Travel Tales | A Day at Rokeby

Today I was lucky enough to be a guest in the mystical Rokeby mansion, a 43-room former Astor estate in the Hudson River Valley. At just shy of 200-years-old, the home stoically stands as a monument to its own inhabitants, past and present, with its insides collapsing time and intertwining histories. The house seems to live and breathe, its soul radiating from the relics, portraits, and people that fill each room...

I hope these images give a taste of how special and sacred the house feels. Its carefully collected objects and decadent wallpapers create beautiful rooms that add to the grandeur and mystique of Rokeby, a wonderful place that I certainly hope to visit again. You can read more and see images of Rokeby in this New York Times profile from 2010.

All images taken by me with my iPhone. 

The Perfect Gray

This summer I've been traveling more than I ever have before, and I've hardly spent any weekends in the city all season. After our time in Vermont, Mr. V and I went to Palm Beach to visit his family the last weekend of July, and this past Friday we decided to take a spontaneous trip to visit my parents in the Virginia countryside. We're finally tucked back in our apartment, and I'm contemplating what color we should paint our living room...

I have shades by Farrow & Ball, Pratt & Lambert, Benjamin Moore, and Martha Stewart all dotting our walls in the hunt to find the perfect hue of light gray...And gray is such a daunting color to find! Each one seems either too blue or too taupe. The most beautiful shades I find are all quite dark (like Benjamin Moore's Coventry Gray), so perhaps I'll paint the room white and add touches of the dark gray to our doors and bookshelves. I love the use of gray in the three images above this - even the monochromatic outfit is a beautiful inspiration for layering a room with texture and color. For now, I'm off to scan Pinterest for more images! 

Image one via Elle Decor; Image two via Cupcakes and Cashmere; Image three via Pinterest, original source unknown. 

Florals and Voyages

Tonight is an event I've been looking forward to for quite some time...I'm taking a flower arranging class with the Little Flower School! Arranging Spring's Bounty is hosted at the New York Botanical Garden's midtown space, and focuses on some of my favorite blooms, such as peonies, irises, and lilacs.

I can't wait to get my hands on the beautiful flowers and learn a few new tricks to arranging them! However, I only get one night to enjoy my floral creation, as I leave for Berlin tomorrow for a work trip, and then am heading straight to Miami to meet Mr. V for a family celebration in Palm Beach. It'll be a busy Memorial Day weekend - what a great start to summer!

Image via That Inspirational Girl. 

NY Home | Chelsea Loft

Casa Vogue recently featured the stunning apartment of my friend and former colleague André Viana, an art dealer, and his partner André Mellone, an architect. Their loft, located in the heart of West Chelsea, is steps from the High Line and filled with an impeccable collection of furniture and art, including coveted pieces by Wade Guyton, Jacob Kassay, and Tauba Auerbach.

In their living room, two leather club chairs and a folding chair designed by Hans Wegner sit around two coffee tables, an aluminum piece from 1960s and a three-legged walnut table designed by T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings.

André Mellone's beautiful design renderings carefully plan for each element of the home, which feels balanced, warm, and layered, due to antique elements nestled among the contemporary architectural lines of the apartment. Their superb space was created by uniting two adjacent units in the building, the combination of which was designed and overseen by Mellone. 

Three silver paintings by Jacob Kassay preside over a long marble and iron French bistro table, which is flanked by six antique Biedermeier dining chairs dating from 1840.

Continue reading for more amazing images of this home...

Happy Weekend!

If it weren't for its city view, this space would feel a million miles away from urbanity. The supersize glass paneled wall floods this charming apartment with lots of light, and the light wood and rustic accents would seem more at home in a country getaway...

It feels like an escape for them city, and this apartment must be so much fun to entertain in! Today, I'm headed to brunch with girlfriends at a favorite neighborhood Mediterranean spot, then may head uptown to Randall's Island to scope out the Frieze Art Fair. I hope you all have a fantastic weekend! Here are a few things I'm loving this week:

This awesome Les Lalanne exhibition perfectly merges fantasy and furniture (and Jonathan Adler seems to be channeling the husband/wife design duo here!).

I'm about to step up my domestic skills, as I've signed up for a cooking class at Haven's Kitchen, and a flower arranging class with The Little Flower School (with the owner of Saipua, and more on the School here).

The new Rue Mag has hit the digital stands.

This Sunday Supper is filled with my favorite bloggers, florists, and linens.

I'm feeling overdue for a beautiful beach vacation...

Image via The Design Nerd. 

Perfect Palette | Melon, Yellow, and Bright Green

This watermelon, orange, and feta salad not only looks delicious, but it also inspires a gorgeous color scheme for this spring and summer...

From bright & bold fashion...

To a bedroom that would be a dreamy beach escape...

As May quickly approaches, the warmer weather has me reaching for all the bright blouses in my closet, and adding touches of color to the neutral tones of my living room. I adore these hues for the impending summer months!

Image one via Martha Stewart; Image two via Vogue Shake; Image three via M.A.S.H. from High Point. 

Lovely Homes | Where Old Meets New

This Belle Époque house in Monaco is a wonderful mix of contemporary and old-world. I can only imagine how interesting it must be to ascend those minimal limestone stairs and find the rich wood library, filled to the brim with books...

This lovely exterior image foretells a beautiful story, hinting at the combination of styles found inside this home. Mixing modern elements among antiques is a favorite design technique of mine, and doing that room by room - rather than within individual rooms - is so interesting. A very traditional library can exist just off a contemporary kitchen, and so on...That way each area takes on a very distinct personality in the house. So beautiful!

