Friday, April 25, 2014

French inspired interiors: Designer Pamela Pierce

From TG Interiors on Blogspot

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!

1 Pam Pierce in Antiqueaholics
The Houston house that got me hooked on Pamela Pierce designs.

2 Pam Pierce from  AntiqueAholics on Pinterest
I loved the Anduze jar at the top of the stairs, which started a whole other passion.

2A Pam Pierce Southern Accents 2003
And the Biot jar in this alcove was the beginning of a long love affair.

3 BlogGreenSpacesPamelaPierce (2)
I remember thinking how gorgeous it was that they photographed this veranda when it was wet. And more Anduzes to whet the appetite.

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

5 Pam PierceFrom Acquired Objects blog on Pinterest
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.

6 Pam Pierce before from Cote de Texas
Pam Pierce’s signature iconic checks that sent the design world spinning for checks. I still love them!

8 Iconic Pam Pierce from Veranda (I think)
The oversized linen slipcovers that I copied for every club chair in my house (and still use!).

8B Pam Pierce Veranda
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.

9 Pam Pierce LR
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.

9B Pamela Pierce designs
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.

9C peter vitale photo
And another favorite Biot jar, carrying roses.

12 Pam Pierce bedroom vtinteriors blogspot
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.

12B Simple white bedroom from nuburylane on pinterest
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.

14DPierce's LR from Veranda
Love the Frank Gehry chair mixed in with some of the classic pieces. Always white!

14e Pierce's LR Veranda
And love the Eames chair, a stylish and comfy nod to mid century modern.

14f Cote de Texas blog latest dr for Pam Pierce
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!

15A Pam Pierce Kitchen before
The older version, such a classy marriage between West Texas and Southern France!

15B rustic kitchen
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.

15C Pam Pierce Kitchen final contemporary with the table
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.

jarre crop  
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!

No comments:

Post a Comment