My Favorite Room: Things That Inspire

Hello, LDV readers – it’s Holly from Things That Inspire.  When Paloma asked me to participate in the ‘My Favorite Room’ series at the beginning of the summer, I knew immediately which room I would select.  I love and use all of the rooms in my house, but the room that has been truly a sanctuary for me has been my outdoor room.

From September of 2009 through September of 2011, my husband and I worked with our amazing project team to design and build a custom home.  During the process, my architect (Stan Dixon) was featured in the May of 2010 issue of Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles, and one of the sketches shown in the feature was the outdoor room that he designed for my house.  Photo credit: Erica George Dines, via Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles.

From sketch…to reality!  Here is a view of the outdoor room, as seen in a blog post I wrote early in the summer outlining the pool design process. As you can see, there were some tweaks and modifications to the design based on the reality of the setting, but overall the look and feel is exactly as we had envisioned when Stan made the original sketch.  One major change is that we decided to use side lanterns instead of a hanging lantern; a ceiling fan is really a must in an outdoor room in Atlanta because of the heat and humidity.  The fan also helps tremendously when we light a fire in the fireplace.

A closer view of the room (my dog Ben, seen in front of the fireplace, loves to hang out in this room on warm days – the bluestone says cool in the shade).  We never really came up with a  good name for the room.  Initially we called it the loggia, but it is not really a loggia.  The project supervisor started calling it the pavilion, but that never really stuck either. So we just call it the outdoor room.  As you can see, it is fairly spare.  My architect wanted a mirror for above the fireplace, but we have not selected anything yet.  I have been in the house for almost a year, and it has been a great time to see how we live in the house, and what we want to prioritize when we do round two of the interior design in 2013.  Truthfully, the clean and spare feel of the room is fine with me.  I still need quite a bit of furniture and décor for the inside of the house!

As a fair skinned redhead, and I am definitely not an outdoor person, however having this room gives me a whole different way to be outside and still be protected from the sun.  During a hot summer day, it’s the perfect place to sit and be near the kids when they are swimming, but also be in my own space.

The outdoor room is also my favorite place to go in the morning for a cup of tea and the paper (I love to read the New York Times every day on my iPad), and I like it even more when it is raining – there is nothing like being outside in the rain, listening to the sound but being completely protected.  I snapped this picture as I was writing the post, and it was raining…I realized I had not taken a picture of my favorite view in the room, looking over the wooded back yard. I like to sit in the chair on the left, and look out over the pool and the yard – it is a very peaceful and tranquil place!

In the fall and early winter, as well as the spring, we love having friends over for dinner and hanging out in the outdoor room in front of a roaring fire. I will admit that it was kind of a bummer when the pristine fire bricks (note the play on a chevron pattern) in the fireplace started to darken with the smoke from the wood, but after building a huge fire over Thanksgiving of last year, I had to quickly get over my desire to keep the fireplace pristine!  Now I love the fact that the fireplace looks like it is used and enjoyed.  It’s all part of making the ‘new’ house a home.  I am looking forward to the return of the cool fall nights so we can light the first fire of the season – the logs are all ready!

We purchased Restoration Hardware outdoor furniture last year to stage our old house, and it works surprisingly well in this space. I like this style because the seating is not too deep.  The bluestone top tables were my side tables at the old house, but serve as coffee tables and mini dining tables in this space. 

The floor of the room is the same material as the pool deck – bluestone.  Note the arches in the design of the room – two of the three sides have a high arch that enables expansive views of the pool and to the back.

On the third wall, it was not possible to create an open arch because of the passage to the family room and pool bathroom, but my architect continued the arch design on the wall.  It’s a lovely but subtle detail.  This picture shows a good view of the Bevolo gas lanterns that provide a warm source of light. There are also a few ceiling lights on dimmers when there is a need for a bit more light.

My architect designed the great beadboard pattern on the ceiling of the outdoor room – note how the planks vary in direction.  The ceiling fan is very simple – a 52” Hunter fan from Home Depot – I looked and looked for a great ceiling fan and never really found anything that was both in budget and attractive.  Because of the height of the fan, we have it on a special dimmer switch designed for fans, so I can vary the speed at the switch.

