James Galanos, former couturier for former First Lady Nancy Reagan, is featured, at his Hollywood Hills home, in this month's issue of Architectural Digest. While I prefer darker wood interiors (cherry, ebony, mahogany) these almost beachwood toned walls definitely play well against, what appears to be glossy, black marble floors. Very sophisticated, indeed. (All images by Miguel Flores-Vianna)
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Donny Deutsch's New York apartment is prominently featured in the October issue of Architectural Digest. It's everything you'd imagine an adman's apartment to be: spacious, art filled (Warhol, Basquiat, Hirst & Haring, et al), sophisticated, but fun. Built in 1889 on the Upper East Side, this French-neoclassical mansion is an impressive 15,000-square-feet spanning 6 floors. Donny, former host of the now defunct television show, The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch, collaborated with interior designers Tony Ingrao and Randy Kemper and architect Frederic Schwartz to bring a cool, new life to this bachelor's pad. After having the original place gutted and completely redone, this apartment is definitely one big idea that has beautifully panned out. The Gym. A space for his two daughters when they visit. (All Photos by Nikolas Koenig) ne Fifth, Ralph Lauren's latest Home Collection, is beyond beautiful and sexy with its Art Deco influence and black & gold detailing. The gold textured walls are exquisite. A few years back, I tried to duplicate this process, but was quite unsuccessful. After seeing it done in a magazine, I anxiously went out and purchased the required accoutrement: paint, the special rollers, drop cloths etc., but it proved a rather disastrous undertaking. Since my place at the time was primarily furnished in earth tones (cream, tan, brown and gold), I really thought gold-toned walls would prove most complementary. And maybe they would have, but... When I finally moved into my new place, a couple of years back, I decided to go in a new, safer direction: Black & White. Though after seeing this new collection by Ralph Lauren, I may very well opt for a tri-brid of Black, White and hints of Gold for my next place. One good thing about most Lauren interiors is that they are often quite suitable for either the sophisticated gentleman or gentlewoman. Sometimes, it's just a matter of switching out one or two accessories to be more gender specific. (Oh, and by the way, the second time around I did decide to hire a professional painter to paint my new apartment: semi-gloss white, with a small black accent wall.) I had the opportunity to puchase the Clivedon Carved Chair, shown above, in a black, faux crocodile covering. Even though they were reduced to $3,000.00 each (reg. price was approx. $10,000.00), I begged off. Dilemma: Brand new, gently-reduced chairs or a gently used car? (All Photographs and Video via Polo.com) Set on 150 manicured acres, about forty-five minutes outside of Los Angeles, CA, is the sumptuous home of Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith, and their two children: Jaden and Willow. Beautifully photographed by Roger Davies in this month's issue September of Architectural Digest, the 25,000 ft, adobe-styl home was designed by Stephen Samuelson and the architect Harry Perez-Daple. While the home is, without question, a well-appointed abode, wouldn't it be nice, particularly in a child's room, to just once see a pair of socks peeking from beneath a bed or an out-of-place toy in a corner? What do you think? The foyer. The living room. The Dining Room. The Kitchen. The breakfast "nook." What a way to start your day; a good meal and a magnificent view! Jada's meditation room. The billiard room. The screening room. The master bedroom. Will and Jada's closet. (or, at least, Jada's from the looks of things.) The master bedroom's romantic patio. The shower in the master bedroom. Willow's bedroom. Jaden's bedroom, showcasing his director's chair from the set of his first film, "The Pursuit of Happyness." The pool was designed by landscape architect, Daniel Busbin. Today, on Oprah, she interviewed the incomparable Mr. Ralph Lauren and his accomplished, close-knit family: his wife, Ricky, his daughter, Dylan, and his two sons: Andrew and David. We're given a look at their 17,000 acre ranch (the Double RL) in Telluride, CO. My aunt owns over 100 acres and I know how hard that is to maintain. I can't even image 17,000 acres. (All images by George Burns via Oprah & Polo.com) (Video via Oprah.com) |
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Architectural Digest Elle Decor Esquire GQ Interiors Magazine Polo Ralph Lauren The Rake Vanity Fair N.D. Harrington
I was born in the country, but brought up in the big city, with hopes of always maintaining the charm, wit and character of a southern, sophisticated gentleman. In my goal to live more passionately & purposefully, here are just a few things that I've learned and experienced along the way, making my journey more interesting, and more importantly, easier. Categories:
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