Sneak peek: Suzanne Kasler in House Beautiful

Earlier this year, when I was picking up some fabric samples from Suzanne Kasler’s office, there was a big meeting going on.  Suzanne and her book team were working on the layout for her brand new book, Timeless Style.  Suzanne’s first book, Inspired Interiors, is one of my all time favorites, and her new book promises to be just as good.  I was able to see some of the images that will be featured in the new book, many of which have never been published; the images beautifully reflect the depth, range and beauty of Suzanne’s work.  In my humble opinion, her work keeps getting better and better.

The cover for the new book features a picture from Suzanne’s own house. The framed art is striking – I love the scale, how they are framed, and the tight way in which they are hung. Note how the artist’s name, Kris Ruhs, is featured  in one of the pieces.

In the new House Beautiful, which will hit newsstands on August 13th, Suzanne Kasler is interviewed for the Master Class feature.  This monthly column features the most famous names in interior design, and in the new issue Suzanne shares some of her favorite things and reveals design inspiration for her projects and her product lines.  Here are a few of my favorite highlights from the article.

“Sunburst mirrors are true classics. This one is a starting point for my new collection for Ballard Designs”. 

Many of Suzanne’s products are inspired by her own personal collection, and this mirror appears to be modeled after one that she had above her bed in her old house.  I checked the Ballard website and this particular mirror doesn’t appear to be available quite yet, but I predict it will be a bestseller when it is launched – it’s a charming spin on the classic sunburst mirror, and looks like it would be equally at home in either a casual or an elegant setting (and everything in between).

“When traveling, if you see you love, buy it. You’ll find a place for it. You’ll always remember where you were when you bought it, and it’s those kind of memories that make a house a home”. 

This is a new view of Suzanne’s living room, and illustrates her advice perfectly – the Picasso lithograph is a treasured find from one of Suzanne’s trips to Paris, and has a place of honor on her mantel.  Suzanne notes that many of her favorite items found on travels end up in her living room.

“My Thornton Lamp for Visual Comfort was inspired by a French antique. Vintage pieces inspire many of my designs – when you unearth something really great, you want to be able to find it again”.

You can read more Master Class advice from Suzanne Kasler in the September 2013 House Beautiful, which will be on newsstands next week. 

To pre-order Suzanne’s new book on Amazon, click here.

To see Suzanne’s first book on Amazon, click here.

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Sneak peek at the new House Beautiful featuring Atlanta designer Margaret Kirkland

Readers, here is a little sneak peek from the November edition of House Beautiful – and this one features Atlanta based designer Margaret Kirkland.  I was not familiar with her work, but I am so glad for the introduction to this talented young designer.  Her work is classic and elegant, and after looking at her portfolio it comes as no surprise that she worked with some of the greats of the Atlanta design scene including Dan Carithers and Robert Brown. Margaret established her own firm in 2010, and she has a wonderful portfolio.

Margaret was selected as the featured up and coming designer in ‘The Next Wave’ section of the November House Beautiful (a monthly feature that focuses on the rising stars of the design scene).  This beautiful room designed by Margaret is featured – as well as many of Margaret’s favorite stylish things in the design world.  Her style is described as classic, feminine, and Southern inspired – and her picks clearly reflect this.  Her style is definitely right up my alley! 

What is your favorite thing about this room?  I am loving the soft color palette, the architecture of the space, and the luxury of light coming in from three sides.  Margaret works with the architecture and scale of the room as well as the abundant natural light to create a beautiful and nuanced space. I can imagine that this room must have been tricky for space planning given the length of the room and the sheer number of windows (and the resulting dearth of usable wall space).  The wall mounted lantern is a great touch, as is the easel to display the art – a great way to incorporate art into a space that has so many windows.

I took a quick peek at Margaret’s portfolio and her work has a timeless look and feel – this bedroom caught my attention; I particularly like the soft color palette and the little Swedish touches in the room. The settee reminds me of one that I had my eye on at A.Tyner Antiques many years ago (it sold before I could make up my mind).