I hope you enjoyed this view of my favorite room – truly an all season room that has been the most delightful surprise of the new house, and a space that is used on a daily basis.  It is raining right now on this warm summer evening in Atlanta, so I think I will head out there and enjoy a little peace and quiet after a busy day running around after the kids.  If you have any great ideas for something fabulous to put over the fireplace, please let me know! 

Thank you to Paloma for inviting me to participate in the ‘My Favorite Room’ series.

My Favorite Room: Mark D. Sikes

'>House Beautiful

When Paloma asked me what my favorite room was in my house, it didn't take long for me to answer- the master bedroom is my favorite room in our house, and thank goodness since I'm the master of the house it's my bedroom too! I love blue anything and everything so of course I love this room. when i designed the room i wanted it to feel like I was sleeping in a cloud, and I have to say I did it! waking up in the morning is truly my favorite time of the day. I often drink my tea in bed and check email before I start my day- the room soothes, calms and delights!

Lonny

House Beautiful

I love the raoul printed linen fabric on the walls. the patterned walls are more washed out and create the backdrop for the china blue linen bed hangings and drapes. it's hard to tell from the photographs, but all the doors throughout the room are paneled with aged mirrors- the reflection of blue is everywhere! i highly recommend a canopy bed with bed hangings, there really isn't anything like it! most of the other textiles are by my friend carolina irving- for those of you that follow my blog know how much i love her fabrics! Image via Mark D. Sikes

Opposite the bed is a built-in banquette, covered in same robin's egg blue raoul fabric on the walls. this is where i often write my blog or do research. There are books and magazines always stacked around on the floor. The decorative boxes from john rosselli are filled with pens, and post-its- a truly functional space! Image via Mark D. Sikes

We always have fresh flowers in the bedroom and they are always pink- I love the hit of pink in the mostly blue room! Lonny

I love to stack, cluster and lean art in every room of my house. The master bedroom has a collection of Paris flea market drawing and sketches, michael dweck black and white photographs, and few of my favorite slim aarons photographs- the slim aarons photograph of desmond guinness and his children is my favorite! Since there is only room for a few pieces of furniture in the room they had to make an impact. The black john rosselli chinoiserie chest anchors the room. I love how this piece of furniture, along with the rush matting rug, and the art deco parchment bedside tables connects this room to the other rooms in the house- I often repeat ideas or things when designing spaces so that the house feels connected and cohesive. Lonny

Everywhere you look there are sentimental things along with things we collect.

Lonny

I think the best thing about the master bedroom is that it looks out over the gardens. Especially this time of year it is truly beautiful. The contrast of all the green outside with all the blue inside it quite amazing. You can see the rose garden, hear the fountains, listen to the birds from bed, another reason i like to spend my mornings in bed!

For more of Mark’s beautiful style, visit his blog, Mark D. Sikes: Chic People, Glamorous Places, Stylish Things.

My Favorite Room: Doug Davis

Hi there, Doug from Hannon Douglas Interiors here.  It's so great to be back with you on La Dolce Vita--today I'm sharing my favorite room in my home.

I was a little nervous when Paloma invited me to participate in this series because I've just recently moved.  My new place is about three times the size of my last house--and I am notoriously slow at making decisions for myself when it comes to decorating--so the progress has been a little slow so far.  I should back up just a little bit and tell you that the house I am living in actually belongs to my partner Hannon.  She and her husband Cameron bought this beautiful 1925 Classical Revival bungalow a couple of years ago when they got married.  Last summer when Cameron's job unexpectedly caused them to start splitting their time between Chattanooga, Tennessee and Birmingham, Alabama where our firm is based; we decided I should just "housesit" for them for a few years!  It's been fun to put my spin on a house I already knew so well.

