Table of contents for January/February 2017 in Veranda

50 Shades of Greige Adore the cream-colored interiors in this issue? Take a tour through our favorite monochromatic rooms, like this one by James Huniford, in a slideshow that’s a love letter to pale hues. veranda.com/whiterooms A Perfect Escape for Everyone Sun worshippers and snow aficionados alike will find something truly transportive in our list of luxe retreats ideal for jetting away. veranda.com/escapes WHITE-PAINT PRIMER Our handy guide will help you choose the best tint of white paint for showing off art, highlighting millwork, or setting a serene scene. veranda.com/whitepaint follow us…

CALIFORNIA CLOSETS PARTNERSHIP when interior designer Susan Ferrier began plotting out a new closet for the master bedroom of her Atlanta home, she took her cues from the one thing in the space that could not be changed: her wooden blinds. A stickler for the tiniest of details, she has the same window treatments on all of the frontfacing windows of her house, so that the home’s historic Tudor facade isn’t marred by any inconsistencies. Ferrier, a partner at the design and architecture firm McAlpine, had renovated the 1920s home several years ago (as seen in Veranda, March–April 2015), although she stopped short of the master closet. The space had previously been a guest bedroom that she requisitioned to form part of the master suite—but in its unfinished state, she…

FADE OUT In the late 19th century, as one of the proponents of the Arts and Crafts movement, William Morris championed the use of vibrant patterns with lush wallpapers, and interiors that eschewed the mass-produced trappings of the Industrial Age. Now Morris & Co. has reimagined some of his most beloved designs for an altogether different era. The fabrics and wallcoverings soften palettes and materials so they can slip seamlessly into modern spaces with all the bright spirit of the originals. NATURAL INSTINCT Frontgate has teamed up with the New York Botanical Garden to create reproductions from rare books in its famed LuEsther T. Mertz library. The prints come in coordinating frames (instant gallery wall!) and celebrate an artistic interpretation of flora and fauna. From $300 each; frontgate.com. HAPPY RETURNS…

DESIGN ESCAPES Author Sara Bliss’s new book, Hotel Chic at Home ($45, Monacelli), is an insider’s peek at the world’s most gorgeous getaways. Here, she shares two favorites: “After three years and $180 million, La Mamounia [above, mamounia.com] in Marrakech has emerged as one of the globe’s great design hotels, with hand-carved and -painted ceilings. In the French Alps, Chalet Pelerin [left, eleven experience.com] is a house rental with a mountain-lodge vibe and lots of cashmere, exposed stone, and wood.” TINY TITANS Birmingham, Alabama–based architect Jeffrey Dungan is used to multimillion-dollar commissions. So when investors asked him to design a series of 400-square-foot prefab homes, he was intrigued by the challenge of squeezing the form and function on which his reputation rests into every last inch. Results pair practicality with…

WHEN OPPOSITES ATTRACT: REFINED BLOSSOMS AND ROUGH-HEWN BRANCHES UNITE TO CREATE A BEAUTIFUL ARRANGEMENT THAT’S MORE THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS.…

CRYSTORAMA LIGHTING For more than 55 years, Crystorama has designed and manufactured decorative lighting fixtures. Our newest introduction from the Archer collection elevates the elegance of faceted cut crystals by draping the jewels on a sleek ribbon of polished bronze metal. The result is a vibrant, flowing, basketshaped fixture that balances traditional values with a contemporary mindset. For more information, visit crystorama.com or call 800.888.4470. EBANISTA Featuring scrolled arms, intricately carved front decorative legs and a shaped back panel, Ebanista’s distinctive new Bastiani Chair is offered in sable stain on walnut finish and includes antiqued nailhead trim. Shown with Ebanista’s Emelio Cafe linen upholstery and Eres leather decorative tape trim in Espresso. ebanista.com 800.570.1087 THE ONLY RANGE SOPHISTICATED ENOUGH TO BE A MIELE Inspired by both design and performance, the…

