Mirror Mirror on the Wall...

…if you know what's good for you, you'll tell me what I want to hear when I ask who's the fairest one of all! Today is all about mirrors. I love a haute mirror, and seem to be collecting them now. We have an awesome (and heavy) antique mirror rescued from my parents' neighbor:


You've seen the ornate Syroco number I found a my favorite NYC thrift store, Pippin Vintage, hanging in the hall of our former apartment in NYC:


We inherited a lovely (and enormous!) mirror from my Grandmother last year that hangs proudly in our current dining area:


And on a recent trip to visit the extended family in East Texas, we scored a smaller version of "the one that got away;" a vintage reproduction Federalist convex mirror:


More than a year ago, I spotted a similar mirror in the aforementioned Pippin in New York. Not only was it was larger, made of carved wood and gilded, it was in great shape and therefore fetched something in the $200 range (specimens in like-new condition, found on such sites as 1st Dibs, often yield much higher prices). I pondered it for a while, I brought Oliver in to ponder it with me, and one day, on yet another pondering trip, it was gone. Cest la vie; it wasn't meant to be just yet (and we couldn't really afford to spend the money on it, either). So, on this recent jaunt to the thrift stores of Mineola, when I spotted a similar mirror for a mere $19, I grabbed it and walked around the store holding it, lest I lost my chance again. Seriously, I did that.

Our new mirror was priced so low in part because it is made of Syroco (essentially molded, painted resin by the Syracuse Ornamental Company). I would love a wooden version someday, but my current budget only allows for plastic, so there you have it! In the 1950s, Syroco made it possible to reproduce heavily carved accessories for a fraction of the price, churning out tons of designs originally made of wood.

The mirrors are also known as "bullseye"mirrors, especially when the glass is convex. The design usually consists of a mirror surrounded by thirteen "balls," meant to represent the thirteen original states of the union (ours has this). They also lend the mirror a nautical feel, reminiscent of portholes on ships. Another name for the style is "Girandole," which refers to the candle arms (called girandoles) attached to some in order to reflect light into a room. The convex mirror design did a great deal to illuminate an entire room before electric light was common. They come in all shapes and sizes (well, I suppose they're mostly the same shape...), as can be seen in this great round up of offerings from The Federalist, and here, from Richard Rothstein. 

It now hangs proudly on Oliver's closet door, accompanying the Pippin find, which hangs on my closet door. I'm always shifting things around, so this may not be the permanent home (I might want to display it more prominently at some point), but it works for now!


Heavily influenced by the Empire style in France, but especially classical Greece and Rome, America's early Federalist style flourished between 1785 and 1810, when the Federalist Party ran the country and nationalism soared as America established herself. Neoclassical influences such as straight lines, simple ornament and lightness for ease of transport. Classical figures, urns, eagles, masks embellished delicate furnishings and accessories. The late Federalist style (1810-1830) saw many of the same embellishments, but in heavier forms and more ornamentation.

I'm thrilled to own a little bit of American history – and I'm certainly not alone!

Designer Unknown, via Elle Decor


Source unknown


Markham Roberts via Elle Decor


Design by Sara Gilbane

Lately, Pt II

In addition to the day job, I've continued to write for houzz.com twice a week, which has made for a very busy life! As a result (and much to my disappointment), I haven't been blogging as much, but I'm diligently working on returning to a routine while maintaining a good work/life balance. That said, let me catch you up on some of my recent Houzz stories!

