Wednesday, 30 January 2013

Home Work: Stylish Home Offices

Do you work at home? If you do, you are not alone. According to more than a third of all residential architects who participated in the American Institute of Architects Home Design Trends Survey covering activity during the second quarter of 2012, the home office is the most popular "special function room." The survey cites the continued popularity of telecommuting, as well as increasing numbers of self-employed and contract workers and the need for many people to bring work home at night and on weekends as reasons for the steady demand for home offices. The following photos may provide inspiration if you are creating a personal work space in your home. Take a look . . . 


"An Italian neoclassical secretary from Hollyhock in [Brooke] Shields's study."
Greenwich Village townhouse owned by Brooke Shields, husband Chris Henchy, and their two daughters.
Interior design by David Flint Wood.
Architectural renovation by MADE.
Photography by William Waldron.
Text by Judith Thurman.
Architectural Digest (March 2012).

"A Williams-Sonoma Home desk fitted with swing-arm lamps by Sandy Chapman becomes an instant office when open."
Interior design by Matthew White and Frank Webb, White Webb, LLC.
Photography by Udom.
Metropolitan Home (September 2009).


"Custom shagreen desk. Herman Miller chair in Edelman leather. Table lamp, Flos. Floor lamp, Cedric Hartman."
Vacation home in Bridgehampton, New York.
Interior design by Vicente Wolf.
Architecture by John P. Laffey Architects.
Photography by Max Kim-Bee.
Styled by Olga Naiman.
"Season in the Sun" written by Stephen Treffinger.
Veranda (July - August 2012).

"In Benvenuto's office, the desk is her own design, the ladder is 1920s French, and the steel filing cabinet and light fixture are from the '50s, the floor lamp is by IKEA, and the shelving is painted in Benjamin Moore's Super White."
100-year-old Craftsman-style cottage of Los Angeles designer Claudia Benvenuto.
Interior design by Claudia Benvenuto.
Photography by Joe Schmelzer.
Styled by Stephen Pappas.
"Small Wonder" interview by Michael Lassell.
Elle Decor (September 2012).

"A West Elm Parsons dining table in designer Mary McGee's Los Angeles living room does double time as a desk and cocktail table for entertaining. McGee put mostly white furniture against the brown bookshelves 'to lighten up the area,' she says. 'I kept everything clean and modern, but with classical lines.' A pair of lamps from House in Rhode Island is paired with Louis Ghost chairs and a French antique armchair that McGee covered in China Seas Lyford Background in Brown on White - 'as close to a floral as I'll ever get.' "
Beverly Hills bungalow of designer Mary McGee.
Interior design by Mary McGee.
Photography by Miguel Flores-Vianna.
"Fashion Forward" interview by Alexandria Abramian-Mott.
House Beautiful (April 2008).


"Design inspiration and personal photos crowd linen-wrapped corkboards in the home office. A rare 19th-century French crystal ship chandelier hangs above the Oly desk and a Louis XV-style leather chair."
Designer Stephen Shubel's 1907 Sausalito fisherman's cottage.
Interior design by Stephen Shubel.
Photography by Luca Trovato.
Interview by Douglas Brenner.
"California Cottage" produced by Doretta Sperduto.
House Beautiful (July - August 2012).

"Paul [Corrie] transformed a small bedroom into his home office. A Drexel Heritage round table - the dining table in his previous residence - doubles as a desk where he can look over design options with clients. Shelves hold client files in linen binders."
Interior design by Paul Corrie, Paul Corrie Interiors, LLC.
Row house of Paul Corrie and Steve Ewens. 
Mount Pleasant neighborhood of Washington, D.C.
Photography by Gordon Beall.
Text by Krissa Rossbund.
Produced by Eileen A. Deymier.

"Paul [Corrie] placed a small antique desk and bench, handy for quick notes, next to the front-hall stairs."
Row house of Paul Corrie and Steve Ewens. 
Mount Pleasant neighborhood of Washington, D.C.
Interior design by Paul Corrie, Paul Corrie Interiors, LLC.
Photography by Gordon Beall.
Text by Krissa Rossbund.
Produced by Eileen A. Deymier.

