Dreaming of de Gournay

{A Dreamy Space featuring a Serene Color Palette and Gorgeous de Gournay Hand-Painted Wallpaper in the “Portobello” design.}

To quote Martyn Lawrence Bullard, I have to say that de Gournay’s line of hand-painted wallpapers is absolutely “delicious”. It’s the sort of extravagant luxury that I can only dream about. I’m sure that covering a room in this exquisite wallpaper would cost as much as a nice swimming pool, but a girl can dream. Their designs range from 18th century Chinoiserie-inspired botanical scenes tinged in hues of blue and green to bold patterns in red and midnight blue along with many 19th century French designs. All de Gournay wallpapers are painted by hand and their design team can make custom fabrics, blinds and porcelain to match their designs. You can even commission de Gournay to create a custom design for you. How decadent! If money were no object, I would love to swathe my dining room in a beautiful Chinoiserie de Gournay design. Chinoiserie designs are so timeless to me and depending on what you pair them with they can look so fresh and modern. They’re rather versatile and truly classic.

{Tablecloth made from Remnants of de Gournay Wallcovering as featured in House Beautiful}

{Design by Nate Berkus featured in ELLE DÉCOR}

{Dining Room by Melissa Warner of Massucco Warner Miller featuring DeGournay’s “Portobello”- You may recognize this particular pattern from the cover of the Domino book.}

{DeGournay’s Take as a “Cover Girl”}

{The wallcovering in this Dining Room by Windsor Smith makes the space even more noteworthy.}

{Muted Tones in a Dining Room Featured in Veranda}

{An Uber-French Dining Room by Suzanne Kasler featuring de Gournay’s “La Chasse de Compeigne”}

{Swimming with the “Fishes” via ELLE DECOR }

{Rich, Chocolate de Gournay in a Space by Miles Redd}

{An Extravagant, Hand-Painted Scene in a Bathroom by Miles Redd}

{Miles sure loves de Gournay, but who wouldn’t! This is one of my all-time favorite spaces.}

{Chic Chinoiserie “Askew” Wallpaper by de Gournay at the Restaurant at Bergdorf Goodman designed by Kelly Wearstler}

{Dark and Romantic Space -Photo via ELLE DÉCOR}

{A Lush, Yellow Chinoiserie Scene via Sara Gilbane}

{Remember this bedroom from House Beautiful’s small space issue last summer? This bedroom belongs to designer David Kaihoi and features rich, pink Chinoiserie DeGournay.}

{Working in a space as bold and pattern-filled as this would make me feel supercharged!}

Love it or Leave it: Patterned Floors

{Bold, Geometric Pattern on Painted Wood Floors by Mary McDonald}

Many of us love a good, bold pattern and we frequently introduce them into spaces through the use of graphic rugs. However, last week’s episode of Million Dollar Decorators got me thinking more about patterned floors after seeing the zig zag design Mary McDonald created for her client. Could you go beyond a bold, patterned rug and fully commit to all-over pattern through tile or painted wood floors? How do you feel about this look?

{A Bold Geometric Pattern on Painted Wood Floors by Christina Murphy}

{I love everything about this bathroom aside from the tiny chandelier. Image via Pinterest}

{Old World meets New World in a Beautiful Mexican Hacienda via New York Times}

{Rustic Bedroom in a Mexican Hacienda via New York Times}

{Mary McDonald}

{Kelly Wearstler’s Glamorous Office via Sketch42}

{Kristen Buckingham’s Bohemian Kitchen}

{Geometric Bathroom via Pinterest}

{A Gorgeous Sanctuary via Cote de Texas}

{An Unexpected Twist on Classic Checkerboard Floors}

{Ink and White Checkerboard Floors offer a Spin on the Classic Black and White Version}

High Gloss Issue 3 is Here!

The summer issue of High Gloss is here and we couldn’t be more excited to share it with you! We traveled to the West Coast to put together our L.A. issue and it’s filled with beautiful design from Beverly Hills and West Hollywood all the way out to Orange County. We hope you love it!

Dream Home: Julieann of CreateGirl

Today, the lovely Julieann of CreateGirl and Jace Interiors is sharing her beautiful, classic “Dream Home” with us. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Julie and she is one of the sweetest people in Blogland. Her “Dream Home” is just as lovely as imagined it would be. Enjoy!

When Paloma first asked me to contribute to the "Dream Home" series I thought, thank goodness finally a reason to stop designing for clients and start designing for myself! Well a funny thing happened, I came realize what my true style is. If you looked around my home today, you would see many bright colors and lots of pattern but once I reviewed the images I had collected for this series, I realized one common theme was the serenity of each space in a very pale palette. Well won't the fiance be surprised when I tell him we are changing the entire color scheme of our current house to live in the house of my...oppps our dreams! What I was really drawn to in each one of these photos were the details.

