6 PROJECTS

1. Peter Marino’s “10 Modern Houses”

What I love most about this book are the pages oozing with modern interior design. There are pages chalk full of interesting compositions that are definitely out of the ordinary. Eclectic Luxury is his MO. His interior design is very architectural, obviously since he’s an architect, with an emphasis on unique modern art that complete the spaces. Our favorite house? The Lebanon residence! The warm colors are nothing we’ve ever seen before.

Completed in 2021, the Cheval Blanc hotel in Paris is another noteworthy Peter Marino project.

Book available now on Amazon. Click to purchase.

2. Casa rosada by summer thornton

Since the construction completion of our beach project we are finishing details and adding artwork to truly finalize everything, especially the bedrooms. Casa Rosada by Summer Thornton feels so close to what we are hoping to achieve - a boho chic look that is laid back and relaxed, playful yet sophisticated. The best thing about Casa Rosada located in Sayulita, MX is it is available for anybody to rent on Airbnb.

Designer Summer Thornton and her husband outside Casa Rosada. They own the property.

An art studio for her kids.

Click here for a chic stay!

3. G House by gilian segal

A Kelly Wearstler-esque designer out of Toronto, Gilian Segal has been featured in many publications and on AD100 List. We love her architectural details that she adds in like cabinet details as well as unique lighting. The stairwell at this project is showstopping.

4. Moody Burgundy

For the love of viola marble - Burgundy, and all it’s shades, needs more of a moment. Even a pop adds so much to a space, especially in the kitchen.

A Fort Greene project by Chused & Co.

Polish designer/architect JT Grupa designed this kitchen.

5. Vintage Farmhouse

Post covid it seems we have all fallen in love with farms and farmhouses. I even love the homesteading trend happening now! Been swooning over Heidi Caillier’s flare on the traditional farmhouse look. I am calling it Americana farmhouse with a moody twist. This San Francisco townhome by Heidi Caillier is inspiring as well as Pierce & Ward’s Tennessee project for actor Johnny Galecki.

Heidi Caillier’s “Cow Hollow” project.

The bathroom at Pierce & Ward’s Tennessee Project for actor Johnny Galecki.

6. Hotel Lucine

A new spot just opened in Galveston called Hotel Lucine. Once a 2-star motel, the place got a major upgrade. We are loving all of it’s fresh summer feel and nautical details.

Before & Afters

Favorite trends right now

2020 is finally coming to an end. Here is some of what was on my radar this year!

1. Swivel Chair

2. Louis Poulsen Pendant, Chairish.

3. Benjamin Moore Million-Dollar Red.

4. Sunbrella 20 x 20 Outdoor Pillow.

1. In the Style of Ico Parisi Curved, 1st Dibs.

2. Cubed Sofa, 1st Dibs.

3. Terraza Landscape Sofa, 1st Dibs.

4. Round Blue Velvet Sofa, 1st Dibs.

Concentric wall sconce, Hive Modern.

Table lamp, 1st Dibs.

Lindsey Adelman, Knotty Bubbles, Roll and Hill.

Robert Irwin, All That Jazz, Pace Gallery.

The Best Wallpaper Companies

When it comes to wallpaper I think it can be overwhelming because there’s so much out there and a lot to consider. Is this too trendy? Is it going to be too bold? Will still I love it in my home for years to come? I think these are all reasonable questions but the idea is to search for something that matches your aesthetic so it will go with everything in your home from your floors to other rooms that may be painted to what you buy in the future. There are also a lot of lines to consider. There seems to be one for every client. Check out five of my favorite brands that have great collections that will tie into your space right now!

Pierre Frey began in 1935 in Paris. It has since expanded to fabrics, furniture, and accessories. What I love about Pierre Frey is that their collections are organized by patterns—semi-plain & textured, stripes, geometric, small designs, large designs. They also organize their collections by material—vinyl, panoramic, & printed. Because every wallpaper has their own characteristics, do they not?

“Babylon” by Pierre Frey.

PSA: I shamelessly fangirl Kelly Wearstler. I often comment on her swoon-worthy Instagrams, “Kelly!” “Kelly.” and “Kellyyyy”.

I think she appreciates an honest admirer because she will “like” these comments in reply. She is someone I look up to because she is so in tune to the beat of her own drum. My mom showed me her long ago when she purchased her first book, Domicillium Decoratus. It was published in 2006 long before Kelly Wearstler became a household name. In Domicilium Decoratus she writes, “Each room deserves dignity, respect, and a healthy dose of laughter.”

A Graffito bathroom courtesy of @baileyaustindesign.

Kelly Wearstler decorated Cameron Diaz’s living room in a cool blush wallpaper.

Cole And Son’s “Chamber Angels”

A beautiful laundry room via @cole-and-son, “Frutto Proibito.”

When it comes to my favorite wallpaper line, hands down it is De Gournay. I can’t get enough of this line. It was founded in 1986 by Hannah Cecil Gurney in London. The line features hand-painted murals in the most beautiful colors. The intricate detailing can take months to procure but it is worth the wait.

I live for the days when I get to work with clients who love De Gournay as much as I do. Check out https://www.veranda.com/home-decorators/g27273730/bedroom-wallpaper-ideas/ for wallpaper bedroom inspiration including a beautiful De Gournay-adorned bedroom.

