A new born, a fracture, a beautiful blog, exceptional books and a comment I was thrilled about!

Congratulations to Luciane of the blog Homebunch, her husband and family with their new born son Matthew !

Welcome to the world dear Matthew!

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As of course Luciane wasn’t blogging these days, I didn’t either!! Not for the same reason of course! No, last Friday I fell of my horse and had to go to hospital where the doctor noticed, after he had taken a CT scan, that there was a small fracture to one of my vertebrae. The past 2 days I had a lot of pain!  Fortunately I didn’t need surgery! I am at home and need to rest a lot ! I do hope that around Christmas I will feel much better and that the fracture will be repaired!! I feel so sorry to not be able to ride my horse Mango for a certain time! I really felt a bit down the days before and had not that much enthusiasm to blog as you will hopefully understand.

Anyway, life goes on and today I feel much better!

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I absolutely want to thank my friend Leslie Sinclair of the blog Segreto for the amazing post she wrote about me and the work of my company.

You can read it HERE.

Thank you so much Leslie, I feel very very honored!!

I do think that a lot among us have already heard about Leslie, the author of the blog Segreto and owner of the paint finishes company Segreto Finishes.

Leslie wrote a gorgeous book in which you will discover a lot of projects on which she has worked on!! Wonderful houses of which Leslie took care of the mural as of the cabinet finishes!

The Skirted Round Table wrote a beautiful post about Leslie and her company Segreto Finishes. And Leslie was even interviewed by the Skirted Round Table. To listen to this interview, please go here.

Source : Segreto Finishes via The Skirted Round Table

Source : Segreto Finishes

 

Leslie’s book Segreto is a must have! Please click on book cover to order it.

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Our blog colleague Diane Dorrans Saeks, founder of the most interesting blog The Style Saloniste and author of lots of publications about interior design and desigers has shared with us this week her ‘picks of exceptional books of the season’.

As this book titled Marisa Berenson A life in Pictures  

 ‘Marisa Berenson, A Life in Pictures’ by Marisa Berenson, with guest editor Steven Meisel. Introduction by Hamish Bowles and a Conversation with Diane von Furtenberg (Rizzoli)

 

Or this book,titled Intimate Chanel

‘Intimate Chanel’ by Isabelle Fiemeyer, with photography by Francis Hammond and with a foreword by Gabrielle Palasse-Labrunie (Gabrielle Chanel’s only direct descendant) (Flammarion)

 

Many more exceptional books to discover at Diane’s blog HERE.

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I want to thank everyone of you for all of your lovely comments on my latest blogpost about the finished Lefèvre Interiors project ! It means so much to me!

One of the comments came of - I still can’t believe it – the London based and famous designer John Stefanidis!!!

John Stefanidis is a designer with a prestigious, inernational clientele. His company John Stefanidis Brands Limited is specialized in the architectural and interior design of both residential properties and hotels across the globe.

John has also created original fabrics and furniture ranges. See his website HERE.

You really have to know that John Stefanidis is one of my all times favorite designers and you will have noticed his name listed on ‘my favorite designers’ list at the side bar of my blog.

I learned to know about John’s designs and work by his first book ‘ROOMS’, Design & Decoration’ (1988), I bought years ago, at the start of my career as a decorator.

This book is full of practical ideas on lighting, placing furniture, mixing styles and arranging objects and is still a wonderful resource on design.

I still have it on the shelves of my library! It is one of my favorite books! Not so long ago I passed on the title to some of my friends who were looking for design inspiration!

Can you believe how surprised and thrilled I was to see John’s comment under my blogpost !!

Thank you so much Mr Stefanidis! Your comment means a lot to me!

 

Since his first book Rooms, Design & Decoration, John Stefanidis has written another 3 books, to discover on his website HERE.

 

Some pictures of John Stefanidis’ designs.

 John Stefanidis via Architectural Digest – Photo credit Fritz Von Der Schulenburg

Every time I visit John’s website I am impressed by this hallway!! Gorgeous!

 

John Stefanidis via Architectural Digest – Photo credit Fritz Von Der Schulenburg

This mahogany-paneled library is one of my favorite rooms! Notice the Venetian mirror and the 18th century oil painting Black Hunter by John Wootton. John designed the inlaid low table.

 

 John Stefanidis via Architectural Digest – Photo credit Durston Saylor

A dining room with several mirrored panels. One of them is leading to the kitchen. A George III mahogany table.

 

  John Stefanidis via Architectural Digest – Photo credit Fritz Von Der Schulenburg

Elegant and warm room. I love the French chandeliers and the Stark carpet.

 

 John Stefanidis via Architectural Digest – Photo credit Fritz Von Der Schulenburg

A renovation of an Athens apartment.