Another intriguing project from her portfolio is this house – there are quite a few pictures of it in Margaret’s portfolio – it is a wonderful combination of the feminine and the masculine, the refined and the gently rugged.  I spy another easel with art through the right door…perhaps a signature touch?

To see more of Margaret Kirkland’s portfolio, visit her web site:  http://margaretkirklandinteriors.com  Look for her ‘The Next Wave’ feature in the November House Beautiful, on newsstands next week.

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To see design, architecture, art, and decorative books that I recommend, please visit the Things That Inspire Amazon store.

Exclusive sneak peek: a Suzanne Kasler project in Kenya to be featured in House Beautiful

When working with Suzanne Kasler on the interiors of the house I was building, I always looked forward to the meetings in her office as it was a great opportunity to get a glimpse of the inner workings of a busy design firm.   Whether it was an inspiration board pinned with fabric samples, a room full of lighting, accessories and pillows ready to be taken to an install, or a gorgeous selection of rugs laid out on the floor waiting for client approval,  there was always something interesting and beautiful to look at. Suzanne knew that I was fascinated with what was going on in the design world, and would sometimes talk about some of the highlights of her current projects, as well as the current trends in the world of design as a whole. 

At the time, there was one project in particular that Suzanne was very enthusiastic about -  the interior design for a compound of four thatched roof cottages on the grounds of the Sirikoi game lodge in Kenya.  She said it was one of the most unique projects she had ever worked on, and she came back from her trips to Kenya (for both the design process and eventually the installation of the design) full of excitement, and with many interesting stories to tell.  I remember meeting at her office the week before she was heading to Kenya for the install, and her staff was keeping close track of the container that was being shipped from Atlanta over to Africa.

When House Beautiful contacted me this week to see whether I would be interested in an exclusive sneak peek of the feature on the Suzanne Kasler Kenya project (not yet published – it is in the new October 2012 issue, out on newsstands next week), I jumped at the chance.  And believe me, it is truly an amazing feature – like nothing I have ever seen, and yet with many of the signature Suzanne Kasler touches that are the hallmark of her style.  The range of her work continues to inspire me – she is always exceptionally in tune with the homeowners, the architecture, and the way in which her clients live in their homes.  Perhaps this is why she is hired to create so many beautiful and diverse interiors.

A view of the palm thatched cottages on the grounds of the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya (architecture by Barnaby Ghaui). The interiors are completely open to the exterior, creating both amazing opportunities for design as well as unique design challenges. I wonder if the Kenyan wildlife ever stroll into the house?  Photos used with permission from House Beautiful (photo credit Thibault Jeanson).

HB’s interview style format is particularly conducive to telling the story of this project, as there is so much unique and personal about the process of designing this incredible space.  Both Suzanne and the homeowner describe the process to design, build, and decorate this one of a kind sanctuary on the other side of the world, with both furniture purchased in Atlanta and accessories, art and objects crafted in Africa that reflect the unique artistry of the area. 

The article contains many pictures of the interiors, including an airy living room defined by the architectural structure of the thatched cottage.  Although the architecture and environment are as unique as any I have seen in a shelter magazine, there are many familiar Suzanne Kasler touches throughout the room.  Note the matched Verellen sofas flanking the fireplace – a classic arrangement often favored by Suzanne (she has the same sofas in her own family room in Atlanta). Also striking is the orange banding trimmed with nail heads at the base of the chair, which picks up on the orange used to to highlight the interior of the fireplace. Suzanne layers in a variety of textures and fabrics, unique and one of a kind accessories (many of which were made by local artisans), and always plenty of seating.  Her careful space planning encourages comfortable use of the environments she creates, and lend themselves well to opportunities for conversation in both large and small groups.