Hannah Cecil Gurney’s kitchen in a custom De Gournay.

Gurney son’s first word was “turtle” because his walls were decked out in hand-painted turtles and fish. Precious!

Calico is great for the modernist because it explores gradients, metallics, woven natural fibers, and even NASA telescope imagery. It follows the arts of Suminagashi (Japanese for paper marbling) and Ebru (Turkish for paper marbling), emanating from centuries ago. It is their expansion of traditional practices that makes Calico Wallpaper one-of-a-kind. “Through experimentation with the re-appropriation of traditional art forms, and the digital enlargement of unique, handmade patterns, the idea was born to create custom fit, non-repeating wall murals.”

A beautiful Calico wallpaper adjorns a bedroom, @melanieraines.

Need something classic, elegant, and will come through without fail look to Phillip Jeffries. I consider it the safest company because the collections are super reliable. Eric Bershad founded the company in 1976 with just 10 grasscloth linens out of his garage. It has expanded so much that the company now has a 20,000 sq ft showroom in New Jersey.

@phillipjeffriesltd

“Rivets” resembles metal detailing, via @jessicadleddesign.

I take into consideration Thibauts collections of wallpaper for the tailored client. According to their website, the company began in New York in 1886 by Richard E. Thibaut, an American of Parisian descent. Once heralded as the “world's largest wallpaper company” Thibaut began as a successful retailer and with multiple distribution points in Boston, New York and Newark.

Thibaut has subtle wallpaper options that bring just the right touches to a well-furnished and styled room. It also leans more towards a traditional taste so it is also dependable in that way. I like the collections because you can still make a bold statement.

Decorate even your tiniest room in head-to-toe Thibaut “Painted Desert”, via @thibaut_1886.

@fennebresque_interiors.

How To CHOOSE Appliances

In the process of designing homes I would say that the most important room to consider is the kitchen. My task is to help clients build their dream home within budget. I am creating this post as a guide when it comes to picking out your kitchen appliances. Generally speaking, shopping for appliances really comes down to these two questions: How much do you want to spend? & What style?

There are so many appliances to choose from so I am narrowing down my favorites into four tiers. A lot of brands have more budget friendly collections so this guide is not necessarily tit-for-tat but I guarantee it can help if you are remodeling or just updating appliances. For example Viking has less expensive collections available but I consider it a High-End line.

Tier 1 starts out with one of two of the most coveted oven lines in the world, notably LaCornue and Lacanche. Both are French ovens which feature similar qualities when it comes to the way that they function. From an aesthetic standpoint neither have windows. For LaCornue, the CornuFé collection is the most popular model in the US. The oven offers seven settings: thaw & serve, convection, convection broiling, convection assist, conventional oven, browning, and warming. Lacanche is a competitor to Lacornue and the biggest difference is its minimalistic design. These ovens start at $8,475 and go up to $56,000+. They have even created a $500,000 oven which can be viewed here. Freight and shipping is a little high for these and it takes a special installer to assemble them in your home. They may also take up to 6 months for delivery so plan accordingly.

A Lacanche oven installed in a beautiful kitchen via @eg_interiors.

Tier 2 continues with high end ranges and includes lines such as Italian-based Bertozzini, which offers a lot of appliances and is priced similarly to Viking. These lines are top-notch and offer some of the best products in the market. They feature exceptional design, high-performance burners, and seamless functionality.

A beautiful black Viking range via @vikingrange.

A Miele coffee maker via @marieflaniganinteriors.

Tier 3 can be experienced for every brand mentioned because a lot of pricing falls into this price category. These days it seems like spending $3K on a stovetop just isn’t enough. It makes more sense if you are spending somewhere between $5K-$10K on a stove and many of these brands have great quality products that fall right into this price range.

JennAir via @eyeswoon.

Tier 4 features the most economic brands GE, FrigidAire, Samsung along with LG, Sharp, and Thor. There are others as well but these are the lines that I like the most simply because of their aesthetic and function. They are also easily available as you can find most of them at Home Depot or Lowes.

A Smeg refrigerator via @roomfortuesday.

The Best Black Friday Finds

I love the idea of Black Friday but when it comes to actually shopping it and making purchases I like to stick to what I know I like. I am not one who religiously shops the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales but they seem to get bigger and better ever year. Now it seems like Black Friday starts way before the Friday after Thanksgiving so there is plenty of sales to get in on. Here is a list of some of my favorites on sale now!

Round Top Fall 2020

I love going to Round Top every spring and autumn for a number of different reasons. One of the main reasons is to get design inspiration of course! There is so much to look at with all the different vendors. Round Top is about 1.5 hours from Austin. I always see what is going on with my week whenever market starts and see which day makes the most sense for me to get in the car and drive for the day. This year we headed out on a Wednesday after the first weekend the market was open. While some of the items were picked over there was still a lot of beautiful things to look at.

I especially loved the Olive Oil jars this season. They are huge!

Fortuny pillows are so lux.

Versace-inspired plates.

This chair design is trending right now. I love this set because they are built to last.

I love this console. It reminded me of George Nelson’s classic console.

Fun geometric rug.

The pizza at Jax is beyond.

I enjoying going with my mom to spend quality time with her.