French inspired interiors: Designer Pamela Pierce

For years, I’ve been hooked on the evolution of Pamela Pierce’s wonderful French inspired interior designs.  And yesterday, I received my first issue of Milieu magazine and was so excited! After writing a blog about Milieu a few weeks ago, I decided to subscribe personally and now I know that a new friend will arrive periodically in my mail box and put a smile on my face every time.

I’ve been thinking a lot about Milieu and the fabulous designer at its helm, because as I was researching the Milieu blog, I discovered that so many of the  ideas in my idea book (we all have idea books, right?) were Pamela Pierce designs.   I’ve been a fan of Pamela Pierce’s since I first spotted that iconic Houston house, decorated so beautifully for Christmas, in a 2003 issue of Southern Accents Magazine. Do you remember it?  I devoured every page and those little sheep have been imbedded in my memory forever!

The Houston house that got me hooked on Pamela Pierce designs.

I loved the Anduze jar at the top of the stairs, which started a whole other passion.

And the Biot jar in this alcove was the beginning of a long love affair.

I remember thinking how gorgeous it was that they photographed this veranda when it was wet. And more Anduzes to whet the appetite.

This is still one of my favorite shots and one that I would happily replicate on any table today.

And what could be nicer than two biot jars greeting you at the front door?

I’ve since learned, of course, that this was Pamela Pierce’s beautiful home in Houston that she has been meticulously updating over the years. Unknowingly, I have watched the evolution of her style and realized that at every turn, I love it even more than the last one. And although she has evolved the look of her house, I would still happily use some of her signature older pieces today, because her style is classic, universal and always appealing.

Pam Pierce’s signature iconic checks that sent the design world spinning for checks. I still love them!

The oversized linen slipcovers that I copied for every club chair in my house (and still use!).

Pamela Pierce’s old living room was featured in Veranda magazine many years ago.

My idea book was brimming with pictures from Pamela Pierce’s next Veranda feature (with gorgeous photos by Peter Vitale), when the designer gave up the over-sized slip covers for a more tailored look.

The next update, featured in Veranda Magazine a few years ago, showed that her signature white has never changed, as well as her passion for the Biot jars.

Possibly my all time favorite shot, from wonderful photographer Peter Vitale, that captures what we at Huff Harrington love best: the marriage of old and new, in a stylishly elegant vignette.

And another favorite Biot jar, carrying roses.

We can see the evolution from lush to simplicity in this beautiful bedroom. My idea book had these silk taffeta curtains earmarked in this beautiful pinkish lavender color.

But I also just love the crispness of the tailored look, without the curtains.

Fast forward a few more years to Veranda’s most recent coverage of Pam Pierce’s home (photographed by Laura Resen) and what do we have? A whole new chapter in my idea book, about paring everything down to its simplest element, and mixing gorgeous textures, shapes and eclectic “objets” to bring together a cleaner, crisper, leaner look without all the layering that we previously saw.

Love the Frank Gehry chair mixed in with some of the classic pieces. Always white!

And love the Eames chair, a stylish and comfy nod to mid century modern.

Tailored slip covered chairs and a scoop neck floor lamp to replace what might have been a chandelier (hmm … not sure how I feel about that!).

Possibly the most interesting evolution, I think, has been to watch Pam Pierce’s subtle changes in her kitchen.  And I kid you not, each one of these made it into my idea book!  I finally looked at them all one day and realized that they were the same kitchen!

The older version, such a classy marriage between West Texas and Southern France!

I’m so glad the bull’s head got to stay, but bye bye to the lantern and a new French style baker’s rack table replaced the butcher block.

And now the latest: A sleek modern Parsons table has replaced the  ornate versions of the past.

I’m so excited that by discovering Milieu magazine, I managed to uncover all the links in my idea book to one very talented and inspiration designer out of Texas, Pamela Pierce. What do we owe her for the most? Possibly our love of Biot and Anduze jars, that she so beautifully uses in all of her interiors, to this day. Last week, we had a fabulous shoot at Huff Harrington Home. I don’t want to spoil the surprises from our talented photographer, Mali Azima. But here’s a little sneak preview of what she shot in a corner of our store.

 

Pamela Pierce, I think you would approve!

Ta ta …

HH

PS We read every bit of mail we get:  Tell us about your idea books! We’d love to hear from you!

