Recent Acquisition

This past weekend, I bought a cabinet on craigslist to replace a console table I had in my entry hall (slash dressing room), seen above. While the old console table was very pretty, it lacked essential storage. While advertised as antique, it's actually a newer piece which was a disappointment (especially as I had driven out to Ashburn!) but the quality is outstanding. It is unmarked though so I can't figure out the maker.Here is my old console table. I kept the mirror which oddly enough, is a near perfect match for the cabinet, which even odder still, is nearly the same exact size as the table! I can't make up my mind whether to use my old wedgwood lamp, which was my grandparents (the beige and brown urn) or to use a simpler white wedgwood lamp which needs a little work (the lamp shade extension needs to be removed as it is out of scale). Which do you prefer? I realize my Napolean bust from restoration hardware is also a bit big, but I like him and don't know where else he could go in my tiny apartment.
I lined the top 2 drawers with a beautiful marbelized paper which I think goes nicely with the marble top as well as 2 plates from my John Derian collection. How was your weekend?

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Hamptons Designer Showhouse: Details

To wrap up my coverage of the Hamptons Designer Showhouse, I thought I would share some of my favorite details found throughout the house which I hadn't shown.

The lower landing, which stopped most viewer's right in their tracks was completed by Welhil Interiors. They filled the space with a beautiful bar, a la 1950s and used this beautiful lucite chair at the base of the stair. The end wall was papered with an enormous blow up of a Long Island Map, charming!

The dining room off of the foyer was decorated by Robert Stilin. Robert created a contemporary space anchored by a great chandelier that I wanted to take home with me! Robert has been a fixture in showhouses for quite awhile; past Hamptons designer showhouses as well as Kips Bay (see coverage of his 2011 Kips Bay room on Habitually Chic).

The Mendelson Group created a modern stair landing (including this incredible lamp) on the 2nd floor. Notice the wallpaper with the great subtle details.Patricia Fisher designed a beautiful and feminine guest room which was a sea of blues. I loved this console table (notice the Hickory Chair stools which were found throughout the house used by a few designers.

Haus Interiors decorated the foyer and it was definitely an eye catching space. This console table and stools reminded me a lot of a Missoni print.Lillian August decorated the living room in a charming vintagey beach style. I loved the large scale landscape drawing on the wall.Meg Braff, never one to disappoint, turned a pokey butler's pantry and powder room into beautiful spaces through texture and color. This powder room is perfect for a beach house.

Eddie Lee turned the guest sitting room overlooking the pool into a sophisticated retreat. The colors of celedon green and beautiful blue seemed fresh and crisp. I loved the tufted sofa.

This seating area looked like a great place to sit down with a good book (and martini!)

Keith Baltimore decorated one of the bedrooms in a vintage style which was so fun: I loved the house of the Hickory Chair column in the corner.

The beautiful kitchen was completed by Bakes and Company. The carrara tile backsplash is what I would put into my own kitchen and I loved these old storage jars.Behind the house lies a beautiful pool and enormous poolhouse (the size of most houses which I preferred to the main house!)The main sitting room of the poolhouse was decorated by Eileen Kathryn Boyd. The windows facing the neighbor's yard are covered in gorgeous yellow curtains and enhanced by urn topped columns.

Even the changing area, also decorated by Eileen, left no detail untouched. I see a lot of cute pillows and totebags I'd want to take with me to the beach!

I hope you enjoyed my coverage of the Design Showhouse. You still have time to visit the house and see it for yourself for another week -it closes on September 4th.

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Hamptons Designer Showhouse: Ron Foire for Hickory Chair

The enormous master suite at the Hamptons Designer Showhouse was designed by Ron Fiore for Hickory Chair. Using many of Hickory Chair's classic pieces, Ron wove together an elegant and airy bedroom with different zones for a hideaway within the house.

I loved the desk beneath a window facing the pool beside the fireplace; those large work areas are so useful for spreading out!

The tablescapes around the room were stunning, whats not to like with this collection of vases?Although a bit washed out in my photograph, the sitting area looked like the perfect little corner to cozy up into. I love having those 2 lamps side by side in the shelf for reading lights.

A virtual footboard for the bed was created with the backs of these timeless chairs (even Christian Dior would approve!).

If I had to find one fault with the room, and this is personal, I hate the trend to cover books with paper. While I agree it makes the room more serene perhaps, I just love books and hate to see them covered. A bookshelf is so much more interesting when there are titles to survey.The master bath was completed by Carole Reed Design and I loved the layered window treatments. Even I, a sworn shower taker, might be tempted by this tub (and my monogram is even included on that towel!).

