Upcoming Design Camps with Tobi Fairley

Maybe you've seen this but interior designer Tobi Fairley is hosting more Design Camps in Little Rock. They look like great fun & as well as highly informative (wish my schedule would allow me to go!) The Basic Design Camp on November 6th and the Advanced Camp on November 12-13 have been officially confirmed and there's still a chance to secure one of the remaining seats. In addition, there's a third offering of a Blog Camp on Friday December 10th. Go here to get more details and hear what former campers have to say about the experience.

Gwen Driscoll: Break-Out Design Star

I've been a fan of Gwen Driscoll and her blog, Ragland Hill Social, since coming across it last December. It was always a treat when she showed snippets of her home and work for clients - often leaving me wanting more!

Well, Gwen just launched her website and to say her work is incredible is not descriptive enough. Warm, elegant, layered and unique, I think her work is harbinger of an increased emphasis on homes that personally reflect the homeowner and the artistic side of interior design. As she mentions on her site, "Spaces are lived in but become living spaces." In addition to the website launch, Gwen's work with Jane Scott Hodges, founder of Leontine Linens, is in the November issue of Elle Decor, which Teresa of Splendid Sass recently blogged about here. It's so exciting to see Gwen get the national attention her work deserves. Brava!








all images via Gwen Driscoll Designs.

Meeting Darryl Carter

First off, a huge thank you to Lauren of Pure Style Home for letting me tag along with her to meet Darryl Carter and have our well-worn copies of The New Traditional signed. Here's a pic of her w/Darryl. (I would show you mine but will you understand if I said I was having a bad hair day...) Darryl couldn't have been more generous with his time or more enjoyable to talk to. It was really a highlight to meet him!

He recently joined Jura Koncius and Terri Sapienza of The Washington Post for their Home Front Q & A. Two things that impressed me so much: his willingness to give specific paint color suggestions and local design sources. Be sure to check out the complete discussion here. Here's just a bit of the advice from this talented designer:

- In response to a question about what to paint a repro Duncan Phyfe dining table: "Try Benjamin Moore Pashmina… Gesso the table white and then apply – probably will need a protective coat of matte finish to preserve for use. Ask the paint specialist how best to execute. Try a few colors in this family to execute to your taste."

- Request for a blue for a front door: "Benjamin Moore Wolf Gray or Gravel Gray - high gloss or satin finish."

- "My go to paint color is Benjamin Moore’s Moonlight White. It’s a white tone that is very rich with a good deal of depth. Being in an attached dwelling with limited natural light, Moonlight White will open the spaces and allow light to move with ease from the front of the home to the back and vice versa… The other unique aspect of this color is that it takes on different color tonality at different times of the day."

- Local Sources: Strasburg Emporium in Strasburg, VA; Deleplane Store & Antique Center, Deleplane, VA; Red Schoolhouse/Scottish Connection Antiques in Millwood, VA; US Marble & Granite in Beltsville, MD; Timothy Paul on 14th St. DC

If you're interested in more, Sonu Mathew, Sr. Interior Designer with Benjamin Moore & Co. has some great video interviews with Darryl posted on her blog, Living in Color with Sonu. The above paint picks are some of his favorite go-to colors via her blog.

I hope you have a great long weekend. I'll leave you with these beautiful, serene images of Darryl Carter's work.

Inspiration from Tobi Fairley's Table Transformation

Tobi Fairley designed a beautiful Stair Hall for the Richmond Symphony Designer House that pairs classic pieces with modern finishes and vibrant color. The focal point when you first enter the space is a striking pedestal table that she designed and had custom built by Kent Hughes of Fairfax Designs and beautifully painted by Stephanie Jones of me & mrs. jones. (photo by Tobi Fairley via A Passion for Home)Here's the before in a natural wood state with sanding sealer applied. I see tables similar to this in consignment shops and flea markets pretty regularly (although the quality of the craftsmanship in this table does set it apart). Maybe you have a piece in your home like this?
Now here's the after - stunning! In her blog post, Mrs. Jones mentioned that Tobi specified a soft-oyster white and accent trim of raspberry red. Here's a close-up of the perfectly painted lines that give extra definition to the piece.

Here's a view of the space from the stairwell - giving context to the pedestal table in the space. The Showhouse is open through Oct. 11th - the designers did an amazing job and it's definitely worth it to see it in person. (photo by Jami Carlton via RS Designer House Facebook page)

Go here to see more of Stephanie's work & for inspiration for possibly transforming some pieces in your home. Right now I have my eye on a mirror I bought at a flea market Saturday...

Jean Paul Gaultier & Roche Bobois

A few weeks ago I had a chance to attend a party celebrating the Washington D.C. launch of the new Jean Paul Gaultier collection for Roche Bobois, which marks its 50th anniversary this year. The blend of high fashion and interior design is evident in the mix of nautical stripes and striking patterns in the pieces for this limited collection. Gaultier updated the Mah Jong sofa, originally created for Roche Bobois by Hans Hopfer in the 1970's, with glam fabrics. Along with being hip looking, this sofa was extremely comfortable and included adjustable cushions that lengthened the seat back.
This press release image does much better justice to the crisp coloring than my photos.

