gold and silver

If you’re searching for elegant & innovative holiday decorating ideas, look no further than the 2012 November/December issue of Veranda! My personal favorite is the Bedford, NY home of designer Stephen Sills, thoughtfully adorned with natural materials in a sublime palette of green, white, gold and silver…his gilded creations blend seamlessly with his refined collection of art and antiques, and rather than play the starring role, they support and elevate the beauty of his prized possessions…the first three images are a small sampling from Veranda, while the rest of the photos hail from Mezonin, a Russian interiors magazine that featured this jewel of a home back in 2011…I thought you might enjoy a look at this remarkable decorative transformation!

“Nothing celebrates the richness of the season like gold and silver.” ~ Stephen Sills

first three photos by Max Kim-Bee for Veranda, all other photos from Mezonin

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moss green

Today’s post explores the depth and beauty of moss green…rich with complex layers of yellow, brown and gray, it is a versatile neutral that compliments almost any other hue…may you be inspired by one of my favorite colors…

Chester Geissler

Anne-Marie Midy and Jorge Almada

Christopher Knight and Carlos Aponte

Gwynn Griffith

Tricia Huntley

Paul Gauguin

Michele Bonan

Kara Mann

Martyn Lawrence-Bullard

Steven Gambrel

Stephen Sills

Muriel Brandolini

Karen Tusinski

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living with statuary ~ part one

living with statuary…from grand to petite, these sculpted forms add drama, sophistication and texture to our interior world…more tomorrow…

Feau & Cie

.

Andy Newcom

Charles Spada

Coorengel & Calvagrac

Dennis & Lean

Diana Kelly

Gil Schafer

Hallberg & Wisely

Candace Barnes

Richard Hallberg

Windsor Smith

Haynes-Roberts

J. Randall Powers

Jacques Grange

Stephen Sills

John Minshaw

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the art of editing

the art of editing…

chefs, composers, architects, poets, filmmakers, designers, painters…

all who create, edit…it is an integral part of the artistic process…

sometimes it is the silent pause or the blank space that creates a masterpiece

above ~ Antony Todd

above ~ Betsy Brown

above ~ Charles Spada

above ~ C|S Architecture

above ~ Darryl Carter

above ~ Haynes-Roberts

above ~ Henrik Busk

above ~ John Minshaw

above ~ Kara Mann

above ~ Mar Silver

above ~ Meichi Peng

above ~ Stephen Sills

above ~ Steven Volpe

above ~ Studio Ko

above ~ Vicente Wolf

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one hundred posts!

above, Alex Papachristidis

I made it! Today is my 100th post! When I started “a thoughtful eye” back in September, one of my goals was to write one hundred posts before the end of the calendar year and happily I achieved that goal with a few days to spare! To celebrate, I’m sharing with you my top twenty favorite interiors! Each and every one of these images brings a smile to my face along with a vivid memory of the first time I experienced their beauty.

This is my special gift to you, my loyal readers…thank you for taking time out of your busy lives to join me on this personal journey…I can’t thank you enough…there is so much I have yet to discover and explore about our visual world…I hope you continue to join me, it wouldn’t be the same without you…

below, Antony Todd

below, Bobby McAlpine

below, Bunny Williams

below, Charles Spada

below, Darryl Carter

below, Jacques Grange

below, John Saladino

below, Kelly Wearstler

below, Miles Redd

below, Richard Shapiro

below, Robert Couturier

below, Stephen Sills

below, Studio Ko

below, Susan Ferrier

below, Thomas O’Brien

below, Veere Grenney

below, Vicente Wolf

below, Windsor Smith

below, Yves Saint Laurent

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C|S architecture

I was so inspired by the December 2010 Architectural Digest cover story that I researched C|S Architecture and to my delight, there are photos of the Connecticut home on their website! I absolutely love the image above! The library walls are covered with burlap, hand-painted in a faded Ottoman design. Initially the room was cold and cavernous but designer Stephen Sills envisioned a subtle pattern on pattern wall treatment thus creating a cozy cocoon for reading and relaxing. The AD spread shows the room complete with carpet, furnishings and books but I happen to love the sparse beauty of the bare floors, white urns, and mushroom stools!

