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interior design

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Muses by Ethan Allen

Muses

Muses

“A muse is someone who awakens creativity.  Someone who influences another in such a way that he or she becomes the driving force behind that person’s body of work.  Someone who helps you to see things through fresh eyes.  Again and again.” ~ Forooq Kathwari, CEO of Ethan Allen.

Poetry

Poetry

Dance

Dance

Have you seen the new Ethan Allen catalogs or visited a design center lately?  Thanks to the creative talents of Norah Murphy, former Executive Vice President of Style, the Ethan Allen brand has become more fashion-forward and in tune with what younger, hipper home owners are looking for.  This fusion of traditional taste and contemporary flair is beautifully presented not only in the company’s products but also in a new 328-page “magalog” (magazine-catalog) called Muses.

Laughter

Laughter

The gorgeous images in this tome are divided into different subjects that have inspired us for generations – dance, laughter, drama, history, poetry, architecture, love, music, spirit and art.  So what does this have to do with interior decor?  Everything…  Inspired design comes from the soul and each one of these muses feeds our creative spirit.

Music

Music

Drama

Drama

Best of all, this book is free at any Ethan Allen store and online, so we urge you to take a fresh look at this iconic brand and let us know what you think!

muses / poetry / dance / laughter / music / drama

Monday Mood

Monday Mood

It’s Monday – what mood are you in?

Anne Hepfner's - City Dining Room

Anne Hepfner’s – City Dining Room

Bubbly

Pronunciation: /ˈbəb(ə)lē/

Vivacious and exuberant.  Break open the bubbly…  school’s almost out and summer is around the corner!

Photo: dining room

Monday Mood

Monday Mood

It’s Monday – what mood are you in?

Ken Fulk in San Francisco

Ken Fulk in San Francisco

Hand-some

Pronunciation: /ˈhansəm/

Strikingly good-looking…  Let’s give this Ken Fulk designed living room a big hand!  No, wait – it already has one…

Photo: interior

 

Inspirations

Palm Beach in Toronto

Eclectic Traditional

Eclectic Traditional

When decorator and blogger Laura Collins found the 1920’s townhouse in Toronto’s Cabbagetown neighborhood she now calls home, she knew it’s traditional bones yet clean, open concept would be the perfect backdrop for a classic Palm Beach palette.

Gallery Wall

Gallery Wall

Downtown Palm Beach

Downtown Palm Beach

Mixing bright hues, touches of gold, some lucite, artwork featuring beach scenes arranged in gallery style and vintage rattan furniture, Laura achieved the look on a surprisingly small budget.  Her secret?  Giving inexpensive antiques a makeover with paint, finding fun watercolor and photography prints that won’t break the bank (Laura loves Caitlin McGauley – who doesn’t?) and filling in with pieces from big box stores.  She even made her own Sputnik-inspired sculpture with Styrofoam balls, skewers and a little gold spray paint!

Home Work

Home Work

Under the Stairs

Under the Stairs

Palm Beach’s retro meets modern vibe is perfectly captured with the splashes of color and bold prints Laura uses in her projects and we love that she has brought a bit of this iconic vacation spot to Canada.

Dining on a Dime

Dining on a Dime

Summer is just around the corner…  Who’s hitting the beach soon?

P.S.  Check out the June issue of Style at Home where you can see more of Laura’s lovely home!

Photo: 1 – 6

Monday Mood

Monday Mood

It’s Monday – what mood are you in?

Stylish and Sophisticated

Sleek Style in the Suburbs

Youthful

Pronunciation: \ˈyüth-fəl\

Having vitality and freshness…  Wunderkind local designer Sam Allen embodies youthful sophistication in this beautiful Westport home (and he came to us for the fiddle leaf fig trees!)

Photo: 1

Monday Mood

Monday Mood

It’s Monday – what mood are you in?

Garrison Hullinger

Garrison Hullinger

Tailored

Pronunciation:  /tā′lərd/

Having simple lines and a neat appearance…  How would you like to have a room tailored-made for you ?  We’re excited to be part of Garrison Hullinger’s Ultimate GH iDesign Giveaway which launched this weekend – $5,000 of Fabulous.  Click here for more information and to enter!