 

John Stefanidis via Architectural Digest – Photo credit Miguel Flores-Vianna

In both of these bedrooms John used beautiful fabrics.

  John Stefanidis via Architectural Digest – Photo credit Fritz Von Der Schulenburg

 

  John Stefanidis via Architectural Digest – Photo credit Fritz Von Der Schulenburg

I am glad to hear that John is a ‘bookaholic’ as much as I am.

“Where to put my books was a priority,” says Stefanidis, who sits in the small library.(Text AD).

Well I have to say that this was a priority for me too! The library was the first room in our house that was finished! I had to store my precious books!

 

John is also the author of the blog ‘The Developed Eye’ !

 http://www.johnstefanidis.com/

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I wish you a wonderful week!

xx

You have read this article Beautiful blogs / Books / John Stefanidis with the title November 2011. You can bookmark this page URL http://madderdoee.blogspot.com/2011/11/a-new-born-fracture-beautiful-blog.html. Thanks!

Finished Lefèvre Interiors project – Before and After

My readers who are following my blog will remember the post I wrote a few weeks ago about a project I was working on.

Earlier post HERE.

I told you about all the design ideas my clients had in mind and about the color scheme we wanted to bring in. There was a lot to think about before starting the project and the execution of the cabinets and paneling in our working shop.

We needed to order new seats and reupholster some existing bergères, ordering a new carpet and some new furniture. We had to think well about the way we should stain the wood for the paneling, the parquet floor and about a very important subject : the window treatment.

Meetings with the painter, the electricien, … had to be organized.

Weeks and many discussions later, plans were designed and the project could be started.

 

This was the moodboard, with my design ideas and color scheme, I already shared with you in my earlier post about this project.

 

And here are some pictures of the “before” situation. In some of these pictures you will notice the bergères which needed to be reupholstered.

 

Project in progress in our atelier.

 

Installation of the cabinets and paneling at our client’s home. Our employees and the painter-artist at work.

 

AFTER

Belgian linen is chosen for all the window treatment as for the new slipcovered seats.

Secret cabinets and drawers are hidden in this paneled wall.

 

The owners had a serie of 7 gorgeous paintings of our Belgian artist Pierre Alechinsky. The serie is named ‘The 7 Days of the Week’. So these works belong together and should not be split! We had to take care of the design of the paneling in order to create 7 panels to hang them up.

The linen upholstered new seats.  The double door you notice in this picture is the one to the entry hall which is also given a refreshment (see following pictures).

 

Library corner with painted desk and cabinets and the reupholstered bergères. 

Above the doors towards the kitchen we placed a painted panel to give the doors more ‘grandeur’.

 

Our clients decided to refresh the hallway at the same time. We brought on a painted wainscotting and created this arched passage to the staircase.

 

I am so thankful to the owners for their confidende in our company and their always positive approach in conversations which contributed to this successful project. A special thank you to the lady of the house for always serving coffee and biscuits and with whom I spent hours, having wonderful conversations, And of course I am very thankful for their permission to reproduce these pictures on my blog.

Also a thank you to the LEFEVRE INTERIORS employees for their incredible commitment to finish this project in a successful way.

A thank you to Jan Beyens of NEW INTERIOR who was so patient to demonstrate so much fabrics and for assisting us in making the right choice for the window treatment.

Thank you to the painters Karel and Bernard Duthoy for their exquisite work.

 

Although it is not a professional taken photo shoot, I do hope you enjoyed this post with these pictures taken only by me!

Happy Thanksgiving!

xx

You have read this article Boiserie / Lambrisering / Lefèvre Interiors / Wood paneling with the title November 2011. You can bookmark this page URL http://madderdoee.blogspot.com/2011/11/finished-lefevre-interiors-project.html. Thanks!

Girandoles and my friend’s new webshop

 

Now that Christmas time is coming our way,  it's always nice to illuminate your home with beautiful lighting.

At this moment I am thinking about which lighting to use as Christmas decoration.

I came across some beautiful images of girandoles.

Source unknown

A ‘girandole’ (French) is an ornamental branched candlestick often composed of several lights. Girandoles came into use in the second half of the 17th century, and ware commonly made and used in pairs. A girandole has always been a luxurious appliance for lighting and in the 18th century, the French ciseleurs designed the most beautiful examples.Girandoles can be made of metals or wood. For table use is silver the favorite material.

Image source : Richard Goullet Décoration

Image source : Linda Chase Associates

Image source : Augustus Brandt Antiques 

  Image source : Alhambra Antiques

Image source : Laurence Helmer et Maison James via Proantic

To my opinion a girandole is one of the most appropriate types of Christmas lighting. Don’t you agree?

