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.

My sunburst mirrors

The prettiest sunburst mirrors just got delivered and my oh my. They went up in our dining area so quickly! I am in loooove with them.

Made by artisans in Russia, and delivered with love (and a healthy dose of mailroom drama and delays!), to San Francisco. But all’s well that ends well :) They were definitely worth the wait.

And a note about another one of my favorite finds - the pedestal table. I found it at Afterwards in Menlo Park. It’s such a special piece - particularly the shape of the pedestal which I haven’t seen anywhere else! There wasn’t much information on the history or who made it, although I would’ve loved to know who it’s by.

Giddy with excitement!! :)

Yesterday, I was down in Soquel sourcing for a project when I got this text from a client

I was giddy with excitement when she sent me this! (waiting in the wings, to be installed)

I love how it’s shaped up!  We custom designed it for this wonderful family’s California-casual family room.  Gorgeous lines, a beautiful leather (durable too), and the workmanship is on point.

Here’s a few pictures of the sofa silhouette. Don’t miss the subtle slope arm - a beauty. And the aged wood finish

I was able to source out a leather that is first of, gorgeous - a beautiful color and grain. And secondly, very durable and meant for high-traffic spaces like this busy family room.  And it was well-priced!  Leathers can get insanely expensive so I’m truly glad to have found this one & add it to my design arsenal.

Better pictures once it's installed, but I had to share a quick glimpse with ya’ll.  So exciting! And an awesome way to go into my birthday weekend :)

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 :)

The Extraordinary Work of Carpenter & MacNeille

I came across the work of Boston-based architecture & interior design firm Carpenter & Macneille through an Instagram post a couple days ago. And am I glad I did!  They have an extraordinary body of work that's super duper inspiring. 

It all started with the most serene master bath I’ve laid eyes on, popping up in my Insta feed. She had me at hello with that beautiful trim and panel work. I went down the rabbit hole of exploring their projects further and learned a thing or two by observing their work.

Have a look -

Who else wants to take a soak in this bath pronto?   The paint on the trim is Farrow & Ball’s ParmaGray. It’s actually come through as more of a soft blue, but let’s not digress into the ever fascinating world of paint color names! :))

Some other examples of their work, exterior and interior -

Beautiful millwork on the upper deck of this home, with tall french doors below.

This porch is literal perfection. The wood floor, white board-and-batten siding, (what looks like) an antique porch bench, and that standout dark grey door - I love it down to the last detail. Crisp yet casual. Modern farmhouse. Chic.

The entry of the same house. Continuing the warmth and rustic appeal into the house.

A bright & beautiful kitchen. I like that the color of the island and fireplace trim are a subtle contrast to the white walls and cabinetry in the kitchen.

The closet that leads to the stunning master bath

And here we have it! Dream bathroom. Farrow & Ball Parma Gray.

Another beautiful (all-white) bathroom from their portfolio.

Love the marble wall tile in the shower?

The countertop in this kitchen is edged beautifully. That’s a triple-pencil edge. A gorgeous detail, adds so much character.

A very dramatic entry.

Wainscotting up to the ceiling, a bold serpentine mirror, and a peppering of blue - rug, staircase runner & upholstery. Pretty darn perfect.

A warm and colorful bathroom. The wallpaper and backsplash are a winning combination.

I’m sure I’ll be coming back many times over to their portfolio. I hope you enjoyed that as much as I did!