Swoon Interiors

interiors that make your heart skip a beat.

Glitz, Glamour and Gatsby

The Great Gatsby movie comes out tomorrow … is anyone else as excited to see it as I am?

The Great Gatsby has always been one of my favorite books … so I’m hoping the movie won’t disappoint.  I know there have been other movie versions, but I haven’t really loved them.

With Baz Luhrmann directing this one, it is sure to be a visual feast. Of course, the costumes will be to-die-for, but I am equally excited to see the Gatsby Mansion come to life on the big screen.

In anticipation of the Premiere, I thought it would be fun to pull together a few pieces you can use to inject a little Gatsby Style into your own home.

Since The Great Gatsby recounts affluence in America during the 1920’s … glitz, glamour and opulence are in tall order. The Swinging Twenties were also defined by the Art Deco style – geometric shapes, streamlining and clean lines. So here are my picks …

Glamorous Lighting: Nothing has the ability to add more glitz and glam to a room than a few stunning chandeliers, and this ‘20s-inspired version will cast a glittery glow above your fabulous parties.

NEW 1920s Odeon Glass Fringe Chandelier

Geometric shapes: One of the most definitive styles of the era was the use of geometric shapes in everything from fashion to architecture to interior design. This metallic and teal wallpaper pattern from Graham & Brown is perfect for adding an Art Deco touch to a powder room or accent wall

Graham & Brown Wallpaper

Lacquered furniture:  High gloss furniture is another way to evoke glamour and drama. Introduce a lacquered piece like this desk into your decorating scheme to give your space an opulent touch.

Jett Desk in White Lacquer

An elegant and well-stocked bar: Jay Gatsby seems like the kind of guy who would want to be able to mix himself a cocktail from any room in “the manse”.  A bar cart  like this streamlined gold-leaf version, filled with chunky crystal decanters could fit just about anywhere.

Gold Leafed Bar Cart
Traditional Decanter

Art Deco Artwork: The style of the Swinging Twenties can easily be defined in the Art Deco artwork that was produced throughout the decade. I love this poster from Red Gate Arts on Etsy.

Art Deco Bauhaus Poster

Silky, shimmery fabrics: The early Hollywood influence on the ‘20s is evident in the popularity of shiny, luxe fabrics like silks and satins. This metallic throw pillow is the perfect addition to give any room a touch of old Hollywood glam.

Frosted Diamond Pillow Cover

Mirrored furniture: Reflective furniture was all the rage in the ‘20s, and it wasn’t rare to see mirrored tables and chests in the homes of high society like Jay Gatsby. This one feels Art-Deco inspired with it’s circular base.

Splendora Mirrored Console

And there you have it … (cue the fireworks). Don’t you want to bring Gatsby into your home?

 
All of the fabulous mothers out there … have a great Mother’s Day weekend!

March Madness

Whew! While those words mean something else to my husband and oldest son, I feel like I’ve had my own March Madness going on … good madness, of course … but it has left me little time to show my blog and loyal blog readers some love! I apologize. Kristy and I have been busy, busy, busy with some great collaborative projects this month. Then, throw in my sweet 9 year old’s 3 day birthday extravaganza … getting ready for Spring Break … and there you have it … madness.

So, today I thought I’d do a little catching up …

A few things that have made me swoon lately …

Is it wood or is it tile?

I LOVE the look of this new tile from Walker Zanger’s new Nature Collection.  Yes, it’s tile, “made with state of the art glazing technology” creating an antique wood floor look with the durability of tile.

 

Very “farmhouse chic” don’t you think? I’d love to see these used in a kitchen or mudroom.

And they’ve also just introduced their AnTeak Collection. It’s made from teak wood reclaimed from construction projects in Indonesia. The teak grain is visible on the tiles, which come in several stains and shapes, including herringbone, hexagon and chevron. It’s already cured, because it’s been exposed to the elements for 75 or 100 years, which gives it a wonderful pantina.

Is it wallpaper or is it paint?

 
It’s paint!  We are working with a wonderful artist to achieve the look of high-end wallpaper in one of our client’s homes. 
 

 
These are just a few samples of her work … amazing. (And of course, an iPhone doesn’t even do them justice.)
 
 
If you are interested in having her create a “masterpiece” in your home, contact us and we can set up a meeting.

Next up, have you heard? Nate Berkus is back with a new TV show! 

It’s going to be call Renovation Nation and will air on NBC in the fall. Read all about it here.

I blogged quite a while ago about my love for these Classic Penguin Book Prints here … and I was excited to see when one of my favorite bloggers, Stefanie of Brooklyn Limestone, created a variation of them for her daughter’s adorable nursery.

 Even better, she has just announced a giveaway of these prints to readers of her blog.

Well, that’s it for now!  Be sure to share your favorite swoon worthy things with me … I’d love to feature them here.

Scene Stealers ….

I’ve been noticing a trend on recent magazine covers and in other dramatic living spaces …

Brooke Shield’s dining room in Architectural Digest

I’m kind of loving these historical murals and the way they add drama and depth to a room. Maybe it’s because I’m somewhat of a history buff and always love a good historical novel … these places seem to take you away to another place in time.

Of course, a hand-painted wall would be spectacular, and there are certainly some beautiful wallpapers out there to give you this same effect … but they are fairly pricey.

I was kind of excited to see that Anthropologie has a version that I think would make a lovely yet neutral backdrop. I’d love to see a bright yellow chair or chaise against this wall or maybe some aqua dining chairs.

Anthropologie Etched Arcadia Mural

What do you think?

Golden Age Glamour

The name Phillip Jefferies is virtually synonymous with chic grass cloth wallpaper, but the company has just unveiled a new collection called Aviator. In just the right room, I think it would make you swoon.

The website describes it as …

Phillip Jeffries’ latest raised relief pattern AVIATOR, inspired by the vintage design of metal fighter planes. Hand crafted by artisans, a unique pattern of small nail heads is hand screened atop a ground of overlapping metallic paper, reinterpreting the look and feel of plane’s exterior from the golden age of flight. Available in a range of metallic color combinations AVIATOR has your walls soaring to new heights.

Lots of different colors with fun names:

Kitty Hawk Copper

Earhart Aluminum

Quimby Steel

Spitfire Silver
Wright’s Pewter

Lindbergh Gold

I think it could give just the right masculine or industrial touch to a room.  I’d then pair it with some softer, more glamorous furniture.  Very Ava Gardner meets Howard Hughes … in the film by the same name.

What do you think?

Friday Favorites

It’s been a busy week … but I thought I’d share just a few favorite things I’ve come across …

I love this dining room I spotted in HGTV magazine. I love how it’s styled and especially the unexpected pop of blue the chandelier brings.
There’s actually an Etsy seller who will make a similar custom chandelier for you using whatever color/beads you like.
Simply Salvage
(Swoon!)
I’m also loving this wallpaper from Intaglio.

It think it would make a room feel very cozy and I’d like to get  lost in the different scenes. I also like that even though the pattern is so intricate … it would still serve as a great neutral background .
Finally, I’m loving local artist Francine Turk …

Her studio is in Chicago’s historic Prairie Ave. district and I think her charcoal drawings are dramatic and work well in a variety of design styles.  And, even better, she is now creating pottery in collaboration with ceramist Yong Hyun Chung. I would love one of these pieces! 
via Chicago Home + Garden
 Hope everyone has a good weekend! What Superbowl fare will you cookin’ up on Sunday?