Is Brussels the New Paris?

Interior of Saint Michel Cathedral, Brussels.
(Click on any image to enlarge.)

It's hard to imagine any city coming close to Paris - at least in terms of sheer beauty and style. But, La Grand Place in Brussels is considered by many to be the most beautiful square in Europe. [Watch a charming little video here.] With NATO headquartered in the city, recent visitors have included Hillary Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden. And, Belgium's Prime Minister, Herman van Rompuy, was just named the new President of the European Council. "Brussels is the capital of Europe with its international politics and its international arts scene."*

When the Brussels Flowercarpet is staged every two years at the Grote Markt, on La Grand Place in Brussels, the impossibly elaborate Baroque architecture of the guild houses and gothic-style city hall temporarily plays second fiddle to the flowers.

Lo and behold, Belgian design, once an obscure, little-known variant of French style, is suddenly everywhere these days. Restoration Hardware? How mainstream! Bill Gates? When did techno geeks become design devotees? What the heck is going on?

Some of us might have secretly been thinking that our taste for Belgian design was a bit more sophisticated, chic and – well, exclusive – than that of the masses. It seems, no one outside the small community of designers, design writers and bloggers, even knew of the existence of a Belgian style, just a few years ago.

One man alone has brought his version of an elegantly austere, authentically rustic and (according to Diane Dorrans Saeks*) poetic Belgian aesthetic to the attention of the world. He bought a castle near Antwerp, outfitted it with his design, architecture and antiques businesses ... and the elite world of high-end decorators slowly caught wind. What began as a trickle, has grown into a stream of designers, collectors and celebrities making the trip to pay homage to the king. Axel Vervoordt has, single-handedly perhaps, put Belgium on the map as an interior design and antiques mecca.

Above two images from Axel Vervoordt's Timeless Interiors.

Angelika Taschen caught onto the Belgian vibe and published Brussels Style in 2006, one in a series of Taschen's Icons books.

On the cover, Agnes Emery's kitchen. Photo by Alexander van Berge/Taverne Agency.

Design by Lionel Jadot, photo by Jean-Luc Laloux.

The kitchen of set designer, Eugénie Collet. Photo by S. Anton/Inside.

Another person on my design radar is NYC's arbiter of funky style, decoupage artist, and hip shop owner, John Derian – whose own line of furnishings would feel right at home in a Belgian interior. He and I have so much in common, I'm sure if we ever met we would become instant best friends and stay up late into the night talking. However, these days my bedtime is more like 9 pm, and on a recent trip to NY, despite booking a hotel right around the corner from his shop (for convenient stalking), I never ran into him. But when entering his store, I felt like I had found my own design nirvana, and wanted to scoop it all up:
• Astier de Villatte's Parisian pottery and notebooks - check
• Hugo Guinness botanical drawings - check
• Rustic linen and flax upholstery and fabrics - check
• African straw mats - check

My bounty from John Derian's NY shop: Astier de Villatte vase, and notebook with gold tipped pages (too pretty to actually use except for staging tabletop vignettes!)

John Derian doesn't seem to give over to profuse chatting in interviews, so when he does speak, I pay attention. And when I read recently that his favorite hotel is Hotel Amigo in Brussels*, I was intrigued. I raced to the computer to consult my other favorite friend, Google. As a side note, I confess to having a fondness for hotels, and especially, hotel design. And, I've always secretly dreamed about how wonderful it would be to live in a grand hotel. What could be better than daily maid service, room service and fresh crisp hotel bed linens? Step out your front door and, voila, you're in the heart of a cosmopolitan city, walking distance to a world of excitement and museums, cafés, bookstores, charming shops. Sign me up now.

Hotel Amigo, John Derian's crashpad of choice when hanging out in Brussels.

The Magritte Suite.

Another view of the Magritte Suite.

