- erik forrest jackson

LiÄe & Home
I Style Guide
Refine your
color palette
Add some
sparkle
20
Best
Decorating
Choose the
perfect sofa
The
Tips
Bored with your dŽcor?
Glam up your house in a flash with these
easy-to-achieve ideas from our design experts
Sept / 2007 / In Style
589
LiÄe & Home
I Style Guide
The
Bedroom
L.A. designer Schuyler SampertonÕs sophisticated mix
A metal
starburst
mirror shines
in Molly SimsÕs
L.A. home.
5.
Add some sparkle
A flash of glimmer
keeps a room from feeling
flat, says Jay Jeffers, a
California interior designer.
Hang a showstopping
mirror as a focal pointÑ
one in an unusual shape or
of vintage mercury-glass.
Display an assortment
of colored-glass vases,
silver pieces or rock-crystal
quartz on a table or
mantel. Include votives
with the arrangement
for more shimmer.
Illeana DouglasÕs
photos arranged
on and above an
antique chest.
1.
2.
3.
4.
CONTROL THE LIGHT
Bamboo, tortoise and
natural-reed blinds
have a handmade feel
and a warm, organic
texture, says Samperton. For very bright
bedrooms, he says,
combine sheer curtains with blackout
shadesÑÒThe best of
both worlds: light and
privacy or complete
darkness when you
need it.Ó
FRAME THE BED
Put a twist on the traditional headboard with a
statement-making
screenÑthe room gets
another great piece of
furniture without sacrificing any space. Look
at new and antique options, particularly ones
with interesting all-over
patterns or motifs (for
more stability, they can
be wall-mounted too).
MARRY YOUR PRINTS
Matchy-matchy is a
bore. Mix up textures
(a ribbed velvet upholstered settee and a
woven basket) and
complementary but
not exact-match
patterns, as seen in
the embroidered
coverlet, silk pillows
and the tone-on-tone
graphic rug.
MAKE YOUR BEDSIDE
BEAUTIFUL
Add photos, a grouping
of books, flowers (a
floating single gardenia bloom will stay fragrant for five days),
and a lamp with personality. Stow moisturizers, lozenges and
other personal stuff in
the night-table drawer;
keep magazines hidden but handy in a
basket beneath.
590 S e p t / 2 0 0 7 / I n S t y l e
6.
Curate a photo collection
Amassing a gallery-worthy grouping is
easy, says Alan Tanksley, an N.Y.C. designer. Scout online sources like Associated Press (ap.org) or Winter Works on
Paper (winterworksonpaper.com). Stand
frames on a table or shelf so you can rearrange on a whim. Feel free to combine
photos, paintings, drawings, etc. ÒA mix
tells more of a personal story,Ó he says.
Sept / 2007 / In Style
591
LiÄe & Home
I Style Guide
10.
ADD A MIRROR
A reflective surface makes
a small entry feel bigger
and airier. Choose a long
mirror so as you head out
the door you can check out
more than just your lipstick. (Note: Oval or round
mirrors wonÕt call attention
to crooked ceilings or
asymmetrical walls.)
7.
Vamp up your
coffee table
11.
Replace clear glass with mirrored glass to instantly make
a casual coffee table more
sophisticated, recommends
N.Y.C. interior designer Celerie
Kemble. Or lay a mirror or cut
marble on any tabletop to
change its look. Says Kemble:
ÒThe new surface will freshen
the mood of the entire room.Ó
A mirror tops
an iron coffee table
in Ivanka TrumpÕs
Manhattan
apartment.
LIGHT IT UP
Opt for a lamp with a small
footprint, like a candlestick
base, so it doesnÕt take up
too much space on a table.
Or skip a table lamp entirely
and add drama with a hanging crystal chandelier or a
sleek modern one. And paint
the ceiling a warm shade
(even if itÕs white) so it reflects a more flattering light.
12.
Bold pops of red
were used as an
accent in Portia de
RossiÕs dining room.
8.
ReÞne your color palette
New York interior designer Rob Southern likes
using neutral colors such as cream or chocolate
brown for big-ticket items like upholstery, walls
and curtains. Then he suggests incorporating one
strong accent colorÑtomato red, bright yellow or
aquaÑin pillows, vases or an ottoman. Limiting the
accents to one hue makes a room instantly more
cohesive. And if you tire of them, these smaller
accessories wonÕt break the bank to swap out.
592 S e p t / 2 0 0 7 / I n S t y l e
The
Entryway
An elegantly eclectic foyer
by designer Steven Sclaroff
9.
CONTAIN YOURSELF
Display an open tray or basket to drop essentials, says N.Y.C.
designer Sclaroff. It will neatly hold keys, sunglasses, iPods and
more. If they always land here, theyÕre less likely to be misplaced.
Choose a shallow trayÑnot too big and no deeper than
3 inchesÑor youÕll be tempted to fill it with too much stuff.
MAXIMIZE STORAGE
A table with a drawer keeps
necessities like gloves and
dog leashes nearby but
out of sight. A trunk tucked
underneath will hold shoes
and boots and also double
as a convenient seat.
13.
GO FOR A
STRONG STATEMENT
This is a great area for bold
design choices that could
overwhelm a larger room.
Try a deep or bright paint
color (warms like red or orange are kinder to skin tones
than green and blue) or a
patterned or vertical-striped
wallpaper that can compensate for too few art pieces or
furniture. And a graphic rug,
like the zebra print here,
ideally in a cleanable wool
for this high-traffic area, will
add impact underfoot.
