Steven Gambrel – Kristen Laird Design

Kris Likes… Window Seats

Published on March 12, 2015March 12, 2015 by Kristen Laird2 Comments

“He left the drapes open, watched the lights of the cars and of the fast food joints through the window glass, comforted to know there was another world out there, one he could walk to anytime he wanted.” ― Neil Gaiman, American Gods

I am in the middle of designing a window seat for a client and I thought I would share some of my inspiration. There is something about a cozy window nook with a beautiful view. The space needs to feel intimate and cozy … a secluded space that is still a part of the room. There are a lot of elements to consider when building a window seat. Do you want shelving? Storage? Lighting? You have to consider how you want to frame the space, how deep you want the space and most importantly, how to make the space as comfortable and functional as possible. Stylistically these window seats are very different but there were elements in each one that I was able to draw from and incorporate into my design. Enjoy! xx K

Marrakech-EDC-01-14-3-lgn

Nina Griscom Elle Decor

Lauren Liess

Psychas-EDC-04-13-23-lgn

Nes tDesign Co Nest Design CO

Todd Romano

Steven Gambrel

Miller Architects

Window-Seat-Ideas-13-1-Kindesign

KRIS Likes…. Bookshelves

Published on March 30, 2014 by Kristen Laird1 Comment

“Every book is a quotation; and every house is a quotation out of all forests, and mines, and stone quarries; and every man is a quotation from all his ancestors.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

It is finally starting to feel a little bit like spring here in New York and that means … time for spring cleaning. One of my favorite spring cleaning activities is re-styling my bookshelves. It is a great way to freshen things up and give new life to your old objects and accessories. When re-styling a bookshelf you should always be thinking of ways to alternate the color, sizes and orientation of your books. This will help give the shelves some visual interest and break the monotony of vertical rows. Lighting and artwork on the surface of the shelving is a great way to give your bookshelves an additional design element without adding extra items that may leave your shelves feeling cluttered. To keep a clean and tailored look always make sure to keep all the spines of your books at the same depth. Here is a little inspiration to get you started… Enjoy!

hbx-red-coffee-table-newberry-0413-de — Connie Newberry House Beautiful

Alain and Claude Fassier House and Garden

Richard Meier Architectural Digest — Richard Meier House & Garden

KRIS Likes … The Color Green

Published on March 17, 2012March 17, 2012 by Kristen LairdLeave a comment

“He had that curious love of green, which in individuals is always the sign of a subtle artistic temperament.” –Oscar Wilde, Irish Playwright, Novelist, Poet, Short Story Writer and Freemason

Miles Redd

Since today is St Patricks day and the streets are filled with the gaudy use of green; I thought it would be nice to show you the many chic ways in which this favorite color of mine can be used. Hopefully, the pictures below will leave you all green with envy! Enjoy!

Oliver Goldsmith Orbison 1964 Sunglasses

A Rare Late 18th c. English Green Tortoiseshell Tea Caddy

Derek Lam Evie Clutch

Steven Gambrel’s House

Celerie Kembel

Kenneth Jay Lane Necklace

Steven Gambrel

Large Painted Retreat Sign

Peter Som Hand Painted Stripe Dress

Green Painted Bench Nantucket House Antiques

Mary McDonald

DAVID WEBB Gold and Enamel Ring

Angelina Jolie in Verscace Gown at 2011 Golden Globes

Pair Awaji Pottery Buttress Handle Vases C 1920 at Thomas K Libbey

Love in the Afternoon – Laura Stone Eckhart

KRIS Likes… Designer Dressing Rooms

Published on November 17, 2011 by Kristen Laird2 Comments

“Dresses for breakfasts, and dinners, and balls;
Dresses to sit in, and stand in, and walk in;
Dresses to dance in, and flirt in, and talk in;
Dresses in which to do nothing at all;
Dresses for Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall.”
~William Allen Butler, “Nothing to Wear”

Closet of Vivre founder Eva Jeanbart-Lorenzotti

One of the pitfalls of living New York City is there never seems to be enough closet space. Especially, if you have a love affair with fashion that rivals my own! With every new season, the task of changing out my wardrobe leaves me pining for a closet where everything I own is accessible and enticing. Until my wardrobe wishes come true, I sadly must live with the extreme case of closet envy I get when I see photographs of designer dressing rooms like the ones pictured below… Enjoy!

