Catching the Breeze

This week I find myself in East Hampton installing a project that has come about quite quickly. The weather hasn't been great and so things in town have been quite slow except for contractors and design folk like me getting our clients houses ready for the summer season.  The project is right on the beach (see image from my tweet) and it has really made me think of the great outdoors and how nice it is to spend time by the water - even if I don't get to benefit from it.  One feature of the house that I really like (and something we are putting into a project in Florida I'm working on as well) is an outdoor shower.  The idea of standing outside, enjoying nature while pampering yourself really is the ultimate indulgence. I thought that I would share some wonderful outdoor shower images with you that I have been using as inspiration for this other project. Thoughts? 

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Residence

Arch Daily

Gardenista

The Black Workshop

Vineet Kaur

Colours of Spring - Purple

Today is the last installment of my Colours of Spring miniseries, and what a way to end then with the colour of royalty - Purple. As with the Yellow and Green posts (here and here respectively) there is something so cheery and welcoming to the changing of season as purple - think magnolia blossoms and lilacs a plenty.  You don't have to go all out and cover every surface with purple (although this can be quite successful), but as with many colours adding a little bit here and there in an otherwise neutral interior can help freshen up and brighten your space.  I have to say that all these pops of colour and little bits of spring over the past week have made me feel that perhaps I need a little more colour in my life. 

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Inspired Design

House and Home

Architectural Digest

Pinterest

Bella Mumma

Colours of Spring - Green

While some of these interiors push the idea of colour in an interior a little further than I like, they all feel very current and springlike. As with my post on Yellow here, whether it is being used as the dominant colour in the interior or as an accent here and there Emerald Green is all the rage this season and I'm on board!  I especially like the contrast with white and back (4th image with the green stair runner) and think that there is something to be said about pairing a bright accent with some neutrals - it not only helps keep things feeling a little calmer, but will act as a good background for this bright and lively accent. Anyone feeling green with envy? 

A Little Dash of Ash

Examiner

Show Home

Las Molinas

Pinterest

Martha Stewart

Colours of Spring - Yellow

For me spring is all about being bright.  The sun is shining more than it has all winter, everyone seems to have a smile on their face as the weather is getting warmer, and we try colours that haven't come out in months.  Well for me the same goes for interiors.  As most of you know I am a designer with modern tendencies and I tend to like simple interiors that generally lean on the more monochromatic side than bright and bubbly. This season however I am loving what pops of yellow seem to be doing to interiors. Whether used as an accent colour on a wall, or a piece of furniture in a corner, yellow not only seems to brighten these interiors, but my day as well.

Douglas Friedman Photography

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Ideas to Steal

My Home Ideas

A Part Ca

So Deco

Margas

Colours of Spring

This weekend we really noticed the change in season in New York. I mean I know that we had some warmer weather last week, but with the rain and threat of even snow on Friday, this weekend really felt like we has seen the coldest and things were going to go up from here.  Spring is all about how to be bold with colours in your wardrobe - I mean after spending I don't know how many months wearing black, I love to mix in a pop here and there - and so why not let this trend transcend to your interior?  There are a couple of colours which will be making it big this season and so I'll be featuring these this week, but today I thought I would set the mood with colour in general.  It is always nice to bring a little bit of something to an interior with a pop of this, or some colour blocking there, and so although these bring a little more than a pop, it shows how colour can really set the tone of an interior.

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Design Love Fest

Mimi + Meg

Sketch42

Residdence

Flickr

Maison Jansen

Founded in 1880 by Jean-Henri Jansen, Maison Jansen was a forced to be reckoned with in the design world.  Sadly it closed it's doors in 1989, but not before creating a legacy of interiors and furnishings that shape the way many of us work within this amazing industry.  Maison Jansen was not afraid to take chances, push boundaries and explore how materials, work together, how different styles compliment each other, and how interiors can be usable without losing their WOW factor.  With project throughout Europe, The Middle East and most of the globe (including a couple of rooms in The White House), their interiors and furnishings have been (and still are) coveted works of craftsmanship, materiality and design.  In a design world where I feel it is few and far between to find workrooms that really know their craft, Maison Jansen reminds me of the beauty and balance one can achieve when you strive for perfection, and although they are not around today, it doesn't mean that we too cannot strive for this kind of beauty.

Jansen

1stDibs

Architectural Digest

Furniture pieces are still available for purchase through antique dealers and sites like 1stDibs today, so we can still own a little piece of design history.

1st Dibs

Artemis Decorative Arts

Christies

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The White House

Wikipedia - Maison Jansen

Workstead

Since we moved to New York, I have always thought of Brooklyn has been Manhattan's hipster cousin - everything is a little cooler, industrial and rough around the edges.  So it was no surprise to me when I discovered the design studio Workstead was Broolkyn-based.  A young firm founded in 2009 by RISD graduates, Workstead bring a breath of fresh and exciting air to the design world.  They a fantastic eye for detail and understanding of materials (see previous post here) and have translated that cool Brooklyn vibe giving their projects a little edge while still keeping a clean aesthetic.    

Workstead