Fine Print: Suzanne Kasler Inspired Interiors

Cover Photo: Simon Watson

Another beautiful book that has been sitting on my shelf since early winter is Suzanne Kasler: Inspired Interiors (Rizzoli, 2009). Suzanne is an Atlanta-based designer who made the coveted House Beautiful “Top 100 Designers” list back in 2005, and has been going strong ever since, having been published in Elle Decor, House Beautiful, Southern Accents, Veranda, Traditional Home, and Architectural Digest. (The links click through to her stories, so take a peek.)  Here are images from her book, which was published by Rizzloli  in November, along with caption info and commentary.

Photo: Gia Trovan for Southern Accents

White walls set off deliberate touches of blue in this entryway that also doubles as a dining area. Hard to tell here, but the chandelier is adorned with seashells, the rooms only truly beach-y touch. The collection of blue glass is vintage. I love the turquoise bench upholstery; wonder if it’s velvet?

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Photo: Erica George Dines Photography

This is the living room of Suzanne’s own beach house. Everything – the walls, ceiling, and floor – is painted in Benjamin Moore’s White Dove. (That’s the color in my house too!)  The French flea market chairs are upholstered in indestructible orange and aqua ultrasuede. The fireplace surround is made of poured stone embedded with seashells. The coral sconces are beach-y but still sophisticated.

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Photo: Erica George Dines Photographay

Another room in Suzanne’s beach house. The artworks are vintage batick prints she found at a flea market, framed in bamboo and hung in a tight grid. The pillow colors echo colors found in the prints. The limestone and iron coffee table and the floor lamps provide strong but simple shapes in black and white. The little round table is a kitschy seashell covered piece from a local shop.

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Photo: Gia Trovan for Southern Accents

The floors and fireplace wall in this beach house are painted a cool, slean white, while the rest of the deocr is done in various shades of soothing blue. The walls in the sitting room beyond are sky blue; the slipcover on the chair is almost a French blue; the rug is striped in other blues. The blue balls are iridescent blown glass. The painting is by Dusty Griffith. Overall, a very watery space.

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Photo: William Waldron

You might not realize it, but there is a lot of white in this living room. The round acrylic tables are by Nancy Corzine (whose new book I wrote about yesterday). The stools are Russian, found in Paris and uphostered in two different fabrics to create a striped effect. These stools inspired the Anastasia bench in Suzanne’s furniture line for Hickory Chair.

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Photo: Erica George Dines Photography

I love the mix of greens and turquoise in this room, whose colors are rich without being heavy. The swirly chairs wor well mixed with the simpler Louix XVI-style ones.

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Photo: Tria Giovan

The peony pink color of the accent wall in this dining room is Glidden Checkberry. Kasler points out that this color has depth – you can see many different shades it in – red and pink and ochre and white. The Louis XVI -style chairs are upholstered in raffia with nail heads. I love the interlocking swirls on the front face of the console, which echo the curves of the chandelier and sconces . And the peonies, so luscious.

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Photo: Erica George Dines Photography

An elegant bedroom in neutral tones with a rosy hue.

All photographs courtesy of  Suzanne Kasler: Inspired Interiors, Rizzoli, 2009

Fine Print: Nancy Corzine Glamour At Home

With all the rain over the weekend I finally had time to peruse the stack of review copies on my bookshelf.  Nancy Corzine Glamour at Home was published back in October, but I thought I would share some images with you anyway, in case you missed it, or loved it so much you felt like looking again. Her style is much more elegant, and well, grown-up, than I tend towards, but there’s no doubting her talent. When I think mirrored furniture, I think Nancy Corzine.

Photo: Carter Berg

The hand-painted tea-leaf silver screen provides a glamorous backdrop to the blue linen-covered sofa and creamy lacquered side tables.

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Photo: Ken Hayden

A trio of stools at the foot of the bed in this guestroom provide extra storage.