New Art at Huff Harrington

We’re busy gearing up for a new art show that we debut at Huff Harrington Fine Art on Friday, April 25th.  This one’s called Resinate and it plays nicely to our ongoing obsession with abstract paintings created from epoxy resin and mixed media.

Definition, Please:  So what exactly is epoxy resin?  It’s a manipulable adhesive that creates a shiny, glass-like surface to a painting.  We’re seeing it used more and more now and we love the way its glossy nature plays with the textural aspect of the paint beneath.

Did You Say Blowtorch? It’s definitely not for the faint of heart.  It’s difficult to manipulate, toxic when wet (but not when it’s dry) and completely temperamental.  It doesn’t like cold weather, hot weather or humidity.  It takes its time drying and if you look at it wrong, it will form a nasty little bubble or two just where it shouldn’t be.  (Oh and to remove the bubble, you need a blowtorch. We’re not kidding.)

Let’s Continue Over Coffee, mixed media and resin, 30 x 40.

Artists Love It:  Huff Harrington Fine Art artist Judy Cox has been using epoxy resin for years and has this to say about it: “For several years, I’ve been drawn to epoxy resin especially its beautiful thick shiny coat and the way it can enhance color. It is extremely seductive while wet and is a wonderful complement to my style of expression.”

We love it when our artists show a wide range of work and inspiration and Judy’s a great example of that.  She’s really mastered her manipulation of resin and she’s nailed the tender and sweet tone of these new paintings.  We’re proudly showing off these new works in the show:

Summer Rain is Delightful, mixed media and resin on board, 30 x 40.

Oblivious to Everyone, mixed media and resin on board, 24 x 24.

Resin Resonates: Another Huff Harrington artist whose work “resinates” with us is Aaron Whitehouse.  Here’s what endeared  him to us: one day he simply broke all the rules and showed up at the gallery with a trunkful of resined paintings.   We were hooked – and it’s been wonderful to watch Aaron progress with his resin infatuation. (By the way, Aaron’s also a gifted up-and-coming musician and we love the whole creative vibe he gives off.)

Teenage Rebellion, sold long ago.

A piece from Aaron’s Gold Phosphorous series. Mixed media and resin on board, 36 x 24.

One of the Gold Phosphorous pieces hanging at The Saltyard in Atlanta. We love the painting’s movement and warmth on that gray wall.

You’ll be able to see Aaron’s work up close and personal at the show…and you really do need to see them in person. We’ve found the photography is really tricky and doesn’t capture the intricate nuances that make these pieces so special:

Birthing New Horizons, 40 x 48, mixed media and resin on board.

It’s All About the Texture:  Also painting for this show is Andrea Costa, a delightful and vivacious artist whose paintings seem to find new homes on a daily basis.  Andrea’s always used a mixed bag of media and she loves painting on burlap for the exquisite texture it offers.  But she has also dived into the resin frenzy and told us this: “I love to use resin when I feel like a painting needs more depth or I want to make a contemporary or abstract piece.  I love to create paintings with texture – and when I use resin,  you can see the texture but can’t feel it.”

 

Andrea just completed this mixed media piece on burlap: Guilty Pleasures, 60 x 60.

 A dpitych from Andrea Costa. This one is oil on gesso-ed canvas. Beautiful Day, 60 x 36.

 Andrea painted Sun Up with resin on board. 24 x 36.

Brag Book: We’ll also be bragging Mel Rea about next Friday. Mel’s a relatively new member of the Huff Harrington family but we’re crazy about her paintings and her earnest, dedicated work ethic. Mel paints big, open abstracts that are welcoming and warm:

Rounding Yellow (mixed media, 48 x 48) is one of our faves from Mel.

Blocked In by Mel Rea is a 16 x 16 resin piece.

 

You need to see this in person: Somewhere In Between, oil with resin on panel, 40 x 40. Swoon.

If you’re in town on Friday, April 25th come by Huff Harrington Fine Art for a sip and a nibble and feast your eyes on this thoroughly original and to-die-for new art.  We want to know: does resin resonates with you?

Ta ta.

p.s.: still confused about abstract art? Pick up a few tips here.

Kitchen Crushes

The “opportunity” kitchen that needs a little help.

