Christmas Decorating the Perfect Room
John Kernick
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Arrange a Single Bloom
A large flower, like a magnolia, doesn't need any other adornments. It looks stunning all on its own, floating in a low Limoges bowl. Interior designer Hal Williamson chose the fragrant flower for his clients who live in New Orleans.
John Kernick
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Try a Little Toile
In the home's dining room, Louis XV chairs are upholstered in a toile called Louisiana Purchase. "Each chair depicts different iconic imagery," Hal Williamson says, including St. Louis Cathedral, plantations, and flatboats on the river.
John Kernick
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Pretty in Pink
The Louis XVI wing chairs and sofa may look formal, but the chairs "have a wonderful pitch, so you can sit comfortably for hours," says Williamson, "and many naps are taken on the sofa." The chandelier, the urns flanking the fireplace, the mirror on the mantel, and the tiered sconce were found in New Orleans antiques stores.
John Kernick
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Sitting Pretty
Williamson made the living room is alluringly feminine with its subtle range of purples: amethyst, lavender, lilac, plum. Walls are Benjamin Moore's mauvey Driftscape Tan.
John Kernick
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Bring the Outdoors In
For a cozy garden feel, Williamson hung life-size banana leaves — the Beverly Hills Hotel signature wallpaper — in the kitchen, to give it not only drama of scale, but a continuity with the courtyard and the real banana leaves just outside the French doors.
John Kernick
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Know that Blue can Be Romantic Too
"When I pulled out the cream, purple, lavender, blue, and aqua embroidered silk for the duvet, my client was catching her breath, she was so excited. It was one of those rare, beautiful finds," Hal Williamson says.
John Kernick
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Meant to Be...
An etched Venetian mirror and a blue-painted commode were meant to go together.
John Kernick
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A Pink Parlor
In the second-floor parlor — "the Ella altar" — a photograph of Ella Fitzgerald, taken at a New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, hangs above a carved French desk. Walls are Martha Stewart's Grisaille for Sherwin-Williams.
John Kernick
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Green — and Pink — with Envy
Tart green walls (Benjamin Moore's Castleton Mist) set a jovial mood in the garçonnière. Louis XV chairs are covered in an African-inspired ikat print by Kravet. Interior designer Hal Williamson surprised himself by finding a rare hot pink, gold, and citrus green antique Oushak rug that pulls the room's colors together.
James Merrell
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Romantic Dining
"Entertaining is what Palm Beach is all about," says designer Gary McBournie. Everything white, including a sideboard from Lars Bolander and vintage Chinese Chippendale chairs, makes a crisp contrast to custom-glazed duck-egg-blue walls. Though new, the Dennis & Leen chandelier was found in a Palm Beach antiques shop: "It was probably too large for someone's house. But here, it fills that void at the center of the room and gives it character."
James Merrell
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Install Soft, Sparkling Lighting
A romantic glow was what designer Gary McBournie aimed for in the living room of this Palm Beach home. On the pilasters between French doors, he mounted Baguès crystal sconces from France for a bit of sparkle. Chosen for its Venetian silveriness, the mercury glass gourd lamp is from Walker Zabriskie.
James Merrell
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A Little Bit of Old Romance
To reupholster a pair of antique Biedermeier armchairs, McBournie concocted his own strip from three fabrics: "Besides getting exactly the colors I wanted, I like the added texture." The 1950s Italian cabinet is lacquered with an automotive finish, "the kind they use on the interiors of antique racing cars."
James Merrell
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A Sweet Family Room
The citrus colors aren't the only sweet things in this family room. The touches of pink and white also add a bit of femininity. The wall color is Benjamin Moore's Lemon Meringue. Rug from Stark.
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A Luxurious Loggia
Open a bottle of wine with a loved one on the loggia. Very romantic! Brown Jordan furniture, from the Venetian Collection, is casually placed at random angles on the loggia. Cushions are in three harmonious Sunbrella solids. Pillows from Crate and Barrel; lanterns from Period Furniture Hardware.
James Merrell
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A Very Feminine Bedroom
In a Palm Beach house, the master bedroom's Loire iron bed is by Niermann Weeks, and the pink, brown, and white linens are from Restoration Hardware. A Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Thad sofa is covered in the softest color imaginable — Groundworks' Academy Weave in light pink. "The pink isn't gag-me pink," designer Gary McBournie says, "It's utterly soft. The iron bed helps to control it, and so do the brown and pink bed linens."
James Merrell
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A Romantic Bed
What is more romantic than a detailed headboard and beautiful linens? The "carving" on the headboard in the guest room by designer Gary McBournie is trompe l'oeil.
James Merrell
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Embellish a Mirror
In a gorgeous guest bedroom, McBournie found a romantic solution for a too-small 1920s Italian gessoed mirror. "We added that sash to help the scale," he says.
