French Bistro Style Kitchens

Have you ever been to France and been charmed by the ambiance of a French Bistro?
I have often dreamed about that myself but having never been there, I certainly could create one in my own kitchen.  Why not?

What would it look like?  What elements of that style would I need to recreate that feeling?

The first thing I think about when looking at the outside is an awning.  Then I see colors like this rich gold and red.

  Or maybe blue?  I see little woven chairs and tiny round tables.

 Many have outside seating and are adorned with pots of flowers and herbs.

 

Color is strong on the inside too.  This saturated red is dramatic and fun.  Did you know that the color red also stimulates your appetite?  Red is a wonderful color for a dining room.

 

  Another design element might be a pretty tiled floor and dark woodwork.

Check out the Idea Book (website shown below) from  Houzz.com.  It is full of kitchens done in the French Bistro style.  What a fun project it would be to create one in my own home. 
 This stimulates my appetite for a new kitchen. What do you think?  How would you add touches of French Bistro style to your kitchen?

Oooo La La! and Bon Apetite!

http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/7338673/list/9-Ways-to-Conjure-a-Parisian-Bistro-in-Your-Kitchen

Monochromatic Color Schemes

A monochromatic color scheme is one where everything is the same color or shades and tints of the same color.  You might consider a room done in all one color with one neutral as monochromatic,too.

The tricky thing in this one color design is to keep it from being blah.  Once I had a client whose room was all beige and she said she felt like she lived in a bowl of oatmeal!

Here is a living room from House Beautiful Magazine that is an example of a monochromatic blue scheme.  Blue is a restful color, hence if you wanted to create an exciting vibrant feeling, blue would not work.  Here the color enhances a relaxed and calm space.

You can see there are subtle changes in tones of blue.  For that matter, even if every blue were the exact same they would not match because each texture is different. 

What makes this work is the variations in texture and surfaces, including the reflective glass top cocktail table and light wood tones of the tables, and woodwork.  The pair of lamps, end tables, pillows, plants and chairs demonstrates a formal arrangement but the room is not stiff.  It is quite inviting.

I love the large window with light flooding into the room.  A blue room would feel a bit dreary if the window was facing north and did not get much light.

If I was going to make any change in this room it would be to use a mirror or neutral painting or sketch above the sofa.

What do you think?   What changes, if any, would you make? How would you use a monochromatic scheme in your home or next project?

Designing with color

Color is such and important element of design, but how and where it is used can be challenging.  Sometimes just a dash of color is all that is needed to add your personality to a room.

Look what I came across the other day at the Design NS Leather showroom.  It just jumped out at me and said  "look at me".  It actually made me smile.  It reminds me of a court jester both because of it's bold color and curl of the wings.

The color is fun and the overscale design is dramatic which make this chair  both playful and formal at the same time.  What a statement this pop of color would make in any space.

I can see four of these grouped around a cocktail table or a pair in a tall bay window.  They would look fabulous in the lounge area of a fashion designer's salon, too.  What if they were combined with bold black and white striped wallpaper or a black and white chevron patterened rug.  Wait, I see it in an all white room resting on a fluffy white Flokati  rug, surrounded by colorful artwork and a bouquet of brightly hued flowers.

 Where can you imagine this amazing chair? 

Getting to know Jonathan Adler

I love the special events at DCOTA (Design Center of the Americas).  This week was Winter Market.  The keynote panel consisted of design entrepreneurs
 Jonathan Adler,  Eric Cohler and Laura Kirar.  The moderator, Joy Longhino of  Modern Luxury Media and Miami Magazine, created an interesting and lively dialogue with her engaging questions.

 I have recently become a fan of tastemaker Jonathan Adler so being able to spend a few hours getting to know him was  a special treat.

 

He began by saying he is just a potter at heart.  Some of you may recognize his iconic Muse vase above.  But now he has lines of furniture, bedding, lighting, tableware, art and fabrics which are shown in Kravet showrooms across the country.  There are 15 Jonathan Adler stores that are filled with bright  spirited home furnishings.

Jonathan has a colorful approach to design. His patterns can be bold, geometic and modern.  They have also been described as energetic and up beat.
What do you think?  I would call his style, happy.

