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The King of Color – Jamie Drake NY Upper East Side Design

New York-based designer, Jamie Drake has been creating high-end interiors since his firm, Drake Design Associates launched in 1978. His A-list clients include Madonna and NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg. Drake is the king of color.

Drake’s designs are world renowned for use of sophisticated color schemes and eclectic furnishings. To achieve harmony and balance in a room, he uses at least three colors.

Here’s a tour of a luxurious skyrise home in New York on the Upper East Side designed by Drake. The living room and adjoining dining room’s vivid color palette of orange, hot pink and blues is stunning.

The multi-color animal print rug grounds the room and pulls the color scheme together brilliantly. I love those throw pillow – orange & hot pink – yum!

Wow, orange walls. Orange is a “hot” color and promotes energy in a room. You typically see orange or red & yellow combinations in fast food restaurants because they want high turn-over rates and it encourages patrons to dine quickly. Here Drake boldly paints the dining room walls a bright orange. He adds blue and white to bring balance and promote a calming feeling.

An office fit for a queen. The color purple is associated with royalty. This intriguing color is the combination of opposites hot red and cool blue. In this room, Drake adds splashes of warm coral, neutral white and playful gold to the myriad of purples for a more feminine appeal. And my heart is racing – that glamorous white lacquer and lucite desk is a dream!

Drake uses a tetrad complementary color scheme – four colors that are equidistant on the color wheel – in this very playful child’s room. This design is stylish and above all highly functional. Storage above and below the bed. I love it!!! The rainbow of colors painted in back of the shelves and in the “number” throw pillows are the best.
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Read full story By on July 27, 2009 in boy's bedroom, dining rooms, interior design, living rooms, office/study

Do What You Love – Designer Philip Gorrivan’s NYC Home

Life is too short; do what you love. New York City self-taught designer, Philip Gorrivan does just that. Before designing, Gorrivan worked at Hearst Magazines, an Internet start-up and a venture capital of sorts. The tragedy of 9/11 made a profound impact on him and he then decided to do what he loved – interior design. And aren’t we glad he did! 
Here’s a tour of his beautiful NYC home as seen in an interview with Gorrivan in New York Social Diary last year. The first photo (above) is of Gorrivan’s living room with a rich color palette of chocolate browns and golden yellows. I want that gorgeous glass top and gilded base coffee table!

The beautiful Duncan Phyfe sofa is upholstered in a Clarence House striped silk – it’s a family antique from Maine and looks stunning in front of the staircase original to the apartment.

This colorful and eclectic room serves multiple purposes – it’s a dining room when the family is entertaining and a family room when not. The Hexagon Dining Table is one of Gorrivan’s designs and it expands into an octagon when open, seating ten. I love the color and texture variation on the Jansen Dining Chairs – upholstered in Kidd Leather from Edelman and leaf motif embroidery by Elitis.

The sweet banquette is covered in Bergamo multi-striped velvet and the lovely wallcoverings are custom tinted by China Seas.

The master bedroom is my favorite room in the apartment and I originally saw it on Erin’s blog – House of Turquoise. It’s richly sophisticated, but not stuffy. The color palette sets a soothing, tranquil tone. The chocolate brown tufted headboard looks great with the complimenting lavender tufted bench at the foot of the bed. The muted turquoise seagrass wallcovering is extraordinary.

This chaise – in the style of Jean Pascaud – is Gorrivan’s favorite reading nook.

The daughter’s bedroom is fit for a princess. The soft pink & white stripes in the canopy, bedding and Roman shade look great with the contrasting bold brown & white houndstooth bed-skirt and roll-neck pillow.

The focal point of Gorrivan’s young son’s room is the gorgeous 18th century French bed framed by a beautiful striped canopy. I’ve never seen a canopy in a little boy’s room, but it looks fabulous here.

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Read full story By on July 24, 2009 in bedrooms, boy's bedroom, dining rooms, girl's bedroom, interior design, living rooms

Sweet Baby – Tranquil Gender Neutral Nursery

Oh how I love babies and the nursery room. And frankly, the “nursery” phase flies by way too fast in my book. If I ever had to design my own nursery again – which will most likely not happen – it would look like this gorgeous one in the home of Petunia Pickle Bottoms’ head designer, DeNai Jones. I came across these beautiful images on a darling blog, carrie * connects – thanks Carrie!

One of the inspirations for the nursery’s soothing, yet sophisticated color palette was the Misty Shanghai Boxy Backpack by Petunia Pickle Bottom – the best diaper bag ever I might add!

Back in 2002, I purchased one of their original diaper bag designs and found this picture of me wearing it with my oldest daughter nine months old at the time. I wonder if my sunglasses tasted good.

The nubby wool cable rug by West Elm adds warmth and texture to the room. It’s a great juxtaposition to the modern, clean lines of the gray and white Cody Crib by Newport Cottages – custom paint colors to match the room’s color scheme. My favorite element in the room however, is the gorgeous nature inspired, tree motif wallpaper by Cole & Sons Wallpaper. The bare trees evoke feelings of tranquility and peace.

The pillows by Athropologie pull the room together beautifully and also helped inspire the color palette. The stump table and owl table lamp brilliantly add organic elements into the space.

The Cody Changing by Newport Cottages is also simple, sleek and modern. The collection of artwork above the changing table is beautiful. They are archival bird study sketches found by Jones on a trip to Tennessee and again bring the outside in.

What a wonderful nursery to welcome our newest additions.

*images from carrie * connects, Petunia Pickle Bottom, and Simplified Bee
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Read full story By on July 19, 2009 in baby and children, baby nursery room, interior design

Clean and Simple – White Kitchens

Los Angeles designers and brothers, Ryan and Joshua Brown of Brown Design created this stunning open kitchen, dining and great room. This gourmet kitchen has simple clean lines and wonderful natural light from the skylight and wall of windows. It also features two islands each with a row of white and beige upholstered barstools. Perfect space for entertaining!

Designers, Berkley Vallone and Caroline DeCesare designed this beautiful, old-fashion kitchen in a Las Vegas home. The Grohe pot filler will extend to reach all of the burners on the impressive Wolf range – the focal point in the room. The stainless-steel hood with accessory rails is by Viking. The kitchen’s island houses a stainless-steel Manor House sink by Franke and is paired with the Vinnata faucet in brushed nickel by Kohler. The simple countertops are in a wonderfully contrasting Indian Premium black granite. The black is again picked up in the cabinetry hardware and Roman shades. And that gorgeous wooden floor is made of seven-inch-wide walnut planks.


The beautiful marble tile backsplash in this creamy white kitchen caught my eye. The darling glass pendants are nicely positioned on either sided of the double sinks. It also appears there is a third sink with wooden prep area on the other side of the kitchen. That must come in handy on Thanksgiving! 

I found this lovely simple white kitchen on DecorPad and discovered that is was designed by Washington DC’s Frank Babb Randolph – Thanks to Things That Inspire! The subway tile backsplash and marble countertops are beautifully paired. This kitchen like several others in this series has wonderful windows that provides lovely natural light.

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Read full story By on July 17, 2009 in interior design, kitchens, lighting, tile