One of the rooms that's farthest along so far, and which has definitely become one of my favorite spots to relax in the house, is my Sun Room.  There are three rooms across the front of the house--the Sun Room, a long Living Room in the middle and a Dining Room at the other end.  Big openings connect all three rooms to each other.  When Hannon bought the house a couple of years ago we decided to paint the middle room white (Benjamin Moore 'White Dove') and the rooms at either end charcoal gray (Benjamin Moore 'Galveston Gray').  The long wall of the Sun Room, which you face when looking from the Living Room or Dining Room beyond is blank--just a big grey wall.  I decided to go with a big gesture on this wall and collage it with "stuff" from floor to ceiling.  The opening from the Living Room kind of acts like a "frame" for the whole thing.

I've had collage walls in other places I've lived and was honestly a little tired of the look when I packed up to move in here, but it seemed like the best way to deal with this great big wall.  It's been a fun way to showcase photos I've taken over the years of architectural details I've noticed in my travels, a few small paintings I own and various building fragments I've collected here and there.

A previous owner of the house had tiled the room in travertine...not our favorite stone but neutral enough to work.  I covered most of the floor in a durable indoor/outdoor Dash & Albert striped rug. This rug is great because it's indestructible.  The house has an incredibly landscaped backyard and it seems like every time I go out to do yard work I come and go from this door and end up tracking something back inside.  So far the rug gets high marks from me for being really easy to keep clean despite being grey and white striped!

My Sun Room is furnished really simply--mainly just a pair of really comfortable leather butterfly chairs (I got mine at Urban Outfitters...they are no longer available, but CB2 has some that are similar  with a galvanized side table from Aidan Gray in between them.  The chairs are lightweight enough they can be pulled forward to add extra seating in the adjacent Living Room and I love the color of the camel colored leather against the dark charcoal walls.  The zebra pillow is a recent addition...we purchased one for a client's home not too long ago and I decided I had to have one too!  The Mad Men style floor lamp in the corner is another great Urban Outfitters find.

In one corner of the room a small table holds a few accessories and a lamp from Circa Lighting.  The Sun Room is a former open porch that was enclosed at some point so there's no lighting overhead in the original beadboard ceiling.  The staghorn fern on the wall is a recent acquisition...I have no idea how they work and will probably kill it soon, but at least it lived long enough for this photo!  The funny little painting hanging on the left of this photo was given to me by some friends a few years ago--they were attending the horse race at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky and an artist was selling little folk art paintings of former jockeys.  Apparently there was a jockey named Doug Davis once upon a time, so my friends snagged me a painting of him!  In a room filled with personal mementos and treasures, this seemed like the perfect spot to display this piece.

Paloma, thanks so much for inviting me to share.  I hope everyone has enjoyed the tour of my favorite room!

My Favorite Room: Bailey McCarthy

OHay there Paloma! Fancy seeing you here.

Moving three times in as many years, I have had a different favorite room in each home. We moved into our new house in Houston two months ago, and my favorite room changes every time we finally unpack a box or install a curtain. My current favorite room is our guest room because 1. It is finished (for now) unlike the wreck of the rest of the house 2. It is the first room to receive Biscuit bedding & 3. It really represents what has come to be my design philosophy of investing in great pieces when you can, and keeping them forever- using them in different ways each time you "redecorate".

Biscuit is the store and bedding line I started early this year with two of my girlfriends as a line that would bring a high end designer look to a more attainable price point- starting with our bedding line. We designed the prints in our line inspired by the style and personality of various people we love and admire. It feels surreal remembering the initial sketches of each design, watching the prints go through production at the factory, and now dressing my own personal bed!

I originally dreamed up the design for this room when I was pregnant and convinced we were having a boy. Even though we had a precious little girl instead, I still wanted to use the design in our home. The inspiration started with this Ralph Lauren constellation wallpaper that I had been holding on to forever.

The stars glow in the dark, which makes for the most magical bedtime. We had a version of this room in our last house in Austin, but the light fixture was flush mount and didn't charge the wallpaper enough so the stars didn't really sparkle with their true splendor. I also find that each time we move, rather than completely redecorate, I sort of re-imagine the same room and add another layer of love. The rooms (to me) only keep getting better with each iteration. They become more "us" and less designed.