A highlight for me – the incredible ostrich egg chandeliers made by Kenya resident Sue Fusco, featured in every cottage. Suzanne notes that “they give off a warm, low light. It’s like you are looking up at the stars”. 

I’m also partial to these charming black intaglios that are hung at the roofline in several of the cottages.

The October issue of House Beautiful hits the newsstands early next week (just after Labor Day) – if you are not already a subscriber, I highly recommend seeking out this issue.  It features homes of Americans abroad, and has projects from around the globe, and of course includes this incredible Kenya retreat.  I have not seen any other features from this issue, so I will definitely be stalking my mailbox waiting for my own copy to arrive in the mail. I can’t wait!

What do you think about this Kenya retreat?  Have you ever been to Kenya?  I am definitely adding it to my ‘bucket list’ of trips.

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www.quatrefoildesign.com

To subscribe to my blog by email, click here.
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Twitter: @TTIBlog
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Visit my online store, Quatrefoil Design: www.quatrefoildesign.com
To see design, architecture, art, and decorative books that I recommend, please visit the Things That Inspire Amazon store.

The House Beautiful Color Institute Event

A few weeks ago, I received a special 'press' invitation to attend the House Beautiful Color Institute Event at the Atlanta Design Center. The big event was yesterday; when I arrived, I had a name tag that identified me as the author of the 'Things That Inspire' blog, and it was great to meet some of the designers, fellow bloggers, and magazine editors whom I have featured over the past two years!

Image via House Beautiful

The keynote speaker was Stephen Drucker, editor of House Beautiful Magazine, and on the panel were design luminaries Suzanne Kasler and Eric Cohler. The topic: color! Stephen's presentation was wonderful, and he illustrated color use through the decades with a representative picture for each decade from the House Beautiful archives (there were two pictures selected for the 90s, which Stephen noted was all across the board from a design perspective - as are the 2000s!). The 80s had a richly decorated room by Mario Buatta - I thought about Joni from Cote de Texas when appreciating the complexity of his look, and Stephen gave a nod to the true artisty that went into creating such a multi-layered room. It was interesting to hear Stephen's take on the color trends of the 2000s - from the juicy and youthful colors that he called the 'Sex and the City' look, to the complex textured neutrals accented with metallics (particularly in the gilded furniture and mirrors) so often seen in Atlanta decorating, and my favorite, the subtle neutrals that often pick up the colors of nature, particularly greens. There were some striking rooms from recent years done so beautifully in colors like purple, and Stephen identified an emerging trend: dark, bold rooms done in black and rich, deep blues. He commented that doing a black room is about as bold as one can get with color! I did not take notes, so this is all from memory, but it was great to get a perspective from a magazine editor who is so clearly passionate about his work and about color.

Eric Cohler Design, photo by Francis Smith

Next in the line up was Eric Cohler, who has a wonderful sense of humor and also a passion for design and color, especially the color blue! I always love to see work from NYC designers, because their challenges and the architecture they are dealing with is so different than the architecture and design style of Atlanta. I particularly appreciated the stunning museum quality contemporary artwork that many of Eric's clients own, and that he incorporates into his design schemes. Eric's humor and humanity made him the ideal panelist for this event, and from what I understand, he had to make quite a journey to get to Atlanta; we had terrible thunderstorms the night before the event, and Eric had to land in Alabama and take a taxi to Atlanta to make it on time.

Eric said that he feels like an artist when composing a room, with the balance of form, scale, and color. I loved this analogy, because I when I see a beautifully put together room, I truly feel as if I am looking at a unique three dimensional piece of art.

Finally, Suzanne Kasler revealed her color approach on projects, and specifically discussed her thought process behind several rooms that are well known on the blogosphere - the one that stands out in my mind is the richly colored dining room that she created in an Atlanta home (I posted on this home last year when it was on the market). Suzanne often paints an entire room in the same color - walls, trim, and ceiling - but in different finishes, glossy and satin (upon examing this picture, it looks like the ceiling was not painted in the same color as the walls, but the trim and walls are painted out in the same color, as are the windows). She introduced another color in this dining room - the green on the back of several of the dining room chairs - and the rug has the green tone that is on the back of the chairs.

