{favourite five: interior designer tricia foley}

When it comes to home décor, luxury can be found in simplicity. In the field of interior design, Tricia Foley is the authority when it comes to clean lines and natural elements, adding a classic touch to every project she encounters. Whether she is restoring a quiet country home with timeless rustic details or decorating a grand Upper East side city dwelling, Tricia uses neutral color schemes and soft color palettes to create soothing backdrops to help her clients lead meaningful, composed lives that are, at the same time, filled with sophisticated elegance.


above, a sample of tricia's work for ralph lauren home

With a clientele that includes Ralph Lauren Home and Bloomingdales, her highly-regarded work has graced the pages of Elle Décor, House Beautiful, Country Home, Southern Accents, Architectural Digest, Martha Stewart Living and The New York Times.



In a sometimes bewildering world of too many interior design inspirations and decisions, we are utterly delighted to have Tricia, the author of ten design & lifestyle books, share with us the:

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{top five things everyone should know about interior design}

1. Respond to your surroundings.
If you respond to your environment and the given architecture, the design will fall into place naturally. Treat your design plans as the backdrop for your life – it should be a natural fit , not a stage set.

2. Keep it simple.
Don’t try to look for the newest trends, but look to what is tried and true for you. I always focus on function and light and making the most of the space, creating adequate storage, and streamlining things so that homekeeping is a joy not a burden, and my home is a haven not a stressful place.

3. Make it personal.
Tearsheets are an invaluable source of ideas and its important to keep a scrapbook/workbook with the all details and colors and fabrics you love to create your own look . Whether you are working with a professional designer, contractor, or kitchen designer or whether you are doing this yourself, it helps to visualize your end goal.

4. Aim for comfort.
Make sure that the lighting is right for the way you use rooms, that you have good reading light, task lighting for computer and cooking, dining chairs that fit under tables, comfortable seating for lounging and relaxing, low maintenance coffee tables if you like to put your feet up on them … try out beds, and sofas and make sure that they feel just right for you.

5. Invest in the classics.
Whether its from a flea market, Ikea or Sotheby’s, the furnishings that I find I use over and over again, are the big white painted cupboards that organize everything but keep all the little things out of sight; the farm tables that are pressed into service as kitchen tables, desks or sofa consoles; big glass cylinders that are in still-lifes on the mantel, have candles in them for dinner parties, or are filled with big flowering branches … Wall colors change, pillows change, art work and collections evolve, but these have become the signature pieces in my home.

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{p.s.} previous favourite fives:
* jeweler: camille eddera
* actress & fashion muse: chloë sevigny
* floral stylist: denise porcaro
* entrepreneurs: rent the runway
* designer: rachel ashwell

~ laily


{all images from tricia foley's website; image 5 from country home via housemartin via apartment therapy}

{interior designer: miles redd}

. . . most often drawn to bright and airy, spaces, crisp whites and pale and pretty neutrals {here & here}, but every once in a while, something comes along that changes everything and suddently it's deep hues and jewel tones, an intoxicating mix of colours, patterns and textures, and pure and unbridled maximalism -- hervé pierre's paris apartment, david kaihoi's new york flat, hamish bowles' paris apartment -- and now boxwood, an enchanting and wonderfully romantic old 1920's home in altanta filled with fish ponds and gardens, grand columns and archways, french doors and luxurious velvet sofas, elegant monogrammed linens and de gournay . . .

{p.s.} the living room walls are upholstered entirely in turquoise satin

{images: photography by francesco lagnese for town & country via the love list}

{blue-blooded}

Despite being much more likely to paint a room a soft and pretty shade, feel inexplicably drawn to wonderfully bright and saturated shades of blue, and would love to visit just one home as daring and adventurous . . .

{images: 1 - editorial: pillow talk, british vogue january 2003, model: natalia vodianova, photographer, karen collins; 2 & 4 domino; 3 - oscar de la renta via distractions via nibs}

{happy weekend + monogrammed linens}

Hope you find some time to relax and lie about this weekend . . . it's getting colder and after all the Christmas shopping is complete, cozy and indoors by candlelight or the fire, or wrapped up with your favourite person in monogrammed linens is the best place to be . . .

Have a beautiful, beautiful weekend, everyone!

xo

{lots of lovely things at the side project:}
* an incredible dress made entirely of the pages of telephone books

* vintage paolo roversi
* more carla
* beautiful photography by jacques dequeker
* black lace & pink ruffles

{images: 1 - layfayette house via domino december/january 2009; 2 - nate berkus}