Images of Mark Brockbank and Marco Orsini's home, designed by Marc Corbiau, via Architectural Digest, Photographer: Simon Watson.

Leafy Greens

As a city dweller without garden space of my own, I like to bring the outdoors inside with beautiful potted plants...

And, after seeing what a dramatic difference these lush greens make in this bright white East Hampton house, it makes me want to supersize the plants in my own apartment! They make the room. While such large fronds would definitely dominate our Manhattan one-bedroom, this is great inspiration for adding a little greenery to the space!

Ken Wyse's Hamptons house, as featured in Traditional Home, Photographer: Tria Giovan.

Bedside Setting

While I increasingly feel drawn to making my bedroom feel more and more like a hotel (with crisp white sheets and uncluttered surroundings), this beautiful vignette features many personal elements that I love in a room...

Fresh flowers, stacks of books, patterned pillows, and family pictures...All of these elements come together to create an organized, lived-in feeling that really appeals to me. It manages to feel eclectic and modern at the same time, something I strive for in all of my own spaces. Simple, but chic!

Image via Modern Jane Design.

Shades of White

After a few months away, Lonny debuted a new issue this past Saturday (the first of 2012!), and it is as wonderful as ever. I poured over the magazine all today, and I particularly loved these sun-drenched, crisp white spaces, which look so relaxing...

The ocean view from the bedroom in the first image is a dream. Can you imagine waking up to that every morning? I would love it. I've been pretty interested in white lately...Perhaps it's time to inject more white into my own apartment!

All images from Lonny March/April 2012. Interior Design: Images one and two by Tobi Tobin; Images two and three by Victoria de la Camera.

Working in Style

This office, designed by Meredith Heron, has so much charisma! The patterned wallpaper, sleek black chair, and silk Persian rug create an environment that I would love to work in everyday.

I'm lucky enough to spend my days in a Chelsea gallery, so the beautiful art around my workspace changes often. For me, an office area needs to be stimulating, so that you are inspired to be creative and productive! The wallpaper in this room alone would be enough to get me thinking in the mornings...I love it!

Image via Meredith Heron.

Bright Hues + Patterns

I really enjoy how the diverse elements of this room come together in such a harmonious fashion. It feels traditional with a contemporary flair, as the patterns of the couch and rug cheerfully play off the bold colors of the furniture, pillows, and lamp.

I've been on more of a neutral palette kick lately, but this vibrant space feels refreshing and fun. I'm particularly fond of the tufted ottoman and brass side tables, and I'm lusting after the cylindrical one in the foreground...

Image via Red Online, Photographer: Dan Duchars.

NY Home | East Village Duplex

I fell in love with this home, which graces the cover of the newest Architectural Digest, at first sight. I cannot believe that this is New York City apartment...Look at all of the space, light, ceiling height, and outdoor area!

The 2,500 square-foot penthouse channels a Hollywood home, effortlessly blending touches of glamour with comfortable fabrics and furniture (one of the owners is a long-term Ralph Lauren protégé). It looks like the perfect city oasis!

Alfredo Paredes and Brad Goldfarb's apartment via Architectural Digest.

Bright Whites

I'm relishing my day at home today after a busy weekend, which included a tasty work dinner catered by Roberta's and a day of catching up friends visiting from Europe yesterday.

As usual, I'm devoting my Monday to catching up around the apartment. Today, I'm trying to find a new coffee table (I'm thinking about one with a white marble top), and trying to resist the urge I'm having to paint everything I own white!

Image one from One Kings Lane via Sacramento Street; Image two via Vogue, Image three via Left My Heart in Paris.

Saturday Patterns

The mix of stripes with the bold wallpaper creates a fun, young vibe without being too overdone...This would be a great space to throw a dinner party! I'd love to see the room at night with that amazing light fixture turned on as well.

Mr. V is in Vermont on a work ski trip this weekend, and I'm heading out to dinner with some lovely ladies tonight! We're off to grab Italian food in SoHo and get a few drinks downtown. I hope you're all having a very happy weekend!

Image via You Have Been Here Sometime.

Details, Details, Details

As I have previously mentioned (here, here, and here), Eddie Ross is a master of design. Decorator Celerie Kemple has featured the wonderful home of Eddie and his partner Jaithan in her new book, Black & White (and a bit in between). I adore the mix of black and white details in their bedroom - in particular, the toile curtain fabric, the upholstered headboard (it looks similar to Brunschwig & Fils' Les Touches pattern), as well as the graphic bedspread.

It's a lovely use of the classic color scheme without being too literal or expected - the woods of the window frame and picture frames also add a warm touch to the space. Additionally, the silver vessel holding the bouquet of calla lilies provides a cheerful, unexpected punch to the overall decor. The attention to detail in this room is supreme! I love it.

Images via Eddie Ross.

Stairway to Heaven

I have always loved entryways. They are the first glimpse you get into a house, and it's a wonderful area that sets the tone for the rest of the abode's architecture and design. Today, I realized that I have never lived anywhere with stairs...My childhood house is ranch-style, and during college and beyond I've always lived in apartments. Therefore, I'm even more obsessed with these gorgeous foyers, complete with grand staircases to welcome you into the home...

I'm definitely putting a beautiful stairway on the wish list for my dream house. The first and fifth images are particular favorites of mine...I could move right in to those spaces!

Images via Pinterest, Original Sources: Unknown.