The Chic Catroux

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It's interesting how you see some designers all over the place and some nowhere at all.  I wish we could see more work of the interior designer François Catroux.  Maybe staying under the radar and a lack of self promotion is a French thing or a European thing.  It's certainly, as we all know, not an American thing.  I think it's even more interesting since François Catroux's wife Betty was a model and muse of Yves Saint Laurent who was has more than her fair share of publicity.  The scarcity of published projects makes it that much more exciting when you do come across one and especially when it's their own home.  Enjoy!

Betty and Francois Catroux, 1970

Summer Rerun

>I'm busy working today and trying to get through a thousand annoying emails so I'm posting an oldie but a goodie from 2008. This fabulous house in the Hamptons used to belong to Steven Gambrel before friends of LA designer Ruthie Sommers bought it and asked her to decorate the place. I love the colors and casual feeling which is perfect for a house near the beach. It was published in House Beautiful so you can read more about the details online. Enjoy!

Photos by Don Freeman

DVF Home Collection

>Usually summer is a quiet time when not much happens but that's not the case this year! There are so many exciting developments in the design world and one of my favorites is Diane von Furstenberg's new home collection. I had the pleasure to see her fabulous collaboration with Springs Global last week and was even treated to a personal tour by Diane herself! So exciting! The DVF Home collection won't hit the stores until January 2011 which is why I can't post photos of everything but I can assure you that there will be something for everyone from bedding and linens to tabletop and bath. The colors and prints were of course inspired by her fashions and the collection has been defined into three categories, Urban, Sun and Country, although the entire collection is mix and match. Soon your home will be just as fashionable as your wardrobe!

Autumn Interior Inspiration

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At this time of year, not only do I think of changing out my closet for fall but also my home.  I switch out my lighter summer pillows for heavier wool pillows from Judy Ross.  I sometimes also change the color of the cashmere throw on my sofa.  From the look of these autumnal inspired interiors, I might have to splurge on an Hermes blanket soon.  Since I happen to love orange, autumn will always be my favorite season and not just for the fall fashions.  Enjoy!

Martensen Jones interiors

Michael Smith from Elle Decor

Keith Johnson in Elle Decor

Garrow Kedigian from Kips Bay Decorator Showhouse

Robert Burke's apartment by Todd Romano.

Courtney Giles

Bunny Williams

Gil Schafer

Theory designer Istvan Francer's home from Elle Decor.

Nathan Turner

Bradley Thiergartner from Hamptons Designer Showhouse

Michael Bastian

Stephen Shubel

Steven Gambrel's kitchen.

Kelly Wearster's bedroom.

Steven Gambrel designed wine cellar.

Stephen Shubel

Lee Kleinhelter of Pieces Inc.

Suzanne Kasler

Sex and the City 2: The Interior Design Review

>Even though the film won't be released until May 28th, the Sex and the City 2 hoopla has already begun. While the fashions will probably steal all the scenes, I am interested in the sets, specifically Carrie and Big's apartment. While there are some views in the trailer, I was able to find a few more photos online that give us a look at the living room. Not sure where the upholstered pieces are from but that floral pillow is the Paul Smith Birdie Blossom cushion from The Rug Company.

In this better shot of the living room, we get a good look at the coffee table. I've never seen anyone display books standing up on a coffee which is interesting. If you can zoom in, the books themselves are interesting too. They include Walton Ford; Lewis Carroll; Tracey Chevelier; Sol Levitt, 100 Views; The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco; The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger; Poe & Fanny by John May; Voices of Time: A Life in Stories by Eduardo Galeano; All Yesterday's Parties: The Velvet Underground in Print 1966-71; and last but not least, Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence. Quite an interesting assortment of reading material and those were only the titles I could make out!

In this photo of Big reading the paper on the sofa, you can glimpse the foyer wallpaper in the background. Anyone know the artist of the gold painting?

This is a slightly better view of the foyer wallpaper which I could not identify so lucky for me one of my readers, Jenny of Fancy Pants Design, recognized it as Oiseau in Chocolate by Katie Ridder available through Holland & Sherry in New York. That is very exciting for Katie! I love the black doors too!

I apologize to Sarah Jessica Parker for posting a photo of her with her eyes closed but I wanted to show the draperies. On first glance, it looked exactly like the Zoffany fabric that my friends Mercedes and Alberto of Etos used for their Lenox Hill Neighborhood House Gala table but on closer inspection, it looks like a lace overlay on another fabric. Or that could just be a weird shadow. Not exactly sure. The hyacinths and roses hint that the scene was set in spring too! So pretty!

This shot of the dining room table and kitchen is interesting too. The fabric on the dining chairs is Belgravia from Lee Jofa which is exactly the same as the pattern of the Belgravia wallpaper from Cole & Son available through Lee Jofa. The tile in the kitchen is interesting too. It doesn't really look like something Carrie would pick out but perhaps her decorator suggested it!

I wish I had better photos of the bedroom but here you can see that Thomas O’Brien's Hallings Secretary from Hickory Chair! I bet he will be very excited when he sees that unless he already knows about it. The wallpaper here is also by Cole & Son, the Rococo Damask pattern. You can also glimpse a little of the headboard in this photo too.

Thanks again to my readers who identified the headboard fabric as Velvet Gate Tuxedo fabric from Kravet. The pattern is similar to a fabric named Riad by Windsor Smith for Kravet.

In this view of the bedroom, you can see that they are using the Hallings Secretary as a television stand while in the previous view of it, it was set up as a desk. You can also peek into what I am sure will be the scene stealer in the film, Carrie's closet!

It appears that the left side must be for Mr. Big since it's a darker wood while Carrie's side is all white and illuminated. Now let's just keep our fingers crossed that the film is as interesting as the interiors!