Things We Love: French Chairs

Design Traveller

The perfect test score. The ultimate birthday. The number of blog posts we’ve done! One hundred really is a great number. Thanks to our “virtual friends” from all over the world for being so wonderful and supportive. We are inspired every day by your ingenious ideas, witty remarks and — most importantly — gorgeous taste. Here’s to 100 more!

To mark this milestone, we decided to carry on our “Things We Love” category with the thing that, perhaps, we love the most: French chairs. Any room, any style, any time, they just work. This room from Design Traveller is an example of juxtaposition at its finest. Distressed pieces and gilded pieces blend together seamlessly to create not just a look, but, what we believe is the ultimate goal in any room: a feel.

These two classic bathrooms, the top from My Ideal Home and the bottom from Designer Amy D. Morris, are places we’d like to linger.

Amy D Morris Designer

Decorpad

What a sweet, perfect, divine nursery from Decorpad — especially if the sex of the baby is a surprise. It is so simple, but the chandelier and the bergere chair add a touch of elegance.

Sue Burgess Interiors

Neutral colors with a splash of yellow, like these rooms from Sue Burgess Interiors are one of our favorite combinations…

Robin Bell Design

As is the French/rattan combo, like this from Robin Bell Interiors.

Decorpad

French chairs for lounging and a mirrored vanity? I’m so redoing my bathroom…

Dream a Little Dream

This big, roomy chair from Dream a Little Dream, looks a bit comfier than the one I’m sitting in right now… And the view out the window makes it seem like this desk is the perfect place to work a little or — well — dream a little dream!

Charles Faudree Designer

No one does French more masterfully than Charles Faudree. Case in point.

Everything Fabulous

Upholstered French chairs in the dining room feel so cozy and comfortable to me. Wood can be beautiful, but sometimes it looks harsh — and, after a five-course meal, can cause serious back pain! This set from Everything Fabulous is so inviting.

Living Inside

When I see a gorgeous antique pair like these from Living Inside I always wonder who was sitting in them several centuries ago. Was Marie Antoinette lounging in her crinoline in a chair like this one? Who knows.

Ryan Korban Designer

Books, flowers, a French chair… It’s almost too good, Ryan Korban.

Polly Wreford Photography

One of our favorite things about French chairs is that, contrary to popular belief, they don’t have to be fussy. This hot pink fabric and imperfect paint from Polly Wreford Photography is so casually chic without being overdone at all.

Thanks again for all your support, and we’d like to apologize for a few technical difficulties that put us a little behind this week. We’re back in action!

Things We Love: Settees

Amie Corley Design

Casual or formal, gilded or whitewashed, upholstered or cane. When it comes to settees, we aren’t particular. In any room, nook or cranny, from the oversized to the teeny tiny, it seems that there is a perfect settee for every spot.

We are obsessed with everything that Amie Corley Design has done in this first space: the alligator, the flokati, the coral, the books, the lucite, and, of course, the settee complete with those super-fun pillows. An area that many might have ignored becomes a gorgeous sitting area with a few fabulous touches.

Hopscotch and Grace

A splash of hot pink and flowers adds whimsy to this traditional frame. Thanks to Hopscotch and Grace for the photo!

James Michael Howard

Love the weathered paint, the starburst mirror, and, of course, James Michael Howard for putting it all together.

Design Addict Mom

Isn’t this painting, from Design Addict Mom, awesome?

The Townhouse

Virginia MacDonald Photography

This photo by Virginia MacDonald proves that, when it comes to settees, the old can be reinvented in unexpected ways. What a fun way to recycle!

Vintage Home

A more casual look from Vintage Home…

Traditional Home Magazine

And a much more formal one from Traditional Home.

The Decorista

This chic look from The Decorista is perhaps our favorite. The flax color is calming and complements the details of the wood perfectly.

Everything Fabulous

Fabulous cane backing from Everything Fabulous.

Victoria Neale Interiors

I sometimes think of settees as being a little stuffy, but this one, from Victoria Neale Interiors, looks like you could just plop down and take a nap.

Happy 2011, everyone! We hope the first Monday of the New Year is a great one!

