Tag Archives: sara gilbane interiors

Lonny/ TradHome Innaugural On-line Issue

Thank you TradHome and Lonny for including us in your list of Top 20 designers to watch. I am flattered and thrilled! Be sure to vote for SGI in the Duralee contest on-line and you will be entered to win $1,000.00!

To vote please visit: http://www.traditionalhome.com/design_decorating/howwelive/youngdesigners-sara-gilbane.html

The shoot with Lonny Mag’s Patrick and Michelle was as fun and laid back as you would expect something from Lonny to be.  This project was definately one of my favorite I have worked on.  The loft space is amazing and the client’s were a dream – great taste and excited about the design process.  It was wonderful working on this project and therefore very fulfilling to share this with Lonny, TradHome, and all of their readers.  A few more shots below:

If you haven’t read the article you can find it here: http://www.lonnymag.com/issues/19-trad-home/pages/1#p97

To see more images from the apartment please visit my website and view the TOWN section in my portfolio: https://saragilbaneinteriors.com/

xo,

S

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6 Simple Ways to Refresh a Sofa

House Beautiful asked me to style a sofa for their most recent issue (Jan/ Feb 2011). It was a fun project as it challenged me to get my personal style across with just throw pillows.  As you can see from my portfolio, I love color, texture, and fabrics so I thought it best to try to find a combination of the three.  There are many fabulous throw pillows out there but these caught my eye as something fun, chic, and different.  I am a fan of pairs of pillows and on a white sofa I love a solid color to make the throw pillows pop.  The deep eggplant ostrich feather pillows are so much fun.  Both the color and the feathers jump off the clean ivory linen sofa.  Layered in front are some of the most beautifully embroidered multi-color throw pillows I have ever seen.  The embroidery adfds another layer of texture.

I often advise clients who are in rental apartments/ homes to go with a neutral color palette for their base so they won’t have to reupholster their sofas over and over as this can be expensive.  Stick with a neutral on the sofa and you can completely change the feel of your next apartment with throw pillows and paint colors.

To see the other 5 ways to refresh a sofa visit House beautiful: http://www.housebeautiful.com/decorating/home-makeovers/pillow-decorating-ideas-0211

To purchase the Dransfield and Ross throw pillows you can visit my shop:  http://saragilbaneinteriors.bigcartel.com/

I took it one step further and selected additional items I would furnish the room with:

I would go with a deep teal grasscloth on the walls ( as seen in the background) to add an earthy texture in a bold color.  Taking a cue from the glam ostrich throw pillows I would bring in the capiz shell light fixture, gilt foo dog table lamps, and antique mirrored desk.  A desk chair with a fun shape upholstered in acidy yellow pulls out the color from the embroidered throw pillow.  The rug from Van der hurd studios adds another pattern and so unbelievably soft.

xo,

S

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Introducing Shop Sara Gilbane Interiors

We have recently added a shop to our website. You will find a variety of items we have purchased on our travels ( antiques, accessories, wallpapers, fabrics, pillows, art, etc). New additions are added frequently so check back often.  A few of the items are listed below:

Visit the store to shop: http://saragilbaneinteriors.bigcartel.com/

xo,

S

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Autumn Hues – Yellow

Yellow- Saffron, butter, dandelion, daffodil, gold, corn, buttercup, sunshine, canary, citrine, grapefruit, maize, taxi cab. Yellow conjurs up a positive sunny feeling.  I have come to love yellow more and more and tend to mix traditional with modern for a youthful feel.  As I stated in a previous post regarding yellow two of the most celebrated rooms in 20th century interior design had bold lacquered yellow walls: Nancy Lancaster’s legendary London sitting room/office (shown below) and Babe and Bill Paley’s Fifth Avenue drawing room, decorated by Albert Hadley and Sister Parish. Let’s dive into some fabulously chic autumn yellow rooms.

The traditional approach:

We will start of with Nancy Lancaster’s famed yellow drawing room above.  This room was done by John Fowler in 1957 and would be just as stunning if done today.  Fowler applied numerous layers of glaze over a butter yellow paint.