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Hamptons Designer Showhouse: Donald Schermerhorn

The best laid out room at the Hamptons Designer Showhouse was the family room by New York designer Donald Schermerhorn. Bucking convention, Donald laid out the furniture diagonally in the room which not only was interesting but aided traffic flow. Similarly, his room at the Kips Bay showhouse in 2009 also had an interesting furniture arrangement and garnered a lot of attention. See that room HERE on Habitually Chic. I love examples of thinking outside of the box like this!

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Hamptons Designer Showhouse: Tilton Fenwick

As I mentioned last week, my favorite rooms at the Hamptons Designer Showhouse were in the most unexpected places. One of these was the basement family room done by the noted interior decorators at Tilton Fenwick that have been in the press so much since opening shop in 2010.

While the layout of the room was a bit strange, set up for cocktail parties I presume, every object in it was so exquisite -something I would want for my own house.

The room lies at the rear of the house with the pool terrace above and unfortunately faces a gravel courtyard and tall stone wall. With a layered room this beautiful though, who needs to look out?

The first thing that struck my eye were these green velvet armless sofas -the most delectable pieces of furniture! I really wanted to sprawl out on one but it just didn't seem polite!

The turquoise opaline lamp in the corner livened up what would have otherwise been an awkward little alcove.

This horn covered chair was really striking, and the upholstery was really interesting - I think it might have been an outdoor fabric? It looks like mohair until you touched it. I loved the colorful collection of national geographics below the console.

This pretty corner bookcase brought a touch of whimsy to the space and I felt, connected it to the pool outside with the canopied top.

In the corner of the room was a simple bookcase piled high with drinks and snacks -perfect for a party, especially those salty pretzels!

The other side of the room had a lovely cabinet in the most beautiful wood tones.

They not only took on the family room, but also the adjacent powder room. What could have easily become a throw away space (in terms of design) took center stage with a beautiful patterned wallpaper with contrasting red mirror. Hopefully we'll be seeing a lot more from this talented duo!

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More from Highpoint: Hooker furniture

Another showroom I visited at Highpoint Market was Hooker furniture.

Much like Century furniture, Hooker carries a variety of lines with something for everyone. Above is Harbour Pointe which reminded me of a charming Maine cottage.They offer more contemporary lines as well. I loved the cerused oak finishes and the streamlined form of this armchair.

Small details always make such a huge difference to turn a piece of furniture into something special. The turned edge on the painted wood headboard above starts to create a cozy space.I love a good nightstand (maybe because I don't really have one in my tiny apartment) and this one had a large top but also a great shelf for books. Notice the great hardware too.The side of this accent table was adorned with an oversized postage stamp and postmarks - a painterly touch great for an informal den; especially for someone who likes to travel.

The drawers of this distressed dresser come pre-lined in a pretty paper -that reminds me to freshen up my own drawer liners!

This charming accent table, in a rather old fashioned gothic revival style, is enlivened by a coat of fresh green paint as if you had just picked it up from your local flea market but without all of the work! So many good ideas for my own apartment here.

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Century Furniture

I realized I have been back from High Point Market for months now and have never shared my favorite pieces from some of the manufactorers we saw! I'll start off with Century, probably my favorite. What I love about Century, other than their great quality, is that they span Classic to modern and everything in between as evidenced by these pictures. Growing up, my grandparents had a lot of furniture from Century (albeit their more modern collections) and so it's a brand I return to over and over again.

I'll start with Century's newest collection: Archive Home. This line is based a lot on the current trends for light, bleached and natural woods: think Belgian style and reclaimed woods.

I loved that they included a lot of the designer's sketches -such as the one of the table base seen above.This little quatrefoil side table is just the perfect spot for a drink beside a chair.

The arms of this linen sofa looked very Axel Vervoordt inspired to me; so elegant.

Many of the finishes were rustic, but you needn't worry about splinters; they know what they're doing.

Another favorite line of mine was the Oscar de la Renta Collection. I especially loved this parchment game table; perfect for the corner of any stylish living room.

This tortoise and parchment side table reminded me a lot of something my grandparents would have had (in a good way!).

This x bookcase from the Oscar de la Renta collection would be perfect for any room of the house. I could especially see it in a bedroom or den.

As I mentioned in my previous post, my favorite collection was the grand tour. The quality was outstanding and some of the pieces could fit into not only very traditional settings, but also more contemporary. The top of this handsome accent table is almost too pretty to cover up with anything!

The unusual treatment of the Grand Tour bombe chest makes it perfect for an entry hall or more modern hotel lobby.

The lines of this side chair in mahogany and walnut remind me of a klismos -can I have 12 of these for my dream dining room please?

While we're at it, I'll take one of these Mica Mirror cabinets for my bareware!Last but not least, the finish on this red faux tortoise chairside table was just incredible; again I wouldn't want to cover it with anything! I hope you enjoyed the tour as much as I did!

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