CURATE: Horn Envy
Is it the sculptural, undulating curve of a pair of horns that one finds so darn appealing? Or is it simply the bold and brazen placement of a pair in a room? Either way, my crush is somewhat ironic (not to mention hypocritical) as I am neither a hunter nor a trophy kind of gal [...]
CURATE: Sumptuous (ness/isity/osity)
As I approach the newsstand, my eye always darts to the World of Interiors: a glossy publication which NEVER disappoints. I get an epicurean sense of pleasure while pouring over the lavishly produced pages. Unforgettable images of classical homes like Chatsworth House, or the Duke and Duchess of Windsor’s bathroom; turn the page and one [...]
CURATE: The Photographer’s Eye
James Merrell: Master Interior Photographer… All images from James Merrill.co Contributor: Philippa Berrington Blew
CURATE: The Remains of the Day…
While none of these images are thematically linked, there is a certain common thread. That of solitude… of a quiet, stolen moment. The muted palette of shadowy white, palest grey and silver also set the tranquil tone. If one were to tiptoe into any of these rooms and linger for a bit, one might hear [...]
CURATE: The Green Room
“For where the old thick laurels grow, along the thin red wall, You will find the tool- and potting-sheds which are the heart of all.” – Rudyard Kipling Top image from Neville Trickett, Middle images from Light Locations, bottom image from Water Monopoly. Contributor: Philippa Berrington Blew
CURATE: Where the River meets the Sea
Since the weather lately has been nothing short of ungodly, I have longed to stay in a cottage exactly like this one. Except, I would like it to be on a beach where I could wallow unashamedly in the surf. Located northeast of New York City, where the Connecticut River and Long Island Sound meet, [...]
CURATE: Urban Biology
Unabashedly a sucker for interiors that aren’t afraid of a good dose of quirk. Include some science equipment – laboratory glassware (giant test tubes make great vases), anatomical charts or biological models and animal classification posters. A great paradigm of this style of “Dark Nostalgia’ is the Manhattan apartment of dubbed ‘New Antiquarians’ Hollister and [...]
CURATE: The Breslin
Arthur Bovino, the lead writer for “Always Hungry“, a New York City restaurant review, has aptly described The Breslin Restaurant at The Ace Hotel as a ‘cool, cleaned up version of the Edmont Hotel in ‘The Catcher in the Rye’. The inherently beautiful 19th Century features have been preserved: wooden floors, rough and reclaimed; leather [...]
CURATE: L’Afrique Chic…
With the ‘Coupe du Monde’ in full swing right now, I thought I’d highlight a favorite design house in South Africa – Cecile & Boyd – one in Kwazulu Natal and the other in Cape Town. Named after two gifted designers, the two flagship stores are filled to the brim with beautiful handmade decorative homeware [...]
CURATE: Lie back and think of England…
Whitecross Farm in Ross on Wye… the name alone draws one in. Nothing is pristine. It is almost as if the wonderful jumble of artifacts have just tumbled into their place. Most of all (especially apparent in the kitchen), this is a ‘home’ in the best sense of the word: comfortable, warm and inviting. Where [...]
CURATE: Metamorphosis
Today I bid farewell to the house I wrote about two weeks ago. The one with a gallery-like backdrop to ever-changing colors on the walls and furniture in a constant game of musical chairs – yes, layers upon layers of possibility. My favorite element about my friend and her house is the perpetual revision – [...]
CURATE: The Plain Truth
I happened upon the website of the architectural firm Chris Dyson based in Spitalfields, London. I was moved by the simplicity of their designs; the wonderful calm and serene palette of the pale blue/greys, slate and faded mint on the walls. Also appealing is the adaptive re-use of old structures retaining the good bones, and [...]
CURATE: Baltimore Confidential
When I entered this very special house for the first time some years ago, I was rendered speechless. It was so modern, the interior colors were electric (mostly Fine Paints of Europe – all the trim and doors in an ultra gloss, almost wet finish), yet it still paid respect to its 1850′s heritage with [...]
CURATE: Trading Places
I live in the heart of Baltimore City, and I am fortunate enough to have a courtyard which I treat like another room in the house during summer… and decorate it accordingly. I am a huge fan of revising tradition by placing objects normally only seen indoors into the courtyard setting — like mirrors, horns, [...]
CURATE: Brimfield, MA
After hearing tales of the Brimfield Antique Show (MA) for years, a friend from South Africa and I decided to hot-foot it over there, to see what we could unearth. And, oh boy, are we glad we did. Firstly, it is VAST – acres upon acres of dealers spread over several fields. Secondly, having arrived [...]
SHINE FILMS: Creative Class Teaser
It’s the teaser and the first in our new series Creative Class. We’ll be diving into the dwellings of the Eccentrics, the Collectors, the Super Creatives. These aren’t those who’ve spent thousands on designers, or Pottery Barn-ready rooms, but those who work it- and make it work. CREATIVE CLASS – PHILIPPA BERRINGTON BLEW – TEASER [...]
CURATE: Conran Country.
Jasper Conran, (yes, son of the iconic Sir Terence), travelled all over the British Isles for a year, along with photographer Andrew Montgomery, in order to capture the spirit and idiosyncrasies of country life. ‘Country’, a 300-page photographic essay, has been described as a “deeply moving vision of the pleasures of country life”, revealing fascinating [...]
CURATE: I had a farm in Africa… well, sort of.
I grew up in a typical mid-eighteenth century Transvaal farmhouse (horizontal, sprawling, with a corrugated tin roof and a wide veranda) on the outskirts of Pretoria in South Africa. From an early age, the house nourished my imagination as there were numerous secret places in which to hide and store my imaginary friends (only-child-syndrome)… the [...]