Things We Love: Antlers

Timothy Corrigan Designer

It’s the seasonal event that many women dread: your husband comes home from a long, cold day of  hunting with… a deer head. And, as if the subconscious Bambi comparisons aren’t bad enough, he wants to hang it in — yup, you guessed it — the family room. Thankfully, these designers prove that those antlers, far from being a woodsy, “man cave” (or back of the closet) accessory, can add a masculine touch to any room in your house. Want the look without all the tears? Antique shops are brimming with antlers of all kinds these days.

We love how Timothy Corrigan used antlers to spice up this huge space with its lofty ceilings. Sometimes one dimensional art can get a little, well, flat. This room definitely makes a statement.

Kathleen Rivers Designer

Kathleen Rivers seamlessly combines the rustic with the elegant to create a room that anyone would love. That antler light fixture is so very fabulous.

The Steward

Now that is a man cave. And a gorgeous one at that. This is how I picture the hunter’s house in “The Most Dangerous Game,” boldly displaying a collection of his conquests from all over the world. Did you ever read that story?

Ralph Lauren Store - NYC

Nobody does the great outdoors better than Ralph… or the great indoors, judging from his gorgeous stores in NYC.

Riverhills Showhouse - Southern Accents

Incredibly tall ceilings like this is where those deer really shine.

Restoration Hardware

We just adore Restoration Hardware’s new look. Don’t you?

Jeffrey Bilhuber Designer

A gorgeous spot by Jeffrey Bilhuber. Even with all those skulls there’s a sort of softness to the room from the color palette and that plush rug on the floor.

Everything Fabulous

I know I may have mentioned this once or twice or a hundred times, but there is nothing better than a room full of books. And this simple pair of antlers as a centerpiece is perfection. Thanks for sharing Everything Fabulous, because that’s just what everything in this room is.

Decorpad

Super cool space from Decorpad. I don’t know who works at this desk, but I bet they do something really creative.

Thom Filicia Designer

This is the ultimate chic cabin by Thom Filicia. From the looks of those oars, it seems a mounted fish might be joining the other animals soon.

Polly Wreford Photographer

Those heads are more versatile than we even knew. What a great way to celebrate! Hope you’re celebrating this Monday too!

Things We Love: Venetian Mirrors

Decorpad

Of all the unique and wonderful things about Venice — the canals, the art and, of course, the prosecco — one of the best things these inventive people ever came up with was the Venetian mirror. The delicate curves, bevels and designs of these beauties make them a show-stopping addition to any room and, consequently, one of the things we deeply, absolutely love. And the Venetians weren’t even being vain when they devised such a lovely creation. No, they used mercury to back glass with tin foil to reflect light from candles to brighten up rooms. (We thought you might want a free history lesson today. Your welcome.) Five centuries and electricity later there are still few things as enchanting as the reflection of candlelight dancing across a room. Chandelier light works pretty well too. And the best part? Everyone looks better in the reflection of a truly beautiful mirror. Happy Monday, a.k.a. 11 shopping days left!

This first picture from Decorpad obviously features a stunning mirror, but what about that demilune console? Divine.

Vicki Saxton and Renee Prudhomme - Traditional Home

Domino Magazine

Gerald Pomeroy Interiors

This idea, from Gerald Pomeroy Design Group, is one of the best we’ve seen. A wall of mirrors in a bathroom is useful and often necessary but can get, well, boring. This Venetian in the center is fabulous and makes the whole thing so very interesting.

Lisa Epley Interiors

This room designed by Lisa Epley Interiors is graced by one of the most unique mirrors in the round up.

M.A. Belle DMesigns

On this 20 degree day (I know that’s balmy compared to some of your weather, but, for us, it’s pretty chilly…) I would like to climb into this bubble bath. What an incredible tub! MA Belle Designs captured that ever-illusive duality of sleekness and warmth so magnificently here.

Massucco-Warner-Miller Design

Nancy Corzine Design

The ever-chic Nancy Corzine really delivers in this bathroom fit for a queen. (Kate Middleton, if you’re reading this, you should really enlist her to spruce up the palace.)

Robert Passal, Inc.

There’s a hidden spot for every necessity in this bathroom by Robert Passal, Inc. The juxtaposition of the dark wood with the marble and mirror blends feminine and masculine effortlessly. (And Mom has that awesome shell in her house!)

