler.
Interior detailing by Thierry Francois, John Oetgen and William T. Baker.
Architecture by William T. Baker.
Photography by Thibault Jeanson.
Written by Jennifer Alfano.
"A Golden Mean" produced by Carolyn Englefield.
Veranda (March - April 2012).

"Watersound."
Interior design by Suzanne Kasler.

"George III-style dining chairs surround a table by MADE in the kitchen . . . and the chimney breast - faced in glazed tile by Mosaic del Sur - displays a Malcolm Liepke painting."
Interior design by David Flint Wood.
Photography by William Waldron.
Text by Judith Thurman.
Architectural Digest (March 2012).

"The bar area contains a stainless-steel sideboard and a circa-1955 Arredoluce light."
Manhattan apartment.
Interior design by Steven Gambrel.
Photography by Eric Piasecki.
Styled by Gena Sigala.
"Room to Grow" text by David Colman.
Elle Decor (July - August 2011).
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