Inspired.talk

Chicago Dream Home

Last week we visited Chicago to host a panel discussion on social media and while we were there, we took a tour through the Dream Home at the Merchandise Mart. We have been featuring a lot of show homes on the blog lately, but we never get tired of seeing the industry's best collaborate to create inspirational homes.

 
My favorite room is the foyer, designed by Summer Thornton. Summer has been gaining recognition for her talents after appearing on design blogs like Daily Candy and Apartment Therapy. Power of social media! The room she designed in the Dream Home is stunning in person, and I could not get enough of the emerald green malachite wallpaper. We will certainly be seeing more of her! 

Another standout in the house was the bedroom. The mix of natural wood finishes with the rich velvet grey chairs was gorgeous. Adding orange to the mix gave it a fresh lively energy. Jeannie Balsam designed the space.

The dining room, designed by Simeone Deary Design Group was inspired by the fashion of the jazz era. Everything from the ruffled pleats in the window treatments to the bright sparkling chandelier reinforced that vision. I love how the mix of benches and chairs around the table creates a relaxed environment that is glamorous but unpretentious.

 
The Dream Home, located on the first floor of the Merchandise Mart, will be open through December, and it is definitely worth a visit.

-JP

Photos of the foyer and dining room courtesy of the Merchandise Mart.

Near & Far Aid House Tour

Photo courtesy of Near & Far Aid.

Last week I traveled to Connecticut for a truly special home tour. Spending a glorious sunny day in the "country" was so inviting, how could this NYC girl turn that down?

First stop was a breakfast at the Fairfield Hunt Club, home to the preppy Ralph Lauren and Lilly Pulitzer crowd. The women were tailored beautifully and so hospitable. The breakfast, sponsored by Connecticut Cottages & Gardens magazine was a kickoff celebration for the Near & Far Aid 2010 Designer House Tour. This organization joins members of the Fairfield community together to improve the lives of families affected by poverty. It is amazing to see a non-profit organization that is surviving solely by individual donations and run by all-volunteer staffing. I was told this is quite unique among non-profit circles. The president Patsy Devine gave a lovely speech about her volunteers and the community. What a way to start the day... a little eggs, coffee and tears...

Photo courtesy of Near & Far Aid.

The breakfast was beautiful and the highlight was a presentation by Eric Cohler, mix master extraordinaire and a personal friend. He talked about how art and life imitates design and architecture. It was an art history and interior design lesson all in one. Eric has designed a collection of fabrics, furniture and carpet for Lee Jofa, which he mentioned several times during his talk.

Photo courtesy of Near & Far Aid.

When the clock struck 11 am, we were released with a map of Fairfield County and a mission to visit the five homes on the tour. Stops #1-3 were along the Long Island Sound. With varied architecture and design, each house had a unique quality that made it special, all of them gave my creative side a nudge and my jealous side an even bigger one! Take a look at the view from the master bedroom of one of the houses.

 
I ran into Eric again at House #4 which was the home of an antique dealer's mom. The house was for sale and it was a wonderful example of how to live with antiques. The Westport, CT antique shop Circa Antiques will be the home of most of these amazing finds in a few short weeks.

Photo courtesy of Near & Far Aid.

Most of the homes had art, antiques, clever molding and room designs but the most memorable was the home called 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. It is a modern Victorian overlooking Campo Beach in Westport. The home was designed by Debra Failla with a beachy, nautical sensibility...right down to the oversized aquarium built into the cylindrical staircase going to the family room. It was the owner's son's 10th birthday and the house was adorned with extra seaside favors including a submarine birthday cake on the kitchen counter. It was truly out of this world or should I say the sea! I even managed to snap a photo of a brand new Kravet chaise in one of the main guest rooms:

 

This day was truly joyous and a great start to a sunny weekend for this NYC girl! Be sure to check out Near & Far Aid, a wonderful organization, and many thanks to everyone for a wonderful event!

-BG

Decorators' Show House in Atlanta

The Atlanta Symphony Associates Decorators' Show House & Gardens is taking place in Atlanta, GA now through May 9. This year marks the 40th anniversary of this event, making it one of the longest running show houses in the country.

The home features work from 28 of the most talented and renowned interior and landscape designers in the Southeast, including Tricia from Patricia McLean Interiors, who designed the home's exquisite Master Bedroom, pictured below.

If you're in the Atlanta area you should not miss this spectacular event!

 

 

INSPIRED.Interiors

Earlier this week we attended the Designer Visions: Cinema Style event at the Soho Mews, a luxury condo complex in New York City’s Soho neighborhood. We were there to show support for our friend, interior designer Thom Filicia, and the wonderful people at House Beautiful, and to take a look at some of the great Kravet fabrics spotted inside.

Attended by the who’s who of the design world, the event featured three amazing townhouses, each one designed and furnished by a celebrity interior designer, including Thom Filicia.

Kravet has a great relationship with Thom, and we were excited when he asked us to provide some of our fabric and trimming for the space, which is featured in the November House Beautiful. Maybe we are a little biased in claiming his space was by far the best of the three, but all around us the murmurs of our fellow partygoers confirmed our feeling.

Thom based his inspiration for the interior on the movie The Big Chill, which is all about friends, family, warmth and entertainment. For such a modern space, it has a timeless classic feeling that is smart and unpretentious. You’d be as comfortable in an evening gown as you would in PJs curled up on the couch.

We loved everything: the silk stripe pillows on the bed, the wall-to-wall sheer patterned drapes in the living room, the two-tone velvet and woven fabrics on the sofa, the modern damask linen drapes in the dining room, and the list goes on and on! The fabrics added texture and relaxed sophistication to the space.

Seeing the way he incorporated fabrics and trimming from Kravet and Groundworks to make his vision a reality was exciting and inspiring. Take a look at some examples of fabrics he used and visit www.kravet.com for more information.

  

Photos of the townhouse courtesy of House Beautiful.
 

A Soulful Design

LET YOUR ENVIRONMENT TOUCH YOUR SOUL

The goal in this Show House Library was to create a haven that is both nurturing from an aesthetic view and from a healthy perspective. My original training that catapulted me into the world of design was Feng Shui. My goal when designing a space is to create a feeling of tranquility, serenity and peace. As you walk into your home, you want to feel a sense of calm, inner peace and contentment. You have come home to your sanctuary, your place of refuge. Home is a place that fortifies your soul and helps you go out into the world and excel. It should nurture you both in how it makes you feel emotionally and how healthy it is for your physical body. I have a passion for eco-friendly design that is both sustainable for the earth and healthy for the inhabitants. I was so excited when I found the Kravet Green Collection. The reason I chose these particular Kravet fabrics for the ottoman and pillows in the Show House was to demonstrate to people that Green fabrics have come so far in the past five years. It is wonderful that Kravet has introduced a collection of eco-friendly fabrics that are vibrant and fresh. The commitment of Home in Harmony is to connect the beauty of our client’s interiors with the beauty of the outside world that sustains us. Kravet creates beautiful fabrics that allow designers to accomplish this mission.

Christa O'Leary
Show House Library, Designed by Christa O’Leary
Home in Harmony, LLC
www.HomeinHarmonyDesigns.com
Christa@HomeinHarmonyDesigns.com

Thank you Christa for sharing your inspiration and project with us. -Kravet