Fabulous Room Friday: 12.04.09

This week’s fabulous room is the living room belonging to Atlanta-based interior designer, Jill Sharp Brinson who also happens to be the creative director for Ballard Designs. Brinson and her husband, Rob renovated their 1936 cottage into the gorgeous space you see today, complete with exposed wooden beams and steel bookshelves. Her use of textiles and patterns no doubt, warms up the space tremendously.

{I think I am in love with these sconces!}

Brinson mixes several styles in her home: country, industrial, and even Moroccan which blend together beautifully! This seating area currently features a Moroccan tapestry, a French industrial table, and those gorgeous sconces. However, Brinson says she constantly changes the look of the space by experimenting with new lampshades, textiles, and accessories.

 

Happy Friday! It’s “snowing” here in Houston. So far, it’s mainly just little flurries, but we’ll take it! I hope everyone has a lovely weekend and be sure to check back on Monday for a new giveaway!

Image Credit: Simon Upton for House Beautiful

Sleek and Chic: Hotel Abalú

 

  {Hotel Abalú}

I recently came across the Hotel Abalú, a former hostel turned tiny boutique hotel in the heart of Madrid. Located just off the Gran Vía, its location is pretty ideal. I love that each room is decorated differently. Some are muted and dressed in neutral palettes while others veer on the quirky side. Each guestroom is stylish, but maintains a sort of homespun vibe (think Anthropologie meets Flea Market Chic). To me, staying at the Hotel Abalú would be like staying in a very stylish friend’s guestroom for a few nights.

Reception Area

Cool, Vintage Chairs in the Lobby

Beauty Bar Restaurant and Lounge

Of course, I love the Imperial Trellis in this room!

They seriously chose the coolest mirrors for this hotel. This one is so different from most of the starbursts I’ve seen.

I could certainly do without the “mood lighting”, but I think the rest of this room is great.

A soothing, neutral palette mixed with iconic chairs makes for a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Guestroom

More fabulous mirrors!

How cool is this headboard? It just so happens to be in my color du jour, peacock blue, too.

Masculine Touches

I love the vintage telephone in this room.

Another room with several great touches

I love the gorgeous venetian mirror in this bathroom.

There are so many fun accessories in this room!

 

Image Credits: Hotel Abalú and Tablet Hotels

A Virtual Baby Shower!

Michele, of My Notting Hill was sweet and creative enough to organize a virtual baby shower for one of the sweetest bloggers out there, Lauren of Pure Style Home who is having a baby very soon. Several bloggers, including myself came together and selected gifts for Lauren’s baby complete with personal sentiments.

I couldn't be more excited about the fact that Lauren's family is growing and she will soon be welcoming another sweet baby into her home. She has always been so gracious and is one of the kindest bloggers I have had the pleasure of knowing. Everyone knows that Lauren has great style with a bit of a European flair, so I thought one of these sweet alphabet prints from Bibity would be ideal for the new baby. Not only do they speak to Lauren's design sensibility, but I personally love them because of my background in foreign languages. If it's a girl, Lauren can hang the pretty French Alphabet poster in the baby's nursery and if it's a boy, she can go for the more masculine-looking Italian Alphabet print. Either way, I am sure both the baby and the nursery will be beautiful! Congratulations, Lauren!

 

To see the other gifts Lauren “received”, click here.

Circa Lighting Warehouse Sale

Circa Lighting is having a HUGE warehouse sale this Friday and Saturday with prices reduced up to 75% off! All four locations (Houston, Savannah, Atlanta, and Charleston) will be participating in the sale, so be sure to visit your nearest Circa store this weekend. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to purchase discontinued fixtures at deeply discounted prices. Circa only does this once a year and once the fixtures are gone … they're gone for good. For further details call 877.762.2323 or contact one of the Circa Lighting showrooms directly.

Please join Circa Lighting for a Warehouse Sale
Friday, December 4th from 10am-5pm and
Saturday, December 5th from 10am-5pm

In Houston:

2001A West Gray Houston, Texas
(Located in the River Oaks Shopping Center)
Up to 75% off - All Sales Are Final
- cash and carry only -

Please visit Circa Lighting for additional showroom locations.

10 Things I Can’t Live Without: The Lovelist

I am very excited to share this week’s “10 Things” list with you! Jessica Graves writes the blog, The Lovelist whose motto is “Southern Fried Lifestyle for the Rebellious Debutante”. What’s not to love? Not only does she put together a beautiful blog, but Jessica also owns the fabulous Front Porch Studio where she designs gorgeous stationery, websites, and blogs. I am very excited that Jessica is currently working on revamping La Dolce Vita!

1. My day planner. It is my brain - I don't think I could get through a day without glancing at it at least ten times. I really like Gallery Leather - they make leather planners that are just as durable as they are beautiful. When mine is beating around in my giant purse, I don't worry about it coming out looking ragged. 2. My studio. I truly cannot work better anywhere else. It is filled with things I love and that inspire me. It is amazing what comes from the combination of one little Mac laptop, a digital camera, and my amazing clients - I truly am so lucky!

3. Kitchen experiments! Travis and I are always cooking something up and we love to find fun spices and ingredients to play with. We are lucky to have friends who are also interested in good food (and even one who went to the Culinary Institute of America) so we are always chatting about restaurants, wine, and cooking. 4. My Sister. She's my best girlfriend and I love her to the bone. She and I are so very different in many ways, but we love and embrace that about our relationship. She lives far away from me, in Austin, TX right now and I miss her every day. Isn't she adorable? She's an amazing artist on top of everything else!

