Samperton Style

So happy to see a fresh bedroom done-up by Schuyler Samperton, for the September In Style, featuring two of her signatures: a stately screen used in lieu of a headboard, and a suzani coverlet. (Well, maybe four of her signatures. Note the leopard pillow on the bed and the large plant in the corner.)

BTW: Yurdan has a large selection of suzanis. Click on the label suzani below for more sources.

Fantasy Find of the Week

When I got in today, two very gracious emails awaited: one from Coleen, over at Coleen and Company, and another from The Peak of Chic. Both said that a pair of rare, hand-made, large-scale bone pagodas have just arrived at Coleen's California boutique. Jennifer, a.k.a. The Peak of Chic, was especially generous to share the news rather than post the find herself.

So, above here they are. Amazingly delicate and intricate, and a substantial 38" tall. The price reflects their precious nature: $2,800 each. But they are forever pieces. Below, again is that wonderful shot of Mary McDonald with a few of the bone pagodas in her private collection.

Waiting for Lulu

All artwork © Lulu de Kwiatkowski, AMMO Books, 2007.

While we are waiting for the release of Lulu, the first book from textile designer Lulu de Kwiatkowski, here's a little preview. Remember, the focus of the book will be not interiors, but de Kwiatkowski's surreal handmade collages inspired by her 1970s childhood and her worldly travels. (Lulu's background is in fine art.)

When it finally does hit shelves -- hopefully in September not November -- the large-format volume should be lush since art house publisher Ammo Books is behind it.





I love how Anne Coyle used Lulu DK fabrics ("Porcupine" and "Chant") to bring a fresh edge to a trad Chicago family home, above; photos by Bob Hiemstra for O at Home, spring 2005.

Ahead of the Curve: Southern Accents

Image originally appeared in Southern Accents, July-August 2003; photo by Pieter Estersohn.

I'm embarrassed to say I'd forgotten about this South Carolina bedroom until it reappeared in the current issue of Southern Accents. When it was first published, I was of course immediately drawn to the pink suzani. At the time these textiles were not seen everywhere -- especially not in the Low Country. The striped walls and framed Jamaican landscape prints add to the sub-tropical charm. (Click to better see the details.)

BTW: Charleston-based Amelia Handegan -- always timeless but a little unpredictable -- is the decorator here, and the room was featured in a special bedroom "book-azine" that Southern Accents put together a few years ago. Click on the word suzani, under labels, for a host of suzani-related sources..

The Iron Age

Above, six Napoleon III French painted iron garden chairs, with star pattern punched in the seats, circa 1850, available through Lucullus.



Above, iron garden chairs used indoors, in a room designed by Jan Showers.

The High has a strong collection of mid-to-late 19th century furniture -- not a period I'm most passionate about -- so when I was a docent there, I challenged myself to become more enthused about the era. Iron garden chairs and tables were pieces I could get into. Polar opposites of heavy, dark, ornate Victorian and Napoleonic furniture, these iron creations are light, airy and fresh. Even a century later.

Related past post: Curls and Swirls.

New Orleans Style

Images from Southern Accents

New Orleans has always been such a diverse, eccentric place. Consequently, there's not one definitive Crescent City look. But there is a common thread: soul. Whether it's a humble Creole cottage or elegant Garden District home, many New Orleans interiors are filled with objects that have great personal meaning to the occupants. Residents also tend to buck the trends, and celebrate the sweet life.

As manager of the culinary antiques store Lucullus, Kerry Moody has acquired an abundance of fine 18th-and 19th century tableware. In his modest home he uses precious porcelain and silver, and Louis XV chairs. I love how his holiday table, above, is set with antique apple-green Vieux Paris soup bowls.



Images from Southern Accents

Above, Virginia Freeman Rowan represents polished New Orleans. In her home, refined European antiques and ball-gown curtains mingle happily with kids and pets. The soft creamy interior shown here is her family room. She prefers neutral backgrounds that never become dated and accommodate a lifetime of collecting.



Above, from Lucullus, a French modernist table cube in the Xavier Pauchard style, circa 1935; along with a set of late 19th century French iron garden chairs, circa 1880.



Photography, Kerri McCaffety, as seen in House Beautiful, January 2005

Above, Thomas Jayne collaborated with Robert Clepper to evoke the feel of a bohemian artist's early 20th century New Orleans apartment in this 350-square-foot French Quarter home. One of the challenges Jayne faced was working with Clapper's vast art collection. As a back-drop, vibrant creole color is used inside and out. The lush courtyard is positively iconic.

Off The Hook

An old mirror that usually hangs in my bedroom fell off the wall today. Hardly a crisis compared to people loosing their homes and belongings in a storm. But the headboard project may have to go on hold for a while. Get ready for a rash of "Mirror Obsessed" posts.

Happy Chic Find

Above, one of a pair of vintage chairs available through Pariscope.

What do you think of these cheerful 1960s orange-and-pink chairs? I can see them in a very femme bedroom -- adult's or child's, modern or traditional. They could also be great in a commercial interior -- maybe a boutique. The bold abstract floral fabric is trapunto quilted linen. (In Italian trapunto means "to embroider," and in English trapunto usually refers to simple stitches outlining a form, like the flowers here.)

More on Briger + Briger

The dessert plates displayed in this Briger + Briger-designed home were made in Paris by Dagoty for Marie-Antoinette's daughter, Marie-Therese.






C. Bell recently acquired the whimsical 19th-century garden chairs, shown above. The shop's owner plans to do the seats in bright apple-green terry-cloth.



