Colorful, Eclectic, Classic

Those three words sum up what I'd like to surround myself with at home. Every time I see these pictures, they make me happy...and make me want to run home and put a beautiful pastel wash on my stark white rental apartment walls.

The soft hues of this room are grounded by such a vibrant rug.

This robin's egg blue is brilliant. It would be so easy for it to seem childish, but mixed with so many other similarly sprightly colors and handsome finishes (that fireplace, the chandelier!) it is fun but grown-up.

I must have floor to ceiling elly green velvet drapes. Immediately.

I have several fire-redheaded friends and the cardinal rule is to never wear pink, right? Somehow the combination here is delightfully jarring and totally works. And the collage of framed art and zebra doors? I die.

None of the pieces in this room seem to really match, but the odd mix manages to be cohesive. The blue wall (I really must have a thing for this color) stands out above everything else and lets all of the similarly muted yet disparate pieces pale and coalesce in comparison.

Pink and purple and blue and green - sounds like a 5-year-old's dream room. Here, it's looks like a pastel jewel box made for a modern Marie Antoinette. I would probably add a carpet here though, as beautiful as those dark wood floors are.

Those windows! The art! That chandelier! It's quite interesting how the eye seems to dance around the top of the room before it ever notices the furniture. Stunning.

I really am a sucker for built-ins, and the wall of dark wood is just lovely. And really, I think it's the green garden stool that makes this room for me. Without it, it would be a dark couch against a dark wall. Amazing what one pop of color can do.

If these pictures are yours, please let me know!

Balloons!

Usually when I think of balloons, I think of cheap prom decorations, little-kid birthdays and otherwise too-juvenile-to-be-cool situations. But these two pictures enthrall me.  They are playful but still sophisticated enough to fly for a grown-up party.

The haphazard strands of every possible color have a rather magical quality - though I'm sure the stately old manor helps.  Imagine an outdoor party with amorphous pillars of balloons delineating the space.  Enchanting. 

For a beautiful outdoor wedding - drape the ceremony site in beautiful white fabric suspended by giant balloons.  Could be logistically tricky, but the effect is so whimsical and beautiful.

If these pictures are yours, let me know!

Betty Sherrill's NYC apartment

Betty Sherrill's NYC duplex has just the right amount of chintzy fluff to make it stately, but the unexpectedly bright colors and mix of patterns and finishes make it perfectly eclectic.  This top interior designer's apartment feels curated rather than decorated and has stood the test of time - it hasn't been re-done in more than 40 years!

Mrs. Sherrill in her living room.  The angular red table is an ideal counterpoint to the soft lines and flounce around it.

My eye is immediately caught by the painting over the fireplace.  I was expecting an idyllic pastoral scene in oils, but love the abstract piece instead (still in a gold frame, natch).

Love the zebra chairs and the Impala bust - this room has an UES meets safari feel.

Cluttered, but in the best way possible.

The subtly patterned wallpaper adds just enough interest to this hall without being overwhelming.

Fully feminine and sweet (I still love pink walls), but probably not a look my better half would go for in our bedroom.

all images from New York Social Diary

Princeton Reunions

Princeton Reunions are upon us and I can't wait to pile on all of the orange clothes I've been collecting all year and join the orange sea at the Prade!  If only I could go on a shopping spree right now, here's what I'd be picking up:

Emilio Pucci geometric print silk dress, $1191, farfetch.com

Ukranian Egg Ring, $38, anthropologie.com

Large Saint Louis Goyard Tote, goyard.com

Princeton grey tee, $30, pustore.com

Searle multi tier high waisted skirt, $248, searlenyc.com

Knee length linen skirt, $15.80, forever21.com

Tory Burch jelly reva equestrian, $95, jildorshoes.com

Cole Haan trillby driver, $104.40, zappos.com

CCSkye screw enamel bangle, $74.12, couture.zappos.com

Halston silk new shirt dress, $1,396.50, net-a-porter.com

Kenzie lock bracelet, $155, stefanibags.com

Longchamp planete nylon tote in fox orange, $145, saksfifthavenue.com

Bajra orange flower stole, $330, shirise.com

Kate Spade orange stripe cabana platform wedges, $138.99, bluefly.com

Inspired

These pictures really make me want to go straight home, dig through my stash of fabric and sew.

from leemawdsley.co.uk

Pink Walls

Maybe it's the rainy weather that's been plaguing New York for the past week, but I'm finding myself craving girly, happy pink walls.  Our apartment is too small to go for it just yet, but when I have more than 500 square feet to decorate, I'm all over this.

Such a soft and dreamy room.  Check out the ceiling--I would kill for that kind of architectural detail.

I feel like this room is straight from The Royal Tenenbaums.  It's amazing how the rich wood and sea of framed art make the pink seem almost masculine, almost.

No, the walls aren't pink, but how amazing are these pink appliances?  I think I'd be afraid to make such a color commitment, but the effect is so wonderful.

from Coastal Living

A grown up pink bedroom: it has all of the frills, but the hard edges and moody art keep it from feeling like a little girl's room.

from Domino 

The vibrant pink against a deep black is so modern and I love the idea of moving from one color story to the next in each room.

So proper and English.  If the furniture were in a different color, the light pink walls would almost read as a neutral.  And how striking is that black wall of cabinets?

The petal pink walls are such a lovely backdrop to a beautiful suite of eclectic furniture.  I love the marriage of wonderfully muted tans, robin's egg blues, light yellows and rose.

from Domino, August 07

How fabulous are those houndstooth curtains?  Definitely a statement piece.

from Oprah at Home

This is Betsey Johnson's kitchen--cluttered, shabby-chic, eclectic.  So very cool and so very Betsy.

Geodes

A hint of this look goes a long way - one small candy dish or one set of coasters is plenty - but these fabulous geode pieces make it dangerously easy to overdo.  The vibrant colors seem vaguely futuristic, but the earth mother in me is totally taken by the natural, freeform feel.

Amethyst frame

Vivre.com, $450

Large Amethyst Bowl

Vivre.com, $195

Small Clear Crystal/Pyrite Box

Vivre.com, $245

Agate Coaster Set

A+R Store, $55

Agate Frame

vivre.com, $45

Agate Bowls

vivre.com, $55

Black Walls

I spent way too much time on Architectural Digest's AD 100 list and re-discovered my love for Mario Buatta when I saw this amazing room.  He's called the "king of chintz," which makes me cringe, but I think it's fabulous.  It's ornate and layered, but then the lacquered black walls add such a moody undertone.  If I weren't a renter, I would totally get on this look.

The texture of the molding and built-ins keeps this black on black from being too dark.

by Todd Romano

A black ceiling?  Hell yes.  The white floor and mirrors keep it from being oppressive.

by Miles Redd

I love Kelly Wearstler.  Her hairstyles on Top Design were to die for.  So is this borderline-goth kitchen.

by Kelly Wearstler

A small back alcove or entry way leading into a warm-hued living room?  Genius.

Miles Redd encore.

I would go with different bedding.  Less natty natural, more fluffy and luxurious (I really just have a big, overstuffed white bed fixation).

From Living Etc.

I'm particularly in love with the huge painting in the background.  It reminds me of one of my favorite portraits by Whistler.

From Hollister Hovey

First of all, this picture is just amazing.  So retro fabulous.  But pluck the couple out of the scene (particularly the dame in that 60's dress) and this room could easily fit a home today.

By David Hicks

Even in black, this room feels incredibly cozy.

From an old issue of House and Garden