This go around I reused our pendleton blanket, and added in biscuit sheets & shams in our white with red trim accent, Jamie boudoirs, and Paul duvet cover in our taupe color way. We also added some punchier lamps, and accessories. The side tables Pete and I actually bought on our honeymoon. They were in our kitchen in Chicago, and then family room in Austin, and now here. The headboard is the same Pottery Barn piece we had in Chicago & Austin. The light fixture was a 21st Birthday gift from my mom and was in my living room in college, guest room in Chicago and Austin, and now here. The rug was in our Chicago living room, and Austin family room. The solar system art was purchased for this room in our Austin house from Mecox.

I love that this room really represents my design philosophy of investing in great pieces when you can, and you will have them forever. The only new items in this room are the lamps, and some of the bedding, and yet it has a totally different fresh feel. Or at least I hope it does!

Thanks for having me, Paloma- and for motivating me to get this room picture ready! My in-laws will thank you when they come to visit from Christmas.

My Favorite Room: Brooke Giannetti

Hi everyone! This is Brooke from Velvet & Linen and Giannetti Home.  I am so thrilled to be here at La Dolce Vita! Thank you, Paloma for inviting me to be a part your  "My Favorite Room"  series. My favorite room at the moment is our Master Bathroom in our Channel Islands Harbor weekend home.

This gorgeous bathroom at Chateau de Moissac was one of the European bathrooms that inspired me to  turn our Master Bathroom ....

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from this...

 

to this.

I noticed that most of the European bathrooms that I loved were built using simple neutral materials such as limestone and plaster. Rarely did I see ornate mosaics or intricate tile work. Most likely these rooms were designed this way because they once had other uses, but whatever the reason, the result was a calm, serene atmosphere.

To create the same soothing feeling in our bathroom, I also chose simple, neutral materials. For example, in the shower I selected  pale limestone slabs on the walls, aged limestone on the floor, and clean sheets of glass.

Like the pieces in my favorite European bathrooms, special antiques became the focal points in the room.

 

My pewter tub is the other "Queen" in the room, demanding attention. 

Lighting was kept simple as well: a couple of sconces on the wall, a Circa Lighting "Petite Paris Flea Market Chandelier" in the center and two vintage pendants above the sinks.

Similar to the pieces in European bathroom, most of the furniture and fixtures in my bathroom aren't built in. This allows my bathroom to be easily altered. For example, recently when we decided to live in our weekend house full time, we realized that we needed more storage. Because our tub was free standing, we  simply removed the tub and replaced it with this French cabinet. My bathroom design holds up even without my tub.

You might be wondering what happened to my tub.  It is in storage, waiting to be placed in our bathroom at the new home we are building, Patina Farm.

Who knows? I may have a new Favorite Room soon!

I hope you enjoyed My Favorite Room!

Thank you again, Paloma for letting me share "My Favorite Room" with your readers.

 

xo,

Brooke

My Favorite Room: Bryn Alexandra

Hi! My name is Bryn from Bryn Alexandra Interiors and I am so honored to be a part of Paloma's "My Favorite Room" series.

My favorite room in our home is definitely our living room, or as my husband and I jokingly call it, the "sitting room". One of the main reasons I love this room so much is because it is filled with pieces that are sentimental to me and pieces that I've fallen in love with and collected over the years.

 

Another big reason I love this room is because it gets the most beautiful natural light. One of my favorite things to do is relax in this room on a Sunday afternoon reading magazines in the sunlight (although it doesn't happen nearly as much as I would like!)

 

 

In the picture above, you can see the seascape painting above the sofa and the antique wooden cabinet. The seascape painting was originally purchased by my grandmother and the cabinet was originally owned by my husband's great-grandfather.  I love having pieces in our home that have been in our family for generations, they are really special to us.

 

 

This room was never "decorated".. meaning I just started bringing in things that I loved and over the years the space has come together.

