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A massive 6ft. x 8ft. Caroline Riviere watches over the living room
I am a huge fan of House of Turquoise, and could not be more ecstatic that Erin has asked me to write a guest blog for her site! I encourage you to visit my own ‘turquoise-themed’ blog
Destinations Perfected on food, travel and the bespoke lifestyle, and I wish Erin all the best on her recent marriage!
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| Pops of turquoise and coral abound |
When I purchased my first condo on Boston’s Waterfront (North End) over three and a half years ago, I did not have one piece of furniture to my name. I moved in with a few suitcases and a bed and then had to begin the task of decorating the roughly 900 square feet from scratch. My mother always says that your home should be a true reflection of yourself. Armed with this advice, I had to identify a style and a color palette that was all my own. Having spent summers in St. Tropez, Sardinia and the New England coastal town of Rockport, Massachusetts, I was most drawn to soothing blue turquoise, pops of red coral, crisp whites and all sorts of sea life associated with the beautiful beaches of my youth, from seashells to octopus to crabs. In addition, I love the elegance, sophistication and glamour of the old Hollywood Regency era; sparkling chandeliers, mirrored furniture, a drink cart with high ball glasses and rich fabrics. Subsequently, my own personal style emerged as a smash up between casual beach chic and the glitz of the 1930s.
In decorating my condo, I used the same rules as those I follow for fashion: invest in a few expensive and timeless pieces and then mix in some cheaper accessories to make a bold splash. The big-ticket key staples in my living room are the high-backed white boucle sofa from
Kravet Fabrics and Home Furnishings, Emilio Pucci throw pillows purchased in Sardinia, Italy, a vintage turquoise Hermes Grands Fonds fish scarf I had custom framed, a sea-foam green Persian rug from the personal collection of the former Khan of Kalat (a housewarming gift), a beautiful sea-life painting I had commissioned on a recent trip to Sorrento, Italy (for a close up of my painting,
click here), and an absolutely massive reproduction of Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres’ 1806 painting of Caroline Riviere (the original hangs in the Musee de Louvre in Paris) which was printed on fine silk, purchased in Paris, and then framed by hand here in Boston. Luckily my 12ft. ceilings can carry this off!
As for the accessories, lots of velvety turquoise throw pillows from
Pier 1 Imports, a glass, mirrored and croc leather trimmed coffee table with silver camel feet from
Cabot House Furniture , two custom upholstered white armchairs with ottoman from
Bassett Furniture, twin coral lamps (that I painted myself) and various turquoise vases from
Home Goods, twin mirrored cinema side tables from
Target, Versace Les Tresors de la Mer vases and matching porcelain, as well as sea glass, seashells, and crab shells collected from various vacations.
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| Mirrored side tables hold treasures from the sea as well as coral lamps I hand painted myself and sprayed with a high gloss lacquer |
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| Shelves above the television hold an Alessi coral bowl, porcelain by Versace Les Tresors de la Mer collection, a handmade seashell picture frame bought in Venice, Italy, birch tree branches I painted red to mimic coral branches, a glass vase full of pearlized shells and a painting I commissioned of a famous square in Padova, Italy |
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| A white boucle couch from Kravet holds Emilio Pucci pillows bought in Porto Cervo in Sardinia, Italy mixed with velvety turquoise throw pillows from Pier 1 Imports |
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| A turquoise and white glass vase rests on the mirrored bottom of a croc leather trimmed coffee table, while a framed vintage Hermes Grands Fonds scarf hangs on the wall |
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| Lovely views from the roof deck of the Boston City Skyline |
If anyone wants real proof of where a love or even a hobby of interior design can lead you, I have just been offered and accepted a job to be the new product manager for
Liberty of London Furnishing Fabrics in London, and professionally, I come from a footwear background! This is just further testament to the fact that your passions can lead to your destiny. Unfortunately, this means that, as of June, I have to rent out my beautiful condo, but the new tenants have asked me to rent the apartment furnished, and quite honestly, I couldn’t think of a nicer compliment.
Alexandra D. Foster is the founder of Destinations Perfected and currently resides in Boston, Massachusetts.
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