"In the home office, [Melanie] Elston created a bold space with Glen Eden's 'Out of Africa' rug and yellow curtains in Scalamandre's 'Bamboo.' "
Interior design by Melanie Elston, Melanie Elston Interiors.
Photography by Werner Straube.
Text by Lisa Cregan.
"Chicago Apartment With Delightful Color" produced by Jenny Bradley.
Traditional Home.


"Deniot turned the intimate scale of the office into an asset. He upholstered the walls in Le Manach's George Sand toile and a Brunschwig and Fils stripe, then added 1940s Bagues nesting tables and an Empire-period portrait."
An American couple's Parisian pied-a-terre in a 1911 building with a view of the Eiffel Tower. 
Interior design by Jean-Louis Deniot.
Photography by Marina Faust.
Text by Penelope Rowlands.
"A la Mode"
Architectural Digest (January 2011).

"A built-in desk is one of a pair in the library that pull out from the chair rail on either side of the doorway to the foyer. File drawers are concealed in the wainscoting. 'We each wanted a place to work, but we didn't want to have a mess to clean up every time the doorbell rang,' explains Skip."
Washington, D.C. home of Skip Sroka and John Kammeier.
Interior design by Skip Sroka, Sroka Design Inc.
Architect: Anne Decker, Anne Decker Architects.
Builder: Gibson Builders.
Photography by Werner Straube.
Text by Candace Ord Manroe.
"Designer Skip Sroka's Own Home" produced by Eileen A. Deymier.
Traditional Home.

"India's desk holds one of her favorite mementos: a rose from Princess Diana's bridal bouquet. (India [Hicks] was one of the flower girls at the royal wedding.)"
Hibiscus Hill, the home in the Bahamas that India Hicks and David Flint Wood share with their four children.
Renovation, interior design and landscape design by India Hicks and David Flint Wood.
Text by India Hicks.
"Island Girl" photographed and produced by Miguel Flores-Vianna.
Veranda (May - June 2011). 

"[Mariette Himes] Gomez is well-known for her clean and edited interiors, exemplified in her design for this uncluttered library."
Interior design by Mariette Himes Gomez.
Photography by Pieter Estersohn.
"Decorator's Secrets"
House Beautiful (June 2003).

"An attic office with flair - thanks to fretwork fabric shades and the dormer's architecture."
San Francisco Edwardian built in 1900. Home of Anna and Mason Morfit.
Interior design by Melissa Warner, Massucci Warner Miller.
Renovation architects: Robert Stiles and Charlie Barnett.
Photography by Werner Straube.
"Color Coded" written and produced by Sabine Rothman.
Traditional Home (April 2010). 

"Vintage French table. French 19th-c. chair in linen. Draperies of Belgian linen. 
Seagrass carpet."
Houston, Texas townhome of Donna Temple Brown, owner of The Gray Door antiques shop.
Interior design by Donna Temple Brown.
Design consultation by Pamela Pierce.
Photography by Casey and Anne Sills.
Text by Kimberlie Waugh-Bloodworth.
"Antique Dealer's Home: A Little Shop Talk" produced by Mary Jane Ryburn and Tara Shaw.
Veranda (January - February 2009). 

"One of [Ellen] Rakieten's Emmy Awards sits on a custom-made desk in the family office; the vintage Chippendale chairs are upholstered in a Madeline Weinrib fabric, the computers are Apple, and the wall is covered with nailhead-trimmed burlap."
Chicago apartment of television producer Ellen Rakieten, her husband Peter Kupferberg and their sons in a 1927 Beaux Arts building.
Design by Nate Berkus and Anne Coyle.
Renovation by Oscar Shamamian of Ferguson and Shamamian Architects, LLP.
Photography by William Waldron.
"An All-Star Home Makeover" written by Ellen Rakieten.
Elle Decor (March 2010).

In my home office, a leather sofa and cowhide rug temper the more feminine elements of the room. Corkboard covered with old pages of Beethoven's Sonate Pathetique. Antique table used as desk is mahogany. Wall color: Benjamin Moore's Enchanted. Trim: Benjamin Moore's Linen White.
Interior design by Kathleen Sams Flippen, Spaces by KSF.
Photo credit: Kathleen Sams Flippen.

