Green Wallpaper Dining Room

What do you think of this fresh and crisp green dining room?

Image via Elle Decor (and I'm going to guess Ruthie Sommers but don't actually know, so fill me in)

If you love it like I do, I have a dead-ringer for that wallpaper so you can recreate the look.  Scenic Vines by York Wallcoverings:

Yowza...that is some pretty paper.

I actually first came across this wallpaper when my sister and brother-in-law decided to use it in their foyer....and installed, I can say it's b-a-n-a-n-a-s. The apple green is so vibrant but the white silhouette makes is so easy to match with basically anything. LOVE all the white lacquer paired with it in the room above.

What do you think? Do you like how it's used in this dining room?

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Friday Crush

Photo by William Abranowicz, Design by Robert Couturier for Elle Decor via Coco & Kelly

Yowza! This is a whole lot of chic in one oval room. And the reason I flagged it is because I'd like to think that these are my nursery colors (and thus baby girl's "signature colors"...it's never too early to have your personal palette). Once you see the nursery you'll be all "Ummm...no, those aren't the same colors" but just go with it that my feature colors are red + pink + jade green and this room combines the hues so perfectly!

My nursery uses the punchy versions of these colors with some yellow intermixed but I have to say that I've fallen in love with the combination. And though green and pink have always been some of my staples, I'm embracing red and yellow like never before. And I've never combined red and green thinking it was too "Christmasy"...but boy does it work. And totally appropriate for a Christmas baby.

And now I've hijacked this post and made it a commentary on the nursery...not this incredible design by Robert Couturier...so let's comment on the floor pattern, rug, lucite desk, moulding and overall rich details. Stunning!

Have a glorious weekend...see you Monday!

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Details

Photo by William Waldron via Elle Decor

There is so much right with this corner in the New Orleans home of Julia Reed but let me outline my favorite details:

1. That enormous black baseboard. It's gorgeous and I love how it works in this image with the black door and against the brown tones of the wood. I enjoy thick baseboard but I rarely see it painted black, especially against a deep-hued wall color. It's a wonderful, gutsy detail.

2. The color combination of saturated green and golden yellow. I am usually opposed to green + yellow - it reminds me of my middle school gym uniform - but it's stunning in this setting and I find myself being drawn to it more and more. 

3. My favorite window treatment of curtains (subtly trimmed in green) + bamboo blinds is employed to great effect.

4. And I love how the bamboo blinds work with the delicate bamboo sofa/settee giving an airy feeling to an otherwise heavy, elegant space. The combination also adds the perfect dose of Chinoiserie.

5. The butterfly prints are perfect in color and scale and create a beautiful arrangement against the rich green wall.

And extra credit for the beautiful chest that anchors the corner. This room is so perfect that you can overlook the poor Photoshop job someone did at the top of the photo - near the crown molding. Wonder what they were trying to touch up?

What's your favorite part of this room? Or was it not to your liking?

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Color Study

There is a good lesson to be learned from this image:

 Photo by William Waldron via Elle Decor

Per the usual, Steven Gambrel works his magic to finesse a grand space out of a relatively small hallway. What a captivating pass-through...but that is not the lesson we are learning today (the one about even a small space being special when done right). 

Today's lesson is about color.

This very traditional hall was painted with lacquered teal/aqua/seafoam walls. A color that is loud and somewhat juvenile. But note that Steven counters the buoyancy of the hue with deep neutrals in the furnishings - rich browns and blacks provide balance. And the effect is stunning, dripping with sophistication. And the teal walls keep the space feeling energetic and designed...a twist to keep the eye happy.

So don't be afraid of using big, bold color! Just be prepared to strike a balance to keep it feeling sharp and tailored.

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Captain Obvious

Remember when I said that all shades of lavumchid (lavender/plum/orchid) are having a moment?

I just wanted to be real obvious about it and show you the October covers of House Beautiful, Elle Decor and Veranda.

I died at the cover of HB when it hit my mailbox last week - a green and plum Chinoiserie dining room! And I noted the hip use of lavender on the cover, which prompted me to write that post last week. And then Elle D came. And then Veranda. And then I realized that all is right with the world.

I have not always been a lavumchid lover...until I realized it was the perfect color to use against the green in my dining room. That began my love affair two years ago. I tend to adore it as an accent color more than the main event. But damn it's chic.

I haven't dived into these issues yet, but I'm so looking forward to it.

 

Inspiring

Sometimes, I come across a space and it's just SO good - I wouldn't change a thing about it. It inspires me to think in new ways and to look at my own spaces from a different perspective.

This is such a space. The office of designer Ernest de la Torre:

Photo by William Waldron via elledecor.com

I adore the art, the wallcovering, the desk, the mouldings. It's such a beautiful juxtaposition of warm and cool, modern and traditional, international and American.

