Author: Amy Hirsch

Breakfast Room

This sunny breakfast room became such an ideal spot for a relaxing start to the day.

When designing this breakfast room for a client, I fell in love with their round dining table.  It has such a simple form but with an unexpected shape to the base.  The client asked more than once if we should find an alternative table, but I truly felt it was not necessary.  The table was already an ideal reflection of their style and personality.

With the table as a starting point, we matched it with lovely chairs from Oly, upholstered in three different fabrics:  Edelman Leather for the seat, Chelsea Editions for the back rest, and Carleton V Ltd on the back of the chair for contrast.  When arranged around the table, the chairs add so much visual interest to the room simply from the combination of fabrics.  To soften the room and tie it all together, we added a rug from Patterson, Flynn, and Martin.  The chevron wall covering by Ralph Lauren provides background texture and the flower prints bring an unexpected pop of bright color.   At first glance, the breakfast room looks sophisticated but charming and welcoming with a simple palette.  However, the variety of complementary patterns and textures actually creates a more complex environment that draws the eye around the room to take in every carefully-placed detail.

The photo above includes many of the details I particularly like in this breakfast room.  The subtle pattern of the wall covering, the way the nail heads in the chair are mimicked on the nearby frames, and the shape of the flower on the chair back corresponding to the shape of the flowers in the prints.  This sunny breakfast room became such an ideal spot for a relaxing start to the day.

Greek Keys

Simple and versatile, the Greek key as a design element can be implemented in any color or scale

Also known as meanders, what we today call the Greek key design appeared in ancient friezes and on pottery from Greece’s Geometric Period onward.  Most likely a symbol of eternity and unity, Greek keys are an easily recognizable pattern.

I like to use Greek keys as trim.  It brings a touch of classicism to a room whether the pattern is part of a window treatment or piece of furniture.  Simple and versatile, the Greek key as a design element can be implemented in any color or scale.  It can be paired with other patterns or used alone for maximum impact.  With so many possibilities, it’s no wonder the Greek key has endured for millennia.

When you start to look for it, you find Greek keys in all kinds of places.  It’s amazing to think how long this element has been part of architecture and design!

Formal Living Room

The vibrant colors and sumptuous textures of this living room work together to create such a treat for the eye!

This client lives in a very grand, 1920s brick Georgian home.  Her tastes run to the traditional, with a love for French antiques and feminine elements.  With all of this in mind, I set out to create a formal living room exactly tailored to my client’s wishes.

With formality as our ultimate goal, I chose important and significant antique and art pieces.  The stunning antique blue lamps are from Carlos de la Puenta and set the overall tone for the room.  They also anchor the lovely vignette of the sofa with the antique Dufar screen.  This living room is saturated with Neoclassical elements, from the hand-painted commodes to the antique ribbon and metal elements at the base of the sofa.

I really enjoy the contrast of luscious velvets against the creme grasscloth wall covering from Philip Jeffries.  The vibrant colors and sumptuous textures of the living room work together to create a complex, multi-layered experience.

Habitually Chic

Heather Clawson’s blog Habitually Chic is a visual treasure trove of glamor, style, and design.

Heather Clawson

The worlds of fashion, art, style, and interior design intersect, overlap, and influence each other in a multitude of ways.  Finding a resource that incorporates all of these elements is always exciting.  In that vein, Heather Clawson’s blog Habitually Chic is a visual treasure trove of glamor, style, and design.  She uses the blog to chronicle her “musings on art, architecture, design, fashion, photography, books, events, and everything else habitually chic!”

From incredible artists and stunning exhibits to celebrity photo shoots of Demi Moore or Robert Pattinson, from gorgeous examples of chic advertising to courtyard doors in Paris, Habitually Chic showcases every conceivable facet of life as related to interior design.  When combined with Clawson’s thoughts and opinions, the wealth of photos becomes one inspiration or idea after another.

 

Images from Habitually Chic

NY Botanical Gardens Holiday Train Show

Set in the beautiful Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, the Holiday Train Show features model trains running through replicas of famous New York City landmarks.

