Ochre!

I'm not talking about the color (we love that too) but the brilliant design atelier from France and England with a storefront in NYC. Stunning chandeliers that captivate with their originality and the whimsical texture they bring to clean-lined interiors. Well-designed, practical and chic modern furniture, with upholstery in velvets, linens, mohairs. Cool accessories, such as the stunning large mercury-glass mirror (I want that!) and textiles from artisans in Africa. Many pieces use reclaimed materials, such as the gorgeous baskets woven in France from old paper (see below). Nothing mass produced. Perfect for a Chic Provençal look as well as Cottage Chic, Rustic Chic, and Modern Eclectic.

this very rustic reclaimed wood table contrasts

wonderfully with whimsical shape of the lights

absolutely stunning distressed steel cabinet is tres chic!

in this lidded bench you can see the quality of the fabrics and workmanship:

velvet & leather pillows, linen-lined chest

mercury glass top and shelf for this

spare iron end table

suspended "pears" of glass look stunning as curving chandelier

I love this iron-based table in walnut with mercury glass

insert (the backdrop's not too bad either!)

chain mail chandelier is drapey and atmospheric

closer view of the pear drop chandelier with two gorgeous

upholstered pieces in the background

Ochre's small "Snooze Sofa" in nubuck & velvet is fabulously chic

under another pear drop chandelier

gesso and bole framed mercury glass mirror

presides beautifully over the salon

another stunning distressed steel cabinet

linens from Africa

wine bottle basket carrier lends a great

touch of rough texture to sleek, modern rooms

I love these African baskets; they are made

in many colors

this French basket is woven from paper that

has been coiled into strips

click HERE to visit

These Colors *Will* Banish the Gloom

And gloomy it has been!

I have been very busily occupied away from my blog (withdrawal!), so today's post is a little cadeaux from my favorite Marie Claire Maison! It is such a lovely little series of pictures of color and how/why it was used. The homes are all over: Corsica, Paris, Sicily.

These rooms will inspire you! Don't forget, the easiest way to create a new look in a tired room is to change the colors...paint walls, add art you forgot you had hidden away, make some new pillows in fabulous colors, reupholster some pieces...it's as simple as that!

{Now if I could just convince my new client to go with those turquoise walls freshened with all that white...}

Electric blue turquoise walls are tempered with lots of white paint and upholstery in the Paris salon of Laurence Leclerc of Caravane (one of my favorite sources for wonderful fabrics). The "witches eyes" mirrors on one wall reflect the light and color of the room, while the gossamer lampshades create a fairy-like atmosphere. The only other color (besides the rusted metal on the wall), a sharp citron, is introduced in pillows from a Tunisian fabric.

Multicolored lanterns imbue this amazing living room with a fantasy-like ambience. The large living space is divided into several smaller functional areas using furniture placement, painted chairs, and gorgeous multicolored velvets and silks for upholstery on the sofas and pillows. This is the fantasy home of Etienne and Clorinde Mery, inspired by the colors of Colonial Cuba and South America.

Near Jaipur, designers Liza Bruce and Nicholas Alvis Vega pay homage to the colors of India. In the very pink living room, traditional Indian motifs are exaggerated and used as wall paintings in white to great effect. The mercury glass chandelier in purples and pinks looks like a large cluster of grapes!

This Corsican mansion has been painted in the soft colors of the area: pinks, yellows and ochres. In this dining room the walls have been glazed with transparent colors to create a pink that blends with the original pinks of the ceiling.

In the south of Sicily, the austerity of the building and the small windows are offset by intense, strong colors of orange and lemon yellow on the walls, while the furniture is a riot of colors mixed on each piece and creating a cheerful, imaginative space.

all photos courtesy of Marie Claire Maison

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in 2010, it's:

Kit Golson Design

for elegant, sustainable and pragmatic

Chic Provence Interior Design