Lifestyle Designer Maria Gabriela Brito of NYC

I recently came across a chic "Lifestyle Designer" named Maria Gabriela Brito.

Maria is originally from Venezuela and her firm is in the Big Apple (New York

City.)  She gave up a corporate law career to do what she loves which is art, 

interiors, shops and showrooms.  

She helps clients in not only designing their home spaces but also tutoring them

about wine, how to purchase art and finding an individual sense of style. (It doesn't

hurt that she's married to a Brazilian wine aficionado.)

I especially liked her choice in art in her own home.

And what she's done for other clients.  Love the image on the 

wall and the Union Jack chair.  As many of you know, I'm a 

sucker for the Union Jack and art that features the Queen... And

no I'm not English ^_^

I love how she has pops of color in the room but it's not 

overwhelming either and still keeps its sense of poshness 

(probably not a word but oh well.)

Definitely can't afford that bag but it certainly makes for a great photo shoot.

Love the scarf.

I'm a magpie at heart so I have to say 

the shoes definitely caught my eye.

As with most New York condos, the kitchen is not large but
the space is used cleverly while still leaving one side open
so it still feels airy.  Very functional.

Love her outfit in this photo!  Super Chic, although
it's not what the main point of the photo is...

Another fantastic choice in art work.

 This looks like a homey and lived in room. 
The wallpaper is a lot of fun.

I love that the floor of her nursery is made up of all carpet

tiles.  Because the colors are pastel, it's still cute but oh

so functional.

Hope you enjoyed a taste of Maria's style 

and gleaned some ideas for yourself.

New York Spaces Magazine

If you are interested in seeing more New York spaces, I highly

recommend this magazine which I subscribe to:  New York Spaces.

I have a link to Amazon so you can find information about the magazine

but I would not recommend buying it from Amazon.  For some odd reason

the subscription fee on Amazon is unusally high.  You can usually get a 

subscription for much less (I don't remember exactly but in the $10-$15 

range.)

Photos from Maria Gabriela Brito's site

L.A. Based Designer Vanessa de Vargas - A Hollywood Regency meets Palm Beach Makeover for Her Home

Vanessa de Vargas is an L.A. based interior designer who has fantastic taste.

Her sense of aesthetics is right down my alley with her emphasis on using

vintage furniture and accessories.  She gave her home a makeover which I

have to say looks fabulous.

I adore Chesterfield sofas and I love what she did with her living room. The

style of her home makes me want to dub it as Hollywood Regency meets Palm

Beach cottage style.  Super chic and love how all the different styles of furniture

and textures are blended together. 

The white washed floors give the home a cottage feel.  Vanessa has touches

of Asian accessories throughout as well.  She really is so good at blending

different styles together.  This kitchen nook is the perfect example, French

styled chairs with a midcentury modern styled dining table, an Asian lamp

with a couple of Asian panels on the wall and a contemporary black and

white rug.  Definitely eclecticism at it's best.

Vanessa also redesigned her entrance way and had 

a pair of dressers painted in this super bold green.

This was the bedroom before.

But I gotta say I absolutely adore the way it looks now even better.

She painted her end tables white and chic cottage by the ocean.  Love

it!  Especially the hue she painted the room and her lamps are to die for.

A super clever user of a mirror to bounce off more light is the

long mirror used right next to her lamps in the corner.

Waterside Cottages

This isn't exactly to the style of Vanessa's home, but I do

really love this book on Waterside Cottages.  The images

in this book are great ideas for anyone who wants to feel

like they're in a cottage by the sea. 

I hope you enjoyed Vanessa's home as much as I do and

that you were able to glean some ideas from her design.

Any favorite ideas or items from her home?  Would love

to hear your thoughts.

Photos from Lonny Magazine

New York City Based Designer Brad Ford's Manhattan Apartment

I really love the way earth tones are used in this apartment.  Brad Ford is a New 

York City based designer whose Manhattan apartment is showcased in this post.

The natural light coming into the apartment is just fantastic.  

There is really no substitute for natural sunlight in a home.

I love the interesting image on the wall and I adore

the velvet covered modern styled Scandinavian chair

even more.

The organic looking wood pieces of furniture in the living 

space really helps the place feel more homey and inviting.

Super adorable child!

Space is a commodity in Manhattan and this is a nicely laid

out open floor plan for a modest kitchen and a great dining

space.

What a fantastic table setting.  It has a very natural and organic

vibe to it - the aesthetic reminds me of a lot of ceramics and table 

settings that are used in Japan.  Understated elegance in a natural and 

organic sort of way.

Another interesting photo at the top of the kitchen cabinets 

and having a lower table in the kitchen area is always useful

for keeping an eye on kids or chatting with company while

tinkering in the kitchen.

I'm a sucker for sheepskin and soft materials.

Bet most of children's rooms don't look like this.  

But it's fantastic isn't it?  Elegant, cozy and simple.

Convertible crib into a miniature bed and a fantastic map of the world

above.  I grew up with a map on my wall as well and loved it.  It helped

me greatly improve my geography and since I love travel, I love sticking

pins in the places I've been and look forward to new places to visit every

year.

A great angle for the bedroom.

Here you can see how minimalistic it is - but the bed looks comfortable.

Hope you've enjoyed this house tour.  What did you like best about this

apartment?

Photos from Lonny Magazine