Everyone needs lamps! The placement of your table lamps should always be strategic, leaving no dark spots while creating the ideal ambiance. Table lamps not only make a statement, but can change the whole feeling of a space. With so many different shapes, materials, colors, and finishes, you have endless options with table lamps! It’s important for a table lamp to have the right scale and shape for the space, so here are some of my favorite lamps to inspire you!
1. Brush Stroke Lamp from Bunny Williams
2. Sophie Lamps from Christopher Spitzmiller, Inc.
3. Trentham Vase Lamp from Vaughan Designs
4. Hudson Table Lamp by Dragonette Ltd.
5. Dunes and Duchess Four Arm Lamp
6. Clayton Home Concrete and Brass Table Lamp
7. Tessaras Table Lamp by Pamela Sunday for Studio Van Den Akker
8. David Iatesta Nantucket Lamp
9. Diego Table Lamp by Dragonette Ltd
10. Drum Lamp from Uhuru
11. Julian Chichester Capri Table Lamp
12. Stiffel Ceramic and Brass Glazed Lamps
Last summer I shared my plans for a potting shed design that was a work in progress. Looking back on those initial plans, it’s interesting to see how many of those details were incorporated into the final design. And yes, it is possible to use grow bulbs with sconces! The finished potting shed gave my client the ideal space for spending time on his favorite hobby and has now been featured by Connecticut Cottages & Gardens as a Project of Note. To see photos and read about details of this project, pick up a copy of the magazine today!
Helping my clients turn a residence into the perfect, thoughtful interior is definitely the best part of my job! When I recently worked with a family to turn their architecturally overdone Greenwich townhouse into more natural, pared down interior, I was thrilled with the result. The home is now much more suited to its inhabitants. As an added bonus, this project has been featured in the May/June issue of At Home in Fairfield County. Pick up a copy today to read more about this amazing project which was completed in a mere six weeks!
Photos by Amy Vischio
Celadon is a great color for spring! It’s fresh, pretty, and pairs well with a variety colors. With blue and grey, celadon looks sophisticated and soothing. When paired with more vibrant hues, it balances out energetic colors for a well-rounded look. Celadon works with so many other colors because it stems from ocean blues, hazy greys, and muted greens. It definitely has a real zen-like quality!
1. Paraty Leather Shoulder Bag
2. Hand painted wallpaper from Gracie Studio
3. Dining room design by Suzanne Kasler
4. Evening gown by Zac Posen
5. Sage Wisdom from Benjamin Moore
6. Chic celadon. Image via Vogue.
7. Maribel Lantern Lamp by Coleen & Company
8. Celadon Grasscloth Wallpaper by The Wallpaper Company
When beginning a design project for a client’s home, I ask myself, “Who lives here?” It’s important for the design to tell the client’s story, not my own. With that in mind, I keep myself open to what my clients bring to the table. There is beauty in collaboration, and although I am surrounded by my own favorite and trusted sources, I appreciate being introduced to great resources by my clients. It broadens my horizons and adds to what I have to offer my future clients. Here are some examples of products, artists, and other resources I’ve learned about from clients.
Sets of books in earth tones.
Stocking a library or extensive bookshelves with antique books can be expensive. You also want to collect books you would actually read. However, putting together a set of books that also looks great with the room around them can be more of a challenge. A client introduced me to Books by the Foot, where you can order books by color, in matched sets, vintage books, wrapped books, and even faux books. This makes it possible to achieve just the pulled-together look you want in any style. This is an amazing site, even offering coffee table books and sets for commercial interiors!
Vintage cloth books.
2. Artists Ben Ham, Vik Muniz, and Eric Zener
Plantation Road by Ben Ham
Art changes the dynamic of a house and makes my work speak better. It creates a visceral reaction that varies from person to person, which is why art choices sometimes have to come from the client and not from the designer. When a client introduces me to an artist I am not familiar with, it’s such a gift! The photography of Ben Ham (who I’ve written about in the past), Eric Zener’s paintings, and Vik Muniz’s eclectic modern art, were all brought to my attention by clients. Expanding my knowledge of artists and having a relationship with a local gallery such as Samuel Owen Gallery, helps me collaborate with clients to find just the right art for each project.