By Coburn Architecture and Interiors

A long-time supporter of mixing styles, I find the stark contrast between traditional and modern to be most striking, especially in the form of art. This was one of my favorite articles to write and research to date: Opposites Attract: Modern Art in Traditional Rooms

By Jon Lum Architecture

Pocket doors speak to me. They say things like, "Old-World glamour," "decadence," "grand soirees." Stuff like that. Not only are they lovely, they are also quite functional, saving space in tight rooms. I pulled together some favorites from houzz designers in Deep Pockets: Pocket Doors with Panache

By Faiella Design

I know dark bathrooms aren't for everyone, but I love them and had wanted an excuse to spend some time mulling through images of them for inspiration. Someday I intend to have a glamorously gloomy powder room in my house. In the meantime, I live vicariously through these bathrooms: Chic and Moody: Dark, Seductive Bathrooms

Many of you are familiar with my love of taking a small space (especially outside) and make it a precious escape. I've belabored this subject, so I think I'll just let you enjoy the pretty pictures. Balconies: Precious Rooms in the Sky 

This article garnered passionate commentary; people seem to hate tablecloths! I think they're great in some settings, unnecessary in others, but overall, I appreciate an additional dose of textile thrown over a table (especially when it's an ugly table!) to dress things up. Dressing Your Table: Cloth or No Cloth? 

By Dufner Hughes Inc. 

I had one friend growing up who had a canopy bed and I thought it was the most magical thing I'd ever seen. As I grew into a cynical adult, I thought canopy beds were for wussies (not really, but I wasn't as into them). Then I became the open-minded designer that I am today, and I know that everything has a place in the right application. Canopy beds don't just have to be for fancy little girls. They don't need to be swathed in 8,000 yards of fabric in order to add grace and elegance to a room. And, most importantly, they don't have to be feminine at all: Canopy Beds: All Grown Up and Still Magical

Barn doors are much like pocket doors in their function and grandness, but because they are a bit unexpected, I think they make even more of a statement. Doors with Character: Raised in a Barn

If you're in the U.S., I hope you have a great holiday weekend. If you're not in the U.S., tough luck, but I know you have some of your own great holidays! xoxo 

Around the Houzz: House Plants

Numerous people (clients, prospective clients, friends, etc) have asked me what I think is the easiest, quickest way to transform a home (or room) on a budget, especially on a renter's budget. My answer has always been paint, which obscures all signs of the people who occupied the place before you, memories of ex's, filth or simply breathes new life into a space without breaking the bank. But I recently added plants to my answer. Plants have an uncanny ability to make everything look and feel clean, fresh and alive while simultaneously scrubbing grossness out of the air we breathe. That shot of green (or many shots) does wonders for any space, and in my opinion, you cannot have too many. For high-end projects, I recommend choosing sculptural, statement plants that add texture and interest to a room, and almost act as a piece of art. But big plants don't come cheap. For the rest of us, I think just about any healthy plant will do. We used them liberally in our last apartment: plants became "curtains" over our bathroom window, they softened sharp edges and brought your eye up to the ceiling when placed high on a top shelf. But more than anything, they made our small apartment feel airy, breezy and a little more connected to nature. We only have one right now (sadly, our plants did not survive the freezing cold drive from New York to Texas) but we have big plans to get more soon.

With that, check out my most recent article for houzz.com was all about our leafy green friends: Bring In The Outside With House Plants!

The Well-Concealed Kitchen on Houzz!

Another ideabook by yours truly just went live on Houzz.com – ideas for cozying up your kitchen with furniture from other parts of the house! Hope on over to Houzz.com to read it:
The Well-Concealed Kitchen.

Art, Lamps, Lizards and the Perfect New (to us) Chair

We have been busy bees, bumbling around Austin, but here's what's been happening around the house:

We finally put up some artwork in our bedroom! Under our bed, we've been "storing" Japanese wood block prints that my grandfather brought back from Kyoto many, many moons ago. This weekend we dug them out, dusted them off and hung them up! This was before the days of "Put a Bird on It," I'll have you know...

Small impression of impressionist painting by me, circa 2004

We re-wired my grandmother's fantastic milk glass lamp bases (above) so we could use them with dimmers (and so they wouldn't burn down our house) and picked up some cheap-o but much needed new shades for them at Target. I think a scalloped shade would work better with the bases, but the seven dollar price tag called my name. I can easily dress them up with some grosgrain ribbon to add pizzaz and personality. I love the built-in dish, which perfectly (and neatly!) fits my rings and watch!


