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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framed groupings

above, my living room

A few years ago, my husband and I purchased a small sectional sofa for our living room. Positioned in the corner opposite our main entry, I knew we needed a strong statement on the walls. After many weeks of research I decided on a large grid of square frames. Mathematically, they echo the “L” shape of the sofa and draw the eye up, creating the illusion of increased ceiling height. Initially I had intended to frame some of my black and white photographs but I ended up falling in love with the brown MDF backing and white mat! The high contrast and exact repetition turned out to be the dramatic statement I was looking for!

I’m excited to share with you some of my favorite framed groupings. Whether the same size or different shapes and sizes, many or few, colorful or monochromatic, framed groupings have the power to transform a space!

below, Alex Papachristidis

below, Steven Gambrel

below, Charles Spada

below, Darryl Carter

below, Jacques Grange

below, James Huniford

below, Richard Shapiro

below, Susan Ferrier

below, Thomas O’Brien

below, Veere Grenney

below, Vicente Wolf

below, Yves Saint Laurent

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mirrors

Yesterday’s post featured the ultra chic Miles Redd and his iconic mirrored master bathroom. I couldn’t help but think about mirrors and the important role they play in architecture and interior design. From grand to petite, circular to linear, simple to ornate, they have the power to transform a space from dull to dazzling. I’m excited to share with you some of my favorite mirrored interiors! Enjoy!

above and below, Miles Redd NYC master bathroom from David Adler’s Armour Estate in Chicago ~ photos from New York Social Diary

below, Yves Saint Laurent ~ photo by Pascal Chevallier for Vanity Fair

“A pair of undulating lily-motif mirrors, crafted in bronze and copper by Claude Lalanne for the upstairs music room, led, between 1974 and 1985, to the proliferation of over a dozen more, floor to ceiling. “I can’t live in a room without mirrors,” Saint Laurent said. “If there aren’t any, the room is dead.” The effect in the music room of their multiplying reflections was vertiginous—a touch of Mad Ludwig of Bavaria, as seen through the lens of Luchino Visconti.” ~ Amy Fine Collins for Vanity Fair

below, photo from Yves Saint Laurent: 5 Avenue Marceau, 75116 Paris

below, Bobby McAlpine

below, Vicente Wolf

below, Veere Grenney

below, Susan Ferrier ~ photo from House Beautiful

below, photos by danielle boudrot for Spero Home

below, Richard Shapiro

below, Paul Corrie

below, Lisa Luby Ryan

below, John Minshaw

below, Jacques Grange ~ photography by Vincent Thibert for Architectural Digest

below, Darryl Carter

below, Antony Todd

below, John Saladino

below, Michael Kors ~ photo by Douglas Friedman

below, Miles Redd

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veranda ~ veere grenney

The 2010 November/December issue of Veranda is a dream come true! It features everything I love! The gorgeous interiors by Veere Grenney, John Saladino, Vicente Wolf, Miles Reed, and Carolyne Roehm more than satisfy my thirst for great design, but there’s more! The holiday shopping guide, book review, travel notes, fabric feature and season’s greenery are just as spectacular! My hat goes off to the new editor in chief of Veranda, Dara Caponigro. I can’t wait to see what she has planned for 2011. I’ll be waiting with baited breath for the January issue!!!!!

Today’s post, features one of my all time favorite interiors ~ Veere Grenney‘s London Townhouse. I believe I gasped when I saw it on the pages of this months dream issue of Veranda! The photos are from Veere Grenney’s website (just to wet your appetite) but there are many more photos of his beautiful home on the pages of Veranda! Grenney collaborated with paint and color expert David Oliver to transform the 1879 residence on the River Thames. The palette is inspired by the river and the light that refelcts off the water. “At a quick glance, it looks monochromatic but in fact, each room has it’s own unique personality.” ~ David Oliver for Veranda. What I love most about this interior is it’s subtle charm and sophistication. It has a formal ease about it. The photo below features a Jansen chandelier, antique Viennese chairs, a custom designed table and a large custom mirror. Interestingly, the two paintings in the Veranda shoot, as well as on the cover of the December 2008 issue of Australian Vogue Living, are by Alexander Calder. Personally, I prefer the Calder paintings for their scale, color (black and white!) and personality. They lift the spirit of the room and lighten the seriousness of the antiques. It’s amazing what art can do to transform a space! Enjoy!

“Everything I do is very considered but still looks casual. Supreme elegance starts with comfort-the most important thing of all.” ~ Veere Grenney for Veranda

above and below, photos of Veere Grenney‘s London Townhouse

below, photos of a London Apartment

below, photos of an Estate in Oxfordshire

photos from Veere Grenney‘s website

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