 

 

We have a large magnolia tree in our front yard that I really love and a couple years ago I started cutting the low branches and displaying them in this room. Now they are a staple, the room feels naked without them!

 

 

And one last reason why I love this room so much.. our cat and our dog sit in this front room while we are away and we always see their sweet faces in the window greeting us when we come home.

 

Now if only the tan cat would sit on the tan sofa, and the black dog on the black chair! ;)

Thank you so much for having me, Paloma! It was a pleasure! 

My Favorite Room: White + Gold Design

Hello there, LDV readers! It's Marianne from White + Gold Design sharing with you my favorite room in my home...my master bathroom.If you have ever built or remodeled a home you know that the two most expensive rooms in the home are usually the kitchen and master bathroom. I think we spend so much money on our master bathrooms because it is our private retreat. It's where we soak in the tub or take 20 minute showers (if you're like my husband) and relax. It's also where I spend a lot of my time (somewhat unfortunately) getting ready each and every day. The bathroom is a very important room - not to be overlooked!

I was a little hesitant to share this room with you because it still feels a little unfinished, but I quickly realized that no room in my home feels finished (whose does?!). For my husband, the master bathroom was the only room he really cared about during the remodel. Luckily we have similar taste and agreed on all of the materials. We both wanted something classic that we didn't think would go out of style in a few years.

My husband and I both have an aversion to big heavy furniture and I had been loving the idea of putting in console sinks for a long time. Many of our family and friends tried to talk us out of putting these sinks in because of the lack of storage, but that's exactly why I wanted them. I can't stand how junky my bathroom vanity drawers would get in the past(can we say spilled bronzer, stray bobby-pins, hair from brushes?). In my opinion, you can't store bathroom essentials as well in drawers as you can in cabinets, so in the end we decided on these Porcher sinks that we love.

And because of the lack of storage under the sink we needed medicine cabinets. I liked the price and look of these ones from Restoration Hardware. Probably my favorite lights in my house are these Visual Comfort Empire Sconces from Circa Lighting. They are more beautiful in person and they add a softer look to balance out the somewhat industrial look of the sinks + medicine cabinet.

I have always loved marble, and I couldn't think of a more classic material than marble, so that was a no-brainer for us. I wanted a marble that had some gold and gray in it so no matter what was in style -silver or gold - this marble would look good. Thus we chose Calcutta Gold, which has fit the bill perfectly. The paint color we chose is Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter. It is a perfect warm gray that we have really liked. 

We had the best finish-workers who built me this custom storage cabinet. It has been ample storage for all of my stuff (although I do admit for the photo I took out my bin of hairbrushes, make-up, and hair product for a prettier picture). Also, this cabinet never gets junky and I've loved having the glass doors on the front.

To dress up the cabinet I took a wallpaper remnant from a local wallpaper store and adhered it to the back of the cabinet with spray glue. I also added knobs from Anthropologie.

And now for my husband's favorite spot in the whole house - the shower. We LOVE this shower. We have two little girls (ages 3 and 1) and we all fit in this shower, no problem. We are lucky that we had the room in our home to make a shower this large. The home we lived in before this one barely had enough room for just one of us, so this has felt like a total luxury and indulgence.

The floor tile is also Calcutta Gold but in a hexagon shape. And if you notice, the shower hardware is a brushed nickel, but we used polished chrome and nickel for the faucets and lighting. I don't believe in matching metals in a home - it looks too planned and new- buildish. I like a more collected look so we purposely didn't match all of our finishes.

I recently bought the Lucite-leg bench from a designer sale and we have loved having that next to the shower to set our towels, clothes, etc. I highly recommend seating in every master bath if there is room.

  The empty space next to the shower is reserved for a soaking tub, whenever we pony up for it. We actually had a tub at one time, but it didn't work out and we had to return it. Ever since then I keep pushing back the large purchase. I can't live without a tub when I'm pregnant, so maybe when we finally install a tub it will also be an announcement for baby #3 :)

And that sums it up for my favorite room! Thank you, Paloma for allowing me to share a little of myself and my home with your readers.