Best of MI...Rafael de Cardenas...

I absolutely love this designer's work and was so taken with the purple in this design, I think you will be too, even if its not your favorite. He used textures, sparkles and glamour to up the beauty quotient in this spectacular New York apartment.  What do you like? Do you love the purple? Would you use it or would you use a different color?  Happy Sunday!! 

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

BEST OF MI FROM 2010:


When I first saw this designer featured in the October 2008 Elle Decor, I couldn't believe how beautiful purple could look. Never my favorite color, that all changed upon viewing this gorgeous apartment in New York. I was blown away by the colors, mid-century modern furniture, vintage wallpaper and unusual accessories. I studied the pictures for every detail. Take a look at these photos and tell me which one is your favorite!


Vintage wallpaper and a 60's vintage Italian lamp above...

The living room features a vintage sofa found on eBay, vintage '50's armchairs with Donghia fabric, vintage lucite and glass coffee table (LOVE!) and a '50's floor lamp. What a wonderful mix of fabrics in here too.

More vintage wallpaper and chaise and a stool by Marcel Wanders for Kartell.

For me, the foyer sets the tone of the apartment with the designer's own mural, a Dorothy Draper lamp and mid-century side table. The chair is circa 1940's. Look at that fabric!

For something completely different as far as color goes, the master bedroom features more vintage wallpaper from Secondhand Rose in New York, a vintage Florence Knoll bench and quilts from Calypso Home.

Do you like purple in a scheme? Do you like the way the designer used wallpaper?

(images by Roger Davies in Elle Decor, October 2008)


Let me know if you need help with your home, I can assist you with the design and decoration. Please email me for information: monacointeriors76@yahoo.com. 

❤ Read More

That de Cardenas touch...

Love at first sight...again...I just got my October Elle Decor issue with the Rafael de Cardenas-designed apartment of Anthony Edwards and Jeanine Lobell (of Stila Cosmetics) and well, I'm speechless.  Anne Harwell recently featured some of these pics on her blog 'Annechovie' and I just had to post these as well, including his previous work (which I posted last spring) for model Jessica Stam. His work is so creative, fun and incredibly vibrant. I love his use of purple as we will see...above is the living room with the signature purple and vintage chairs...oh and don't miss that translucent pale green glass chandelier - it is a perfect punctuation mark for the entire room -

The Dining Room features wallpaper by Secondhand Rose, which the designer used in the Stam apartment as seen below...

The entry foyer with Venetian plaster walls in hot pink! wow! what a way to enter a home! and I love the mid-century modern looking 60's Brazilian credenza...its easy to see that Rafael used to be a fashion and production designer...he mixes styles and colors so effortlessly.

Wow! do you like these green cabinets? I'm still debating, but they are painted in Benjamin Moore's 'Bright Lime'

I think this is my favorite area...the pale green rug paired with the gorgeous chairs upholstered in Designers Guild fabric.  The rugs are Chinese Art Deco...love it all!

Here is the Jessica Stam apartment I featured a few months ago that I fell in love with...here is more wallpaper from 'Secondhand Rose' with another glass chandelier - gorgeous -

This photo is a little dark, but it is mostly purple, like the Edwards' living room with vintage chairs again...I loved the way Rafael used purple curtains to match the wall color...

A vintage chaise with gorgeous the wallpaper again...

I hope you have enjoyed these pics - do you have a favorite? do you like de Cardenas' style? or is it all too much with colors you couldn't live with? or do you LOVE it???

(images for Elle Decor by William Waldron)

(Interior Design by Rafael de Cardenas)

❤ Read More

Rafael de Cardenas...more design inspiration...

When I first saw this designer featured in the October 2008 Elle Decor, I couldn't believe how beautiful purple could look. Never my favorite color, that all changed upon viewing this gorgeous apartment in New York. I was blown away by the colors, mid-century modern furniture, vintage wallpaper and unusual accessories. I studied the pictures for every detail. Take a look at these photos and tell me which one is your favorite!


Vintage wallpaper and a 60's vintage Italian lamp above...

The living room features a vintage sofa found on eBay, vintage '50's armchairs with Donghia fabric, vintage lucite and glass coffee table (LOVE!) and a '50's floor lamp. What a wonderful mix of fabrics in here too.

More vintage wallpaper and chaise and a stool by Marcel Wanders for Kartell.

For me, the foyer sets the tone of the apartment with the designer's own mural, a Dorothy Draper lamp and mid-century side table. The chair is circa 1940's. Look at that fabric!

For something completely different as far as color goes, the master bedroom features more vintage wallpaper from Secondhand Rose in New York, a vintage Florence Knoll bench and quilts from Calypso Home.

Do you like purple in a scheme? Do you like the way the designer used wallpaper?

(images by Roger Davies in Elle Decor, October 2008)

❤ Read More