A Ritzy and Glamorous Parisian Bathroom

 

Can you believe this is a guest bathroom?  It makes me wonder

what the master bathroom of this home looks like... I can definitely

see that the inspiration comes from the famous and ritzy Parisian

hotels.  Doesn't this bathroom look divine?

 

Super tall ceilings (marble tiling from floor to ceiling - 

even the crown molding seems to be in marble!  Love

the gorgeous chandelier and the tiled in design that says

"Monsieur" and "Madame."

 

 

The shower is well lit.  The designer (Betty Lou Phillips)

shows a twist on tradition by using baby pink towels instead

of the white towels that hotels and spas usually use.

 

The fixtures are what totally make the place high end

(along with the tons of Carrara marble which literally

covers the entire bathroom.)

 The inspiration came from a pair of napkin rings the designer 

bought 15 years ago in Paris.  She used the design as an inspiration

for the bathroom.

          Get the look:

• Polished Carrara marble tiles, Candide tub, étoile tub filler, faucets, and showerhead, Normandy sinks, and vanity mirrors from Waterworks: waterworks.com.
• Large leaning mirror from Found Antiques: dallas-antiques.com.
• Vintage pharmacy chest from Scott Antique Market: scottantiquemarket.com.
• Crystal and silvered French chandelier from Jacqueline Adams Antiques: jacqueline?adamsantiques.com.
• Milagro towels in Pink from Matouk: matouk.com.
  
  

The Luxury Bathroom

Lately I've been really into bathroom books.  If you'd like more

inspiration for high end bathrooms, The Luxury Bathroom is one to 

check out.

 Photos and "Get the look" information from House Beautiful

Fabulous Room Friday 07.16.10

{Left: The striking statue of the Winged Victory of Samothrace looks as if she has just flown into the room. Can you think of a more dramatic piece to add to a room? Right: Dhong swathed the elegant room in beautiful array of blues and greys.}

This week’s Fabulous Room comes to us from interior designer, Benjamin Dhong. The tower attic was designed by Dhong for this year’s San Francisco Decorators Showcase house and was greatly inspired by Parisian style. Dhong wanted to maximize the views of the Golden Gate Bridge and aimed to make the room feel like a “sexy and escape”. I’d say he definitely accomplished his goal. The room has a very elegant aura and the shades of grey and blue are very reminiscent of Paris. The cool tones and luxurious textures within the room would be perfectly at home in a chic Parisian apartment or a grand hotel in the City of Lights.

{How is this for ingenious? Dhong took an Arne Jacobson Egg Chair and had it reupholstered in a Manuel Canovas cut velvet fabric, which he paired with a Fortuny pillow. Dhong added the zebra rug because “the room was too ‘polite’ and needed a bit of edge”.}

{A Silver Giacommeti Lamp topped with a French Blue Silk Shade rests atop a table skirted in a Sumptuous Velvet with Greek Key Trim}

 

All Images Courtesy of Benjamin Dhong

Hotel Keppler - A Posh Boutique Hotel in Romantic Paris

As many of you know, I love showcasing boutique and chicly designed hotels.
Hotel Keppler in Paris is a wonderful gem of a place off of Champs Elysees.

It's recommended by Mr & Mrs Smith of London fame (hotel booking service
specializing in boutique and unique properties.)  Isn't the lobby sumptiously
and comfortably decorated?  I could just sink right into that couch.

The hotel was designed by French interior designer Pierre Yves Rochon.

Love the black and white diamond marble floor in the hallways.

A gorgeous office area with a fantastic oversized black and white framed mirror.

Close attention was paid to all of the flooring whether it be marble floors
or gorgeous rugs.  Love the white chairs with dark nail head trim.

The rooms are tastefully decorated.

With beautiful crown molding and fabrics.

A standard room in brilliant yellow and black on a neutral cream palette.

Or perhaps a 2 bedroom suite in crimson red.

You've got to love the bold use of color.

Mr & Mrs Smith Boutique Hotel Collection

The Global Shortlist

Mr & Mrs Smith Hotel Collection: France

If you love boutique and unique hotels, you should definitely
check out the Mr & Mrs Smith Hotel Collection series. Let
me know what you think of this hotel - would you venture a
 stay?  I really loved how the public areas of the lobby, living
area and hallways are designed (even more so than the rooms
themselves.)

Photos from Hotel Keppler

Tolix or Tabouret?

