Friday, August 26, 2011

Hamptons Designer Showhouse: Details

To wrap up my coverage of the Hamptons Designer Showhouse, I thought I would share some of my favorite details found throughout the house which I hadn't shown.

The lower landing, which stopped most viewer's right in their tracks was completed by Welhil Interiors. They filled the space with a beautiful bar, a la 1950s and used this beautiful lucite chair at the base of the stair. The end wall was papered with an enormous blow up of a Long Island Map, charming!

The dining room off of the foyer was decorated by Robert Stilin. Robert created a contemporary space anchored by a great chandelier that I wanted to take home with me! Robert has been a fixture in showhouses for quite awhile; past Hamptons designer showhouses as well as Kips Bay (see coverage of his 2011 Kips Bay room on Habitually Chic).



The Mendelson Group created a modern stair landing (including this incredible lamp) on the 2nd floor. Notice the wallpaper with the great subtle details.Patricia Fisher designed a beautiful and feminine guest room which was a sea of blues. I loved this console table (notice the Hickory Chair stools which were found throughout the house used by a few designers.



Haus Interiors decorated the foyer and it was definitely an eye catching space. This console table and stools reminded me a lot of a Missoni print.Lillian August decorated the living room in a charming vintagey beach style. I loved the large scale landscape drawing on the wall.Meg Braff, never one to disappoint, turned a pokey butler's pantry and powder room into beautiful spaces through texture and color. This powder room is perfect for a beach house.



Eddie Lee turned the guest sitting room overlooking the pool into a sophisticated retreat. The colors of celedon green and beautiful blue seemed fresh and crisp. I loved the tufted sofa.

This seating area looked like a great place to sit down with a good book (and martini!)

Keith Baltimore decorated one of the bedrooms in a vintage style which was so fun: I loved the house of the Hickory Chair column in the corner.

The beautiful kitchen was completed by Bakes and Company. The carrara tile backsplash is what I would put into my own kitchen and I loved these old storage jars.Behind the house lies a beautiful pool and enormous poolhouse (the size of most houses which I preferred to the main house!)The main sitting room of the poolhouse was decorated by Eileen Kathryn Boyd. The windows facing the neighbor's yard are covered in gorgeous yellow curtains and enhanced by urn topped columns.
Even the changing area, also decorated by Eileen, left no detail untouched. I see a lot of cute pillows and totebags I'd want to take with me to the beach!

I hope you enjoyed my coverage of the Design Showhouse. You still have time to visit the house and see it for yourself for another week -it closes on September 4th.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Hamptons Designer Showhouse: Ron Foire for Hickory Chair

The enormous master suite at the Hamptons Designer Showhouse was designed by Ron Fiore for Hickory Chair. Using many of Hickory Chair's classic pieces, Ron wove together an elegant and airy bedroom with different zones for a hideaway within the house.


I loved the desk beneath a window facing the pool beside the fireplace; those large work areas are so useful for spreading out!


The tablescapes around the room were stunning, whats not to like with this collection of vases?Although a bit washed out in my photograph, the sitting area looked like the perfect little corner to cozy up into. I love having those 2 lamps side by side in the shelf for reading lights.




A virtual footboard for the bed was created with the backs of these timeless chairs (even Christian Dior would approve!).


If I had to find one fault with the room, and this is personal, I hate the trend to cover books with paper. While I agree it makes the room more serene perhaps, I just love books and hate to see them covered. A bookshelf is so much more interesting when there are titles to survey.The master bath was completed by Carole Reed Design and I loved the layered window treatments. Even I, a sworn shower taker, might be tempted by this tub (and my monogram is even included on that towel!).

John Russell Pope: Temple of the Scottish Rite

Yesterday I posted an image of a beautiful light fixture and it raised some interest in the building it came from: the Temple of the Scottish Rite.

I've been fascinated with this building since moving to DC, sitting so stately on 16th street. It is open for tours but I've never managed to make it on time during their limited hours.John Russell Pope, so often associated with the grandest monuments and houses in DC, actually got his start in the city on this Greek inspired building when he was selected in 1910 for its design. Five years later it was finished and became the headquarters for the Grand Council of the Masons.
Since opening, the building has always garnered attention; winning many architectural awards and being listed in 'top buildings' lists for close to a century now. This is not surprising given its' historic precedent, one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world, the tomb of Mausolus at the Greek city of Halicarnassus. Yes you read that correctly, this tomb was so well respected that it soon became the word used for all great burial chambers: mausoleum.While choosing a tomb as the basis for the design of a great civic building may seem strange (the temple housed the first public library started in 1917 for the city, thus making it civic), one cannot deny the sheer elegance and respect that it commands on so important a street.



Many of the details of this grand building bring the awesome scale down to be appreciated at human scale, such as the light fixtures I showed yesterday and these amazing door knockers on the tall bronze entry doors. Hopefully I'll be able to tour the interiors shortly and try to share them with you all.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Pope's lanterns

Nothing much, just an exquisite bronze light fixture outside of John Russell Pope's Temple of the Scottish Rite here on 16th street in Washington, DC. A patina'd fixture, proving that quality lasts the test of time.