40 Years of Kips Bay

The newly released “Forty Years of Fabulous” The Kips Bay Decorator Show House by Steven Stolman is the perfect Mother’s Day present for my mother and perhaps for yours, too.

Every year, the Kips Bay Show House evokes so many memories for me. Years before I was a designer, my grandmother, mother and I attended many of their show houses together. My grandmother designed homes for all family members and my mother has a keen architectural eye so it was an education going with these two astute and elegant women. Years later, my mother brought me again to Kips Bay for inspiration for our new apartment. My most vivid recollection is when I was 9 months pregnant and late, my mother took me up and down stairs to view countless rooms, hoping to accelerate her grandchild’s birth. Somehow that outing must have had an effect on the baby, because Ashley now works with me at DecoratorsBest.

Some memorable rooms for me include:

Ruben de Saavedra

Back in the day, interior design styles were much more elaborate than they are today. However the slipper chairs are a classic, and so many years later, I still have the exact same ones in our living room- without the bullion fringe for today’s simpler look.

Robert Metzger

My family knew Robert Metzger and I always enjoyed seeing his rooms at Kips Bay. This is the room I saw on that memorable excursion being pregnant.

Jeffrey Bilhuber

As a traditional designer, I always admire what more contemporary designers do with their simplicity and clean lines. I first saw Jeffrey’s work at Kips Bay and have been an admirer ever since.

    

Bring the Sunshine in with Canary Yellow

How to Mix Bold Patterns to Express Your Individuality

Interior design today, like fashion has no rules. It’s all about expressing yourself in your own unique way. Here are some tips to help guide you to fulfilling your creativity.

The bright suzani print on the chairs ties this room together. Taking its cue from the circle in the print, the drapery fabric has a yellow background and its embroidery plays on the circular motif.

Tip:  Use an accent color from the main pattern for a complimentary color.
         Subtly use the same motif around the room.

Get the Look:

Schumacher

S Harris

Fabricut

Jaipur

All of the colors in this vivacious room emanate from the imaginative painting. The black and white wallpaper is dense and intricate which blends well as a backdrop for the artwork. The white ground of the embroidered yellow drapery works well with the solid orange chairs and hot pink throw pillows.

Tip:  Use artwork as a focal point for a room and select colors from the painting.

Get the Look:

York

Pindler & Plinder

Stroheim

Peking

A strong repetitive wallpaper makes a statement on the walls whereas the complimentary color blue in the rug serves to ground the room. Both patterns are united by their colors with white lines.  Blue and Yellow are two of the primary colors and are a tried and true combination.

Tip:  Combine 2 strong patterns by using complimentary colors with similar designs and the same scale.

Get the Look:

Stroheim

Jaipur

Stout

Stroheim

The gray and yellow ethnic fabric on the sofa is the dominant pattern for this space. All pillows and colors revolve around it. The pillows are smaller scale designs with some of the same colors. Although the floor pattern is large, it showcases the love seat.

Tip:  Harmonize with a large pattern using smaller scale prints in the same colorways.
         Use a two toned large pattern to act as a background for the multi-colored one.

Get the Look:

Kravet

Duralee

Jaipur

Jaipur

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4 Tricks that Make Your Dining Room Look Like a Million Bucks

Planning on hosting meals during the month of April? These decorating ideas will have your dining room looking upscale in no time!

Custom drapery looks far more luxurious than store-bought curtains that often look limp and lifeless. Going for custom drapes will give you more options on print and fabric content, and can be given an interlining, which adds fullness. Here, designer Miles Redd creates a lavish statement with turquoise silk drapery panels and a cornice.

Interior Design by Miles Redd via Veranda

 Get  a Similar Look:

Schumacher Fabric

Schumacher Wallpaper

Beacon Hill Fabric

By choosing one color to riff on throughout the space, your dining room’s decor will look as if you’ve made a decisive look with a distinct point of view. Be sure to vary the textures, and possibly throw in a subtle print like Jennifer Lopez did in her California home, to give the look dimension.

Photo by Lauren Resen via Veranda

 Get  a Similar Look:

Fabricut Fabric

Cole & Son Wallpaper

Ralph Lauren Fabric

Adding a rug that coordinates with your dining room’s current décor is an easy way to amp up the luxe-factor in a dining room. It can hide stains or blemishes on the floor and makes the space feel more complete, like this dining area by designer Schuyler Samperton.