Hotel Amigo is located next to La Grand Place, near the antiques district of Le Sablon, and is housed in a former prison. (I think John Derian must love the irony in that!) The hotel appears to be a design and art lover's dream. Olga Polizzi, part of the Italian Rocco Forte clan of luxury hotel owners, and who designs all their hotel interiors, has created a special guest package: In The Footsteps of Award-winning Interior Designer. Included are tailored itineraries to the best shops, galleries and museums in Brussels – a pretty good idea for your first trip to the city.

Bocconi Restaurant at Hotel Amigo.

References can be found throughout the hotel to Magritte, the surrealist painter who spent most of his life in Brussels. (The Rene Magritte Museum is located nearby in Magritte's former home.) His art is on display throughout the hotel, and the restaurant has a Magritte Limited Edition Menu, which starts with an appetizer named, Ceci n'est pas une pomme (a play on Magritte's famous painting, Ceci n'est pas une pipe) and ends with dessert consisting of a bowler hat (often seen in Magritte's paintings) stuffed with white and dark chocolate mousse. I just hope in this case, the hat is made of chocolate.

More to come about Belgian style ...
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Urbane and sophisticated, and possessing exquisite taste, Diane Dorrans Saeks has authored over 20 books on interior design, architecture, travel and style ... and she writes one of the best design blogs of all time – The Style Saloniste. Please check out her interview of Axel Vervoordt, and read first-hand about an insider's visit to the Vervoordt castle. Set aside plenty of time, as her posts are long, but well-worth the wonderful journey.

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See photos of Axel's Italian palazzo, here.
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* Christiane Reiter, Brussels Style
** Vanity Fair, 2009
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A Clever Idea

Click image for a larger view.

Interior design is not a science - that is something I've come to learn after reading designer interviews and articles, and learning how designers actually carry out their projects. That is a bit of a relief for me. Do you ever have the impression, like I do, that the best designers know right away exactly what they are going to do with a space and exactly how it will be executed? And they never make mistakes? How intimidating! But I think even the best sometimes have to improvise, and often come up with great ideas in the process.

In Garrow Kedigian's Upper East Side NY apartment, he wanted to use a flea-market mirror above the sofa, but it didn't have the size and heft needed. So ... he simply framed the frame. By improvising, Garrow found a way to retain the appeal of the original frame, but also make it work in the space.

Very clever.
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See New York Social Diary for more photos of the apartment and charming attic office.
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Autumn Home Tour

We're having such perfect weather lately, it's a great time for strolling through some pretty neighborhoods and getting a peak inside some beautiful homes.

The Autumn Home Tour is presented by Interior Spaces, Inc., a South Tampa design firm most well-known for their gorgeous kitchen renovations and gardens and outdoor spaces.

Sunday, Nov. 8, 2-5 pm, $10.
Tickets can be purchased at any of the six homes on the tour.
Proceeds benefit The Humane Society of Tampa Bay.
For more info, call 813-251-8862, or visit Interior Spaces, Inc.

Click on map to enlarge.

More Than Just Pretty

Have you ever noticed that some people become more and more attractive, the more you get to know them?

And doesn't that hold true for fashion, as well as interiors?

I know that the clothes I wear most often are those that are simple and refined, but make me feel and look good. As well, interiors that slowly reveal themselves – through details, subtle interplays of textures and finishes, and a sophisticated color palette – will be much easier to live with in the long run than the flashy, trendy and uninspired.

Getting to know Suzanne Kasler through her new book has been a similar experience. Her work is certainly beautiful, but there is substance too, that reveals itself on page after page of rooms that pull you in for closer inspection. And you are rewarded to find much to gaze upon – as you discover that she is not always predictable. Her commentary accompanying each photo is icing on the cake.

The details are everything ...

Click on this image for an enlarged view. Suzanne's interest in couture fashion is especially evident in the fabrics and details in this vignette. I'm crazy about that nailhead studded, grosgrain ribbon trim on the sofa. She uses this trim often, even on a few pieces in her Hickory Chair collection.

