Masters of Chinoiserie

Did you happen to see House Beautiful's March 2012 "Going Green" issue?  In it, they feature a house decorated by well-known interior designer Meg Braff, who I'm convinced is the queen of Chinoiserie.  Her rooms are divine!  She always adds a Chinoiserie punch to otherwise traditional spaces.

{ Note the teal foo dogs and matching gourd lamps; via House Beautiful }

{ Bright pop of green on the walls and Asian-inspired toile on the headboard and loveseat (Schumacher's Starry Night); via House Beautiful }

Here are a few more Meg Braff creations:

That's nice, you say, but what exactly is Chinoiserie?  Chinoiserie is basically taking a room that is rooted in a traditional sensibility and then adding a preppy, Asian-influenced kick.

An equally known queen of Chinoiserie is Mary McDonald, whom I couldn't get enough of on Bravo's TV's Million Dollar Decorators.  She's very Beverly Hills-glam-drama and is an absolute design genius. 

I'll never forget first laying eyes on her office, featured in Domino Magazine a few years ago.  I thought I had died and gone to Chinoiserie heaven!

{ via Domino Magazine }

Another Mary McDonald original:

{ I think this picture was also in Domino; if memory serves, it was someone's guest room. I have often obsessed over those orange monogrammed shams coupled with the navy greek key throw pillows. }

Another Mary McDonald creation, this time more refined and subdued. Note the kick of Chinoiserie in the lucite coffee table!

I usually wouldn't trust anyone who calls decorating "deliiiiicious!" but Martyn Lawrence Bullard obviously knows what he's doing. He happens to be another designer featured on Million Dollar Decorators, and he's really hit the big time in recent years!  Every time I open Architectural Digest another home of his is featured. 

Bullard's aesthetic typically trends more Moroccan and Moorish than Chinoiserie, but check out a dining room of his featured in House Beautiful a few months ago:

{ via House Beautiful }

What is it about Chinoiserie that makes a room hum?  I think there's something about Chinoiserie that is unexpected and even humorous.  Note the clever pagoda chandelier above - what if it were a traditional crystal or old-fashioned brass chandelier instead?  Coupled with the other traditional elements in the room it would just be SO serious.  But the pagoda chandelier relaxes us (even makes us laugh!) and provides some real interest in the room.

Of course, not all Chinoiserie is ha-ha funny, but there is something about its whimsical touch.  Whether it be a darling pair of foo dogs or a splash of "out-there" orange lacquer, Chinoiserie keeps it traditional, and also keeps it interesting.

Winter Garden in Northern California

It had been far too long since our toddler Charlie had seen his SF-based cousins, so last week we boarded a plane from JFK->SFO and here we are!  Charlie and I are staying with my parents in the beautiful Bay Area, and despite the nippy February air, the blue sunny skies are glorious and we've spent quite a bit of time outside.  

{ Charlie and his "Gammy" put the easel to good use in the backyard }

My mom is the consummate gardener, and she proves that even in winter a garden can still look beautiful.  Of course, it doesn't hurt that her "winter garden" is in sunny Northern California...

{ The wintery backyard }

{ A bare wisteria vine lies in wait for some spring action }

{ Here's my folks' house - I love how the trees form graphic shadows on the front. I wish you could see this house before they applied their magic to it!  Talk about a transformation... }

{ Flowers on the front porch - purple pansies and snapdragons nicely withstand the mild Northern Cali winter }

{ Hearty Primrose line the...well, they line the Primrose path }

{This petal pink plant - the Daphne - emits the most pungent fragrance - almost like roses. It's amazing!}

{ This circular rock formation hosts exuberant flowers and vegetables in the spring. But even in the barren winter, this spot is so peaceful and pretty in a wintery sort of way. The weathervane looks a little tilted, but I think that's my camera angle. }

{ Our next door neighbor Kathy's garden is also a sight to behold - I should have taken more pictures!  Here's a shot of her gorgeous kumquat trees (more on these fabulous trees in a future post).  Please note toddler in the background, up to no good... }

 { It wouldn't be California without the citrus trees!  Here's  "Gammy" on the left and our neighbor Kathy helping Charlie pick his first orange. } 

Hope you enjoyed our little piece of heaven on earth, and I hope you had a wonderful long weekend with you and yours. 

The Black and White Checkered Floor

When we first viewed our current apartment in New York City, our real estate broker was quick to tell us that the black and white checkered floor in the apartment's foyer would be replaced with wood before we moved in.  I guess she thought the laminate tiles were old-fashioned.  "No!" I shouted out, probably a little too loudly.  Yes, a wood floor would have been perfectly fine, but to me the black and white checkered floor added a charm to the space that a rug or wood floor simply couldn't. 

What is it about a black and white checkered floor?  There's something so classic and 1920s retro about it.  It says "traditional" but with a kick. 

Our foyer.  

About a year ago, we decided to update the floor.  We chose to simply lay new laminate peel-and-stick tiles over the old ones - what class!  But I'll tell you, each 12" x 12" tile cost $1 from our neighborhood hardware store, and I don't think the floor could have come out more beautifully. 

Another angle.

Now let's take my "low" version of the black and white checkered floor to "high".  Here are some stunning black and white floors.  In my dream house, the black and white checkered floors will be marble...!

Love the punches of color above - the black and white floor really does stand in as a neutral letting other colors and patterns do their thing.

{ via suziepetunia }

A beautiful, traditional use of the black and white checker. 

{ via Decorati }

How fantastic is that glossy hunter green door? And leading into an equally shiny checkered hallway... this is such a classic look.

{ via La Dolce Vita }

The black and white floor above shows a more glamorous take - the art deco staircase, the glitzy chandelier. Works beautifully with the floor. 

{ via decorpad.com }

The kitchen above is a more modest use of the black and white floor - see how the black and white tile fits equally well in a more straightforward, clean-cut design scheme?

{ via Traditionalhome.com }

I'm loving this shot above - I detect a whiff of Spanish colonial-Moroccan-Moorish something in this home. The black and white floor provides such great visual contrast to the fairly plain walls and the punch of green in the chairs. 

{ via nicety.livejournal.com }

Another more traditional shot above - I can see why people opt for marble.  The gloss is really beautiful and eye-grabbing.  

{ via daisypinkcupcake }

So many black and white checkered floors show up in foyers, kitchens, or in bathrooms.  It's refreshing to see it carried to other parts of the house as seen above. 

{ via mrsblandings }

This parting shot is one of my favorites - I have to wonder, why are there wicker baskets full of fluffy white terrycloth towels just waiting there?  Is this someone's pool house?  

I just love the design stories above - amazing how the black and white checkered floor can be incorporated into so many different interior styles.  Such a great option and so versatile!   

I Dream of Napa

While I envision this blog as a space to get "real" about interior design, I also think it's important to sometimes get lost in fantasy!  Since I was an 8th grader with my nose permanently parked in a Jane Austen novel, I have imagined living out my own "modern day Pride and Prejudice" country estate fantasy in the Napa Valley. 

I envision hills covered in vines, and a winding driveway leading to a house that's beautiful but understated - think materials like stone, Spanish stucco, and reclaimed wood beams...mixed with French antiques and white linen couches you can just sink into.

My fantasy came to life when I finally picked up this issue of Architectural Digest.  Don and Rela Gleason of furnishings company Summer Hill have created the most lovely space in the heart of Napa Valley. Here's a peek:

  

A man and his dog... this feels like it's from another era.

And just one more: 

{via dailydoseofstuf }

Heaven on Earth. 

Do you have a fantasy "maybe some day house" you dream about, too?  I'd love to hear about it!