Designer Show House Update

The room I'm designing for the annual Bucks County Designer Show House in Lahaska, PA (now called "The High-Society Bedchamber") is really coming along quite nicely. When I began, it was covered with old, tattered ivy wallpaper and had huge (and I mean huge) cracks in the plaster walls. After a lot of help from friends and family, I'm happy to report that we are not only sans wallpaper but have the walls and trim painted!

Three of the four walls are in a cool-toned, gray-blue and the fourth wall is getting a faux treatment with an elegant, iron-work style stencil and will be coated with a pearl glaze - very glamorous! The trim is in a high-gloss light white-gray which really makes it shine. The overall effect is quite chic and sophisticated in nature, which is exactly what I was hoping for.

Next week, I'll begin moving in all the pieces I'll be using in the room, starting with a 12ft by 15ft handmade Persian rug that is drop-dead gorgeous. After that, I'll begin moving in the bed and silk tufted headboard, mirrored-door armoire, Lucite table, Jens Risom wing chair, mirrored-top vanity, marble-base lamps, etc. etc. etc.

I've been chronicling the entire process with my digital camera and will have pictures to share soon!

For more information about Cailen Ascher Design or my upcoming book, Well-Designed Living, visit www.CailenAscher.bravehost.com or email CailenAscher@gmail.com.

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Hollywood Regency - Glamour Galore!

Hollywood Regency is a style that developed in the 1930s and 40s - think Humphrey Bogart and Joan Crawford - very chic and utterly sophisticated. This style beckons for glamour, luxury, and all things that sparkle. What made this trend so massively appealing was not one overarching theme or color but a conscious dedication to details - the sheen of a fabric, the decorative fringe on a pillow, the delicate crystals on a chandelier, and the personalization and flexibility it allowed to suit each individual's needs and sense of style.

To give you a sense of what it generally entails, envision lacquered furniture and sumptuous fabrics. Metallic finishes and mirrors add a touch of elegance and class, while soft velvets, delicate silks, and sensuous satins appeal to one's sense of opulence. These all set the backdrop for Hollywood Regency. Though this style developed in a bygone era, it's completely adaptable to modern sensibilities, for the innate essence of the style is rooted in elevating the home to a haven.

The dichotomy of old and new, modern yet timeless, sophistication and comfort is precisely why I selected this style as inspiration for the room I'm creating in the designer show house this May. This style embodies how I define modern glamour - comfortable, livable, yet fabulous!

For more information about Cailen Ascher Design or my upcoming book, Well-Designed Living, visit www.CailenAscher.bravehost.com or email CailenAscher@gmail.com.

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Designer Show House Update

I've been working on my storyboard for the Bucks County Designer Show House bedroom. It's so much fun pulling together images that inspire me and will guide my ultimate design. Here are some rooms that evoke the glamorous 1940s feel that I want to achieve in my finished room.

For more information about Cailen Ascher Design or my upcoming book, Well-Designed Living, visit www.CailenAscher.bravehost.com or email CailenAscher@gmail.com.

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My Ideas for the Designer Show House

Ever since this past Friday when I visited the May 2009 Designer Show House in which I'll be designing a bedroom, my head's been reeling with ideas. I've been going through endless magazines, catalogues, and websites looking for images and ideas that inspire me.

So far, I know that I want to go for (what I would call) a 1940s glamour look. In order to achieve this, I'll be sticking to a fairly monochromatic color scheme of ivory, cream, soft silvers, brushed golds, mellow metallics, and steely gray-blues...perhaps with touches of rich chocolate brown or even black for added drama. This color palette will infuse the room with an air of subtle sophistication. In the finishes, I'm leaning towards high-gloss, as well as many mirrored and metallic surfaces to reflect light and make the room sparkle like a piece of fine jewelry. Finally, I'll turn to silks, satins, taffeta, and even some velvets to enhance the luxuriousness of the room.

The sketch to the right shows some of my preliminary ideas for the layout of one corner of the bedroom. A small loveseat offers seating beside which a small side table stands with a lamp atop. Above the loveseat, a honeycomb mirror hangs and in front a tray-top table offers a spot to place a book or cup of tea. To the left, a small window seat is nestled between two built-in closets and offers additional seating. The whole idea behind modern glamour is sumptuous comfort paired with understated opulence - perfect for a relaxing bedroom haven.

For more information about Cailen Ascher Design or my upcoming book, Well-Designed Living, visit www.CailenAscher.bravehost.com or email CailenAscher@gmail.com.

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