Designing: white on white

The pure bluish white glacier is an amazing sight in the midst of Kilimanjaro dry, drab rocky summit. Precious moments of beauty and rest in thin air, minutes away from the summit. I could not take my eyes away from such a marvelous sight.

My dear friend Linda O' Keeffe recently published a beautiful book "Brilliant": White in Design. In her words, "White always makes a statement. It is distinct, versatile and unparalleled; it is brilliant".


This led me to analyze my work and its reliance on the various shades of white.
The spectrum of white is so vast and offers limitless creative choices to the designer. White conjures a nostalgic, romantic ,soft charm but white is equally embraced by modern avant garde architects and  designers. A pure white space will reflects and emphasizes the architecture to perfection.
In my work, I look at white  with the eyes of a minimalist and inject my personal dose of eclectic elements, soft textiles, distressed antiques, ethnic objects, contemporary artworks to create a warm, welcoming environment.
I love both the pure brilliance of minimalist architecture as well as the coziness of a well lived white bedroom or living room for instance.

Jean Nouvel extraordinary architecture for the Louvre Museum in Abbu Dabbi

pue minimalist white Kitchen:

A white glass tiles bathroom I designed for a client's New York loft. The Master bath was so small, that following a complete gut job, I recaptured every inch of space. White gave the illusion of space, airiness  and light.

Jean Nouvel bed design

Paola Navone bed, when modern meets traditional craft of crochet

I gravitate towards imperfect spaces and white is a great way to blend materials, textures, forms and furnishings

Mark Adams vis The Ranch Malibu

image via conspicuousstyle.com

As seen in Linda O 'Keeffe  "Brilliant"

My dog Clancy enjoying a late afternoon rest.

AD spanish issue No.2011

In Linda O'Keeffe "Brilliant"

Elle Decor

Hotel Alpaca, Italy

Chandelier by Paola Navone

Interieurs chandelier by Jose Esteves

My own festive winter white table

Elle Deco festive white table

Love the simplicity of this kitchen :Image www.houzz.com

Rustic meets modern  kitchen image:www.katyelliott.com

 And Finally, the Full Moon on December 8, 2011

Photo: Luke Gardner

All I am missing is snow for a perfect winter white mood.

A bientot,

Francine

Interieurs...chez Courtney Cox

Ever since the early days of Interieurs, we have had a faithful following of celebrities. Cult celebrity and obsession is not my thing... Famous or not famous, every customer is treated with the same respect and level of service. I have been asked to close the showroom while a certain "famous celebrity " would be shopping, which I would automatically refuse. From Julia Roberts, Gwyneth Paltrow to Bon Jovi and numerous others, I have met artists of all types. Half the time, I actually am clueless as to who they are.
One event I clearly remember though, is when  Hilary Swank was in the process of furnishing her apartment. She purchased most pieces from us and did make quite a few visits to our showroom with and without her designer.  I love to talk to creative people about their  craft, and so ended up spending the entire afternoon talking with her about passion, her childhood, poverty, perseverance and its rewards. She truly touched my heart.

In this issue of Elle Decors, Courtney Cox's house is featured, modern, airy with a twist. A client just mentioned to me yesterday that he noticed  Jose Esteves light in the entry shot. I thought I would share this with you. Jose being my favorite interieurs artist, I was very pleased.

Jose Esteves lightind sculpture, proulet standing on a Jacques Adnet etagere

See other Jose Esteves lighting sculpture from the same collection.

A bientot,

Francine