5. Memories and photos. Here's one of my uncle, Grandfather, and Dad. Leaving our crazy family history out of things, I love looking back on photos like this, years before I was a twinkle in anyone's eye, when a moment was captured when everyone was happy. 6. Good music. I am a music junkie and have been since I was a kid. We always had a music room in our house, full of instruments and my Dad's massive vinyl collection. I see as much live music as I can. I was blown away by Ghostland Observatory a few nights ago but the best concert I've seen all year was the Avett Brothers.

7. Travis. He is the love of my life and I'd be lost without him. Simple as that.

8. Pellegrino and Tazo black tea! I love Pellegrino plain and thanks to a friend have recently stumbled upon orange and lemon flavored Pellegrino as well - SO delicious! I also have a terrible Starbucks black tea habit - it keeps me juiced during those long nights where I drop into the zone.

9. My satch, as I so lovingly call it. I love it, and ever since I bought this beautiful buttery thing, I haven't even thought of cheating on it with another handbag. 10. Home. My Mom is a fun lady full of ideas and bursting with creativity. She is an amazing cook, and paired with my hilarious Step Dad they are always fun to go home to. My Step Dad is turning 60 this year! My Mom is a knitting fanatic (yes, she knit that bear, can you believe it?). They are incredible people who really live extremely green (even though I have never heard either one of them use the word "green"). They live off of a red dirt road on a beautiful piece of secluded property among tons of Pecan groves. Just as they are old fashioned, they also love their macbook, iphones, Wii, and Netflix- fused Dexter marathons - they crack me up!

Palazzo Tornabuoni

 

Italian architect and interior designer, Michele Bonan is the mastermind behind several of my favorite spaces. I have blogged about three hotels designed by him: The JK Place Hotel in Paris, The JK Capri, and most recently the Heidelberg Suites back in April. Since then, I have been scouring the internet looking for more of his projects. I really cannot get enough of this man’s work! While on the beautiful Reverie blog last week, I was thrilled to come across his most recent design project, the Palazzo Tornabuoni in Florence (Thank you, Melissa!). The Palazzo is a magnificent structure with a storied past and was once home to Pope Leo XI and the Medici family.

Palazzo Tornabuoni was painstakingly restored to its original splendor and is the first “Palace Residence Club” in the world. “Situated on one of Florence’s most aristocratic streets, in the heart of the fashion district, this historic fifteenth-century palazzo was home to a Renaissance Pope, and hosted the world’s first documented opera performance.”

The Palazzo’s beautiful interiors were designed by Michele Bonan, who in my opinion has the most extraordinary taste, blending classic and modern with the utmost sophistication. Palazzo Tornabuoni hosts 38 private residences for its members in addition to a number of indoor and outdoor common areas. While the main purpose of the Palazzo is to serve as an exclusive residence club, there are a limited number of private, full-time residences available as well.

The restoration of the magnificent Palazzo Tornabuoni took four years to complete under the watchful eye of Florence’s Soprintendenza ai Beni Artistici e Storici. The palace has been restored to its extraordinary Renaissance origins and along the way, the restoration team discovered hidden frescoes, Mannerist statues, and beautiful stucco ceilings.

The library is one of the Palazzo’s shared areas for the club members. Bonan’s masterful way of blending classic shapes with contemporary touches is clearly on display in this beautiful space.

A More Detailed Shot of the Library

I love the upholstery on these chairs.

The Palazzo’s pietra serena staircase is now the permanent home of this marble Diana the Huntress statue by Gherardo Silvani (1579-1675).

Each of the private residences by Bonan is unique. Every one has a different layout and historic decorative details, such as the gorgeous moldings in this residence.

Beautiful Renaissance Details Abound at the Palazzo Tornabuoni

 

Bonan fuses classicism and modern details in the beautiful residences at the Palazzo. All of the residences feature a great deal of charm with all of the conveniences of modern living.

A Second View of this Residence

The residences at the Palazzo are equipped with state-of-the-art Boffi kitchens.

Most of the residences also feature breathtaking views of Brunelleschi’s Duomo.

I love the minimalist palette in this gorgeous space.

Can you think of a more glorious view?

Visit Palazzo Tornabuoni for more information on this remarkable project.

Image Credit: Palazzo Tornabuoni

This Week’s Quote

Today only: Free Ring with Purchase at Stella & Dot!

I thought this deal was too good to share. It’s only valid today! Click here to visit Stella and Dot.

The Winner of the Derek Lam & Shopbop.com Giveaway is…

Congratulations to Rebecca June who has won a $100 Shopbop.com gift card! Thanks to everyone who participated in this giveaway. I enjoyed reading all of your creative responses, but I loved Rebecca June’s description of how she would wear Derek Lam’s fabulous cape: “This morning I looked outside I saw the fog rolling in and instead of being depressed i knew that I had the perfect ensemble that would brighten my day. Dark skinny jeans tucked into my Tory Burch Jaydan boots with my comfiest white tee are made even chicer with my Derek lam Cape thrown over them. Tousled locks with a little cap and one big amethyst cocktail ring make me feel ready to take on the day.”

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! This year really has been wonderful and I have so many things to be thankful for: my dear husband whom I love with all of my heart, our sweet new puppy (and my first EVER), Tate, our family, great friends, our health, and this lovely little blog of mine that has brought so much richness to my life. I am so thankful for each and every one of you. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with the people you love!

Image Credit: emersonmade