"In the home office, a desk designed by Lambertson and Truex, an apothecary-cabinet storage unit, and factory lights from Privet House; painting by Truex, vintage commercial art, and sample footwear from the Lambertson Truex men's collection are displayed throughout."
Sharon, Connecticut country home of accessories designers, 
Richard Lambertson and John Truex.
Interior design by Richard Lambertson.
Photography by Pieter Estersohn.
Styled by Lili Abir Regen.
"Country Chic" by Dan Shaw.
Elle Decor (October 2008).

"A porter chair and Carter-designed desk in the master bedroom; a bronze sculpture sits atop a vintage Parsons table, and the convex mirror is 19th century."
Washington, D.C. townhouse of designer Darryl Carter.
Interior design by Darryl Carter.
Photography by Simon Upton.
Text by Mitchell Owens.
"Cool, Calm, and Collected" produced by Anita Sarsidi.
Elle Decor (November 2009).


"A huge mirror leaning against the wall opposite the windows reflects light and adds to the illusion of more space to the room. [Ellen] O'Neill's farm table-desk does double duty as a dining table when she entertains. Mirror and table from Laurin Copen Antiques."
Ellen O'Neill's 450-square-foot studio in Gramercy Park, New York City.
Interior design by Ellen O'Neill.
Photography by Thomas Loof.
"A Surprisingly Large New York Studio" by Carol Prisant.
House Beautiful (July - August 2010).

"The home-office bulletin board bears a colorful portrait of Castaing and swatches of [Jean-Paul] Beaujard's favorite fabrics, including Verrieres by Brunschwig and Fils, 
a blue floral print."
Manhattan duplex of interior designer Jean-Paul Beaujard.
Interior design by Jean-Paul Beaujard.
Photography by Miguel Flores-Vianna.
Text by Judith Thurman.
Architectural Digest (September 2011).

"[Shawn] Gold's small home office appears bigger with mirrored-back built-in shelves that hold his collection of vintage books."
Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles home of photographer Amy Neunsinger, her husband Shawn Gold, and their children.
Interior design by Amy Neunsinger.
Photography by Amy Neunsinger.
"A Ranch House Makeover" by Alexandria Mott.

"Barbara's enviable home office is ensconced on her third floor, a neutral space for a designer who tolls all day with a dizzying array of fabrics, accessories, swatches, and paint chips. Uncluttered and meticulously organized, the workspace incorporates a glorious collection of books, auction catalogs, and her inspiration boards with an ever-changing collection of snippets of this and that, plus tearsheets from magazines. 'I like a neutral envelope in which to work and lay out fabrics and draw plans,' Barbara says." A painting of Jacqueline Kennedy pays tribute to her mother, who once was a docent for the First Ladies Exhibition at the National Museum of American History."
Alexandria, Virginia town home of designer Barbara Franceski.
Photography by Francesco Lagnese.
Written by Krissa Rossbund.
"Town House With Great Personal Style" produced by Eileen A. Deymier.
"Sid [the couple's Labrador retriever] is seated before the study's armoire, which was adapted for use as a desk."
East Village duplex of writer Brad Goldfarb and Ralph Lauren chief retail creative officer Alfredo Paredes.
Interior design by Alfredo Paredes.
Renovation architecture: Michael Neumann.
Photography by Miguel Flores-Vianna.
Text by Brad Goldfarb.
"A Stellar Renovation in New York City" produced by Robert Rufino.
Architectural Digest (April 2012).

Tuesday, 29 January 2013

Summer in Sorrento...

Wouldn't it be nice....

General Features
PRICE RANGE:   Over $3 Million
  • Property Type:    House
  • Bedrooms:        4
  • Bathrooms:       6
  • Land Size:       1220 m² (approx)
Outdoor Features
  • Garage Spaces:   2

Well its that time of year, when we all head off to the beach,
summer weather,
although this week is back to school, 
so there wouldn't be as many down the Penninsula!

I love Sorrento, Portsea, Rye,
all those spots down our coast in Melbourne.