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Talking about lighting, I would love to introduce you today to the brand new webshop of my friend Natalie Haegeman of Natalie Haegeman Interiors.

Image source : Natalie Haegeman Interiors

Most of you do know yet that Natalie is a Belgian interior designer and that besides her job as interior designer, Natalie is specialized in custommade and handmade lampshades, using the finest fabrics.

By reading my earlier posts about Natalie’s work here and here, a lot of my readers asked me where to find these kind of lamps and lampshades in their neighborhoods.  I knew that Natalie was working hard on a webshop, intending to offer her creations online.

I am very pleased to announce you that Natalie’s webstore is finally online now!!!

Beside lamps and lampshades, you will even find beautiful ideas for all of your Christmas gifts!

 

Click on the image below to enter Natalie’s online store.

A sneak peak of Natalie’s online store. All items shown in this mosaic are available at www.nataliehaegeman.com.

 

You will always find back the link to Natalie’s online store at the side bar of my blog :

So you would do me a favor to visit Natalie’s online store and to come back to tell me your thoughts about it! 

And if you are asking me if my blog is sponsored by any of the mentionned companies on my blog : NO!!

I do not have the intention to make of my blog a sponsored blog, a blog that is not really mine! I do prefer being free to post about or to mention people who are, in my opininon, worth talking about.

I wish my friend Natalie lots of success with her brand new online store and I wish everyone of you a nice start of this new week and a wonderful Thanksgiving!

xx

You have read this article Lighting / Natalie Haegeman with the title November 2011. You can bookmark this page URL http://madderdoee.blogspot.com/2011/11/girandoles-and-my-friends-new-webshop.html. Thanks!

Bathrooms to die for

I have always loved designing bathrooms. This is one of my favorite rooms of the house! As a child I have always loved the intimate atmosphere of this room, where I could spend some time for myself. And it never changed!

Yesterday I was browsing my ‘bathroom’ file, to find some inspirational images in order to prepare a bathroom design for one of my clients.

I would love to share with you some of my favorite bathroom designs

. I have always preferred a classic styled batrhoom as the ones on these images.

 

Crystal chandelier and wall sconce, the French ‘bouillonné’ (window treatment) and that gorgeous black and white floor.Château de la Verrerie   source here

 

Beautiful oak paneling. Belgian designer Pieter Porters  source Magazine Stijvol Wonen 15 jaar 2010 Photo credit Michel Verbelen

 

Hand painted wallpaper even for a bathroom! Gorgeous! source Cote de Texas

 

Romantic atmosphere of this bathroom. source Inspiring Interiors

 

A bathroom as a living room. source unknown

 

I have always loved a bathtube placed in an alcove. source Greige

source unknown

 

This is a bathroom design by my favorite Belgian architect and designer Philippe Timmerman.

Bleached oak cabinets and floor, beautiful curtains, furniture and lighting. Belgian architect & designer Philippe Timmerman   source Philippe Timmerman Architectural Designs

 

Wonderful combination of the bathtube and the white marble. source unknown

 

I am not sure but I might think that a tadelakt technique is used for this shower here. Gorgeous not?! source Art & Décoration

 

Love the shutters! source Homebunch

 

Typical Belgian designed bathroom. Very well chosen color combination of floortiles and painted cabinets.source Marcus Soudant Interiors architecture & antiques

 

The design of this antique bathtube. And notice that candle holder! Great idea! source here

 

The cabinet and its patina is amazing! source Haute Design

 

It is all in the detail! Notice that beautiful stone carving! source unknown

 

Do you notice the built-in toilet? source unknown

 

Château styled bathroom. source unknown

 

No words need! Just beautiful! Décorator Frédéric Méchiche  source Magazine Elle Décoration Juin 2011 Photo credit Jean-François Jaussaud

 

Another one of my favorite designers is Barry Dixon. I was so enchanted by these images of one of Barry’s bathroom designs I discoverd at my friend Trish of the beautiful blog Trouvas! Here.

Indeed a new bathroom with an old theme.  Designer Barry Dixon source Trouvais

Designer Barry Dixon source Trouvais

Designer Barry Dixon source Trouvais

 

I am in the middle of preparing the design of a bathroom that is rather more a small ‘cabinet de toilette’. Our client prefers to see a French styled design.

These are only first sketches. I am still working on it!

I hope you are as inspired as I am by these ‘bathrooms to die for’ !

xx

You have read this article Bathrooms / Lefèvre Interiors with the title November 2011. You can bookmark this page URL http://madderdoee.blogspot.com/2011/11/bathrooms-to-die-for.html. Thanks!