The Duke of Windsor's Bath

November 4, 2013

Slideshow

The always well dressed Duke of Windsor had an equally well appointed bath. The over arching statement in this space is the use of elegant materials; the glorious figured Arabescato marble clads the walls and floor, beautiful and decorative Art Deco chairs upholstered in white leather encourage visiting, the long and comfortable bathtub urges soaking . You can imagine the Duchess sipping tea, or champagne, having a conversation about their next travel destination while the Duke  is buried in bubbles. Or perhaps they discussed  the next piece of jewelry he was going to design for her.

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It's Holiday Time

November 4, 2013

You can never go wrong with a fabulous bouquet of peonies.Slideshow

I simply cannot believe it is time to think about the holidays: Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas and the New Year. Where did the year go?  With that said, it is time to stock your gift closet with a stash of holiday hostess gifts. It is so much more relaxing to have something well-chosen at hand rather than have a last-moment panic attack when you have to run out to find the “perfect” gift. So, do your thinking and shopping now.  And when the holidays are actually here, you can focus on enjoying the spirit of the season.

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2013 Color of the Year

November 2, 2013

Nate Berkus was ahead of the curve when he papered this powder bath in a green overall malachite-like pattern. It is stunning with brass accents and a dark brown wainscott. This really makes a statement. (As seen in Architectural Digest November 2012.)Slideshow

The color of the year, according to pantone, is emerald green. Personally, I am not a great fan of green unless it has lots of gray in it making the tones drab. I have painted the bottom of my kitchen cabinets Farrow and Ball Mouse’s Back, a mysterious gray/green, and occasionally wear an olive green sweater. That is about as far as my green vocabulary goes.

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Book: Classical Invention: The Architecture of John B. Murray

November 2, 2013

Beautiful egg and dart moldings, richly grained doors and the elegant simplicity of the balusters create architectural details that are sophisticated and refined. Slideshow

A summer program in architecture at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh changed the career direction of John Murray from uninspired pre-med student to architect. And, from his large and distinguished body of work, fifteen projects are presented in his new book CLASSICAL INVENTION, THE ARCHITECTURE OF JOHN MURRAY.  The book confirms my belief that Murray’s decision to immerse himself in the language of classical design was the right one–his work  has certainly enriched the lives of his patrons and clients.

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