My favorite - this Roman chariot inspired chair. So fun!!

Scott Fazzini of Domicidal Maniac did an in-depth post with very interesting information about the designer. The DC area Roche Bobois is located at 5310 Wisconsin Ave, Washington DC (Maza Gallerie area)

Patterned Floors in Mary Douglas Drysdale's Living Room

I'm still thinking about the patterned floors in Mary Douglas Drysdale's living room at the Richmond Symphony Designer House. Here's some close-up pics of the floor that Tom Hickey and his staff at Rising Tide Inc created based on Mary's design. Beautiful work.

Love this floor too! Hope you're having a good weekend. I'm off to San Francisco later in the week.

Tricia Huntley's Lake Geneva Transformation

A few months ago DC based interior designer Tricia Huntley of Huntley and Company mentioned on her blog, Luxe and Lucid, that she had a project in Lake Geneva, Switzerland. Recently she posted the results of this Montreax apartment transformation and it is luxe and gorgeous. This bedroom is a beautiful mix of patterns and textures with various stripes repeated throughout. I love the textile hanging behind the bed.
Here's just one peek into the living room. Love this chair! Along with the furniture, Huntley and Company installed the wallcoverings, lighting, textiles and accessories. The 1970's faux tortoise multi-faceted table is from Georgetown's Darrel Dean's Antiques which Tricia blogged about.
I've never seen this tie treatment for a bedspread - love this detail. Notice the zig zag pattern in the stitching of the spread and in the pillows.
Here's Tricia gazing out at the incredible view of Lake Geneva from the apartment. For more images of the interior and a fun, behind-the-scenes looks at the installation go here.

Mary Douglas Drysdale at the Richmond Symphony Designer House

An opportunity to experience a room by Mary Douglas Drysdale is not to be missed. Last Friday I had the chance to do just that at the Richmond Symphony Designer Showhouse. Mary designed the living room with a nod to America's past and an eye to the future. It is an unparalled combination of bold pieces and subtle, meaningful details. The result is an elegant, seamless room that is both welcoming and stunning.
A Great Dane sculpture by Mark Perry is the focal point above the fireplace - unexpected and enjoyable all at once.
A curved settee is paired with a monochromatic graphic pillow. The seating in the room was enveloped in Sandra Jordan's alpaca and curved and straight lines were balanced throughout the space. Artwork subtly referenced our nation's past and its future direction.
Here's Mary with the uber talented Tobi Fairley who created a stunning Stair Hall with traditional furniture treated with modern painted finishes and fabrics. I loved the color palette too - light blues with accents of red. Go here to see a rendering of the space.
My dear friend Anne with Mary - who was the epitome of graciousness. You may have noticed the bare feet. Depending on the shoes you had, the protective foot coverings could be a bit slippery. But this brings me to another element of Mary's design - pattern. The gorgeous patterned cognac floor with light and dark accents (hard to see in my photos) and the pattern on the curtains were designed by Mary. Tom Hickey of Rising Tide Inc. is the decorative artist that beautifully executed the floor design.

Is this all the photos?

Yes, I'm to say. When I attended the Gala, it was unclear if any photos could be used so I limited myself to photos of the designers (although as you see here I couldn't resist taking a few photos of Mary's room.) For bloggers attending Press Day, the only room allowed to be photographed was Mary's. Be sure to visit Jeanette's A Passion for Home in the next few days as she will likely have more images of the room to share.

Is it worth the drive if you live in DC?

Yes, many of the designers in this showhouse created fabulous, creative and inspiring spaces! Set on 8 acres on the James River, the gardens and landscaping are a treat unto themselves. The Designer House remains open through Oct. 11 - details here.

Perfection in White

John Jacob Zwiegelaar of John Jacob Interiors is one of my all time favorite designers. Only in his early 30's, he opened his Cape Town firm in 2005 and already has an impressive portfolio. This home appeared in the May 2006 issue of House & Garden South Africa. I hope you enjoy looking at it as much as I do. It's almost Friday!

All images via the site John Jacob Interiors here.

Road Trip to the Richmond Symphony Designer House

I first heard about the Richmond Symphony Designer House back in April from A Passion for Home. The showhouse is taking place at George and Anne Anderson's Tudor home "Rothesay," located on more than eight acres of land overlooking the James River.

In addition to talented Richmond designers, the showhouse will also feature the work of Mary Douglas Drysdale, Tobi Fairley, and Phoebe Howard as well as the gorgeous lighting of New Orleans' Julie Neill. That's alot of talent under one showhouse roof!

The showhouse opens Sep 13th but if you'd like a sneak peek consider attending the Gala this coming Friday night Sep 10th. Two friends and I are planning to make it a fun get-away trip and are staying at The Jefferson.
Here's designer Tobi Fairley at measuring day. (Photo by Jami Carlton)
New Hampshire designer Randy Trainor of CRT Interiors and homeowner George Anderson in the library during the Bare Bones Party. (photo by Jami Carlton)
Above, the living Garden Room wall by Kelly Brown of Kelly Brown Interiors. For more information and behind-the-scenes looks, check out the Designer House's Facebook site here.