We hung a piece of Oliver's art in the office/second bedroom:

Note awesome faux Adirondack chairs in the yard. Those things have made this spring unforgettable

The big score of the weekend, however, was an adorable tufted velvet chair! I was jogging in the nabe on Saturday morning, when I passed a garage sale. I had a swift inner dialogue debating the probability that Oliver and I would get back to it before it shut down (slim to none) so I turned around and wandered through a stranger's house in my running gear and sweaty body. The seller was a sweet older woman preparing for a retirement-motivated move to South Padre Island (not bad). I told her I was new in town and had some furnishing to do. As she showed me some pieces I wasn't interested in, I caught a glimpse of the chair. Just as I thought to myself, "I need that chair," she said, "Of course, the chair isn't for sale." In a moment of New York brashness, I announced, "Oh, the chair is what I want!" She was flabbergasted. Not so much at my (sort of) rudeness, but more at the fact that a young person would want her old chair. Apparently, most Austin residents aren't into furnishing with antiques, a trend I've also noted in my interior design work. Well, I am, so we started talking. She told me the chair belonged to her husband's mother and she would call him to see if he would change his mind about parting with the chair. I left my number and a trail of drips behind me as I made my way out the door and jogged home for brunch. During said brunch, we spied a little lizard changing colors on our deck:

The joys of living in a home! I'd never actually witnessed a lizard changing colors, so this was quite an experience! 

I soon got a call from the lady who told me her husband was willing to sell the chair for fifty bucks. Oliver and I sped over to her house, chatted with her for a bit (she is a real sweetheart) and loaded the newest addition to our family of furniture into the vast cavern that is the back of our minivan. We are now proud owners of the perfect tufted chair for our living room!

We will have to reupholster the chair soon-ish, but for now, it's great! We love the small scale, the deep tufted buttons, the cabriole legs and the glam-y nailhead trim!

DVF in Your Home and Your Closet

I gave a lot of presentations in graduate school as part of my coursework; we worked on projects for two to four weeks, and were required to present them for final critique in front of peers, professors and guest critics (usually professionals in the design field). I learned early on that how well you presented your work was half the battle; a poor design could often be (somewhat) masked by a dazzling presentation, which wasn't necessarily fair, but it was the truth. I watched outstanding designs go completely unnoticed because the presenter muttered and had tattered posters and models while nonsensical designs were lauded because the presentations were slick and the student, adept at public speaking, sold the half-baked idea with fervor. Many of us took it a step further and actually dressed the part. That's right; my outfits almost always coordinated with the work I was presenting. No matter that I hadn't slept in two weeks or that my last meal took place a few days back or that I had forgotten what a shower felt like, I made time to pull together an outfit that reflected the colors and materials in my interior design projects. Thus the beginning of my interest in exploring how all forms of design are related.

True to form, I always see a link between runway and interiors fashions, so when I heard Diane Von Furstenburg recently launched a collection of bedding and tabletop designs for the home, I was eager to see what she showed at the just-wrapped New York Fashion Week. I figured there would be some overlap, especially because she took inspiration from her own iconic apparel prints. I've put together some comparisons to illustrate how Ms. Von Furstenburg's personal style, brand, favorite colors and fashion inclinations are reflected in her bedding and tabletop designs.




Bedding and tabletop products are available at Bloomingdale's and DVF.com
All fashion photos courtesy Vogue.com, and Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Runway Photos

Coincidently, I recently completed an assignment to write about 1970s wrap dresses, which Ms. Von Furstenburg is credited for inventing – she didn't exactly, but she certainly pushed the design into the mainstream (twice!) and women's fashion has been thanking her ever since! Read the full article here! A sneak peak:

Hand-Smocked Window Treatments

I recently wrote this little fact sheet for ehow.com on hand-smocked window treatments. My article was limited to 200 words (I think I wrote about 250; what can I say, I'm verbose!) and it got me in the mood to expound a little on the subject. I can't say I didn't know what smocking was, I did – I even own a few sun dresses with smocking details on the front (and my Aunt Barbara added a hand-smocked embellishment to a dress she made for me when I was little). Maybe because its somewhat familiar, I've always sort of overlooked it. Well, this little blurb, which I wrote in exchange for some money, piqued my interest, so here I am, modifying my fact sheet for the blog in order to quench my knowledge-thirsty readers' questions. A version of the article also appears on examiner.com).