when Veranda published its first Dan Carithers interior in 1987, it was clear that the magazine and the Atlanta-based designer were going to get on famously. Over the ensuing 30 years, we published countless more examples of his work, and his crisp approach to traditional decorating has become something of a cornerstone. In our anniversary year, we’re looking back at decorators who’ve helped form our DNA. As one of our earliest contributors, Carithers, now retired, is ideal for kicking off the celebration. On the surface, his rooms adopt all the tried-and-true trappings: fine antiques, rich textiles, curated accessories. But the secret to a Carithers room—and the key to its enduring success—is a razor-sharp edit. The man has a monk’s devotion to light and air. Furniture placement is invariably cozy, though…

MAKE AN ENTRANCE When a third garage door threatened to overwhelm the facade of his Birmingham, Alabama, home, architect James Carter took his cues from the secret hideout of the 1960s television crime fighter the Green Hornet. He disguised the portal as a seemingly ordinary wall that retracts for quick getaways—it even includes a false window. SLEEPING BEAUTY A bed is more than just a comfortable retreat. Our “crib” sheet of bespoke mattresses is the ultimate resource for making all your dreams come true. DUXIANA DUX 8008 Trimmed in leather, with discreet levers to adjust the level of lumbar support for optimal alignment. $11,155; duxiana.com. HÄSTENS VIVIDUS Quintessential luxury—down to the hand-sewn horsehair batting—that comes upholstered in the Swedish com - pany’s signature blue-and-white gingham. $149,900; hastens.com. HYPNOS DIAMOND Sleep…

“The details of everyday life are the soul of a house.” LIKE PEARLS, ERMINE, AND PLATINUM-BLONDE WAVES, white-onwhite rooms can feel posh and glamorous when done right. That said, this classic palette should come with pages of warnings. Do it wrong, and a monochromatic white scheme can chill the bones or aim a harsh spotlight on the tiniest imperfections. When it comes to decorating, white is clearly not just a color—it’s a branch of sorcery replete with mysteries and subtleties. But all the pitfalls are avoided when the sorcerer in question is Betsy Brown, a Birmingham, Alabama–based interior designer who has spent several decades perfecting the art of creating neutral houses. Her pale rooms brim with drama, sensuality, and a kind of spare, intellectual beauty. No doubt this is why…

CAROLINA HERRERA’S FAVORITE THINGS 1. THE MONKEY BAR “It feels really glamorous, like you’re dining in a goldenage Hollywood movie.” monkeybar newyork.com. 2. UPHOLSTERED WALLS “Preferable to wallpaper, especially in stripes and toiles de Jouy.” brunschwig.com. 3. FLOWERS BY MIHO KOSUDA “I love all kinds of blooms— peonies, garden roses, and sweet peas—and her arrangements are amazing.” 212-922-9122. 4.MEN’S COTTON KURTAS “Discovered on a trip to Jaipur, India. I’ve used them as pajamas ever since.” fabindia.com. 5. APPLE iPAD “To stream Netflix—I cannot stop watching Narcos!” apple.com. 6. CH CAROLINA HERRERA SUNGLASSES “The touch of blue will make them really fun to wear this spring.” carolinaherrera.com. 7. TOD’S GOMMINO DRIVING SHOES “They are so comfortable!” tods.com. 8. MARGARITAS “I don’t drink often, but when I do I love a good…

somewhere in the craggy outskirts of Kathmandu, Nepal, a newly woven rug is being tortured. Workmen singe it with a blowtorch; the air fills with the acrid smell of burning hair. Before the day is over, the men will plunge the rug in vats of water, rake it with irontoothed combs, and barrage it with wooden paddles so violently that an outside observer might think they mean to destroy it. But the craft of finishing a rug is a well-guarded art, and the terraced hill side beyond is bejeweled with the fruits of such labor: a kaleidoscope in shimmering wool and silk, stretched to dry amid dun concrete and corrugated tin. It is an incongruous scene, not least because of the designs on the rugs themselves: A leopard by Diane…

