Calypso for Target Preview and Giveaway

After I moved to New York, shopping at Calypso St. Barth stores became a favorite pastime.  Not only do they have great colorful clothing and chic sandals but great furniture and accessories for the home.  Now those of you who don't live near a Calypso store can take home their island inspired aesthetic from their new collection for Target when it is unveiled on May 1, 2011.  I had the opportunity to shop the sneak preview recently and I know you are going to love the summer dresses, elephant tea pot, and cute kid's clothes.  Best of all, Target has graciously offered up two of the signature Calypso St. Barth poufs - one silver and one gold - to lucky Habitually Chic readers!

To enter the contest, please send your name and address to the special contest email address, habituallychiccontest@gmail.com.  Please specify gold or silver in the subject line so I can sort the applicants. No one will be using your information for any other purpose but this giveaway and it ensures that your pouf can be sent out right away.  Anyone who emails me directly or does not include their mailing address and color choice will be disqualified. One entry per person per color. Entries will be accepted until 11:59pm EST on Friday, May 6, 2011. Three winners will be randomly selected from the entries and will be announced on Saturday, May 7, 2011. As they say in St. Barth's, Bonne Chance!

Photos by Heather Clawson for Habitually Chic

Stunning!

I dragged myself out of bed at 5:30am to watch the Royal Wedding and it was well worth it.  Apparently, Prince William told Kate Middleton, "you look stunning" (or beautiful depending on the lip reader) after he saw her and he was quite right.  She looked amazing in her dress designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen and I bet it will be the dress that launches a thousand sleeves.  The wedding was dreamy and romantic and gives you faith in love and marriage.  Cheers!

Kips Bay Decorator Show House 2011: Mary McDonald

Los Angeles based interior designer Mary McDonald created a big impact in the tiny entrance area at the 2011 Kips Bay Decorator Show House.  She was inspired by Annabel's, a private members' restaurant and nightclub on Berkeley Square in London where "drama meets classical decor." The bold feminine lipstick red wallcovering plays off the masculine charcoal grey fabrics and black accents in the room.  I especially love the brass mirror, light fixtures, candle sticks and console that perfectly play off all of these colors.  This room made a great first impression and definitely set the tone for the rest of the house.

All photos by Heather Clawson for Habitually Chic except for #5 which is courtesy of Mary McDonald

Kips Bay Decorator Show House 2011

I had the pleasure of visiting the 2011 Kips Bay Decorator Show House this morning and can't wait to share all my photos.  The former residence of John Hay "Jock" Whitney is a bit smaller in scale than some previous houses but as is usually the case, big things come in small packages.  There are a lot of intimate little jewel box rooms as well as a few fabulous large scale spaces that are all full of wonderful design details and fabulous colors.  It's a shame that the Design Investors Conference was scheduled for the same time which meant that many designers were available to speak with personally about their rooms.  But as I've said before, a picture is worth a thousand words! 

Kips Bay Decorator Show House

163 East 63rd Street

New York, NY 10065

April 28 - May 26, 2011

Monday - Saturday 11:00am - 5:00pm

Sunday 12:00pm - 5:00pm

Admission: $30

You've Got Malle

I fell in love with French perfumer Frederic Malle's New York apartment the moment I saw it featured in Men's Vogue back in February 2008.  The dining room above is one of my all time favorite rooms.  It epitomizes the perfect mix of sleek and modern in the form of the Platner table and Sean Yoo bookcases juxtaposed with the patina of old with the antique French chairs and Veronese painting.  In 2009, the Malle family moved from this triplex to a new apartment on Fifth Avenue which is now featured in the May 2011 issue of Architectural Digest.  I absolutely love seeing how the pieces in their old apartment have been incorporated into their new space as well as the new paint colors they have chosen.  Some rooms that were brightly painted in their old apartment are now white and vice versa like the new dining room below.

The old dining room's 19th-century English chairs now sit around Le Corbusier table from Cassina.   

The Venetian Renaissance painting now resides in the living room with the same Arne Jacobsen Egg chair and a sofa and coffee table from Cassina.  Again, this mix along with the 18th-century desk and photograph by John Coplans is so much more interesting to me than a room filled with pieces from the same period.

Another look at the new living room with a painting by Kenneth Noland and a light box work by Jeff Wall that was in the dining room in the previous apartment.  Although, it appears that perhaps the old dining area and living room were connected but I'm not exactly sure.

The old salon was a bight blue and was hung with the John Coplans hand photograph that now hangs in the new living room.

The Danish modern armchairs from the old apartment have been reupholstered and now sit in the library.

In the new kitchen, the floor is brightly colored instead of the walls but the Saarinen table remains the same.

The old breakfast room with bright red walls.

Another wall in the old breakfast nook.

I love this painting by Sophie von Hellermann in the new entrance hall.

The walls in the old master bedroom were white but now they are upholstered in bright red patterned fabric from Lee Jofa.

This Louis XVI chair came from Chateau de Groussay which was owned by Marie Malle's uncle Charles de Beistegui who I wrote about in this post.  Seems great taste runs in the family.

The same chair looked blue in the old magazine feature which is interesting but not as interesing as their amzing art collection that has found a new home on Fifth Avenue.  This home is a wonderful example of buy what you love and you'll always find a place for it.

New photos for Architectural Digest by Thomas Loof.  Old Photos for Men's Vogue by Francois Halard.