Greek Key Inspired Style

I have a confession. I'm a design dork. 

When I'm down and need a little pick-me-up, sometimes I'll create 

DESIGN BOARDS.  

When I do this I like to use furniture that I will most likely never be 

able to work with because of the price tag.

Here is one of those boards I created with a mix of designer vintage pieces in an achromatic palette. 

I know gray has been around for awhile but I'm still enamored with this fabulous neutral.

1. Z Gallerie Studio Frames

2. Sheepskin Rug

3. Sciolari Italian 1960s Chandelier

4. Kittenger Greek Key Mandarin 1940s Chest of Drawers

5. Edward Wormley for Dunbar 1960s Tete-a-Tete

eDesign: Modern Glam Living Room

I was contacted a few weeks back by the fabulous author over at P.S. I Love This, 

who needed some guidance on her formal living room.  Her home is already amazing.  I mean AMAZING. 

 I was so honored when she asked me to put together an eDesign board for her

MODERN GLAM LIVING ROOM.

Seriously, I have never met someone with such similar style to mine.  I kept telling my husband we have to be twins separated at birth. I would source an item for her design board, then peruse her blog and see a post about the EXACT product.  It's clients like her that make my job the best in the world!

Here are my favorite shots of her 

STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL19th CENTURY HOME:

I am so blessed to even be a small part of this home!

You can read more about the renovation and 

my eDesign at P.S. I LOVE THIS...

{design board by Brooke Jones Designs, LLC and images via P.S. I Love This}

Can This Be Made Into A Room? Harry Potter, Ministry of Magic

I, along with hundreds of thousands of others, saw the new installment of Harry Potter this past weekend.  Did anyone else notice that all the bad guys had the best interiors?  Maybe it was just me.  But the Ministry of Magic?  Come on.  It was the most sleek, stunning, and moody space I have ever seen.  I had a hard time paying attention to the plot because I was so mesmerized by the set!   Let's see if I can recreate the look for the everyday Muggle.

All above images from http://harrypotter.warnerbros.com/harrypotterandthedeathlyhallows/mainsite/index.html

Because all of the black is so dramatic, there are only a few rooms in your home where you could pull this look off. Think powder rooms, laundry rooms, formal dining rooms, and other rooms where you don't spend a lot of time.  I wouldn't recommend tiling a formal dining room in high-gloss tile, but I would recommend wrapping a dining room in a black tone-on-tone Greek key wallpaper (DesignYourWalls).  There are two schools of thought when it comes to going uber dark in a room: it either closes a room in, or makes a room seem larger.  I tend to lean towards the latter.  When walls are that dark, they seems to disappear into the background, expanding a space.  Don't be scared of saturated color!  To continue the geometric motif, I would layout a gold and black Greek key rug (Surya) in the center of the room and then soften these hard visual lines with black dupioni silk drapes (HalfPriceDrapes).

For the furnishings in this room I wanted to go traditional and lacquered with lots of gilding.  1st Dibs, as always, came to the rescue!   The table is Louis XVI from France (with the hefty price tag of $24,000! This is definitely a fantasy room) and the side chairs are hand painted klismos Colefax & Fowler chairs, all circa 1940's.  I'd swap out the leopard upholstery (shocker, I know) for some luxurious pleated gold silk (Duralee) to keep with the gold and black theme.  Now this is where it gets exciting.  I found the most PERFECT chairs to use as captains chairs.  I don't think I could have custom designed more appropriate chairs!  They are 19th century English gilt-wood armchairs with ebonized owl-form arm supports and upholstered in black silk.  Here, let's take a closer look:

Aren't you just dieing over these?  Amore.   And what would a formal dining room be without a bar?  I would add Suzanne Kasler's tuxedo cabinet (HickoryChair) to add some drama and height and flank it with gold sconces with black shades (PotteryBarn).  I would add a large gold chandelier (Arteriors) over the table and set the table in gilded china (BedBathandBeyond) and flatwear. 

Do you think I was successful in creating a usable room for us Muggles or should we leave this look for the Death Eaters?

Design Legend: Alexa Hampton

Alexa Hampton

I don't think I have ever been more excited about a book release than I was for Alexa Hampton's recent "The Language of Interior Design" (well, except maybe for a Dan Brown book or two...).  Alexa Hampton is the daughter of the iconic Mark Hampton (if you are a design history buff you MUST learn everything you can about this man.  Amazing.) and inherited his firm in NYC when Mr. Hampton passed away in 1997.  Alexa had some big shoes to fill and she more than does those shoes justice.