This is the story of designing the perfect new kitchen for a condo in Atlanta, Georgia …

One of us has had a wandering eye.  It all started a few weeks ago, when a friend introduced me to a spectacular, one-of-a-kind condo that I fell in love with.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t the only one, and this beauty got away … but not without my being bitten by the bug to go condo shopping again.  It is a favorite activity (unfortunately for my husband) which usually consists of my spinning out of control for a few weeks, visiting everything I can, having crushes along the way, measuring pros and cons, consulting spreadsheets and doing countless analyses … until I often end up back at home, happily staying where I am until the next crazy idea comes along.

This time, I’m in the spinning phase and have found a cool condo, in an intriguing part of town that has a lot going for it, but it lacks a good kitchen.  Of course I look at all design flaws as OPPORTUNITY!  And this one has gotten me thinking … how would I redo the kitchen?

If this little fantasy becomes a reality, I’ll pull in our design divas, Sam and Colleen, because I know they could make anything beautiful.   But since it’s just a dream, and I get to study and be inspired by some of my favorite designers ( like Suzanne Kasler), the sky’s the limit and I’m going to have some fun!

 

The way it looks now:  Front view of the “OPPORTUNITY!” kitchen and some ideas to follow

It seems that I always turn to Suzanne Kasler for inspiration

Another inspiring kitchen from Laura Ellerbroek’s blog

I don’t love the color of the cabinets (from Elle Decor), but I like the clean lines and thickness of the kitchen island.

So pretty! The gorgeous Calcutta gold marble, the striking backsplash and the touch of glam with a chandelier.  From Granite Gurus.

Ah, but wait! Look how dramatic this dark grey looks, especially with the contrasting brass fixtures that are so handsome. Tempting! From Decor Pad.

And from one of our favorite Italian kitchen designers that we know from Paris, Boffi. So clean, so streamlined, so functional.

Boffi again, with their clean, clean lines.

I’m gaga over this Gaggenau kitchen!

Let’s look at it from a different angle now:

The condo kitchen that I’d love to get my hands on.

And turning once again to wonderful Suzanne Kasler. Notice the contrasting brass fixtures again, and the beautiful detailing on the island.  From Architectural Digest.

And what about this intriguing way of hiding kitchen cabinets: Big doors that slide in and out. From Boffi again.

When the doors are closed up, everything is hidden. That’s pretty tempting too!

But I also love this big island, from Australian designers at  Sareenstone.com, which shows off the dramatic veining and again, has just the right thickness.

Look at these open shelves. Do we even need kitchen cabinets? From Better Homes & Gardens.

To open-shelf or not: That is the question.  Years ago, when we lived in France and rented a house for a year, the kitchen consisted of a big, thick farm table and an armoire, along with a cooktop, dishwasher, sink and fridge.  It was so simple, but it worked so well, and we cooked some of our best meals there.  When we renovated Les Murets, we took a page from the same book, and removed all the cabinets from the walls.

The Kitchen of Les Murets, where we removed all the cabinets and replaced them with an antique armoire.

And when we renovated our house in Atlanta a few years back, again, we removed the cabinets and hung paintings on all the blank walls.  Not only was it lighter and prettier, it was very functional (having all the dishes stored in one place) and put a smile on my face every time I looked up and saw a favorite painting.

Our old kitchen in Atlanta, inspired by Les Murets, where we replaced the upper cabinets with art.

And used the antique French armoire with chicken wire to hold all of our dishes.

You can hide your dishes behind chicken wire, as we did, or keep them on an open shelf, which looks great if you have the same color dishes! From Vinterior Design blog.

I love these open shelves, from Decor Pad blog, because they’re wonderfully chunky and handsome.

And this is a great, clean look from Remodelista.com.

And a more contemporary look, from a Finnish home on Pinterest.

And speaking of contemporary: I’m always drawn to clean lines, thick surfaces and fabulous use of stainless steel, like this one from Boffi.

So I’m torn:  Which kitchen do I have the biggest crush on? The gorgeous, elegant, French inspired kitchen like number one, below? Or the super contemporary, clutter-free design from Gaggenau?

 

 1.  A lovely French inspired kitchen that incormporates all my favorite things: open shelves, baskets, calcutta marble, chandeliers, and wonderful functionality. The Enchanted Home blog.

2.  Or this sexy, streamlined, elegant and dramatic kitchen from Gaggenau. 

Oooh, I think I have a big crush on Number 2!  What about you? Do you, too?

Ta ta,

HH