California Home

How are you dear readers? I'm ok, thanks. After yesterday's bright colours let's tone it down a notch or two and visit this 1990s Mediterranean-style home decorated by interior designers Michael and Alexander Misczynski. They established their Los Angeles firm, Atelier AM, in 2002, two years after getting married. They've had high-profile clients such as Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes.
A combination of modern and rustic furniture with many antiques and a soft palette throughout the house. Elegant and subdued. Let's step in.

In the entryway: a Han vase, Isamu Noguchi sculpture, table with blue stone base and English 17th-century oak top and French 19th-century mortars. Painting by Mark Bradford. French antique limestone flooring.


Lamp by antique dealer Axel Vervoordt. Love the bronze table by Swiss sculptor Diego Giacometti with the owl perched on a side branch.


Italian 18th-century consoles flank the Louis XIV fireplace. Bronze chairs by Diego Giacometti and seats in antique linen add layers of texture to the clean design.


Han amphora on custom limestone table. Francis Jourdain oak chair, c. 1930. A Ming vase as was transformed into lamp.


Børge Mogensen wooden chairs in original leather. Axel Vervoordt coffee table made of 17th-century chestnut. Painting by Milton Avery.


A 1930's lamp by Jean Besnard rests upon an Italian 16th-century table. The Louis XVI doors from France lead into the master bedroom.


Sstainless steel and aluminum kitchen island. On antique French oak shelves a Dutch 18th-century pewter. Han vase on limestone countertop.


Bedside chest, of antique wood, by Axel Vervoordt. Italian 17th-century chest.


A French 17th-century table acts as a desk in the master bedroom. An Italian 18th-century mirror hangs above an Axel Vervoordt lamp.


French table and 18th-century cupboard in the bathroom.


Outdoor sitting area with vintage chairs and cushions in antique linens.






Long wooden table by Axel Vervoordt. Antique linen cushions complete the Treillage wicker chairs with pillows in antique hemp. Zinc sculptures adorn the table.


In the home's outdoor garden, sweet alyssum, blue salvia and potato vine grow abundantly.

Architectural renovation by Marvin Herman with Drexel Patteron and Tony Crisafi
Landscape Architecture by Robert E. Truskowski.

House Tour: Sandra Bullock & Jesse James

Today we are going to have a sneak peak of Jesse James and Sandra Bullock's house. Their 2-story oceanfront home in Sunset Beach is on the market for $6,750,000. Do you think it's worth this or is it just a celebrity home price?

I'd love to stand under the waterfall. And play with the duck.


Open floor plan.


I love the fireplace, leather armchair and the rustic table with vintage suitcases under it. Is that the remote on the table?




I think I need a rug here. And the clutter under the bed is on my to do list.

Guesthouse in Uruguay

Interior Designer Jaime Parladé's Home

Monday morning sweethearts! A lovely morning here, very cold but beautiful. From the comfort of your computer chair, or maybe you are lying in bed with your laptop -careful with this position you might hurt your back- let me take you all the way to Spain to visit interior designer Jaime Parladé's home. Located in Carmona, near Sevilla, I think you can find every colour of the rainbow in this eclectic and very inviting home.

The blue painted ceiling and beams and the Moroccan table make a statement in this porch. With a view to a pool, an owl figure was placed in the corner in an attempt to scare off pigeons. Mmm, I don't think that works. If I were a pigeon I'd definitely stand on its head.


A recovered trumeau mirror above the mantel designed by Jaime Parladé. On the left, the portrait of a former British Governor of Gibraltar. Notice how the beams have been painted a different colour for each room throughout the house.


Primary colours and rustic furniture.


The bullfighting poster was painted by Anthony Fry.


Painting by Tim Behrens.


Combination of styles for the master bedroom: ethnic embroidered fabrics, a Moroccan night table, and an English mirror.


This nook in the master bedroom was furnished with a Queen Anne high back sofa covered with an Indian fabric.
Let me know if you like this style!

Interior Designer Loi Thai's Home

Who loves Edwardian houses? Come along then and let's visit interior designer Loi Thai's 1900s townhouse in Bethesda, Maryland. A white, cream and pale grey palette with an assortment of painted 18th and 19th century Swedish furniture make up this light and serene home.

In the foyer, a floor mirror and a Swedish clock both stand 8 feet tall, accentuating the ceiling height.


A 19th-century Gustavian secretary gives the creamy white foyer a jolt of bright apple green. Dutch botanicals from the 17th century.


A sisal rug covering the whitewashed floor adds warmth and texture.


Identical fireplaces in this dining room and the master bedroom. Gustavian chairs, antique gilded mirror on the mantel and sweeping full length draperies complete the picture.


The library, which is situated between the formal living room and the dining area, is dotted with special furnishings like this Gustavian chair with saber legs and a white-painted French iron stool.



Limestone for the kitchen floor. In the breakfast area, a round table and modern wicker chairs are set in front of the windows with views of the garden.


A round Italian mirror above the mantel in the master bedroom.

Photographer Paul Massey

Paul started taking pictures then developing and printing the results, by the time he was five years old. News and features photography took Paul around the world covering war and famine, sport, politics and celebrity.

He helped record major events such as the miners' strike, the Lockerbie bombing and the fall of the Berlin wall. He's been shot at, chased by wild elephants, poisoned, and nearly drowned in a hurricane covering a four-month transatlantic yacht race. Now that's what I call dedication!

His work has been featured in many interior magazines such as Elle Decoration, Living Etc, GQ, Vogue, The Times, Observer, The New York Times and Paris Match.

From an open window to a giant vintage spool, he takes care of every detail.
Choooooo! Sorry. Blessyou!

The next photographs belong to his shooting location.