The Camel is Back

I just can't stop thinking about this gorgeous room by Windsor Smith. The grasscloth wallpaper, black framed windows, ornately carved octagonal cocktail table, Pierre Frey Malawi pillows, polished silver and plethora of blue and white porcelain all work together to create a room that is cozy yet sophisticated BUT it's the camel back sofa that has has me seriously smitten!  The words camel back sofa usually stir up visions of nursing home lobbies but this, this camel back is different.  I'm a true believer that the right fabric can completely transform a piece and the vibrant turquoise embroidery has done just that.

I usually stick to sold fabrics for large pieces of upholstery but I think the image above confirms my belief that great, timeless furniture (even a patterned piece) can be versatile and can move around your home depending on your needs or vision at the time.  Windsor Smith's home has been published several times and despite using many of the same pieces from her diverse collection of furniture the outcome never looks the same.  I much prefer the sofa in the grasscloth-covered room where it's the star of the show but what do you think?  Doesn't this make you want to go buy that camel back sofa you've been passing up at your local thrift store or on ebay and reinvent it with a vibrant vintage fabric à la Windsor Smith?

(Images Veranda January 2012 and Windsor Smith)

The House of Windsor

Have you seen The House of Windsor in the October issue of Veranda? I love just about every inch of the 8,000-square-foot estate...especially the rooms designed by Windsor Smith. Her color palette is so inviting and I love how she mixed pieces from different cultures and eras.  A suzani-covered ottoman, a Belgian canapé, and the most amazing African beaded chairs are all seamlessly incorporated into her design.   

You can tour the entire house here.  Be sure to let me know what you think!

(Images via Veranda Unveils)

Why Don't You?

...add some life to your decor with a tortoise shell?  Since the first time I read this article in The New York Times, I've wanted to add a shell or two to my home.  Now I feel like I'm seeing them everywhere I look - Vogue featured Samantha Boardman's home on their website last year and I immediately noticed the albino shell on display in her library.  Isn't it gorgeous?  I love the organic look and dimension it adds to the room.  I recently sent my sister to The Evolution Store in NYC to scout out their selection of replica shells (I certainly don't advocate the killing of animals for their shells) and I'm realllly hoping she bought me one (perfect housewarming gift...wink, wink, nudge, nudge...Lauren)!

An antique shell in Nate Berkus' Chicago home

Shells on display in Antony Todd's NYC store make a strong statement and they also work well with a feminine bar designed by Windsor Smith

Two albino shells hang in the home of Daniel Romualdez

And finally (my favorite) a mini shell in a tablescape designed by Sasha Adler and Lauren Gold

Bathroom Butler Tray

Raise your hand if you hate moving!  I spent the majority of my weekend a) searching for a new apartment and b) dead on the couch with food poisoning - I honestly don't know which was worse.  I have a laundry list of must haves for my new home but I've come to realize that as a renter it's unrealistic to find the perfect place.  With that said, since I'm moving in with my boyfriend I'd LOVE to find a master bathroom with a large vanity, double sinks, and a medicine cabinet- I hate nothing more than a cluttered bathroom.  Most of the places we have looked at are vintage and unfortunately the words master and vanity don't really seem to exist....so embrace the pedestal sink I will!  Here, Windsor Smith skirted her sink to hide clutter and added a butler tray for extra storage — unsightly to unbelievable, just like that!

High Jonathan Adler/Low West Elm

Image: victoria pearson for house beautiful

Smitten | Mark Shaw Photography

Haute couture meets decor.  Mark Shaw's fashion photographs have been popping up everywhere.  Three of my favorite designers, Windsor Smith, Mary McDonald and Nate Berkus, featured Shaw's iconic images in the rooms pictured above.  As the family photographer for the Kennedy's and a longtime photojournalist for Life Magazine, Shaw had access to the most beautiful models, celebrities and interiors of his day.  Wouldn't it be amazing to own such a glamorous piece of history?  Any one of Shaw's photographs would be enough to glamify almost any modern-day apartment.  The limited edition photographs, pictured above, are available at Svenska Mobler in Chicago.

(images via House Beautiful, Veranda , Elle Decor and Svenska Mobler)