Miguel Flores-Vianna

As we are on day 3 of my home's magazine shoot for Southern Living, I'm appreciating the talent and hard work that goes into creating that perfect interior shot. What looks casual or unstaged may actually have taken hours to prepare and achieve. Perhaps that is why we all love looking at magazines such as Elle Decor, Architectural Digest, Veranda.... we all want that look in our own homes. You can get it!!! Just make sure that in addition to your interior designer, you also hire a stylist, a photo editor, a photographer and a prop person (all of whom are in my kitchen as I type!).

One of my all time favorite interior shots come from Miguel Flores-Vianna who does a lot of interior shots for Elle Decor, The World of Interiors, Domino, Architectural Digest, 1stdibs, House & Garden and Veranda. And what do you know???? Miguel grew up in Argentina (perhaps we were childhood neighbors). A former editor-turned-photographer (not to mention artist/global nomad/bon viveur), Miguel embraces life with an ardor that spills over into every corner of his existence.

Here are some of my favorite shots that he has captured. Pay close attention to the small details in the photos that may go unnoticed but were so carefully placed there.

Miguel at work.

You can view more of Miguel Flores-Vianna's work and interior shots here. And stay tuned for my Southern Living Magazine debut this Summer!

The Timeless Nature of Neoclassical Style

There is something so elegant and timeless about neoclassical furniture, especially chairs (since I do have a fetish in this department as you may recall). The Empire style, developed during the second phase of neoclassicism, is probably one of my all time favorite neoclassical styles as it is clean, tailored and can mix with just about any other style.

Take a look at this antique Empire chair in the corner of this bedroom featured in the newest issue of Veranda Magazine.


Look familiar?????

Lovely, aren't they? Elegant, aren't they? Forever young....

For more information on these timeless and elegant 19th c. Empire chairs, please visit my 1stdibs storefront. I adore orange hues (or "marmalade" as Jane Dagmi so eloquently describes my taste in color palettes in her new article for Color Chats! "Decorating with Gray Soothes the Soul No Matter the Style").

But even if orange is not your cup of tea, there is a variety of fabric choices that would look fabulous on these chairs. Just let your imagination and passion take over...