[7 posts tagged “Decoration.”]

A sunny Saturday at the Desert Star hotel, Palm Springs

My dear friend and I celebrated milestone birthday this winter with a fun long weekend in Palm Springs. But why Palm Springs? Let me count the ways....
1. Sun, sun and more sun—354 days of sunshine each year.
2. The airport is 2-3 miles from hotels, which means I didn't have to give up my chauffeur taxi habit.
3. Elizabeth Taylor, Liberace, Eisenhower, Suzanne Somers, Trina Turk. All fabulous people go here.
4. Modernism galore: Neutra, Cody, Frey Lautner. Plus all that vintage shopping.
5. The hotels! Oh, the hotels! The Parker, The Ace, and our casa, The Desert Star.

Not a single guest at Desert Star didn't daydream about installing a deadbolt in their bungalow and moving in for good. The rooms were outfitted with Case Study-style furniture and iPod docks and fuzzy robes and cutting boards and decent knives and blenders (blenders!). All of which meant it wasn't at all challenging to slip into a bikini, pour a cocktail (with garnish!) and don the fuzzy robe to the pool (see pic).

We were told of the wonders of the San Jacinto trails and glory of Joshua Tree and about that "great vintage shop down the road where everything's just your size," but we are cold-climate dwellers and so we did this. Every day. For hours. Until the sun dipped past the mountains and were forced to find solid food (Cheeky's, El Mirasol highly recommended). I'll return to Palm Springs and I'll hit that vintage shop and I'll see those mountains, but probably only if it's raining.

At the DCOTA: 1stdibs.com founder Michael Bruno, decorator and retailer Phoebe Howard, moderator moi, designer-bloggers Brad Ford and Brian Patrick Flynn and Pamela Jaccarino of Luxe magazine. Image by Tom Grizzle.

But we're so much more that that! Here's a snapshot of the Evolution of Design panel presented by The Editor at Large at the DCOTA in sunny Dania Beach, Florida, last week. Missed it? Good news—we're bringing the Revolution of Design to the PDC in LA this spring and Michael, Brad and Bryan are coming with!

Voos image, Michael Falco for The New York Times
There oodles of news at Sophie Donelson HQ today. In ascending order: Two items of note in the New York Times Home section today. First is an article I wrote about VOOS, a new furniture store in Williamsburg. (Thank you to designer Andrew Rumpler for tipping me off.) Right across the page--and next up in the Currents slide show--is a story about Flip For Decorating, the top-secret decorating book that I worked on last winter, which showcases the genius of author Elizabeth Mayhew, who's as multi-talented as Martha (she decorates! and writes! and cooks!)--and charming and sincere to boot. Finally, the biggie news: This summer I'd editing Hamptons Cottages & Gardens magazine. It was HC&G that gave me my entree to NYC publishing back in 2002 and I'm thrilled to return as editor this season. I'm scouting for news, products and ideas pertaining to design on the East End, so don't hesitate to send ideas. See you on the Jitney!

These hard-drinking newsies are here to tell you to read my articles

My byline cropped up a few times this week, first in Manhattan magazine, where I profiled a couple ace interior designers, and then in the The Globe & Mail (the New York Times of Canada, as we can it in the biz), where I reviewed the hotel SLS in L.A., which I wrote about last month. Take a looksy! And, as always you can see more of my work by clicking Articles at the top of the page.

Throne room, Topkapi Palace harem, Istanbul

Istanbul decoration: even better than expected. I anticipated the Iznik tiles, but I wasn't prepared for the glorious alchemy of when European grandeur veered head first into Eastern tradition. Case in point: Topkapi Palace, the home of Ottoman sultans (and around 4,000 staff) from 1465 to 1853. By the 18th century, sultans were obsessed with Rococo style, hence the gilt ornament in the harem's Throne Room. (There are Delft tiles and Murano glass windows, too--who says globalization is new?) Click MORE for the prettiest patterns I found in Turkey, including from Hagia Sofia.

Topkapi ceiling

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Recently I was in Brussels reporting an article about the city's antiques and vintages stores. I tend not to shop while I work. It's not really cost effective, plus, I'm already carrying a map, camera and notebook. But I made an exception for this oddball lamp--for 33 euro, which I found at La Patine. Couldn't be, I thought. It's clearly handmade, and has new wiring and a fresh shade. I asked again, and the shopkeeper confirmed the price and encouraged me to return Sunday so the owner could tell me the story behind it. I left with the lamp and vowed to return. But I probably shouldn't have...

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Rooftop cabanas, SLS Hotel, Los Angeles

Simply Lovely Spaces. Sam loves Starck. Some Light Showers. For me, a late-January weekend at SLS Hotel in Los Angeles meant a seriously sexy sleepover. And Sophie Loves Sleepovers.
Service Luxury Style was the thought of nightclub kingpin-turned-hotelier Sam Nazarian, but the copywriters took it and ran... Now, the aphorisms decorate key cards, note paper, and all sorts of silly little somethings at this Philippe Starck-designed property, the first of a portfolio. Some little secrets ahead...

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