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Dan Carithers In Atlanta Home Tour
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Original Site: Landfair Furniture (Blog)
"You need $4.1 million for the keys, but only $20 for a tour of the Regents Park home..." The posh development in Atlanta was chosen by Southern Accents magazine
...to establish an elegant alternative for urban dwellers. Made up of 23 luxurious town homes and flats, the development has the familiar feeling of tradition with modern-day conveniences.Several things stand out in the tour and the photo tour here:(The) magazine called on renowned Atlanta interior designer Dan Carithers to oversee the home's interiors. A walk through the home is a visual feast of design finery, with everything from floors to ceiling provided by vendors like Stone Age Designs and Hickory Chair. Carithers' own furniture line by Sherrill Furniture is on display throughout the home
• Fabric, fabric, fabric: Carithers uses repetition of fabrics on linens, upholstery and walls.Bev & Mike
• Seats for all sizes: Little ones like luxury, too. Throughout the home, child-size chairs were sprinkled among traditionally sized pieces.
• Button-tuft this: Carithers' use of button-tufted pieces gives the home an instant dose of comfort and glamour.
Proud to carry Sherrill at Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery
The Martha Years
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Original Site: style court
A few years ago I went through a serious Martha phase. I arrived at bridal showers with fresh blooms on my packages and covered friends' birthday gift boxes with woven grosgrain ribbon. (The matchbox obsession you've already heard about.) One project, however, really stands out in my mind as a truly good thing: custom-designed bookplates and labels.
Bookplates are usually elegant little paper labels that, according to Martha Stewart, add a personal touch to a treasured book and indicate a volume's rightful owner. Like party invitations or personal stationery, bookplates can be quite costly or very inexpensive -- there's a wide range of options available. Some bookplates are engraved while others are made at home with a rubber stamp or a computer printer.You probably remember that when Mary McDonald hosted a book-themed baby shower, she had custom bookplates made along with the invitations. These were mailed to guests who were asked to bring a book for the new baby and to write a brief personal note on the bookplate.
Above, Charlotte Moss chose to use her beloved pagoda in this design for a personal bookplate. Most any business that produces customized note paper or invitations will make bookplates. Some will have a catalog of motifs from which to choose or you may inquire about bringing in your own non-copyrighted image.Obviously these days many crafty, resourceful people make their own bookplates by hand (templates are available at Martha's site).
Rubber stamps are great because they allow you to vary your ink and paper colors (white ink on chocolate-brown paper or the reverse depending on mood). One year, for a friend who bakes, I had a stamp made that read "from Julia's kitchen" below an image of a dish. Using my computer, I did the graphic design, printed it out and took it to a business supply shop, Artlite.In my Christmas gift to Julia I included her personal stamp, ink pads and a stack of blank paper gift tags and recipe cards. The same principle works for bookplates. It's a fun thing to do for the friend who has everything.
BTW: For collectors, bookplates are a miniature art form. To learn more, visit the Bookplate Society. And Cashmere Librarian suggests The Art of the Bookplate.
Credits: images one, two, seven and eight are from Good Things;
the Mary McDonald shower pictures are via House Beautiful; and Charlotte Moss' bookplate is from her latest book, A Flair for Living, available through her site.Valentino and his London Abode
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Original Site: The Peak of Chic
That Valentino. His keen sense of style goes beyond his couture creations. I've never seen one of his homes that was not beautiful, tasteful, and elegant. (Unfortunately, I can't say that I've seen these homes in person. My impressions are based strictly on photographs!).
I think what I admire most about his homes is that they are entirely appropriate for their locations. His Capri home circa 1971 was a sea of vibrant blue and white prints- perfect for living la dolce vita. His London home, featured here, is veddy English. Now, I know this might all seem a bit predictable, but if you're going to have a home in London, don't you want to feel like you're in England rather than in the Mediterranean, for example? Personally, I don't get that maverick approach to design where a home is supposed to look the antithesis of its location- it seems a bit contrived to me.
But let's get back to Val's London home. Does it come as any shock that Colefax & Fowler designed it? Tom Parr of C&F was responsible for much of the interiors. According to a 1992 House & Garden article (from which these photographs are taken), Valentino felt it important to use a British decorator. But while Valentino wanted an English look for his home, he also wanted it to be "more aggressive". I'm a bit stumped about the aggressive part- perhaps it's the use of color? The mix of prints? Perhaps it's a more masculine version of the English look.
I wonder if the home still has Parr's imprint? Or, has it been redecorated? Does anyone know?
(All images from the September 1992 issue of House & Garden; Alexandre Bailhache photographer)