La Dolce Vita: February 2012

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Style Profile: Luis Bustamante

{I am in love with this stunning dining room. It is the perfect embodiment of “masculine chic”. I love the polished silhouettes, perfect symmetry, and blending of elements to make some very classic pieces feel completely fresh and new.}

Last Friday’s “Fabulous Room” featured a chic gentleman’s suite designed by Madrid-based designer, Luis Bustamante. Bustamante started his career in the 1980s as a sculptor and painter after studying fine arts at the Universidad Compultense de Madrid. He went on to exhibit in Madrid’s political capitol of Madrid and its artistic capitol of Barcelona. Bustamante eventually moved to Barcelona and finding himself intrigued by interior design, he opted for a career change. Eventually, he moved to Mexico where he lived for 5 years, cementing his reputation as a formidable international designer.

{This space is one of the most modern in Bustamante’s portfolio. I love the custom bench around the fireplace.}

In the year 2000, Bustamante found his way back to his hometown of Madrid and established the design studio which serves as the headquarters for his business. Bustamante has completed both residential and commercial projects throughout the world. Think high-profile destinations such as New York, London, Miami, Spain, and Mexico. Bustamante’s work reflects his classical sensibilities. His spaces orbit around a perfect sense of symmetry and are imbued by Roman and Greek motifs—think striking sculptures, marble columns and plenty of Greek key. While Bustamante’s work is decidedly more formal and classical than what I typically gravitate towards, I was struck by the sheer perfection of his portfolio. Every space is just so fine. You can tell he uses the finest materials and every detail is attended to with the most precise perfection. Have you ever seen such polished, chic rooms?

{This living room is part of the same home that I posted about on Friday. You’ll notice the minimal, mostly white color palette continues into this space.}

{Ok, can we take a minute to discuss this kitchen? I immediately noticed that this home must belong to someone who loves to entertain. There is plenty of seating, an incredible bar in the background, and plenty of serving space. You may notice that appliances, aside from a pair of matching refrigerators are completely absent. Maybe we’re not seeing the entire thing, but after looking at this home on Bustamante’s website, I am not sure where there would have been room for a stove. Whether the owner cooks or not, I would love to attend a dinner party in this fabulous space.}

{This was one of the first images that really drew me in and piqued my interest about Bustamante. Notice the play on scale and the Greek key trim lining the walls. Again, everything looks so fine.}

{Another Example of Perfect Symmetry and Balance}

{Notice the Greek key trim and dentil moulding in this chic hallway. I love the “Valentino Red”.}

{This is a more modern take on Bustamante’s classic sensibility. The series of abstract paintings is phenomenal. I would love to know who the artist is.}

{How gorgeous is this office? I think I could make myself right at home in this space.}

{A Handsome Vignette featuring more Amazing Art—The black wall looks amazing against the bright, white woodwork.}

{I really love the lighting throughout Bustamante’s projects. Notice the floor-to-ceiling bookcases and tufted sofas.}

{Bustamante takes accessorizing to another level. Everything is museum-quality.}

What are your thoughts? Can you appreciate such classical spaces? Can you envision yourself living in one of these homes?

{Images Courtesy of Luis Bustamante Interior Design}

Beautifully Organized: The Lingerie Drawer

Hello my dears! Arianna of Arianna Belle Organized Interiors here! This week we're taking a look at the lingerie drawer.

A few tips for getting it beautifully organized:

Get rid of undergarments that don't fit you properly, are uncomfortable, and/or are worn out. In other words, out go the pieces that you never wear or feel good wearing. They're just cluttering up your drawer and getting in the way of being able to easily find the pieces you do wear. Bras in good condition can be recycled here.
Sort the keepers by type: bras, undies, camisoles, etc.
...as well as by function: everyday, fancy, etc.
You can also sort by color, if that's something you consider when selecting what to wear: nude, black, brights, etc.
Arrange based on frequency of use. Everyday undergarments need to be the most easily accessible, so they should be up front or in the most easy to reach drawer. Pieces you only use once in awhile, such as for a certain occasion or with a particular type of clothing, can go in the back or in a less accessible drawer.
Use dividers to keep everything sorted and in place within the drawer. Be sure to first look at what you have, and measure the height, width and depth of your drawer(s) before buying anything! A few options:

interlocking drawer organizers

linen drawer organizer, linus closet drawer organizer, skubb storage set (<I use these in my own drawers)

Hope you found the tips useful!