Photo by Victoria Pearson  via House Beautiful

 Get  a Similar Look:

Karastan Rug

Stroheim Fabric

Clarke & Clarke

Schumacher Fabric

A large piece of artwork makes a strong impression. If you don’t have the budget to buy an original piece, opt for a large-scale print. We like how this dining room’s chairs echo the colors in the piece of art on the wall.

Photo by Francesco Lagnese  via House Beautiful

 Get  a Similar Look:

Fabricut Fabric

Beacon Hill Fabric

Duralee Fabric

Phillip Jeffries

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Behind the Set: The Decor of Disney’s Cinderella

Disney’s updated and visually stunning Cinderella, starring Downton Abbey’s Lily James, premiered over the weekend, and we’re beyond amazed at the beauty of both the decor and the costumes. Check out a behind-the-scenes look at our favorite rooms from the set (designed by Casey Banwell and Francesca Lo Schiavo) and how to recreate some of these magical looks.

We’re in love with Cate Blanchett’s costumes in this movie. Designer Sandy Powell donned Blanchett in frocks that could teach us all a thing or two about dressing in green for St. Patrick’s Day! We pulled together some patterns inspired by her looks that you can use in your home.

 Get  a Similar Look:

Cole & Son Wallpaper

G P & J Baker Wallpaper

Duralee Fabric

Beacon Hill Fabric

 

The hall where Cinderella makes her breathtaking royal ball debut is equally as stunning with marbled walls and rich velvet floral drapery adorned with bronze fringe trim.

 Get  a Similar Look:

Schumacher Wallpaper

Robert Allen Fabric

Kravet Trim

Fabricut Fabric

We wouldn’t mind lounging in the evil stepmother’s (Cate Blanchett) sumptuous bedroom. The space has a layered monochromatic look–deep red floral wallpaper, drapery and an Oriental rug create a look that feels deliciously dangerous and sexy.

 

 Get  a Similar Look:

Andrew Martin Wallpaper

Karastan Rug

Fabricut Trim

Robert Allen Fabric

Cinderella’s stepsisters, Anastasia & Drisella (Holliday Grainger & Sophie McShera), have a stunning bedroom, too. This whimsical space reads like a dream, with flowering branches along the walls and colorful cornices above the girls’ beds.

 Get  a Similar Look:

Cole & Son Wallpaper

Fabricut Trim

Stroheim Fabric

Cole & Son Wallpaper

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All photos by Jonathan Olley via Walt Disney Pictures

4 Ways to Incorporate Cute Creature-Themed Prints into Your Home

Fun critter-themed prints like butterflies, birds and turtles are a fun way to liven up a room! Check out these ways to incorporate them into your home in a refined, grown-up way.

Mixing contrasting styles is a major décor trend that we see sticking around. Give playful prints of wild things a dose of sophistication by pairing it with elegant pieces. Here, artist Hunt Slonem’s tortoise-themed fabric (his personal favorite from his new collection) is upholstered onto ornate 19^th century chairs.

 

Photo via Lee Jofa

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Groundworks Fabric

Karastan Area Rug

Kravet Fabric

Kravet Fabric

 

In a similar way, cheerful animal prints can add a sense of whimsy to spaces with modern architectural features. This adds softness and warmth to features that can otherwise feel a bit sterile. Style editor Chassie Post’s home is a prime example of this—we especially love how the butterfly wallpaper looks in the kitchen.

Photo by Matthew Williams via House to Home

 

Photo by Matthew Williams via House to Home

Get a Similar Look:

Schumacher Wallpaper

Ashford House Wallpaper

Schumacher Fabric

Pindler & Pindler Fabric

 

Instead of using an animal-themed print all over your walls, try incorporating a pattern on one piece of furniture. Here, designer Nick Olsen used a fabric fit with colorful parrots on the sofa of this bedroom. Olsen’s look incorporates a lot of color and pattern, but you can use the bird print as the single pop of color in the space, too.

 Photo via Lee Jofa

Get a Similar Look:

Lee Jofa Fabric

Lee Jofa Fabric

G P & J Baker Fabric

Kravet Fabric

 

Prints with animals in them can be subtle, too! Just choose a version that is neutral in color. This bedroom showcases a large Cole & Son Flamingo wall covering in a grey/taupe color way, which tones down the large scale of the pattern, making it soothing enough for a bedroom.

