Marble Moment

Whether good or bad, a movie can keep me interested based purely on the quality of its set design. While watching The Only Living Boy in New York recently, I found myself generally enjoying the views I was getting of various New York city locations. But when the above scene came up of the protagonist returning to his family home, I almost swooned. Since I'm tall, I've always been a fan of kitchens that opt out of over-hanging cabinets, preferring to have an unencumbered prep area. Seeing the bare space above the counter tops used as a canvas for the beauty of slab marble was a first for me. Now my eye is trained to notice gray and white marble slab and I'm loving the dramatic effect. Though it's most often found in kitchens, bathrooms and commercial spaces, I'd love to employ it on a wall in a woman's dressing room/closet. It would allow for the hard/soft textures and masculine/feminine contrast that creates balance in residential spaces. 

         

       

Images: 1) Roadside Attractions. 2) The New York Times. 3) Jeremiah Brent Design. 4) Yabu Pushelberg. 5) The Zhush.                                        

Midi Skirt Moment

One of my favorite trends to come out of the Fall 2017 runways is that the midi skirt has been fully embraced. It has been making an appearance in the last couple of years, but there was no ignoring it during the Fall shows. Valentino, Dior and Carolina Herrera all featured strong looks with mid-calf length skirts. I've long been a fan of the tailored looks of the 1970s, of which the midi skirt is a staple, so I'm celebrating this development.  

 Victoria Beckham

Christian Dior

Carolina Herrera

Images: 1) Glamour. 2, 3 & 4) Vogue. 5 & 6) Pinterest.                             

Feeling Pink

The color pink hasn't played a prominent role in my wardrobe or decor since my late teens when I deliberately abandoned it in favor of more grown-up hues. But the rose gold trend drew me back in to such a degree that I even covered one wall of my living room with a soft blush wallpaper (below). Ever committed to keeping a feminine/masculine balance, I planted a vintage Texan leather rocker in front of it to keep the pink from feeling too sweet. The wallpaper, it turns out, now represents the point of no return. For better or worse, I have embraced the pink.

 Images: 1) Anthropologie. 2) She Moves the Furniture. 3) Sazerac Stitches. 4) The Decorista. 5 & 6) Pinterest. 7) Instagram. 8) Remain Simple.

Where Art Meets Commerce

Aesop: Adelaide

What I'm drawn to in commercial design is the same idea that I'm drawn to in home environments -- I love to see an element of risk. The style may not reflect my own tastes but if I see something I've never seen before done successfully (whether in a Scandinavian country house or a minimalist hotel lobby), I'm an instant fan. Commercial spaces allow a designer to take an idea and see it through to an extreme that might feel cold or calculating in a residence. But because commercial visuals are designed to draw consumers in at least once, they can be over-the-top. Drama may not be welcomed in everyday life but in commercial design, it's bank. 

 Cafe Ato: Seoul

Wexler's Restaurant: San Francisco 

Herzog: Munich

The Kerry Hotel: Hong Kong

W Hotel: Bali

Vigoss Textile: Istanbul

Fast Bakery: Madrid

Citroen Flagship: Paris

Images: 1) Elza Web Design. 2) Retail Design Blog. 3) Behance. 4) Wallpaper. 5) Yellowtrace. 6) Homesthetics. 7 & 8) Arch Daily. 9) Pinterest.

Summer Living

Images: 1) Indoors / Outdoors. 2) Sara Mueller Designs. 3) Linneas Hage. 4) Sweetie Pie Style. 5) The Style Files. 6) Spell Designs.                                              

Mineralism

Maybe it's because 1970s boho style represents a vital strand of my design tastes, but I've recently found my eye drawn to design elements that incorporate or find inspiration from agate, geodes and other minerals. I received an agate cheese plate for Christmas (which I love despite the fact that I'm vegan) and I've since been paying more attention to other pieces I might add to what I hope will become a small collection. Agate is essentially quartz and it occurs in bands of various colors. I'm drawn to plum and eggplant shades but there are plenty of neutral options for those who prefer a muted palette. Our senses are engaged by contrasts so an element of agate is the perfect addition to an otherwise soft, feminine space. When used as a wall slab or art, it centers a space and needs no embellishment.

 

Images: 1) Emporium Home. 2) Anthropologie. 3) 1st Dibs. 4) Dasha Design. 5) Wisteria.