Latest news with #interiorDesign
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Inside Jonathan Adler's Palm Beach home - sunshine bright furnishings, kaleidoscopic interiors and cheeky artwork
Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission - learn more It's a folly fantasy land,' says Jonathan Adler of the two-storey, two-bedroom home in Palm Beach, Florida, he shares with his husband of 17 years, former Barneys New York creative director turned author Simon Doonan, and their rescue dog, Foxylady. With palm trees, a Slim Aarons-style pool and a sandy beach close by, it's a far cry from the former city pad in New York they shared before moving to Florida in 2021. The pair came upon the property – which was designed by Swiss architect Maurice Fatio in 1940 – while visiting a friend on holiday, and were magnetically drawn to it. 'It was like a doll's house from the outside,' recalls Adler. 'Theatrical and petite at the same time, with sash windows and white pilasters.' The place went on the market soon after and the pair bought it the same day. 'It was serendipitous,' Adler recalls. It had also been recently restored, which allowed the duo to focus on their favourite part: the decorating. 'There were white walls everywhere,' says Adler. 'It needed to be perked up.' They painted the walls and woodwork in a kaleidoscope of colours, from lemon sorbet to 'toothpaste' mint, Parma violet and cobalt. 'Pure Palm Beach,' says Adler. The vibrancy was tempered by white-painted floorboards and tongue-and-groove cypress-wood ceilings original to the space. Many know Adler as a potter – he has been making pots since the age of 12. But chances are you'll have also come across the statement sofas, lamps and rugs, designs from his eponymous interiors label, which has ten stores across the US and UK including a London flagship in Pelham Street, South Kensington. Peppered with Adler's creations, the Palm Beach residence is a melting pot of genres and pop-culture references from the 1950s to the 80s: a brass chair in the shape of a hand, starburst mirrors and a large purple decorative snail. 'My philosophy is that one's décor should always imply that they are far more interesting and glamorous than they actually are,' he says with a smile. But don't let the slogan cushions and trippy artwork fool you. Every item in the household carries meaning and has a story to tell, from the Hermès crest hung above the doorway in the main bedroom, and the bust of musician Prince (both former Barneys display props), to the large 70s ceramic statue in the bathroom, which evokes Adler's love of pottery. 'I like to surround myself with items that trigger an emotion or reaction,' he says. Vintage tea towels, reflective of Doonan's time in London in the 60s, hang on the kitchen wall in a show of red, white and blue ('we dubbed it Carnaby Corner'). In the sun room are glam rock-inspired beaded portraits of the couple as well as lampshades custom-splattered with paint by Doonan. The vibe is sentimental, not serious. 'If our home were a character, it would be Fran Fine from US sitcom The Nanny,' says Adler. 'Colourful, ebullient, over-the-top, yet refined.' Despite the grand façade, the inside isn't cavernous; the ground floor contains the living room, dining room-cum-library and sun room, with open-plan kitchen and breakfast area; upstairs are the main bedroom, guest bedroom and en suite. Adler landscaped the grounds (large structured plants, a pool) flooding them with yellow: sun loungers, dining chairs, banana trees and a statement parasol. The nickname for the space? Lemon Alley. 'It is like sorbet for the soul,' he says. JUST LIKE JONATHAN The one thing I will never apologise for Excess. My favourite design era The future. If I were a piece of furniture, I'd be A dinky fireside chair. If I had to live with just one colour it would be Blue. There are so many hues to choose from. Every home needs A fluffy dog. Or a ceramic one.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Eva Amurri on Being Susan Sarandon's Daughter + Why She Quit Acting (EXCL)
Eva Amurri may have started out following in the footsteps of her mom, Susan Sarandon, as an actress, but since 2015, she's been primarily devoted to her lifestyle blog, Happily Eva After, and has won over a loyal audience for her honest takes on home design, fashion, beauty, relationships and motherhood. In her latest project, Amurri is taking her passion for design to the next level as she documents her process of renovating a Connecticut home from the ground up in a new online series. With The Westport Project now streaming on YouTube, the multitalented actress-turned-influencer sat down with Woman's World to discuss her foray into home renovation, finding work-life balance as a busy mom of three and the ways her famous mom has inspired her. Eva Amurri: I've had my brand, Happily Eva After, for a decade now, which is wild. Through the process of creating this online world, I realized a lot of what I've been doing in terms of marketing could be applied to real estate, because there's so much competition and a lot of what sells homes is actually about lifestyle. My business partner, Chris O'Dell, is the contractor who renovated my last home for two years, so that's definitely a make-it-or-break-it experience. You either come out of that hating each other or loving each other. We found all these ways that our values aligned, and he always had this dream to build an