I'm on deadline for a freelance article, so forgive my brevity today (or maybe you welcome it!). Just wanted to share two excellent details from a Naples, FL beach house designed by Carrier and Company, recently featured in House Beautiful. Interior designers Jesse Carrier and Mara Miller are extremely talented, and whenever I've worked with or seen them in the past, it's been an absolute pleasure every time. 

Look at this insanely cool natural piece by artist Ran Adler that they chose for above the fireplace in the house's living room. I feel like at any moment it may start spinning and suck me into its vortex. I love it. Stringing, wiring, and weaving natural elements like sun-dried horsetail reeds, Adler creates undulating representations of wind and water. The unexpected material and fluidity add a great layer of texture and depth to the room. 

A Victorian hat rack in a vibrant lacquered red becomes a statement piece and remains totally functional. Such a lovely shape made even more special in an attention-grabbing color.  I wonder if the homeowner had this piece already and they modernized it, or if the designers brought it in. Either way, wow. 

I guess this was my version of brief... Click below to see the whole wonderful project. 


all images via house beautiful 

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I love this open porch off the kitchen of one of Traditional Home's Hampton Designer Showhouses. I admit, it's from a few years ago, but it certainly doesn't seem dated in any way. The feel of this outdoor room epitomizes my idea of the perfect place to start a summer day.

Interior designer Nancy Pearson mixed materials, styles, and colors in a way that makes the space feel so breezy and light, but thankfully, not in the traditional beach house color scheme—which is often executed well, but is predictable, and doesn't interest me as much as this. Low-slung seating topped with bright patterned pillows create a comfortable space to catch up on a good book, or just to have morning coffee (juice, in my case) and read the paper. Or, again in my case, scroll through Twitter and news sites online (sorry!).

The antiqued zinc finish on the hanging lanterns is a nice departure from the polished nickel usually seen. A natural-edge cocktail table, flowers, and topiary add natural elements, while the shell-and-antique fragment mirror gives a nod to the house’s setting. The yellow garden stool references the lattice windows, and the lovely dark floor is an unexpected detail. I also really appreciate that while there are shells present, we’re not being beaten over the head with a shell/nautical theme.  Because of the bright palette, the fish-patterned magenta pillow coordinates well with the silk ikat pillows. The whole space feels so relaxed and refreshing, like its very own getaway.


image via Traditional Home

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In 2011, I was very happy to meet California-based wallpaper designer Tracy Hiner during the Architectural Digest Home Design Show at the Javits Center and chat with her for a while, because her work is amazing.

It’s bright, it’s bold, it’s abstract, it’s textural—it’s not for the faint of heart. Tracy’s designs are as much art as they are wall coverings. Specializing in artistic wallpapers and custom wall murals, her company Black Crow Studios thrives on bespoke projects where creativity can run rampant, and patterns have no repeat, at least not in the traditional sense.

When Tracy posted a picture of the paper shown above coming off the printer, I immediately wrote her to tell her how much I loved it. I couldn’t wait to share it here.   

After two chance meetings with a young, talented (and extremely brave!) photographer named Gray Malin, the pair came together to adapt Malin's beautiful images on a large scale as the Gray Malin xo Black Crow Studios collection of designer wallpapers. Tracy has collaborated with designers before, but this latest collection marks the first time she has worked with a photographer. 

I wish I could say I knew of Malin before two weeks ago, but I will be constantly be coveting his work from now on. He shoots aerial photos of landscapes—beaches, in particular—by hanging out the side of a door-less helicopter to capture these stunning shots. (The idea of this terrifies me.)

His work is captivating—I really can't get enough of the saturated colors and the umbrellas, people, and paraphernalia unconsciously creating patterns along the beach. 

I love images that relate to pool and beach culture (à la Slim Aarons), so I had to find out more about this gorgeous wallpaper that made me swoon. A select few images from Malin’s À La Plage series, shot from various heights above six continents, have been interpreted into photo-realistic scenes on three different surface materials, including one that is removable.

The colors are so vivid I will admit I kept looking for evidence that they were enhanced, but the settings depicted are really just that beautiful.

Below, are about half of the styles from the new collection: Another design inspired by an original photo and several of the geometric and striped patterns Malin conceived based on the umbrellas and cabanas always in his lens.

Such artistry does not come cheap, but at least fantasizing is free. (Or you could start small by purchasing prints of Malin's work.)


wallpaper images via black crow studios
original photographs via maison gray


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