Hi, Gabrielle from Savvy Home here again!  Personally, I have always found dining rooms to be tricky. First, because the way furniture is displayed in a dining room often feels a bit weird: everything grouped around in the center, all the pieces around the same height, often empty walls. Second, well who  has enough space and entertains often enough to justify a dining room?

This is why I love the idea of a library dining room: elegant enough to host lively dinner parties, but multifunctional enough to be used for other purposes: children’s homework, meetings at home or even an occasional home office if you have a lap top you can easily put away. I feel as though Nate Berkus really achieved this dual-purpose room beautifully in his Manhattan duplex, don’t you?

1. Bookcases are not only useful if you own a lot of books, they also add some height to the room.

2. Whoever says bookcases also says art lamps. They just add so much flair and sophistication.

3. Choose a bookcase that has doors on the lower part and drawers to store away cutlery and fine china.

4. A table with drawers is also extremely efficient: each guest’s place setting in its place, ready to be pulled out.

5.Display books, fresh flowers and other artifacts when the table is not used for entertaining but make sure they all have a place to be put away quickly.

6. The chairs don’t need to be neatly stowed underneath the table. Display them around the room as needed.

7. Art, especially when oversized or stacked one above the other is great to balance the room’s high bookcases.

8. Doors can be useful to block out noise coming from the rest of the house when you need to concentrate on work.

9. Try a textured wallpaper, such as grasscloth, to further soundproof the room and make it feel more intimate.

10. With all the books and the grasscloth, you don’t even need a rug. The room is busy enough as it is!

Have you tried this double-purpose room at home? Do you like it?

See you next week!

Gabrielle | Savvy Home

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Hi, Gabrielle from Savvy Home here again! Have you ever noticed how fashion designers always seem to have the best offices? Whether it’s because they infuse their fashion sense into their decor or because we just associate working in fashion as something inherently glamorous (or maybe because they hire the best interior designers) – whatever it is – it’s always a great starting point for inspiration when decorating a home office.

Following that logic, it seems only natural that the best place to start is in the home of one of fashion’s most iconic woman, Diane Von Furstenberg’s Paris apartment. Sure you may say she had quite the budget and the help of a legendary decorator (in this case François Catroux) – all true – but wherever there is good design, there is inspiration.

1. If you don’t love your desk but can’t afford a new one, make a full-length table skirt out of quality linen.

2. Never hesitate to place your desk in front on a window. Who likes to stare at a wall when working?

3. Keeping textiles and walls a warm shade of neutral will give the room coherence and elegance.

4. Unless you work in your home office full-time, an upholstered antique chair is perfectly fine. Just make sure that the chair is the right height (6-7 inches between the bottom of the desk and the top of the chair).

5. If you’re going to be moving (or rolling) your chair around a lot, choose a flatweave or cowhide rug.

6. A sofa, big or small, fills even the narrowest of spaces, and it’s great to have when you need a break.

7. Use a throw that’s comfortable yet stylish, like a suzani, to add color.

8. Don’t forget to add one or two side tables around the space on which to prop books or paperwork.

9. Try a gallery wall of black and white photography for a sense of glamour and intimacy.

10. Fresh flowers are always a nice accent. Buy fresh bunches of classic flowers (like peonies) at the market.

How have you glammed up your office?

See you next week!

Gabrielle | Savvy Home

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Some 33 years ago, identical twin boys were born… and it is to my greatest design pleasure that they have chosen to both pursue the same career as designer and even to share the same roof. Despite their mirror image footsteps (no pun intended), both men have very distinct styles – as you’ll notice by their bedroom decors.

I have to admit that I am getting over the whole black and white chevron scheme, but besides that I am enthraled by the home… and its black kitchen! Added brownie points: the blue and white Chinese ceramics composition in the bedroom.

source: NY Times 

Hi, Gabrielle from Savvy Home here again! Do you miss Domino magazine sometimes? Any die-hard decor fan does. Although my decor style has evolved since then, every once in a while I find a space so unique and visually interesting in a Domino-esque way, that it brings me right back.

Understated grandeur is what I call the look of this house, set in a historical house in NOLA (New Orleans). The house belongs to Sara Ruffin Costello, former creative director of Domino magazine, so you can see where the edgy style inspiration comes from. If your house is full of historic architectural features, these tips are for you.

1. Go the extra mile and choose a custom paint color that will look more rich. Paint the mouldings the same color for a more modern effect.

2. Recycle old family heirlooms, from paintings to furniture.

3. Especially in a classic space, a whitewashed floor will really help modernise the room.

4. Velvet sofas are the best kinds. They’re incredibly soft and they age well. Choose a good quality velvet.

5. Roman shades are my personal favorite. They give a more formal space a modern and relaxed vibe.

6. Scour for antiques in your local shops or online. An antique or two will always elevate a room.

7. Throw in a modern piece of furniture in the mix just to create visual tension.

8. Personalize your space with books and things.

9. Everything doesn’t have to match. Mix fabrics fearlessly, from velvet to chintz to linen.

10. Art lighting really does wonders for a piece of art you want to showcase. And it makes your home feel like a museum. Win-win.

Are you channeling the Domino look in your home?

See you next week!

Gabrielle | Savvy Home

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