Double RL and O

I have appointments and client shopping to do today but I hope I can make it home by 4:00pm to watch Oprah.  She'll be interviewing Ralph Lauren at his Double RL ranch in Telluride, Colorado, pictured here.  Apparently, it's his first television interview in 20 years and quite a coup for Oprah's final season.  Enjoy!

Photos by Gilles de Chabaneix for Architectural Digest 2002

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.

Sleek in the City

There was something about the Traina's home that I posted yesterday that reminded me of this New York apartment.  It belongs to eccentric fashionista Daphne Guinness and was designed with Daniel Romualdez who she said got what she wanted right away.  It was featured in the March issue of Archtechtural Digest and is a clear indication of why you should be buying the magazine again.  I love that even though you know a designer helped with the apartment, it still looks personal.  You can tell that she chose all the art because she loved it.

Guinness says that some people get a little turned around in the entry hall of mirrors but it looks chic. Mirrors are especially great at opening up dark spaces in New York apartments. The photograph is by Daido Moriyama.

Sometimes I wished magazines included floorplans so you could see the flow.  I'm not sure where this part of the entry lies but I love the kaleidoscope look of the butterflies in Another Amazing Transcendental Experience by Damien Hirst from 2003.

A close up of Daphne Guinness in front of the Damien Hirst piece.

One wall of the living room is also mirrored. Hanging over it are works by Nobuyoshi Araki, David LaChapelle, and Bert Stern.

Wish we could see more of the library too.  I always love to see what books on are on a person's shelves.

Of course, I love the green Chinoiserie paper covering a screen in one of the bedrooms.

Another bedroom looks like it's mirrored but it's really Mylar wallpaper from Florence Broadhurst. I follow Daphne Guinness on twitter and find her fascinating.  It seems like her New York apartment reflects her interesting personality and her sophistication perfectly.



Photos by Thomas Loof

Chic Soiree and Spring at Ralph Lauren

I had intended to post these photos of the new spring Ralph Lauren Home rooms at the Ladies Mansion yesterday but my computer had other ideas.  It actually worked out perfectly because now I can not only post photos of the gorgeous rooms but tell you about the chic soiree I attended there last night.  Ralph Lauren, the man and the store, graciously hosted a lovely cocktail party to celebrate editor in chief Margaret Russell and the new Architectural Digest and it was definitely the party of the year so far.

Not only was everyone in the design world of New York in attendance but many came from out of town to celebrate with Margaret.  Some of the attendees included Charlotte Moss, looking beautiful in black Ralph Rucci; legendary decorator Mario Buatta; architect Richard Meier; Jesse Carrier, who as I suspected will be decorating Jay Fielden's new office at Town & Country magazine; chic party planner and shop owner Antony Todd, Suzanne Kasler, the sweetest designer ever in town from Atlanta; Darryl Carter in from Washington, DC; and Nathan Turner from Los Angeles.  I did not get to meet Nathan when I was in LA last year so it was a treat to finally meet him in New York.  His new design reality show will debut this spring on Bravo and I can't wait to watch.  My friend Jessica and I couldn't let style icon Iris Apfel pass us by without telling her how much we love her style and I couldn't resist telling Zezé how much I love his flowers.  I think a field trip to his shop is in order soon. 

So, I can tell you a good time was had by all especially since my head is still pounding today.  But more importantly, make sure you stop by the 4th floor of new ladies Ralph Lauren mansion to check out the gorgeous new spring collections for Ralph Lauren Home.  It's like visiting the chicest home where you can actually buy everything you see.  What could be better than that?!  Bon Weekend!

Photos by Heather Clawson for Habitually Chic