Sarah Richardson

Sarah Richardson, who, incidentally, can also be filed under “Things We Love” has a knack for channeling elegance whether she’s in a farmhouse or, in this case, a marble bath. The area makes a dramatic statement while also being functional and taking up very little space. Sarah, come on to North Carolina. Our houses can be “Sarah’s House” any day!

Style Me Pretty

This whole room from Style Me Pretty is so glamorous. The lucite stools, the delicate roses… They are perfect but can’t hold a candle to those floor-length Venetians. Honey, one (or three) of those would make an excellent Christmas surprise!

Matthew Millman and Mical Venera Photographers

VT Interiors

Such an idyllic space for a little girl… We hope your day is just as dreamy!

Things We Love: Banquettes

Southern Accents

Banquettes. Not only do they look beautiful but they sound beautiful as well. The word just rolls off the tongue… Just like this first curved banquette rolls around the room. These benches are elegant, comfortable and, if they’re tufted like some of these examples, all the better. The antlers over the stove are super cool too.

Kreative Kottage

This window seat banquette is so fabulous. What a great way to maximize every inch of space in a smaller room.

Lynn Morgan Design

Decorpad

Many of these banquettes are in casual spaces, but this one is just so incredibly elegant. It just goes to show that these pieces are so versatile, not to mention that it’s possible to have a formal dining area even if you don’t have a lot of space.

Amanda Nisbet Designer

Elle Decor

Love, love, love the lucite!

Better Homes and Gardens

Kemble Interiors

The color flow in this house is so amazing. We love how they’ve incorporated splashes of the bold citrus in the adjoining room with those great bamboo chairs and vintage light fixture.

Absolutely Beautiful Things

This just goes to show that pattern doesn’t have to be scary. I would never have been brave enough to have checks on the floor, stripes on the bench and pattern on the chairs. But the effect is just so finished. And bold.

Massucco-Warner-Miller Design

My Home Ideas

I think this one is my favorite. The color palette is so serene.

Period Homes Magazine

The cabinetry really makes this room, in my opinion. These display cases are so well done and create an instant focal point — not to mention a great place to store all your pretty things!

MMR Interiors

Tufted leather = to die for. I always think of black tufted leather for a man’s den, but this shiny banquette is so unexpected in this space. It’s amazing!

My Ideal Home

Turquoise, Tulips and Bliss

Orange is such a fun color and makes the yummiest splash when done well, like it is in this room.

Things We Love: Chaise Lounges

Dominique Vorillon Photographer via Coastal Living

I don’t know if it’s because we’re wearing our Spanx as tight as they used to wear their corsets, but we are as crazy about chaise lounges (or fainting couches…) as those 19th-century women were. Even if you don’t expressly need a place to lounge because your undergarments are restricting the flow of oxygen to your brain, there is no better place to relax than a couch built for one — or two if you’re in a snuggly mood.

This oceanfront living room is a beyond amazing place to curl up and watch late-night movies with the sound of the ocean in the background. We just might want to turn those chairs the other way to admire the view…

via Greige

James Michael Howard Designer

Designer Jill Johnson's Beach House

Giraffe print is fabulous in any room, but we especially like it in a nursery because, as the baby grows and the room transitions, the print doesn’t have to change one bit.

m elle design

Isn’t everything better when it’s tufted?

Womack Interiors

Robert Passal Interiors

Rinfret Ltd.

A chaise in the bathroom is so glamorous. Wouldn’t you want to spend more time lounging in your bathroom if it looked like that?

Attic Mag

We love the juxtaposition of the starfish with the french frame. It’s so fun for a coastal home!

Candace Bushnell's Living Room

I am unbelievably jealous of Candace Bushnell’s pink chaise lounge and now devastated that the one I picked for my office is white. What a great place to peruse a great novel… Sex and the City, anyone?

Things We Love: Balloon Vases

Design Sponge

We love any sort of artful contrast in a room, and balloon vases are a perfect way to achieve that balance between playful and elegant. Their delicate arches and generally less-than-perfectly-clear colors give them an antique feel that can spice up any surface — plus, they’re great filled with flowers or all on their own. Palm fronds, fun branches or even beautiful, sophisticated lilies and hydrangeas give these balloon vases a totally different look in every room. Personally, we’ve always loved them best in a beach house but were pleasantly surprised at how fabulous they look in even the most formal spaces pictured below. We hope you enjoy these images as much as we did!

