She Walks in Beauty per San Valentino

In honor of thy divine Saint of love... and one of my favorite Poets... some lovely images of divine Design that I simply LOVE. 

ABC Carpet & Home February Ad

Not just filler flowers... carnations are beautiful too

Giambattista Valli Spring 2012

Wonderful candles and home fragrances from Fleur in Rome

Fabulous (and affordable) boutique hotel, Hotel Abalu in Madrid, Spain

I Colori dell'Amore by SICIS

Lana Duvet by Anthropologie

Mod Love Pillow by Jonathan Adler

She Walks in Beauty

I.

She walks in beauty, like the night

   Of cloudless climes and starry skies;

And all that's best of dark and bright

   Meet in her aspect and her eyes:

Thus mellowed to that tender light

   Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

Fiori Thistle 20in Pillow by Crate & Barrel

Jonathan Adler Love Hand

Giambattista Valli Spring 2012

Corner Section by Ochre

Pink Vespa, a classic for scooting around Rome!

Purple glass side table by Porta Romana

Material: 3Form Varia Ecoresin (solar); Installation: Prestige Tower in Hong Kong

Vertere wallcovering by Trove

II.

One shade the more, one ray the less,

   Had half impaired the nameless grace

Which waves in every raven tress,

   Or softly lightens o'er her face;

Where thoughts serenely sweet express

   How pure, how dear their dwelling place.

Joie glass plate by Wonder

Mia table lamp by West Elm

Alar wallcovering by Trove

W Paris - Opera; Grand opening February 14, 2012

"Champagne and Cavier 1" by Aaron Whitehouse from Soho Myriad

Re di Cuori 1 by SICIS

Devine Recline Long Banquette by Ochre

Lava Lamp in Aubergine by Porta Romana

III.

And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,

   So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,

The smiles that win, the tints that glow,

   But tell of days in goodness spent,

A mind at peace with all below,

   A heart whose love is innocent!

~ Lord Byron

Mrs. Howard

January is almost over and I'm embarrassed to report that this is my first post of the year... Let's just say that it is sure to be the first of many to come across your screens!

Home (Atlanta) over the holidays, I was lucky to visit with so many of my dear friends, many of whom are also designers.  One in particular, Jeffery McCullough, a fabulous designer and artist agent based in Lafayette, Louisiana, spent the day with me showing me around some fantastic go-to designer shops in Atlanta.  Aside from catching up on our lives over the past several years, since our days together in design school, Jeffery introduced me to the masterpiece of Mrs. Howard (Phoebe Howard, that is), a dream for any designer.  Yet, not just for a designer, but for anyone that walks through the doors of this gallery of ideas, just a stone's throw away from ADAC.  Plush fabrics, perfect pillows (with chop), ornate window dressings, spiraling staircase, antiqued beam ceilings, monolithic stone floors, full height boiserie, elegant fireplace mantels and upholstery from numerous styles and periods showcased in one building, flowing as a real home should... from the living spaces to the bedrooms, not one detail overlooked.  Here's a view into the world of Mrs. Howard: 

 

For information on the above painting, contact Jeffery McCullough

 

Jennifer & Jeffery

Mrs. Howard

Jeffery McCullough

Dreaming of a White... Canvas

A white canvas.  That is the sensation when standing in the center of the Boscolo Exedra Roma lobby, as the walls are painted a stark white, from the 24" deep dental molding down to the equally substantial base boards.  Often in design this is just a starting point to "paint it out white," followed by some overlaying details, applied moldings in another color or art work that adds meaning to the space.  But not here, in this neoclassical building, which dates back to the XIX century, constructed by Gaetano Koch (also responsible for the twin building on the other side of Piazza Reubblica).  But, the 'white canvas' is clearly from another hand (or hands): architect Maurizio Papiri and designer Adam Tihany.  

And the Christmas decor of the Boscolo is quite minimal as the white would lead to believe, just a smallish tree perched atop a round marble table in the lobby, but filled with ornaments the size of a soccer ball in classic red and gold.  The walls are so rich in detail that the white is truly understood as the designer's canvas.  

 

St. Regis + St. Nick

It is hard to beat a classic... And the luxury of the St. Regis Hotel in Rome never disappoints.  Each time that I enter the lobby and look up at the blue painted ceiling (hosting names from literature) and the illuminated crystal centerpiece, I need a moment to soak in the surrounds and just gaze.  The details in the holiday decorations are manifest from the street view and they usher you into the porte cochere and then the magnificence of the hotel itself.  Having worked with the Starwood Group, and the St. Regis specifically, it is no surprise that details are of the utmost importance with a refined touch... A key element that has remained since the beginning with the Astor family in New York... And that continues to live on.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aleph Roma

As a designer, specializing in hotel design, my eyes are always wandering towards the newest hotel and innovative design.  The Boscolo Aleph in Rome, designed by the phenomenal Adam Tihany is one of the city's more modern beauties... all the red is strong, yet not over-the-top.  I was at the hotel recently for an event and I found it a perfect opportunity to begin my short series of blogs on the holiday decorations around the city.  The red (wittily symbolizing Hell) makes you feel completely at home as it is so fitting with red berries, white and silver accents. The tree is a classic in the library, set on the herringbone floor... And the large bell hanging over the concierge?  It makes me want to sing out those carols... 

"Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way..."

Aleph Roma

The Danish Pinecone

Just the other day I was outside on my balcony with a sackful of large pine cones that I (along with my willing and good spirited husband) gathered around the wooded area near the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls.  After letting them sit and dry for a few days I was ready to transform them into my holiday decor, spraying them a shining silver.  

Perusing different design websites as they were drying, I stumbled upon a gorgeous pendant lamp that fit the theme of the day, Pinecone, from a young Danish designer in Copenhagen.  Jonas Lönborg, designer and owner of Hello Sailor, has designed Pinecone and Pinecone Mini (currently in prototype stages and looking for investors) in a series of different materials, working to get the exact look and feel, while producing an adequate light source.  To date, both plywood and acrylic have been used for the pendant trials.  The mirrored acrylic is quite special as well as the soft glow echoed from within the birch plywood... And I eagerly await Lönborg's final version!