Weekend shopping

Amongst other things, these YSL sandals are now on my wish list...

Bye Bye...

...to the Ritz Carlton Hotel.

The Kowloon Ritz-Carlton hotel closed February 11th. The 216 room hotel, only 14 years old, will face the wrecking ball to make room for more office space as rental prices reach record highs. Its a sign of the times here in Hong Kong where land is at a premium, and if you have the cash you can re-arrange the city like its made of lego blocks.

While the hotel is set to re-open next year in West Kowloon, more than 250 items from the original hotel will be auctioned off today. These items include antique ballroom chandeliers from HK$3,000 (US $384) each, an 18th-century gilt-framed mirror for HK$9,000, and a century-old, stained-glass screen for HK$100,000. An absolute bargain! Unfortunately, the auction is open only to a priveledged list of previous hotel guests, and although it was rumoured that you could put your name on the list, I found it pretty close to impossible - so alas there will be no hotel silverware for me to bid on today... :(

An artists impression of the new Ritz Carlton, set to open 2009.

PS. Sorry for the lack of posts this week folks, work has been crazy this week! Thanks for your patience - I promise more for you next week!

Beautiful bedheads - part 3

Thanks for your patience, my scanner has been on strike (maybe in sympathy of the Writers Union in the US ?) but is finally working again too. And Maison 21 - I'll be waiting for my commission check in the mail!

Okay, so you can't technically see the bedhead in this pic, but I wanted to share because I love the colours of this room so much. Bedroom of fashion designer, Steven Stolman, and partner.

A lovely four poster bed in the French country house of one of my favorite furniture designers, Todd Hase.

Fresh white with studded detailing in the bedroom of designer Tony Fornabaio and partner.

Ornamental shaped bedhead in a room by Nate Berkus.

A Black diamond buttoned beauty in a room by Sharon Simonaire.

Classic chic in the bedroom of designer Mario Nievera.

More dark inviting colours - in the bedroom of British Khaki founder, Robert Lighton.

Paisley perfection in Christopher Spitzmiller's bedroom.

A pretty satin number by DD Allen.

Quiet and serene in a bedroom by Diana Viñoly.

Not technically just a bedhead - I had purposefully steered away from adding four posters and canopy beds, but this one, and the Todd Hase one are the exceptions. Jeffrey Bilhuber's fresh take on an old favorite.

Two ornate designs, in classic Katie Ridder style.

And finally, the image that got me started on these posts! Now that I've found it I won't bore you with a 4th edition. This is from a Melbourne home that was inspired by a Philippe Starck designed hotel the owner stayed in. Featured in Vogue Living (Australia) Jan/Feb 2006. I love the fact that this bedhead is floor to ceiling, I love the diamond buttoning (of course!) and the custom built in sconces.

Gallery BAC

There are some people that you know you'll like, even without meeting them in person. One of those people for me is NY based, Carlos Aparicio. Aparicio, an architect and owner of Gallery BAC, has phenomenal taste, which is precisely why I know we'd get along famously. His homes, which have featured in Elle Decor twice, and his New York gallery are filled with treasures that together are like a checklist of my favorite desingers. Andre Arbus - check! Jean-Michel Frank - check! Emile Jacques Ruhlmann - check! Andre Sornay - check! Jean-Charles Moreaux - check! Okay, I bet you get the picture. Add a few famous Danish mid-century designers in there and you've got yourself one stylish pad. It's interesting to see that Aparicio has moved from what looks like an older style building, with period mouldings, to a more modern looking space with barely any architectural details at all. The furniture really is the feature here, and I'm sure that's intentional as he admits that his apartment is also used as a showroom, moving pieces between home and the shop. I'm not sure that I could live with such beautiful pieces and then bare to part with them so easily. I guess I'd never make a very good antiques dealer...but I wouldn't say no if he offered me a job!


Current aparment

Previous apartment

First 7 images from Elle Decor March 2008, Last 6 images from Elle Decor, November 2003 - all photography by William Waldron.

