Fashion icon, socialite, and artist and interior designer Gloria Vanderbilt has died at the age of 95. Inspired by her quote on home decor :”Decorating is autobiography,” and quote on art:”Art brings a message into a room. It should make us perceive in a new way—either through color, form or narrative content—something we had not perceived before. And perhaps reveal something to you about yourself.”, today, I would like to share some of my favorite interiors by her and, of course her styles:
Chic and classical
A women living by her own term.
Elegant and Timeless
a well-lived life
a statement on sophitication
Anderson Cooper, Wyatt Cooper, Carter Cooper and Gloria Vanderbilt in their Manhattan apartment, June 1972. A pink checkered sofa set a happy and relaxing tone for a happy family.
Gloria Vanderbilt in her dressing room–a vivid chic boho style
Bedroom of Gloria Vanderbilt, 1970–it requires a lot of savvy skills and good eye on art to create such a grand pattern-on-pattern room.
Dining room in the Long Island home of Gloria Vanderbilt and Wyatt Cooper–Modern, yet classic
Gloria Vanderbilt sits in her Manhattan living room–a large floor portrait makes such a statement.
Like every creative person, throughout the years, she was constantly changing, painting, embellishing, and reconfiguring her houses in New York City and Long Island. It was like therapy for her from time to time. Visit her instagram to see her legendary life
Have you ever had this situation: you want to hang a chandelier in your living room, but there is a TV. You are concerned that either a chandelier will block the view or there will be glares when you are watching TV. Therefore, your living room looks forever unfinished without proper lighting design. I totally get you since we have several clients are just like that.
First of all, I am always a big believer that a chandelier will definitely add drama and warmth in your living room. So my suggestion is please be open-minded and see what can be done to achieve functionality and great aesthetic at the same time.
So, let’s take a look at some design out there:
Well, now you feel it may be ok to hang a chandelier in the living room with TV. And those chandeliers do make living rooms homy, cozy and elegant. If you like modern home design and not a hard core of minimalism, there are 3 tips to achieve the goal since an extra layer particularly for a modern home design always does the trick.
Always check out the overall height of chandelier and always go for the ones with adjustable heights. You even can choose the ceiling-mount fixtures.
drama yet clean
2. Choose the chandelier that either add personality or nicely blends in the surroundings. It is just like the artwork in the air.
please the eye
3. Install dimmer for your chandelier to avoid glares when you watch TV.
Today we have so many upholstery fabric choices for our furniture. And often, it is a piece of leather furniture that stays timeless, ages beautifully and tell the story of the home. But of course, we are not talking about those bulky grandma’s leather couches. leather upholstery may look its best in a club sofa, or on a very unique occasional chair.
Without question, a piece of good quality leather furniture can instantly enhance your home.
Just in case you are in a process of looking for quality leather upholstery, here are 6 tips you may find helpful for you to make a decision.
Types of leather: Top-grain and full-grain leathers are the highest quality; they’re made from the outermost layer of the hide, which is the strongest part. Top-grain leather is smoothed to remove imperfections, while full-grain is not smoothed and features a natural grain with imperfections.
Split leather. Split leather is the term used for the lower layer of leather left after the top or full grain is removed. (Suede is split leather.) This product is still genuine leather, but it’s not as strong as top-grain or full-grain leather and may tear or stretch.
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Leather upholstery adds a touch of warmth to any space.
2. Finished leathers are practical for active households with children and pets. Finished leathers are more resistant to fading and discoloration when exposed to light, heat, moisture, dust and body oils. These types of leathers also offer the most overall color consistency. Compared to other leather types, finished leathers generally require much lower maintenance, as spills and stains should clean easily unless they penetrate the surface coating of the leather.
classic club couch
3. Aniline-plus leathers are quite simply Aniline leathers plus a slight protective coating. This protective coating may include light pigmentation and/or a clear top coat. Offering similar feels to those of aniline leathers with the added benefit of a protective coating, these leathers are more child and pet friendly than their Aniline counterparts. They may, however, still fade or discolor when exposed to sunlight and temperature extremes.
4. Aniline. Pure-aniline or full-aniline leathers show the natural surface of the leather, imperfections and all. They do not have any additional pigments or protectants on the surface, so you’ll probably see variations in color. Because there’s no protective coating, this type of leather has the softest feel. But it’s also more susceptible to scratching, staining and fading.
5 Semi-aniline. Semi-anline or aniline plus pigments have a protective topcoat. There may also be additional pigments added on the surface of the leather, giving the piece a more uniform look. This type of leather is more durable than pure aniline, but not as soft.
6. Nubuck. Nubuck leather is made by buffing or sanding aniline leather. The result is a leather that has a soft, velvety feel and suede-like appearance. It’s stronger than suede (which, remember, is made from split leather), but it’s susceptible to fading and stains and will develop a patina over time. If you can embrace imperfections, this is the softest leather option.
I get you. It is going to be a really big mess if you decide to demolish the original tile flooring. And you might do some research work and find out that it is possible to install tile over tile. Well, based on the guideline of ANSI A108 — the Installation Standard Specification for Ceramic Tile, the general requirements for tile installations, A108.02 4.1.1 states:
“All surfaces shall be structurally sound, clean, dry and free of oily or waxy films and all foreign matter. Concrete surfaces shall be free of form oil, curing compound laitance, and cracks.”