Heather Kerner Harpers Bazaar

Steven Gambrel

Aerin Lauder

Jeffry Weisman Elle Decor

Pier Guerici New York Magazine

Kelly Wearstler (her own closet) – Canadian House and Home

Kelly Wearstler – Canadian House and Home

Victoria Hagan Dressing Room Architectural Digest December 2010

Miles Redd

Mariah Carey’s Closet Designed by Mario Buatta – Architectural Digest May 2007

Nanette Lepore’s Dressing Room Elle Decor

Laura Vinroot Poole – Domino Magazine

KRIS Likes… The Little Details

Published on October 16, 2011October 15, 2011 by Kristen LairdLeave a comment

“People’s lives are expressed in little details….The soap in the bathroom, the flowers in the garden, the books on the bedside table are all strong symbols of a life in progress. You look at these details and a world unfolds – here are their books, the paintings they cherish, the music that soothes their souls.” – Charlotte Moss, A Passion for Details

Kelly Wearstler

Putting together a vignette is like creating a beautiful still life. The display of collections or placement of decorative objects may look simple and effortless but it requires a well-trained eye and is truly an art form. When done correctly, a vignette can have a major visual and emotional impact on a room. It fills in the blanks. Pulls a room together. Gives it polish and a personal touch. Transforms a house into a home. Changing a tabletop vignette is a simple and inexpensive way to alter the look of a room. Hopefully, these images will help to inspire you… Enjoy!

Apartment of Delfina Delettrez

Vincent Wolf

Richard Hallberg Veranda

Phoebe Howard

Apartment of Julie de Libran

Charlotte Moss

Steven Gambrel

alberto-pinto-04-brazil-apartment-living-room-4-lg

Alberto Pinto Architectural Digest

Carrier & Co Room for 2011 Hearst Designer Visions

Kemble Interiors 2011 Kips Bay Showhouse via Heather Clawson

Lizzie Bailey Lonny Mag Feb:Mar 2010

Kemble Interiors 2011 Kips Bay Showhouse via Heather Clawson

Miles Redd

Celerie Kemble via Lonny Magazine Oct:Nov 2011

KRIS Likes… Maps

Published on September 24, 2011September 24, 2011 by Kristen Laird1 Comment

“The reinvention of daily life means marching off the edge of our maps.” – Bob Black

Thomas O’brien

For thousands of years maps have helped people define, explain and navigate their way through the world and using them to decorate one’s home is hardly a novel idea. In fact, the tradition can be dated all the way back to the Ancient Romans who created mosaic tiles that displayed elaborate city plans and maps of their region. However, It wasn’t until a few hundred years later during the 17th Century that the Dutch put decorating with maps on the map…. During this “Golden Age” of the Netherlands, the wealthy dutch merchants commissioned large wall maps not only for planning their trading exploits, but as decorative symbols of their wealth and power. The impact of these maps was so great that many 17th Century Dutch painters such as Hals, Vermeer, Ter Borch, De Hooch and Steen began to depict these maps in the interior decoration of their paintings as a form symbolism and allegory.

Map makers during this time were referred to as world describers and I believe that is exactly why what they created still has so much appeal today. Maps are the perfect combination of science and art. They merge the observations, imagination and exaggerations of a people, revealing only fragments of history. Each one has its own unique voice and story that we can connect with on a personal level giving them an enduring beauty. They remind us of where we have been or where we want to go….Enjoy!

Bella Vici Interiors House Beautiful

1734 Parchment-Paper Map of Paris – Steven Shailer Elle Decor

Pair of Vintage Long Island Maps in the East Hampton Home of Robert Stilin

Pheobe Howard

Living Room of John Dransfield and Geoffrey Ross Elle Decor July 2010

Miles Redd

Steven Gambrel

Jeffrey Bilhuber

Celerie Kemble Bathroom Lonny Mag Oct/Nov 2010

Dransfield and Ross

Matthew Patrick Smyth Elle Decor October 2006 Engravings of Paris Circa 1730

Archival Pigment Print Map of Rome on 1st Dibs

Plan De Paris, Wall Map, Commissioned by Turgot, from 1739

Hand Colored Sectional Map of Paris from 1760 Set of 6 Copper Engraved Maps of the United States from 1879-1872

1765 Benjamin Donn Wall Map of Devonshire and Exeter, England 76″ x 73″

Plan of the City of New York – 1776

KRIS Likes… The Entry Foyer

Published on November 1, 2010 by Kristen LairdLeave a comment

The entrance to a house is like the preface to a book; it should give you a sense of what you are entering, but not tell the whole story. – Libby Cameron

Michael Berman