Beautiful bedheads - part 2

I promised a 2nd installment...and here it its..

A beautiful padded bedhead in a bedroom by Randall Ridless

A stunningly serene bedroom by Shamir Shah - love that mirror by Herve Van Der Straeton

Super sized double bed head in a room by Vicente Wolf

Whimsical wonders in a NY apartment decorated by designer/author Noel Jeffrey

Crisp white, grey and chocolate perfection in the home of fashion designer Monique Lhuillier

Bed by Billy Baldwin, from 1st Dibs - love the shape, not so keen on the colour (or those feet)

A lovely example - leather with diamond buttoning and fixed lights - in a bedroom by Robert Passal

A suite at The Scarlett Hotel, Singapore

A pale and serene bedroom by Taylor Howes design

A nice tall upholstered bed head by Tom Scheerer

A great all-in-one bed head with reading lights and side tables - source unknown

Pink glam by Jamie Drake

A great bedhead in a very fresh looking from Maison Luxe, via Decorno

Mascline bedroom perfection by Mary McDonald

Brown suede and studs - source unknown

Eric Cohler -this man certainly knows how to dress a bedroom

I think I have plenty of images still left to post....so stay tuned for a 3rd installment!

Fabric frontrunners...

Who am I kidding, there was no way I was waiting til tomorrow...

So these are the choices so far for the chair recovery project. The colours are not necessarily true to life, but you get the idea...they're all pretty neutral. Any thoughts? Or other suggestions?

'Kashgar', a silk/linen mix from Loro Piana

'Glace' - a wool satin from Donghia

And finally, I think the favorite so far is 'Serenity' - a wool/silk mix from Larsen

My chair has arrived!

Just got word from my hubby (who is home today) that my Robsjohn-Gibbings slipper chair has been delivered. Yay! Will post a few of the current fabric choices tomorrow.

Oh, and by the way, Gong Hei Fat Choi! or Happy Chinese New Year!

Beatiful bedheads - part 1

In winter there are not many things that I like better than to curl up in bed with a good book - or a pile of magazines -as we don't have a heater in our apartment (no, I'm not kidding, we just don't need them here usually) its one of the only places to get warm at this time of year. This feeling of wanting to hibernate has got me thinking of my dream bed. I definitely love an upholstered headboard, and I'm a bit of a fan of bedheads that look soft, comfy and a little like a sofa. I guess its the sense of being enveloped by something. So here are a few of my picks...


Antique french bedhead in the apartment of Zhang Toi - upholstered in a Loro Piana cashmere

Bedroom by Todd Alexander Romano

Bed designed by Thomas Pheasant for Baker furniture

Bedroom in a showflat by HK based Steve Leung

The genius of Steven Sclaroff

Two images from Ralph Lauren home collections

Bed by Oly studio

An interior by Kelly Wearstler

A room by Jay Jeffers - this is getting closer to what I like about a headboard...needs a bit more padding for me, but I like the shape.

Classic shaped bed from Grace Home Furnishings

An old image from my style files - sorry I've forgotten the source!

Two beds by Frank Roop, like this second one, it looks a bit like a hotel room set up, but it still has a warmth about it.

Long and low bedhead by Fox-Nahem design

Suede magic from Eric Cohler - getting closer.

A guest room at Eichardt's Hotel in Queenstown, New Zealand. I'd love a fur throw at the end of my bed. Faux, of course.

Two sweet as can be beds, from Domino magazine

Cozy and warm looking bedroom, and a very snug looking bedhead, in an interior by Darren Henault - this is pretty close too. I love the choice of colours in this room, its definitely a good room for winter!

Bedroom by Beale Lana interiors

Now we're talking... I LOVE this bedhead. Diamond buttoning, its nice and high (good for sitting up and reading), and the fabric looks nice and soft too. Another from my style files...can't remember the source for this one...and I know its been blogged about a few times already...

Another two old images from my style files, although I think the 2nd one is from Domino magazine.

Stay tuned for the 2nd installment...