Sparks | Schuyler Samperton Interior Design

Inspired By Mom

9 May 2012

I give full credit to my mother Nonie (above) for any sense of taste I may have.

When I was moving my parents into a new place a few months ago, I found this amazing photograph of her taken in the backyard of the house I grew up in. That awesome hat was by acclaimed designer Mr. John, whose avant garde creations informed much more than her sartorial style.

Mom/Momma (said in southern accent)/Mama (said in French accent)/Mothra (just weird nickname for no reason) has taught me some invaluable style-related lessons, and here are a few of her favorite things…

- Black and white stripes for anything from lampshades to rugs

- Purple anemones for a splash of color

- Palladian windows for their gorgeous lines, and abundance of light

- Menswear fabrics for upholstery

- And of course, always wear a hat.

Happy Mother’s Day to everyone!

{Images: Marianne Faithfull via The Vogue Vibes; Palladian windows via Giovanni Giaconi Illustrator; black & white stripes via the quilt bug; Eames chair upholstered with menswear fabric via Small But Mighty.}

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Sweet Breath of Spring

17 April 2012

Every page of Bringing Nature Home, the new floral design book by Ngoc Minh Ngo, is a work of art. I just got it a few days ago and have already devoured it five times over. It’s not just that the photographs are stunning; they’re also jaw-droppingly inspiring: Ngoc offers info-packed sections on vases, arranging and cut flower care, plus a clever seasonal guide to available blooms. With breathtaking arrangements by Nicolette Owen, prop styling by Amy Wilson, and a thoughtful introduction by design-world icon Deborah Needleman (of Domino and WSJ Magazine fame) this amazing art book/practical “how to” is a must-have in any collection. (Better yet, it makes the MOST PERFECT Mother’s Day present ever!)

So… all of these blossoms got me thinking about my other obsession: floral fabrics – especially ones that share the same louche beauty of the flowers in Ngoc’s book. Here are a few of my favorites – both vintage and current.

Above: I picked up this vintage printed linen remnant at a flea market in Washington, DC, and can’t wait to make a pillow out of it. It would be amazing on a claret-colored linen velvet sofa.

Above: Claremont’s cheerful combination of stripes and florals will look unreal as a window seat cushion, with an assortment of vintage floral pillows mixed in.

Above: This gorgeous, large-patterned fabric by Jasper would be fantastic as wall upholstery, or for a more economical option – a three-paneled screen. It adds instant old-school charm to any room, and I love the idea of a collection of mismatched art hung against it, salon style.

Above: This Robert Kime fabric would make a beautiful a coverlet at the foot of a bed in a bedroom with apricot grasscloth walls and white trim– so summery and fresh.

Above: I can see a traditional arm chair upholstered in this bold raspberry and lilac Robert Kime print sitting on top of a well-worn Sultanabad in a library. The colors are so cool, and unexpected.

Above: Delicate and soothing is how I see this print by Penny Morrison, so I’m using it for a headboard and curtains in a bedroom against a background of subtly striped green and cream wallpaper.

{All photography used with the permission of Ngoc Minh Ngo from her book Bringing Home Nature: Floral Arrangements Inspired By Nature.}

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come shopping with me!

28 March 2012

Dering Hall, the splashy new interior decoration resource and shopping site developed by Peter Sallick of Waterworks, gives readers amazing access to the most incredible things. Recently, they asked me to shop their designer-curated “boutiques,” and I picked my most favorite things – not surprisingly, from some of my most favorite LA haunts. Curated by the world’s top designers, the vast inventory has everything from gorgeous painted four-poster beds to casually elegant dog beds. There’s something for everyone here – check out some of my selections above. Click here for the full list.

{Whitley Bed, 2. Framed Photo of the Taj Mahal, 3. Moorish Mirror, 4. Lexington Ottoman, 5. Swing Arm Wall Light, 6. Bayhead Serving Bar, 7. Stanford Basket, 8. Crystal Ball, 9. Dog Bed, 10. Spirit Bottles.}

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BEADY EYE

6 March 2012

Sometimes, it’s all about the little things for me. And when it comes to my own place, I can’t seem to leave well enough alone – especially when it comes to beads. For me, they add that certain layer of edge, and bohemian insouciance that I crave. Oh, to have been Anita Pallenberg!

In the window display (above) I designed for last year’s LCDQ (La Cienega Design Quarter) event, I threw a few strands of silver beads over the edge of a copy of Bloomsbury icon Duncan Grant’s painting. I love the weird colors of the wool fringe, and their unexpected textural contrast to the shininess of the metal.

Above: A vintage English blue and white plate in my bathroom holds a collection of bottles and products. Naturally, I couldn’t resist tossing a few coral and turquoise beaded bracelets on the long neck of the Lime Sec bottle. Come on…it was just begging for embellishment!

Above: The inspiration board over my desk – leaves, ribbons, a photo of a rabbit nibbling the back of my sweater, and more BEADS. The traditional evil eyes were picked up on a decorating job in Greece, and the multi-colored strand was given to me by my brother, and worn by my friend Cricket in her play about Janis Joplin.

Above: I’m dying to design a room around this dress from Roberta Freymann! It has everything I love – odd color combinations, fringe, beads AND a susani-inspired embroidered applique design in hot pink!

Above: Another flea market find draped around the neck of my lamp.

Above: Flea Markets often have gorgeous selections of exotic beads. I just got a fantastic strand at the Santa Monica Airport for $20, that looks frightfully like a necklace that I got from a store on Rodeo for twenty times as much. Ooops…live and learn.

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