Shocked

For the past decade, Southern Accents has presented us with a pretty, but somewhat sleepy selection of pale blue and beige bedrooms. Imagine my surprise to turn the page and discover this high contrast, David Hicksian wonder by Atlanta designer Barbara Howard.

The bedroom was designed for the Showhouse at Reynolds Plantation, part of Lake Oconee in Greensboro, Georgia. I had to do a double take--this room belongs to a lake house in rural Georgia? The times are a-changin'.

The featured fabric pattern is "Zimba" by Schumacher. The rest of the home is more typically Southern and subtle in palette, but has a few quiet nods to 1970's design. Click here for the tour.

Even though Lake Oconee is only 1.5 hours east of Atlanta, I have yet to visit. One of these days, I am going to hop over for a day of pampering at The Ritz Carlton Lodge at Reynolds Plantation. For the time being however, I am staycation city.

Interiors photographed by Keith Scott Morton for Southern Accents, November/December 2008.

In The Mood

Do your weekend design projects (i.e. flipping through design books and hanging pictures) ever look as romantic than they do in the photographs of Joyce Lee?


Images are from Joyce Lee's "Home Reimagined" series, discovered via Red Thread.

Keeping it Real

Nice try, Bravo. I caught you trying to slip this classic Buckhead home into your montage of OTP McMansions the other night on The Real Housewives of Atlanta.

Maybe most of America won't notice this house is actually WITHIN the city limits--30 miles away from where your story was taking place. Of course this is of no bother to me, but perhaps our metro area cousins would not want this old house (without it's own bowling alley) being mistaken as one of their own.

What is Swanky?

How design fabulous was last week's "Jet Set" episode of Mad Men? I was lamenting the fact that there are no good photos of the Palm Springs interiors until I found a this delicious assortment on Hatch (posted by fellow Atlantan, The Bubb Report). I am seriously crying over the fact that there are only two more episodes to go until the season ends.

According to commenters, "The Jet Set" could have been filmed at Frank Sinatra's former Palm Springs home, Twin Palms. This could also be totally wrong, since mid-century modern architecture can start looking overly familiar to my untrained eye. Still, it is fun to imagine. Take a photo tour (or rent it for the weekend) here.

Poolside at the Twin Palms, then and now.

Update: The "Jet Set" house is not Twin Palms. It was designed by California architect Ed Niles and it was built in the late 1990's in Malibu. Whatever--it is still makes for an awesome backdrop.

In other Mad Men news, the show will be a featured category on one of my longtime TV favorites, Jeopardy, this Friday night. It will be a perfect storm for this television nerd.

Tips from Emily Amy

Opening night at the Emily Amy Gallery

Favorite local gallery owner, Emily Amy (pronounced "ah me") has a new blog with some great tips on collecting contemporary art.  I had to borrow a few to share...

• Emerging artists are not necessarily less talented than established artist, and they usually cost less too!
• Go with your gut when you are choosing art.  Let it elicit an emotional response in you, and when it does, you will know it is right.
• Works on paper are always a great option when a little money needs to go a long way.
• Don't listen to the "rules," if you want to collect several pieces by the same artist, go ahead--it's your collection.
• Start small: if you can't afford large paintings, then buy small ones.  They often have the same effect.
• Buy local - Whether it is a local artist or a local gallery, you will likely feel more of a connection with the piece and you will be supporting your local talent!

More advice and art here.

One of my favorite examples of living with contemporary art: A Damien Hirst hangs above a French sofa in Johnson Hartig's living room. Photographed by Paul Costello for Domino Magazine September 2007.)

By the way, how gorgeous is that lucite table? It is available from The Paris Apartment.

The Cindy Factor

Cindy Crawford in her Malibu home, designed by Michael Smith.

Could a supermodel-turned-mass-market furniture designer be the cause of our Wall Street woes? Carl Hiaasen provides an interesting hypothesis regarding the "Cindy Factor" in The Miami Herald.

Photograph by Simon Upton from Elle Decor So Chic. More pictures of Crawford's home can be seen here.

Going South

Come on, you know you want to visit Atlanta--especially after last night's shining endorsement of our city.

Well, if you were not scared away by the suburban bling and brawls, you can always get a room at the new W Hotel Buckhead designed by our favorite "Queer Eye", Thom Filicia.



According to Filicia and the Starwood Hotel Group last year, the design plan would combine "urban style with the city’s deep history and culture" and "traditions of Southern hospitality". I am not sure how much of this concept made it to the final reveal, but it looks fun and colorful in an Adler-esque kind of way. Even with the rash of new hotels opening in Atlanta this year, we don't have anything that looks like this.

Instead of...

Instead of watching the news this week, I am going to gaze approvingly at pictures of rooms designed by Katie Ridder.

More from her portfolio here.

Unspectacular Details

Ronda from All The Best just tagged me with instructions to list six "unspectacular details" about myself, so here it goes...

Unspectacular Detail #1
My 15 year high school reunion is next weekend.

Unspectacular Detail #2
I was asked to make CD mixes as favors for the party. Having to condense four years of music from the early 90's into 20 songs is proving more difficult than I anticipated. However, Ice Cube and 10,000 Maniacs go together surprisingly well.

Unspectacular Detail #3
I have listened to Drown by Smashing Pumpkins 15 times today as it has become my new favorite old song.

