I am, admittedly, a magazine addict. There are certain glossy magazines I just have to read. As a teen, I hungrily tore through friends’ copies of Seventeen and Glamour, but when I was in college and first laid eyes on Architectural Digest as a guest in a friend’s classy home, I immediately was hooked. My first subscription was to Vogue, swiftly followed by House Beautiful. Eventually I developed an affinity for the arty lifestyle and culture pieces but my principal interest in both publications was focused on fashion and home fashion.
At some point I switched from Vogue to Elle and was beside myself with happiness when the publisher, Conde Nast, created a spin-off publication, Elle Decor. That perfectly melded my two great passions, personal style and home design. I love spending a lazy hour leafing through that magazine, looking for inspiration and also to appease my insatiable roving eye.
If you’re dreaming of making a change to your home, for inspiration, look no further than fashion. Amazing color choices and international design will lead you in the right direction.
Pops Of Color With Marimekko
I was unaware of the Finnish textile brand Marimekko until I moved to New York City and saw their designs prominently featured in my favorite stores, Barneys and Conrans. I fell in love with the great pops of color and their mad, mod, flower-power vibe. On my junior editor’s salary at a second-tier home decorating magazine, I couldn’t afford a Marimekko dress from Barney’s but I could nip into Conran’s who sold Marimekko cotton napkins. They packed a big design punch and spruced up my Danish-modern hand-me-down dining table. A big splurge for my first apartment, a tiny studio, was a pair of Marimekko curtain panels.
Architectural Accents with Italian Style
I’ve always been a fan of Italian design and furniture. Want to make a big design statement but can only purchase one grand piece? What could be more iconic than the rockstar of all floor lamps, the Arco, from the legendary Italian designer, Achille Castiglioni. Designed in 1962 it’s a midcentury classic that transcends all periods.
Whether it’s a rustic kitchen table from the Champagne region or a low, sleek sofa from Milano. There is so much great design- Italian terra cotta floors, decorative architectural details like columns, domes, arches, curving forms, decorative shapes, acres of marble and tile. Well, you can’t go wrong when you lean into Italian. I love that stripped down northern Italian decor just as much as the lush details and furnishings from the Neapolitan region. Don’t forget Roman shades!
Mid Century Modern Design
If international style is not so much your thing, consider the design work of the very American couple, Charles and Ray Eames. Ray, whose real name was Berenice, was Charles’s spouse; together they made seminal contributions in furniture design, industrial design, architecture, photography and manufacturing. Most people know them for their chairs. And what chairs they created! They are the epitome of modern design. There’s the molded plywood office chair; the Lucia chair; the lounge chair; the molded fiberglass Shell Side chair; as well as tables, lounges, room dividers, stools, desks, lots of office furniture. Today Herman Miller and Vitra are the sole authentic sources of Eames furniture design. Check out this authentic Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman available at Design Within Reach. It is over $7000 but you will love it forever and if they can wait long enough, even leave it to your kids.
Looking for something evocative of Eames style but on a budget? The company Joybird has designs that won’t break the bank with style to spare. I mean, who wouldn’t fall in love with a sky blue sofa?
Eve Marx
Eve Marx is a national journalist and book author. Follow her reflections on home design and interior style on Instagram at the hashtag #funkybeachhouseseasideror.