Loving Mario!

If I could have one person come to look at my townhouse and make suggestions decorating it, it would have to be Mario Buatta!  And these pictures are why.
Mario loves color; you won't find all beige and white here! Not only is he not afraid to use color, he's not afraid to mix colors either. Of course, I'm a huge fan of peach and I love the peach details on the bed and curtains above.  I love, love that scalloped dust ruffle!
Light and pale colors reign supreme in the pictures below.

Crystal chandeliers and sconces are an important source of light and sparkle in Mario Buatta's rooms.  And he is a true lover of mirrors, using them in all shapes and sizes, and will cover walls with them.

Above, I love the mirrors on either side of the bed.

Peach walls are my favorites.  I believe these are in Blair House.  The mirrored sconce between the twin beds is beautiful.  

Above, Mario Buatta believes in lush, sumptuous looking beds.  I love the bed crown in the room above. Details like the fringe trim on the hangings make a difference in the luxuriousness of the rooms. Look at that wonderful mirrored screen to the left of the bed.
Below, another wonderful canaopied bed. The checked curtains look great with the print on the bed. Silk covers the bedside table.

More canopied beds. Above, a funkier look with the unusual bed. The wood floors are painted.
Below, a bedroom looks like an English garden - or like a room in an English country house. 

I love the elements in the room above, including the curtain treatment.  I had almost the same curtains for years in my family room in our Arkansas house.
Below, tell me you wouldn't fall in love with this wonderful blue and white room.  That mirrored screen to the left of the bed is to die for! And I love the bit of whimsy on the end of the bed loveseat: a row of cat pillows! Buatta's bedside table are always practical; real life people can get what is needed on there: books, flowers, pens, tissues, a glass of water, lamp, etc.

More wonderful curtain treatments including the canopied bed.

Above, Buatta did Aileen Mehle's salon in gorgeous colors. With that wonderful furniture, the room's great proportions, and those curtains, I could live in this one room forever!
Below, you may not have seen the picture ribbons for awhile, but take them down and this room is still perfect for 2014. The furniture is classic; the paintings are amusing, and the sconces, mirrors, and screen add to the luxury of the mix.

Hmmm, what would Buatta do with my townhouse, I wonder, and its less than grand proportions?!
  Selected photos are from Architectural Digest.

English Decorating II

Whether contemporary or traditional, English style has certain common traits.  Above, the contemporary looking dining set is in a traditional style flat (c. 1820).  Look at that wonderful ceiling! Curtains are in a floral pattern and you can see the books to the lower left.  In the English style, books find a place all over the home, not just in a designated library.

Below, a living room full of books with the painting attached, English style, to the bookcase.

Above,the English are known for their beautiful draperies.  These curtains are layered and embellished with fringe and fringed tiebacks.  The ruffles at the top are both feminine and formal although the room, with its books stacked on a bench, flowers and patterned wallpaper, is very cosy and welcoming.
Above, a standout coral colour  is echoed in the Persian rugs and pillows.  Multiple pictures are on the wall, shelves are full of books, and a cosy throw lies over the arm of the sofa. Crystal light fixtures add a grand touch.

Below, look at the molding! This room gets a special dollop of style from symmetrical arrangements: the mirrours, the chairs on either side of the fireplace, the mantle elements, even the arrangement on the coffee table.  Look at the far left for the touch of crystal.

Dining rooms are a must in the English home.  They may serve a dual purpose, but there is almost always a separate room with a table that will seat at least 6 for dinner.   Whatever the colour scheme, there are often books around somewhere, crystal lighting in some form, and chairs with cushions that are comfortable for sitting around the table long after dinner is over.

Below, a beautiful Murano candelabra is the centerpiece for the round table. Note the comfortable looking cushions.

Above,  no matter what style, some things remain the same: books, comfortable seating, overhead chandelier.

Below, the most comfortable bedrooms in the world may be in the English style.  You will almost always see a chaise or a bench at the end of the bed.  If a bench, it is often stacked with reading material. A chaise almost always has a comfy throw for a quick nap.

More bedrooms:look at that gorgeous headboard!  Good lighting, wallpaper, and layered linens make this room apetitizing.

Above,the canopy bed is elaborately dressed with cottons, silk, and matelasse. The curtains have two layers as well as fabric shade.  Blue and white is a colour the English use often.

Below, another English favorite bedroom colour is yellow (probably because of all those grey English days).  This time the bed has a half tester which matches the curtains.  A padded headboard has a matching dust ruffle. Both bed curtains and window curtains have a heavy fringe.

Another yellow bedroom an added rope cord used to emphasize the lines of the room.  Plenty of pictures, pillows, family photos, and layered bed linens add to the warmth of the room.

