Patriotism with great flair. Terrific book…
Cafe Curtains
December 27, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Some think cafe curtains only belong in country kitsch, I think, if well composed they can be quite chic. They can bring elegance and billowing texture without sacrifice of view and light. The emperor of the cafe curtain is NYC interior designer, Jeffrey Bilhuber, his work is pictured below:
Artist Terry Winters
October 21, 2012 by Leave a Comment
My last post got me thinking of artists that were tantalizing, effervescent and influential on my journey from easel to drafting table. Terry Winters was one of those artists. His painting shown below, is yet another example of art overlapping interior design; loose yet mathematical, structured yet whimsical and with thick layering.
Case-Based Reasoning
Oil on linen
95 x 133 3/4 inches
Artist David Salle
October 19, 2012 by Leave a Comment
When I was in art school, David Salle was a hero and pivotal to my budding interest in design. As a painter, I was influenced by his unique draftsmanship and image compartmentalization. Salle tells many stories within one painting then brilliantly morphs them into one solid composition. Such are characteristics of a successfully designed room. Ah, the art of interior design..
David Salle’s painting: Old Bottles
Jim Thompson
October 14, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Jim Thompson, namesake of Jim Thompson fabrics, was born in 1906 into an affluent family in Delaware, he attended Princeton and then The University of Pennsylvania for architecture. In the 1940′s, Thompson took full time residence in Thailand, at a time when few foreigners were in the country. In addition to his large eccentric personality, he is know for rebuilding the Thai silk industry and generating world wide demand for it. Today the company makes some of the finest, most luxurious, unique and innovative fabrics available.
His Thai house was made into a museum and a highlight of my trip to Bangkok. Every square inch of Thompson’s home is a sensual treat.
Pictured below, from Jim Thompson’s Fall 2012 collection: “Folio” a sheer fabric with an Ikat pattern created with the latest laser-cut technology:
The College Hotel, Amsterdam
August 6, 2012 by Leave a Comment
At the beginning of a project, I ask clients questions such as, what is your favorite restaurant and/or hotel? The answers provide insight, NOT necessarily about their style but rather comfort zones, lighting preferences, scale, color palette….
For example, my favorite interior design is The College Hotel in Amsterdam. I love the brilliant and clever use of color and texture. Deep rich colored grass cloth walls juxtaposed with historic brick walls and high gloss black trim . It’s a place filled with many dichotomies: seriousness and playfulness, traditional and contemporary, cool and warm colors wonderfully mingling and rooms flowing seamlessly though appearing to have little in common. I wouldn’t want my home to look like The College Hotel, but my deep respect for it reveals my desire for a unique space with clever use of color that doesn’t fit into any mold…