Here's one holiday house that's Not Too Shabby!
:) Kate


 Not exactly your typical "beach house" facade,
but what is "typical" these days really???



 I love the use of dark against light in the decor, 
inside & out!



 Lovely chairs - i want them,
I found some in Melbourne on sale for $169 each,
Hope they are still on sale in 2wks when I can afford to buy them!!!
bumma!!


 Check out the timber floors,
I normally don't like this kind of timber,
but its ok in this home!


 


 Love the luvered windows!






AND Here's the Master Plan!

AND HERE's what the Agent said About it!

Cliffside with Bay and Coastal Views

This spectacular and dynamic near new seaside residence is set over 1220 sqm of prime cliffside land in this exclusive and premium enclave. With direct access to the beach below and to Point King, the Sorrento Township, it offers a taste of true beachside living in fuss -free luxury. Generous accommodation, large proportions, modern and stylish finishes, fully tiled lap pool and stunning views to Sorrento Pier, the Sailing Club and the coastline beyond.
WOW
 

Friday, 25 January 2013

Best Dressed: Beautiful Closets

A beautiful chandelier, a library ladder, custom shoe shelving and leather-lined drawers. These are a few details that can transform an ordinary closet from a merely functional space to a personal retreat. Forbes magazine recently noted that buyers of multimillion-dollar homes often expect bespoke closets. Journalist Morgan Brennan reported that the average cost of a space designed by LA Closet Design is $60,000 to $80,000. She noted that one LA Closet Design client, a Hollywood director, spent $200,000 to create a dressing area that looks like a private luxury boutique. 

While a five- or six-figure closet with rolling shoe racks, secret safes and miniature golf greens may suit the well-heeled, lovely storage options are available to homeowners unable or unwilling to pay large sums for spaces to house their clothes. The entire East Village apartment that designer David Kaihoi shares with his wife and child is a mere 390 square feet - smaller than some celebrity closets. Yet with careful editing, "Tulip Red" paint from Fine Paints of Europe, and antique wallpaper, Kaihoi turned a tiny nook into a glamorous dressing area: 


"Like her husband, Monique edits her wardrobe to a few classic pieces in basic colors. The [closet] interior is painted Tulip Red by Fine Paints of Europe."
East Village, New York City apartment (390 square feet) of David Kaihoi, his wife Monique Simard, and their daughter.
Interior design by David Kaihoi. 
Photography by Ngoc Minh Ngo.
"Living Big in a One-Bedroom" interview by Barbara King.
House Beautiful (July - August 2010).

Family mementos make some dressing areas more meaningful. Laura Vinroot Poole, owner of a clothing boutique, placed her mother's portrait in her closet as stylish inspiration: 


"Asuka" wallpaper by Osborne and Little.
"The portrait of [Laura Poole's] mother, which sits off-center on a ledge, serves as inspiration. 'I just look at her and think, 'Okay, if I'm looking at all like you, it's a good day.' "
Closet of Laura Vinroot Poole, owner of high-fashion boutique, Capitol, in Charlotte, North Carolina.
"All Shook Up"
Domino (Fall - Winter 2012).

Madrid-based designer Isabel Lopez-Quesada created closets by reusing Louis XV-style doors from her maternal grandmother's house:


"Fronting the closets in [Isabel] Lopez-Quesada's dressing room are Louis XV-style doors from her maternal grandmother's house; the chaise longue is upholstered in a floral print by Bennison."
Madrid home that Isabel Lopez-Quesada created for her family in a former wax factory.
Renovation by Isabel Lopez-Quesada and architect Pablo Carvajal.
Photography by Simon Watson.
Text by Mitchell Owens.
"Industrial Revolution" produced by Howard Christian.
Architectural Digest (April 2012).

A mirror and a place to sit are useful in a walk-in, but careful organization and regular purging of unworn items is essential for an efficient closet, no matter its size. 


"An antique French chandelier hangs in [Sidney] Torres's closet."
New Orleans home of Sidney D. Torres IV.
Renovation and decoration by Lee Ledbetter and Associates.
Photography by Pieter Estersohn.
Text by Mimi Read.
"High Contrast" produced by Howard Christian.
Architectural Digest (September 2012).

