Style Profile: Dana Gibson
I am a long-time admirer of designer Dana Gibson, and as I’ve been wrapping up my Christmas shopping, I find that she continues to be a go-to resource for everyone on my list. After a stint teaching high school, Dana decided to follow her passion for creating charming and colorful accessories for the modern home. She refashions traditional designs by drawing upon centuries old classics such as Chinese vases, painterly florals, bird and animal prints, and intricate fretwork. Below are a few of my favorite examples of Dana’s work…
Dana Gibson’s incredible line of wallpaper and fabric for Stroheim. Here are a few fabulous gift ideas priced under $100…
These darling leopard eye glass cases are just $28 each!
Blue chintz pen cup (also makes a fabulous vase) – $40.
Canton in pink cup (also available in blue) – $40.
Sissinghurst tea towel (also perfect for the powder room) – $28.
Clivedon tea towels in blue and pink – $28 each.
These adorable cachepots come in an assortment of Dana’s signature prints. Above is Orange Bargello for $50.
This fabulous leopard tray measures 10″ by 4″ and 1/2″ and makes the perfect catchall at just $55.
White bamboo letter tray, perfect for organizing desk clutter. $85 And here are a few items on my wish list…
White chintz lamp… I absolutely need a pair of these for my Bowood bedroom!
Click here to take a tour through Dana’s gorgeous Richmond, Virginia home!
To learn more about Dana Gibson, you can read a fabulous interview via Chinoiserie Chic. I was intrigued to learn that Dana’s great grandfather was the renowned painter Charles Dana Gibson, the creator of the famous Gibson Girl of the 1890s. Dana’s great aunt, Nancy Astor, was the first woman to be elected to the House of Commons and another aunt, Nancy Lancaster, was an owner of the esteemed firm Colefax and Fowler. Artistry and achievement are clearly in Dana’s DNA!
Please click here to shop Dana Gibson. Shipping is always free, and all orders placed before December 20 are guaranteed to arrive before Christmas.
Christmas at Designers’ Homes Across America
There is a lovely new book out, just in time for the holidays… Christmas at Designers’ Homes Across America. I couldn’t wait to read it when I learned my friends from Parker Kennedy were included! It features almost 400 color images of beautiful holiday inspirations created by leading designers in their own homes. A few of my favorites are below…
Christmas at Designers’ Homes Across America, written by Katharine McMillan and Patricia McMillan.
Parker Kennedy
Shayla Copas
Mary Helen McCoy
Keith Carrington
Jamie Gibbs
Jamie Gibbs
Pam Kelley
Christmas at Designers’ Homes Across America is available via Amazon.
Design Crush: Lisa Henderson Interiors
Fellow Texan Lisa Henderson is an incredibly talented interior designer based in Dallas who, thanks to Instagram, has quickly become one of my favorites. Prior to founding Lisa Henderson Interiors in 2010, Lisa worked for the renowned designer Cathy Kincaid (another one of my favorites!) where she says she earned her “Ph.D. in design.” Known for her fresh approach to traditional style and her attention to detail, Lisa creates homes for her clients that are reflections of their lifestyle. She combines her love of travel, antiques, and art to create classically comfortable interiors that offer escape, serenity, and beauty. I am thrilled to welcome Lisa to The Glam Pad today. Let’s take a look at her gorgeous portfolio and get to know more about her through our recent interview…
Q: What inspired you to become an interior designer?
A: I think I would say initially it all started with an interest and love of antiques. I love history. Learning about the past lives and uses of antiques, porcelains, etc was very intriguing to me.
Q: How do you describe your style?
A: I would say that my style is traditional but fresh (at least that’s what I hope people would think!) I like a mix of both new and old but not too much of either. I like a layered look that is acquired over time and not “done in a day.”
Q: How did working for Cathy Kincaid influence your aesthetic? What was the best piece of advice she gave you?
A: I say that I received my degree, masters, and doctorate from Cathy. She taught me so much about attention to detail and the extreme importance of it. She is also a very hard worker with a strong work ethic. Whenever there are 15 minutes left in the workday and I think I will put something off until tomorrow, I remind myself that Cathy would have taken care of it today!
