Decorate A Dream House - A Belgian Castle

Written By: Patricia Lynne
Editor: Sarahjoy Crain



In my current SB Journal entry I'm imagining I'm "Decorating A Dream House" in the Country Of Belgium. Actually it is a castle.

A castle - in its simplest terms - is a private, fortified residence.

My DreamHouse Castle has a moat - history tells us is a ditch with steep sides, and could be either dry or filled with water with its purpose being to keep the walls of the Castle from being undermined from invading armies.

My DreamHouse Castle has a great tower, sometimes called a "keep," and this is where a dungeon would be located. The great tower was the strongest part of a castle and most strongly defended, and the last place of refuge if the outer defences fell. You may be surprised to consider that the keep was not left empty in case of attack, but was used as a residence by the lord who owned the castle, or his guests or representatives.

















My Dreamhouse Castle is located in the very small Country of Belgium, approximately the size of Massachusetts. Belgium's total area, including surface water area, is about 19 square miles. It shares borders with four Countries:  France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.


To continue reading this article, click here.





SATC Carrie's Apartment & Cosmopolitan Cocktail Recipe






 Mr. Big:  Should we get you a diamond?

Carrie Bradshaw:  No, no... just get me a really big closet!



In real life as our actual use of space changes, oftentimes it prompts change in our home - in the design and layout of our living spaces.

As a designer I wanted to see Carrie's apartment in the Sex and the City Movie.  Wondering, as Carrie evolved, would Hollywood be consistent
in her apartment, would form follow function.

For the SATC Movie, it was thought Carrie's apartment should reflect a more organized, more mature Carrie, that she'd no longer sit on the floor at her coffee table, working on her laptop. She also may want to have Big over for dinner, she may require more entertaining areas.








To Continue Article, Click Here And To See Cosmopolitan Cocktail Bonus Recipe

Dinner On The Rooftop - 30 Stories High At The Kimberly Hotel

You enter the express elevator at street level and you are whisked thirty stories up to an urban oasis, way atop Manhattan ..... Viola!
It is a roof top, called 'Upstairs,' and it is so very unexpected.  Don't you love when that happens!

"Upstairs" (at the Kimberly Hotel):

~ 4,000 square foot, roof top, thirty stories up and offering outstanding food and drinks
~ "Upstairs" has retractable glass ceilings and walls - and - ambient heated floors, in consideration of weather
~ 360 degree view (the iconic Chrysler Building as always is the star of this show)
~ living green walls, cascading down bronze panels, framing the surrounding cityscape from every possible angle
~ a fresh spin on old Hollywood-glamour, vintage theatrical lights and strings and strings of incandescent bulbs, floating overhead, emitting an intimate, sensual mood
~ a room that is as elegant and inviting in the winter months as it is sunny and sophisticated in the summer season

The "Upstairs" by AIA award winning design firm De-Spec, in association with architect Frank Denner , Pentasia Design and lighting designer Brian Orter presents an outdoor rooftop design that literally overwhelms the senses at every turn.

An evening Upstairs will be an experience
like no other, focusing on refined service
in a relaxed luxurious setting, offering its
guests a one-of-a-kind rooftop experience
and the desire to come back.

I love the lead designer's approach to the 'Upstairs.' As explained by De-Spec lead designer designer Farnaz Mansuri:


"Upstairs follows a characteristic approach to our work,"
"Rather than objectifying the architectural solution,
Space is choreographed to rooduce the desired experience,
and so in essence 'experience' is designed."


Deliberately shying away from outdoor lounge-style furniture typical of most rooftop bars, "Upstairs’" furniture was carefully curated from renowned houses such as B&B Italia, Knoll and Moooi. The "Upstairs" rooftop offers clean lines and elegant form that at once seem hyper-modern and neo-gothic, inviting guests to relax and unwind in an environment that exemplifies subtle, urban sophistication.
Did I mention the chefs? The food?

Executive Chef GwenaĆ«l Le Pape has worked with such culinary masters as Jean-Georges Vongerichten and celebrity Chef Anthony Bourdain. Raised in Brittany, France, Chef Gwen has cooked all over France, Miami and New York, most recently at Maison d’Azur in Miami garnering three and a half stars for the South Beach eatery under his direction. Here are a few samples of Chef Le Pape’s signature dishes:
Seared Steak Tartar
Spiced Duck Cigars with Pomegranate Dipping Sauce
Truffled Mac &Cheese and
Baby Lamb Lollipops with Ratatouille
In addition to great food, the bar will feature a sumptuous list of specialty cocktails featuring modern takes on tried and true classics. (From the Kimberly Hotel's Upstairs website.)



Thirty stories up, the "Upstairs," of The Kimberly Hotel - I am so..... goin' there for a tasty lil' treat of a night!

If you like the Kimberly Hotel and the restaurant on the rooftop, Upstairs, click here to see my "Decorate A Dreamhouse, Manhattan Brownstone."