"[Annie] Brahler's carpenter 'stretched' a vintage armoire to hold shoes. The Belle Epoque chandelier casts a rosy glow over an island cobbled together from multiple cabinets."
Interior design by Annie Brahler, owner of Euro Trash.
Photography by Bjorn Wallander.
Interview by Douglas Brenner.
"Overdoing it With One Thing is Kind of Not Overdoing It": Annie Brahler on a Landmark House in Jacksonville, Illinois"
Produced by David M. Murphy.
Styled by Philippa Brathwaite.
House Beautiful (May 2012).

"Sconces, Palmer Hargrave. Curtains in Scalamandre taffeta. Cabinets, Design Galleria. Carpet, Stark."
Home in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Interior design by Suzanne Kasler.
Architecture by Harrison Design Associates.
Photography by Thibault Jeanson.
"American Classic" text by Dana Micucci.
Veranda (January - February 2011).

"The dressing room painting is by Andre Dunoyer de Segonzac, and the chandelier and sconces are by Visual Comfort and Co."
Jane and Michael deFlorio's Manhattan townhouse.
Interior design by Celerie Kemble, Kemble Interiors.
Photography by William Waldron.
Text by Ingrid Abramovitch.
"Tailored to Perfection" produced by Anita Sarsidi.
Elle Decor (July - August 2011).


"A walk-in closet features custom-made shelving."
Apartment on Manhattan's Sutton Place.
Interior design by Michael S. Smith.
Renovation architecture by Peter Pennoyer Architects.
Photography by Michael Mundy.
Text by Rob Haskell.
"Made to Measure" by Howard Christian.
Architectural Digest (November 2011).

"A rolling double bank of custom-made 'egg crate' shelving - a Jacobsen signature - organizes Dr. Alster's shoes."
Dr. Tina Alster and Paul Frazer's 1815 townhouse in Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. 
Renovation architecture by Hugh Newell Jacobsen and Simon Jacobsen of Jacobsen Architecture, LLC
Photography by Robert C. Lautman.
"Capital Improvement" text by Joseph Giovannini.
Architectural Digest (February 2011).

"Closet, California Closets. Bench, Ironies. Clothing, shoes, and accessories, Badgley Mischka. Lamp, Restoration Hardware. . . . [The walk-in closet] includes A Lago Italian Pietra finish with wenge backing and horsehair-colored, leather-lined drawers."
Veranda's Designer Visions showhouse, a loft-style apartment at 250 West Street.
Interior design by Antony Todd.
Photography by Max Kim-Bee.
Project directed by Alana Frumkes, Executive Director, Designer Visions.
Written by Mario Lopez-Cordero with reporting by Candace Braun Davison.
"Loft Living" produced by Carolyn Englefield.
Veranda (January - February 2013).


"Jamie Drake spared no style in the dressing room. Polka dots on a bench - and the fuchsia silk moire backing the glass shelves that display the season's latest footwear - give the space an air of insouciance."
Paint: Lavender Mist by Benjamin Moore.
Bench fabric: "Cabochon"/"Debussy" #54280; Jamie Drake for F. Schumacher.
Pink wallpaper behind shelving: custom color strie wallpaper by Alpha Workshops.
Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club Showhouse in New York City.
Interior design by Jamie Drake, Drake Design Associates.
Photography by Tria Giovan.
Text by Krissa Rossbund.
"Statements of Style 2007" produced by Bonnie Maharan.
Traditional Home.

"[Keri Russell's husband Shane] Deary built the shelves in the dressing room; the rug is by Shaw Floors, and the linen-upholstered chair is by John Derian." 
1860s Brooklyn, New York brownstone owned by Keri Russell and her husband Shane Deary.
Renovation by Shane Deary.
Interior decoration by Keri Russell.
Photography by William Waldron.
"Keri Russell at Home" by Kathleen Hackett.
Elle Decor (June 2011).

"A wealth of antiqued mirrors creates a clean slate behind which a menagerie of shoes and accessories can be stashed."
1913 Beaux Arts-style home in San Francisco, California.
Interior design by Antonio Martins, Antonio Martins Interior Design.
Photography by David Livington.
Text by Jenny Bradley.

