Gene Meyer's Tangier Oasis

Every time someone asks me what my "design style" is, I've noticed my answer seems to change a bit.  I loathe the general "modern", "traditional" or "transitional" categories; they barely convey anything about what someone truly gravitates towards.   However, I do know what makes my heart leap, and sometimes I find it much easier to point someone towards a body of work that I feel exemplifies my style.  For me, that would definitely be Gene Meyer and Frank de Biasi's Tangier abode.  Full of punchy color, relaxed and unpretentious, layered in textiles, sun-drenched, and chock full of contrasting design pieces that somehow harmonize together- this home hits all the high notes for me:

 The two southerners perched in their home's terrace.  Gene, pictured left, is originally from Louisville, Kentucky, and Frank hails from Richmond, Virginia, and the leisurely pace of Tangier coupled with the friendliness of the people appealed to them both.  Ever since I left Marrakech, Morocco last November, I've been dreaming of returning ASAP- and this time, Tangier is definitely on the list.  My own dream is to have a home in Morocco one day.  A small niche on the first floor features yellow curtains that appear in this photo to be my favorite color of all, chartreuse, paired with a coral lantern designed by the couple:

{and how adorable is the chintz slipcover on the armless chair? It reminds me of Lee Jofa's Hollyhock.}

The couple found a traditional Tangier home they loved on an open square, but wanted to open it up a bit and allow in more light.  The renovation ultimately took four years (it makes me shudder to think about), and included adding a lightwell based off of one Frank saw in India, replacing a life-threatening staircase with one based off of the Old Fort Bay clubhouse in the Bahamas, and replacing the thin walls.  The room at the base of the stairs pictured below shows how the couple expertly merged relaxed seating with antique furniture to create a happy mix.  

The chintz on the armchairs shown in the foreground above and on the armchair below is 1940s vintage, but it sort of reminds me of a dressed up version of Clarence House's Dahlia:

Portrait paintings hung behind the armchair were done by Gene himself. When the couple discuss their approach to decorating the house, Frank explained that while color comes first for Gene, for him, it's all about form, layout and function.  They took inspiration from various sources, such as the incised plasterwork on Yves Saint Laurent's bedroom ceiling and the fireplace mantel of botanist and writer Umberto Pasti.  

The kitchen is unexpected and cheery in all the best ways. The cabinetry features an inset trellis design while the floors are constructed of reclaimed marble paired with locally-made glazed and unglazed tile.  The sink and fittings are by the Parisian company Volevatch.  The curtains hung under the sink are composed of a vintage Malian fabric:

A color combo to love if I ever saw one:  yellow, coral, and light sea blue/turquoise add charm, especially when paired with framed pressed botanicals by Stuart Thornton:

This photo shows the walkway between the living and dining rooms, divided beautifully by a Mashrabiya screen:

The living room features pink walls that were inspired by a 1940s cottage the couple used to own in Miami, with a frieze of Majolica plates atop spearmint green.  The sofa and slipper side chairs are covered in another fabulous chintz by Cowtan & Tout:

The majolica plate frieze continues in to the dining room, which features straw animal heads found at the local markets above the fireplace.  The dining chairs are Scottish Regency:

The master bedroom features a Portuguese turned rosewood bed with a loosely gathered fabric canopy, and an intricately carved Moroccan screen seen below in the foreground:

Another angle of the master bedroom shows a cluster of Italian Renaissance paintings and a lovely custom slipcover on a side chair:

The love affair for me continues in to the master bath, where I love no stone more than an excessively veined marble.  A Portuguese pendant hangs from the ceiling, while the floors are covered in the most interested mosaic pattern:

The guest room features a striped wallcovering and painted green moulding.   My favorite element is the painted sisal rug.  In a way it reminds me of Marian McEvoy's painted lampshade designs (who also happens to be the queen of the glue-gun):

Like any design project, the charm of the house is largely thanks to the local craftsmen and tradespeople who came together to make Gene and Frank's vision a reality.  Any designer knows it is one thing to envision a design, but quite another to execute it well. 