The lacquered look on a wall came up quite a few times in Suzanne's presentation; she often uses three layers of glossy paint to achieve this look, and said that in the bathroom in her newly renovated home in Buckhead, she intended to do Venetian plaster walls but ended up loving the look of three layers of glossy paint so much that she went this route instead. Suzanne was a great speaker and presenter, and it was amazing to hear her design approach on some of my favorite rooms from her portfolio. It was noted that Suzanne has a book coming out in October: I was able to have a sneak peek earlier this week, and it is stunning (there is a kitchen in there that is the most beautiful kitchen I have ever seen). You can pre-order it on Amazon.

I had the opportunity to meet designer Melanie Turner Benecki, Southeast designer of the year, whose home I featured in a post last month; blogger Jennifer Boles of the Peak of Chic; and Clint Smith, editor of Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles. All around, it was a great day for design in Atlanta! Thank you to House Beautiful for hosting this event, and for the special invitation.

The House Beautiful Recipe Experiment

Due to severe technical difficulties this week, I do not have access to all of my great design pictures on my laptop. So, I am doing a different kind of a post.

My favorite magazine at the moment is House Beautiful. I love the the style of the magazine, the homes that they feature, the monthly features on designers favorite paint colors, furniture, and fabrics. I also enjoy skimming through the articles by Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa and Penelope, the cookbook/recipe reviewer. However, I have never made any of these recipes.

From 1080 Recipes by Simone and Inés Ortega, published by Phaidon Press, 2007, phaidon.com. Illustrations by Javier Mariscal. Photography by Jason Lowe.

In the February 2008 House Beautiful, a recipe caught my eye, and this week I decided to conduct the House Beautiful recipe experiment: I made the Beef with Tomatoes and Olives., from the cookbook 1080 Recipes by Simone and Inés Ortega. Here is the recipe:

BEEF WITH TOMATOES AND OLIVES
Serves 6
1 cup sunflower oil (I used 1/2 cup olive oil instead)
3 1/4 pounds stewing beef, such as chuck, flank, rump, or brisket, cut into chunks
2 large onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 pound 2 ounces very ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped (I used 28 oz can whole tomatoes instead)
Scant 1 cup chopped Serrano ham or prosciutto
3/4 cup white wine
Pinch of mixed dried herbs or 1 bouquet garni (1 sprig fresh parsley, 1 clove garlic, and 1 bay leaf tied in cheesecloth)
Scant 1 cup pimiento-stuffed green olives
Salt

Heat the oil in a pan. Add the beef, in batches if necessary, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until evenly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Drain off most of the oil, leaving about 4 tablespoons to cover the base of the pan, and reheat. Add the onion and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes, until beginning to brown. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the tomato and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking it up with the side of the spoon, for 5 minutes more. Return the beef to the pan, add the ham, and pour in the wine. Season with salt, add the dried herbs or bouquet garni, mix well, and cook for about 5 minutes. Pour in water to cover, cover the pan, and simmer over medium heat for about 2 hours, until tender. Meanwhile, put the olives in a pan, add water to cover, and bring to a boil, then lower the heat, and simmer for 1 minute. Drain well and set aside. Uncover the stew, stir in the olives, and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes more. Remove and discard the bouquet garni, if used. Serve in a warm deep dish. I served this over rice.

The result:

Overall impressions: I thought this was a very good winter stew. I served it over brown rice, with crusty bread on the side. It wasn't difficult to make, but it was time consuming as there were a lot of different steps, and the stew needs to simmer for two hours or so.

Conclusion from the experiment: Although this was very good, the amount of time that it takes decreases my interest in making it again any time soon.

So, have you ever made a recipe from a design magazine? How did it turn out?