Photo via Designsponge.com, Design by Gabriel Valdivieso

 

Cole & Son Wallpaper

Schumacher Wallpaper

Schumacher Wallpaper

Surya Area Rug

 

 

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4 Pretty Pink Rooms to Show Off Your Feminine Side

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month we’ve rounded up four of our favorite pink rooms that bring out the ladylike side in all of us. Check them out:

 Baby Pink Walls

This eclectic living room by designer Andrea Brooks mixes feminine baby pink walls and raspberry hues with contrasting pieces like gold leather stools and a traditional Oriental rug.

Photo via Andrea Brooks Interiors

 Get  a Similar Look:

Surya Throw Pillow

Lee Jofa Fabric

Safavieh Area Rug

Clarke and Clarke Wallpaper

Blushing Bedroom

This bedroom exemplifies how to layer patterns–paisley, stripe, geometric, floral and ikat patterns all come together in shades of blush, magenta and golden yellow to create a sumptuous spot for sleeping.

Photo by Eric Piasecki

 Get a Similar Look:

Schumacher Fabric

Lee Jofa Fabric

Fabricut Fabric

Pindler & Pindler Fabric

Lady Boss

An office would be much more fun to work in with bright pops of watermelon hues. We like how the use of pink in this room is so well-edited–it makes the white walls, furniture and light fixtures work as a canvas for the strong color.

Photo via homemydesign.com

Get a Similar Look:

Duralee Fabric

Fabricut Fabric

Greenhouse Fabric

Jaipur Area Rug

Dainty Dining

Whimsical pieces like the ivy-embellished chandelier and toile chairs make this dining room fit with pink Hollywood Regency-inspired wallpaper feel like a fantasy spot for having dainty cucumber sandwiches and grown-up tea parties.

Photo via Elle Decor

Get a Similar Look:

Surya Area Rug

Stroheim Wallpaper

Lee Jofa Fabric

Fabricut Fabric

 

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4 Fresh Ways to Decorate with Plaid this Fall

Plaid is a fall staple in both the wardrobe and the home. Check out these four fresh ways to bring a dose of the pattern to your space right now:

We often associate plaid with menswear, so creating a layered, masculine look is a go-to. In this living room, however,  designer Scot Meacham Wood has brought an element of elegance to this gentleman’s hangout with tons to texture, several plaid patterns, and small hints of floral & animal prints. It’s manly, but not too macho so both men & women can enjoy sipping cocktails and having conversation in here.

Photo via Alyson Gowdy for HouseBeautiful

Get  a Similar Look:

Robert Allen@Home Fabric

Beacon Hill Fabric

Kravet Fabric

Safavieh Area Rug

Fabricut Velvet Fabric

Designer Brian Patrick Flynn’s use of plaid is super fresh for 2014 because it combines two styles that aren’t usually associated with each other: Preppy & Midcentury Modern. “I wanted my West Coast place to feel Midcentury in nature, but with a super preppy look [in a different] palette than the mustards and olives of the ’50s and ’60s.” explains Flynn (Domaine Home). Working with a color scheme of red, white and blue, he mixes bold geometric and plaid prints.

Photo via Domaine Home

Get  a Similar Look:

Duralee Fabric

Duralee Fabric

Timothy Corrigan Fabric

Fabricut Fabric

Chandra Shag Area Rug

“If you have a small space,  instead of daring to paint, tell your story with textiles. In this case all-American plaid fabrics carry the room,” says designer Zach Motl, who decorated this 425 square foot Brooklyn apartment (House Beautiful). We like how he created a focal point by using the largest plaid pattern on the window treatments, and then scaling back the amount and size of the plaid for other areas of the room. Additionally, the seat cushion on the modern chair is a genius way to add a seasonally-appropriate pattern to a room without spending to much.

Photo via House Beautiful

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Lee Jofa Fabric

Lee Jofa Fabric

Surya Jute Area Rug

Clarke & Clarke Fabric

Plaid is generally a very bold print, yet in this room it has an understated subtly that brings a dose of pattern to the monochromatic decor. An area rug like this is perfect for those who favor the traditional look.

Photo via Architectural Digest

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Surya Area Rug

Fabricut Fabric

Duralee Silk Fabric

Fabricut Fabric

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