Design legend - Billy Baldwin

"A person with real flair is a gambler at heart"

Billy Baldwin, 1903-1983

Billy Baldwin has become synonymous with American design. A true design legend, Baldwin had a fresh approach to decorating, favoring straight lines, hard edged and edited interiors over the overly ornate and ostentatious. Some of his staples are plain draperies, white plaster lamps, off white rugs, geometric patterns and dark lacquered walls. One of his most famous pieces is the armless boxy slipper chair, which every designer I know uses in one project or the other.

Over two decades since his passing, designers today are still influenced by his ideas and will continue to look to him for inspiration.

Photo : Architectural Digest

To read more about Billy Baldwin, go to www.architecturaldigest.com

New shipment from John Derian

I love receiving shipments from vendors.. getting to open up each box and unveiling the beautiful things that are inside. Having placed orders a few weeks back, it´s so exciting to unpack and get reminded of the beautiful things I picked out and redecorate the shop with the new treasures.

Yesterday I received two big boxes from John Derian and as always, it was a treat to dig into. Lots of paperweights and little trays. Some with motifs that I´ve had before and some are brand new.. so come on in and have a look. I try to pick out a nice variety of things so I only buy one of each.. or two if it´s a bestseller.

Ads as pretty as the products...

A few of Kate Spade´s beautiful ads..

Design spotlight - Kate Spade

I remember seeing my first Kate Spade bag... simple, elegant and understated. Since opening her fist shop in Soho in 1993, the brand has expanded to a global name with shops all over the world. Her collections are fresh, colorful and incredibley chic... and besides offering gorgeous women´s shoes and accessories she now has a beautiful collection of bed linens. I can´t wait for this to hit Sweden...

Have a look at her equally stylish home that she shares with husband and business partner, Andy Spade.

All photos from apartmenttherapy.com

Tufting - a staying trend

I love upholstery and the more custom the better. I was really fortunate to work with some of the best upholstery makers in New York city and miss the process of selecting a great model and influencing the outcome of really beautiful upholstery pieces, completely custom made for a client. Good design is all about the details...

I have always loved tufting and I think it adds such a beautiful detail to a piece of furniture. Tufted dining chairs, tufted benches, and tufted headboards, anything tufted and it´s got my attention. Both contemporary and more classical styles are pretty and depending what fabric is used, it can make such a statement.

The pictures above are a few nice examples...

pictures... from top : decorpad,katyelliot.com,unknown,decorpad

Parisian flair on the Upper East Side

New York interior designer Paula Caravelli has captured true Parisian style in her Upper East Side Manhattan apartment. Coming from a family of artists and musicians there was no surprise that Caravelli chose decorating as her profession. Caravelli, a master at mixing traditional furniture with contemporary pieces and modern art, says she doesn´t like trends. If she doesn´t love it, it´s not going in her home, nor in her clients´, she says.

My motto exactly...

Photos and information from www.elledecor.com