Are you looking forward to this year's Oscars, anxious to know who will win? Precious, Meryl Streep, Sandra Bullock? Well, one person who is winning is Architectural Digest. Each year they do the greenroom for the presenters to relax in and this year they are outdoing themselves with a room by Roger Thomas. He was inspired by Hollywood movies from the 1930s (an era I love) but there are a lot of items that hit current trends as well, such as the Chinese screen backdrop.The floors will have a polished black base with speckled paint to look like the backlot of a movie studio, or as Thomas says “a contemporary version of those that Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers would glide across in the 1930s.”
I can't wait to see the finished product in the magazine. Also of note, the design drawing is by noted illustrator Jeffrey Schneider and is really a piece of art!
As promised yesterday, today we are having a house tour of Mark Coy's previous apartment on Lakeshore drive. Located in a grand old building, the apartment has great bones but needed a LOT of work when he first moved in. Lets see the results!
The dining room has beautiful moldings, a window bench and original sconces. I love the white painted trimwork throughout the apartment and dark stained floors! Another seagrass carpet is used here and recognize the fabric on the pillows on the window seat? Tying the rooms together through fabrics and color brings a modern flow to a traditional compartmentalized apartment.
I was crazy for this gorgeous chandelier and guess what....it's from the HOME DEPOT! Yes, such style for only $495 plus the added black shades which were used again on the sconces. The high and low real world decorating is used here to full affect: using what he had to work with (sconces), adding a 'low' touch from home depot (the candelier) and hanging it above a Milo Baughman dining table (the 'high' statement piece).
The master bedroom continues the same color palette but in a much more soft and subtle environment. It looks like it could be a room at a spa hotel, doesn't it? So relaxing.
The bathroom is probably my favorite room in the entire apartment. I instantly recognized the Ann Sacks Bellarita Travertine flooring in a herringbone pattern: I've used it in projects before and hope to use it someday in my own house! I'm all on board with white subway tiles, befitting the apartment's age and the glam sink and ebonized doors make me so happy. No seagrass blinds in here but the wallpaper (continued onto the ceiling I might add) tie in that aspect from the rest of the apartment.
The 2nd bedroom, used as a den, uses the same color palette in a darker tone: A perfect room to curl up with a good book and cup of tea. I love the blocky lamp in the background and again the seagrass shades.
The huge windows let in tons of daylight and expansive views (as I can testify to in my own apartment) but the natural grass shades really offer great texture and help moderate the harsh daylight; this is especially important with the hot summer sun! The placement of the couch in front of the windows might seem a bit counter-intuitive, but helps the room feel cozy and also blocks the unattractive window mechanical unit. The room remains open and airy with 'leggy' furniture and an bent glass coffee table. The seagrass carpet compliments the room nicely, much better than the wall to wall carpeting that was here previously!
Look for the tour of his magnificent old apartment in a classic beaux arts building on Lakeshore drive here tomorrow, you won't be disappointed!
Marie Antoinette's bedroom at the Petit Trianon is a perfect reflection of the young queen. Recently restored, the bedroom is one of the most elegant rooms in the house. You can see it located below on the plan in blue.
The placement of the bedroom would become important even with the planning of the Petit Trianon's gardens: the Temple of Love is on direct axis from the daybed out the window, seen below. Who says Marie Antoinette wasn't a romantic?
Below you see the Petit Trianon from the Temple of Love, the bedroom highlighted in blue.
The room features an exquisite bedroom suite by 
The bedroom breaks from the pale green color scheme found throughout the main floor of the Petit Trianon and is instead an icy blue. Seen below to the right is a clock featuring 2 eagles which represent the house of Austria. Marie Antoinette always discretely remained loyal to her roots. She must have felt at home at the Petit Trianon surrounded by the things which were important to her: a love of nature and her Austrian roots.
Even the boiseries are adorned with flowers. Below is a sketch from the 1913 Petit Trianon book that shows the carving in detail.
I can't discuss Marie Antoinette's bedroom without including a picture of her as played so excellently by Kirsten Dunst in Sofia Coppola's movie.
Bacon and eggs (fried and runny), wheat toast, english breakfast tea with milk and OJ were on the menu. While the bacon fried (and then eggs done in the same pan afterwards), I took a few pictures. Daisies were snipped from a larger bunch ($4 at trader joes) elsewhere in my apartment and put into a bud vase to brighten up the winter gloom. Daisies are the most cheerful flower in my opinion and really last a long time (up to 2 weeks if you change the water frequently!).
NPR was on and featured the listener's favorite top 10 soprano solos which was a wonderful backdrop. Renee Fleming singing o mio babino caro by Puccini was #1. I hope you are all finding ways to brighten up your winter as well!
You'll notice the literal use of lily in the boiseries. I've never seen a fleur de lis depiected with actual lilys before! It is of course the symbol of the French Monarchy and makes perfect sense here.
6 months later, days before becoming king upon his father's death, Edward's thoughts were only of Wallis as he wrote from his fathers deathbed:
The top photo is a 1930s piece of Minton I have on my coffee table with some Valentine's day themed red candies as my gift to you! It reminds me of something Syrie Maugham might have used when she decorated Wallis's flat (and her second husband, Ernest Aldrich Simpson). This is where Wallis would come to entertain and become close to Edward, Prince of Wales. 
I hope everyone has their own great romance come true: Happy Valentine's Day!
I fell in love with flamant while in Paris: both 
Our very un-southern like weather continues here in DC. I was one of the (very) few who trudged into work today. Franklin square at 8am above.
Once I reached a 1/2 way point to Georgetown, there was no turning back! I saw the blizzard progress from flurries into 40 mph winds. Talk about exciting!
Remember my post on the interiors of the condos at 
Above you can see one of many downed trees around the city, this one on Washington Circle.