Unspectacular Detail #4
I graduated the same year as the fictional characters in "Beverly Hills 90210" and "Saved by the Bell".

Unspectacular Detail #5
I am wearing a dress from the Kathie Lee Collection in the top photo--not even kidding. Apparently Kathie Lee had the white, conservative dress market cornered in 1993 as it was difficult to find one by any other "designer". I am also wearing sheer white panty hose with my white pumps. Cute.

Unspectacular Detail #6
I am really excited to see my old friends next weekend!

I am also tagging:
Laura Loves
The Sweet Life With Olives
Jennifer Jane's Style Journal

Please visit All The Best for the rules. Thanks for tagging me, Ronda.

Lean Times

No, I am not talking about the economy. For houses like ours where the art inventory tends to ebb and flow (or maybe it is because we are too lazy to get out the hammer), leaning pieces against the wall makes for a novel and contemporary display.

A Carolyn Carr print stands out in the pack of layered art in designer Keith Arnold's apartment in this month's Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles.(Photography by Erica George Dines).

I know these ledges are kind of "Pottery Barn '98" but this gallery hall still works for me (from Elle Decor, May 2008 via The Framing Fashionista).

In addition to the buffet of art, there is a lot I love about this room. Photo by Simon Upton for Domino Magazine, June 2006.

Not only does the lean and layered method allow one to keep more art on display at once, it also appeals to the commitment phobic. (It takes one to know one).

In case you are in the market for a new piece to hang or not hang, I suggest checking out the wonderful contemporary collection at the recently opened Emily Amy Gallery in Atlanta.

Oil on canvas by Sarah Hinkley, available through the Emily Amy Gallery.

Flower Happy

Look how happy a bag full of hydrangeas makes Michael Kors. I thought I would follow his lead and get a few for myself this weekend...

Hydrangeas are favorite flowers of mine because they are relatively fool proof and a few blooms go a long way. And while my over sized tropical leaf arranging skills could use some work, I love how much green it adds to an otherwise neutral room.

When properly arranged, they should look more like they do in Kors' New York apartment above. In case you missed it, click here to see more photos from last month's In Style spread.

(Top and bottom photographs for In Style September 2008 by Douglas Friedman).

Jeff Lewis & Top Design

Jeff Lewis, it was so nice to see your cameo on Top Design. The line you delivered about wanting to send Ondine home for her decoupage screens because you "hated them that much" made me miss you even more.

I am keeping my fingers crossed that SGM will be entertaining us with one of her signature recaps of Top Design this week. Topics I am hoping she covers:

1) Our favorite contestant's overuse of the phrase "panty drop".
2) India Hicks' odd pronunciation of the word "with".
3) Nathan's desperate need for a showmance.


By the way, did anyone else notice that contestant Andrea Schroder was wearing the Daniel Franco dress from last week's window design challenge at the Emmys? Nice cross promotion, Bravo!

Madeline and the Cats of Rome

Orange Beautiful used the original Madeline Book as part of her adorable, lavender nursery.

While I know most of the cats running around Rome are generally of the mean and mangy variety, the concept for this new book warms my heart nonetheless.

Madeline, the first of a series of books about an adventurous little French girl, was originally written and illustrated by Ludwig Bemelmans in 1939. Almost seventy years later, Bemelmans' grandson, John Bemelmans Marciano continues the family tradition with Madeline and the Cats of Rome, published this month. Even though Marciano never met his famous grandfather, he based his illustrations on the pencil sketches Bemelmans left behind.

Since 1947, Madeline fans have been flocking to The Carlyle Hotel, where Bemelmans Bar features a mural by Ludwig Bemelmans and a weekly Madeline Tea. The deco-style room was recently restored in 2002.

Befriending a gattino randagio, Italy 2005.

As a lover of cats, Italy and mid-century children's book illustrators, I know this book is going on my wishlist.

Style Savvy

A chic vignette from Pieces, top of the list for Atlanta shops compiled by our favorite Atlanta bloggers, Stylecourt, and The Peak of Chic.

Congratulations to Courtney Barnes of Stylecourt, and Jennifer Dwyer of The Peak of Chic for their feature in the October issue of Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles. They are both daily reads and an endless supply of design inspiration and information. The article, entitled "Style Savvy" details some of their favorite Atlanta design sources and their expert take on the world of blogging. Hopefully, October's issue will be posted in it's entirety on the Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles website soon.

Let's Pretend We Know What 1963 Looks Like

Congratulations to Mad Men on their Best Outstanding Drama Emmy. This has been one of my favorite shows as of late--in large part to the early 1960's set design.

In case you have yet to catch an episode, perhaps this little behind-the-scenes segment with set decorator Amy Wells and production designer Dan Bishop will put you in the mood for some good old fashioned television. The Season One DVD extras explore the design background even further.
For refurbished, mid-century modern antiques and furnishings, I love exploring Atlanta's Belvedere showroom. To date I have only been a browser, but one of these days...

Weekend Before and After

Take these lampshades...

Attach a black ribbon border...

Voila! $6 makeover.

Expanding the Brand

Thomas Paul pillows in "Mums" and "Buds" at Ivanka Trump's apartment for In Style Magazine, January 2007.
Thomas Paul will be in Atlanta next week to introduce his line of graphic prints to the Duralee collection. This is great news for those who love his patterns and hues, but want more control over the end product.

More details available at ADAC.