First Impressions/Entry Ways

You know what they say about first impressions. Since the entryway is what your guests' will see right away — make sure the furniture, paint color, and seating that you choose send the right message.



Designer Betsy Burnham used a bone sunburst mirror from Blackman Cruz, a Murano dresser from Mecox Gardens, and an upholstered chair covered in Tashkent silk.



France meets California in this foyer designed by Stephen Shubel: A Louis XVI-style chair sits next to a petrified tree trunk. Horse photo by Susan Friedman.



Cathy Kincaid's clients already owned the heraldic crest. The bench is upholstered in Dashwood and the two polka-dot pillows are in Brown Mu, both from Madeline Weinrib.


"The floor in this entrance hall was black and lifeless. It needed a shot in the arm. I had it painted to look like marquetry, which is elegant without being too fancy," says designer Ashley Whittaker.

Full Exposure/Part 2

I designed one house in the woods like this, it felt like the ultimate tree house! There is something soooo serene about looking into the sites of nature that bring  a true sense of calm and meditation to your life.

Cameron's house

Remember the Highland Park, Ill., house of Ferris Bueller's uptight buddy, Cameron Frye, in the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off? Well, the iconic house is on the market for $1.65 million — crashed Ferrari not included.

The Ben Rose Home

Cameron's house is known as the Ben Rose Home, after the noted photographer who owned it. It was designed by A. James Speyer and David Haid and built in 1953.

Into the woods

The ultraswank house is dramatically cantilevered over a ravine. It's also set on more than an acre of gorgeous wooded property.

Star-worthy style

Here, you'll find 5,400 square feet of living space, thanks to the enormous dining room, bedrooms and living rooms. Surrounded by glass, this exquisite home has Hollywood style to spare.

Instant Room Part 2 of 2

Interview with Designer Joe Nye (Continued)

Babylone in Lin

"I've never been a big fan of embroidered fabrics — many sins have been committed in their name — but this one changed my mind. It has a particular elegance, and the luminous flowers add a note of glamour. They're in various pleasing shades of taupe, so it's not a screaming floral. The billowy quality of the linen background makes it great for curtains

Power's Court in Antique Green

"A dressy taffeta like this would be stunning on a bergère or fauteuil. I'm nuts for them, I use them in every room in every house. They're like jewelry."

Recamier Taffetas Stripe in Bleu Vert

"My favorite silk stripe ever. It adds richness to a room. I'd do two squishy down-filled sofa pillows with an extravagant fringe — this is your frothy moment."

I LOVE how this stripe pulls in all the colors from the floral. Joe really knew how to compliment the floral. This is how I design......great job Joe.

Semis Montrichard in S157

"I'm sitting on this right now in my living room! It has a quiet elegance, and it's great on a pair of slipper chairs pulled up to a coffee table, Billy Haines style."

Eaton Plain in Leaf Green

"It's got a watermarked strié, almost like a subtle moiré, that sort of shimmers. Dress up a club chair with it. The bonus is that it's hardy and easy to maintain."

Colorado in Anis

"To offset the shininess of BABYLONE curtains, upholster walls in this coarse-weave linen. The flat finish brings the dressiness down."

Indochine in Champagne

"I see this on a pretty, tufted round ottoman with lots of silk-covered buttons and a dressmaker's skirt — wide 6-inch pleats — that goes to the floor."

From the eyes of a designer, this is a good example of how it is done from our minds eye to reality!!!

Instant Room Part 1 0f 2

Interview with Joe Nye

Los Angeles-based designer Joe Nye creates a room inspired by florals from Manuel Canovas's latest collection, and McKinnon and Harris furniture: "Using outdoor pieces inside — in a sunroom or even a living room — is fun and fresh."

