Swoon Interiors

interiors that make your heart skip a beat.

If I had an apartment in Paris …

My parents recently returned from Paris, and it’s got me daydreaming about french macaroons from Lauderee, shopping in St. Germain, the Ile St. Louis and chocolate croissants for breakfast. 

It’s been a while since I’ve been to the City of Light, but there is definitely something magical about strolling those quaint Parisian streets. You can’t help but wonder what it would be like to live there … climbing the stairs to your very own Paris apartment after a fabulous day of shopping, eating and lingering at sidewalk cafes . Of course it would be luxurious and romantic, filled with the perfect mix of vintage furniture and glamorous accessories.

So if you can’t swing your own pad in Paris, at least you can visit the The Paris Apartment or pick up a copy of the book by the same name.

Author Claudia Strassor lives in New York City but travels to Paris frequently and knows just how to assemble and create that perfectly effortless Parisian look.  She even takes small group “shopping trips” to Paris to go treasure hunting in flea markets and trade shows.  How fun would that be?  Her website suggests that instead of hotels you should stay in … what else? … a Paris apartment, and offers up her favorite sources for finding a rental …  like one of these …

Yes, please!

Her site even has an online boutique where you can purchase some quintessentially French treasures for your own home. 
Swoonworthy furniture and lighting …

(This bench looks very similar to the one I recently got for the end of my bed!)

And I have a chair like this in my living room …

She sells lots of Lucite items, even Lucite “legs” you can add to your own furniture.
This chandelier is literally dripping glamour …

 And there is something about these old windows and doors that seem just right for a lofty Parisian apartment

And of course you need the perfect accessories …

(Vintage Gucci ashtray)

A luxe vanity tray for all your fabulous French perfume …
Ahhhh. It is nice to daydream isn’t it?  But she definitely has the right idea. I love having things around my home that remind me of my favorite trips and places. What are some of yours?

Fanciful Retreats

I just received the latest issue of Veranda, featuring The House of Windsor … their first ever Concept House in Los Angeles. It features the designs of Windsor Smith and 9 other talented designers.

Of course, the whole house is stunning, but two of my favorite spaces are the Master Bath and the … stable.  Yep, that’s right. I said stable.

But first, the bathroom …

Somehow, bathroom just doesn’t seem like right word for this space does it? Kind of a Bathing Lounge …
It’s feminine. It’s masculine.  It’s perfect. If this were my bathroom, my family wouldn’t see me for days.
And on to the stable …

Isn’t it fun?  It’s just a simple outbuilding on the lot “connected to the main house via a crunchy gravel path.”
It was designed by Kathryn Ireland and I love her quote about the project.
(Excerpted from Veranda) ” Everyone needs a place to get away … Someone could paint here, or take a nap, or have a friend over for a glass of wine. The point is, it’s a little imperfect – you don’t worry about spilling things, and you don’t have to walk around wearing kid gloves.”

Wouldn’t it be lovely to have something like this in your own backyard?  (Complete with the horse peeking in the window of course!)

Cozy, chunky, warm …


So the Sunday section of the Tribune today had a two-page spread called “Curl up and lie – for fall, your home should say cozy” … full of ideas for giving your home an “autumnal update.”  Of course, things like pumpkins, mums and gourds are the obvious symbols of fall, but, like the article describes, I also like to bring out accessories with a cozy feel, a warm color or a chunky texture. So here are some of my own ideas on how to achieve the look.

In West Elm the other day, I saw these pillows … and they were featured in the Tribune article as well.  If these don’t scream cozy, what does? Pillows are such an easy thing to swap out for different seasons.  These have just enough glam to work well in your master bedroom or to dress up a couple of club chairs.

mongolian lamb pillow covers

 Checking out some of the cute Halloween stuff in Pottery Barn Kids, I saw these sherpa blankets and I seriously wanted to get one for myself.  This picture doesn’t do it justice, but this would be the perfect thing to wrap around yourself on the sofa to watch some football … or Grey’s Anatomy.  I love the creamy white color.

sherpa blanket

Want to go a little more exotic? How about this furry throw?  I think this would feel nice on your feet when you first step out of bed on a cold Monday morning …

tibetan goat throw

Burlap always makes me think of apple orchards and pumpkin farms. The rich color on this burlap tablecloth makes it feel kind of elegant.

burlap tablecloth

 These blankets look and feel like a great fall sweater, don’t they? And every room can use some stripes.

draper stripe throw

Talk about chunky textures … how about this lovely mirror that literally brings the outside in.

driftwood mirror

I love the fall colors on this fabric and it has great texture too. 

zimbabwe fabric

Soon it will be time to make a fire in the fireplace! These can sit on your hearth to hold some of your firewood.

vintage harvest bucket

Even in the winter, I am not a slipper person … so I do like the feel of a nice chunky rug underfoot. This has the look of a thick wool fisherman’s sweater.



braided stripe jute rug

Did I mention that I am writing this while sipping on a Starbuck’s Salted Caramel Mocha?  I am hitting my cozy quotient for the day! Hope you are too …



Catching Up with Nate

Who else loves Nate Berkus?  My seven year old once declared, “I think Mom has a crush on Nate Berkus,” to which my husband chuckled and rolled his eyes.  He kind of knows it’s true.

So, I’m usually never home at 2 in the afternoon when the Nate Berkus show is on, so I’ve set my DVR to tape it everyday. I don’t always find time to watch every episode, but if I have a little time and somehow am able to gain control of one of the TVs in our house, I’ll fast forward to the segments I’m most interested in.

This past rainy Sunday was the perfect, lounge-in-your-sweats, watch-TV, and make comfort-food for dinner kind of day. While the males in my house were watching sports and Tom & Jerry, I actually was able to sneak upstairs and get caught up on some of last week’s Nate Show episodes. 

My favorite was when he showed the before and after of his newly remodeled Greenwich Village apartment.

Let me just say, it is extremely swoon worthy!  I was a complete dork and had to stop and rewind multiple times just to take it all in.  It has such a warm and eclectic feel while still keeping a cool urban vibe.

I went on the Nate Show website to look for “after pictures” to post but they only have close-ups of some of the accessories around his home. I’m sure it will be featured in one of the design magazines sometime soon, but for now, if you want to see, you’ll have to watch the video itself …

One of the things Nate talks about is how it’s the small details and accessories that really make a house a home, and of course, he has quite a collection. 

I particularly love how he uses gold throughout his house. It has all of the sparkle of silver but with even more warmth.

How beautiful is that big chunk quartz?  I love how he brings so many natural elements into his home …

 As the weather begins to get cooler and we spend less time outside, I’m always trying to think of new ways to bring nature in. What are some of your favorite ways? And who else has a crush on Nate?