Andrew Virtue drew his inspiration from Nancy Lancaster’s yellow room and created his own writing room ( on a smaller scale) at the Greystone Estate show house. This deep vibrant yellow works so well with burnt crsipy browns, greens, and plums.

A sitting room designed by yours truly.  When the sun sets in the afternoon the pale gold walls glisten ( custom paint color by Rollinson Hues).  A soft pale yellow is a great neutral backdrop for most colors.  We wanted to enhance the sunset so the reds, corals, pinks, oranges, and golds were introduced. The simple sisal rug keeps the room grounded and approachable while the scattered throw rugs add warmth underfoot.

One of my favorite rooms in a house by Architect Gil Schafer.  They used a slightly bolder yellow than I did and kept the furniture simply upholstered.  The antiques steal the show ( all brown wood always looks great against yellow). Beautiful! On a side note, Veranda and their new editor in chief Dara Caponigro selected and recently announced the winners of their second annual Art of Design Awards. Honoring design industry trailblazers whose work is both “innovative and timeless”. Gil Schafer won the award in the architecture category. Congrats!

The bedroom above by Jeffrey Bilhuber introduces a strong yellow as drapes for the bed.  How lovely to be cocooned in a yellow tent! I love the pale lilac paired with it.

Christopher Spitzmiller’s apartment is shown above as seen in Elle Decor. Yellows, browns, and teal blues keep the room fresh and modern.

One final Bilhuber creation.  The slightly more modern tufting on the chairs (loosely tufted rather than deep) and the yellow sign in this room off of the dark wood walls.

The modern approach:

Tone on tone yellows paired with black and white by Jamie Drake make for an exciting bedroom. I love that the base of this bed is upholstered in zebra. Very chic.

Kelly Wearstler created this yellow and black library for the Viceroy Hotel in Santa Monica.  Again we see tone on tone yellow paired with black, white, and mirror.  The bookshelves turned on diagonal and books stacked in opposite directions adds whimsy and a focal point when you walk into the room.

Another room done by your truly.  We needed to bring some life to this manhattan loft space.  With pale seafoam on the walls and grey suede sofa we brought in a strong yellow Oushak carpet and pops of yellow ( throw pillows and accessories) for life.

This room could be filed under pink, red, or orange.  I love the high gloss pink fireplace and I die over the silk ikat upholstered walls.  The yellow linen roman shades with crisp brown ribbon tape inset keep the room feeling clean rather than chaotic.

Yellow paint picks:

1. Donald Kaufman Collection #30

2. Ralph Lauren Goldfinch

3. Benjamin Moore Showtime

4. Farrow and Ball Babouche

Traditional yellow wallcovering picks:

1. Farrow and Ball BP 1928

2. Farrow and Ball BP 1632

3. Farrow and Ball BP 572

Traditional yellow fabrics:

1. Lee Jofa Oak Leaves in yellow BFC 3514-14

2. F. Schumacher Seneca Cotton Stripe 62982

3. Lee Jofa Hisari ikat in plum 2008136_909

4. Quadrille Simba beige on gold

Traditional yellow accessories:

1. Antique spool stool with Robert Kime fabric through John Rosselli Antiques

2. Antique Samarkand rug through Doris Leslie Blau

http://www.1stdibs.com/furniture_item_detail.php?id=448340

3. Christopher Spitzmiller Happy lamps in Butter with 23k gold water gilt base

http://christopherspitzmiller.com/lampdetail.asp?LAMPID=112

4. William Sonoma Home cashmere yellow throw in lemon drop

http://www.wshome.com/products/p126/index.cfm?pkey=ccashmere%2Dfaux%2Dfur%2Dthrow

5. Sharyn Blond table linens in Jardin pattern

http://sharynblondlinens.com/hand_table.html#2

6. Bee Line Home throw pillows through John Rosselli Antiques NYC

Modern yellow wallcovering picks:

1. China Seas Balinese Batik in inca/ gold

2. F. Schumacher Imperial Trellis in citrine

3. Manuel Canovas Trellis in citrine

4. Cole and Son palm leaves in yellow

Modern yellow fabric picks:

1. Lee Jofa Tulip in white/ yellow GWF-2622-140

2. F. Schumacher Katsugi in gold and mushroom 2620934

3. Lee Jofa Facet in Saffrom SC10049-1612

4. Ruby Green Mary in yellow

5. Ruby Green Marilyn

Modern yellow accessories picks:

1. Lippa armchair in yellow through Tonic Home:

http://www.tonichome.com/catalog.php?item=1511

2. Yellow geometric pillow through Pieces Inc.

http://piecesinc.com/yellow-geometric-pillow

3. Pink Jacket on Yellow 50″ x 50″ gloss on aluminum by Natasha Law through Voltz Clarke Gallery

http://voltzclarke.com/law/1.html

4. Yellow garden stool through Tonic Home

http://www.tonichome.com/catalog.php?item=1419

5. Jonathan Adler Carnaby Lamp:

http://www.jonathanadler.com/Carnaby-Hollywood-Lamp/?cat=0&initial=

6. West Elm Parsons desk in tumeric:

http://www.westelm.com/products/parsons-desk-with-drawers-f099/?pkey=e%7Cyellow%7C9%7Cbest%7C0%7C1%7C24%7C%7C6&sku=1653740&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-Common%20Top%20Wide%20Rule%20What’s%20New

7. Yellow vases set of 6

http://www.mermaidhut.com/Prod-18-1-2604-30/Yellow_Vases_Assorted_Set_of_Six.htm

8. The Rug Company Sellarsbrook rug by Suzanne Sharpe ( The Rug Company also won in it’s category for the Second Annual Art of Design Awards by Veranda.

http://www.therugcompany.info/contemporary-collection/suzanne-sharp/sellarsbrook-yellow.htm

9. Vanderhurd Kafir throw pillow colorway 4

http://www.vanderhurd.com/hand_crafted.php?t=cushions&p=1&id=358

xo,

S

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Autumn Hues – Red

For some people the Fall brings out their lacquered reds, peacock blues, and vivd oranges while others shift into classic neutrals (tans, greys, browns) with pops of animal print. As a designer, I am comfortable with all of the above and depending on the day you will find me expressing myself with different colors. In the boldest environments I still like a polished sophisticated tone so even if color abounds I will keep a neutral wall, sofa, or carpet. While in a neutral environment I love a dash of bold rich color (found in Lamps, a throw, or a chair) to give the space depth and warmth. I have selected rooms that represent fall to me in all the colors of the rainbow.

Red: Crimson, scarlet, tomato, brick, oxblood, geranium, cherry, pomegranate, fire engine red, sangria, blue red, orange red, chinese red, tulip red… Everyone has a particular red in mind when they tell me they want a “red room”.  There is a red for everyone.  I adore red in a room.  It feels daring and bold, while at the same time warm, sexy, and intimate. It works well with other colors ( particularly greens – not christmas tree green but apple greens, spring greens and other more modern shades) and blues ( I love it with pale sky blue, and cadet blue). Below are some of my favorite red rooms:

A high gloss lacquered red wall is amazing.  It makes me think of nail polish.  The neutral sofa, deep chocolate velvet arm chair, and leopard stools keep the room sophisticated.

This dining room/ library is fabulous.  The deep red felt table skirt is so festive ( as are the tiny lacquered red sconce shades).  Mixed with the antique carpet, warm wood bookshelves, and patterned drapes this room is so cozy.  Many people only use their dining room for formal occasions.  By making this a library/ dining room combo you would spend all your time in here.

This is a room done by me! Brick red venetian plaster walls gave this sunny room a bit of atmosphere.  We kept the sofa and arm chair clean in ivory linen and let the throw pillows and zebra rug be our pops. A leather ottoman, leather floor lamp gave us some additional texture to keep the room tough enough for after dinner cocktails.

I love the bold red sofa and carpet mixed with all the various prints. Bohemian luxe!

Miles Redd kept it classic with a bamboo bed, antique carpet, upholstered fabric walls.  But somehow you get a fresh feeling with the simple triple line sheets, pops of deep crimson in the table skirt and drapes.  And the shape and detail in the pelmets…amazing.

Glossy red walls in a dining room set off by deep brown/ burgundy moldings. Very glam.

de Gournay wallpaper in red on the walls, chocolate brown and ivory ikat desk chair, bright red leather desk chair, blue and white china planter, and zebra rug make this room delicious!