Not quite what we've come to expect from Ms. Kasler, this room is sophisticated, with a European flair for combining classics and modernism. She says she has never put a label on her style.

A range of textures and a subtle palette shimmer in an elegant Palm Beach residence. This decor is reminiscent of the work of Michael S. Smith ... but with a more delicate touch.

Revelations from Ms. Kasler:
• White is her signature color
• She likes to add a little bit of color for big impact
• She has a love of French culture
• She translates details from haute couture into her upholstery designs

My observations:
• Her use of modern art freshens and enlivens traditional settings
• One of my favorite of her projects shown in the book is a log cabin in the South Carolina low country, which features a witty approach to hiding the TV in the master bedroom.
• She seems generous and down-to-earth {How often do you see designers devote a full page to acknowledge their clients, photographers, publishers, as well as the magazines and their editors for publishing her work?}
• She is as hard-working, as she is talented. {In addition to her interior design business, she has developed her own lines of fabrics, furniture, paint and lighting, and is apparently adding a line of notecards to her accomplishments.}

Hustle over to her website now to order your very own signed copy of Suzanne Kasler, Inspired Interiors. {See what I mean by generous? Even though I have received an advance copy from Rizzoli, should I splurge on a signed copy? I'm thinking YES - one to keep and one to give!}
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Suzanne Kasler, Inspired Interiors by Suzanne Kasler with Christine Pittel, Rizzoli New York, 2009. Available next month. From the top: photo by Quentin Bacon; detail of photo by Thibault Jeanson, courtesy of Veranda; detail of photo from Meredith Corp.
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A few pieces in Suzanne Kasler's Hickory Chair collection.

Her Argonne sofa.

Suzanne didn't forget about the back. The Argonne looks great, coming and going.

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My Tile Makeover

Does your list of household projects, like mine, seem to keep getting longer, instead of shorter? If you have an old house, it probably does. There are always the "needs" and the "wants" – and, of course the "needs" usually win out. The "need" this time was a new roof. Yikes. That's a big one, especially when the roof is clay tile. But we managed to include a "want" at the same time, which helped offset the pain and gave me something to get excited about. And one more thing to check off the list.

I've been wanting to tile the entry porch for years. And, when we added two back porches a couple of years ago, we wanted to tile those too.

My front porch, before. Click on image to enlarge.
The floor was concrete that had been incised to look like tiles, and was painted a terra-cotta color. I have cursed those grooves more times than I can count, while trying to clean the floor. The paint was not a pretty color, and getting scuffed, to boot.

Choosing tile is a big decision. It's expensive, and without the budget to re-do anything that doesn't work, I knew I'd have to get it right the first time. (No pressure from husband there.) Since our house is Mediterranean Revival, built in 1926, I wanted to use cement tiles for these areas. But when it came to choosing patterns/colors, that's where the trouble began.

After much deliberation and delay, the tiles are finally in and I am thrilled. The black/white tiles on the front porch were a risky choice, as they are visible from the main rooms. I was so afraid it would be too dramatic and busy for me, since I am all about neutrals and soft colors and not much pattern. But the design is a classic, so it was my fall-back when I couldn't find a pattern that really spoke to me. I hoped it would add a lot of style.

My front porch, after. Click on image to enlarge.
What a difference. But of course, now I really need to get a proper linen slipcover made for that ottoman, and just a few other things to complete the room.

"If you get the background right, you don't have to overdo what you put into it."
Suzanne Kasler: Inspired Interiors*

I wasn't quite prepared for how much the tile would change the feel of the entire house. What I also wasn't prepared for: the need to re-think the furnishings in the room to work with the patterned floor. I had never used the space at all, except as a pass-through to the living room. Admittedly, some of the furnishings were there because there was no other spot for them in the house. Mainly, my two beloved antique French wicker chaises and the bench, given to my husband by his mother.