Zebra, after George Stubbs by Vik Muniz
A New Direction by Eric Zener
3. Trainspotters Industrial Lighting and Salvage
Opaline drum pendant salvaged from a chapel.
A client from London who bought a house here in the US sent me a link to Trainspotters website and I fell in love with their amazing lighting. They have great scale and colors — I’d use these products in my own studio! This lighting, salvaged from a huge variety of places around Europe, are authentic and interesting. We used lighting from Trainspotters in my client’s kitchen and the results were fantastic!
Lighting salvaged from a hangar at Heathrow now installed in a hostelry in Portugal.
Czhech arms factory lights.
4. House Beautiful’s Colors for your Home
Colors for your Home
This book is a great resource I first learned of from a client. As a guide to color and creating a palette for a room, it’s an invaluable resource to share with clients. With actual paint swatches from a variety of manufacturers and beautiful examples of rooms, Colors for your Home makes it easier for clients to visualize an unlimited number of color schemes.
It’s not easy for me to step away from my hectic work schedule and give myself some down time, but if I were to treat myself to an incredible vacation I know exactly where I want to go! When I’m on vacation, I want my surroundings to be the opposite of my day-to-day life: serene, calming, and free of distractions. There are three hotels that are definitely on my must-visit bucket list and what all of them have in common is an incredibly appealing atmosphere of tranquility.
Blue Palace Resort and Spa, Greece: Stunning scenery, incredible blue water, and all of the luxuries you could desire on vacation. I would love to spend a week or two being pampered and spoiled here.
Infinity pool at Blue Palace Resort
Royal Blue Villa
Private Beach
Arsenali Lounge Bar Pool
Olea Dining Room
Rosewood Little Dix Bay: An amazingly gorgeous Caribbean destination in the British Virgin Islands. I love being near water, and Rosewood Little Dix Bay provides more than enough beautiful ocean for even me. With thoughtfully designed accommodations, a spa, and fine dining, this is exactly the kind of destination that I am drawn to!
So beautiful!
One of the dining areas.
Perfect beach.
Love the stone shower.
So relaxing!
Mayflower Inn and Spa: Nearer to home in Washington, Connecticut, the Mayflower Inn is a truly tranquil place to escape to. With beautifully landscaped grounds, luxurious fine dining, and spa you’d never want to leave, visitors here can indulge in as much (or as little) activity as they like. I love the clean, refreshing design and traditional sophistication of the accommodations.
Mayflower Inn’s lovely grounds.
Understated sophistication.
Simple and uncluttered.
A treat from the dining room.
A more traditional, elegant room.
What hotel would you love visit?
I recently worked on an interesting project for a client who asked me to design eight bedrooms. The rest of the home had already been decorated by another talented designer, so I had to be conscious and respectful of the work that had previously been done while at the same time designing for eight different personalities. Sometimes it can be harder to adapt to a style already in place than to start with your own vision from the beginning! One of the bedrooms belongs to a young boy and has been particular pleasure to work on.
The goal is to create a handsome room that will be suitable for this boy for many years to come. I’m planning a room he can grow in, for the rest of his childhood and into his teens and early adulthood. For that to happen, the bedroom has to contain elements that will appeal to the young boy as well as the person he will grow into. I started with a palette of colors and patterns that are masculine without being too adult.
Sophisticated rather than juvenile.
For the walls, I chose a paper from Phillip Jeffries that I’d been wanting to use for a long time!
Rivets in Copper on Elephant Manila Hemp
The furnishings and accessories also fit the idea of creating a handsome room for this young man. With leather accents, plaid, and other boyish touches, the furniture had to be solid and strong without overpowering the space.