“Overlooking Long Island Sound in Southport, Connecticut, the eleven acre site contains a 17,000 square feet main residence, beach house, garage, barn and gate house. The house is separated from the shoreline by a massive lawn over 600 feet in length. The design of the buildings recalls large scale Scandinavian residential architecture whose tectonics and details tend toward the simple and rustic. The main residence has a gambrel roof with zinc metal shingles above broad plank vertical wood siding. The outbuildings will have thatched roofs on painted brick walls. The first phase was completed in August of 2003; outbuildings and landscaping are ongoing.” ~ C|S Architecture

above and below ~ Sasco Hill Residence, Southport, Connecticut

below ~ Bronson Road Residence, Fairfield, Connecticut

I just had to include this beautiful Connecticut home thoughtfully renovated by C|S Architecture. There is nothing more satisfying than to see a historic home so eloquently brought back to life. I applaud architect Jason Chai for his brilliant work ~ a historic restoration for the 21st century (below) and a new construction with an old soul (above).

“Located in the Greenfield Hills area of Fairfield, Connecticut, the 1930’s 6,000 square feet colonial house underwent a thorough renovation in order to create a more modern residence. The upgrades included new mechanical systems, roofing and siding, new kitchen, bathrooms and master suite. On the outside a new gravel drive, extensive stone work and a new swimming pool with a fieldstone terrace, help to unify what was an amalgam of disparate structures laid out haphazardly around the site, into a rambling farm house with visually related outbuildings.” ~ C|S Architecture

photos from C|S Architecture

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stephen sills

For 25 years, Stephen Sills and James Huniford commanded the attention of the design world. Their partnership landed them on the cover of every major design publication and in 2003, they released an inspirational book titled Dwellings: Living with Great Style. Remarkably, in 2008, Sills and Huniford decided to go their own separate ways and the birth of two new businesses were born. I remember thinking it odd that James Huniford was flying solo in the Septmeber 2010 issue of Veranda but now after seeing the Stephen Sills cover of AD this month is all makes sense. The two are finding their own voices and I have to say their work is better than ever! Huniford is a master of the mix, especially combining high art with found objects. Stephen Sills is all about opulence with a modern twist. For those of us who love and admire their work, we don’t have to mourn their separation but rejoice in their new beginnings. Twice the inspiring interiors to swoon over!

The December 2010 Architectural Digest cover features a gorgeous Connecticut home by interior designer Stephen Sills and architect Jason Chai of C/S Architecture. For those of you awaiting your December issue of AD, I will just preview you with a lovely quote that references music, the architect Chai speaking of the pianist Artur Schnabel, “he handled the notes no better than any other pianist, but the pauses between notes – that was where the art resides.” For today’s post, I have included some of my favorite Stephen Sills interiors for you to enjoy! May you find them as enlightening and provocative as I do.

above and below, Midwest Home

“Modern design is a perspective, not a period. If you look at the past with a fresh but well-educated eye, it clarifies your sense of the present. A poetic juxtaposition of colors and textures with classical furnishings can be more original than the kind of shock-and-awe tactics that strip a room of its soul. The essence of poetry, after all, is revelation. I aim to orchestrate a subtle composition that unsettles conventional expectations.” ~ Stephen Sills as quoted in Architectural Digest, November 2006

below, Penthouse Apartment

below, Country Retreat ~ I can’t get over how absolutely beautiful the gilded four post bed looks on the stone floor. The warm gold perched atop the cool gray is a study in perfection. Stunning!

below, Bedford Home ~ This residence is included in Dominic Bradbury’s “American Designers at Home” and HGTV’s “Top 10 Most Beautiful Homes.”

photos from Stephen Sills

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