These ornament displays are almost prettier than if the ornaments were on a Christmas tree… and don’t you always seem to have too many ornaments and not enough tree??? I love how this adds a little shine and a pop of color to another corner of the house…
{Photos via 1. & 3. Country Living, 2. ???? , 4. VT Interiors}
Every year there is THE new color palate of the Christmas season, or at least the one that I personally fall for! For me, one year it was blue, last year it was lots of green and silver, and this year it’s deep rich cranberry red. Of course, with all the decorations on the market you can really get any color any year- it’s almost hard to NOT find what you’re looking for.
Rich, saturated red… It’s as though you’re looking through red tinted glasses… so dramatic!
Isn’t this a fabulous hanging centerpiece?!? Great DIY project for someone more ambitious than me this time of year. The red becomes ultra modern in front of so much white.
While I love all the more conventional red color combinations, I wasn’t really excited to decorate this year until I decided upon this- ruby red and fuschia. So rich in color and intensity, but pretty and fun at the same time…. It screams FESTIVE to me.
I was enamored by the way that so many other colors can be incorporated to this theme- gold, emerald, lime, silver, white…. there’s something static and impersonal about a tree or color scheme that is too contrived and strict… while I love the look of them in pictures and catalogs, I think the idea of being able to use favorite ornaments and decorations that might not fit your theme is so much more authentic and charming. The picture above from Vicki Archer’s French Essence this week PERFECTLY exemplifies this type of charm!
Of course, a festive table setting is like icing on the cake. Robert Haviland’s “Elizabeth” setting nods to the traditional and is super chic. I love how graphic the pattern is.
Spode Bordeaux dinnerware has such gorgeous intensity and depth in it’s cranberry red banding.
For the modern table, Bodo Sperlein’s Red Berry is spectacular. A client of mine uses this pattern and it is constantly complimented! Crate and Barrel came out with a knock-off a few years ago, and while it was a wonderful alternative for one who didn’t want to make that as expensive of an investment, it was not nearly as delicate or pretty. This would be gorgeous with colorful glass ball ornaments scattered across the tabletop or with red branches like in the first picture above.
What colors are you gravitating towards this season???
{Pictures via 1. Carolyn Roehm , 2. House Beautiful, 3. I Suwannee, 4. everything LEB, 5. French Essence, 6-8. ???}
Pardon the looooooooooong absence! Still alive and kicking over here! The past few months have certainly been busy! A very happy and even busier baby and almost full time design work haven't left much time for blogging… but the holiday season is always a fun time for both design and blogs- there’s just so much to see and talk about! So hopefully posting will be a little more regular around here, meaning more than 1 post every 3 months!
Perfect for this time of year, I recently came across the book On the Beach. It is an amazing collection of photographs by Richard Misrach.
While at first glance I was immediately enthralled by the beauty of each image, of the crystal clear water, and of the tranquility of each picture, his intent with this collection was not quite so superficial. The events of 9/11 moved him to explore the vulnerability of people, juxtaposed here with a vast open ocean. Feelings of solitude accompany the visual beauty of each of these.
After reading this interview with the artist, I was so intrigued that each of these very different photographs was taken from the exact same spot on his balcony in Hawaii.
Despite his purpose in suggesting fragility, it would be divine to be one of these ladies floating your afternoon away. Cute hat by the way (clearly I’m not a serious art critic with that comment!).
I adore the color of water.
The colors and the textures of the sand are so eye catching.
Makes me think of Slim Aarons.
Most of these works are very large- about 6’ x 10’. Makes a beautiful image even more spectacular. I love how simple and pristine these are and wish I could find an image of one of these in an interior setting (other than a gallery).
For those of you who love photography, this book is a stunner. At 16” x 20” it’s much larger than your typical art/coffee table book. The large size makes it all the more enticing and lets you see the detail of each work so well. If you can’t make it to the beach this summer, this book is surely a visual vacation.
The only downside to living in a neighborhood as beautiful as this one would be to see a wacko like me zooming my camera in on your house…but creepiness aside, it’s flattering, no?
Give me a house with full length shutters and I’m a happy girl!
Can’t see the actual house but the lush greenery and pretty lantern sure are pretty!
Now that’ s Front Porch.
A romantic sidewalk that gives you just a peak of an iconic and somewhat mysterious New Orleans cemetery.
Love the mossy brick steps…
Pretty in pink
In a class of it’s own… I picture whoever lives here always to wear perfectly pressed linen clothing and drink mint juleps out of monogrammed sterling mint julep cups!
Gorgeous hanging baskets. The house isn’t too bad either!
Shotgun love. As in the house.
Old trees and a classic beauty….
Charming white on white…
One of my favorite color schemes of a NOLA house: off white with taupe shutters.
Fabulous striped shades and a petite but perfectly landscaped courtyard.
White on white with some color pops seen through the windows.
Lanterns are everywhere.
Another house where small doesn’t restrict elegance!
Another row of shotgun cuties
The array of architecture is truly amazing…
Just the array of shutter styles and colors is amazing too!
Normally it’s frustrating to not see past the front gates when trying to house stalk, but these walls are pretty enough to satisfy my prying eyes!
See, show us a pretty gate and we don’t need to see your pretty house (though I still want to see it)!
Hope you enjoyed the walking tour!
For next time I must allow more time, and perhaps a better zoom!!!
Light, bright, airy, and FRESH…
The white fabric shade is so innovative! It diffuses the light in this kitchen so beautifully and adds such textural interest.
Love the open shelves and crisp finishes.
