Marvellous in every way

I recently watched the Emmy-award-winning TV show Marvellous Mrs. Maisel and man, what a great show! Crackling dialogue and a wonderful set of actors. The chemistry between the characters of Susie and Midge is pure comedy gold. The show is a joy ride. As is the set decor. As characters enter and exit, and float and flourish through the rooms, your senses are on high alert. What caught my eye from the get go was Mrs. Maisel’s equally marvellous New York apartment. Plush, optimistic, vibrant! An embodiment of it’s time (the 50s).

I thought it’d be fun to pull together a scheme inspired by her apartment, but updating for today’s times. Here goes!

Comfy mid-century modern furnishings - like this tufted Crate & Barrel sectional & Joybird club chairs.
Chintz (Brunschwig & Fils) & velvet throw pillows for a bit of grandma chic
Porcelain blue duponi silk drapes.
Add on some antique-style accents - a Baroque mirror & these regal candle holders.
Abstract art (love the work of Alexis Walter), paired with a Hollywood regency chest & gold lamp.
Glass top brass cocktail table
A plush velvet ottoman.
A hand-painted screen like this chinoiserie landscape on grasscloth (adds life to the room!)
A couple of sensuous vases? Eva Zeisel shows us how.

Small but mighty

While perusing inspo for a project, I came across this small but mighty bathroom on Pinterest (designed by AB Chao). We are going a different (serene) direction with our project, but I was really inspired to recreate this! Especially because it might actually be an easier one to execute. It would be great for a small bathroom because it creates lotsa drama with relatively fewer elements! A standout hero wallpaper like this one can do the the trick when you want to make a bold statement but without busting your budget.

Here’s the inspo -

via Pinterest

And here’s how to get a similar look - finds from Wayfair, Ebay, Etsy and more..

1. Black tropical wallpaper - found on Wayfair (at $1.34/sqft, it’s big style on a small budget)

2. Love these sconces and how they’d play off the wallpaper

3. A vintage french mirror - found on Ebay (there’s lots of them on Ebay -search for “vintage french mirror” or “provincial french mirror” ). I’d go with an antique brass or giltwood, instead of the black

4. A simple white pedestal sink

5. Chrome cross-bar faucet

6. Towel ring

7. Monogrammed hand towels for a personal touch

8. Seagrass / natural fiber storage baskets

And that’s about it. When in doubt, keep it focussed and simple, but with a dose of drama :)