Restrained Drama

A beautiful Paris apartment designed by Nye Basham. I love the sophisticated grey-green color palette mixed with coral, golds and browns.

Various period pieces, including a 1950s chair from a Los Angeles hotel and a pair of Egyptian stools blend perfectly with the ornate French architecture.

The adjacent dining room exemplifies good proportion, drama and balance.

I adore homes that are well edited, yet exude comfort. Similarly I am drawn to interiors that are dramatic, but display a cerain level of constraint. Not an easy task. Each day I think of the words of Chanel, "Look in the mirror and take one thing off before you leave the house." I think this simple rule easily translates to design and it seems to be the guiding principal in Suzanne Trocmé’s book Classic Chic: The Little Black Dress of Decorating. Don’t you just love the name.

Trocmé is a writer and journalist specializing in interior design, architecture, art, and fashion and is a contributor to The New York Times Magazine and French, German, and Russian Architectural Digest. The book is filled with beautiful homes and well written text. It’s a great addition to any design library.

While writing this post I witnessed the above photo. Our darling wee Izzie, a miniature black Schnauzer, seems to have little restraint when it comes to standing on the table and is certainly not lacking in the drama department.

All Nye Basham interior photos from Classic Chic by Suzanne Trocmé