Bedrooms, Offices, and a Little Help

I am still working on our bedroom. I finally found a pair of lamps that I like. They are a gold leaf tole that picks up the gold of the chandy with beige oval shades that match the colour of the privacy shades we have beneath the curtains.  The table on the left is actually an outdoor metal table that I had on our balcony here, but used since most of our tables are at the house in Arkansas.  To the right is a malachite-topped chest in burled wood and ormolu that I like though not necessarily as a bedside table.  Instead of a mirror over the bed, I put a Renoir canvas that I have had since I was in my early twenties.  It is not a print but an actual canvas hand-painted by an artist (not Renoir) that is really very beautiful.  It was a gift from my son's grandfather and has always been somewhere in my home wherever I've lived.  I may move it, but for now, this is its home.  I find that I have far more paintings, lithographs, and prints than I am going to have room for in the townhouse.

Here is a view of the larger windows in our bedroom with the curtains I am using.  Unfortunately, I didn't have enough rings for them, so they are casually clipped right now, but will be put up properly when the rest of the special order rings arrive.

Below is the guest room with the curtains almost finished.  The silk undershade is too sheer, I think and needs to be lined to look really good.

I had to take this picture of a home office from one of my favorite design blogs, Stacy's Conspicuous Style. I love her style choices.

Below, Cluny helps me all the time. He thinks since I work on the computer, he is helping by taking a nap on it or lying on part of and purring loudly. I love it, even though he probably going to wreak havoc on all my files someday! Below, uncharacteristically, Cluny looks to be the aggressor although he is the pussycat, and Cuervo is the alpha cat. Cuervo helps, too, by mewing loudly, and walking up to me dragging a long ribbon in his mouth that he likes to play with. How can I refuse?

More Bedrooms and More Peach!

 I'm still looking at bedrooms!  Above is a favorite because of the wonderful mirrour headboard!  Horchow has a mirrored headboard that I would love to have, but I am loathe to pay over $3,000.00 for it! This mirrour is perfect because of its curve and its spotty antique look. My bedroom curtains should arrive this week and I'm hoping that they are a perfect fit! Below, I love coronas!

Yummy colour! I don't think I'll ever stop loving peach and coral.

Below, this looks very much like our 2nd floor stairway with the exception of the carpeting on the stairs; I've also done a picture gallery although I don't have as many pictures hung there as this. I have "picture galleries" all over my house.

I love this peach colour.

I think this is an extremely interesting curtain treatment and would work for our living room since we have the same bay window - completely rectangular - only larger. I hadn't considered having the curtains come around to the actual wall.  I have side windows, and I don't like that these are covered.

   These balloon shades will go on the stair windows on three floors. They are very simple and will be about this colour, too. These two pictures come from a decorating blog I found called Decorica.  The last post was in November, but I hope she continues the blog!  Check it out!

Home Decor: Noticing a Theme

I'm having a wonderful, albeit at times frustrating, experience decorating our new townhouse.  At my age, one knows what one likes, but unfortunately, I also carry a lot of baggage from years ago, and have to make sure that my interiors don't look too dated.  I am certainly not a slave to trends and deplore  following the latest new fad as though it's the Second Coming! However, it is good for me to remember which century I live in and make sure that small details, as long as I find them attractive or functional, keep my interiors from looking stuck in some time warp.
Having loved French and English furniture for so long and adoring the English country look, one lesson, especially since we are also downsizing is to reduce clutter: Less is More.
I love the serenity of the bedroom below - and two tones, with one of them being an off-white suits my design sensibility perfectly! New touch I should consider: adding a padded headboard - and this one is my all-time favorite!  What is already in my bedroom: similar curtains and rods with clip rings, mirrors chandelier, soft off white slipper chair to the side of the bed, different bedside tables, offwhite spread and the same bedskirt.  I am also thinking of adding a half-canopy.  I do like the one here although I'm very fond of those that curve.

Below, yes to the chandelier; it's smashing!  The curtains are to die for! Wonderful tailored spread and bedskirt.  Love the ornate mirror and the moldings in the room. I believe this bedroom from 1962 is an all-time favorite of mine.  Mirror, half-canopy, padded headboard, French furniture, lovely soft colours, two-colour scheme. Of course, it's Jackie Kennedy's bedroom in the White House.

This New Orleans bedroom is simplicity itself. I love ballon shades!

Very luxe!

Below, the ceiling treatment is wonderful! I do love colour, and this is magnificent!

This all-white bedroom gets its colour from the outside world. Nothing competes with the view.

 

This living room is so elegant  with its high ceilings, and drapes and wall colour the same muted colour that seems to glow. I love monochromatic colour schemes; the window treatment is perfect for this tall room with its smaller, slipcovered furniture.Although the wallpaper has a pattern, it blends perfectly in colour and works perfectly here.