I’ve been busily (obsessively) taping little scraps of patterns all over the walls, feeling good about some things, horrified by others, and generally overwhelmed by the sheer variety of stuff out in the world. Probably this process was easier when Sears Roebuck offered your choice of three patterns, to be delivered by train or pony. Instead I find myself squinting into a crystal ball, wondering which of said 800 million patterns will be least offensive to me in a decade. Compounding the problem is Better Half Ben’s insistent, rather querulous complaint that all my choices are so “decorative.” That’s gauche, dude. And kind of obvious.
All this is to say that I had an interesting reaction to stylist and socialite Jackie Astier’s home featured in this month’s ED.
It’s all moody broody texture — not much in the pattern department. Now part of me finds this cozy and fabulous, and part of me thinks I’m just backsliding into my safety net. Haven’t I already been here before? Maybe. But lacquered walls and tonal faux bois wallpaper feel so soft and dreamy.
Oh, and grasscloth. Delicious delicious grasscloth.
This bedroom is too girly for me, but I think the color palette feels a little more avant garde than the gray gray grays used elsewhere.
It’s a lot of eye candy, but I also feel like I’ve seen so much of it before. Damien Hirst: check. Mastercraft brass: check. Beni Ourain: check. Milo Baughman Karl Springer Paul Evans: check. Kind of veers into furniture museum territory.
Still, I think she does a lovely job making the space feel more intimate. I’ve been hard at work trying to create layers with pattern, but maybe in some cases texture is the way to go.
What do you think? Are you all about pattern or texture?
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I posted yesterday with the exact same feelings. Love the apartment but reminded me too much of Ashley Stark’s apartment last month. All the same elements, just different wallcoverings. I stay go with the other things you have been looking at – by the time we all get our stuff together to use the woods wallpaper and lacquer walls, it will all seem too done.
- e (modern24seven.blogspot.com)
Yowzas…totally diggin’.
Cheers, Alcira
nerochronicles.com
My Mastercraft credenza is famous. Woo-hoo! I have yet to see this issue because it has not shown up in my mailbox. It’s a little too moody, broody for me, but I of course, love bits and pieces of it like the brass. But yes, it does feel like we’ve seen it all before in some form or fashion. Go with your “decorative” wallpaper. It feels like now is the time. This is from someone who is doing a dark, moody, brass tornado room.
change that headboard out to something more chunky and masculine and remove that dreadful pouf and that bedroom would scream erin.
and there is nothing safe about this place. it’s fucking fantastic.
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OK, I guess I could live there. Probably not baby-friendly…
This apartment is definitely NOT to my personal taste, but I loved it! The mood, the balancing act of all the various components…I plan to save this article for inspiration, even though I will probably never use anything from it. Still, it inspires me.
I love color and texture on walls, mainly because I use a lot of pattern(s) in my rooms, and like to change that up as the mood strikes.
Curtains, rugs, artwork, etc., are a lot easier to swap out than wallpaper!
Im a texture girl. But i think that may be as I seem to have trouble committing…
Honestly this place is about as appealing as a W Hotel lobby pre 2006. It’s safe (which is fine, just not fabulous). Slap some black paint on a wall (is black the new white?), add some reflective surfaces, nouveau riche “statement” art and furniture picked by the editors of Lonny, trying to be risque (I can already see the feature title: “boudoir chic”). Erin, you could do this with your eyes closed.
Btw. I’m all about EVERYTHING. Give me pattern AND texture, the whole bang shoot. I think a varied and interesting base gives one the flexibility to evolve a room.
quick sidenote. I’m sure Jsckie Astier is lovely and talented, I’m just not digging her digs that much.
Wow. I totally love this apartment. I could move in tomorrow. Fabulous!
I love your words more than the photos! I relate, especially to your first paragraph about selecting design for the future self.
Only I am in a city where, despite tremendous wealth, most people shop at chain stores for furniture and buys their “art” mass produced. Somehow this is called decorating where I live.
In magazine life, this is been-there-done-that, but if I walked into that home I would feel it was fabulous. If only I could say I’ve seen anything on your list, in person, before…
I vote for pattern AND texture. Her space is a little dark for me, but I love so many of the elements.
ps- I just noticed she only has white rugs. Furry goodness, but must be a nightmare to keep clean.
Second the point about choosing design for the future me. I have THE hardest time deciding whether I like something because it’s trendy and I have seen images of it done beautifully, or because it’s objectively beautiful and I will have an enduring love for it (regardless of the opinions of others).
For me, it’s pattern, not texture, because it’s easier for me to grasp, and it makes sense of the solids I am likely to go right back to as soon as my accent wall is up.
But what struck me most strongly about these photos was the rugs. The sumptuousness of that detail is heavenly. It feels like luxury just looking at the pictures. I think this tells me that I need to keep putting in the effort to accomplish something with texture. Maybe I’ll start with more blankets.
Sick kid, so apologies for neglecting your comments.
Pieter, no need to apologize for having an opinion! Ever.
And Carla, I agree. If I saw this place in real life I would be knocked out. I have a feeling she did this place a few years ago and Elle just got around to featuring it. I’m very interested to see what she does next…
I don’t know…I like it. The lighting is on the “moody” side…but I dig the overall effect.
Why can’t you do both? You CAN have it all.
I love so many pieces in this place, ubiquitous or not. Those round brass coffee tables are haunting my dreams. And there are TWO!!! So unfair.
I stick to something I heard a couple years back. Dress your home like you dress yourself. This seems rather true in my case. I don’t really love patterns on myself. I am more about texture and shape. So even though I LOVE the new scalamandre fabric, I usually get it on a pillow and have the “big” stuff in solids and textures
Nice Article!!! I am also trying to be more brave about pattern, AND texture. Just a minute ago I conned myself into “Oh, a texture would be a great way to…blah,blah,blah) and realized I am totally trying to chicken out of pattern.
Ran across a photojournal of nothing but beautiful pictures of mostly patterned fabrics but it does have some pics of pattern/textured walls etc http://www.quadrillefabrics.com/editorial_pages_a/index.html
Check it out… it also has a photo of GREEN grasscloth walls that I loved. Similar feel to the pink ones in your article. Maybe this will inspire you… these photos are not nearly the moody vibe you have pictured above, WAY perkier – but it did capture my attention and make me take notice of all the patterns co-existing nicely.
THANKS!!!
I love it. The place seems liveable. I would flop on the couch or lay on the floor with my kids and play. The coffee tables all have soft edges, very kid friendly. It is not minimalist nor is it over decorated, just enough of everything. It is very warm and comfortable, you don’t find that very often with such killer decor.
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