Carrie's Design Musings: February 2013

Want a piece of Ms. Moss?

ph:Pieter Estersohn

Charlotte Moss, an award winning interior designer, author, lecturer, philanthropist, former wall street warrior, world traveler, socialite, etc., etc. is cleaning house. Known for her refined blend of American and European classicism, Charlotte has seen and done it all. Decorators accumulate so much. From various trips, show house rooms, the several homes she has owned (two in Aspen, which truly speak to me), Charlotte will be auctioning off belongings at Doyle New York Auction House, March 7th. A book signing of her most recent book, A Visual Life (her 8th), on March 5th kicks things off. Read my post about the book here.

"I have been collecting and decorating for a long time and the time has come to edit, do some redecorating, and make room for new purchases of my own," commented Charlotte Moss about the upcoming sale.

ph: Simon Upton

How I would love to attend this auction. I have written about the excitement of buying at auction, and while I am not sure this is the auction to get a great deal, they can be had. Charlotte's auction has generated a tremendous amount of buzz, and I know many designers who are planning to attend, so I imagine the estimates will end up on the low side. But here's a sampling of the riches:

pair of Northern Italian neoclassical painted and silver gilt console tables

English Chinoiserie Urn

Baltic Neoclassical gilt bronze and cut glass chandelier

18 William Yeoward etched glasses

ph: Pieter Estersohn

Pair of Dutch Delft jars

Glazed porcelain lamps

Continental Rocco style painted commode

Charlotte Moss at Kips Bay Show house

Rococo Style painted daybed

Regency brass bound library table

3 photographs on canvas

Louis XV style iron and steel console table

DeGournay hand painted tea paper panels

Antler Candlesticks

A large assortment of etchings, maps and engravings

There is a lot of things I could get very excited about, the collection includes 400 pieces ~ but alas, I will be unavailable. I am a great admirer of Ms. Moss' work and her Aspen homes! Did I ever tell you my story about her home on the west end that I used to ride by, not knowing it was hers? If you cannot be there in person you can bid online. Grab a paddle, or your mouse but be careful! I wonder if anyone has ever gotten addicted?

Dining Room Deux

Frank Panterio

One of the things I am currently working on is a dining room, and I am giving a lot of thought to the idea of two chandeliers above the table.
I love the idea of doubling the impact of the look of the light fixture. Since I am crazy about light fixtures in general ~ if the room can pull it off, why not?

I also say, "Rules are more like guidelines." I often times like over-scaled fixtures, but you do have to be careful about making sure everything is still visually balanced. Take into consideration material, visual weightiness, style, etc. There are a few rules of thumb that you can never go wrong abiding by...

via Casa Sugar

The size of the chandelier should be around 75% of the width of the table, or 12" narrower than the table. Since I am using 2 chandeliers, I want one centered over each half of the table which in total will almost give me the width of one chandelier. To make things slightly trickier, the table needs to visually look good extended (with leaves, if it has any) as well. Taking that into consideration, I brought them in slightly, but they are still in balance. Sometimes you just have to eyeball it. I generally hang the chandelier about 32" to 36" above the table top.

I am really excited to see the outcome. Why use one when two could work well? Double the drama, double the fun.

Remember ~ Dimmers, always!

Denim Is Doing it ... Again

Hermes

Swimming in a sea of indigo or denim this coming spring is: EVERYTHING. From handbags to home decor, from scarves to slipcovers, the timeless, utilitarian textile is once again returning, and it feels as fresh as the day it was introduced.

Megan Rice Yager

Chanel

Inspired by Japanese textiles, these carpets are more like art underfoot, each telling a story

Madeline Weinrib

but ~ the recycled option at West Elm is awesome also.

If you want to be bowled over, you should see this midnight blue Baccarat chandelier in person. It is drop dead to die for. Denim dresses the shades, and if you can put it on a $40,000.00 chandelier, you can put it on anything!

Baccarat

Mui Mui

Look for a lot of layering ~

Nat'l Geographic store

J. Crew

Adding that washed (just not acid washed, not now anyway) appeal is like the 80's all over again ~ but more refined.

Kudos if it has a homemade hand or ethnic vibe

From inky blues to chambrays and dark washes, denim represents a sense of comfort. It is a neutral that literally goes with anything, and has a fresh edginess. There is a sophistication to this "new denim" look; a tidy and timeless appeal.