Chateau Gabriel

How many homes did Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge own and how many auctions will result from them? Seems Christies will hold a second auction of artwork this November, half of which will be from Chateau Gabriel, their coastal retreat near Deauville, France. The chateau was of course restored with the help of their interior designer Jacques Grange whose opulent interiors were inspired by Marcel Proust and Claude Monet. The property also consists of many out buildings including a Russian dacha which should appeal to it's new Russian owners. And of course what would a chateau be without...

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More Orange

One of the rooms I was most excited to see at The Hampton Designer Showhouse this year was the den by Carrier and Company. I had seen a few photos online at Vogue.com and of course the burnt orange walls were right up my alley! The room with sitting area and pool table is in the basement and the husband and wife team of Jesse Carrier and Mara Miller did a great job with it. You don't even notice that there are no windows! Jesse Carrier used to work for Jeffrey Bilhuber and when he left to start his own firm, uber chic client Anna Wintour went with him. Carrier & Company have designed the...

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Orange You Glad It's Friday?!

Orange is my favorite color and it happens to be the favorite color of a lot of designers. I've always wondered why so many of us gravitate toward this color and in the September 2009 color issue of House Beautiful there is a clue. According to their color chart, orange represents creativity. It expands your thinking and is the color of laughter and celebrations. Sounds about right. To me, orange is a unisex color that is cheerful yet sophisticated. It also coordinates well with a lot of other colors. But mostly, it just makes me happy! Hopefully these orange images will brighten your day...

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One More Week!

Next Thursday morning I will step off the plane in Paree! Hooray! It can't come soon enough either! I've been busy trying to get lots of work done before I go which is why you are getting just a small post with one photo! But at least it's a good one!If you want to establish an international presence, you can't do so from New York. You need the consecration of Paris. - Oscar de la RentaPhoto by Matt Geo...

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Interior Design Career Advice

I get a lot of emails from readers asking for advice about a career in interior design and also if they should go to design school. Since I just received three such messages I thought I would put together a little post on the topic. I always ask my friends who went to design school what they learned and a few of them were gracious enough to share their experiences with me. I usually never steer anyone who is thinking about going to design school out of it. You will learn the fundamentals of interior design from which you can then add practical experience through internships and work experience....

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Color Me Happy!

I forgot to ask owner Stephen Saunders why his store is called The End of History. A more appropriate name would be The End of the Rainbow or maybe Died and Gone to Glassware Heaven! The shop is a treasure trove of vintage glass, ceramics and furniture from the 1950's and 60's. Much of the glass and decorative pieces are arranged by color which makes it easy for interior designers to come in and buy an instant collection for their clients. One of their best customers is Steven Gambrel who lives in the area and often stops by on his way home from work. The store is also popular with Jonathan Adler...

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Quirky Quadrille!

When I was searching for fabrics for my current big project, one of showrooms I visited was Quadrille. Turns out nothing was right for that particular apartment but now I can spot one of their fabrics a mile away! The showroom includes collections by Quadrille, Alan Campbell, China Seas, and Home Couture but are often all called just referred to as from Quadrille. Some of the fabrics look very similar so it's often a little confusing but worth the hunt. They always look cheerful and it's fun to see how different designers use them in their work. Enjoy!The outdoor vignette above was one of...

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