Curtain Lining:
"I chose VANESSA'S FOLLY to line the striped curtains. Most people get lazy and just do white lining, but a contrasting color has a more finished, couture effect — like you thought about it."
Chairs:
"BEAUVOIR is the key fabric in the room, the starting-off point. You can pull lots of colors from it. But you have to be careful not to overwhelm the room with it — it's not a timid pattern. I see it on a pair of duVal Club Chairs."
Sofa:
"BRASILIA is a divine color, a wonderful mucky green, and the texture is really cushy. It's comfortable to sit on, even when you're in shorts, so I'd use it in a big way, on a sofa."
Curtains:
"Striped curtains are always a winner, and a turquoise lining would really kick off the bright raspberry. With a bold stripe like ELOI, I wouldn't do much in the way of trim. You want to keep it fresh, not fussy like silk curtains."

Beauvoir in Fuchsia

"These colors are loud and brash — but in a good way!" Nye says. "The pattern is a new take on an old standard, the Jacobean tree of life. It's fun, but it's busy, so it could get dizzying if you used a lot of it. The trick is to use it in a restrained way. On a pair of chairs, it would look special — it would be the focal point of the room."

Cotton Club II in Framboise

"It looks like a coarse sailcloth, but it's so soft you want to put your head on it. I would make two 22-inch-square pillows with tiny French pleats, one for each end of a sofa."

"I'm crazy for animal prints, so chic! They never seem to go out of style. I'd use this for a skirted table. It's a stylish way to add punch to a room

Eloi in Fraise

"Because it's all cotton, Eloi looks informal and canvasy, like a tenting stripe. For curtains in a sunroom, it's exactly the right look

Vanessa's Folly in Turquoise

"I use this all the time to line curtains — it comes in so many colors. I'd do pillows with it, too. Repetition is good — it ties a room together

Modern Bathrooms

A Modern Master Bathroom

In this master bathroom, designer Vicente Wolf placed Clodagh Collection's Zen cast-concrete tub on a concrete slab inside the glassed-in shower enclosure to make it "a sculptural focal point." Faucets and shower fixtures by Waterworks.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this master bath!!!!!!!!!!

In this master bath designed by Fern Santini, Princess Yellow limestone from Ann Sacks surrounds a bathtub by Kohler.

A Swanky Bathroom

Designed by Paolo Moschino the sink in this master bathroom is an antique commode refitted with a limestone sink.

The pictures compliment the animal print on the chair, glad to see animal prints showing up in baths!

A Calming Bathroom

The floating tub and walls in brown vinyl grasscloth — Elitis through Donghia — give the master bath designed by Jeffrey Bilhuber an aura of absolute calm.

Designer Nancy Boszhardt said, "We were so lucky to come across this marble. It's no longer available and there was just enough for the master bathroom." The house originally had arches throughout, and Boszhardt restored that architectural feature.

Striking touch for a dramtic statement!!

A Roman-Inspired Bathroom

In this master bath designed by J. Randall Powers, the rays of an antique starburst mirror hung in a round window are echoed in a contemporary wheelback armchair. The limestone floors, marble countertops, and alabaster urns reference ancient Roman materials.

Taking a break from Winter

I don't know about you, but I needed a break from winter weather, looking at pictures of  outdoor
extended rooms helps me look forward to spring!!!!

A view of the ocean is all you need to relax, but a beautiful terrace like this one doesn't hurt either. Dark furniture — Janus et Cie's Veneto — grounds the expansive oceanside terrace.




This covered porch has a mix of antique wicker; the fabric is "lemonade- and sangria-proof," says designer Robin Bell. Because who wants to clean up a mess after a relaxing afternoon?



The sitting area in this outdoor kitchen designed by Sandy Koepke blends into the surrounding natural environment. This is an ideal setting for entertaining, even complete with beer on tap.



A pair of wicker sofas from Restoration Hardware suits this classic porch, which is just off this home's living room. Pillow fabrics are Stripe in Chocolate Kiss by Perennials and Mari in Coral by Lulu DK. Casual and cozy!



In this outdoor room, "everything is meant to be a backdrop for the view," says the designer, Fern Santini. "You can see the entire Austin skyline, and a chain of lakes." Classic iron furniture from Janus et Cie.

Now this get's me excited about spring!!!!!!!!!!

Foyers

A Pretty and Classic Foyer

Michael S. Smith designed the chair in this beautiful foyer and upholstered it with fabric from his own line.