Til next time - happy organizing!

-Arianna

1-lucky mag, 2-redbook mag, 3- via idiva

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Dream Home: Mark D. Sikes

Today’s “Dream Home” comes from the chic and fabulous, Mark D. Sikes. You may recognize his style from his real life dream house which was featured on the cover of the December / January 2012 issue of House Beautiful. Mark went the extra mile and crafted three stunning residences for us. He loves his real home so much and truly considers it his dream home, so he figured why not go a little over the top and post about a ranch house in Santa Barbara, a villa in the Dominican Republic, and a townhouse in London. We can all dream, right? Enjoy!

my dream home- well i'm already fortunate to have created my l.a. dream home, see here, however, like everyone i dream about other homes, the next home- the location or locations, the different styles, the design- the dream!

when paloma asked me to do a guest post on my dream home i couldn't narrow it down to one house, believe it or not this is not an easy exercise, but it was easy to come up with 3 dream homes- all in different locations, different styles, different designs- one dream! but as you will see there are common threads, my style is my style and what i love is what i love!

please indulge me, and thank you for doing so- there are a lot of pictures! welcome to my ranch in santa barbara, california, my very large villa in the dominican republic, last but not least, my very chic townhouse in london. all three what i love, all three a dream- my dream!

my ranch in santa barbara would be all about casual california living- mostly white, antiques sprinkled throughout, a great balance of traditional and modern, lot's of windows, lot's of moldings. and of course all with a guest house, pool house and stables! lot's of understated style and elegance- the california dream!

Foyer | Victoria Hagan

Living Room | Darryl Carter | ELLE DÉCOR

Dining Room | Victoria Hagan | ELLE DÉCOR

Entry to Library | Sils and Huniford

Library | Sils and Huniford

Study | Sils and Huniford

Kitchen | DARRYL CARTER | ELLE DÉCOR

Kitchen | Darryl Carter | ELLE DÉCOR

Family Room | Alexandra and Michael Miscynski | Veranda

Hallway | Sils and Huniford

Master Bedroom | Michael S Smith | ELLE DÉCOR

Master Bath | Miles Redd | ELLE DÉCOR

Guest Room | Michael S Smith

Guest Bath | Darryl Carter | ELLE DÉCOR

Guest House | Alexandra and Michael Misczynski | Town & Country

Guest House | Alexandra and Michael Misczynski | Town & Country

my beach front vacation villa, very large villa, would be in the dominican republic- indoor outdoor living at it's finest! like the santa barbara home, the villa's on the property would be mostly white but more casual- slipcovers, wicker and rattan furniture scattered throughout, anglo indian antiques, lot's of hurricanes, blue and white ceramics! as you will see i love blue, what a perfect home for blue accents! blue water, blue skies, a blue dream!

Foyer | Bunny Williams

Living Room | Bunny Williams | Town & Country

Porch | Bunny Williams | Town & Country

Dining Room | Bunny Williams

Study | Genevieve Faure | Architectural Digest

Powder Room | Michael S Smith

Kitchen | Genevieve Faure | Architectural Digest

Sunroom | Givenchy

Master Bedroom | Bunny Williams | Town & Country

Master Bath | Oscar de la Renta | Vogue

Guest Room | Genevieve Faure | Architectural Digest

Guest Bath | Genevieve Faure | Architectural Digest

Pool House | Ralph Lauren | Vogue

Pool House | India Hicks | Vogue

Pool House | Ralph Lauren | Vogue

lastly, my european getaway would be in london- one of my favorite cities! a townhouse in hyde park or notting hill would be a dream! more formal, more refined, more sophisticated, however still full of all the things i love! neutral with blue accents but the addition of black, rich browns and some print. lot's of antiques, gilt, chinoiserie, stone and moldings- rich in texture, layers and warmth-everyone has to dream!