This year marks the 20th Annual Holiday Train Show at the NYC Botanical Gardens.  Running from Nov 19, 2011 through Jan 16, 2012, this is truly an enchanting show for all ages.

Set in the beautiful Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, the Holiday Train Show features model trains running through replicas of famous New York City landmarks.   As you walk through the conservatory, you  have the pleasure of watching the model trains chug their charming way through the lush greenery and around such well-known sights as the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty.  As if that weren’t a fun enough concept, the NYC replicas are constructed from parts of plants such as bark, leaves, and nuts!  Imagine the city transformed into a woodland fairy world and you get a fairly good idea of what the Holiday Train Show has in store.

I just love the detail and artistry of these buildings!
It isn't hard to imagine this city populated with sprites!

It’s hard to imagine the scale of the train show from just these pictures, but the next two will give you a better idea of the size of the displays.  In addition, this year the Holiday Train Show features a new attraction called the Artists’ Studio.  It allows visitors to see the process involved in construction of the NYC replicas.  You’ll be able to see buildings in various stages of completion, from start to finish!

Visitors admire some of the replicas.
You can walk right under the Brooklyn Bridge!

Whether you’re looking for a family outing or a pleasant way to spend an afternoon, the Holiday Train Show is an excellent option.  Take a leisurely stroll, admire the creativity and ingenuity of the replicas among the vibrant flora, enjoy hot chocolate and gingersnaps, and lose yourself in a magical world!

Visit the NYC Botanical Garden website for ticket information and show hours.

Artisan Chocolates

Few people can resist the dark allure of really good chocolate.

Few people can resist the dark allure of really good chocolate.  We associate chocolate with rich desserts, lavish Valentine’s Day gifts, and decadent holiday treats, but what we now call chocolate began as a very different kind of concoction.

Mankind’s love affair with chocolate began a staggering 4,000 years ago in the Amazon when cocoa beans were roasted, ground, and made into an unsweetened, bitter drink.  In the 16th century Spain, the brilliant step of blending chocolate with sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and cinnamon created a fashionable beverage for the nobility.  It wasn’t until 1830, however, that a process for developing solid eating chocolate was finally developed, and another few decades would pass before the inception of milk chocolate.

With the holidays quickly approaching, I want to focus on gorgeous artisan chocolates.  Odds are, a gift box of these beautiful chocolates would make someone on your gift list a very happy person.  I’ve found that local chocolatiers often combine exquisite craftsmanship with high quality, fresh ingredients for the kind of chocolate experience a mass-produced chocolate company cannot compare with.

Truffles

 

 

 

Connoisseur Collection

 

For example, DeBrand Fine Chocolates is a family-owned chocolate company in Indiana.  Each piece of chocolate is meticulously hand-crafted from the highest quality ingredients.  These chocolates taste as incredible as they look, with traditional as well as exotic flavors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another noteworthy artisan chocolate shop is Alma Chocolate in Portland, Oregon.  Chocolatier Sarah Hart creates traditional truffles, bon bons in a variety of tempting flavors, and unique molded chocolates decorated with edible gold leaf.

Thai peanut butter cup
Quan Yin Icon

 

Christopher Elbow Chocolates in Kansas City and San Francisco, sculpts tiny works of art into delectable chocolate creations.  Each confection is as much a feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds.

Christopher Elbow Chocolate Collection

In my experience, the ideal chocolate shop offers hand-made chocolates made from fresh ingredients on a small scale.  If you aren’t lucky enough to have a small chocolate shop that makes their own artisan chocolates, all of the examples here ship chocolates anywhere in the U.S.  For gifts, dessert or favors at your next dinner party or event, beautiful little works of art like this can please on every aesthetic level.

Intaglios

Authentic antiques or modern reproductions, intaglios have so much to offer.

Intaglios are made by carving a design into stone or some other type of hard material.  While the art of creating intaglios is an ancient one that encompasses everything from jewelry to sculpture, what I want to show you today is a specific type of intaglio.  In the 17th and 18th centuries, wealthy young Europeans taking a Grand Tour often bought intaglios as souvenirs, mainly in Italy.  These exquisite examples of antique intaglios are still available today.

