Tag: wilton interior design

Rooms Inspired by Coco Chanel

In case you missed it, last week was the 128th birthday of French designer, Coco Chanel and while Coco is first and foremost an icon of fashion who revolutionized the little black dress, she has also left her imprint on the interior design world with her famously chic designs. Her own style was more reserved, she tended to pair simple outfits, such as her trademark black suites with great accessories, like pearls. Whether she was designing for the Paris runway or herself, she always designed with real women in mind and made each outfit comfortable and easy to move in, Coco was once quoted as saying, “luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury.” Her sophisticated style continues to inspire the fashion and interior design world, so we wanted to demonstrate this by showcasing a few interiors that reflect her impeccable style.

Coco Chanel

Each of these rooms are simple and tailored without any fuss or mess.  What do you think of these Chanel inspired interior designs?

Eleven Shades of Brown!

If you’re a regular reader of the Marvin Gardens blog, you’re probably already familiar with the fact that we have a category called, “Eleven Shades of Grey.” Why, you may ask? Well that’s a completely separate story for another time. But one of the main things that prompted the category’s name was the fact that within every color’s index is an expansive catalog of hues or “shades”. Shades of red. Shades of yellow. Shades of grey. Aside from grey – which, as you can tell, we love – there are so many beautiful neutral and earthy colors that are adequately representative of both the garden and the home. Blues and beiges are great examples. Another wonderful example is the color brown, which also seems to be making a strong comeback in the design world.

From Canadian House & Home:

Brown tones are just so darn classic and versatile, and their earthiness brings warmth to a farmhouse or lends a posh feeling to a penthouse. And yes, I know for many of you classic sophisticates, brown has never left.

London Clay (244) from Farrow & Ball is a muddy brown favorite of mine.

Durango (2137-30) from Benjamin Moore is nice, too.

 

Above is Michael Penney’s fave: Bittersweet Chocolate (2114-10) from Benjamin Moore.

And how about a timeless fabric?

Photo credits via Canadian House & Home:

1. London Clay (244), Farrow & Ball
2. Durango (2137-30), Benjamin Moore
3. Bittersweet Chocolate (2114-10), Benjamin Moore
4. Imperial Trellis II in Java/Cream (174413), Schumacher

The Power of Art

The power of classical art could and should never be underestimated. Take a look at these photos and you’ll know exactly what we mean. We came across these shots by Heather Clawson over at Habitually Chic and we found them to be so inspiring that we just had to share them. They’re of statues in Florence and The Louvre by Christopher Draghi at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and simply bleed beauty. It’s amazing how much detail was put into each and every inch of these sculptures and how much of a story they seem to tell with every finely chiseled bit. Marvin Gardens would like to know, what artistic pieces do you love the most and find to be the most inspiring?

Photo Credit: Photos by Heather Clawson via Habitually Chic

Introducing Rosemary Milner!

If you’re not already familiar with the deeply imaginative work of Rosemary Milner, then pay attention. Marvin Gardens has absolutely fallen in love with the screen-printed wallpaper, books and fabrics from this English artist. Her patterns are whimsical and she loves traditional approaches to printing and production and has perfected the art of hand stitching, hand etching, silk-screen printing and lino illustration. We came across some of her swatches on decor8 and we’re simply enamored with her current collections. They are inspired by flora and fauna with historical narratives including woodland animals, British birds and botany, alongside her own fresh take on them. Take a look below at some of the sweet and charming patterns that possess a fairy-tale like quality. From the soft butterflies to the fleeting foxes and everything in between, her patterns are perfect for a powder room or perhaps and children’s room reading nook.

Rosemary’s designs have a traditional, rural and bespoke quality; hand stitched motifs, stitched-into papers and fabrics and embellished vintage found items are quintessentially Rosemary’s style. The range also extends into mass-printable linens and furnishings for the home, evoking a subtle, composed feel for interiors.