A Rustic Entryway

All the antique American hooked rugs in this house designed by Barbara Westbrook, including those in this entryway, are from Rubs by Robinson.

A Neoclassical Foyer

Designer J. Randall Powers used creamy marble floors and a pair of antique Italian commodes topped by marble urns, which are centered by a noble Zodiac light.

A Glowing Entrance

Designer Susan Ferrier used a Richard Mulligan lantern, a 17th-century armchair, Directoire Dog Bed console, with custom finish, by Bobby McAlpine for MacRae, and Pier mirror fabricated by Stonehenge Framing.

A Classic Entrance

Designer William Hodgins said, "I felt like this wide walkway needed strong symmetry and strong furniture." To that end, he placed a pair of large Sheraton consoles against one wall. Foyer floors are faux-painted marble tile

A Heartfelt Entryway

In this entrance hall, designer Jeffrey Bilhuber used a rectangular table skirted in a custom fabric by John Robshaw.

The Dining Experience

Informal Dining Room

Designer and homeowner Kerry Delrose didn't want a formal dining room, so he skirted the table and uses it for buffets.

Living Room and Dining Room in One

Designed by Andrew Halliday and David Greer, the living and dining areas are combined in this 550-square-foot room, typical of new condo construction. The curtains are one of the few patterned fabrics in the apartment. Dining chairs by Dualoy covered in perforated leather.

French-Country Dining Room

Designed by Cathy Kincaid, this dining room takes a cue from an old French farmhouse, with a beautiful French Directoire chandelier as the focal point

Dining Room by Barry Dixon

The dining room of this Maryland house is a textbook Barry Dixon design with naturalistic textures and shapes. Niermann Weeks Avignon chandelier; Swaim dining chairs in Bergamo's Siegfried fabric; Barcelona table by Panache Designs.

Michael Taylor's Style

The dining room designed by Michael Taylor features wallpaper that is a copy of an 18th-century chinoiserie original. Taylor had the baseboards faux-grained and waxed to look like pale oak

Inspired by Albert Hadley

Hand-painted 19th-century wallpaper mounted as a screen wraps around Carol Curtis's Atlanta dining area, which she designed with her daughter, Sarah Norwood. The zebra rug is a nod to Albert Hadley, one of Curtis and Norwood's favorite designers.

Modern Dining Room

Designed by Betsy Burnham, this modern dining room features an eccentric yet artful collection of Nymphenburg porcelain figures. The upholstered chairs are from Artistic Frame

Kitchen Designs

Classic Modernism

 

 

Designer Michael Berman laid a linoleum floor in the kitchen and stained the original walnut cabinets the color of black tea to set off the white tile of the countertops.

California Kitchen

 

A 4-by-4-foot chase — a column holding all sorts of electrical wiring and plumbing — runs right through the room and could not be moved. So designer Sandra Bird worked around it, and built it out into four areas: a cooking area with the range, a buffet for the table, a desk, and then a baking area in back.

Think Upwards

 

Home Depot designer Emily O'Keefe added cabinetry with period charm to this small kitchen. "Since space was tight, I went up, stacking the cabinets," she says. "The ceilings are 11 feet high, but not every cabinet touches the ceiling — that way they look more like furniture."

Old World Charm

 

The kitchen island, made from reclaimed chestnut with barley-twist details, resembles a piece of furniture. It gives the space an Old World charm. Interior design by Healing Barsanti.

Clutter-Free Kitchen

 

Judith Barrett designed her kitchen to be remarkably organized and clutter-free. Leave it to a cookbook writer to know what works best.

Simple Storage

 

Poured concrete countertops cover sleek cabinets built for storage. Design by Form Architecture + Interiors.

Sleek Kitchen

 

Poliform cabinets give this kitchen a sleek and sparse look.

Casual Feeling

 

Designer Ray Booth wanted to give the kitchen an aged, casual feeling, with distressed finishes. The ceiling is made from pecky cypress, and the center island is oak treated with ammonia and wire-brushed to pull out the grain.