The roof terrace would be perfect for unwinding at the end of any day, especially with a glass of rose in hand.  Alexander Hoyle helped design Gene and Frank's layout, which feels like a Henry Rousseau painting:

This last photo also happens to be my laptop wallpaper.  Ah, what a fantastic home.  Read the full story about the intricate design process here.

{images and details via Architectural Digest}

XOXO,

Sam

Get to Work

Time to get to work!  I recently have been helping a friend redesign his office space, and in the process have discovered so many cool designs from catalog sources- at surprisingly affordable prices.  Want to be a working goddess, a la Audrey Hepburn in "Paris When it Sizzles"?  Whether it be for a home office or not, I've broken down my favorite office pieces in to easy steps below- and all pieces featured here are under $1,000.

STEP 1: FIND A CHIC DESK

Sam Loves: 32

New decade, new me?  Doubtful- but that's okay, because things last decade weren't too bad.  I ended the year in Miami Beach with three friends ringing in the new year at the W Hotel:

My blue dress was 32 bucks from Fashion Nova, my silver heels were 10 years old from Gianni Bini (I found some similar ones here), but I did splurge and get my makeup done by the Glam Squad.  I can't rave enough about them- have you guys ever used their services for hair or makeup?  They come to your apartment or hotel with all the tools and you book through their app.  I've used them multiple times over the past 3 years and never had a bad experience.  If you want to try them, you can use my link here to get $25 off  your first appointment.  I got paired with Yasmin Barroso in Miami and I was very happy with the results.

Now that I am back in NYC and it's officially the beginning of 2020, I'm loving faux furs, soft palettes, and delicate colors right now:

SAM LOVES: 32

1.) My favorite soft white blanket- I sleep with it every night.  $70 (with code SAVEMORE at checkout)

2.) Adoring every detail of Bunny Williams & John Rosselli's new apartment, as featured in Architectural Digest.  Especially the chaise lounge pictured above covered in a Clarence House chintz.

3.) Adoring this quote.

4.) Anna Crossbody Bag, $68 (also love this).

5.) Madewell Acrylic Shape Stack Earrings, $32

6.) Adore Jeanette Friis Madsen in this monochromatic sweatshirt/pencil skirt combo at NYFW last fall. - Style du Monde

7.) Steve Madden Rookie Bootie in Bone Croco, $101.95

8.) Roxy Faur Fur Cowl Scarf, $39.95 (this is cute, too!)


Anthropolgoie is currently offering 25% off all home decor, bedding, and bath.  Loving this, this, and this.  

Happy New Year!

XOXO,

Sam

Shelf Love

With winter comes a desire to nest, chill, relax, read, and basically slow down in general.  Slowing down isn't really in my vocabulary and honestly most days I have no idea how to.  I prefer things that way- hectic, busy, fun, chock full of events where memories can be made.  So, it's no surprise I sometimes dread this time of year.  Does anyone really enjoy the sun setting at 4:30 pm (p.s.- I love this meme).  However, I've done enough "inner work" this year (said with a smirk) to know resistance of any kind is futile- it's much more charming to let things come, adapt, and flow with them.  So, I'm doing all things within my power to bring out my inner *chill* goddess and slowwww down.  First up is adding to my reading list.  I do love the feeling of being enthralled by a story I simply cannot put down, so I highly recommend this book and this book (I recently finished both).  I want to read this next. If you have any good recommendations, please let me know.  In the meantime, I thought sharing some gorgeous bookshelves felt very much in the spirit of coziness.  Whether it's a small built-in that feels like an afterthought, a perfectly proportioned centerpiece of a room, or simply a free-standing piece filled to the brim, I rarely see a shelf I couldn't love:

{Sig Bergamin}

{Bories & Shearron}

{Alexa Hampton}

Something about artist Wayne Pete's shelves filled haphazardly feels so charming to me.  Especially with barely any space left for the AC unit, this is a quintessential Brooklyn creative's studio.

