VIOLET REVISITED

I wish I had a picture of my bedroom as a child.  It was a Mario Buatta-esque full canopy bed in purple chintz with matching chaise, framed by purple painted walls.  Denise even had a matching dress made for my favorite doll which sat on my perfectly purple, mini french desk chair.  It was a bedroom fit for a little princess and I was obsessed with it.  As an adult I never thought of incorporating this color into our work until recently.  Inspired by a few new clients we started envisioning a way to create sophisticated, feminine flair that wasn't pink.  Now we have two beautiful, chic rooms in this palette that we cannot wait to share.  Paired with gray or a lime green, it is an absolutely beautiful color.   Here are a few ways to incorporate this color in a minimal, subtle way..

Paint your walls!

This bathroom in one of Aerin Lauder's homes is absolutely beautiful.  The lavender walls are almost white - the paint is muted down to the perfect shade.    Paired with dull brass fixtures and a classic venetian mirror, this bath is simply elegant.  Paint is easy and inexpensive to change, especially in a smaller space.  This is the perfect, non comital way to add a pop of color in your home. 

On your windows!

How fun is the above dining room?   The lavender panels are an amazing accent paired with traditional gracie wallpaper.  Using a color like purple on your windows adds a punch of unexpected color.

Accessorize!

Lacquered boxes or porcelain is an easy way to add an on trend color to any room in your home.  Spice up your bedside or living room end tables with a pop of purple.  

As an accent fabric!

We love an ikat... especially a colorful one.  If you don't see yourself fully upholstering a chair in a colorful fabric, throw pillows are an easy way to add color.  The above living room by Ashely Whitaker is a great example of such.

xo

Missy

A FRESH, SPRING BEDROOM

With the Spring time weather finally here we wanted to let our readers know how we refresh our bedroom's for the season.  A bedroom should be a place that always makes you feel peaceful, comfortable and happy.  In those terms I would say that Spring is the season that most reflects the feeling of a bedroom.  With beautiful flowers in blooms, sunny long days and gorgeous weather it is the perfect time to make your bedroom feel inviting and warm again after a cold winter.  A few easy ways we perk up our bedroom's for Spring are:

1.  Clean, simple, but colorful bedding 

Your bedding should be everything.  It should be a reflection of your personality whether it be bold, calm, fun.  Whatever the case may be, at the start of Spring you should change it out for something new, something light and something pretty.  I am a huge fan of scalloped anything and bedding is the perfect way to showcase this detail.  The above set is expensive, but if you don't have a tremendous budget and just change out your pillow shams it still makes a huge difference.  Opt for a new set of standard and Euro shams.  For spring always choose white with a border in your favorite color.  Matouk, Frette & Leontine are obvious favorites, but you can browse Etsy for more affordable options.  Monogram them if you feel daring (we always do).  Paired with a less expensive pottery barn, organic white duvet cover (here) it is the perfect update for your bed.

2.  A light weight down duvet & throw

Speaking of duvets - your heavy, winter one should be a goner by now.  We purchase very expensive, quality comforters for clients and master bedrooms, but if your keeping it within a certain budget we love the ikea selection.  They have the perfect, super light weight comforter that we love for a guest room.  Also, for lounging you need the perfect light weight throw for the edge of your bed or draped over a chaise.  Leesa has a gorgeous one (pictured above).  The fabric is so soft and the neutral color goes with everything.  It also has one of my favorite details - stripes!  It is absolutely perfect for Spring.  Also, check out their amazingly comfortable lightweight mattresses.

3.  New bedside table accessories

Your winter months of colds are hopefully finally over so your monogrammed tissue holder and drawer full of cough drops should be put away for next year.  Opt for fun bamboo brass or silver frames and a new small vase filled with tulips.   Who doesn't want to wake up to fresh flowers?  Start your day with something that makes you happy.  Flowers always do it for me.  The above are both Aerin (of course).

4.  Monogrammed PJs

Lastly, I start every spring with a new pair of PJs.  Eberjay has the most comfortable pair and they are totally worth the money.   The color selection this year is perfect for Springtime and I always get them monogrammed at a local shop (because I clearly have a problem haha).

Four simple, easy ways to make your bedroom feel refreshed!
I hope you are enjoying this amazing, sunny day.

xoxo

missy

FRIDAY'S FAVORITES | A RETURN TO MAXIMALISM

There have been a slew of articles recently discussing the resurgence of Maximalism.  Designers like Alex Papachristidis, Mary McDonald and Miles Redd are perfect examples of this.  They are bringing back the Mario Buatta "more is more" mentality with regards to color, prints and accessorizing!!  Alex Papachristidis is known for his use of silk, deep purple color palette and his layering.  Mary McDonald for her painted floors, her use of brass and her love of anything chinoiserie & french (our style sister).  Miles Redd and his vibrant color choices - no one does it like him!

Denise & I are thrilled because clearly we never bought into the minimalist movement.  We agree that there needs to be a certain amount of restraint in design, but the restoration hardware, greige vibe of the last few years always had us yawning!!  Where is the originality?  Where is the personality? Where is the WALLPAPER?! haha... But seriously, in our eyes, it lacked imagination.  The antique movement is back and we are thrilled that the style cycle is returning to old school luxury!

We have discussed our Kings Point project in the past and this is where our love of maximalism will shine.  Decorative moldings, lacquered walls, color!!  In our Friday Favorites this week we take a look at recent lux finds for this project.  Enjoy their beauty and have a great weekend!

xo 

M & D

1.  Mary McDonald
2.  Alex Papachristidis
3. Miles Redd

BEACH HOUSE SHOOT

We had a fun time this morning shooting with Newsday for an upcoming feature in their "Design Editions".  It was an interesting staging being that it was raining buckets, but we think it turned out adorable.  We were asked to pair inexpensive bedding with an overall chic, sophisticated look.  This is what we came up with.  Check it out in next Friday's paper.

INSTALL IN PROGRESS

I don't usually blog on the weekends, but I had to share some photo's of an install we had yesterday up in Connecticut.  I am in love with all of the details and cannot wait to see how the finished house turns out.  It is a great mix of both Denise and my aesthetic; classic, but still young and fun.  We hope you love it as much as we do!

Herringbone detail on the country, chic kitchen table.

Clearly we love a good herringbone (the living room sofa in a soft, silvery neutral).

Unbelievable mill work throughout the house.

Girly, adorable balloon shades in the nursery.

I apologize for the quality... my iPhone takes the worst photo's!

Enjoy your weekend.

A NEUTRAL BEDROOM

I have a client on Long Island who is looking for a very calming, neutral bedroom.  Their style is more on the traditional side, but they like a modern touch here and there.  Here is our starting point:

I love the idea of a chaise, next to a window to read.

This picture is just for palette & I love the lucite bench at the foot of the bed,  but I know it will be too modern for them. Love this.  So serene.

This is what we've come up with so far.  I'm loving the pallet and the whole vibe.

Have a great night!