Southern Living Magazine

Peter Dunham Designs via House Beautiful

Everything AB

Phoebe Howard Design

Robert A.M.Stern Designer via Architectural Digest

Turquoise, Tulips and Bliss

Traditional Home

Thomas Pheasant Design

William Hodgins Design via Architectural Digest

Jessica Helgerson Interiors

Elle Interior

Things We Love: Conservatories

Castles, Crowns and Cottages

It’s true that the best things in life are free. The sunshine, the rain… Just being outside can totally change my attitude and frame of mind. That being said, who needs to go outside when you can experience the great outdoors from the comfort of your own handcrafted conservatory? I keep a notebook full of decorating ideas and this first photo from Castles, Crowns and Cottages is displayed in it. Last night, my husband said, “Why don’t we add something like that off our sunroom?” What a lovely idea. Perhaps we should start playing the lottery after all… The good news is, I’m not picky. I’d take any single one of the conservatories on this page. We hope these images add a little sunshine to your day!

Architectural Digest

We love light. Lots and lots of light in every room. Imagine how much we could save on energy costs if our ceilings and walls were made entirely of windows! (Love, love the fur pillows too!)

Homes

Mark Hutker Architect

This conservatory, designed by architect Mark Hutker reminds me of a greenhouse. Maybe if I had that room, I keep the orchids from two posts ago alive!

My Ideal Home

Don’t you think if you lived somewhere like this gorgeous country garden, featured in My Ideal Home, your only responsibilities would be taking that precious watering can and tending to your plants?

My Ideal Home

Inspired Design

The Little Book of Secrets

What a perfect place to wake up every morning and have a little tea and breakfast.

Spitzmiller and Norris Architects

The contrast of the airiness of the light flowing in with the dark wood and floor is such a fabulous idea from Spitzmiller and Norris Architects. That is the ideal spot for watching thunderstorms!

The Little Book of Secrets

Breathtaking… There is no other word for this one. Thanks Little Book of Secrets!

Conservatory Designs

Southern Accents Peter Marino Architect

Things We Love: Orchids

A Vintage Chic

Orchids. Is there anything more beautiful? They’re so delicate and lovely and just look so — well — expensive. In a traditional urn in the entrance hall, clear glass in the family room or — our favorite from this post — in a clam shell on the kitchen table (fabulous juxtaposition!) this simple, striking flower can become a focal point in any room. Now, sigh, if we could only keep them alive… These beautiful photos have inspired me to try just one more time. If Donna Karan can manage it with her schedule, surely I can too!

Kelly McGuill Home Galleries

Designer Kerry Delrose

Martha Baxter Finger Interior Design

Modern Design

Designer James Radin

Wolfe-Rizor Designers featured in Florida Design Magazine

Elaine Griffin Interiors

JSD Portfolio

Meg Adams Interiors

Rinfret Design-Orchid from the lovely Diane James Home Collection

Style at Home

Donna Karan's Turks and Caicos Home

Andrew Twort Photography

Things We Love: Trays

Tray Carrier and Company

There’s nothing like breakfast in bed. Pancakes, PJs, Port City Java… (Ok, so I know they don’t have Port City Java locations everywhere, but Starbuck’s would totally have ruined my alliteration.) The elements of a perfect morning meal are all tied together with the quintessential breakfast tray. Whether it rests on your lap or sits comfortably over it, it’s that tray that really makes a regular old breakfast feel special. So, why not give that breakfast-in-bed feeling to all the rooms in your house? Trays are fabulous for defining a smaller space, such as a table or ottoman, and displaying anything you wish. And — it really can’t be said enough — resting one on a bed is just so inviting. It’s like being at a B & B every day. Don’t be surprised if your house guests linger just a little longer!

Tibault Jeanson Photography--Veranda Magazine

Betty Burgess Designer- Veranda Magazine

Meg Braff Designer - House Beautiful

Tamara Magel Designer - Architectural Digest

HGTV Dream Home

Hutker Architects

Architectural Digest

Carolyne Roehm Guest Room

David Jimenez Designer - House Beautiful

Keller Donovan Designer - House Beautiful