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In my current SB Journal entry
I'm imagining I'm "Decorating A Dreamhouse" in Beverly Hills, California, like the one above. The home:
* exterior is typical Georgian architectural style: symmetrical and orderly; paneled front door located at the center of the house; decorative crown over the door, with flattened columns on each side of the door
* front and rear yards symmetrically landscaped and the rear yard has a dramatic swimming pool with a guest house, all in Georgian style
* views of the surrounding mountain foothills
* is located in a City who's residents actively participate in entertaining, private and public dinners and philanthropic events
* Beverly Hills
enjoys nearly perfect weather -
with almost year-round sunshine
.
The guest house shares many elements of the main house and of course is of traditional style.
Before we go forward, let me share the photo at right which points out a few elements regarding traditional style and informal style,
because we're going inside now. The interior decorating of the house
is not traditional, not conservative and not symmetrical. It is however dramatic and even flaunts itself a bit
The Dreamhouse Beverly Hills House Entryway:
The entryway is the introduction to fun; no more mirror image, matchy matchy 'perfectness' here (that is left outside for the public eye - ahah!)
This first piece is an extravagantly painted black console from Giorgio Piotto's Home and Glamour Collection.
The entryway itself is painted a warm grey paint color - which is different and it works here. The paint color also happens to make a nice segue when we finally go to the next room of pinks and purples.
My entryway wall grouping . . . . again . . . fun. It seemed appropriate for Ms. Audrey Hepburn to be a part of it, to be welcoming visitors to the home. Ms. Hepburn and the rest of my art grouping here is from Art.Com.
My contemporary wall art grouping includes a traditional style, somewhat-fancy
wall sconce from Brighton. I enjoy the bit of elegance that both Ms. Hepburn and this wall sconce bring to this display.
So, this is my informally designed home formal entryway.
The Dreamhouse Beverly Hills Living Room
We're now in the pink and purple room. My living room.
The colorways of the room are predominantly shades of soft sugared sweetness. The walls are papered in a gorgeous lavender and purple with a large, sultry stripe.
In this room separate than the pink and purple, there are a few select black pieces, with those accents serving to ground the room, preventing too much sweetsy feel.
The focal point of the room appears to be the oversized, over-the-top Victorian style, burnt-velvet
Nella Vetrina Barocco Painted Sofa. It is wonderfully comfortable - filled with down.
But as you look around the room, you can enjoy that it has the feel of being part of an Andy Warhol composition, and now the Victorian sofa is just part of something larger, more dramatic.
The cocktail table from
Giorgio Piotto's Home & Glamour Cadre Collection is also oversized, its marvelous detail, attention grabbing. Both the mass and color of the table allow it to act as an anchor for the rest of the room's furniture, except the one
black lacquer side chair may be relocated as required by the room's activities.
Gotta' love these
Roberto Savi Bergere Chairs. The silk damask upholstery is vintage-y and old looking while the wood frame has a more contemporary look, making a lovely fresh mix.
It seems that if you have a purple pink room with ornate and oversized Victorian pieces, you should flaunt it; so, along with Andy Warhol artwork (from
Art.Com) - this room is workin' it!
My Beverly Hills Dreamhouse Dining Room
This fabulous dining room set is
Nella Vetrina's Maurice Italian French Collection in green. The green and purple of the dining room pieces, the black chandelier and finally, the artwork (including the one piece sitting on the floor) all make this room rock.
The walls are painted a very muted light blue, the draperies are simple, matching the purple of the furniture pieces.
This dining room's pieces become a part of a total transformation when the room is up for a entertaining event or a dinner party.
Because it is very practical for childrens' homework and entertaining activities as well, this is a high use room - unlike dining rooms of previous generations that fell under the "look-but-do-not-touch" heading.
The Beverly Hills Dreamhouse Master Bedroom
Drama, action, romance ......... If things are gonna get hot and spicy, this is the room for it. Baby you're in the spotlight now - literally. Can't you see yourself holding a glass of champagne, nibbling on a cheese and fruit platter all wrapped up in that faux fur throw.
This bedroom collection by
Home And Glamour Bed by Nella Vetrina so full of style - the bedframe - true beauty! With this headboard, a large piece of artwork overhead would be just too much.
