Capri

The last time I was in Capri was in 2002. One of my favorite memories of Capri was shopping at an open air shop where cobbler, Antonio Viva has been making sandals for celebrities and tourists for over fifty years. He had photos of himself with Jackie O in white jeans and a black T wearing her signature dark sunglasses and his sandals of course...so chic. Capri for me is the ultimate in laid back luxury. The newest hotel on the island is the J.K. Place. J.K. Place is a luxury boutique hotel with a hip and modern coastal style.






















All Photos J.K. Place Capri via Google images, http://www.jkcapri.com
"When summer gathers up her robes of glory, and like a dream of beauty glides away."- Sarah Helen Power Whitman

Photo: My grandparents, Ellen and Charlie Poulos in the Summer of 1948, Gloucester, Massachusetts

Divine Design

Using two different toile fabrics in the same room...a design challenge best left only in the hands of a professional. Done well and the results are extraordinarily beautiful. While meeting with a client today, we found a chinoserie toile fabric in shades of cream, gray and taupe that we would love to include in the space. However, we will be using a completely different toile grass cloth paper also in cream and taupe on a feature wall in the same room. I snapped a couple photos of the design layout on our work table before we left the studio this evening. When I returned home, I happened to stuble upon this first image of Carolina Herrera's Resort Collection for 2010 and it all clicked. The shadowed outdoor architectural back drop of the runway in shades of cream and taupe along with the models dressed in shades of gray, taupe and cream appeared visually to me to be a three dimensional toile on toile. I just love when design falls into place...divine design. Now, I can sleep. Good night.

Photo: Carolina Herrera Resort 2010

Photo: The toile fabric we plan to use. Image from House Beautiful Source: http://www.chinoseriechic.blogspot.com

Photo: Carolina Herrera Resort 2010

Photo: The grass cloth toile paper we plan to feature. Photo Credit: Designer, Celerie Kemble, House Beautiful

Photo: Our design plan of mixing two different toiles.

Photo: Carolina Herrera Resort 2010



Photo: Designer Carolina Herrera as a young girl in Venezeula Source: http://www.painfullyhip.com

Tearsheets and Madness

Yesterday, I realized that my car had a flat tire. In order to get to the spare, I had to empty the trunk. This was no easy task since my trunk is filled with boxes of old design magazines, carpet samples, bags and bags of fabric swatches and lots of high heel shoes I thought were missing. Obviously, it is time to do some space clearing. However, instead of throwing away the boxes of old magazines, I found myself sitting on my dining room floor reading the design magazines and tearsheeting a picture of Oprah in a cantaloupe colored shirt, a page of cantaloupe melon balls..a room with canataloupe colored drapes. How could I throw these away? I need them for my inspiration boards.

Our inspiration board that hangs above our work table is the direction that we plan to head in design that year or season. When we had the shop, it always amazed us that clients would walk by the gorgeous sofa or Italian chandelier and instead walk directly over to our design boards. Inspiration boards are an outward expression of the heart of the designer.

Below, I have included a video by Ralph Lauren that speaks to the heart of a designer, Ralph Lauren: Portrait of A Collection. Nancy and I, along with our designer friend, Mary Rose, often describe design as both a blessing and a curse. It keep us up at night and well, as Nancy says, "Life gets in the way of design.". Sounds terrible, like an obsession but in fact it is. At times, the movie in my mind wears me out and fortunately more often than not, it is as Ralph Lauren describes in the video, "exhilarating".

Photo: Ralph Lauren Source: Esquire.com

Ralph Lauren: Portrait of A Collection

Photo: Nathan Copen for Ralph Lauren via http://www.trendland.net

You can press pause on the ipod at the bottom of the page to stop the music from playing during the video.



Photo: Designer, Kelly Wearstler

Photo: Phillip Lim's Inspiration Board for Fall 2010 via Vogue.com

Photo: Phillip Lim via http://www.shoewawa.com

Photo: Michael Kors Inspiration Board for Fall 2010 via Vogue.com

Photo: Michael Kors Fall 2010

Photo: Marchesa Inspiration Board Fall 2010 via Vogue.com

Photo: Marchesa Fall 2010 Source: http://www.fashionindie.com



Photos: Designer, Suzanne Kasler Source: Atlanta Homes

Photo: Our Design Board for 2010 Photo Credit: http://www.sherrellphoto.com


Photo: Bobbi Brown Inspiration Board Source: http://www.beautifullivingstyle.blogspot.com

Photo: Bobbi Brown via Elle

Photo: Barbara Barry's Inspiration Board Source: http://www.beautifullivingstyle.blogspot.com

Photo: Barbara Barry via Kravet's Inspired Styles



Photos: Daniela Kamiliotis,Costume Designer & Vice President of Ralph Lauren's Women's Collection Source: http://www.moodboard.typepad.com

Then, there is Chanel. Her life story is truly inspirational. It is especially fascinating that when Coco Chanel died at the age of 87, they found only three complete outfits in her closet. Next time you visit Paris, you must visit her apartment at 31 Rue Cambon.


Coco Chanel in her studio.


"There is time for work. And time for love. That leaves no other time." - Coco Chanel

Photos: Coco Chanel via Google Images

Fall Project Color Palette: Cantaloupe

Nancy and I were brainstorming for a new project we will be working on this fall, when she suggested using the color of the inside of a cantaloupe. I said, "What?...A cantaloupe?..Are you crazy?". Nancy began describing the shades of cantaloupe from light to deep...and high laquer walls in that fabulous shade. I was sold.

I used to have a small Hermes orange gift box tied with the Hermes signature chocolate ribbon on our work table for inspiration. Of course, we have used that color palette before but I have never used the softer palette of cantaloupe. So once again, my brain was on again, scanning and searching for the color cantaloupe. So here is my "look book". I called Nancy, "Is this it..is this the cantaloupe?". "You got it.", she said. Thank god, I thought, I'm tired of searching for cantaloupes.

Photo: Designer, Kelly Wearstler

Photo: Hermes Source: http://www.handbagcomment.com

Photo: Thibault Jean for Veranda, Designer, Suzanne Kasler

Photo: http://www.rawepicurian.com

Photo: Veranda Cover

Photo: Christian Louboutin Source: http://www.agiftwrappedlife.blogspot.com

Photo: House Beautiful, Ina Garten

Photo: Arthur Elgort, Vogue UK Source: http://www.dustjacketattic.blogspot.com

...and a few examples of the classic Hermes color palette.

Photo: Designer, Windsor Smith



Source: http://www.browneyedbelle.blogspot.com

Photo: Aerin Lauder, House Beautiful

Rachel Hazelton is an Interior Designer from Middleton, MA with design projects in Andover, MA, North Andover, MA, Lynnfield, MA, Boxford, MA, Topsfield, MA, Boston's North Shore and throughout New England.
 
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