Sept / 2007 / In Style
593
LiÄe & Home
I Style Guide
19.
14.
NIX THE EXPECTED
Think furniture, not bath furnishings, says N.Y.C. designer
Gambrel, who prefers a boldly
framed mirror and a dresserstyle vanity to make a more
Òreal roomÓ experience.
15.
BRING OUTSIDE IN
Incorporate nature, but on a
small scale. A duo of topiaries
with tiny leaves wonÕt overwhelm a room or get in the way.
Choose the perfect sofa
TheBath
Bigger isnÕt better, advises
Doug Meyer, designer of furniture Doug & Gene Meyer.
A large sofa can easily overwhelm a room, so map out
the space it will take up before you buy. A length of 65"
to 72" is a good size for a
small room, while 81" to 96"
suits a larger area. The best
rule of thumb for height is 30"
to 37". Decide if legs or a
skirt are better for your space
(legs are more modern).
Finally, a solid color is easier
to incorporate in a room than
a patternÑand is easily
enlivened with print pillows.
Designer Steven GambrelÕs luxurious take on the bath
16.
EXPAND OPTIONS
Ideally, separate the tub
(meant for relaxing) from the
shower (for getting clean
quick). And clearÑnot frostedÑ
glass shower walls will
make the room feel bigger.
17.
GO BEYOND WHITE
Bisque sinks and subway wall
tiles, colored marble for the
counters and floor, and rich
teak storage make the room
feel comfortable and luxurious
in a way that a white-andchrome bathroom never will.
18.
DISPLAY THE BASICS
Store quantities of oft-used
items (soap, cotton swabs, cotton balls) in clear Pyrex canisters. ÒItÕs amazing how pretty
multiples of common items
can look,Ó says Gambrel.
In Adam
LevineÕs L.A.
home, a lowslung sofa
with exposed
metal legs.
20.
Pick one bloom
A single color and type of flower gives you more
bang for your buck, says Julia-Carr Bayler,
owner of the Belvedere home store in Atlanta. An
arrangement of peonies, anemones or tulips
alone packs a visual punch that a varied-flower
bouquet doesnÕt. ÒItÕs like Andy WarholÕs multiple
silk screens: One thing repeated grabs your attention.Ó It also makes DIY arranging a piece of cake.
Ñwritten by Erik Jackson; reported by Terry Trucco
594
Turn the
page for more
information
on dŽcor
items shown.
Sept / 2007 / In Style
595
LiÄe & Home
I Style Guide
Designer Resources
Track down some of the stylish pieces showcased on the previous
pages, and learn more about the experts behind the tips
BEDROOM BY SCHUYLER SAMPERTON
134 North Sweetzer Avenue /
Los Angeles, CA 90048 / 323-655-6603 /
sampertonhackathorn.com
Antique Sea Creature lamp; at Dan Marty
Design, 323-935-5514. 1920s sterling silver
clock; at Ralph Lauren, 310-281-7200. Antique
Chinese folding screen; at the Fainting Couch,
323-930-0106. Chambray linens, Nancy Koltes
$28Ð$230; at Scandia Down Shops, 310-2746925. Tufted Savannah lounge, $2,500; Mecox
Gardens, 310-358-9272 or mecoxgardens.com.
ENTRYWAY BY STEVEN SCLAROFF
44 White Street / New York, NY 10013 /
212-691-7814 / stevensclaroff.1stdibs.com
Andre mirror, Oly, $3,150; at Mecox Gardens, 800-487-4854.
Antique red lacquered wood trunk, $3,700; at the Shop,
212-288-4971. John Stuart burled console, $4,000; Center 44,
212-450-7988. Funky zebra rug, the Rug Company, $6,395;
917-237-0123 or therugcompany.info. Lacquer jewelry box,
West Elm, $75; 888-922-4108 or westelm.com. Stacked glass
ball lamp, Ralph Lauren, $1,650; 888-475-7674.
BATH BY STEVEN GAMBREL
270 Lafayette Street / New York, NY /
212-925-3380 / srgambrel.com
Towels; ABC Carpet & Home, 212-473-3000.
Apothecary jars; at Global Table, 212-431-5839 or
globaltable.com. KiehlÕs products, $6Ð$70;
212-677-3171 or kiehls.com. Santa Maria Novella products,
$14Ð$50; Santa Maria Novella, lafcony.com.
Light fixture, metal tray and mirror, vintage.
MORE DESIGNER CONTACTS ...
ALAN TANKSLEY 186 Fifth Avenue / New York, NY 10010
212-481-8454 / alantanksley.com
DOUG MEYER Niba Home 39 North East Thirty-Ninth Street / Miami, FL 33137
305-573-1939 / Doug & Gene Meyer line available at nibahome.com
CELERIE KEMBLE 224 West Thirtieth Street / New York, NY 10001
212-675-9576 / kembleinteriors.com
JAY JEFFERS 550 Fifteenth Street / San Francisco, CA 94103
415-934-8088 / jeffersdesigngroup.com
JULIA-CARR BAYLER Belvedere 996-B Huff Road / Atlanta, GA 30318
404-352-1942 / belvedereinc.com
ROB SOUTHERN 150 West Twenty-Fifth Street / New York, NY 10001
212-924-1400