Alexa was inspired by her childhood.  In her book she states, "In my case, my training started quite young, as my father, Mark Hampton, a well-educated, accomplished, and highly esteemed decorator, insisted on spending our family vacations touring houses and palaces, museums and churches, both abroad and in the United States.  While other families were skiing, sunning, playing tennis, or visiting amusement parks,  my sister and I could be found being dragged by our parents to see architectural high points, museums, and galleries around the world.  By the time I was twelve, I had seen the Pantheon, the Parthenon, and Buckingham Palace."  Lucky duck.

Alexa later went on to achieve a degree in Art History and started working under her father at his firm.  The hallmarks of Alexa's work include British architectural elements, Roman antiquities, and soft colors (though both her and her father claim to not have a signature 'style').

NYC Apartment.  My personal favorite of Alexa's work.
I ADORE the mix of traditional klimos chairs and a vintage 50's chandelier.

New Orleans Entryway.  I think whoever lives in this house wears ballgowns daily.

Is that a campaign end table I see??

Bright.  Sunny.  Perfect to wake up to on a winter's morning.

If my home was traditional, THIS is how I would design my home office.

Alexa's watercolor for her 1999 Kips Bay Showhouse.  She inherited her father's talent for renderings.

Alexa also has a GORGEOUS line of furniture for Hickory Chair.  Here are some of my favorites:

I must own this barrel chair one day.  So chic.

Looks like Alexa loves campaign furniture as much as I do! 
I would break up the set, though, so it's not so matchy-matchy.



A perfect example of using a desk instead of a traditional nightstand.
The swing-arm floor lamps is a great option for bedside and work surface lighting.



The Mark Desk

I have ALWAYS wanted to use a sofa as seating at a table, but clients usually look at me funny when I suggest this.  Look how functional and elegant it is, though!



Quatrefoil Light Fixture in Natural Brass.
A trillion times better than the ubiquitous 'boob' light.  Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about.

“Suitability and appropriateness are hallmarks of great design, and I strive to have both in my work,”

Read more: http://www.architecturaldigest.com/architects/100/alexa_hampton/alexa_hampton_profile#ixzz15ZRH8OHu

http://www.markhampton.com/



Can This Be Made Into A Room? Rachel Zoe

I go bah-nah-nahs over Rachel Zoe, celebrity fashion stylist and guru.  Her personal style is always on-trend, yet so unique and so, well, Rachel Zoe.  I saw the below image of her a few months back and haven't been able to get it out of my head.  I wondered, "could I make her outfit into a room?" In this post I'm taking on the challenge!

Interior design has similar concepts to styling an outfit.  First, choose your main piece/pieces.  In Rachel's outfit, it's the chiffon maxi dress and for my room, it's the sofa (William Sonoma Home). After the main items are selected, one moves to accent pieces. Rachel's main accents are her leather clutch and gold platform sandals.  My main accents are the leather klismos chair (Arteriors), leather steamer trunk (Restoration Hardware), and to add some height and to break up the horizontal lines, a gilded gold wooden screen (Arteriors).

Rachel always piles on the glamor with her accessories.  Her jewelry collections alone should be in archived in a museum.  I interpreted her wrist full of gold bangles and pendant necklace to be a collection of brass starburst mirrors (Ballard Designs), a brass and marble top Directoire end table (Global Views), and a glass display box (Arteriors).

The piece de resistance of both the outfit and room?  Fur. Gorgeous, soft, luxurious fur. The faux snow leopard throw I included (William Sonoma Home) would be gorgeous hanging just about anywhere in this room- the chair, the steamer trunk, the shoulders of a fabulous lady reclining on the sofa. Sigh. So pretty.

(P.S.  Maybe I am still reeling over yesterday's post on Garrow Kedigian room, but I just had to pop in the Greek inspired pillow (Thomas Paul).   Doesn't it seem fitting?)



Garrow Kedigian Kips Bay 2009

I couldn't post about Kips Bay without posting my all-time favorite Kips Bay room by Garrow Kedigian from last year's showhouse.  Mr. Kedigian was a newcomer to Kips Bay and got stuck with the most undesirable room of the entire house- a 95 sq. ft maid's room on the 5th floor.  Boy, did he stand up to the challenge! 

Classic Greek mythological themes are used throughout.  Notice the Greek Key pillows, carpet and the ancient-looking bust. Adore.

This room follows the same principle of Katie Ridder's entryway from this year's showhouse- go big and bold in a small space!  I love the over-scaled painting, chandelier, and floral arrangement.  They really pack a punch.

NY Times article on the 2009 Kips Bay Showhouse



The orange lacquered wall help reflect light in this small space.  The white 'moldings' were created with white paint which is more graphic than traditional molding and less expensive! Win Win!!

Garrow Kedigian Interior Design

 http://garrowkedigian.com/