Q: I love traditional design because it is truly timeless. How do you keep it fresh for today? And how do you create a room that will not appear dated in five years?
A: If you can always be working on your interiors, even in small ways, it will feel up to date. When a room looks dated it is not just because the fabrics are worn, it is because you can tell nothing has been changed at all in however many years. Doing things like collecting from your travels, adding flowers, rearranging a space using the same items— or items from the room next door— will keep your spaces up to date. And when you buy quality pieces, you’re not constantly having to replace them. You might need to reupholster your sofa but you do no necessarily need to go out and buy all new again.
Q: I adore your signature serene color palette and style. How did you develop this classic look?
A: I would say that like many things my look and style has evolved with time. I am always trying to learn from designers of the past and present, pay attention to the paint colors in a museum, examine the different shades of blue in a piece of porcelain, learn about new products and techniques. I would say all of these different aspects (and more) combine to make my style what it is today.
Q: Where do you find inspiration?
A: I love to learn and to be cultured. I love to travel and want to take in everything I can wherever I am. I especially love to go to France and am also part of a French Cookbook Club in Dallas. And honestly Instagram has been such a source of inspiration! It’s like traveling all of the houses of the world in the palm of your hand.
Q: Do you feel traditional decor is experiencing a resurgence?
A: I think comfortable homes are experiencing a resurgence and so maybe in turn that means traditional— although I would like to think traditional never went out of style!
via Instagram
Q: Who are your favorite interior designers, and do you have any favorite design books?
A: I love all of the old greats— Nancy Lancaster, Billy Baldwin, Albert Hadley, Sister Parish and of course today’s greats like Bunny Williams, Michael Smith, and Cathy of course. Design books are my complete weakness! I love to read about previous designer’s lives and how they ran their businesses. It really is hard to choose favorites but two I have always loved are Vogue Living, both the 2007 version and the 1968 version.
via Instagram
Q: Do you have any favorite go-to fabrics, paint color, linens, etc.?
A: I love prints and am always pulling from Sister Parish, Lisa Fine, Carolina Irving, Quadrille, Penny Morrison, Martyn Lawrence, Peter Dunham— just to name a few! Leontine Linens are my favorite for bedding (the options are endless!) and Farrow and Ball are my favorite paints.
via Instagram
Q: When you aren’t busy decorating, how do you enjoy spending your time?
A: I love to cook and entertain. Whether its my kids’ birthday parties or my brother-in-law’s rehearsal dinner in our backyard. The details of a party are like a game to me— I love going over (and over and over) the menus, serving pieces, linens, flow of the party, furniture arrangement, and most importantly—where is the bar?
via Instagram
via Instagram
Q: Any design advice you would like to share?
A: You can’t take your interiors too seriously. If you over analyze something or pick it apart you 1) won’t get anything accomplished and 2) it will look stiff. It can be really hard for people to relinquish control but the ones who do end up with the best outcomes. And its ok to have fun!!
Lisa’s rooms are all so soft and serene… timelessly classic, and so very, very pretty. And I certainly need to take cooking lessons from this Francophile. A French Cookbook Club sound fabulous! Maybe we can talk Lisa into coming back to share her entertaining and cooking tips. 🙂 To learn more, please visit Lisa Henderson Interiors, and follow Lisa on Instagram. I am completely enamored with her style!
Thank you, Lisa, for sharing with us today!
What will $899K Buy You in Natchez, Mississippi?
Did you know that prior to the Civil War, Natchez, Mississippi had the most millionaires of any city in the United States? Today, Natchez boasts that it has more antebellum homes than any other city in the U.S., as it was spared the destruction of many other Southern cities during the Civil War (source). Today we will tour one of these spectacular antebellum gems… a glorious Greek Revival built in 1834. Known as Ravenna, it is one of the most architecturally significant early Greek Revival mansions of Natchez.
Featuring 8,000 square feet of living space on three acres, Ravenna recently received an award-winning renovation and features every amenity complete with designer details. There are beautiful porches for entertaining and sipping mint juleps, 12 foot ceilings, seven large bedrooms and six bathrooms. Architectural details include original hardwood floors and hand carved medallions and mantels, chef’s kitchen, Carrera marble baths, separate pool house and garage. It has been completely rewired and replumbed…. and it has been designed to perfection!