{Wayne Pete}

{Ben Pentreath}

{Daniel Kanter}

I also want to pay homage to the book stack- perhaps not as practical as displaying books on a shelf, it still is a fun way to decorate a room and I myself have several stacks of books in my own apartment:

{Ryan Korban}

One of the many stacks in my apartment:

Happy Wintering,

Sam

Fabric Crush: Lee Jofa's Hollyhock

At this point in my life I've embraced the fact that I prefer a more traditional aesthetic.  Delicate antique French furniture, rich (but well-proportioned) wooden armoires and dressers, and large hand-blocked floral fabrics are a few of the many traditional decorative elements I love.  I've discovered recently that I'm not alone in my love for all things classic- apparently there's a word for it now, "Grandmillenial style".   House Beautiful,  NY Post, and One Kings Lane have all shared articles on the trend.  As House Beautiful says,

 “Ranging in age from mid-20s to late-30s, grandmillennials have an affinity for design trends considered by mainstream culture to be ‘stuffy’ or ‘outdated’—Laura Ashley prints, ruffles, embroidered linens,” Emma writes. They like D. Porthault and entertaining. They are building a party closet and collecting their grandmothers’ china. They take inspiration from Sibyl Colefax and Albert Hadley. They’ve never met a chintz they didn’t like. “Taking fringe, trim, chinoiserie, drapery, skirts on furniture, slipcovers, wallpaper—all of that–and updating them to be convenient for today’s 30-year-old” is what grandmillennial style is all about, according to interior designer Becky Boyle."

As a self-proclaimed grandmillenial, I thought I'd share one of my all-time favorite fabrics with you today- Lee Jofa's hand-blocked Hollyhock.  Hollyhock is a hand-blocked linen with a pedigree that dates back to the 1850s.  A century later, it was hailed as "the most beautiful chintz on the market" (Kravet). It comes in several colorways and is available either as a linen or as a cotton chintz.  The fabric is an absolute work of art, as seen below on the curtains in this England country house:

{Cameron Kimber}

The design features a lush bouquet of flowers and trailing vines on a neutral background.  My boss, Markham Roberts, used the coordinating linen version that has a lighter background, called "Althea Linen," on the walls in this Nantucket guest bedroom:

{Markham Roberts}

Miles Redd used the print on a dining table-turned-desk skirt for his mother in her Atlanta, Georgia home.  The  cords on the ginger jar lamps were snaked through the table leaves and under the carpet:

{Miles Redd}

While many fabrics get discontinued after a few years, Lee Jofa's Hollyhock has remained in production and continues to be used frequently as a designer favorite.   In 2014, designer Young Huh covered the walls in the Kips Bay Designer Showhouse lounge in the blush colorway of Hollyhock:

In his Montecito, California living room, Mark Sikes covered his tufted sofa in the chintz.  I love seeing it on a larger piece of furniture:

{Mark Sikes}

And, as I've written about before, I love seeing a room covered in the same fabric- I guess it's the maximalist in me.  This detail shot of Hollyhock on the sofa, sofa pillows, and walls slays me in the best way:

{I found this image online, but can't find the source for the life of me.  If it's yours, please message me and I'll properly credit you. }

Want to acquire a little Hollyhock for yourself?  Decorator's Best sells fabrics to the public (albeit at a mark up), and offer Hollyhock in it's many colorways here.  Just note the fabric content you want is selected underneath the fabric before purchasing- the shinier cotton chintz will list as 100% cotton, the linen version which I prefer will list as 100% linen.  The coordinating "Althea Linen" print is available here.