Photo: 1

The Latest Buzz

Modern Mexico

Emily Henderson

Emily Henderson

With another arctic vortex in our neighborhood, keeping warm these days is a challenge and it’s taking every ounce of our willpower not to repack our bags and head back down to Mexico for a while.  While we love New England in the spring, summer and fall, the winter does have us yearning for more tropical climes…  And an article on Domaine yesterday about the rise of of Mexican Modernism really didn’t help our mood!

John Houshmand

John Houshmand

So today, instead of shedding sweaters for swimwear, we’ll just bask in the glow of these beautiful interiors which capture the eclectic cool of Los Cabos, the artisanal allure of Acapulco and the terrific textures of Tulum.

Alejandra Redo

Alejandra Redo

Popular with top interior designers and architects like Kara Mann, John Houshmand and Alejandra Redo and with celebrities (who could forget the double spread on Cindy Crawford and George Clooney’s Baja homes in AD last year!), Mexican Modernism, with its mix of old world shapes and exotic materials seems at home anywhere in the world.

Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber

Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber

Kara Mann

Kara Mann

Even Jorge Almada and Anne-Marie Midy (the founders of the fabulous Mexican design firm Casamidy where, by the way, you can get some of these Mexican made marvels) were able to transport their laid back and colorful style to dreary, rainy Belgium – a place where a little modern Mexico goes a long way (we know…  we lived there for 12 years and summer lasted a day!)

Jorge Almada and Anne-Marie Midy

Jorge Almada and Anne-Marie Midy

We hope this post brought a little sunshine your way!  What are you doing to stay warm and cozy this weekend?

Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6

 

 

Monday Mood

Monday Mood

It’s Monday – what mood are you in?

Kathleen Walsh Interiors

Kathleen Walsh Interiors

Homey

Pronunciation: /ˈhōmē/

Pleasantly comfortable and cozy…  With the holidays fast approaching, we wanted to remind you all to take some time for yourself while getting your home “homey” – perhaps in a cushy chair with a good book!

P.S.  And speaking of books, the winner of The Well-Traveled Home giveaway is Fay!

Photo: 1

The Latest Buzz

Meeting Mario

Our First Press!

Our First Press!

The day we met Mario Buatta, he arrived at our mother’s apartment for a photo shoot with Architectural Digest complaining of indigestion.  Mother, concerned for his well being, quickly offered some Tums or Alka Seltzer which he declined. Mario then proceeded to shut himself in her tiny bathroom for quite some time, alarming our mother even more.  When he finally emerged, he took a seat on her couch and proceeded to pass gas during the entire interview.  Needless to say, our mother (who is a lady and has only raised daughters) was speechless…  until Mario stood up and removed a whoopee cushion!

Palm Beach Bedroom

Palm Beach Bedroom

Houston Living Room

Houston Living Room

Everyone who knows Mario knows he’s a prankster, that he loves bad puns and will have you laughing on the floor if he had his way.  While he’s New York born and bred, his glamorous interiors span the globe and still, he remains down to earth even after being so much in the public eye.  We’ve been fortunate to work with him on several projects, including a Regency-style library which he did for the Kips Bay Showhouse in 2006.

A Stylish Vignette

A Stylish Vignette

Kips Bay Showhouse - 2006

Kips Bay Showhouse – 2006

His fifty year career is now being celebrated in a new book to be released next Tuesday by Rizzoli.  With 432 pages of beautiful design, this tome is destined to be a classic and not the least bit “chintzy” (pardon the bad pun!)

Fifty Years of Design

Fifty Years of American Interior Decoration

Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6

Monday Mood

Monday Mood

It’s Monday – what mood are you in?

Portland Mid-century Modern

Original

Pronunciation: /əˈrijənl/

Fresh and unusual; authentic…  As Ingrid Bergman would say, “Be yourself.  The world worships the original.”

Photo: 1