That said, there are still conditions that you are able install tile over tile, but here are 5 questions you need to answer before you take this strategy:
Did the old installation fail?
If so, what was the cause of failure?
Was it an installation or structural problem?
If it was properly installed, is the membrane still well adhered and able to perform its job to support the new installation?
Often, we like to start an interior design project from a rug the client falls in love with. We pick up the textures, colors and patterns in the rug design for the rest of the house. Therefore, choosing a right rug plays such an important role in defining any room style. Here are 3 trends of high-end rugs:
Unique design. More and more people nowadays don’t really want those products served for the mass market–same design, same technique… Rather they prefer something different and has wow factors.
Design inspired by artworks.Design inspired by architecture
One of the trends in the recent years is that people more prefer the modern interiors with soften touches. These can be soften color palettes, silk or velvet fabric choices or floral patterns on textiles, decor objects or surfaces. The floral patterns can work as an magic wand for any interiors. They light up the home with a touch of elegancy. The keys to make them look fresh are 1)just use right amounts of the patterns; 2) have a contrast with surroundings; 3) with a modern twist.
In case you are in the process to bring more spring cheers to home, there are 5 ways to bring florals to home:
Upholster an accent chair with floral-patterned fabric to live up any rather darkened spaces.
An floral patterned chair always make us feel moody and romantic.
2. Yes, a floral tablecloth please.
A floral tablecloth instantly light up this corner. A spring party is ready.
3. A floral daybed drape.
Ladies, this is how we pamper ourselves—a cozy den, a floral drape and fresh flowers. what else can we expect?
From the beginning of 2019, we have been constantly studying the decor trends by going to all sorts of trade events. It is true that you should always choose what speaks to you. However by understanding what’s going on in the market, you can always find some better ways to express yourself. Since spring is here, it is a perfect time to fresh up your home. Here are 4 trends we have observed so far and love to share them here in our blog. Hope you find them useful for your projects.
Chinossorie.
A touch of oriental decor, it doesn’t matter it is a vase, a fabric print, a painting, always adds a touch of whimsical to any space. Just remember, a little bit is just enough. after all, you are not an antique store.
I love this bluish modernized chinoiserie wallpaper.Orientalchinoiserie vase
2. Remember it is still the year of pig.
A small piggy sculpture, or a jar always adds an interest to any space and they will always remind you that —it is a year of prosperity and keep you positive.
3. Modern classic.
Yes, we still love minimalism but in a different way. We like clean-lines but with curved forms and a lot of classic details. Yes, we are in love with modern decor with sophistication.
simple yet eleganttuftting detailsglamouralways love lucile furniture—light, airy and glamours.the beautiful shapes of this dining table set.love how they add the metal design on this sofa.
4. A touch of vintage.
We hope you enjoy the above information and if you plan a make-over and need some help, you are welcome to contact us.
Spring is here. The warmer weather and blooms magically put everyone in a very cheerful mood. So, we took the opportunity and wander around LA street to immerse ourselves in the season and get inspired.
I always have a thing about bicycles. I love purple and flowers in this picture! It’s a dream if I can just ride a bicycle with full blooms in a small quiet beach town. If you happen to plan some make-over for your home, lilac is one of the good choices. I specially like lilac in matte finish. And also, remember have some fresh flowers at home! They will make you feel much happier!It’s a late afternoon. I like how the sun shines on the industrial building creating interesting shadows. This hot pink minimalism bench is such a eye candy in contrast with the grayish industrial surroundings. Spring finally broke through the coldness and is here with a little bit surprise and cheer. Take -away— for your interiors, don’t just pile things up, rather intentionly layer different things through creating interesting contrast!Graffiti on LA street is always my inspiration. Take-away for interiors: please always have some artworks for your home. They are the soul for each space. They make your lifestyle much deeper.Wood just brings the warmth for this high-ceiling modern space with a lot of whites.Cool rope lighting in this sun-lit cozy Japanese restaurant. I always love the room with a lot of natural lights
An outdoor space with a lot of greeneries, wicker peacock chairs and pink antique rug.
One of the most exciting elements in the design world is lighting thanks to the fast-growing LED technologies. Only couple of years ago, I still had difficulty to find really cool design-oriented LED chandeliers. But, obviously not now. With advanced LED technologies, we have more freedom to design whatever forms and shapes we want in a non-traditional way. Here are 5 trends for high-end lighting fixtures I summarized after attending several trade shows recently:
LED lighting with different temperature colors.
Sculptural pieces to make a statement;
Large size with multi-materials;
Hand-made;
Details, details, details
Check out the following video to find out what’s cool in high-end lighting by yourself
It’s middle of the week again. I hope you are all doing very well. I have couple of design projects going on simultaneously. I feel a little bit overwhelming and look for some inspiration to just keep myself going. I started to organize the photos for the events I have been to recently. I found something that really lights up my day—yes, a beautiful tabletop. I guess color and fresh flowers always stimulate my brain to release more endorphin and make me feel happy. I hope you feel the same way too.
A cheerful welcoming. Orange, red and dark pink with greenery gives every space a upscale look.Green hydrogen—it’s Spring time!Eye-candy!Eye-candy!
