This Week’s Quote

Fabulous Room Friday 03.22.13

I wish I had more images to share of this week’s fabulous room, but apparently, they are nowhere to be found despite my efforts! I came across this image on the Facebook page of Casa Vogue Brazil’s Anuario Decoradores 2013 and was immediately drawn to the color palette as well as the mix of traditional and modern pieces since I like to mix the same types of elements when I decorate. The fireplace is spectacular in its bold simplicity. I love all of the contrasts. You’ll also notice the floor to ceiling mirrors flanking either side of the fireplace which undoubtedly make the room feel infinitely larger. I am a sucker for symmetry and clearly, the person who designed this room is too. Everything looks so much better when there is order in a space.

Does anyone know who the designer is so that I can properly credit them? What are your thoughts? Do you like the saturated use of color in this space? Do you like the mirrors? Have a fabulous weekend!

 

{Image Source}

Dissecting the Details: Brian Gluckstein

Hello lovely LDV readers! It's Nancy of Marcus Design, here again with another installment of 'Dissecting the Details.' Today we are looking at the unique use of library bookcases in Toronto-based designer Brian Gluckstein's fabulous spaces.

I adore the fact that he places over-the-top book displays in places you may not think to; the dining room, entryway, or even the bathroom! It's adds an incredible layer of texture and interest that I think only books can bring to a space. Here are 4 key elements in Brian's bookshelf designs.

I love the drama of a curved wall ... and that bathroom, seriously a dream space.

Bookshelves symmetrically flanking a sofa, fireplace, or a tub, is pleasing to the eye.

Take it to the top. I love that Brian removed the ceiling in this space so that books could be seen above!

There's nothing more charming and chic than a legit library ladder. On my wishlist for sure.

Have you noticed designs incoporating bookshelves in unique placements?

LDV House Tour: Mark D. Sikes

{Mark and his partner, Michael share their chic home in the hills of West Hollywood with their darling French Bulldog, Lilly.}

Being a blogger can be a funny thing sometimes. It has given me opportunities I could have never dreamed of and has afforded me the opportunity to connect with likeminded individuals, regardless of their geographic location. The thing I treasure most from my blog is the friendships I have made as a result. Mark Sikes and I first connected around the time his house was published in House Beautiful in late 2011 and we became fast friends. While we were in L.A. last week, Mark was kind enough to invite us over to his gorgeous home for a drink before we headed out to dinner at the swanky Tower Bar. While we had some fun celebrity sightings at dinner, the highlight of my evening was spending time with my dear friend and seeing his home in person. The other funny thing about blogging, you ask? Choosing between being a good blogger and always having your camera ready or remembering your manners and trying to be gracious while walking around a friend’s home snapping photos. It’s a fine line, so I snapped a few iPhone photos as Mark gave us a tour and opted to leave the DSLR at the hotel!

{You have most likely seen Mark’s home featured in House Beautiful and Lonny. I have to say, it is even more beautiful in person. Mark’s house is chic, glamorous, and stylish, like the things he blogs about, but it is also incredibly warm and gracious, just like he is.}

{Mark’s Kitchen}

{A Built-In Banquette in the Master Bedroom}

{The Pretty Master Bedroom}

{It’s hard to pick a favorite room in Mark’s house because each room is so stunning. If I had to choose, it would be a toss up between the glamorous living room and this fabulous guest room.}

{I love this vignette in the guestroom.}

{This corner of the room is my favorite—so chic!}

{Mark mentioned that the guest bathroom with its black lacquered walls is one of the rooms in the house that he gets the most comments on from readers. It’s such a stylish, masculine space.}

{Mark’s library is pretty impressive. Not only is it a very pretty room, but he also has an enviable magazine collection that fills up the shelves that line three of the four walls!}

{Mark’s home is filled with amazing art. Even the bathrooms have some really great pieces.}

{A Vignette in the Upstairs Hallway}

Isn’t Mark’s house fabulous? Stay tuned because he’ll be sharing his favorite room with us next Tuesday!

My Favorite Room: Lauren Liess of Pure Style Home

Hi everyone!  This is Lauren from Pure Style Home.  I'm so excited to be a part of Paloma's My Favorite Room Series!  My favorite room is probably my bedroom.  Like most of us, I love getting in bed.  When we first moved into our house, my bedroom was lined in faux wood paneling and it was a bit dark:

I really craved a white bedroom.  There's something so relaxing about a white bedroom to me and I never tire of having one.  So... the paneling got the white treatment:   

(That's my pup, Ashby, in my spot!! ;) ;)

I added a vintage crystal waterfall chandelier and kept the room really simple.  The wall-to-wall builder grade carpet was replaced with wall-to-wall sea grass which I love the feel of.  I layered a hide on the seagrass for a bit of interest and edge.

The vintage mirror (below) is really special to me.  It was one of the first things my husband and I found for our new house.  I love looking at the swirls and seeing shapes in them.

{owls anyone??}

I hung my jewelry on nails for easy access and more importantly, so I can enjoy my things even when I'm not wearing them:

Here's a picture of my nightstand, below, which is actually a dresser.  (The room isn't big enough for a large dresser so we went with two small dressers as our nightstands.)  On it, I've put my vintage Chinese ginger jar lamp, which I found at a flea market and am crazy about.  My grandmother's always had these lamps and I loved them growing up.  Thankfully, she's still alive and is using them all, so I decided I needed my own.

I hung the old convex mirror about the more modern dresser for a bit of juxtaposition.  I found the Gustavian chair years ago at a flea market and my husband found the brass bed (just the headboard!! ;) ;) on the side of the road just after we moved in!!!

Because I'm always working with colors and fabrics as a part of my job, am constantly switching up things in my own home for fun, and am crazy-busy like most people, my tone on tone bedroom has become my refuge.  I just see white and I can sort of clear my mind and let go of everything when I'm in there, which is exactly what I need.  

I really I hope you enjoyed this little peek into my favorite room and thank you so much to Paloma for inviting me over to La Dolce Vita!!

~Lauren