(House Beautiful)
I really love industrial style pieces mixed in with my decor. One of my most popular posts last year was on industrial kitchen stools, if you missed it click here. Perhaps its because they look wonderful mixed with any decor.
(Alimesh)
One of my favorite items are the industrial stools from Tolix. What appeals to me most is their small size, wonderful lines and how I can tuck them under the center island to create a clear walking path.
(Apartment Therapy)
Tolix is a French company that makes extraordinary metal furniture. I wanted a change in the kitchen, but budgets being as they are I really couldn't justify the price when I had perfectly fine wood stools.
The Tolix stools are available through Melissa Edelman Antiquaire, a Chicago-area dealer who represents the full line of Tolix or above from Sundance catalogue. But at $245. plus shipping per stool I had to pass. So imagine how thrilled I was when I found a copy at Overstock.com. The "Tabouret" stools are very close to the wonderful original Tolix stools and at 2 for $99.00, I thought they would be worth a try.
(overstock.com)

I have had them for several months and I am very impressed with the quality. The are wonderfully versatile and since I purchased them, they have been moving all over the house. They have been in the Butler's pantry, the basement playroom and even as our primary kitchen center island stools. Here is the link to them at Overstock.com. When I first found them they were out of stock but I signed up for a notification and when they were back in stock I purchased them.

.

Tomorrow I'll show you our center island with the current wood stools and then the Tabouret stools and you can help me decide which we should use in kitchen.

.

Enjoy your Saturday!!

Escape to the South of France

In the snowy winter months in New England I often find myself daydreaming about visiting beautiful, warm locations. I was fortunate to be introduced to this lovely stone villa in the south of France called La Bastide.
The villa has been restored and is filled with antiques. The owners are collectors and as such the home is filled with interesting and unique items. A neutral palette allows you to focus on the gorgeous stone walls and period details. Notice the fireplace and the fabulous arched wood fragments flanking the it on either side The upholstery is tightly slipcovered in natural linen. I love the coffee table and the wonderful white washed side table that has a lazy susan top.
But, the pièce de résistance of the room is surely the fireplace. The original mantel is one we only hope to copy here in the States. I love the lines of it, detailed but not too fussy. I also like the interesting assortment of items which line the top of the mantel. Clearly this is a home of collectors.
From a different angle you can see the introduction of color. The orange/coral throw and pillows bring the earthy outdoor tones we see from the window views indoors. In the height of summer we could change the throw and pillows to shades of lavender and give the entire room a different feel. This is why I am such a fan of neutrals.
As we head into the the kitchen you can peek through the doorway and see the fireplace. I included this shot to help you visualize the lay out. The zinc topped table is a dream - wine rack only an arms length away. I can just taste the local cheeses, olives and fresh baked bread.
Standing in the doorway you have a full view of the kitchen. The antique plate rack and and marble topped table are to die for! The zinc topped table and vintage Tolix chairs are fabulous. Black steel windows and doors lead you out to the patio and terraces. Enameled street signs grace the walls.
Standing back in the living room we can spy a bedroom through the passageway to the left of the fireplace.
The room is classically appointed with painted amoire, steel table, slipcovered arm chair, and the owners collection of vintage hats.
A gauzy canopy hangs over the bed creating a very romantic atmosphere... as if just being in a stone villa in the south of France isn't romantic enough. Notice the bunches of lavender and the lavender silk pillows, see how different this room feels versus the coral pillows?
Gorgeous unlined linen and lemon cypress in a terracotta pot on the windowsill. Notice the window hardware. In my next life all my window hardware would look like that.
Exiting the bedroom is a lovely vignette of local artwork and antiques.
The outdoor areas are also a sight to behold with a wonderful stone walls, cypress trees, lavender and a pool.
Finally a small stone terrace with wonderful rosemary hedges.
Thanks for traveling with me - it was a welcome escape from the snow.
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Read about another wonderful French Villa at Boxwood Terrace click here.

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(all photos property of beachstudios.com)

Traditional French Upholstery ~ L'Atelier du Cap Gris-Nez

I posted about Pascale's wonderful workshop
about a year ago. It's definitely time to revisit
the work she's done since then. To recap, Pascale
owns her own upholstery shop in France. She uses
the traditional methods of upholstery and does
absolutely beautiful work. Her workshop is called

L'Atelier du Cap Gris-Nez.

Pascale is here hard at work in her workshop.

The fabric on this chair is simply gorgeous.

This chair looks traditional and a little
run of the mill until you see what is
used as the fabric.

Who would have thought to just use lace
on the back of the chair? This chair
definitely belongs into a sultry boudoir
if I may say so myself. Absolute genius.

Some fun play with polk-a-dots.

Velvet striping, how luxurious.

I especially love the plum tones.

Can't beat antique french furniture.

How gorgeous is that?

This is an old telephone bench. Here's the before photo.

After everything has been stripped off.

Now that it's been painted, the fabric goes on.

What a transformation!

Simply dramatic and gorgeous.

Last but not least, a vivid purple chair.

Hope this gives you some ideas for your
upholstery projects. Aren't Pascale's
creations divine? If you're interested in
more of her work, you can see my original
post from last year here.

Photos from L'atelier du Cap Gris-Nez