First things first: what is smocking? It is an embroidery technique used to gather fabric to create a ruffled repeating diamond pattern. In curtains, it runs the length of the header.

Smocking detail via The Shabby Nest

Unlike other embroidery methods that are purely decorative, smocking is unusual in that it was often worn by laborers. Developed in England in the 13th and 14th centuries and used extensively in apparel through the 18th and 19th centuries before elastic was available, smocking allowed practical garments for farmers and other workers to be both form-fitting and flexible. It was also employed in garments like cuffs and necklines, where buttons were undesirable.

Painting by Ambrosius Holbein, 1518, showing smocking on garment; Image courtesy Wikipedia

The use of smocks declined among farm workers in the late 1800s, but the embroidery technique later became a popular specialty detail added to high culture dresses and tea gowns. Decorative English smocking resurged in the 1920s and became even more popular in 1940, when the smocking pleater was invented, saving time and making it possible to use the technique on a variety of fabrics. Soon designers were inspired to add smocking embellishments on a variety of garments and, finally, curtains. I believe we saw a lot of smocking in the 1970s, which lead to our current terrycloth-ish-beach-cover-up-with-stretchy-smocking-fad

Due to its intricacy, smocking is best used on light- or medium-weight fabrics; solid silks and cottons are most common, but those with small or simple patterns work well without overshadowing the delicate details, and historically cashmere, pique and crepe de Chine were also smocked. According to Good Housekeeping: The Illustrated Book of Needlecrafts, “any fabric can be smocked if it is supple enough to be gathered.”  

A variety of patterned smocked curtains are available at Elizabeth's Embellishments:





Luxurious hand-smocked curtains in different embroidery styles, from Varang

Hand-smocked curtains evoke an old-world, casual elegance that coordinates with many decor styles, but is most often combined with dressy feminine country or cottage-style decor. For best results, hang smocked window coverings with a decorative curtain pole or track using drapery hooks.


Check out Pottery Barn's options:

After poking around the great wide interwebs for smocking photos, I realized smocking is all over the place right now! Isn't it funny how something can be right under your nose but you don't see it until you're forced to really look at it?

Hand-smocked pillow cover by artfire.com


DKNY's Watercolor Field Daisy and Willow Flowering Print smocked decorative pillows





Juicy Couture's smocked purses


Smocked pleated silk lampshade from Besselink & Jones in a recent World of Interiors 

We end this tour on a country casual interior, featuring Bella Home Fashion's Chandler Collection smocked curtains:

Detail


In situe

Harlem HOUZZ Tour

I don't usually post on the weekends, but I couldn't resist publishing this right away because I'm so excited! I recently wrote a quickie post on houzz.com, the site that allows you to find ideas from designers and DIY-ers all over the country. I'm so honored to share with you the wonderful story about our New York apartment (prior to our Austin move), Houzz Tour: Killy and Oliver's Hip Harlem Apartment: Color, Clever Storage and Editing Turns a Tiny Apartment Into a Gem, written beautifully by Houzz contributor Lily Gahagan.

This is by far the most in-depth look at our (beloved) former apartment, complete with small-space decorating tips and explanations of the driving forces behind our design decisions. Sending out a huge thank you to Lily and the Houzz team!

