Urban Chic Manhattan Loft

I absolutely love the glamorous, cool style known as urban chic, so it's easy to see why I was gushing over this gorgeous Manhattan loft when I came across it on Domino. It's owner is Rita Hazan, the colourist famous for giving Beyoncé her divine shade of golden honey hair. When Rita moved into her new loft in Manhattan's NoHo neighbourhood, she enlisted the help of her friend, Nate Berkus (oh to have such friends!) and his interior design partner, Jeremiah Brent to help her decorate.



Rita wasn't sure what to do with the space and had only bought a white bed, but Nate knew straight away that he could match her personality to her home. "I know who you are", he said "you're black, white, neutral, art deco, urban chic". She hired him on the spot!



Working with Rita's favoured neutral colour palette, Nate and Jeremiah layered texture upon texture - which is the key to working with neutrals. Ivory Mongolian lamb's wool with off-white linen, black velvet with brass, rough-hewn wood with crystal - oh yes, divine, divine!



Nate describes Rita as a soft-spoken, thoughtful person with a rock-and-roll quality. He and Jeremiah (who is not only Nate's business partner, but also his fiancée) have nailed her style, I think -  not that I know Rita :) but you can just see it by looking at her. It's beautiful, sophisticated and glamorous with a bit of an edge.








Read more about the design process over on Domino. And for a similar vibe here are a few yummy products all available in New Zealand.

Milo Baughman Flat Bar Armchairs | Vintage 1970's Leather Chaise | Armadillo Twine Weave Rug (available to purchase through me) | Moroccan Wedding Blanket | French Industrial Stool | Folding Brass Stool

Catherine Kwong Design

I recently discovered the work of San Francisco based designer, Catherine Kwong, and fell in love with her sophisticated, elegant style. Mixing modern with vintage, Catherine's rooms boast beautiful furniture and art pieces, and exquisite textures, including favourites of mine, velvet and brass.













I've never seen so many swoon-worthy chairs! I'd like every single one to come and live with me (and the shoes too!). Go and explore Catherine's website for more of her brilliance.

Adore - The Fashion Edition

The latest Adore magazine is a glamour-filled fashion edition, not to be missed...




One of my favourite pages is close to the beginning. A page showcasing shiny metallics, patterned neutrals and furry textiles - gorgeous!..




I was suitably impressed, and extremely jealous of the collection of chic closets, including Greg Natale's...





We get a sneak peak into Loni's beautiful 30th birthday party...




And we get introduced to an amazing interiors shop called 'Harolds Finishing Touches', owned by interior designer and visual merchandiser, Aaron Bourne. When he couldn't find the things he wanted for his home - things a little bit different and quirky - he decided to fill that niche, source them himself, and open a shop...




The Adore book has reached 40% of it's funds. I, for one, am super excited about this book which will feature gorgeous homes featured in previous issue of the magazines, as well as some never seen before. Please make sure you pledge your support and pre-order your copy. The book will only be printed if all the funds are raised. There are a number of ways to help, and reduced prices for NZ and US readers, so pop over and see them all here - thanks!