A Palm Beach Regency Style Home

Last month, I wrote about Regency style homes which became popular in Palm Beach in the 1950s and 1960s. Recently, I discovered this historic Palm Beach Regency, redesigned by the Canadian firm Les Ensembliers. It is a lovely example of Regency style from the era.

Les Ensembliers worked diligently with the owner to maintain the essence of the home's original design while adding a contemporary tone through a careful mix of classic and modern styles. It features palatial 16-foot ceilings, along with original plaster moldings, friezes, and columns. They created a white canvas of surfaces to serve as a backdrop to colorful accents, furniture, and art. The results are stunning!

Isn't this home gorgeous? I adore all of the blue and white porcelain and Chinoiserie accents!

Photography by André Rider.

Thinking Pink: A Palm Beach Penthouse

My husband and I returned to South Florida last night from Dallas just in time to beat the ice storm. Brrr!!! What a change in temperature... it is currently 77 degrees here in Miami! I have been catching up on my design magazines and lusting after this 1960s Edward Wormley sofa upholstered in magenta Scalamandre Tigre velvet, featured on the March 2015 cover of Elle Decor.

A pair of silk-screened prints by Andy Warhol hang above a 1960s Edward Wormley sofa upholstered in a Scalamandre velvet. The chairs in the foreground are by Charles Ramos, and the side table is by Achille Salvagni. The Louis XVI stools are circa 1780, and the Lucite barstools are from the 1970s. The bear sculpture is by Paola Pivi. 

There is such a fabulous mix of art, textiles, lines, and design periods in this Palm Beach Penthouse, owned by Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch and decorated by Timothy Haynes. While I don't usually gravitate towards such contemporary design, I really love this room.  To see more, pick up a copy of the March issue of Elle Decor on newstands, or click here.

The Pink Castle of Atlanta

Last week, interior designer and blogger Sherry Hart wrote about the incredible and historic Calhoun Estate in Atlanta, also known as the Pink Castle.  As you know, I am a real estate stalker, and I recognized the house immediately. It was placed on the MLS in 2011 where for years it patiently awaited new owners amid a battered real estate market. And the perfect new owners it has found! I was thrilled to learn that the Pink Castle was recently purchased by designer Melanie Turner and her husband, builder Stan Benecki. Renovations are underway, including replacement of the 90-year-old Italian tile roof, installation of heating and cooling systems, and restoration of the intricate original plasterwork.

Located in the prestigious Buckhead neighborhood, the estate was built in 1922-1923 by architect Philip Shutze who also designed Atlanta's famous Swan House. It has 6 bedrooms, 7 baths, and over 10,000 square feet. Turner and Benecki are only the third owners of this historic home, regarded as one of Atlanta's greatest architectural treasures.  Let's take a peak at some pictures taken prior to renovations!

I have blogged about Melanie Turner's work before... You may recall the master bedroom she designed for the 2013 Atlanta Symphony Show house. I think it would be a perfect fit for the Pink Castle! 

via

To read more, please visit Sherry Hart's blog Design Indulgence. The Peak of Chic has also written about the Pink Castle, including lovely historic images. The recent purchase was highlighted by Simply Buckhead, profiling the estate as one of the most intriguing mansions in Buckhead. As a preservation enthusiast, this quote my heart sing...

"Sometimes I am still moved to tears when I walk through the house. I feel so lucky to be able to preserve it. I don't look at this as my house; I look at myself as a caretaker for the next generation. It feels like I'm saving something." ~Melanie Turner, via Simply Buckhead. 

Congratulations Melanie on your magnificent new home! I simply cannot wait to see the transformation! 

14 Pink Rooms for Valentine's Day

Pink has always been my favorite color, which is probably why I have always loved Valentine's Day. Therefore, in the spirit of the occasion, I have rounded up 14 of my favorite pink rooms. Pink works so well with any color palate, don't you think? I love it all!

Ron Woodson and Jaime Rummerfield

House Beautiful

Christopher Peacock 

Keelee Katillac 

Source Unknown

Mary McDonald

Elizabeth Bauer

Jonathan Berger 

Robin Weiss

Markham Roberts

Nicolette Horn 

Ruthie Sommers 

Miles Redd

Upstairs on the Square

Do you love pink as much as I do? Happy Valentine's Day!

Sam Allen in House Beautiful

I am a huge fan of Sam Allen Interiors, and I literally gasped when I saw Allen's first apartment featured in the February issue of House Beautiful. Only in his early twenties, one might say Allen was born to decorate... he landed his first decorating job when he was just 12 years old! Allen was the youngest intern to ever work for Martha Stewart, and he was selected to join forces with the legendary Albert Hadley when he was only 19 years old. Soon thereafter, he landed on the cover of the New York Times Home section, and his career has continued to skyrocket. Let's take a look inside his stunning Connecticut apartment!

Allen transformed the large, plain main room by painting it in Benjamin Moore's Split Pea. "I love green and purple together," he says. "It's very Palm Beach." Chairs in a Cowtan & Tout fabric. Curtains in a Kravet velvet. 

One end of the open-plan room is anchored by a skirted table with an ever-changing array of objects. "The color of the Schumacher velvet bands echoes the green walls and helps tie the space together," Allen says. Skirt in Sandra Jordan's Prima Alpaca with Brunschwig & Fils fringe. Chairs by Albert Hadley. 

Allen turned an alcove into an office with Ikea's Kallax shelves. The white chair and West Elm desk complete the setup. The wall-mounted TV can be viewed from the sofa. Chair seat in a Lee Jofa fabric.

Floor-to-ceiling curtains create a sense of height in the standard-size bedroom. Wall-to-wall carpeting was cut to replicate a custom-fitted rug. Curtains in a Rogers & Goffigon linen. Carpet, New York Carpet. Walls in PPG Pittsburgh Paint's Black Flame. 

Covering the walls, headboard, and bed skirt in the same fabric - a striped Ralph Lauren Home silk - is a tried and true decorating solution for unifying a small room. Bedding from Leontine Linens. 

Allen gave the tiny entry pizzazz by using large-scale pieces like a pair of ginger jars, a vintage mirror, and a Christopher Spitzmiller lamp. Walls in Farrow & Ball's Light Gray. 

A bathroom was the perfect place to experiment with exuberant wallpaper, and its small size kept costs reasonable. Lyford Trellis wallpaper by China Seas. 

Designer Sam Allen in his living room. 

Images and captions from House Beautiful. Photography by David A. Land. To see the entire feature, including before pictures, click here. Please visit the website of Sam Allen Interiors for more information. Additionally, I wrote about his work in 2013, which you can read here.