House Crush: Jennifer Lopez

I hope all you had a most wonderful Christmas!  Mine was quite good.  I'm currently compiling a post about my favorite gift, white custom frames my hubbie made to go over our nightstands!  Sigh... now back to normal life...

My jaw dropped when I came across these images from the Jan./Feb. issue of Veranda Magazine.  They are of Jeniffer Lopez's Southern California home and I seriously think her designer, Michelle Workman, is my design twin separated at birth!  Does anything in these photos look familiar?

How about this table:

from this post,

and this chandelier:

from this post.  The chairs are very similar, too.  Great minds think a like, I guess!

Check out how fabulous the rest of JLo's home turned out:

The palette of soft taupe, gray and blue was based off vintage black and white movies from the 1940's.  Again, SO my personal style.  True love...

Lucite legged bench from Suzanne Kasler's collection.  Love me some lucite!

{images via Curbed}

The Mark Hotel, NYC

After a horrible weekend of nausea and a foggy head, I'm finally feeling like my old self.  Hallelujah!  Knock on wood that was my token winter illness.  Anyway, back to inspiring interior design!

I was reading Jan Shower's new notebook post about her recent trip to NYC where she stayed at The Mark Hotel on Madison Ave.  Apparently, it is an older hotel that was completely renovated by the renowned Jacques Grange in a style inspired by Paris circa 1930.  You know I had to research this further since vintage Parisian design is so up my alley!  I was not disappointed by what I found.

Grand Entrance
(LOVE the monogram)

Lobby
(You can never go wrong with black and white stripes! Classic.)

Hallway
("Jacques Grange decked the halls")

Jacques Grange hand selected each piece for every suite.
The yellow of the curtains is the perfect accent to the neutral room without being overbearing.

I adore the coffered ceiling and the use of chunky moldings to frame-in the walls.

A perfectly accessorized nightstand.

En Suite Dining with Adjacent Kitchen

Closet

Bathroom with Mirrored Flat-Screen Television

The piece de resistance of the entire hotel, in my opinion, are the bathroom vanities.  They were all custom-made for the hotel in a elegant Tiffany blue with stainless steel accents.  These would have looked as good 50 years ago as they do today and will continue to look just as fabulous for years to come.  This is what one strives for when designing permanent fixtures such as counter-tops, cabinetry, floors, ceilings, etc.  

Black, white and marble decked bathroom for the modern-day Audrey Hepburn.

Custom Vanity Exclusively Designed for The Mark.

Next time you are in NYC, need a place to stay, and have an extra grand or two to splurge, check out The Mark Hotel!  See more at:

http://www.themarkhotel.com/

Design Legend: Jan Showers



 When I first picked up Jan Shower's book, "Glamorous Rooms,"  I was astonished at how her style was so close to my own (well, hers comes with a HUGE slab of traditional, where I lean towards the contemporary). The serene color palettes, the clean lines, the glitz of metals and glass, the draping of mass yardages of silk, all evoke an atmosphere of luxury that is not too pretentious. 

As soon as I flipped through this book, I ran home and got it on order.  When I received my copy, I noticed a little leopard peeking out from the dust jacket.  The actual book itself is a faux snow leopard!  If I am to be reincarnated as a inanimate object, it would be this book!

Jan's bedrooms were what initially struck me. In fact, there was one that was so close to my own bedroom! I couldn't find a picture online of it, but the walls were a darker silver-sage with two starburst mirrors over each nightstand and two arm chairs that are the exact match to my sofa in my living room. So beautiful. 

"We believe in insisting on perfection.  Timeless style.  Classic glamour.  The ease of living well. Simplicity.  Luxury you can take for granted."  -Jan Showers

(Can you imagine dressing this table for Thanksgiving? Note to self:  find puddling table linens.)

"Choosing different designs ultimately mixed with different interiors, from traditional to modern, is my real inspiration."  -Jan Showers

I know there's a lot to love in this pic, but I die over the door hardware. 

Can you believe the area rug is actually patched cow hides? 
It's such a fun texture against the smooth drapes and sleek occasionals.

Not sure what the carpet is.  Ocelot? Gazelle? Whatever it is, it sure is chic!

"Glamour and comfort are not mutually exclusive."  -Jan Showers

Jan added warmth and slimmer to the above entryway by treating the walls with warm silver-leaf tea paper.  The same tea paper is also on the inside covers of her book!