Visit Rosemary Milner’s website to learn more about her creative designs!

Photo Credit: Rosemary Milner

Summer Croquet in New England

Aaaah, summertime. There’s nothing quite like it—and definitely nothing like a New England summer. While those Florida folks have their palm trees, water parks and flop flops, oh my, those of us here in good old Wilton have our sun dresses, Sperry’s boat shoes and light evening jackets. And when it comes to Connecticut pastimes, there’s got to be croquet on the lawn. The age-old game has been around since the early 1800s and involves hitting plastic or wooden balls with a mallet through hoops embedded into the grass playing court.

Marvin Gardens recently came across some fun photos on Habitually Chic chronicling the game being played by pop culture greats throughout history on a variety of breathtaking lawns. Take a look at a few of our favorites! What’s your favorite summer pastime?

George Harrison and John Lennon
Betty Grable playing croquet
Fairfield Croquet by Slim Aarons 1991
Olivia de Havilland
Louis Jourdan and friends by Slim Aarons
Croquet Lawn
Darryl Zanuck at Howard Hawks house by Slim Aarons 1955
The croquet lawn at Winston Churchill's old home.
Princess Diana

Photo Credit: Habitually Chic

A New Twist on Traditional Plate Groupings

We’ve talked before about transferware—one of our favorite things—and hanging plate groupings the easy way, but we just came across an interesting development that may make it even easier: this Studio Ditte wallpaper pattern, which pictures porcelain blue-and-white dinner plates.

Like decor8 points out, part of the charm lies in the variety of plate patterns and multiple shades of blue, which work together and complement each other beautifully. And that’s not to mention the current popularity of indigo and softer shades of blue in all design accessories these days, including transfer-ware.

This wallpaper pattern is a new take on a design classic. We think it might work well on an accent wall or even as a bookshelf backing. What do you think of the look? Is it overwhelming, or just the right amount of a good thing?

Images via decor8

Make Walls Come Alive with Urban Metallic Wallpaper

When it comes to wallpaper, there’s an infinite supply of patterns, colors and textures to choose from. This new Urban Metallic collection by Carnegie Fabrics can now be added to the list. We found these wall coverings on Design Milk.

The Midas pattern is sure to add sparkle to any space. At first glance, this pattern would be fitting in either a bathroom or a dining room that often accomodates lots of guests.

Midas wallpaper pattern
Photo Credit: Design Milk

This deeper, more serious bubble pattern is known as Helics. The darkness of this print is appropriate for a quiet room like an office. It might also work for a dining area where quiet meals are held.

Helics wallpaper pattern
Photo Credit: Design MilkThe Glint pattern, a wall of endless colorful stripes, gives off a light, happy aura. This is perfect for a kitchen. Photo Credit: Design Milk

Which of these three wallpaper patterns do you like the most? Leave a comment and let us know!

The Comeback of Chesterfield Sofas

The term chesterfield means couch or sofa in Canadian. Over in Europe a Chesterfield is identified by a plethora of buttons and a low back. The great thing about a Chesterfield sofa is that whether you dress it up or down, it’s going to look fabulous. Period. Take a look at what we found on the Belle Maison blog.

In a goldenrod shade of yellow, this butter soft leather Chesterfield can fit into a feminine or masculine setting.

Sofa
Photo Credit: Belle Maison

This black Chesterfield boasts feminine flair as it’s dressed up with a mini coffee table and a rug.

Sofa
Photo Credit: Belle Maison

It doesn’t get much better than this. A golden and velvety Chesterfield against a bright plum backdrop.

Sofa
Photo Credit: Belle Maison

Turquoise Chesterfields surrounded by polished wooden walls creates a formal yet stylish setting.

Sofa
Photo Credit: Belle Maison

A plush white Chesterfield adorned with touches of navy and midnight blues is ultra chic.

Sofa
Photo Credit: Belle Maison

What do you think of the Chesterfield style? Leave a comment and let us know!