innovative home in Westport, which is a beautiful beach town. We purchased this property that's a complete teardown, but it gave us the opportunity to create a spec home and test out a lot of things and bring our different areas of expertise together. It's been really freeing in a lot of ways, because designing your own home, you can almost get too caught up in it. Being in the entertainment industry for so long, I've been around the luxury price point and had experience with designers, but what I want to do is mix that elevated style with the practicality that families need, and I want to do that all under the umbrella of a net-zero wellness-focused home. I think that the family that moves in is going to be very lucky, and to be honest, I'm envious! Our web series has something for everyone. It's not just for home renovation buffs. There's a reality show component that's like Fixer Upper meets Southern Charm, and you can get to know us. You can see the building of the house, but you can also see the Westport lifestyle and me interacting with my family. EA: I was acting for 15 years, but I was very unfulfilled. I actually felt like the industry was slowly killing me. It's not an easy place to be a woman. When I had my daughter, I suddenly realized that it would be really disingenuous for me to tell her to find fulfillment and do what makes her happy and respect herself but then not be that example for her. I wanted to live those words of advice, so I knew something had to change. I had to make a list of things that I enjoyed to figure out what my next steps would be. My now ex-husband looked at the list and said it looked like a lifestyle blog. At the time, I wasn't an expert at anything online. I had no idea how to code or blog or anything like that. I had this new baby at home, and I'd always loved writing, entertaining, design, crafting and cooking. My ex was like, 'You already do all these things. Why don't you start writing them down?' So I did, and it was a wildly uphill journey. I'd be trying to use Photoshop and doing YouTube tutorials until 2 a.m. and then press one button and everything I'd been working on would disappear, so I'd be sobbing in front of my computer and then my daughter would wake up early in the morning. It was definitely not glamorous in the beginning. I kept sharing, and I was consistent with it, and then I started writing longform pieces on topics that were a bit more taboo at the time. When I started, it was still the world of perfect little squares on Instagram. I started talking a lot about the hard parts of parenting and marriage and being a woman and mom guilt and sex after giving birth. Then I had a miscarriage, and I wrote about it publicly. That was when I noticed that my voice in this space was unique, and I've stayed true to myself throughout these 10 years. After a couple years blogging, the monetization and brand growth came and I signed with an agency, and the influencer boom happened. All throughout that process, I kept thinking that I wanted to create something concrete, so from there, I had an in-house lifestyle line for a while, and I launched my couch collection with Benchmade Modern last year. I've been looking for a way to meld my past life as an actress and my current life as a creator into one, so it's been really fun to do that through my new show. EA: Anyone who says that work-life balance is possible is lying. It's not entirely possible. I recently heard a quote about how we have all these balls in the air all the time, but some of them are glass and some of them are plastic, so you need to identify which of those you can't drop, and which of those you can afford to drop. That really resonated with me. I try to be gentle with myself and know that it's not going to be perfect all the time. There will be some months that lean more towards work and some that lean away from that. I'm a perfectionist. I'm the oldest daughter of seven kids, so you can imagine how type-A I am. I'm working on letting go, because there's no perfect mother and there's no perfect family, and all of us are just doing the best we can. I think now that my kids are getting older they've internalized that a lot more as well, and I'm proud that they see me working and doing what I love while also being their mom. EA: I've gotten back into playing tennis regularly. I played as a teenager and let it go, but recently, I've been playing weekly with a group of women for an hour and a half. It's been so fun to have that social aspect, and I just turned 40, so I'm trying to be consistent with exercise. I'm very independent. Having a big family, my concern has been maintaining the alone time that recharges me. My husband is great about helping me find those pockets of time where I can get away for a walk or grab a coffee or go to the beach. I love reading and I almost never have time to read recreationally. Having an hour on a Saturday morning while my husband plays with the kids in the yard and I sit in bed with a cup of tea and my book is unreal. That's my idea of self-care. EA: A lot of the stereotypes around that exist for a reason, but there's a spectrum within the experience of living in the public eye. It can be quite humbling, and if you use it as an opportunity to keep great people close to you and see who your true friends are, it can be a way to grow and keep a safe community for yourself. In a lot of ways, I'm lucky to be doing this job now, because I'm so comfortable in front