"California: Defining American Style
Just returned from an inspiring discussion of true American Style, hosted by Newell Turner of House Beautiful Magazine at the Palecek Showroom in The New York Design Center. The panelist were Jeffrey Alan Marks from "Million Dollar Decorators" fame + Diane Darrans Saeks noted author and blogger at The Style Saloniste.
Ms. Saeks is historian who took us through a brief but conprehenisve history of the particular style known as "California Design". As seen through the ages in the interiors of the trail blazers of this style: designers John Dickinson, Michael Taylor + Francis Elkins (1888-1953). With a new collection of furniture + accessories for Palecek, Jeffrey Alan Marks carries on this tradition, with an update twist of grey washed furniture and faux shagreen details. It's an elegantly casual, but classic look for a Hamptons home.
These designers used whites, creams, beiges and no pattern in their interiors. [Everyone on the panel agreed they do love pattern + color but would feel very peaceful in any of these rooms]. Over scaled upholstery + furniture placed on natural flooring, Venetian plasters wall treatments, with touches of concrete + raw metals details are still amazingly modern. True the homes shown in this style typicall have the most breathtaking of California views out the numerous windows + doors, which is what adds the natural patterns we feel we need to see in a room. As an interesting note, in every interior room setting shown, there were some Asian or Moroccan inexpensive side tables or flea market finds - painted white. They were considered "throw-away" items + important to make these interiors, very liveable.
"Great design is... timeless"
Indeed.
Me + Jeffrey Allen Marks.
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Jeffrey Alan Marks, Palecek, Style Salonista 
Reader Comments (2)
xoxo
Karena
Art by Karena