Stairways to Heaven

Architecture
March 18, 2011

Hello All. So yesterday I got a brace put on my leg for some stress fractures that I have been putting off dealing with. Of course the minute it gets nice outside I am strapped into a boot! Anyway, I am now starting to realize what an issue this is going to be … let’s just start with my 4th floor walkup apartment. So with stairs on the brain, I picked out some favorites in the hope that they will motivate me to get better and to go slowly when climbing my own!

Windsor Smith – Elle Decor

Key West – Traditional Home

Victoria Hagan – Elle Decor

Sag Harbor – Elle Decor

Traditional Home

Miami Beach – Elle Decor

Greenwich Village – Elle Decor

Normandy – Elle Decor

Houghton Hall, The Great Staircase – Norfolk, UK

James Huniford – Elle Decor

Elle Decor

Steven Gambrel – Elle Decor

And saving the absolute best for last …

Drayton Hall – Charleston, SC

Which is your favorite? And which inspires you to climb the most stairs?

Francophile or Patriot?

Architecture
March 17, 2011

Traditional Home

Or both? Don’t you just love the combination of statue of liberty and eiffel tower statuettes on this mantel? I know I do. And then the addition of what looks like an Abraham Lincoln bust is fantastic. This mantel and its medallions is so traditional, especially coupled with the historic blue color, but the photograph above it and the slate surround give it that hit of modernity. What do you think? Are you a francophile?

A Model of Good Taste

Designers
March 16, 2011

Ok. Sometimes I find myself behind the design 8 ball, and behind the latest and greatest. This year, I am allowed to blame it on my thesis. Am I the last person to know that the line of fabrics by Iman on Calico Corners it absolutely fabulous? The woman is gorgeous, and so is her taste in patterns and colors. Each fabric has an exotic flair … not unlike Iman herself.

This is Java Moon in Luna. Love it. The colors are fantastic, and I love the stripes that act as a background for an ikat-type print. $42.39/yard.

Alexandria Scroll in Citrine. How fun is this? A little mod, a little traditional. The perfect blend. I’m thinking about it for the seat cushion of a faux bamboo cane back chair seen here. What do you think? $19.99/yard.

Sultana Lattice in Luna. This looks almost exactly like Kelly Wearstler Imperial Trellis. And its $27.99 a yard. What a find. Can’t go wrong with this fabric. I would love to do a footstool in this as an accent piece.

Zahra Leaf in Radicchio. Again, somehow this fabric blends a mod with an exotic and a little bit of traditional. This fabric could look fantastically bold on a settee. It is a great alternative to zebra! $26.39/yard.

This is my absolute favorite. Alhambra Amour in Luna and in Mineral. I don’t know why, but I just absolutely love this fabric. The luna color is fantastic, and the mineral is tres chic! I need to find somewhere to use it. Perhaps a chair? Perhaps upholstered walls? I love it! $23.19/yard! What do you think?

Photos courtesy of Calico Corners.com