Sutton Desk from Noir Furniture
French Academie Iron Bed from Restoration Hardware
Redhill Side Table from Noir
Steam Punk table lamp by Jamie Young
Another nice accent I used in this room is this leather braid for the window treatments.
Samuel and Sons Woven Italian Leather Braid
I can’t wait to see all of these elements come together to create a fantastic room!
A night table is a piece of furniture whose use and appearance depends on your habits. For example, my own night table has so much stuff on it! It’s usually covered with magazines that I never quite seem to finish reading. For you, the night table might be a place to store things, display things, or simply keep certain items within easy reach. The style of your night table can also be a reflection of the rest of the bedroom, using different materials to create an overall mood. The night table can be sexy with a glossy coat of lacquer or serene when layered with an ottoman. Or, it can be a simple, understated table! Here are some examples of great night tables in a variety of styles.
1. Astro Bedside Table by Oly. This table presents a lighter feeling when storage isn’t required.
2. Custom St. Tropez Nightstand with marble top.
3. Julien Chichester night table I installed in a client’s bedroom.
4. Jet Setter side tables by Room Service
5. Weems Table by David Iatesta
6. A custom night table for a client.
7. Eve Table from Dering Hall: I love the combination of nail heads, wood, and fabric.
8. Frances 2-Drawer Side Table from Bungalow 5
9. DL Marie Side Table from Profiles: Old world glam inspired.
10. Another custom night table for one of my clients.
11. VH Jeffrey Side Table from Profiles
12. Olin table from Dering Hall
Brass was a popular finish in the 1970s on furniture and accessories, and in the 1980s brass fittings, plumbing, and hardware were mainstream choices until the clean look of polished nickel edged it out of common use. Lately brass has made a comeback, and not in an over-the-top, opulent manner. Brass can be tactfully done to add warmth and elegance to a space. It can be chic, lend an art deco feel to a room, and have a visually grounding effect. Similar to using gold accessories, brass can be that pop of something extra in a beautiful interior. Here are some of my favorite examples of using brass in interior design!
1. Clarendon Wall Mirror from Crate & Barrel
2. Kismet & Karma Brass Tiles by Alloy
3. Brass Coffee Table by Mastercraft
4. Brass staircase railing by Kelly Wearstler, image via Elle Decor
5. Brass Console Table by Taylor Llorente
7. Brass Sink
8. Iacoli & McAllister Brass Pendant Lamp
9. Brass Door, image via Fffound
10. Folded Brass Wall Decor from Dwell Studio
11. Lumiere Chandelier by Jean de Merry
12. Brass Door Handle, image via Dwell
Cover image: Steampunk Panel from Spoonflower
Interior design firm Atelier AM is composed of husband and wife team Michael and Alexandra Misczynski. Based in Los Angeles, their client list includes Tom Cruise and Katy Holmes as well as Jane and Michael Eisner. After only ten years in the design field, they have earned an incredible reputation for stunning design. They are an amazing duo and a powerhouse of a team.
I love Atelier AM’s worldly, well lived in interiors. The way they use scale and materials ranging from wood to iron is very clever. Their use of reclaimed elements looks fresh, designed for today as opposed to period pieces.
I love how Atelier AM starts with a neutral base and adds fabulous pieces of furniture. The decoration is very simple, but with handsome, rich materials. The interiors are collected and full of history.
Alexandra and Michael’s designs have a chameleon quality, able to adapt to the surrounding environment while staying true to their earthy, organic style. Whether they’re designing an apartment in NYC or a loggia in California, they succeed in creating the ideal look for each project.
One of my favorite design books is Atelier AM’s Interiors. You can also find contact information on their website as well as many more images of their work online through the numerous design sites, blogs, and magazines that have featured this talented team.
b Spoke is a blog that mixes what happens when life experience and interior design are combined. As a designer, I come across things that inspire my creativity almost constantly, whether it's the vibrant color of moss growing on a stone wall or that perfect find at a local antique dealer. Taking that inspiration and sharing it with a wider audience is how bSpoke came into existence. ~ Amy Hirsch
Copyright ~ 2013