The bench got to stay; sadly, the chaises will have to find a new home.
The great news, and the biggest surprise of all, is that we now have a room that is a pleasant place to sit and enjoy a morning cup of tea and the newspaper, or to flip through a design or art book for inspiration. Who knew that just tiling the floor could create a new living space? And such an elegant one, at that. Reading Suzanne Kasler's new book, I realized that, by putting too many things in the room, I had been trying to over-compensate for its shortcomings: the too-small windows on the front wall and the scruffy floor underneath.

The view from the living room into the porch. The front door can be seen at left.

What you can't see well in photos is the irregularities in the colors and patterns of cement tiles - they almost remind me of block-printed fabric. They are rustic and sophisticated, all at once, and don't feel like you'd expect cement to feel. They are very cool, smooth and almost silky to the touch. Similar to marble, but denser. Really nice, and even luxurious on bare feet.

I chose a different tile pattern for the back patios. I think it adds a lot of pizzazz, but is just subtle enough to work conceptually with the entry porch (although you don't see them at once) and with the ceramic tiles that will eventually go on the in-ground fountain in the back yard (which needs to be re-built - oops another project.) Now I just need to get the new patio curtains made up. I have the fabric, a nice white open weave that will billow nicely in the breeze. I'll need new white canvas for those chairs, and then there is the matter of the landscaping ...

Wait, wasn't my list supposed to get shorter?

A closer look at the tile pattern. Click to enlarge. This patio is directly off the living room, and there is an identical one off the master bedroom, that is being tiled to match. Hmm, I spy a little face at the door, looking quite peeved. Mitz likes to be in the middle of everything!

Other projects on my list: removing the modern slate floors in the kitchen and master bathroom and replacing them with antique terra cotta tiles. I'm insisting on antique tiles because they have so much character, so I may have to wait a long time for that. Then the kitchen countertops will need to be redone in Calcutta marble or limestone. And the stainless steel backsplash replaced with white beveled subway tiles. I think I need a job!

It really never ends ... but for right now, today, I'm happy.

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A special thank you to my great friend, Nina Long, former owner of Wholesale Tile + Assoc. Porch design by Roger Grunke. Tiles from Wholesale Tile by Aguayo.
More about cement tiles here.
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* I'll have a sneak peak soon of Suzanne Kasler: Inspired Interiors, by Suzanne Kasler with Christine Pittel, Rizzoli New York, 2009. Available November. Preorder here.
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Absinthe vs Chartreuse

Did you know that absinthe is no longer just a drink? Yes, it is now a color. According to the October issue of Traditional Home magazine, absinthe is the new chartreuse.

I agree that absinthe is quite a terrific word (it is of French origin), but there exist those dark connotations and connections – to the seamy, forbidden (and now romanticized) world of struggling artists and ladies of the evening in the decadent days of Paris in La Belle Epoque. Apparently, enough years have gone by to give the spirits an air of legitimacy and yes, chic – and absinthe has now been welcomed into the color palette of the design world.

Actually, Traditional Home wasn't the first to grant legitimacy to the once-whispered name. The color palette of textile designer Dominique Kieffer's wonderful line of fabrics in 2003 included Absinthe, Aniseed, Vert d'Eau and Noir. Those appellations seem somehow appropriate for Keiffer's opulent, moody fabrics, many woven of natural fibers with dark undertones and accents.

I'm always up for whatever is new, but appropriateness has to be the standard. For most applications of that acid, yellow-green color, it will always be chartreuse, for me.

Besides, I don't think Chartreuse was ever accused of driving anyone mad.
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Photo from House & Garden, 10.03, of fabric samples from Dominique Kieffer's line of textiles.

The Gardens of Chateau Gabriel

Click on any image for a larger view.

A little more about Chateau Gabriel can be found in the wonderful book, French Garden Style, which includes a few glimpses of the landscape and gardens, located in the idyllic French countryside at Deauville.

Looking down onto the rose pergola, with a view out to the sea.