an atmospheric material deployed by boldface-name designers from Jean- Michel Frank to Michael Taylor, plaster has a soulful versatility that’s the epitome of chic. Rough-hewn or refined, and available in styles and forms as disparate as faux-bois and Art Deco, it reflects the hand of the artisan with a lovely earthiness that exudes unparalleled elegance.…

in 1968, when the Britain-based Antique Collectors’ Club began compiling its annual Furniture Price Index, the value of traditional brown-wood pieces outperformed the London stock market as well as real estate prices for southeast England. Talk about smart, stylish living: A Georgian commode or Regency secretary would steadily gain value all while sitting pretty in the living room. The trend continued until the early aughts, when prices peaked. They’ve fallen precipitously since, and the swing has long been lamented in design circles. “These pieces have a really special character. The quality simply doesn’t exist anymore.” “There’s been a shift in the way people are living,” says Dennis Harrington, senior specialist of English and European furniture at Sotheby’s. “Dedicated dining rooms have gone out of fashion. People don’t have libraries or…

“The most important thing for me is that people see the relevance of antiques.” ALEX PAPACHRISTIDIS’S DINING ROOM for last spring’s Kips Bay Decorator Show House in New York incited a frenzy on social media—so much so that even the interior designer, a bit of an Instagram sensation himself with more than 52,000 follow ers, was surprised. Still, he’d expected the room to make an impression. “That’s what you do with a showhouse: You go wild,” he says. “People want to be wowed.” And yet it wasn’t “likes” Papachristidis was seeking with this project so much as love—for antiques, that is. “The most important thing for me is that people see the relevance of antiques, including 18thcentury furniture,” he says. “Why do we make so much new stuff when we’ve…

THE 11-FOOT CUSTOM VELVET SOFA has crisscrossed America more times than even the most inveterate of travelers. So have many of the other furnishings in this Atlanta townhouse, from tables and chairs to paintings and sculpture. And that ornate mantel in the posh television lounge? Its journey was even longer—more than 4,000 miles, from its original home in Paris to itsgenteel new setting in Georgia. Together, these items represent the cherished belongings of the home’s owners, a couple who collected them over time as their lives took them from house to house and state to state. When they moved into this home, they entrusted John Oetgen, the renowned Atlanta interior designer, to stir everything together into an artful mix. IN THE DETAILS While newly built, the rooms convey a sense…

CLOSET CONFIDENTIAL Interior design: Susan Ferrier, McAlpine, 844-624-6633, mcalpinehouse.com. Closet design: Calais McGuinness, California Closets, 855-336-9590, californiaclosets.com. Pages 34–35 Chandelier: Avrett, avrett.com. Drawer pulls: Matthew Quinn Collection, matthew quinn collection.com. Lamps: Dwell, dwell.com. Sconces: The Urban Electric Co., urban electricco.com. Mirror: Blue Door Framing, bluedoor framing.com. Rolling cart and vanity chair: Switch Modern, switch modern.com. Page 36 Curtain fabric: Coleman Taylor, coleman taylor textiles.com. Lamps: Dwell, dwell.com. FRESH START Interior design: Betsy Brown, Betsy Brown Inc., 205-871-2424, betsybrowninc.net. Page 76 Trunk: CK Swan, ckswan.com. Page 77 Table and dining chairs: Gior getti, giorgetti.eu. Pendant: Ingo Maurer, ingo-maurer.com. Curtain fabric: Jim Thompson, jimthompson fabrics.com. Rug: Stark, stark carpet.com. Wall paint: Donald Kaufman Color, donald kaufman color.com. Page 78 Console: Hervé Van der Straeten, vander straeten.fr. Ottoman fabric: Rogers & Goffigon, rogers and goffigon.com. Lamp: Caste, caste…