These are the types of spaces that inspire me and remind me why I'm so obsessed with design.

 

Miles Redd Bed

My tour of "this-is-what-caught-my-eye-in-those-magazines-this-weekend" continues...

This pagoda bed in a Chinoiserie bedroom by Miles Redd is sensational. Truly sensational.

Photo by William Waldron via elledecor.com

What strikes me most about this room is the arrangement of this majestic bed against a small-ish wall. I think most would aim to put this bed against a large expanse of wall due to its proportions.  But I think this placement adds to its richness and scale. That's a trick I like to use in our house - putting large pieces in smaller spaces...it adds to the drama.

I also love this room because it's by Miles Redd. Do you have a designer who you feel has the midas touch? Just about everything they do is fantastic in your book? I have a short list, and MR is certainly on it.

Stripes Jackpot!

I was perusing the Elle Decor site, checking out the mag's online galleries (because this is what I do for fun, as I'm sure many of you do) and I hit the stripes jackpot with a photo gallery called "Wall Treatments: Say it With Stripes."

I'm a NUT for stripes. I think I have stripes in every room - from the walls, to pillows, to fabric, etc. It's a geometric that can do no wrong in my book - and my preference leans toward the classic combo of a color striped with white/ivory, but I also enjoy two-tone color combos. My dining room is striped in two shades of green and I loooove it.

These images epitomize how amazingly chic stripes can be:

All images via elledecor.com

 Photographer: Thibault Jeanson

My FAVORITE of the bunch from designer Bruno de Caumont. This is a stripe to perfection - classic, hip, feminine...the color scheme is amazing and the wall is styled beautifully. I could just move right into this room and be very, very happy.

 Photographer: Pieter Estersohn

Adoring the red/white/black combo of this entryway from Kristiina Ratia.

Photographer: Thibault Jeanson

Stripes carry visual impact but these hues of cream and gray from Catherine Memmi keep the look serene (and gray is such a wonderful color...one of my current favorites).

Photographer: William Waldron

I usually don't like a multi-colored stripe, but coupled with the textiles and furniture, Sheila Bridges creates a very eclectic, hip look in this space.

 Photographer: Thibault Jeanson

I love the way Alessandra Branca runs this stripe both vertically and horizontally in this small space - especially coupled with the harlequin floor, but it works. Makes a small corner come alive. (Not to mention the black/white combo is always tops in my book)

 Photographer: Simon Upton

A brilliant butler's pantry from Paula Caravelli (I'd like to add butler's pantry to that list of rooms I want my next house to have)...I oft go for a vertical stripe, but always enjoy seeing images of horizontal ones - and the colors used in this pantry tie in to the dining room - something we did with our own living room/dining room (tied the dining room stripes to the living room color to give the two rooms a good flow).

 Photographer: Pieter Estersohn

Crisp horizontals from Steven Learner - the look is so tailored and fantastic for this bathroom.

 Photographer: Fernando Bengoechea

A classic blue and white nautical stripe (the cute kid helps too) from Christopher Farnam...a beautiful combination coupled with those gorgeous floors and that mirror.

I think one of my favorite things about stripes is that they can be painted!! Designers often use lovely (expensive) wallpapers to achieve these looks, but with two colors of paint and a good dose of patience you can get all of these high-impact looks for little money.

See the rest of the stripes jackpot gallery here...

Page 94 of Elle Decor

 

Photo by William Waldron via Elle Decor

Did anyone else's heart FLUTTER when they saw this drop dead gorgeous room on the cover of March's Elle Decor (and then on page 94)? Anyone?

This room will take me a while to get over/study/absorb. It's the beautiful Chicago home of Ellen Rakieten and family - Rakieten being the executive producer of The Oprah Winfrey Show. AND, the room is designed by none other than Nate Berkus partnered with Anne Coyle. Wasn't I just saying that I hadn't seen a lot of Nate's work? HELLO. Hi Nate's work. I love you.

These walls are lacquered in a rich, deep cobalt blue. And the gallery display on the walls together with touches of brass and lavender is just heaven sent. I haven't seen many cobalt (almost navy)/lavender rooms, but boy am I a believer.

I don't want to be a spoiler, so I'll only showcase this picture, but the whole place is GORGEOUS. I mean, there is a gold pig on the dining room table (which I'm sure is there year-round and not styled specifically for the shoot) with an outrageous De Gournay wall covering and custom brass dining table. It's too much to take, really. 

If you don't have a subscription to Elle Decor (why not?), you really must purchase this issue simply for this home. I haven't read the whole issue (just flipped right to this spread), but I'm sure it's a good one.

p.s. Did you know you can get an Elle Decor subscription for $7 (yes, $7) here?