Another bright ceiling, an abundance of natural materials and plants, and more open shelves. It’s the perfect industrial meets residential mix!
Both of these kitchens are by the very talented Bobby McAlpine and Greg Tankersley.
Bobby’s new book The Home Within Us is on my wishlist and he’ll be interviewing with the ladies of The Skirted Roundtable this week--- definitely will be tuning in to hear it!!!
{Photos via McAlpine Tankersley}
Another of my highly anticipated shop visits when in New Orleans was to Julie Neill Designs. Those who frequent design blogs will certainly recognize her beautiful fixtures as they’ve been featured on some other great blogs, including Julie’s own Bayou Contessa.
The shop itself is enough to lose one’s composure over- it’s on Magazine Street with a candy pink front door and perfectly patinad floors, walls and ceilings. The fixtures could not be set in a more perfect backdrop. I was truly like a kid in a candy store here- so much so that I didn’t even realize until we left that my camera was turned on the wrong setting and all my pictures turned out like this:
Bet you want me to hire me as your photographer now, huh? Ha!
Luckily for this post and for all of us who can’t stop by in person, Julie has a beautiful website that has recently been revamped and showcases her designs much better than I could have even if I did take better pictures!
While I did not get to meet Ms. Neill herself that afternoon, I met several ladies in her shop who were all incredibly hospitable and charming, including her director of sales Julie Ponze. You can tell everyone at the company truly loves what they do and has a thoughtful focus on each specific project.
This might be my favorite of Julie’s chandeliers- the Jenny Bubbles chandelier. It’s clearly influenced by a beautiful French chandelier, but it’s been sassed up to perfection. I love those little swirls and how they clearly convey this is a new fixture with an artistic twist.
The Bella chandelier- appropriately named.
Julie’s designs integrate seamlessly into traditional homes and historical grandeur. This Juliette chandelier works so well with this antique medallion.
I love how this Carolina chandelier is made funky with modern round bulbs instead of candelabra tip bulbs. So versatile…
Julie’s take on a painted wood chandelier. Isn’t it gorgeous?
You can truly see the artistry in some of the more modern fixtures, like this Marguerite chandelier.
My favorite sconce, the Fleur de Lis, is spectacular in this silver leafed finish.
I’m set on use using of these tall skinnies in a project! I love how simple and elegant they are, but each has such personality. They can be made so different from each other based on finish, the use of a shade, and decorative detailing. From left to right: Artemis, Danica (which comes in so many design and finish options and looks so different in each!), and Milk Punch.
A theme that can be found throughout many of her pieces is a leaf garland, shown here on this Maria sconce.
The sconces run the gamut from modern and flirty to elegant ad traditional. The wood Jamie sconce is shown here.
Besides the numerous fixtures that are in her catalog and showroom, there are quite a few photographs of customized work. I find that one of the best services any product designer can offer!
This is a custom Vanessa chandelier with a sunburst canopy. How pretty is that little detail?
Denise sconce with custom chain collar, making this instantly unique.
The Joy chandelier with a custom chain that is completely eye catching and amazing. The sunburst canopy is also custom and I love how the entire fixture has been well thought out and truly made a focal point of this foyer.
Perhaps the most festive of her custom pieces shown is this customized Saints chandelier. Geaux Saints!
What sets these light fixtures apart from the multitude of stuff out there, is that these are not just lights but pieces of art. Truly. They’ve been created by a person who knows design, not a mass-producing corporation.
The Ingrid chandelier bridges traditional and modern just as well as it mixes finishes. I absolutely love the gilded finishes!
The plaster Martin chandelier is fantastic play on materials. And just to bolster how cool it is- this is a shot of artist Amanda Talley’s home.
The Earth Chandelier is truly a piece of sculpture.
The Cosmos chandelier would be perfect in a contemporary setting. I love how there is a fixture for every style here.
The finishes here are superb. If a fixture is supposed to look patinad, it does. No fake “old world” here. The gilded finishes are to die for. I’m currently in a silver mood and I couldn't get enough of the gilded half shades on some of the sconces. The painted finishes are very pretty too, and what makes them even better are their names- Prytania Taupe, Creole Rust, Orleans gold, Bywater Black. I have no shame in admitting that I’m totally swayed by the names of colors and finishes!
Julie Neill’s specialty is her lighting fixtures- chandeliers, sconces, lanterns, etc, however there are more goodies in her repertoire than just lights.
I think these vanities are SO cool. Hand crafted design, amazing finishes, and voila you’ve got yourself a total statement piece. How fabulous would a modern glass vessel sink be in contrast to these?
She has mirrors that run from simple to ornate.
Even a bed fit for a queen!
As you meander through the shop, one room opens onto the next and furniture arrangements comfortably make you feel as though you’re walking through a home. There are beautiful tablescapes, accessories, and modern artwork filling each space.
You’ll want them to wrap up the whole room to take home with you.
The fixtures speak so well to the surroundings they find themselves in. Here are a few more installation shots:
Recognize this pretty picture? It’s Holly’s foyer from Things to Inspire.
So if you’ve been searching for a new stunner of a fixture, the game is over, no? I know I can’t wait to use these fixtures in projects and my own home!
There’s a wonderful interview with Ms. Julie Neill on All the Best that I’m sure you’ll enjoy reading. Also make sure to see the new Julie Neill Designs website and Bayou Contessa blog. If you are in New Orleans you’ve got to see these beauties in person- be ready to be smitten!
{Photos via Julie Neill Designs website, Bayou Contessa blog, Julie Neill Design’s Flick photostream, All the Best blog}
