What a great pillow by Nate Williams. Check out more of his art here.

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Chic cushion
Woven of natural abaca, the Aqua Bead Circle pillow from Palecek showcases an embroidered bead design ($138).

GOBLET-SHAPED VASE
with Brushed Silver Trumpet-Style Base and Turquoise, Beige and Chocolate Finish, 5.5"D x 11.25"H, For Decorative Purposes Only, Glass, Brass, BB, Cs pk/4, ©2008, CBK Exclusive SUG. RETAIL $60.00.

WAVE-SHAPED TRAYS
with Light Blue and Light Green Reactive Glaze Finish, Set of 2, Lg: 20.75"L x 4.75"W x 4"H, Sm: 12"L x 3"W x 3"H, Ceramic, BB, Cs pk/4 sets, ©2008, CBK Exclusive SUG. RETAIL $34.50/ea. tray.

There is a design giant alive today who seems to get overlooked and sometimes even dissed by young designers and design enthusiasts. Many disregard his work as being too 1980s, too traditional, too English country looking, and too frou frou. And it's really a shame because this designer is truly quite talented. He has a remarkable sense of color and a keen understanding of what makes a room comfortable. His look is one that has changed little through the years- he honed his style as a young man and has stuck to it, perhaps with some tweaking over the years. Bottom line- his rooms are unabashedly pretty, and in my mind pretty is not a dirty word.

Who am I talking about? None other than Mario Buatta (a.k.a. Mario Buattachalotti-Sister Parish's pet name for him- and most famously "The Prince of Chintz"). The man has an impeccable design pedigree. He studied at Cooper Union and later at Parsons, studying under legendary teacher Stanley Barrows. He considered John Fowler a friend and mentor (one can see Fowler's influence in a Buatta room), and he also worked for Keith Irvine for a short time.

So why the disrespect? Perhaps his rooms are a bit conservative for some. Perhaps others don't like the amount of "stuff" in a Buatta room- at times, his rooms can be a bit over the top. And maybe some people can't stand Buatta's use of chintz (although maybe he is having the last laugh- after all, chintz's popularity is once again on the rise). But don't you agree that even if Buatta's look does not suit you, his rooms are incredibly inviting? Don't you just want enter one of his rooms and sit in comfortable chair and while away the hours reading a good book? Or what about relaxing in one of his nighttime rooms with a stiff drink and good friends?

I think what I am trying to say is that even if Buatta's traditional and at times maximalist look may not be hot or trendy right now, there are elements to his rooms that are timeless and stylish. But if you keep an open mind and look past the fabrics or furniture that may not be up your alley, you might just learn some important design lessons.

(I also would like to say I can't understand why no one has written a book on Buatta and his work. So many other designers have books devoted to their work, why not Buatta?)


How gorgeous are these Prussian-blue glazed walls? Alright, so the bow from which the painting is hanging may be a bit precious, but see how great that peach color looks against that shade of blue? I think this Buatta room is a lesson in rich color.


Buatta loves to design both daytime and nighttime rooms, of which this room is the latter. Nobody does a lacquered room better than Buatta. See how the gold frame looks so rich against the glossy walls? If you're a modernist at heart, just think how about a modern picture in a plain gold frame would look against the aubergine walls. Or what about a modern cream colored sofa in place of the traditional one above?


I know, I know- those of you who don't like florals might be apoplectic right now. However, look how effective the repetition of the floral print is. Think about whatever your favorite print is and then imagine it on walls, pillows, and chair and ottoman. I think that in this case, more is more!


Buatta decorated this bedroom in 1971. It's slightly dated, but look at that pink, that yellow, and the acid green. This color combination is bold and gutsy. No grooviness for Buatta; even back in the early 70s he was striving for sweet and pretty.


This shot of a Buatta room is one of my favorites. Take away the traditional pictures and pillows and insert some modern paintings and graphic pillows and I think you just might have a rather Miles Redd-esque room.

It was hot in Marrakech.  Oh, very hot.  So she escaped to that town on the Moroccan coast, Essaouira, her favorite Summertime (and anytime) haunt. 

Now she was no longer a Spring chicken (sadly, so sadly).  And so she had stayed in quite a few guest houses and hotels in her time.  Some luxurious with down pillows and beautiful bath products and some......well, not much better than sleeping on the floor of the bus station (oh dear). 

But had she ever stayed anywhere - anywhere at all -  like Dar Beida?  No never.  It was organic and Moroccan and African and modern and high/lo all at the same time.  This was the sort of place that you could imagine yourself staying in, well, forever.  This little house on four floors was so lovely, that she promptly began thinking up all her best arguments to get the British owners to sell it to her.  (My, weren't they tired of Morocco yet?  What did they mean, No?)

It was all in the details, you see.  Now she couldn't possibly share them all in one batch.  But here's a few to start..........

A charming place to hang the house keys........Each key with a treasure from nature attached.

Two chairs in the entry where you could sit and gaze at.......

This darling little rustic steer display....The blogging girl was quite fond of cows, and this suited her to a tee.

There was an interior courtyard in the center of Dar Beida and African art placed here and there. (The girl had her very own body masks like the one in this image that she had collected in Tanzania, South Africa, and Kenya.)

Oh yes, please do perch on this little  stool and read from the enormous trove of interior design magazines...........Heaven!

This vintage African chair was covered entirely with tiny beads.  How very amazing. 

The chair was in this charming little bedroom.  The bed was covered with a fine wool vintage haik, worn by Moroccan women once upon a time.  (The girl had several of these horded for her shop.)

Oh the view from the roof terrace......She could smell the sea.  (And the girl had these very same mod chairs for the roof of Peacock Pavilions.  Could it be that Dar Beida had everything she liked?)

The girl sat and talked on the phone while checking her Blackberry.  She told everyone she might be staying in Essaouira for a good, long time...........Could she be a stowaway at Dar Beida?

***********

Dar Beida, Essaouira, rented only in its entirety (which is a good thing because you'll want it all for yourself...)

emma@castlesinthesand.com

mobile:  +212/67965386

I am absolutely in love with the beautiful blockprint motifs and the rich colours. If you love a specific print, you can also shop by print...wow, now that is awesome:-)

Do check out Saffron Marigold to bring in that Indian luxury & elegance into your homes...

(images from Saffron Marigold.com)

Hall: starburst pendant from Vaughan, area rug from The Rug Company, barstools from McGuire

So when I was flipping through the latest California Homes magazine, I had one of those very moments. The funny thing is, I was just thinking about finding some photos by this very person to put in a post. And there she was, in print, right in front of me!

Kitchen: lava stone table from Sue Fisher King, chairs from McGuire, pendants from Vaughan

Master Bedroom: lamp from Visual Comfort, nightstand from De Sousa Hughes, pillow fabric from Fortuny.

As you can see from these photos by the oh-so-talented David Duncan Livingston, Eugenia has quite a knack for putting it all together. From the Master Bedroom window of this Belvedere, CA house, there is a spectacular view of the San Francisco Bay. Kind of a nice location for a whole house remodel I think!

Guest Bedroom: Headboard fabric from Waverly, side table from Ironies, Plaid fabric from Osborne and Little, Italian Etching from Coup d'Etat in San Francisco

Do you ever happen upon people you once knew in the media? And if so, do you get a bit of a thrill when learning about their accomplishments? I usually end up having a private smile and thinking: "that's so cool!". I am thinking perhaps a note is in order!

Congratulations Eugenia! I am always happy to see you in print!