Jonathan's creative process involves tuning out noise, distractions, people etc so he can go within and listen to his own heart.  He says he needs to think impractically.  His creativity is sparked by seeing something that is just a bit wrong or twisted or, as he called it, "mental".  That is what he is drawn to for inspiration.

How does Jonathan view social media?  He does understand the need to be accessible and to put ideas "out there" but feels it is a weird messed up model of being in the real world.  Sometimes people tend to get lost in the immediacy of it instead of connecting in a more genuine way.  All of the panelists were grateful that they had "20 or 30 somethings" who could handle it all for them.

Another interesting comment Jonathan made was why he thinks he became so successful as an entrepreneur.  Although he should have gone out of business several times he had no recourse but to try again because he described himself as basically unemployable!  I find that so interesting to hear him say that,  a true testament to picking yourself up and starting over to follow your passion.

His new book Jonathan Adler, 100 Ways to Happy Chic Your Life, is brimming with inspiration, stories, tips, great advice and insights.  You can find it on www.amazon.com

What is his favorite client/project? His own house on Shelter Island is his delight.  What does he want most for his clients?  He wants them to be comfortable in their own home, just as he is in his.

Thanks Jonathan!  I loved getting to know him and can't wait to explore his website and showroom in Miami.   Can you see using punches of Jonathan's designs in your decorating? Do his furnishings inspire you to add new twists to your own home?
I would love to know what you think.  email me at pictureprettyint@aol.com
Or post a comment below.

DCOTA Hosts Palm Beach Designer Celery Kemble

The Design Center of the Americas, or as we call it, DCOTA,  has several wonderful design events throughout the year.  This year at the Fall Market, they hosted a panel highlighted by well known interior designer Celery Kemble.

More decorating with wallpaper

Here are a few spaces where I have used wallpaper for my design projects.

This paper has fibers that softly coat the paper giving a cloud like effect.  This room is going to be a retreat for our client to come  to meditate, read and relax.  This wallpaper creates just the perfect setting.

This elegant master bath is in an ocean front condo.  We wanted to give a nod to the beach without being obvious.  This wallpaper has stripes in a texture that not only has a feeling of waves but is also done in a grainy texture like sand.  The soft seaglass color is another tie in to the ocean just beyond the door.

I have posted this before but this gives me another opportunity  to show the drama of a wallpaper with a dark back ground.  This is a powderroom with no windows.  Does it make it dark? Yes, but because the rest of the room is white and we have lots of lighting that does not create a problem.  I love how the wallpaper highlights the orchid painted on the sink.  The bamboo waterfall faucet and custom Asian lattic vanity all work together beautifully. 
Not shown in this photo is the mini patterned wallpaper on the ceiling! Ceilings are the forgotten wall.  Wallpaper on ceiling is fabulous.  It think it might be another posting!

We wanted a little bit of an old world feeling in this tiny powder room so we chose this paper that looks just like a tapestry. It was amazing to see it in such a small space. It totally transformed the room.

This wallpaper inspired a whole bathroom.  We found glass vessel sinks painted with goldfish, bamboo accent tile,  green faux grasscloth wallpaper for the ceiling and much more.

 

The inspiration for this bathroom was the red bowl that has a leopard on it (which is not visible because of the reflection).  The wallpaper has a leopard stripe running through it surrounded by red flowers.  Again, a dark background and this time with a dark vanity but still it does not close the room in.  It is very dramatic.

 

How do you feel about using wallpaper with a dark background in a small space?

Decorating with wallpaper

I love wallpaper.  It can be a focal point.  It can accentuate a design motif. It can warm up a space. It can add drama. It can disguise flaws. It can be more that you could ever imagine.

Here is just one example I saw today at DBG, a design showroom in Jupiter, Florida. This paper is from the new collection by Thibaut.  It comes in several colorways.  I have always loved grasscloth and printed grasscloth is even more lovely.  The grasscloth adds the dimension of texture.  It instantly adds another layer and another element.

How do you like it? Where would you use it? 

The palm trees are in gold metalic. The grasscloth is a deep taupe.  This was on the wall as you enter the showroom and stopped me in my tracks.  I can't wait to find a place to decorate with this paper!

I hope to share more wallpaper designs and discoveries in the future.
 How do you like to decorate with wallpaper?