Friday, November 29, 2013

Palm Beach Orange and Blue for Season

I have been selling lots of
orange and blue pillows here at
on
Then I started looking around
and notice it being used
more than I thought...
It seems to be an unexpected 
trend in the pillow world 
at the moment.



As I started to be aware of it 
noticed more around me
 than I thought.
Really a nice combination.
Enjoy your weekend!




Friday, November 15, 2013

A Touch of Blue...

Sometimes all it takes is a soft
touch of color to bring 
out the best in a room.
For one of my favorite clients we needed
to add subtle shades to bring
a bit of punch to a beautiful new home
that had a beige
canvas.
We added some pillows for the living room
and a coordinated bench pad
for the foyer leading in.

I found some great trims
in my studio and they
added just the details we
were looking for.
This is a work in progress
so I will be posting 
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Sunday, November 10, 2013

Don't Be Crewel

Since the beginning there
has been thread work...
Childs coat circa 1770
Dress circa 1700
Green crewel early 1700's
Historical Crewel in Green.
Wonderful example of 
different techniques.
I never get tired of
 the look.
Many different examples of
stitches.
Empress of The Eye Collection
Try to keep away 
from the obvious 
machine made if you are serious.
Very early needlework
Victoria and Albert Museum, UK
I love this chair.  
Heavier yarn look.
Such unusual colors.
Empress of The Eye Collection
This terrific room is an ode
 to textiles.
I have always loved
the white on white.
The little knots are called the
"Candlewick"
stitch.
Brunschwig and Fils
Empress of The Eye Pillow Collection
Great family portrait...
and I love the crewel sofa
as a background.









Sunday, November 3, 2013

Brian J. McCarthy .... "Interior Design is an Art Form"


"I don't mind doing less properly 
rather 
than more poorly."


I just received a copy of Brian McCarthy's
first design book and it is lush!
The title
Luminous Interiors
is perfect for the nine beautiful 
projects that are included.

Nothing would prepare a person
for a career in interior design better
than working for Parish-Hadley,
 which is where Brian began his path 
after attending
 Pratt Institute in Brooklyn.

Brian believes in the architecture 
of an interior and the knowledge
of style and history.
There is the inclusion of exciting details
such as lacquered walls,
 gilt, Venetian plaster, custom woodwork and
all the touches that add unequaled richness to
 the residences he puts his hand to. 
He has knowledge of fine art that is 
only garnered by
 years of traveling
There is his desire to find the work of
artisans from around the world to add
touches that are are a notch
 above the usual.
 His extensive knowledge of all
periods of design is so evident and
well thought out.
"It's all about the homeowner."
No truer words can be said.  So many
projects are done with the vision of the designer 
and the home owner gets 
left behind.
Not so with Mr. McCarthy.
One client included 35 trips to
Europe to find the perfect
elements for their project.





 Included in this book is his apartment
and his country house in 
The Hudson Valley.
This was my favorite as I have seen his
house when visiting Ulster County
and know exactly the view that
sold him on this spot to put down roots.
  Brian's gardens were
done in conjunction with 
Marge Brower of 
Back To The Garden
who is one of the best landscape
designers in the area.
They get better with every season!
 I know there are lots of fabulous books 
on the shelves this season, but
I highly recommend 
Luminous Interiors 
as an addition to any 
designer's library.
Many thanks to Sarah Burningham of 
for advancing this preview
 to me.

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