of the camera. If anything, being in the public eye has shown me, and is now showing my kids, that nobody really knows everything about you. People have the lens that they see you through, and there isn't much you can do to change that. It's all about knowing your truth and experience and knowing that people's perceptions of you will come and go, but nobody really has your number the way that they think you do. EA: She always showed me that it's possible to be a mom and do what you're passionate about and work outside of home. I feel fortunate that I was able to see my mom have this big career while also having such a close relationship with her kids, and I think that gave me the confidence to do that same thing. Obviously my mom and I are in very different businesses now, but having her as an example has really made me a lot less hard on myself, because I've seen another woman go through the trials and tribulations of being a busy working mom. One thing that I really admire about my childhood was that my mom would always make every single holiday and experience so special. She went all out and was always there, even if she was filming on nights and weekends. Our house was always the place where everything happened. It was so magical, and I cherish all those memories. I've recreated that with my own family. I love hosting, and a large part of my lifestyle brand was born out of that experience and the joy of gathering people and the beautiful memories that it creates. I come from a blended family, and now I have a blended family of my own. Having people come together in a mishmash modern family way was always happening when I was growing up, and now that's very much the case in my own family. Ever since my ex-husband and I split up, we've continued to spend holidays together with the kids, and now his girlfriend comes along, and my siblings from both sides with my mom and my dad come together to visit. I think it shows my kids that love is what makes a family, and that it's important to stay flexible. EA: I would tell myself to take more risks. I was always so worried about trying things that I didn't know I was going to be successful at. I wish that I had pushed myself outside of the box more. I was concerned about being financially independent from a young age, and then I became a mom before I was even 30, so everything suddenly felt much heavier and more important. I wish that I had left the acting industry sooner and had the courage to stop doing something that wasn't fulfilling me. When I was younger, I saw myself as needing to have a more stable world. Looking back from 40, I can see that I really didn't, and I wish that I had given myself the grace of making a few more mistakes. Read on for more exclusive celebrity interviews! Jenna Johnson Chmerkovskiy Reveals Mental Health Journey and Fitness Secrets (EXCLUSIVE) Queen Latifah on Happiness, Health and Rediscovering Life at 55: 'This Is Just the Beginning' (EXCLUSIVE) Carnie Wilson's Guilty Pleasures: 'My Favorite Thing is Getting That Bra off and in My Jammies' (EXCL)
Irish Times
07-07-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Interiors: Good design is as much about what you leave out as what you put in
When planning a home redesign , it's easy to focus on what to add: a bigger kitchen island, an L-shaped sofa, a walk-in wardrobe. But often, what makes the biggest difference is what you leave out. Circulation space, the clear floor area that lets people move naturally and comfortably, is one of the most essential ingredients of a well-designed home, yet it's often overlooked. Here are some key areas where space is commonly forgotten and how to give each area the breathing room it needs to work well. Open-plan living When planned well, an open-plan space becomes the heart of the home – a place where cooking, dining and everyday life work in perfect harmony. But one of the most common pitfalls is trying to squeeze too much in, which quickly makes the space feel cramped and awkward to use. The key is to be realistic about what the room can comfortably accommodate, while preserving enough clear floor area to move easily from one zone to the next. Not every open-plan room has enough room for a full kitchen, dining and living area. If space is tight, it's often wiser to prioritise a generous kitchen and dining zone and, if possible, include a single armchair or a quiet reading corner. It's far better to get two zones right than force in a third and lose the open, airy feel that makes this layout so appealing in the first place. Around a dining table, allow at least 800mm to 1m between the table edge and any walls or furniture behind it. This means people can sit down and stand up comfortably, and there's still room to pass by without asking everyone to shuffle in. READ MORE When positioning your sofa in the living area, think about how far back you sit from the TV – a good guide is to sit about one and a half to two and a half times the diagonal size of your screen away from it. For a 50-inch TV, that's roughly 2m to 3m – close enough to enjoy it without feeling overwhelmed. Kitchens The kitchen is one of the busiest spaces in any home, so having enough room to move around comfortably makes all the difference to how practical and enjoyable it is to use. In a galley kitchen or any narrow layout, allow at least 900mm for the main walkway. This is just enough for one person to pass through without feeling hemmed in. Where possible, aim