Matchy Matchy

Sometimes, matchy-matchy is a good thing. Case in point: The Calvin Tub Chair (above) at Pottery Barn. I was wandering through the mall this weekend with a friend and we passed by Pottery Barn and this chair prominently displayed in the window. Nice looking chair with a very nice looking print on the cushions - but the mismatched pattern was fairly screaming out at me!

The pattern on the box cushion should be matched so that the front face of the cushion is a continuation of the seat pattern. As you can see, in this case, the circular medallion is simply lopped off. Nothing makes upholstery (or window treatments) look cheaper than a mismatched fabric pattern. And, this chair is upwards of $1,000!

And, this isn't the only example of this in the PB catalogue:
This is the Pottery Barn Brooks Slipcovered chair. The pattern on the top seat doesn't extend down the sides, nor does the skirt match up to the drop it's attached too. And, again, this is a pretty expensive chair, rendered cheap looking by bad matching.



Here is a similar looking slipcovered slipper chair that my friends at Heller Furniture did recently. Notice that the pattern on the seat extends down the sides of the seat cushion in the front. While it's not always possible to match up every pattern, at least the front of the piece should match.
Here is another example. The client selected a very graphic, yet fairly regular overall pattern. It was important that the front facing pieces match and as you will see - the fern like scrolls extend from the seat to the front face to the skirting - thus creating a harmonious and beautiful piece.
Here is an example of a very unusual block print fabric applied to a traditional wing chair. Clearly, the fabrics had to be very carefully matched, not only vertically, but also horizontally.


Some retail stores do get it right - such as Anthropologie's Antwerp Chair below. They do a beautiful job of matching the pattern from the seat down the face and onto the upholstered front of the chair. Of course, this chair is significantly more expensive than the PB pieces, at $1,400.00.

Matching patterns is more expensive, there is no question. It takes more skill and time on the upholsterers part and it takes more fabric. However, if you are going to spend real money on a piece of furniture - and at $1,000 for the Pottern Barn Calvin Chair, we are talking real money - then shouldn't it look as good as it can?

When shopping for upholstered furniture - always pay attention to how the pattern is placed on the piece. If you are having an existing piece of furniture recovered, or are selecting your fabric for a new piece - be very careful with the fabric you choose. A qualified upholster will be able to advise you on how to best lay out the fabric. And don't hesitate to ask to meet with the upholsterer (where available) in order to go over these issues and to make sure that they are going to lay out the fabric appropriately. Saving 20% on the cost of a job might leave you with a piece of furniture that looks 50% less appealing. And, if corners are being cut with the layout, what other corners are being cut?

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Loft Lust in Denver

Schonbek crystal chandeliers illuminate a fruitwood dining table with Berhardt chairs, silver faux bois candelabra sit as sculptures on the table. The artwork is by Denver based artist Ian Fisher.

I was thumbing through Western Interiors magazine this morning and something very glittery caught my eye - a Schonbek chandelier made with Swarovski crystals. At first I was thinking it was Swarovski's Glitterbox chandelier, which reminded me of Eddie Ross' dining room design on Top Design.



Close, but not. Meanwhile, this loft in Denver's LoDo district is pretty spectacular all on it's own! Designers David Hintgen and John Moinzad of Aera Interiors have a real knack for mixing high style bling with down home rustic wovens. Be sure to check out their website for a whole series of beautiful images of their work.


How fantastic are these Suzy Wong high back cane chairs?



This loft is in the historic Edbrooke Lofts in Denver. According to their website, there are two units currently available and range from $440,000-$540,000.


Loft Images courtesy of Western Interiors and Emily Minton Redfield, photographer.

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Modern Gorgeousness from Dakota Jackson

I'm not a modern design girl, but I am always taken by Dakota Jackson's furniture. This Modern Console made from Macassar Ebony, tempered glass and stainless steel fittings is both lush as well as sleek. The depth of the wood really offsets the coolness of the glass and steel.

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Top Design: Season 2 Winner Nathan Thomas in Elle Decor

Nathan Thomas' s winning designs appear in the March issue of Elle Decor.


This chrysanthemum wallpaper, used by several of the designers throughout the season, is called Tempting by Linda Barker, available here at Graham and Brown. The antique desk was from RD Imports, and the Nelson Minor lamp is by Jonathan Adler. The Arabic bone inlaid klismos chair (used by all three final designers) was from Nadeau Imports.


Nathan Thomas photographed in his winning townhouse foyer. While I didn't really agree with Nathan's selection as winner (I was a Preston Lee fan), he was clearly the most successful of the three finalists in the design of the entry foyer of the town houses. Eclectic and energetic, Nathan didn't try to do anything functional with this odd stand alone room. He simply filled it with beautiful objects and let it set the tone for the rest of the home. As I recall, the wall art over the antique cupboard were wire baskets - pretty good example of high/lo decorating!


In the master bedroom, The Freeform sideboard and Mark Hobley screen print are from Jaxon Home were real standouts.