Antique World Tour Italian Intaglios

 

Antique French Intaglios

Authentic antiques or modern reproductions, intaglios have so much to offer.  When framed in groups or individually, these small works of art become striking wall art for your home.  In a neutral space, they provide texture.  In any room, they provide interest and variation.  I like how the arrangement and grouping of the intaglios cant take many forms.  One intaglio per frame or several, a couple of frames or many, on one wall or covering an entire room.  This kind of versatility in design is part of what makes intaglios so interesting.

Seashell intaglio by Karen Robertson Collection
Framed intaglio by Swedish Dekor
Intaglios fro Quatrefoil Design
Framed Intaglios: Tiberian Design Framed Intaglios
Designer Betty Burgess covered dining room walls with intaglios

 cover source

Home Theater

The client asked for a place to enjoy watching old movies with large gatherings of friends, so I set out to create a haven for just that.

This space started out as your typical vanilla box basement with no character.  In fact, the long, narrow room with two awkward access points presented a challenge right from the start.  The client asked for a place to enjoy watching old movies with large gatherings of friends, so I set out to create a haven for just that.

I covered the walls in Mahogany Yacare Crocodile by Ralph Lauren.  This rich, textured backdrop set the stage for the rest of the room.  To alleviate heaviness from the dark walls and lack of windows, I chose a zebra pattern chair and two-toned sofa.  Along with the light cabinetry and striped wool carpet, these choices keep the walls from overpowering the space.

The rug is from Turabian and Sariyan, a local carpet vendor whom I absolutely adore!  I chose this particular ottoman because it serves as both a foot rest and a convenient place to rest drinks or snacks.  The combination of materials and textures in this room ties the entire space together with an intimate, cozy feel:  suede, velvet, crocodile, and wool.  The variations in patterns, from the zebra chair to the sofa pillows, add complexity and interest.

Finally, to suit the main purpose of the room, we installed a wet bar to either side of the main entrance to the basement.  It contains necessities such as a fridge and microwave for the all-important popcorn.  The brushed counter is from Walker Zanger and is a continuation of the chocolate feeling from the walls.  As an added interesting touch, I used antique mirror for the wet bar back splash.  Not only does it look fantastic, it works to reflect light in a dark space.

The final transformation of the basement proved everything my clients hoped for and was a project I completely enjoyed!

The Versatile Lamp

A well-placed lamp gives a room a splash of color, a functional sculpture, or an interesting accent piece.

Lamps do a lot more for a room than simply provide a light source.  Light is important, but so is color and style!  A well-placed lamp gives a room a splash of color, a functional sculpture, or an interesting accent piece.

These next two lamps illustrate how a unique piece and a custom shade become a work of art.

I love the lamp below.  It’s more like a glowing sculpture, unexpected and whimsical!

 

Charles Edwards Blog

Lighting fixtures from Charles Edwards Limited certainly deserve their status as elegant and versatile design pieces, so it’s no wonder the Charles Edwards Blog is such an incredible resource.

In 1993, Charles Edwards Limited Antiques was born.  Founded as an antique reproduction company, their designs are inspired by 19th- and 20th-century English and French lanterns.  Lighting fixtures from Charles Edwards Limited certainly deserve their status as elegant and versatile design pieces, so it’s no wonder the Charles Edwards Blog is such an incredible resource. 

The blog features amazing pictures of rooms with Charles Edwards lighting fixtures in a variety of styles and finishes.  New posts are added weekly, showcasing fixtures in luxury settings such as the historic Hay-Adams Hotel in Washington D.C. and the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London.

Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Hyde Park
Brass Pavilion Lantern, Hay-Adams Hotel, D.C.

One great aspect of the Charles Edwards Blog is the range of styles and locations.  From a Pennsylvania farmhouse to MTV’s “Teen Cribs,” the photos provide lush visual inspiration for anyone’s tastes.

19th Century farmhouse in New Hope, Pennslyvania

Charles Edward collection at the London Design Festival

I encourage you to try the different blog views at the top of the Charles Edwards Blog home page.  You’ll stumble on something new each time!