Gorgeous ironwork is by far my downfall. It is not something you see in everyday homes but in the glorious ones it takes center stage. A dramatic foyer and staircase would be the perfect welcome to my casual/elegant house!

This backsplash makes me want to take a sledgehammer to mine. The soft color and lines are so welcoming and take the spotlight. I am also a fan of kitchen tables tucked into a nook off the main room. See that one back there? So sweet!

Since it is my dream house I might just replace the windows in that nook with these window. The style is stunning but also casual at the same time.

We would entertain often in this new house and a large dining room table is a must! Adding the built in storage and sideboard is convenient while still being visually interesting. A chilly girl like me would want to sit at the head of the table so her entire body would be warmed by that fireplace!

The family room would be much more casual and inviting. Full of accent pillows, throws and an easy put your feet up atmosphere! Again the addition of built in bookcases would be the perfect organization!

I have always dreamed of having a dark and cozy library. This image from Jan Showers has literally been on my memo board for years. I would spend hours in here reading the day away surrounded by all my favorite books!

Upstairs a dramatic hallway would welcome you. I have always liked the idea of all the bedrooms off one long hallway. Almost like you could see in each others space without leaving your room. The grasscloth and little shaded sconces are the perfect pathway to relaxation!

In the future we will be having little ones and this nursery with its subtle stripes is both grown up and childish at the same time. In other words I would not go mad while rocking a baby in here...if cartoon characters were involved well I am not sure I would be very relaxed!

Our bedroom would be an oasis away from life's work. The sitting area would be the perfect place to catch up on the day and the balcony would be my little slice of bliss in the morning hours!

After living in a tiny city apartment for 10 years where only one person could fit in my closet sized loo, this bathroom would convince me I was in heaven! At the moment I am drawn to large patterned wallpaper and the archway in this room would only add to the heightened drama!

To go along with the above bathroom I would need a dressing room of course and this one with it's wide windows and ample storage would just do the trick! The center table with its turned legs would be something I brought back from a faraway vacation! This room alone would surely having me jumping out of bed each morning. Now does a clothing expense come with this dream home?!

Now I come back to reality and escape to my attic room. A place where the sign on the door reads "only knock if the house is burning down", I joke! Seriously this is my little retreat, a room small enough to feel super cozy and a window seat large enough for me to relax. No electronics are allowed in this space just books and my daydreams!

Yes this is a dream house but after recently becoming engaged and moving into a house full of boys I realize how important a happy place to do laundry is. This room with it's wide counter, spacious drawers and beautiful windows would make the piles of clothes that much more manageable, don't you agree? Just like in real life the fiance would bring me home flowers and this is where I would arrange them!

Even though I now live in this home of my dreams, I would still be doing the work I love. This space would be separate from the main house and would be my little command center for Jace Interiors! Goodness knows I never have enough bookshelves...I wonder if this would be enough? It would be fun to find out!

Last but not least is my absolute favorite part of the house, entertaining in the backyard. This simple table and gorgeous view would have my friends flocking over for sunset drinks and I would be looking on with pure delight! Later we would retreat to these comfy sofas to have dessert and swap stories of our day!

Thanks so much Paloma for inviting me over today, it was truly an honor! Now I am off to convince the fiance of some simple (wink wink) changes we need to make to our current space! (images in order from: Jan Showers, Palmer Weiss, Dress Design Decor, Pinterest, Lauren Muse, Jan Showers,Pinterest, Pinterest, Jennifer Worts, RLH Studio,Nate Berkus,Frank Roop, Houzz, Diane Bergeron via Desire to Inspire, Sacramento Street, Pinterest)

Currently Loving: Oversized Clutches

Clutches have typically been reserved for a night out and in years past were just big enough for one’s lipstick, credit card and cell phone. However, I am loving that clutches have been coming out to play in the daytime! Oversized clutches seem to be everywhere and though at first, I was a bit hesitant (a clutch that is too big is difficult to carry around comfortably), I eventually relented. It seems that softer leathers and fabrics are more manageable than structured styles when dealing with oversized clutches, but all of these styles are pretty darn fabulous. They are each the perfect complement to their respective ensembles.

{Olivia Palermo Carrying an Hermes Clutch outside of Claridge’s in London}

{I love the color and detail, but at this size, I’d probably opt for a regular handbag. This can’t be easy to carry.}

{I love this fabulous, little ikat number. The pattern makes it quite versatile.}

{A little leopard goes a long way, so bags and shoes are the perfect way to add a little leopard to your outfit.}

{I must admit, I love a little sparkle!}

{Classic Pieces worn in an Eclectic Way}

{I LOVE this look! The lines are classic, but the different textures make it modern and sexy.}

{Though not oversized, Olivia Palermo’s Lucite clutch is noteworthy, nonetheless.}

 

Are you into oversized clutches for day or do you prefer smaller versions for evening?

 

{Images via my Fashion Files Board on Pinterest}