Perfection, yes? And I cannot believe the price… I don’t see how $899K would even cover this level of renovations to a home this size and age?! What a fabulous opportunity to own a piece of Natchez History. To see the listing, please click here, and here to read more about Ravenna.
The Art of Elegant Southern Living with Lee W. Robinson
If you haven’t heard of Lee W. Robinson before, you are in for a tremendous treat! I was introduced to the Louisville, Kentucky-based designer via Instagram, and I have since devoured every single image from his exquisite portfolio which embodies Southern tradition and English pedigree. In addition to interior design, Lee is renowned for his hospitality. In fact, Town & Country has featured his four-day Kentucky Derby party hosted annually at Malvern, his family home built by famed architect Ogden Codman Jr. in 1922. Move over Martha Stewart!
The Music Room at Malvern.
After a successful 14-year career in banking, Lee decided to pursue his passion, heading to New York City to study design at Christie’s and Parsons School of Design. In 1999, he opened The Lee W. Robinson Company in Louisville, a one-stop solution for residential design and drafting, renovation, construction, and interior design. He also created the The Lee W. Robinson Interior Design and Lifestyle Academy where he teaches the essentials of interior design, along with etiquette and gracious living, to participants from around the country.
The Lee W. Robinson Brand has been described as “conjuring images of elegant Christmas parties in front of the fire; Derby balls; summery white linen cocktail events overlooking the sound; autumn hunt meets full of leather and suede, flannel and bourbon.” With family roots dating back to 18th century Kentucky, Lee’s aspirational lifestyle harkens back to a more gracious era… yet it is a style he has adapted to modern life. “We don’t have finger bowls now and silver doesn’t all have to match, but it still makes quite an impression if you know that a plate should be served from the left and removed from the right,” he said.
The study at Malvern.
Lee specializes in creating three different lifestyles for his clients, which he named after his sons: the Owsley, the McDowell, and the Thruston. The Owsley Lifestyle is inspired by the grandeur of Park Avenue. It is sophisticated, opulent, and eclectic. The McDowell Lifestyle is reminiscent of the sophistication of the English countryside. It is a traditional lifestyle that exudes warmth and elegance. And the Thruston Lifestyle is modern and hip “Soho Chic,” characteristic of Downtown New York City. I’m a Owsley/McDowell mix (which happens to be Lee’s most requested style) so those are the images we will focus on today…
Lee has created a fun quiz you can take here to identify which style is best suited for you. His 7,000 square foot flagship showroom is arranged in three different rooms, designed to exemplify Lee’s three signature lifestyle brands.
“Southern style is all about family and heritage, taking family treasures and repurposing them for today,” Lee explains. “There is nothing worse than letting your silver and porcelain go stale.” Mint julep cups can be used for breadsticks on a casual table, and family pictures should be displayed throughout the home in beautiful frames.
Known for his ability to sketch a full rendering of a room within minutes, Lee works closely with his clients to create homes that reflect their individual style.
Lee eschews fads, preferring to blend high quality pieces from different styles and eras for a beautiful and personal statement. “Instead of buying a sofa from Pottery Barn or Restoration Hardware and throwing it away in a few years, people are realizing the value of purchasing higher quality items that last a lifetime,” he said.
With Thanksgiving this week, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Lee’s tips on creating the perfect Thanksgiving space. And thanks to his recommendation, I purchased “Christmas Decorations from Williamsburg” via Amazon.
The Lee W. Robinson Company has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Traditional Home, Town & Country, House Beautiful, Southern Living, and Garden & Gun. Lee has participated in the 2012 Hampton Designer Showhouse, the Evelyn Lauder Showhouse on Fifth Avenue, and he and served as co-chair alongside Mario Buatta for the Horticultural Society of New York’s 16th Annual New York Flower Show Dinner Dance. The Lee W. Robinson Company does business in New York, Palm Beach, Louisville, and Southampton with offices in Louisville and New York City.
I hope you love Lee’s style as much as I do. Trends will come and go, but traditional style lasts a lifetime. Stay tuned, as I will soon feature a tour of his family home, Malvern, one of the most elegant homes in the United States!
