Home Design with Kevin Sharkey

In response to my post about Finnish and modern design, Michael in Chicago said:

I like the recessed gold ceiling idea - again unusual, but could provide a nice warmth. The walls of the Breuer designed room look like there's a material (grass cloth, wood?) in certain places. Have you thought about using any materials on the walls, other than paint?

This is a great question - I have been wanting to talk about different options for wall coverings since I started this blog. In my old apartment I used grass cloth squares to cover my walls, so I definitely appreciate the design elements and warmth that textiles provide. While I haven't come to a definite decision on what I will use to cover the walls of my new apartment, I do love the idea of using a vellum-like paper or a faux-bois wood-grain paper.

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1 Image of interior designer Benjamin Dhong's faux-bois bathroom, via apartmenttherapy.com

2 The grass cloth covered walls in this living room remind me of my last apartment. I also love the display of framed artwork above the sofa. Image via habituallychic.blogspot.com

3 Upholstered walls are ultra-chic and provide comfort, warmth and insulation from the outside world. Image from Veranda magazine.

After reading about my new kitchen, Katie asked:

Where are your mugs and teacups from?

From Macy's, of course! They are part of the Martha Stewart Whiteware Collection. It is such a simple and classic collection of pieces that I know I will have and use forever - I can't get enough of it!

I love the classic simplicity of the Martha Stewart Whiteware collection from Macy's.

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1 Although it might be hard to see in this picture, there is a white fur-like rug that I am in love with. Also, I am still intrigued with the gold metallic background of the wallpaper.

2 I will never have a bedroom like this one but I am thinking about cords and tassels and how I might incorporate them into my world.

3 These handles are so whimsical and charming. This color plum keeps popping up on my radar (see Oct 29th post). I love the combination with gold.

4 Cover of Haslam's new memoir.

Since my time at the Boom Boom Room (see previous post) and my need for a bit of apartment glamour, I have been perusing the work of British decorator Nicholas Haslam and waiting with baited breath for the publication of his new autobiography Redeeming Features. (I got a sneak peek.)

His time at Vogue, Vanity Fair and World of Interiors; friendships with movie and rock stars; as well as his collaborations with Richard Avedon and David Bailey in the 60s and 70s makes for fun gossip (Martha even bought some items from his London shop years ago) but it is his design work, which inspires me to rethink fabric, pattern, color, and, quite frankly, the simplest of trim.  His firm, NH Design, has residential and commercial clients that have been documented in books and magazines all over the world.

Dear reader, if you're in the New York area, have a brush with glamour. Haslam will be in New York next Wednesday, November 18, signing his new book from 5-7pm at Claremont, 1059 Third Avenue.

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There's being out in New York City and then there's going out in Manhattan.

The later can be a lot of fun (re: late night) and quite exhausting (re: late night) but also awe-inspiring. So it was no surprise that I had a lot of fun the other night at the Boom Boom Room, the penthouse bar of Andre Balasz¹s Standard Hotel, and decided on a little 70s decadence for my apartment in homage to this new hotspot. I mean, anyone who is anyone was there and I hate to namedrop.

Aside from the jaw-dropping 360-degree views out of the floor-to-ceiling windows (in the bathroom, too, which takes some getting used to), the Boom Boom Room interior feels like a mix between Studio 54 and the Towering Inferno (love that movie). The cream-colored leather banquettes are the exact shade I'd like to use for my living room upholstery and maybe even my dining room chairs (remember to ask someone at the hotel about cleaning white leather in such a high traffic area). While I love the look and feel of the space, I may not opt for a hot tub in the middle of the room (yes, the club boasts one) but I do wish for a set of the bar's champagne coups...divine.