What I'm Looking At Today: More Napoleon III Chairs

As you all may know, I love odd chairs and while I almost always use new custom upholstery for my main pieces, I do like to use antique or antique inspired frames for my secondary seating. Came across a few nice examples which I've posted below....some nice fabrics and these could go in almost any room.

Because life is too short to have the same boring furniture as everyone else.

What am I Looking At Today:Artist Unknown: Hercules at the Crossroads

Off to the beach for a week....which way is it?

What Am I Looking At Today: Neoclassical Items

Being a decorator, I have no fear of items that are ........decorative.....you'd be surprised how few 'designers' know historic styles. You see thousands of rooms filled with new 'antiques' that you will find at your best friend's house right after you've finished yours.....or scads of upholstery with monotonous shapes all dressed in beige. Nothing of interest for miles. So I like to mix things up a bit, some new with some old, high and low. The aim is create rooms that feel timeless.

Today, I'm looking at a 19th  Egyptian Revival sofa

A tall marble tazza

A chippy iron center table with acanthus leaves

Any of these items could live in an ultra modern ot traditional interior....

What Am I Looking At Today: Atilla Richard Luckacs

Canadian Artist born in 1962-

[Diane Farris Gallery]

What I'm Looking At Today: Applique Work

I'm working on a guest room in a house on the Mainline and the program calls for a stylish room with a small budget. There is an existing wooden headboard, a brown sofa and an antique dresser. The rest of the house has been done in a Vogue Regency style, simple and chic with high style furniture. I'm calling for the walls to be fully upholstered in an unbleached coarse linen and we are reworking the headboard by having it upholstered. 

As the walls will be pretty severe with the natural linen I've suggested that we make the headboard the focal point of the room. I came across these vintage Indian applique textiles....luckily, there's enough...

Applique was first discovered when clothes wore out and were patched. Today, it's a needlework technique that creates designs on a fabric with other pieces of material.

What I'm Looking At Today: Restoration Gone Wrong!

This is very sad and very funny......and the saving grace is that it wasn't a Giotto!  Just an old painting...

http://todayentertainment.today.com/_news/2012/08/22/13417610-i-can-paint-that-wait-no-i-cant-amateur-artist-messes-up-century-old-artwork?lite&fb_source=message

What I'm Looking At Today: Summer Fun. A Pool ln Armonk

Staying with our theme of the last few days  we continue with the end of summer in this lovely house in Armonk. The pool and pool house are the perfect getaway on those hot summer days.p

What I'm Looking At Today: Last week of Summer..Jared French

Work by Jared French, American artist

1905-1988

What I'm Looking At Today: Alidad

Open almost any magazine today, inevitably the interior will be crisp, clean and devoid of anything that might be considered interesting or personal. The Pottery Barn-ing of the world has been a huge success, but it isn't always so and in some rarified circles decoration is not a four letter word and is indeed longed for.....now, the following rooms from Alidad London are decidedly grand and other worldly and that adds to their allure. You could be entering into another time, but I'm pretty sure they have all the mod cons. 

Now, you may not like the style, it may be too oldy worldy or a bit heavy for you but the sheer quality of detail is terrific. I would personally love to see some modern art in a few of these rooms.....but hope you enjoy.

[ Pictures are from : 101 things I hate about your house ]

What I'M Looking at Today: Artist Unknown. 19th c Portrait

I really like this portrait. Like the colors, like the face, like the frame.

What I'm Looking At Today: Bathers, Picasso

Les baigneuses, Pablo Picasso
1918, oil on canvas.

What I'm Looking At Today: A Time Machine

I am always amazed that we do have time machines.

Grand Palais in Paris, France, 1909. Photographed in Autochrome Lumière by Léon Gimpel.

[photograph Philp Bewley]

What I'm Looking At Today: Schemes for a House

Working on a ski house in Vail and have my schemes all done.....

Below is a great bed in oak, steel and suede

Floor plan of the living room

Sketch of what the room will feel like. The pieces may not be exactly what's drawn, but the room will do very much what this sketch does.

A little view of the inner courtyard

Quick project as it needs to be in by December....off to work!

What I'm Looking At today: Painted Walls

A chic entrance hall painted to look like a greenhouse in grisaille

A detail of a room painted to look like huge antique tile

What I'm Looking At Today: A Few Modern Rooms

I have definite ideas about style and decoration. I don't have 'rules' and I don't really think there's 'bad' taste, just different taste and things used incorrectly. There is bad quality, but that's not really a taste thing. 

As for the way everyone does 'modern' or 'contemporary' now.....MODERN IS NOT A STYLE! it's a point of view. 

Below are some examples of 'modern'....a mix of styles and periods.

Vogue Regency, Louis XVI and Deco live comfortably side by side with art lighting by Warren Mueller.

Grand tour bronze with a Ghost chair, pricture by Ric Best, hung like a Japanese scroll and a finial from a Beaux Arts building in a Victorian room.

Another view.

A living room in the country. Modern with a decidedly friendly way about it, there's nothing hard or harsh in this room. I see so many 'modern' interiors that look as if they were shipped  whole from the factory....extruded from some 'modern' mold with nothing personal about it.

The entrance hall of the same house with a 30's table that looks much newer on an antique Ushak. Beyond you can see the dining room with copper walls and Australian lacewood and ebony. The rug in that room is by Eileen Gray.

In a different style but still 'modern' is this entry in a Greek Revival house on the mainline in Philadelphia. The walls are reverse painted plexi glass held in place by bronze rivets. Vintage Donghia table and a Grand Tour bust of Lucious Verus keep it interesting.

An upstairs hall with 1840's architecture but an art light by Warren Mueller 

and pink walls. Modern doesn't have to be white on white.

In a different style again...but equally modern.

A library in a recently completed house in Center City Philadelphia. There's a mix of classic furniture from William IV upholstered chairs and classic Jean Michel Frank style sofa's. There are a pair of French herms separating the rooms....no other grand architectural details just  simple crown and trim.

A look at the room with Donghia Murano glass chandelier.

It may not be everyone's idea of 'modern' but then again.....everything isn't meant to be for everyone.....