California Bungalow Vibes

Aerin Lauder's Office

I was lucky enough to be able to intern for the wonderful and impossibly chic Aerin Lauder earlier this year after meeting her in Hong Kong last summer. Walking into her gorgeous office on 57th and Madison for the first time was reason enough for me to want to work there. There is something about AERIN that exudes effortless elegance with a perfect mix of traditional and contemporary touches.

{The flowers at the entry were changed frequently according to the season}

{AERIN offices set up for a trunk show}

{The office was decorated festively at Christmas time}

{AERIN and me and Lane Crawford in Hong Kong}

Dutch Doors

I'm having a moment where I'm very into dutch doors, particularly with glass paned tops. Invented in the Netherlands in the 17th century, dutch doors keep visitors out while inviting cool air and sunlight in. They look great as front doors or side doors leading to the kitchen. 

{Via Melanie Turner Interiors}

{Via Jones Pierce Architects}

{Via Luxe Magazine}

{Via Hollywood at Home} 

{Via Gardenista}

Lenox Hill Neighborhood House Gala

Wednesday night was the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House Gala at Cipriani in New York and I was lucky enough to help out the incredibly talented design firm, Kapito Muller, on their table. For this annual event, some of the top interior design firms in New York are each asked to design a table, and then tickets are sold for the event and the proceeds are given to the organization. We had the freedom to design our table however we liked, but the general suggested theme was Adam & Eve's garden.  

Our first stop on Wednesday morning was the Chelsea flower district on 28th street. There, we picked up varying shades of pink ranunculus. 

We packed up the flowers and brought them to Cipriani on 42nd street. When we arrived, the other designers were at varying stages in their table decorating process: some had only just begun and other tables looked nearly finished. 

For our table, we opted for a pink and green color scheme. We used an Allegra Hicks printed fabric for the table cloth and beautiful sea moss green Anna Weatherly dishes trimmed in geometric gold. The flatware was tortoise Bunny Williams for Ballard and the candlesticks were Stephen Antonson. 

Finally, each seat had a Hayley Sarno illustrated menu, Frette napkin, and individually wrapped Ladureé macaroon. The bust in the middle is a nod to the theme and we arranged the flowers in bunches at varying levels surrounding the bust. 

The other tables were gorgeous as well. Below are a few of my favorites. 

I wore a Giambattista Valli dress and jacket with Zara heels. 

{Me with Alyssa Kaptio and Vivian Muller}

The event was lovely and certainly one I wish to attend again & perhaps in the future design my own table! 

How To: Style a Coffee Table

What I consider one of the most important parts of decorating is one that many deem the most trivial: object placement and styling. Creating vignettes in areas of your home is a way to give it personality. Displaying your favorite trinkets and knick-knacks from places you've been add a layer of depth and interest that tell a story about who you are to visitors and house guests. I am constantly restyling the coffee table in my living room according to the season or my latest travels. Among the things that I always have on my coffee table are:

1. A large tray to weigh down smaller objects. I got my gold chevron tray from C.Wonder but love a good lucite or acrylic tray like this West Elm version - that is, if you don't have a transparent coffee table like mine. On the pricier end, I adore a shagreen tray like this one from Plantation Home.

 
2. A bowl of candy. If you've visited my apartment, you're probably well aware that I'm candy obsessed. I think that having candy around your apartment is fun for guests and adds an element of color to a bookshelf or coffee table. I like to have a combination of gourmet and drug store candy around, usually in colors pertaining to what ever holiday is nearest. Right now, I have a small Create & Barrel  candy bowl filled with Easter colored m&ms. On my entry console is the same dish but filled with individually wrapped See's Candy suckers and a taller glass on my bookshelf with Twizzlers. 

3. Sculptural object or decorative ash tray. In my opinion, there should be some sort of useless but aesthetic element to every coffee table. In my case, its this Alexandra Von Furstenberg bowl in a neon green color that I reprimand my friends for always attempting to ash in. I'm also a big fan of figurines like this one from Target. I'll often place a bowl of over sized decorative matches like these in a bowl. 

4. Flowers. No coffee table is complete without some kind of living green aspect. Whether that's a small topiary, succulent, orchid, or bouquet is up to you. Personally, I prefer small orchid plants which last the longest. Orchids are expensive (especially in New York City) so I pick mine up either in one of the wholesale flower shops down in Chelsea's flower district, or at Trader Joe's, which surprisingly has a great selection. 

5. Coffee table books. This one's a given. I'm always switching around my decorative books but right now I have a couple of books I bought in Berlin on my coffee table. I like to play around with size when it comes to displaying them. Often a stack of three or four is enough, depending on the height of your table and size of the books. I think that coffee table books are a really great way to tell a story of what you're interested in, whether it's monograph of your favorite artist (mine being Wayne Thiebaud, Ed Ruscha, or Alex Katz), a book devoted to one of your favorite cities, or periods in history. 

Ivy Covered Entrances

For some reason, all I've been doing recently is fantasizing about how I would design my dream home. In my mind, the exterior of my dream home is covered in vines or roses and would love somewhat like these images below...

{Via The Enchanted Home}

{Via Sotheby's}

{Via Heidi Claire}

{Via Zsa Zsa Bellagio}

{Via Bates Nursery}

{Via Providence Design}

Palm Printed Bedroom

{Self-portrait in my NY bedroom}

Rattan Chairs

I've become more and more of a fan of informal dining rooms. I think that when entertaining, informal dining rooms encourage more of an intimate and relaxed dynamic between guests. Particularly in California, I find that stuffy dining areas with velvet-backed chairs and formal rugs often look silly - not to mention intimidate guests can't enjoy their meal because they're afraid of spilling. Wicker or rattan chairs are the perfect look for a laid-back, California dining or living room. Especially when accompanied by a round marble-top table, it's a great look that can look casual and beachy or more put together depending on how it's done. 

{Nate Berkus Design via Domaine Home}

{Tracy Hardenburg Design via House of Turquoise}

{Hollywood at Home Silverlake Side Chair}

{Hardy Dining Chair from HD Buttercup}

{Clemens Design via Domaine Home}

{West Elm John Vogel Dining Chair}

{Anna Burke Interiors via Domino}

Grey Painted Cabinets

I'm having a moment for grey painted cabinets. Particularly in a bathroom or kitchen, and when accented with brass or copper hardware, it's a great look freshens up a space. I enjoy grey paint when done with white marble and porcelain sinks. Do you think this is a trend or a look that is here to stay? I'm undecided.

Black Paned Windows

I keep seeing black windows panes everyone and am loving the look - especially in a white kitchen with dark glossy floors.

{Neutral kitchen via Luxe Interiors + Design}

{Image via Paloma Conteras: La Dolce Vita}

{Image via Jessica Helgerson Interior Design}

{Image via Elle Decor}

{via Bungalow Classic}

{Kitchen banquet covered in Holly Hunt linen via ELLE DECOR}

{Neutral kitchen via Luxe Interiors + Design}

Mauve Accents

Though mauve has never been one of my favorite colors, I have become increasingly interested in it for design when used sparingly. It accents a room beautifully when used for upholstery, wallpaper, paint color, or perhaps a runner on a table at a dinner party. 

{A beautiful living room from Kapito Muller Interiors}

{Runner from Colin Cowie Weddings}

{Luxe bedroom via Elle Decor}

{Chairs via 1st Dibs}

{Print from Etsy}

{Via Suzanne Tucker Interiors}