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Tipping the Scales
What happens when you take the Caribbean sun, add a weeklong sailing trip and throw in a
pasty lass of northern European* decent? You get one crispy chic. My trip to Guadeloupe
and Isle des Saints was fabulous. We had gorgeous weather - cloudless skies, bright blue
water and gentle breezes. Just what the doctor ordered. But maybe not the dermatologist.
I often mention how much care I take with my skin. I wear sunblock everyday and haven’t
spent dedicated time in the sun since I was twenty. The problem? When I do go in the sun,
I fry up faster than bacon in a skillet. So although I do have a healthy glow about me, I’m
also starting to peel. Unhealthy and gross, but not without some humor. In light of my flaky,
peeling appearance, I figured I would feature all things scaly and reptilian this week. I love
texture – I just prefer to see it on stilettos and handbags and not so much on my face.
– Handbags –
left: vintage (top), Temperley London (bottom)
middle: Alexander McQueen (top), Bottega Veneta (bottom)
right: Amber & Babzoe (top), Lanvin (bottom)
– Footwear –
clockwise from top left: Dior, Roberto Cavalli,
Elizabeth & James and Fendi
– Fashion –
left to right: Burberry, Bottega Veneta, Zara
– Furnishings –
top left & bottom right: Huntley & Co. custom collection
bottom left: David Iatesta
top right & bottom middle: R&Y Augousti
Wishing you (and your skin!) a safe and festive season of sun.
Tricia
* Norwegian, German, English & Irish ; )
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To Die For
Do you ever see something and say, “If I died and came back as a
_________ (fill in the blank), I would want to be that one.” I do. Granted,
I have a flair for the dramatic. But still. Sometimes a designer – or artist,
photographer, architect – creates something so original, so beautiful that one
can’t help but be awed. Luxe & Lucid will be highlighting some of these
objects d’art from time to time. So extraordinary, each piece stands alone.
If I died and came back as an …
ACCESSORIES COLLECTION
R & Y Augousti
Ria and Yiouri Augousti
20 years ago, through the grace of the design gods, Ria and Yiouri Augousti met in
London. They fell in love, married, and formed the company R&Y Augousti. From the
beginning, their design sensibilities were a match made in heaven. Traveling the world, they
select exotic skins, stones and other natural materials for their furniture and accessories
collections. Sculptural, textural and drop-dead gorgeous, each piece is a work of art. And
attention men: if there is a chic, worldly woman in your life whom you want to impress, this
is the answer. Forget diamonds, forget the Mercedes. When you give a woman a gift from
R&Y, you are telling her she is an exquisite, remarkable creature like no other. Perfection.
103 Rue du Bac
Paris
33 (0)1.42.22.22.21
(photos courtesy of augousti.com)
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Tip deLuxe
LOOK TO NATURE
In an era when so much design is bold and over-the-top, it can be challenging
for the average person to step outside his/her comfort zone and make unique decorating
decisions. One way to overcome this obstacle is to look to nature. Chances are if it – color,
pattern, texture – works in the natural environment, it will work in your home. Look
at the examples below and you’ll see – even Mother Nature has a glamorous side.
As seen in last week’s Luxe & Lucid post, my shelling excursion
on Chappaquiddick yielded a wealth of design inspiration.
Cool, distressed planks and endcuts for wood floors in a beach house or country home.
This shell’s pattern would make a colorful, yet delicate faux finish for a table, cabinet or mirror.
I gathered these acorns while on a walk in Battery Kemble Park last fall.
The warm tone and subtle striae would make for a beautiful wood finish.
Think outside the box and the ubiquitous animal print and the animal world
can add a unique and unexpected layer of interest to your interior.
Who knew? Chartreuse is a natural color! I would love to develop a living room
color scheme based on the Silvereye’s feathers – chartreuse, beige and grey … done!
And just such a room exists – the cool, sophisticated 2007 Kips Bay living room by Eve Robinson.
To quote Ms. Robinson, “The living room is about the color of life. It is fresh, confident and colorful.”
James Rixner’s take on the same combination of hues.
Snakeskin was the textile this past year. Inspired by fashion and the fabulous
footwear of Manolo Blahnik and Jimmy Choo, I designed a custom console table for
a client’s downtown bachelorette pad and had it wrapped in a faux snakeskin leather.
This incredible photo taken by Shannon Plummer illustrates the complex texture of an elephant’s skin.
SJW Studios has a wallcovering that when installed on the reverse, mimics just such a texture. Or
you could enlist the talents of a decorative finisher like Colorfaux Designs who created the look below.
Tortoiseshell is both classic and modern – a finish that will never go out of style.
I mean, really … could the shell above be any more beautiful?!
Huntley & Co. is fabricating a mirror similar to this Mitchell Yanosky
version to hang above the vanity in a client’s master bath. So chic!
And finally, the haut monde of animal skins. Shagreen. The pebbled skin of rays and
sharks can be found in its natural form – for a price – in accessories and furniture.
But it’s also being replicated these days in finishes and textiles to great effect.
I will never, ever tire of this naturally glamorous material.
clockwise from top left: Clement Rousseau chair c. 1921, the Toulon Mirror in a Huntley & Co.
powder room, Jacques Adnet antique secretaire and bronze/shagreen/agate vases R&Y Augousti.
… and faux shagreen paper covering walls and hidden doors in an H&C bedroom.
You don’t need to look far. Rustic, subtle or glamorous – nature can inspire any interior.
Tricia xo
* POSTSCRIPT *
Huntley & Co. is featured this week in the Before & After section of lushclick.com – a modern
girl’s online design and lifestyle resource founded by Elizabeth Manresa. Check it out!
THE MUSINGS OF DESIGNER TRICIA HUNTLEY
