Sandra’s Top 10: Favorite Dining Chairs

Here are my 10 favorite dining chairs, frankly it was hard to whittle the selection to ten.

1.  I love this Chippendale side chair by Hickory Chair for it’s flirty skirt and the ability to have fun with monograms and contrast welt.  Note the tiny covered buttons at the base of the seat back just above the skirt, great detail!!

1820-02 Chippendale Side Chair by Hickory Chair

2.  This chair speaks to my love for Louis XVI, plus the au courant washed oak finish with the simple linen seat cover.  

Orleans Rattan Back Side Chair – Aidan Gray Home

3.  The Marlboro Chair by Hickory Chair is designed for diiiiiining, seriously, you can’t top this chair for comfort, and you design aficionados may recognize it as the chair that Suzanne Kasler used at Blackberry Farm in its restaurant The Barn (see images of the restaurant below).   I’ve used them as both dining room chairs and breakfast nook chairs.  P.S. They also are available with a tufted back, lovely!! 

6172-11 Marlboro Side Chair by Hickory Chair 

Blackberry Farm - images Tobi Fairly 

Blackberry Farm - images Tobi Fairly 

4.  This is a fantastic chair because it delivers a lot of style in a small package 21” wide x 23.5” deep.  Not all dining rooms are blessed with large proportions (actually I prefer small intimate dining rooms anyway) and this chair has classic English lines with a feminine touch.  It also can be customized in some of the coolest finishes!!

7751-02 Manor House Side Chair: by Hickory Chair

5.  I actually own this chair in a celadon and gold finish with a Pindler and Pindler washed damask fabric.  They too are an all night sink into lingering dining chair.  Which to me are the best!!

519-522 Coteau Arm Chair: by Century

 

6.  I love the lines on this dining chair, simple, classic and graceful, without being fussy.  And as you can see from the other selections, I like a little fussiness now and then. 

2598-D1 Precedent

7.  Simply charming, my dear!!  Need I say more?

Sarah Side Chair: by Oly

8.  Ok, this one has charm and glamour packed into one little chair.  Perhaps its the antique silver finish and the smart gray linen fabric.  But this chair has a life beyond the table.  Fabulous vanity stool, darling in a woman’s closet, next to the tub, seating in a foyer, the list goes on!!! 

Sophie Side Chair by Oly

9.   I was so very excited to finally be able to use this chair in one of my designs.  It’s a slipcover but its that chicer side of shabby chic. Actually, it’s not shabby chic at all, it’s just plain chic.   I see this in my home in the very near future.  P.S. it comes as a bar and counter stool, such a sophisticated slip covered chair!!!

Avignon Slipcover Arm Chair 

10.  Barbara Barry’s Oval X back Dining Chair.   Probably the most modern day copied dining chair of our time.  All a person has to say is, it look like the Barbara Barry dining chair and I know exactly which one they mean.  Say no more…

Barbara Barry Oval X back dining Chair – Baker Furniture

 

What’s your favorite???

Projects at Home Update

Recall that I was freshening up the look of my sofa by adding new pillows.  This is the latest, and since I’m faxing the P.O. s for the fabrics tomorrow, I’m confident in my selections. 

Here’s the before picture of the sofa:

 

This was the inspiration:

 

This is what I’ve decided on:

Three large pillows 30” x 30” across the back of the sofa (replacing the current back cushions).  Plus I’m having the face fabric of the pillow diamond quilted and leaving the back the plain velvet. 

 Designer’s Guild:  Varese Ruggiero in Aqua

Then I’m going to have one 24” x 24” pillow made from this and banded in a tangerine solid silk:

Manuel Canovas:  Byzance  in Quartz

(note that my scan looks more lavender it truly a pale pink)

 

And the one 24” x 24” pillow made from this very cool new intro from Brunschwig & Fils

Brunschwig & Fils: Chevron Bar Silk in Blossom  (it comes in several beautiful colors)

And then for a little added pizzazz I’m going to do one small pillow in this banded in either aqua or pink:

Kravet : Hejira – 816 from the Candice Olsen Collection

Of course I’ve been thinking, I can sew these, but now that I’ve decided on the fabrics I’m going to want them asap, which means they’re probably going to my workroom :). 

Sandra’s Top 10: Favorite Beds

I’m going to start doing posts on my top 10 favorite design elements, it may be furniture, lighting, bedding, artwork, accessories, carpet…well you get the gist…

Note these aren't in any particular order.

1.  This bed is that perfect balance of sophistication and elegance.  It makes me want to be served breakfast in bed.

Newport Bed E. J. Victor 

 

2.  A Saturday morning bed, complete with the morning paper, a laptop and a cup of Illy coffee with steamed milk, perfection!!

Continental Classics Upholstered Bed – Hickory White

 

3.  Quintessentially Hollywood, simple, chic…mimosas come to mind. 

Julia Gray Mirrored Bed – E.J. Victor

 

4.  A gentleman’s bed. I can see this paired with a masculine plaid or the total opposite, softened with white walls and gauzy cotton sheers blowing in the breeze. 

Island Classics Hi Low Poster Bed – Hickory White

 

5. Perfect for a young lady or in the cottage at the beach.  Relaxed and comfortable. Fabulous upholstered with chunky linen fabric, brightly colored leather or natural woven grass cloth.

Helena Bed – Oly Studio

 

6. Another sophisticated look with a modern twist.  Although hard to see, it features nail head trim along the bottom of the side and foot rails. 

 

Upholstered Bed – Precedent Furniture

 

7.  Elegant but not too overdone.  I ordered this bed in a dark sable finish, with the swag  and fluted detail highlighted in antique silver stripe.  The headboard was upholstered in a  beautiful  natural woven fabric with antique silver nail head trim.  Magnificent! 

English Regency Upholstered Bed – Hickory Chair

8.  The wonderful thing about this bamboo inspired poster bed below, it’s available in 17 colors, imagine the possibilities!

Summerland Key Bed – Somerset Bay Home

 

9. Yin and Yang…equally comfortable in a traditional environment and has clean lines to go more  modern without being too edgy.  

Annie Selke Canopy – Vanguard Furniture

10.  Last, but certainly not least.  I’m drawn to anything  Louis XVI, he is by far my favorite Louis:).  As a designer, we see so many options and admire so many styles and see what’s being introduced before the general pubic does, which frankly can make it difficult to make a decision about our own homes.  But this bed, I visited each Market and it was the benchmark for which I compared all other beds for my room, so hence I now own it and I absolutely love it!  See it pictured in my bedroom below. 

Louis XVI – Louis J. Solomon

Sandra Ling –Instinctive Interiors

Client Project: Lakes of Milford

I’ve started working with a new client this week, they are a young delightful couple, and they’ve chosen to begin with their great room. It is customary for me to request that the client look through magazines and put sticky notes on both the rooms and elements that they admire, as well as, things they dislike, which is equally beneficial.

It’s always interesting to discover how clients, who think they don’t have a “style” once they start perusing magazines and flagging room scenes and elements that they like they find that there is a common thread and consistency to what they admire.

The wife grew up in a home that was quite contemporary and those influences are in many of the furniture pieces that are existing in the home. The husband prefers a more traditional look and doesn’t want anything too dainty. We had such a great meeting last night with many ah ha moments and I’m so excited to get started on the project!!!

Here is the photo from House Beautiful that is our inspiration room, although they admire the monochromatic design of this room, they would like a few more pops of color. During our discussions yesterday we discovered that they like the visual texture of this room and would like fabrics that are tactile and soft in their design plan.

House Beautiful - Interior Design: Robert Brown Photography: James Merrell

Two other photos that they admired are of foyers shown below, see the common thread? 

Architectural Digest - Interior Design: Marjorie Shushan Photography: Scott Frances

 

House Beautiful- Interior Design: Robert Brown Photography: James Merrell

I will be meeting with them in a couple weeks to present the design plan. I will post their presentation on the blog around the end of January. Stay tuned….. :)

Projects at home…

I want to start this post by stating that I am not a DIYer. I have people, top notch people that I have worked with for several years that complete my client projects and most of my projects. I say most because on occasion, I get a wild hair and will try my hand at something, usually when I do this, its either because I’m experimenting and I’m not sure that I’m going to like the outcome (this way I can adjust mid project if needed) or I’m simply being impatient. Like this past summer when I decided one Saturday morning that I wanted to paint the exterior of my studio and three different clients just happened to drive by while I was painting. One even yelled out the window, “hey don’t you have people that do that for you:?? A little awkward but absolutely hilarious!!!

OR the other task I will try on occasion, is sewing. After 12 years of home economics and the “sewing badge” to be my first earned as a Girl Scout, I get the urge to sew something. It’s usually a pillow or a tablecloth, Christmas stocking or Christmas Tree skirt. Once in this house I did make drapery panels, lined and interlined, which I will never do again, because my workroom does a much better job, plus it took me twice as long because I did a prototype first.

Anyway, now that I’ve said that, I’m planning on doing a little freshening up/ finishing up a few projects here at home. My first one is to swap out the pillows on my sofa. I’m going to remove the back pillows and replace them with 3 30” x 30” and 2 24” x 24” down filled pillows and a small lumbar in the center.

First Project:

Here’s the before picture:

Keep in mind that I’m freshening up with pillows, I love these colors and will maintain that scheme in my great room for now. This is also something that I encourage my clients to do, after a while or seasonally, it’s time to freshen the room with new pillow covers. I purchased the above accent pillow covers a few years ago in a shop in Saint Germaine in the 6th arrondissement of Paris France. While I have truly enjoyed them they are starting to show wear.

I just purchased this pillow and will use it as an inspiration piece. Designers Guild Delancey – Lime

Here are some of my optional coordinates:

Designers Guild Varese Color Aqua – a fabulous velvet!

Designers Guild – Tsuga – love the shimmer!

Designers Guild Marienlyst in Fuchsia

Designers Guild Marienlyst in Leaf – which I’m totally a sucker for anything green!

Highland Court’s Marrakesh Collection in Tangerine

Highland Court’s Marrakesh Collection in Aqua

Once I’ve settled on the fabrics I’ll work on the trims. .

Second Project:

This is a chair in my great room, pretty but I feel that it lacks interest…I usually have a pillow on it but it doesn’t seem to be enough, I think it needs a little perking up. Maybe it’s the pillow that I just purchased above from Designers Guild? Or I may add some decorative tape to the back and seat cushion or reupholster it altogether. Stay tuned….

Third Project:

Here is a picture of my dining room, it has not always been a dining room, first it was an office, which I quickly grew out of it. Since my home does not have a dining room per se’, which I very much have missed, recently I decided to transform this room into one. Although it is small, believe it or not it accommodates eight very cozily, and there is nothing better than hanging out with 8 of my closest friends enjoying delicious food, a decadent bottle of wine and fabulous conversation!! The room still needs tweaking…it looks like an office turned dining room. Not that I have an issue with rooms that are dual purpose dining /office, I just don’t want one.

Before picture of dining room:

Before picture of dining room ceiling:

I’m particularly troubled by the ceiling its boring and the trim lacks interest too. I have selected a couple of Ralph Lauren Regent Metallics colors for the trim and ceiling.

Trim: Bronze Statue RM 40 Ceiling: Great Hall Cream RM20

Admittedly, not the best images of the paint selections but if you stop by your nearest Home Depot you’ll see for yourself. Check back in February for the finished project update.

Linen Wash…the best product for linens and towels

Back in October I traveled to Chicago to attend the Design Chicago 2009 which was a series of seminars and special keynote speakers. When I say keynote, I mean KEYNOTE, such as Barbara Barry, Daryl Carter, Barclay Butera, Matthew Smyth which I enjoyed immensely. Part of the reason for my visit was to obtain my CEU’s for ASID. One of the CEUs believe it or not was How to Dress a Beautiful Bed hosted by the Ruggeri Gallery Home Showroom in the Mart that carries the Peacock Alley bedding line. After the seminar we were invited back to the showroom and there is where I found the most wonderful product…Linen Wash and Towel Wash. It work beautifully and it’s fragrance is heavenly. I especially like the towel wash fragrance.

I’m partial to white towels, matter in fact, if you’re ever a guest at my house you’ll see that the only color of towel that I own is white. I also like them to be bright white and soft, I’m not a fan of harsh chemicals so I don’t bleach neither do I use fabric softener. This product does just that, it keeps the towels white and soft. In the past I have had to replace the white towels often because the cotton does oxidize and they become a dingy white, which is why I don’t spend a lot of money on towels but this product makes an inexpensive towel even better. In the past, I’ve purchased my towels at Costco, they have this great deal on Martex towels which are 6 towels for $19.99 that’s not a typo…20 bucks for 6 towels. I just looked at the Costco website and they don’t list them on the site but they might be in the store.

P.S. The Martex hand towels and washcloths are equally nice and inexpensive.

Happy New Year!

Tiffani Taylor

This is a piece of work done by the delightful artist Tiffani Taylor. I love her use of mixed medium; sheet music, notes, maps, gold leaf, and acrylic paint. I selected this this piece because the colors and words reflect my enthusiasm for 2010. One filled with hope, excitement, and love for my family and friends.

Blessings to you all in 2010!!!