Then darling, we have a tall chest of drawers ............ for him, for her, with curves in all the right places, by
Home And Glamour Luigi XI. If you desire reading material, here is a corner for you: an area for books and storage of magazines (see below) while on the wall is a grouping of similarly framed black and white photographs. One chair - almost five feet tall, in white leather, appropriately named the
Grace chair, can also hold you and your favorite book. Ooh la lah! Baby, you are so home........
This has been so much fun, writing my "Decorating A Dreamhouse" about a home in Beverly Hills. Not necessarily because of the City's location and, yes because of that. More so the house's exterior was traditional. But I 'Andy Worhol-ized' its interiors. This dreamhouse is spacious, comfortable, hugely-colorful and has so much flair, it flirts.
I could so live here. Couldn't you?
Bonus Recipe: Apple & Spinach Stuffed Pork Chop Dinner
with Rustic Roasted Potatoes & Balsamic Candied Carrots
Apple & Spinach Stuffed Pork Chop Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 Fuji apple
- 1/2 sweet onion
- 1/2 bunch spinach
- 1/4 cup parsley
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 carrot
- 4 boneless port chops
- Salt
- Pepper
- 2 beaten eggs
- 2 cups bread crumbs (seasoned with salt, pepper, paprika and Italian seasoning)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided use
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- Dice apple, onion, spinach, parsley and garlic. Finely chop the carrot. In a non-stick pan, saute the apple, onion, spinach parsley, garlic and carrot for about 10 minutes.
- Pound boneless pork chops with a meat tenderizer and season each one with salt and pepper.
- Place 1/4 cup of the stuffing in the pork chop, roll the pork chop up and secure with a toothpick. Dip the pork roll in the beaten eggs and coat with seasoned bread crumbs.
- Lightly coat a pan with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, place the stuffed port chops on it, drizzle with remaining olive oil, and bake for 20 minutes (or until cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees).
- After pulling it out of the oven, let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing it.
Balsamic Candied Carrots Recipe
Ingredients:
- 8 carrots, cut into 1/4 inch thick rounds
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- dash of dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- spray of fresh parsley, for garnish
Directions:
- In a non-stick pan, saute' carrots with olive oil and a dash of salt, pepper, parsley, sugar and garlic, stirring frequently so the carrots do not burn. Cover about half way through cooking.
- Once the carrots soften, in about 10 minutes, add the balsamic vinegar. Let cook for another minute.
- Serve the carrots with a sprig of parsley.
Rustic Roasted Potatoes
Ingredients:
- 4 red-skin potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/2 sweet onion, cut into roughly the same size as the potatoes
- salt
- pepper
- 1/4 cup minced parsley
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- dash of paprika
- dash of Italian seasoning
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. (You could roast slower in the 375-degree oven with the pork but they will take at least an hour at the lower temperature.)
- Toss cubed potatoes with garlic, onion, salt, pepper, parsley, olive oil and a dash of paprika and Italian seasoning.
- Place on a sheet pan and cook for 30 minutes, stirring frequently, or until potatoes are tender.
This delicious dish, "Apple & Spinach Stuffed Pork Chop Dinner with Rustic Roasted Potatoes & Balsamic Candied Carrots," by GreenLiteBites - Adventures In Healthy Eating, was also the winner of the Food Lion Frugal Cook Off Contest.
Want More?
Click to read other "Decorate A Dreamhouse" articles:
To see more Savio Firmino furniture, go to the Something Beautiful Journal's article "Savio Firmino Classic Furniture, Italian Style," in a Tuscan Mansion.
Click Here.
The Savio Firmino line is a high end, Italian line of luxury furniture and bathroom decor, that is available through the
Something Beautiful Shoppe, but not shown publicly in its regular pages. Please contact us directly and a designer will be assigned to work with you regarding the purchase of any of these designer pieces. Call 1-888-338-4490, or
Editor@SomethingBeautifulJournal.org
Working with an interior designer helps assure you get the look you desire while helping eliminate costly mistakes.
and boating afficiando also the budget guy; she just buys extra pillows to try to liven up the old pink sofas.