The property had been abandoned for many years when it was purchased by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé. Their vision for the landscape included: a walled garden of fruit and flowers, a rose garden, masses of lavender, a japanese garden to commemorate a trip, a wildflower meadow and a woodland garden – all of which were carried out by designer Franz Baechler. Hundreds of full-grown trees, from 30-50 years old, were transplanted onto the estate to give the gardens a sense of maturity.

The old stone pavers and antique brick columns of the rose pergola create a romantic and timeless setting for a leisurely stroll outdoors.

Interior designer Jacques Grange added garden ornaments, such as Diana the Huntress – seen here gazing over the meadow to the chateau – and a bridge for the Japanese garden, a decorative kiosk, a stairway leading up to the rose garden and a marble basin for its center. Many other design details and descriptions of plantings are included in the book.

Along with Chateau Gabriel, French Garden Style includes tours of more than 30 of France's finest gardens, including Monet's Giverny and the grand and elaborate Villandry.

French Garden Style, by Georges Lévêque and Marie-Françoise Valéry with foreward by England's esteemed garden designer, writer and historian, Penelope Hobhouse.
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Images from French Garden Style.

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Chateau Gabriel

Please click on any image for a closer look.

Do you think you'd ever grow tired of, or blasé about, coming home to this wonder of a 19th-century Napolean-style manor? Would you, at some point, pull up into the front parking court, and find yourself oblivious to the charm of the ivy-covered brick walls, and the romance of the steeply pitched roofs and highly decorated gables of this Anglo-Norman fantasy? When you place it in Deauville, France, on 74 acres of land with breathtaking views leading out to the sea – it becomes even harder to imagine not being swept off your feet, every time you thought to steal a glance around.

I know, for me, familiarity and comfort do have a way of shifting my attentions to the new, the next thing. So perhaps that was the case for Yves St. Laurent and Pierre Bergé, who in 2005, had decided to sell their fairy-tale country home. According to an interview then, in the NY Times, the decision was made with sadness: 'If you don't go to a place, then you must get rid of it." Sigh. Priced at $25 million, Chateau Gabriel was finally snapped up this past February by a couple of Russian tycoons, for a bargain price of 9.6 million euros.

Perhaps it was this dacha out back that sold the new Russian owners on the place. It is surrounded by a birch grove, a waterfall and lake, a rose garden and an apple orchard that produces the house cider. Somehow, I would never have imagined Yves and Pierre lounging about sipping on apple cider, but I'm sure it must have been delicious.

Architectural detail of the dacha.

Two interior views of the dacha.

You may have seen photos of this reception room in the main house, with its Monet-inspired wall murals of water lilies.

The drawing room in the main house feels artistically moody, with its color scheme of purple and navy.

What a masterful design stroke to create a helicopter landing pad that, when not in use, becomes a lovely landscape feature – a grassy maze on a hillside.

Chateau Gabriel was Jacques Grange's first major collaboration with Yves and Pierre. His take, in 2005, on the news that it was for sale: "Pierre and Yves adored it - they love it still. Perhaps they have too many houses in their lives."

They also owned two luxurious garden apartments in the 6th arrondissement in Paris, and houses in Provence, Marrakech and Tangiers.

"Of all the houses I have decorated, the ones I have done for Saint Laurent are the most important part of my work," he said. "I love this place. It is unbelievable, extraordinary. I would like to dismantle it all and spirit it away."*

Too bad he couldn't have. On Nov. 17-18, the Saint Laurent-Pierre Bergé collection of art and antiques from Chateau Gabriel will go on the auction block at Christie's in Paris.
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Closer to the auction date, I'll have a sneak peak for you of Flammarion's new book, scheduled for release at that time:
YVES SAINT LAURENT – PIERRE BERGÉ COLLECTION: The Sale of the Century
Text by by François de Ricqlès and Christiane de Nicolay-Mazery
Flammarion, 2009

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All images from luxuryculture.com.
*The New York Times
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