Riviera View

This has been a long time coming but finally the talented Elizabeth Martin has her website up. This East Hampton home looks pretty amazing. I really like the use of blue in the different spaces. The rooms are graceful and relaxed. When you look closer there's a sense of fun too; the large photo of the baby at the beach, and the feather plumed pen in the children's bedroom. My favorite photo is this last one of children's room. I love the color in here, the stripes on the wall and in the rug, the floral fabric, and the painting leaning against the wall. It feels like fun. I'm guessing here, but I think these photos were published about five years ago in an issue of In Style Home. (Can't find my issue anymore so those details aren't confirmed.) I've been waiting for Elizabeth Martin's website ever since. She is one of California's great and refined talents. Click here to see more of her designs.

Sometimes I wonder what sets a thing in motion. For me, with interior design, it was this room created by Carolina Irving back in 1995. Shown here in Elle Decor from that same year, the room just got to me. I loved the faded watermelon-pink caned back sofa with the periwinkle blue walls. I loved the bohemian quality with a touch of aristocracy: the mix of paintings, the glass decanter collection on the console, the indian fabric, the morocan tiles, the faux bois table lamp (this was 14 years ago people - talk about ahead of the curve) and the clam shell sconce. I'd never seen a clam shell sconce or if I had it wasn't done with such panache. At the time, I had no idea who Ms. Irving was or who she would become. Maybe she hadn't any either? Either way, thanks to her, this room may have change my life in a small but monumental way. Can I say 'design kismet' without sounding corny? When I finally had the ability to buy a similar cane back sofa, I could not find...