Tory Burch’s New York apartment’s bar is another favorite.  Glossy red walls with delicate unlacquered brass sconces brings a vintage feel to the space.

Another Miles Redd design- Red felt walls mixed with sky blue and deep cobalt blue- delicious.

Another woman who loved red… Diana Vreeland.  She is pictured above in her “Garden In Hell” room by Billy Baldwin.  The chintz fabric can be found at Pierre Frey.

Perfect red paint ships below:

Above: Farrow and Ball Blazer Red

Above: Benjamin Moore Chili Pepper Red

Above: Benjamin Moore Red

Above: Ralph Lauren Dressage Red

Above: Pratt and Lambert Vintage Claret

Above: Fine Paints of Europe Tulip Red

Fun red wallpapers below:

Scalamandre Baldwin Bamboo

Scalamandre zebra wallpaper has been a huge hit- we get lots of requests for this one… it was also featured in The Royal Tenenbaums ( see below)!

Clarenece House- Flowering Quince is another popular wallpaper.  It has been featured in many design magazines but one of my favorite room’s is Sara Costello’s NY bedroom (below).

I love the above room: wallpaper is Jardin Chinois by Waterhouse Wallhangings

xo,

S

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Where The Wild Things Are

We are currently featured on Marni Katz’s Inside Source discussing “Jungle Themed Rooms”. She used the below photograph of a room we designed as an example:

This is a library we did for a manhattan couple. I love a dark sultry room in the house. It is a great room to unwind in at the end of the day with a cocktail and a great book. These rooms have a bit of whimsy and a lot of intrigue. With the right lighting, texture, and color you can set the mood for a cozy night in.

To see Marni’s post visit her site: http://www.theinsidesource.com/topics/home-and-garden/view/trendlet-alert-jungle-look/

xo,

S

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Decorator Tag Sale

Sorry to be M.I.A.- we have been out in “the field” shooting a completed project in East Hampton, installing clients on the Upper East Side and Tribeca, and scheming up a storm for an upcoming show house! No time to update the blog. In all of this madness we found the time to join a fabulous new website called Decorator Tag Sale ( www.decoratortagsale.com )

Finding the perfect piece of designer furniture for your home has never been easier! Decorator Tag Sale brings buyers and sellers from all across the world together on one site to view home furnishings chosen by famous designers.

From modern furniture designs to vintage antiques, designer furniture to collectibles, Decorator Tag Sale offers the consumer an opportunity to visit a decorator’s warehouse online and purchase their high-end furniture at discounted prices.

There are many fabulous designers who joined and have posted pieces they selected now on sale to the general public. Among them are Amanda Nisbet, Christopher Coleman, John Loecke, and….us!

The site was written up in the New york Times on Thursday and has been getting lots of visitors. Some of the items you will find include:

Click on the following link for a one way ticket to accessorizing your home: http://decoratortagsale.com/designer-view/?d=273&page=1

Happy Shopping!

xo,

S

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Spring Sales at Christie’s

In the next few weeks Christie’s has a series of exciting sales. The Post War and Contemporary Art Sale as well as the Impressionist/ Modern Art Sale will bring a great number of spectacular pieces to the auction block. Get your catalogue online now and get ready to start the bidding!

Post War and Contemporary Art Featuring Works From the Collection of Michael Crichton

New York

Sale: May 11th and May 12th 2010

Lot 35: Yves Klein

Le Buffle

Painted in 1960-1961

Lot 45: Andy Warhol

Silver Liz

Painted in 1963

Lot 7: Jasper Johns

Flag

Painted in 1960-1966

Lot 19: Pablo Picasso

Femme a la robe rose

Painted in 1917

Impressionist/ Modern Art Sale Featuring the Collection of Mrs. Sydney F. Brody

New York

Sale May 4th and May 5th 2010

Lot 6: Pablo Picasso

Nude, Green Leaves and Bust

Painted in 1932

Lot 10: Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Femme Accoudee

Painted in 1887

Lot 22: Henri Matisse

Nu au coussin bleu

Painted in 1924

Visit the Christie’s website for more information: http://www.christies.com/

xo,

S

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