All photos by Frisson

Nothing New Under the Sun & Stripe Roundup

I had a professor in graduate school who used to listen to us ramble on about how unique and cutting edge our designs were, then in his deep, guttural-yet-sing-song-y voice, he'd bellow, "Well, there's nothing new under the sun, that's what I always say." Thanks, Gus. You know we haven't slept or eaten in, like, WEEKS, right?

But he's right. Sort of. I submit there are new things under the sun, but they are often informed by old things. Ya' feel me? Gus has been practicing architecture since the year one, and has worked at Pratt for something like forty years, so he's pretty much where everything today derives from.

WELL! I was poking around the interwebs last night when I came across this interior shot of a hallway on Country Living:

Home of Jane and Billy Pritchard of Stray Dog Designs; photo by Victoria Pearson

And it reminded me of our own hall in our last apartment:

I certainly didn't think we reinvented the wheel with our navy stripes, but yowza! At least we know our instincts are on the right track ... Maybe Country Living is going to come knocking on my door soon. Fingers crossed :)

If not, at least Apartment Therapy gives us some love. As I poked around for more stripes images, I came across this "Get Striped: All Kinds of Striped Inspiration" story, featuring our home office (#13)!

I'm loving that turquoise chandelier with tiny striped shades in the Pritchards' hall–that's a great detail! Their's is clearly neither a rental nor an apartment, and I believe they shoot the catalog for their store in their home, so let's just say they have more resources. No matter! I think we did a lot with a little!

Obviously, its no secret that we love stripes, but clearly we're not alone.

Jeremy and Kathleen showcased their own striped hall on Apartment Therapy and their blog

The brown stripes in this galley kitchen are quite sophisticated:

Photo by Simon Upton for Elle Decor


Photo courtesy Anne Coyle Interiors


Mixing a pattern and a stripe at Elle Decor

If its good enough for Carolina Herrera, its good enough for ME:


Coral + Yellow = BOLD

Via Elle Decor

The tiny settee with small-scale stripes against the wide-striped wall, the mini-lamp, the abstract art surrounded by other work, gallery-style – this is a beautiful vignette:

Photo by Thiebault Jeanson for Elle Decor

Another perfect vignette:

Source Unknown

Oh my, that copper tub!

Photo courtesy Elle Decor

This is just too much fun, with the varying pinks, the formal silhouette of DOGS and the ornate picture frames (that I suspect were formerly mirrors with Syroco frame. We have an identical mirror!)

Photo courtesy House to Home

Oh, hello, gorgeous burled wood table with lucite legs!!! The stripe pattern behind you is lovely, too:

Photo courtesy Lonny Magazine

Designer Markham Roberts jazzes things up by putting the stripes in this room on a diagonal:


Designer Ned Marshall mixes silvers and golds to create this elegant stripe-infused room:


I'm loving the wide stripes on this sofa:

Source Unkown

Got some money to burn? Then upholster your walls in Osborne and Little fabric:

Design by Collette Ward Interiors

Photography John M. Hall captured the beauty of this opulent coral bedroom:


But stripes aren't just for walls. They are fantastic on floors and ceilings and exteriors.

Beverly Hills Hotel photo courtesy Second Floor Living


Jenna Lyons' nursery, via Domino


Umbrellas at The Viceroy Hotel, by Kelly Wearstler

Or just put them everywhere, as in this hallway from Domino:


And they don't have to appear only on soft things: paint them onto floors, create them with tiles:

Design by David Mitchell Interior Design


Photo courtesy Decor Pad


Design by Jeffers Design Group; Photo courtesy House Beautiful

This image (from Domino Magazine) sparked my love of horizontal stripes in small spaces offset with whimsical florals:


All this eye candy is fun, but Gus' insistence that there's "nothing new under the sun" still applies:

Mosque of Cordoba (Spain); completed in 987; Photo courtesy Ian Pitchford via Wikipedia


Notre Dame de la Garde, Marseilles, France; completed in 1864; Photo courtesy MJA Studios

Notre Dame de la Garde, interior:

Photo courtesy Wikipedia