Instagram is such a fun way to meet interesting people from all over the world, and one account I have particularly enjoyed following is @riverbend_c.1840. The account documents the transformation of a 1840s home in Camden, Alabama with interior design by Ryan Dunagan. If you love before and afters, historic preservation, and elegant classic decor, you will love @riverbend_c.1840. The home incorporates salvaged bricks and materials, murals by a local artist, beautiful antiques, and designer touches throughout. Here are some highlights…
And here is a look at some before pictures… what a transformation!
Be still my heart, isn’t it beautiful?! This home is such a perfect example of how antiques, oil portraits and classic paintings, Persian rugs, crystal chandeliers, and “brown furniture” (design staples often deemed as “granny” by the younger generations) can all be used in a modern and fresh way. Current wallpapers and fabrics along with a few contemporary pieces among the mix breathe new life into these interiors, creating a modern yet traditional approach. This is a home that is timeless and will never go out of style. For ongoing updates and further inspiration, please follow @riverbend_c.1840.
When I think of Palm Beach, the legendary architect Addison Mizner immediately comes to mind. His distinctive architectural style of the 1920s defines the island even to this day. “Perhaps no other architect has done as much to shape the look of Palm Beach as Addison Mizner,” noted the Palm Beach Daily News. This month, Rizzoli released a new book that celebrates Mizner’s work, Addison Mizner: Architect of Fantasy and Romance, by Beth Dunlop.
The go-to architect for the Jazz Age elite, Mizner created a new architectural style and a new lifestyle for the wealthy and socially prominent of Palm Beach—America’s preeminent winter resort town of the time. Building mansions, clubs, hotels, an apartment complex, and commercial spaces evocative of old Spain, Venice, and the Moorish capitals of Granada and Seville, Mizner established a design vocabulary and tradition that continues to influence architects, designers, and builders today.
Often known as “Mizner Mediterranean,” the spaces he designed featured courtyards with fountains, trellises with climbing bougainvillea, arched windows, glazed tile floors, spiraling marble columns, and expansive interiors with grand proportions. Addison Mizner: Architect of Fantasy and Romance explores Mizner’s legacy through such storied homes as La Guerida, best known now as the Kennedy Estate (where JFK composed his inaugural address), the lavish Cloister Inn in Boca Raton, as well as Villa dei Fiori – built for the heir of the Jell-O fortune. Celebrated for their beauty, opulence, and decorative detail, the houses and buildings Mizner built stand as monuments to the grand living and romance of a bygone era.
This beautiful new book is a must-have for anyone who loves Palm Beach and historic architecture. Addison Mizner: Architect of Fantasy and Romance is available for purchase via Amazon. And to see more of Mizner’s work, please visit the links below from past features by The Glam Pad…
With an illustrious career spanning four decades, design legend Bunny Williams says in her latest book, “It still thrills me that every new project is like a new romance. There is the initial getting-to-know-you phase, the discovery of how people live, what their dreams are, what inspires them – such critical information as we begin the design process. Each stage has its exciting moments as well as its anxious ones.” Bunny Williams: Love Affairs with Houses is a story-filled monograph in which Williams presents new work through 15 houses she has decorated and loved.
Williams also tells the tale of each “affair,” tracing the style of the spaces, what drew her to the projects, and her approach to decor that evolves with the lives of her clients. She offers personal secrets for choosing classics—and for decorating with flexible pieces that can play more than one role in a design scheme. As Williams says, “The best pieces have the best stories.” Bunny Williams: Love Affairs with Houses shares these stories while showcasing the chic, but always comfortable, residences Williams has designed during the latest phase of her celebrated career.
Tour “Hickory Hill,” the 19th century estate purchased by Jack and Jackie Kennedy in the 1950s which stayed within the Kennedy family until the current home owners acquired it. Photograph by Melanie Acevedo, courtesy of AbramsThe Gracie wallpaper at Hickory Hill was a client request. Photograph by Melanie Acevedo, courtesy of AbramsThe paint in this Lake Forest, Illinois room was customized to precisely match the drawing room in the 2005 movie Pride & Prejudice. Photograph by Fritz von der Schulenburg, courtesy of Abrams“Bookcases can become a home not only to a collection of books but also to a collection of wonderful objects,” said Bunny. “And I never think twice about hanging a picture over the books when I need more wall space.” Photograph by Francesco Lagnese, courtesy of AbramsPhotograph by Francesco Lagnese, courtesy of AbramsPhotograph by Fritz von der Schulenburg, courtesy of AbramsPhotograph by Fritz von der Schulenburg, courtesy of AbramsAn elegant farmhouse in Provence, France. Photograph by Fritz von der Schulenburg, courtesy of AbramsBunny Williams: Love Affairs with Houses published by Abrams
Bunny Williams is a world-renowned interior designer and industry leader. Williams is a member of the AD Hall of Fame, ELLE Decor A-List, and Interior Design magazine Hall of Fame and has received House Beautiful’s Giants of Design award. Williams designs and produces handcrafted furniture and accessories under Bunny Williams Home and has licensed collections with Ballard Designs, Century Furniture, Currey & Company, and Dash & Albert.
