Rooms I Love . . . Thomas O'Brien's Aero Studio

Have you ever stumbled upon a designer's room that's you . . . only better? My design doppleganger is Thomas O'brien.

It's like he harvested the room of my dreams, tinkered with its DNA and then slapped a patent on the far more luxe space. It's gotten to the point where I'll make a purchase and then see a very similar (if not exact) object in one of his rooms . . . only better. It's simultaneously exhilarating and infuriating.

I love everything about his studio - the deep blue accents, the light and lighting, the eclectic mix of vintage furniture and accessories from disparate time periods, the large Astronomy print . . . come to think of it, there's nothing I don't like.

Who's your design doppleganger?





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Rooms I Love . . . Industrial?

CS Interiors

It's hard for me to believe, but someday the eclectic look that's currently all the rage will look dated and fussy. Purists will relish their ascension to the top of the design eschelon, and I'll be the crazy old guy with the strange, quirky space.

In the meantime, it's being interpreted in a number of interesting ways. I love this living room space, clean and elegant despite the rusted iron panels flanking the gorgeous marble fireplace. The result is sophisticated and a bit surprising.

What do you think?


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Rooms I Love

House Beautiful

This might be the trendiest room ever. It sports a Greek-key like pattern on the headboard, patterned carpeting, a garden bench (next to the bed) and a pink and chocolate color combination. And while a bit masculine, I still love it.

Maybe I'm rethinking my aversion to trends. Or maybe this is just a well-designed room. What do you think?


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Rooms I Love . . . Frida Kahlo's Studio

Grant me this wish, a studio like this. The floor is a stunner and makes everything look listless and tired by comparison. Something tells me that more than just art was made here.

Do you like it? Could you live with it in a kitchen or bathroom?



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VENU / TG Couture . . . Glamour at Neocon / Fine Design

I had the opportunity to see thousands of products and view amazing showrooms at Neocon and Fine Design shows, held concurrently last week at the Merchandise Mart, but my personal favorite was VENU / TG Couture, located on the 16th floor.

T and G are my initials, and if I had my way, the line would be my signature.

I loved everything about the showroom: the classic lines, the jewel-toned fabrics, the textures, the style - everything was very glamorous.

What do you think?














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Ladies Who Lunch . . . When can I join in the fabulousness?

Image from Conde Naste Portfolio. Photographer Slim Aarons - 1970

I believe that one should marry for love, not money. But if I could live there (and look gorgeous in that yellow dress), I'd change my mind. Palm Springs is magical.



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Have a Great Weekend

And speaking of Matt Lorenz, this bedroom, which he designed for the Merchandise Mart Dream Home, is one of my favorites. I love the black and white; the gray warms up the normally contrasting colors and the result is an incredibly sophisticated and sexy boudoir.

In addition to being a crazy cool space, Lorenz's design, which utilizes white tile on the wall behind the bed, completely changed my perception about what can be done with the material. How did it arbitrarily get assigned to bathroom and kitchen duty? In other countries, intricate tile floors are quite common. Do they look at us, with our predominant use of hardwood and carpet, as incredibly boring?

What do you think? Would you tile a bedroom wall? How have you used tile in unusual ways?

Have a fantastic weekend. And come back next week for:

Tuesday Top 10 - Stairways (As of yet, no nominations. That means more work for me. Thanks, and enjoy your BBQ while I'm typing my fingers to the bone and trying to avoid paper cuts while I tear through design magazines.)

Thursday - Open House Home Tour - This week, we're touring a recently rehabbed, high-rise, Lakeview condo.

More Wicker Park store reviews.

And a big announcement from Domino!



Just try it . . . you might like it.

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Rooms I Love . . . Would this work at home?

The L.A. hot-spot, S Bar, features unique chandeliers - lamps hanging upside-down from the ceiling.

Is this idea:

1. Innovative and spectacular
2. Kitschy / Humorous
3. Gimmicky / Borderline Crafty
4. Ugly

What do you think?

More importantly, what do I think? I think I like this look, but my thoughts are still muddled and need pop culture validation in order to crystallize one way or the other. I'm a better follower.


The S Bar in Los Angeles. Images from LA Eater

Rooms I Love

I've always loved this look. But only in reality; conceptually, I find the idea of wallpapering a room with pages from a book unbearably homey, cozy . . . crafty even (ugh). But then I see it in a copy of House & Garden and instantly rip it out for my hope file.

Which look or design do you hate in theory but love in reality?


From House & Garden, 2008


Studies suggest that Strange Closets subscribers are happier, more creative and 64% more likely to have swell spaces.

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Rooms I Love . . .

From the New York Times, July 19th, 2007

While much smaller than I prefer, I do appreciate the tasteful mix of marble, the formal chandelier and the traditional rug. But no skylight? No master bathroom terrace? How do they get by?

And while we're on the topic, I believe that every bathroom needs a chandelier - there's something about the combination that's a bit decadent and wonderful.

What do you think?

Rooms I Love . . . Quintessentials Ad???

I can hardly believe it, but I'm in battered and bloody love with this kitchen from a Quintessentials advertisement. I love the counters, especially with dark wood, but the KO came when my eyes landed on the entirely white marble island. I tried to get back on my feet, but it was just too much to take, so I rolled up the magazine as a pillow and took a little nap.

Isn't it fantastic? But what about red wine? Details, details. It's not like I'd use it anyway. I'm all about image and flash.

Fantastico?

Have a Great Weekend

Have a great weekend. In the meantime, here are some of my favorite rooms from designer, Sarah Richardson, of TV's Design, Inc.

For some reason, they aren't showing new episodes in the U.S. anymore; too bad, it was one of my favorites. Sarah's work is always understated and sophisticated - a welcome relief from many of the garish TV rooms which were designed to appeal to the camera rather than the people who live there. Or worse, they're designed to appeal to the most people possible - the lowest common denominator.

In the top photo, I love the use of an antique for a bathroom vanity - a reminder that they're are more interesting and unusual options than a vanity made in China and purchased from Home Depot.

And check out these cabinets, which Sarah chose to keep and simply painted with Pratt & Lambert's Clove Dust. Hypocritically speaking, of course, I think it's a much better idea (and much more "green") than gutting the entire thing and starting over.



Thanks for reading this week. Keep those comments, ideas and photos coming. Or, just tag your Flick photos (of your house or your inspiration homes) as strangeclosets, and I'll pull them from there.