All photography © Michel Zabé, Rizzoli New York, 2007. Images reprinted with permission from Rizzoli.

Recently I was treated to a sneak peek at Briger + Briger: Comfortable and Joyous Homes, City, Country and Lakeside, a soon-to-be released book from designer-collectors, Paul and Cris Briger. (Some of you may have seen the couple's 2006 homage to Dorothy Draper at Bergdorf Goodman.) My first thought is that detail oriented readers will love it.

The authors devote 240 pages to just three residences: a distinguished urban Mexico City home, a stately country house, and a lakeside retreat. Every nook and cranny -- interior and exterior -- is explored. With their extensive knowledge of decorative arts, the designers highlight special antiques and art placed in these homes, and make fascinating references to domestic life in centuries past. But their primary focus is on 21st-century comfort.

Having worked on grand projects, encompassing architecture and garden design as well as interiors, Briger + Briger have strong opinions on what truly constitutes comfortable living. Personally, I think their book would be a lovely gift for someone about to build or seriously renovate a home (or for a designer working with clients like this.)

In terms of aesthetic, the Briger + Briger look is very distinctive and hard to categorize. Like Rose Tarlow and John Saladino, the duo mix classic and modern pieces. But there is a whimsy, or eccentricity, to their work that reminds me of Lars Bolander, or even Madeleine Castaing. Take a look at the book when it hits shelves in October and tell me what you think.

Simple Headboards

Photo, Elle Decor.

Above, an extremely simple (perhaps slip-covered?) headboard pairs well with ultra-femme pieces in Sara Jessica Parker's beach house bedroom. Below, a clean-lined Kelly-green headboard is the focal point of Lee Kleinhelter's all-white guest room. (Also a great option for long-term renters faced with a neutral back-drop.)


Photo by Tim Street-Porter for Cottage Living, October 2006.

White Elephants

An item that may be on my Christmas list this year is a white ceramic elephant stool. So far I've not seen anything I like as much as this vintage pair, from Pieces, posted back in April (now sold). But J. Crew's new white elephant charm bracelet caught my eye tonight. $125.





This new elephant table is available through stores including C. Bell and Pieces.

Lexington Leader

Above, Leontine Linens founder, Jane Scott Hodges, with son. Image is from the Leontine Linens catalog.

The expression "tradition with a twist" is getting a little tired, but a friend of mine who grew up in Lexington with Leontine Linens founder, Jane Scott Hodges, tells me that is the best way to describe the entrepreneur's approach.

A few years ago, I saw this when the nursery Jane Scott put together in New Orleans, for her son, was featured on HGTV's Homes Across America. It was the first nursery I'd ever seen with a teeny-weeny touch of Tony Duquette: a red bamboo chandelier.


Photo by Katherine Slingluff


Above, decorator Melissa Rufty helped Hodges transform a tiny office, in an old New Orleans "shot-gun" house, into a nursery with flair.

In 1999, a Chinese-Red-lacquered chandelier in a baby's room -- especially in the home of a very traditional couple -- was truly unexpected. (Unfortunately the grainy picture above does not do the room's colors justice.) Hodges really made the most of a small narrow space by enveloping it in French-blue, accented with brilliant reds. The sole window was decked-out with a chinoiserie-toile shade, and an Asian-inspired monogram was designed for the linens. To really add punch, a found bamboo rocker was lacquered red as well. (That statuesque giraffe, though, is what won me over most.)

Speaking of linens, for someone more boho than trad, I love John Robshaw's "Parrot" baby bedding, below.

Headboard Obsessed

Interior design above, Vesta Fort; photo, Paul Costello for Domino, May 2006..

Here's a quick and simple headboard tip from Mary McDonald, a decorator known for creating glamorous, comfortable beds: when contemplating a custom upholstered piece, McDonald recommends sketching the desired form, in actual size, on craft paper. Next, cut the shape out and tape it to the wall behind the bed for preview. Doing this could help prevent disaster. (Tip appeared in House & Garden, November 2001.)



Above is JBK's circa 1960 White House bedroom, decorated by Sister Parish with headboard covered in, I believe, Dek Tillett daisy print cotton. Image via Elle Decor.

Holiday Preview: Crane

Crane is currently offering 10% off early orders of personalized holiday cards until September 30. Above is another favorite from their 2007 collection: a delicate white tree and ornaments engraved in white on a soft yellow-green background. Unfortunately, at least for now, these are only available with larger custom orders -- not as a small boxed set.

More Stripes, More Headboards

The Antwerp chair, covered in Kelly Wearstler's "Couture Stripe" in canary-and-black, is still available through Anthropologie. This striped fabric is extremely textural in person. At the moment I'm picturing it on a headboard. (Not necessarily for me, with my existing fabrics, but for someone.)



Photography above, Eric Morin for World of Interiors, December 2006.

Another look I've always liked is Kate and Andy Spade's yellow-striped upholstered headboard, seen on World of Interiors' 25th anniversary cover. With its French-style frame, it could be too fussy, but the crisp white paint and ultra wide stripes make it look almost modern.



Photos above, Jessica Craig-Martin.

When Kate Spade was photographed for House & Garden a few years ago, she propped against a yellow-and-white print headboard. (Click images to enlarge and read captions.)


Photo above, Pieter Estersohn for Elle Decor, June-July 2001.

For his tiny beach house, decorator Todd Romano used a very tailored upholstered headboard with stripes placed on the horizontal.



Always inspiring Nick Olsen, over at Domino, recently talked about the idea of buying Urban Outfitters' economical Regency Headboard, above, just for the cool shape, and recovering it D.I.Y. Be sure to see his post.