Click here to view all the photos, plus Nathan's interview with TD lead judge Jonathan Adler. Also, for those of you in the NYC area, Nathan is participating in a very fun challenge at Design Within Reach. Click here for the details!

ps - I am loving this Elle Decor cover, aren't you??

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Christian Lacroix's Paris pied-a-terre-pour-moi

As many have previously blogged about, fashion designer Christian Lacroix Parisian apartment is on the market for $2.5M US$ (2M Euros). The apartment is located in a historical 17th century building in the heart of the Marais, close to the Place de Vosges and the Picasso museum. The town house (hotel particulier) has 4 bedrooms, 13' high ceilings, a messanine library, original moldings and guilding, and state of the art bathrooms and kitchen and an interior terrace.

I would like to move in, s'il vous plait!

I'm not much of a gardener, but would just love to have a small interior courtyard garden. Can't you just see spending a lovely morning with a delicious petite dejeuner of croissant, strawberry jam, café au lait and a good book to enjoy?



Lacroix maintained the original integrity of this 17C building - the moldings, parquet floors, labaryntine floor plan - while adding in his signature style palette of contemporary forms and colorful palette.
From Christian Lacroix's website: "A house, therefore, is a refuge, but a refuge which must change, grow, and alter incessantly, run off in every direction, not refuse any possiblility, always going in the sense of the indefinable. This unites the houses and gardens of Pompei to furniture close to Giacometti, to the 16th century curiosity cabinet, to the wood and slate of a Japanese bathroom, to the sitting room of an English cottage, to the bedroom of a Russian datcha, or to the atelier of the Facteur Chevall…"




Lacroix's 2009 collection shows a strong relation between his fashion and interiors taste.



I can't say I love his decorating style - a little too eclectic and disjointed.

So, I got to thinking, daydreaming really, about how I would decorate this fantastic apartment:

Lacroix redux - by Surroundings on Polyvore.com

What do you think? I can see some pretty great blogging coming from this spot!


Where is your dream pied-a-terre?

source: London Telegraph

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Getting back into the saddle

I'm slowly coming up for air since the death of my dear daddy last week. The funeral Mass was lovely and my brothers and I managed to do our parts without totally breaking down. They each did readings and I played my flute. As someone said - we had an angel on our shoulders, helping us through and I believe it's true.

As is often the case with funerals - we get in touch with folks we haven't for a while. Stories are told, remembrances shared, there is laughter, and, of course, tears.

I wanted to share the remembrance that my brothers and I put together for the funeral - it was authored by my brother Don with input from Bob and I:


We come together today in sadness at the loss of our father, but not to mourn. Instead, we celebrate a life lived well and to the fullest. Dad would insist on nothing less today.

One of the many reasons we loved Dad was his expansive spirit. He was not a gregarious man. Nevertheless, he made a sincere effort to get to know everyone he met, to hear their story, to seek out their opinion. But this was no shrinking flower. He loved banter and debate as well. In the process, he became friends with many, many people throughout his life.

The foundation of his life was his 54-year marriage to Mom. Their relationship, born of a blind date, blossomed into a love large enough to envelop all of us in its warmth. But even as we always felt secure in Mom and Dad’s love, we never forgot for one moment that their marriage was the rock upon which the family was built.

With quick wit and formidable intellect, he had the answer before we even knew how to ask the question. The crank telephone was high technology when he grew up, yet as a retired man, Dad learned to use a computer and the Internet. He became proficient enough to share his newfound skills by volunteering for his friends at RHCI – miracle workers who gave him the gift of continued mobility for many years.

Dad was always there to support us in a time of worry or pain, and he insisted that his children stand ready always to do the same for one another. He said, “they’re your family, and there are going to be times when they’re all you’ll have to fall back on.” We had no idea how deeply he meant it. We do now.

There was also great wisdom. We were the beneficiaries of his insight and guidance, but that didn’t mean Dad was going to provide the answers or fight the battles. That was the starting point beyond which we were expected to do for ourselves. It was at once comforting and very, very challenging.

Dignity was his life’s work and his greatest achievement: The dignity of putting forth one’s best effort; of honest work despite adversity; of putting one foot in front of the other, despite advancing age which made that simple act ever more difficult with each passing year. He never complained. He never wondered, “why?” As he had done throughout his life, Dad went about the task of making the situation better with great determination. He was a winner in the best sense of the word.

We have truly been twice blessed: By having known Dad’s love for so many years... and, more importantly, for having been the children of such an extraordinary father.


The photo at top was shared by one of my cousins. It's my Dad at about age four and his sister Bette (Merrill) Wasserboehr who passed away several years ago. My guess is the photo dates to 1929-ish.

How cute were they? My Aunt Bette was an artist and always an incredibly stylish woman. Even at about age seven or eight, she was quite chic, no? Family lore has it that she used to beat on him mercilessly until he got big enough to make her stop. This must have been one of their good days! In truth though, he adored his sister, and their eldest brother, Bud, who died 20 or so years ago. We know there was quite a reunion going on in heaven this week.

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The London "Snofa" (nope, not a typo)

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