for more. If you're including an island, it's best to leave about 1.1m to 1.2m between the island and surrounding counters or appliances. This extra bit of space means two people can work side by side or pass behind someone at the hob or sink without bumping elbows. If you plan to have stools at your island, leave at least a metre of clear space behind them so there's plenty of room to sit comfortably and for others to pass by without disruption. [ Seek the pattern: how to infuse your outdoor space with summer staycation style Opens in new window ] At all costs, try to avoid layouts where the kitchen doubles as a main circulation route – for example, if people need to walk through it to reach the garden or another part of the house. This can make meal prep and busy family times feel chaotic and frustrating, with constant interruptions just when you need space to work. Utility rooms Utility rooms are another space where people underestimate the importance of clear floor area. As a guide, aim for a minimum width of about 1.6m. This allows for a standard counter or appliance depth of 600mm, plus at least a metre of standing space in front. Always leave at least a metre of unobstructed floor space in front of appliances so you can bend down with a laundry basket without banging elbows on walls or doors. Bedrooms Bedrooms can quickly feel cramped if circulation space isn't properly planned. Start by ensuring there's enough room to move comfortably around the bed. Allow at least 500mm to 600mm on each side of the bed for bedside tables and easy access. At the foot of the bed, aim for at least 800mm so you can walk by without needing to shuffle sideways. [ Renovations: An interior designer's advice on how to make them easier Opens in new window ] If you have wardrobes opposite the bed, leave 800mm to 900mm between the wardrobe doors and the bed edge so you can open them fully and step back while choosing what to wear. An ideal size for a double bedroom with built-in wardrobes is around 3.8m by 2.8m. Walk-in wardrobes Walk-in wardrobes appear on nearly every wish list, but without enough space, they can feel more like a cramped corridor than a luxury. For a walk-in to work well, allow at least 1.6m in width if you have storage on one side only. For hanging space on both sides, you'll need closer to 2.2m for two rows of wardrobes and about a metre of clear walkway. Opting for open shelving without doors helps make the most of every millimetre. Good design is as much about what you leave out as what you put in. Prioritising generous circulation space throughout every room ensures your home looks beautiful and feels calm and is a joy to live in.
CBS News
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Downingtown, Pennsylvania teen spends 6 months, 35 rolls of duct tape making dress for "Stuck at Prom" contest
What looks like a dazzling fairy tale ball gown is actually a masterpiece made out of duct tape. Emmalynn Holland, 17, designed an elegant adhesive piece of couture for the "Stuck at Prom" scholarship contest put on by the Duck Tape brand. "I need to go all out and do as much as I can to have the best shot at winning this scholarship," she said. The contest challenges students to create prom wear using Duck Brand tape to win $15,000. It took Holland six months and about 35 rolls of hot pink duct tape to transform her sketch into reality. She took inspiration from Disney princesses and quinceañera dresses. "Knowing the measurements of the hoop the most math," Holland said. "I was surprised by the amount of math I had to do." Holland has made clothing before, but never a material The duct tape would wrinkle, and it's very stubborn; it wouldn't fold a certain way. She said it took some serious sculpting to get the tape to lie flat and scallop perfectly over the hoop skirt. One special touch: she included verses from Psalm 23, her favorite Bible passage. "It's really about finding peace in God and hope for the future. And knowing that he's there to protect you," she said. Emmalynn is planning to pursue a degree in interior design, so who knows? Maybe we haven't seen the last of her and utility tape.
Times
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
How to get the Soho House look — by the woman who invented it
H ow to describe the Vicky Charles vibe. A cocktail of old and new, with a splash of British craft and a twist of what the self-effacing designer, 49, describes as 'nonsense'. Her name will be for ever linked to the interiors of the Soho House private members' clubs, where she worked her way up from waitressing, in the late Nineties, to global head of design. For hints at Charles's handwriting, see Soho Farmhouse in the Cotswolds, the Ned in London, Ludlow House in New York, Little Beach House in Malibu and Soho House Chicago. Many of her more recent projects are under NDAs. Since 2016, when she left to found Charles & Co, with Julia Corden, wife of the British comedian James Corden, she has been attracting celebrity clients, including George and Amal Clooney (for whom she has created two nurseries in a trio of homes), Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, and David and Victoria Beckham, whose Oxfordshire home she worked on. According to several reports, it was Charles & Co that delivered Meghan and Harry's update of Frogmore Cottage. She won't be drawn on the rumours but confirms she will not be working for the world's most famous non-royals on their Montecito pad.