"A practical touch: Overhead lighting within the closets makes it easier to see and choose the right garment. Bifurcated doors were designed to accommodate the narrow space."
1913 Beaux Arts-style home in San Francisco, California.
Interior design by Antonio Martins, Antonio Martins Interior Design.
Photography by David Livington.
Text by Jenny Bradley.

"[Brooke] Shields's closet, built of rift-sawn white oak, is outfitted with a rolling shoe rack and a library ladder by Putnam Rolling Ladder Co."
Greenwich Village townhouse of Brooke Shields and her family.
Interior decorating by David Flint Wood.
Architectural renovation by MADE Architecture.
Photography by William Waldron.
Text by Judith Thurman.
Architectural Digest (March 2012).

" 'I had a little fun with that midcentury modern chair in my dressing room,' [Windsor] Smith says. 'I loved the frame and had it replated in matte gold, and reupholstered the seat in silvery leather.' "
Los Angeles, California home of Windsor Smith and her family.
Interior decorating by Windsor Smith.
Photography by Victoria Pearson.
House Beautiful (September 2009).

"[Ellen] DeGeneres and [Portia] de Rossi's shoe shelves are filled with their respective sneakers and stilettos."
Beverly Hills estate formerly owned by Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi.
Designed by architects Buff and Hensman.
Expanded by decorator Melinda Ritz.
Photography by Roger Davies.
Text by Peter Haldeman.
"Labor of Love" produced by Carlos Mota.
Architectural Digest (November 2011).

"A Frank chaise longue graces the dressing room, along with a Frank tripod table and a carpet by Tai Ping; the watercolor is by Salvador Dali."
Manhattan apartment of fashion editor and Project Runway judge Nina Garcia and her family.
Interior design by Carlos Aparicio.
Photography by Bjorn Wallander.
Text by Rob Haskell.
"Reality Check" produced by Carlos Mota.
Architectural Digest (October 2012). 

"Bespoke shoe storage in [Nina] Garcia's dressing room."
Manhattan apartment of fashion editor and Project Runway judge Nina Garcia and her family.
Interior design by Carlos Aparicio.
Photography by Bjorn Wallander.
Text by Rob Haskell.
"Reality Check" produced by Carlos Mota.
Architectural Digest (October 2012). 

"Cabinetry and shelving by California Closets in the dressing room; the clothing and accessories are from Mr. Porter, and the rug is by the Rug Company."
1906 Manhattan warehouse designed as Elle Decor's Designer Visions showhouse. 
Interior design by Matthew Patrick Smyth.
Photography by Bjorn Wallander.
Styled by Quy Nguyen.
"The Right Moves" interview by Michael Lassell.
Elle Decor (December 2012).

"The master closet."
Beverly Hills home of Ben Soleimani, head of Mansour antique rugs.
Interior design by Waldo Fernandez.
Photography by Roger Davies.
Text by Finn-Olaf Jones.
"Well Grounded" produced by Robert Rufino.
Architectural Digest (November 2012).

"The dressing room features a custom-made tufted ottoman, covered in a Clarence House velvet, and carpeting by Stark."
Nate Berkus's Manhattan duplex.
Renovation by Nate Berkus and Carlos Huber, architectural designer.
Photography by Pieter Estersohn.
Text by Samuel Cochran.
"Nate Berkus Renovates His Manhattan Duplex" produced by Robert Rufino.
Architectural Digest (November 2012).

"The dressing room."
Architecture and interior design by Sig Bergamin.
Sao Paulo house of Sig Bergamin and Maurilo Lomas.
Photography by Roger Davies.
Text by James Reginato.
"More is More" produced by Carlos Mota.
Architectural Digest (April 2012).

"The cabinetry in the dressing room is custom made, the walls are painted in Fine Paints of Europe's Scrimshaw, and the flooring is original."
Industrial loft apartment in Manhattan.
Space configured by architect Len Morgan
Photography by Mikkel Vang.
Text by Peter Terzian.
"Made to Measure" produced by Anita Sarsidi.
Elle Decor (November 2012).