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A Romantic Setting
Architect Wayne Leong based the design of this Napa Valley guesthouse on rural Provence structures. The loggia's stone columns were constructed with stones excavated from the site. The 10-foot-long 17th-century table is cast iron and slate. The iron chandelier is from Formations. And the view is breathtaking....
Dominique Vorillon
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A Theatrical Kitchen
Architecture and applied ornament conspire to make the kitchen lighthearted and a touch theatrical. Artist Michael Duté's blue-and-white design brings walls and even the barrel-vaulted ceiling to life. A farmhouse sink and marble counters keep to the rural, primitive quality of the building. A Sub-Zero drawer refrigerator means the only obvious appliance is the stove. Casement windows and doors fling open, ushering in breezes and light.
Dominique Vorillon
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A Trip to Paris?
If you can't swing a trip to Paris, why not treat your significant other to dinner in this Parisian-style dining room? The hutch was found in France. The French wood-and-iron chandelier composed of antique parts came from Antique and Art Exchange. The 19th-century Spanish walnut dining table is from Habité. Anna dining chairs from the Taylor Scott collection wear Serment D'Aimer, a Nobilis toile.
Dominique Vorillon
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A French Abode
Cozy up by the fire in this very regal and French-inspired living room. Designer Erin Martin created this room with French, Italian, and Spanish antiques, mixing them with crisp new upholstered pieces. Martin upholstered Summer Hill's Hyannis sofa in Provence Hay, a Dintiman Design Associates hand-painted linen.
Dominique Vorillon
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A Cloudlike Master Bedroom
The soft colors make this room feel like a soft cloud. Martin found the hand-stitched French needlepoint headboard at a flea market in France, and used it to give history and individuality to a newly purchased Branwen canopy bed from Ironies. The Scudo Saraceno pendant light in a classic Venetian design is from Sue Fisher King. At the foot of the bed, Dennis & Leen's Lancaster settee wears a Samuel & Sons linen in Northern blue.
Dominique Vorillon
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A Luxurious Powder Room
Under sconces from Habité, an antique marble double sink adds age and weight to a guest bathroom.
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A Charming Sitting Room
The relaxed charm of the sitting room proves Alessandra Branca's theory that the best luxury is comfort. Plumping up the bay window, a banquette she designed is covered in Gretchen Ballinger linen velvet; the custom ottoman is casually draped in Rogers & Goffigon striped ticking. Floral linen pillows are a Travers print, the blue velvet are Fonthill. The red swing-arm lamps were found at Nicholas Antiques; japanned brackets and tole tray came from Atelier Branca.
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Romantic Seating
Atelier Branca designed the ebonized ball-and-claw dining chairs slipcovered in Nobilis embroidered linen. The giltwood mirror is Louis XVI and the droll bronze and crystal chandelier is vintage. The Chadwick walnut dining table was found at Emanuel Morez, and sconces at John Rosselli.
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A Rustic Kitchen
This kitchen shows that rustic can be romantic, too. While the island and cabinetry in the kitchen were custom-designed, the spiffy black stools were found at Pottery Barn.
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A Peaceful Bedroom
The mandate for the bedroom was comfort and peace. Custom hand-painted wallcovering by de Gournay gives the master bedroom an old-world feel. Mirrored French doors bring in light. Branca designed the linen-velvet headboard. Lampshades are by Nina Campbell.
There's something utterly luxurious about light carpet in a bedroom. The carpet here is a soft beige to match the velvet of the headboard, and the Pratesi sheets are trimmed in beige, too. I found the beautiful 19th-century limestone mantel in Paris, but I don't know if I want to talk about the mirror hanging above it! It was designed to slide to the right and hide the TV, but unfortunately the mirror man made it too big. Short of practically rebuilding the wall behind it, nothing we could do would make it fit.
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Modern Romance
Donghia fabric covers the Sally Markham-designed bed frame in a daughter's bedroom; bed linens are by Kate Spade. China Seas fabric covers the Lucite leg bench. Carpet is Kanpur cotton and chenille from Beauvais.
Pieter Estersohn
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A Subtle Pink
A master bedroom in Greenwich, Connecticut, has a subtle glow of pink. "A woman feels more comfortable in these colors and this increases a feeling of romance," says designer Sally Markham. "There's actually an old decorator's trick of lining lampshades in pink, because it creates a glow that's very complimentary to the skin." A Ralph Lauren mink throw is draped over the silk-upholstered bed designed by Markham.
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Tailored but Romantic
The black wrought-iron daybed in this bedroom by designer Sally Henderson, can be used as both a sofa and bed. A Lucite Crisp coffee table from the Conran Shop sits atop a Pottery Barn Teen flokati rug. The chessboard is by Karim Rashid, from the MoMA shop. All fabrics are from the Designers Guild through Osborne & Little.
Christmas Decorating the Perfect Room
Source: https://www.housebeautiful.com/home-remodeling/interior-designers/tips/g2143/romantic-decorating/