the house of windsor

My October 2011 issue of Veranda arrived the other day and much to my delight, they featured their summer showhouse on the cover! I have been waiting patiently for more pictures of this masterful concept home and let me tell you, it was worth the wait! I would highly recommend picking up a copy as there is a wonderful article and some additional photos…for me, I still enjoy seeing the images on the pages of a magazine…somehow there is an intimacy to the printed page that I lose with the computer…my heart still beats a bit faster when I see a magazine arrive in the mail!

Aptly nicknamed The House of Windsor, it takes its name after Windsor Smith, lead designer for the 8,000 square foot project situated in Los Angeles’ Mandeville Canyon…joining her, an all star cast of fellow designers ~ Candace Barnes, Stephen Block (patios), Peter Dunham, Richard Hallberg, Kathryn Ireland, Martyn Lawrence-Bullard, Paul Robbins (landscape design), Richard Shapiro and Tara Shaw…what makes this project unique is Windsor Smith’s vision for the home…she wanted the architecture and interior design to reflect the needs and wants of today’s family…a return to tradition and intimacy…what a wonderful collaboration and stimulating challenge for this talented group of designers…I believe the images speak for themselves…enjoy!

below ~ entry hall designed by Windsor Smith

below ~ family room designed by Windsor Smith

below ~ great room designed by Richard Shapiro

below ~ dining room designed by Richard Hallberg

below ~ kitchen designed by Windsor Smith

below ~ study designed by Peter Dunham

below ~ media room designed by Martyn Lawrence-Bullard

below ~ master bedroom, bath and dressing room designed by Candace Barnes

below ~ bedroom designed by Tara Shaw

below ~ guest suite designed by Peter Dunham

below ~ the stable designed by Kathryn M. Ireland

photos from Veranda, Los Angeles Times, Coco Cozy

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kathryn ireland

Born in England, Kathryn M. Ireland moved to Los Angeles in 1986…before launching her interior design business she explored acting, clothing design, and even film making…how wonderful that she discovered her creative self through interior and textile design! The interiors in today’s post are some of my favorites and celebrate her love of rich textiles, vibrant colors and comfortable living…an effortless blend of California casual, English country and tropical exoticism…please enjoy!

“I’m so conscious of not wanting a room to look ‘decorated’…I don’t start with a lead fabric and then say, ‘this has to go with this.’ It’s all a mix” ~ KI

“It’s what I want my own house to be – unpretentious and welcoming. It’s that thing of letting a room evolve. I don’t think too much. I don’t put too much importance on any one thing. I’m just attracted to certain objects and somehow I know it’s all going to work.” ~ KI

“I like the layering thing. You need lots of different textures in a room, so it’s not one dimensional and flat. Prints, weaves. I love old documents, old Fortuny. I use a lot of ethnic textiles, because they work anywhere.” ~ KI

“I want a room to feel fresh and approachable. We’re all drawn to warmth and amusement, fun, food, laughter. At the end of the day, I want conversation and friends and a glass of wine, with my dogs lying in everyone’s laps. That’s what it’s all about.” ~ KI

photos from Kathryn M. Ireland, quotes from House Beautiful, February 2010

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