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Photo: Peter Vitale

This Hamptons dining room’s walls are papered in a traditional hand-painted silk chinoiserie design. The English Regency-period sunburst mirror adds sparkle, along with the chandelier, which is carved wood with a silver-leaf finish.

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Photo: Ken Hayden

A vintage black-and-white photograph of Marilyn Monroe hangs above the bar in the media room of a house in Los Angeles.

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Photo: Miguel Flores-Vianna

The large oil painting in this living room is by Antonio Murado.

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Photo: Ken Hayden

The toile de Jouy wallcovering in this Hamptons guest bathroom matches the bedskirt and draperies of the bedroom.

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Photo: Ken Hayden

A galley kitchen in a Manhattan high-rise has clean lines for maximum efficiency. The black-and-white photos are by Jeff Reese.

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Photo: Trio Giovan

A Palm Beach living room with whitewashed paneling and pale blue fabrics has a traditional Gustavian-era look.

Designer Spotlight: Kor Floral

Yesterday, interior designer Nikki Dalrymple of Acquire boutique in the North End emailed me about florist Alexandra Kadar and her business Kor Floral. Alexandra relocated to Boston from L.A, and already, party planner Bryan Rafanelli has scooped her up to do floral design for events. He’s a smartie – her work is gorgeous. Interesting too, as she opts for natural vessels and bases rather than a vase.

Acquire is hosting a “Spring Awakening” evening with installations from Kor Floral (and wine) on Friday, March 26th, from 6pm to 9pm. RSVP to Nikki at 857.362.7380.

For an interview with Alexandra, see La Tavola.

New pieces from Vermont ceramicist Laura Zindel are now in stock at Acquire.

61 Salem Street, North End, Boston

Designer Spotlight: Lauren Nelson

I don’t usually do odes to one designer, but the other night at dinner with David Harris of ducduc, Lauren from The Rug Company, and Boston interior designer Annsley McAleer, I met Lauren Nelson, a stylist/interior designer who has newly relocated here from California. She is so nice and talented too, so in the interest in welcoming her to our city, I thought it would be nice to showcase her work. I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot more of her.

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flower

Photos:  Marnie Rose Agency

Designer Spotlight: David Hicks

I recently worked with Ashley Hicks, designer and son of legendary designer David Hicks, on an article for eBay’s new lifestyle site, The Inside Source, “Ashley Hicks on His Father, David,” to promote his new book, David Hicks: A Life of Design. The book is worth an actual read, rather than a simple flip to look at the pretty pictures.

What struck me most, besides Hicks’ incredibly privileged, glam lifestyle, was how many of his design innovations endured. A number of features seen in his room throughout the ’60s and ’70s, are au courant today.

Left: David Hicks at home, Albany, London (Derry Moore)

Right: David Hicks, summer 1958 with his pug, Algy (David Hicks Archive)

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CHANDELIERS and ORNATE MIRRORS IN THE BATHROOM

Left: David Hicks  (David Hicks Archive)    |      Right: Vogue

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SHEEPSKIN THROW RUGS BESIDE THE BEDLeft: David Hicks (photo by Norman McGrath) |  Right: Robin Pelissier

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DEEP PURPLE PARLORS

Top: David Hicks (photo by Norman McGrath)

Bottom: Steven Gambrel

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FUR THROWS  and  GEOMETRIC PATTERNS

David Hicks (photo by Norman McGrath)

Left: Jeff Andrews Design    |    Right: Color Theory

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OVERSIZE FLORAL WALLPAPERDavid Hicks (David Hicks Archive)

M. Design

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ZEBRA SKIN RUGS IN THE LIBRARY

Left: David Hicks  (David Hicks Archive)
Right: Alessandra Branca, Architectural Digest

LUCITE FURNITURE WITH BLACK WALLS

David Hicks (photo by John T. Hill)

Spruce Design & Decor

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TRELLIS PATTERNS IN KELLY GREEN

Left: David Hicks (photo by Norman McGrath) Right: Mark Hampton

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