XOXO,

Sam

P.S.- Read my other fabric crush posts:

Brunschwig & Fils Les Touches
Scalamandre Le Tigre
Michael Devine Hand-Printed Fabrics

Herve Van Der Straeten's Tangier Getaway

I recently added the new Inside Tangier- Houses & Gardens coffee table book to my collection in anticipation for my upcoming trip to Morocco.  Right now, we are only planning to be in Marrakech- but if I can make the time, I want to try and do a quick trip to Fez or Tangier.  This new tome by Vendome Press features a handful of abodes owned by artists, designers, and writers in Tangier.  It's hard to choose a favorite, but for some reason I was particularly drawn to the home of furniture designer Herve van der Straeten and shoe designer Bruno Frisoni:

The couple first visited Tangier in 1997, and at the time didn't really see the appeal.  However, they became close with a few long time residents of the city- and when a friend recommended they look at a house on the market in 2002, they fell in love and purchased it.  At the time they weren't thinking of buying in Africa at all- in fact, they had set their sights on purchasing something on the Amalfi Coast.  The house was irresistable to them; however, due to it's location- right on the cusp of the city's medina.

{In the entrance hall, two of van der Straeten's designs are on display- a Cubist chandelier and a colonnaded base console table}

Herve and Bruno, ever the creative duo, set to work adjusting the house's floorplan and finishes to their liking.  They opened up and adjusted the floorplan, which was typical of North African homes- with a center atrium and long narrow halls leading to adjacent rooms.  They knocked out all the interior rooms and one staircase, and left only the outer walls of the home.   They expanded the windows on the second floor and framed them in black lacquer.  “If you notice around the medina,” says Frisoni, “very few houses have big windows.” Explains Van der Straeten, “It’s very Spanish to have small ones to block heat and protect privacy, but we have nothing to hide!”  {Departures, 2014}.  They also incorporated design elements they loved from their travels.  The marble flooring is inspired by the Casa de Pilatos palace in Seville, and the black and white stripe tiles in the master bath mimick a hammam the couple loves to visit in Damascus.  I've long been a fan of Herve's lighting designs, one of which hangs in their living room:

The modern mix of furniture and objects in the living room is so interesting to see in a Moroccan home.  I guess that's why I'm so drawn to it.  

The master bedroom is light and bright:

The walls and bedding in their guest bedroom feature textiles from Syria and other farflung places, while the headboard is a green painted door the couple found in Fez. The bedside tables were made by craftsman in the nearby medina:

{image above from Departures article}

The home's rooftop terrace overlooks the beautiful city of Tangier:

Read a write up Vogue did on this same house a few years back here.

Get a copy of the Inside Tangier coffee table book here.

Tom Scheerer's New Book: More Decorating

I've admired Tom Scheerer's laid-back, all-American approach to decorating for years.  Although I've never met him in person, he seems very down-to-earth and approachable, even while being innately stylish and wildly successful.  I devoured his first coffee table book and love any time a new project of his is splashed across the pages of a shelter mag.   To me, a truly talented interior designer is capable of creating so much more than just a pretty room- if trusted, they can bring out the soul of a homeowner or family through the aesthetics they carefully create.  To me, Tom Scheerer does just that.   So, when Vendome recently sent me  an advance copy of Scheerer's second book, More Decorating, I was thrilled:

Behind the glossy book jacket is a chic rattan print:

I first leafed through the pages on a subway ride downtown, and viewing each of the 16 projects featured was a delight.  Read on to see a few of my favorite rooms...

Photographer Crush: Mark Shaw

Most of you all are probably familiar with the work of Slim Aarons, but have you heard of the photographer Mark Shaw?  He was a celebrity/lifestyle photographer who began his career at Harper's Bazaar magazine in 1946.  He went on to work for LIFE magazine as a freelance photographer for several years, but is most well known for being the "unofficial" photographer of the Kennedy family.  Here's a small sampling of my favorite images by Shaw:

Lee Radziwill wearing Dior, 1962:

Model Jane Sprague wearing Fath, photographed in 1953:

Coco Chanel at age 74, lounging in her Paris apartment, 1957: