Kathryn Ireland’s New Hideaway Retreat

 

We’ve had some great guests on the Skirted Roundtable over the past year and a half.   We’ve talked with a lot of different people in the industry – magazine editors, design bloggers, authors, stylists, shop owners, and fabric designers, but I have especially loved having the chance to interview the interior designers I have long admired.   Our first  “big” interview was with Vicente Wolf, which I actually missed (the only one I ever did miss!)  Next, we interviewed Charlotte Moss.  My nerves were shot for that one, I was so excited to be talking to someone I absolutely worshipped! 

 

Kathryn Ireland at her Ojai ranch.

 

Since then, there’s been Alessandra Branca, Bobby McAlpine, David Easton, Mary Douglas Drysdale, and Suzanne Kasler, – to name some of the other designers that have made me giddy.   Saturday, we will be interviewing someone that has me foaming at the mouth!!   Trust me, I never – even in my wildest dreams – thought I would one day be chatting with the likes of David Easton or Alessandra Branca!  Never!!!  I guess the lesson here is never give up on your dreams and never stop trying.   This week’s guest ranks right up there on my list of favorites. 

The interview almost didn’t take place.  Kathryn Ireland is a busy, busy lady and our wires got crossed a few times before the four of us were all able to sit down at the same time and talk.   It was a late night for Linda and me, but it was still dusk for Megan and Kathryn, being as they were both on the west coast.   Kathryn Ireland!!!!   How many times have I lingered over the rows of her fabrics hanging in the Decorative Center?   How many samples have I checked out over the years?   I’ve clicked onto her web site more times than I would care to admit, as Ireland was one of the first interior designers to have a decent web site with lots of photographs and press clippings.   You could spend hours there looking at it all.    I bought both her books and quickly devoured them.    In short, I love Kathryn’s aesthetic and have for years and years.  And now, here she is – on my telephone – well, my Skype.  To say I was thrilled would be an understatement.  Kathryn was a tad more laid back about meeting me. 

  

 

Kathryn Ireland’s casual and comfy living room was recently updated.  I love her suzani covered chairs!! 

It’s such a perfect space with its barreled ceiling, stucco walls and casement windows. 

 

Kathryn had just arrived home from work just before we started and was exhausted – you could hear it in her voice – but she quickly rallied and had us all laughing, talking about the “neck lift” she wants.  A friend came over and handed her a glass of vino to help her relax.   I could just visualize her sitting in her wonderful living room – all comfy on her down filled sofa – munching on crackers and cheese, and gazing at the roaring fire.   She’s a star with a bigger than life personality.  She is charismatic and self deprecating at the same time.    Her clientele roster is filled with names of A-listed movie stars.  She even teases about her "name dropping,”  but she can’t help it if her clients are famous.   Her style is casual.  Rarely have I seen her do a “dressed” up room, but she does do them – perfectly.  

 

A dining room – one of the dressier interiors from Kathryn.  Isn’t this gorgeous?????  The curtain rods are perfect, as are the curtains, the striped French chairs are also perfect, as is the crystal chandelier.  Just look at the darling casement windows, the sconces, the beams!  I would eat in this room every day if I lived here.

 

During the interview, we talked about her ranch in Ojai which she rescued from years of neglect and turned it into a much loved vacation spot.  Her book  “Creating A Home” is all about the ranch and the process she went through to transform it.   Once it was finished, she had planned to sell her house in L.A and her farm in France and live in Ojai 24/7.   Unfortunately, her 3 teenaged sons vetoed that idea and she was forced to sell it – to actress Reese Witherspoon.   Kathryn reveals that Reese bought everything – all the furniture, accessories and dishes, including the forks!  Must be nice Reese!  

 

  

The Ojai ranch started out as stables for the Libbey family in the 1920s.   

Added onto by Wallace Neff, the ranch had been neglected for over 30 years when Kathryn bought it.  She spent 3 years restoring the property.

 

 

 

The same view as above – today!

 

 

 

 

A wider view of the central gravel courtyard.  The kitchen is to the right, bedrooms to the left, and the main living room is in the middle.

Spread throughout the property are numerous guest houses, stables, a swimming pool, and other charming buildings.

 

 The main living area.   Kathryn used many of her own fabrics in this house – especially those from her new Mexico Meets Morocco line.

The tiles on the stairs are original.  Upstairs is a balcony that overlooks the two story room.

 

 

Looking towards the fireplace.  The Juliet balcony leads from the large center rotunda.

 

 

In the interview, Kathryn told us that once she sold the Ojai property, she wanted a getaway somewhere closer – so she chose her own back yard. 

She turned her garage and pool area into a private retreat.

 

 

The swimming pool’s pillows are from the Mexico Meets Morocco fabric line.

 

 

Kathryn’s garage was turned into her own personal retreat.  She said she really feels like she is out of town when she stays in her private room. 

I love the lamps and lampshades – they look like the ones from her master bedroom. 

 

 

Kathryn sells this bed on her web site.  It’s beautiful!  Hard to believe this was once a garage.

 

 

 

The table and rug are Moroccan. Here the curtains are plain linen.

 

 

 

Now, the curtains match the wallpaper, which is from her new line of papers.  It looks great when paired with the matching fabric.

 

 

 

The lampshade is changed in this picture.  The side chair is also sold on Kathryn’s web site.

Here you can see the rug is layered over seagrass.  

 

 

 

I have always loved this bedroom by Barry Dixon, but it wasn’t until I read Kathryn’s blog, that I noticed the fabric on the walls and pillows is hers!

It’s in the Quilt Collection, called Paisley Stripe. 

 

She was recently a guest of Dixon’s and got to stay in the “Kathryn Ireland Bedroom.”  This is one of my favorite fabrics of hers.

Remember when it was recently seen on this blog?

 

Remember the master bedroom in the Crested Butte condo that Jenny Johnston did HERE? 

She used Kathryn’s Paisley Stripe fabric also.

 

 

To listen to this week’s Skirted Roundtable with Kathryn Ireland, go HERE.   You’ll enjoy it! 

Also, note, our sponsor, Hot House Estate Treasures, is offering Skirted Roundtable listeners a 30% discount, so be sure to check that out on the Skirted Roundtable blog!!!!

And to visit Kathryn Ireland’s web site and blog HERE.

 

Houstonians, don’t forget this Sunday is the Southampton Holiday Home Tour. 

For more information, go to the end of the blog story HERE. 

 

 

 

Architectural Digest Does Twilight!

 

I confessed to you several months ago HERE about my obsession with all things Twilight.  In case you have been living under a rock, Twilight is the hugely popular series of teen books and movies about vampires and first love.  Trust me, I’m not the only middle-aged mother with this vampire obsession.  After my official confession,  I received tons of emails (well, more than a few)  from other readers confessing the same addiction to cute, hunky vampire teenagers, especially those played by actor Robert Pattinson or RPattz, as he is affectionately known.  After my big confession, I thought I would never have the opportunity to write about anything Twilight again.  I mean, after all, how much does Twilight have to do with interior design?  Well, a lot, it appears – just ask Margaret Russell.

 

Who couldn’t love this face?  The smexy vampire star of Twilight, Robert Pattinson, or RPattz. Google Robert Pattinson and you get over 11 million hits.  Google RPattz and you get 300,000. 

 

Houses in movies are often built on soundstages.  Twilight’s contemporary Cullen house was built on this Canadian soundstage for the third movie, Eclipse.  For the fourth and fifth movies, this same house is currently being totally rebuilt on a Baton Rouge soundstage.  This house is a copy of one built in Washington by Jeff Kovel who designed it for Nike Executive John Hoke.     The first movie was filmed in the actual house.  Hoke was thrilled to lend his house for the movie, even though all his furniture and possessions were removed and replaced. 

 

Currently, the fourth and fifth Twilight movies are being simultaneously filmed on locations in Baton Rouge, Louisiana (so close!), Canada, and Brazil.   These last two movies deal with Edward and Bella’s marriage and the subsequent birth of their half-breed daughter Reneesme.  Don’t ask. The newly wed vampire couple honeymoon on their privately owned island, Isle Esme, off the coast of Brazil.  The filming of their long awaited honeymoon took place just a few weeks ago in Rio and also at a beautiful secluded beach house in Brazil.  I had planned to write all about this beach house and even spent a weekend researching other beach houses in South America to beef up the story,  but ended up shelving the idea entirely, thinking the house wasn’t THAT great.   So, imagine my shock when I opened up the new January issue of Architectural Digest with a huge spread dedicated to this same Twilight beach house!   BTW, this is Margaret Russell’s debut issue. Do you think she included the Twilight beach house just for my benefit so that I would favorably critique her first issue?  Hmmmm.   The plot thickens.

 

The beach house featured in this month’s Architectural Digest is located on a secluded bay in Brazil.  The only way to reach this house is by boat or helicopter.  The producers of Twilight picked this house expressly for its seclusion – the only way to ensure the paparazzi couldn’t take pictures of the filming.

 

 

 

The Twilight beach house in Brazil is available for rent.  Instructions to the totally isolated locale are included.   The house is reached by boat or helicopter – only.

      

 

The house was designed by Bernardes and Jacobsen, a  renowned architectural firm that works mainly in South America.   Notice how in this picture the front lawn is green grass.

 

 

For the new Twilight movie – the grass was removed and replaced with sand.  I think it looks much prettier with the sand!

 

Despite the secluded area, Paparazzi rented boats and helicopters to take pictures during the filming.  Here, men were spotted replacing the grass with sand.  In Twilight world – no detail is too trivial. 

 

 

 

The front is a long covered veranda that runs the width of the house.

The South American beach house is owned by a hugely wealthy Brazil businessman who hired the architects to custom build his 11,000 sq. ft. dream house.   In Architectural Digest, he says that everything he asked for was vetoed by the architects.   He wanted the house placed high in the hills but it was built level with the water.  Further, the owner says “Every idea I had in my head about what the house would look like and where it would be located, Bernardes said no to.  He didn’t do a single thing I requested.  But it turned out ten times better than I ever imagined.”    

 

The house is truly inside/outside.  The huge windows pivot to completely open up the house to the breezes.  It is available for rent and many of the Architectural Digest photographs appear on the rental web site. 

 

 

The furniture inside is all white slipcovers and seagrass, shells and lanterns. 

 

A long bridge on the second level connects the left and right side of the house.   Huge painted panels on the second level provide the main color in the house, where the upholstery is mostly all white cotton.

 

 

Looking the other way, there is a large orange panel on this side of the house.  According to the architect, the house was built on the same principles that local fishermen use to build their wood huts.  Bernardes built the house using huge eucalyptus posts and beams – calling the house a “tree house for adults.”  

 

 

A view of the second floor bridge that connects the two sides of the house.   The peak of the roof is a window which floods the house with light.

 

The bedrooms are on the left side, behind the wood shutters. 

 

On the same porch pictured above, in front of the bedroom shutters, the paparazzi took pictures of the filming – while the stars played a game of chess during their honeymoon. 

 

 

Later, paparazzi took more pictures when the filming was moved to the beach. 

 

Here, the chess game is now played on the beach, which leads to a torrid kiss.  Who knew chess could be so romantic?   The two stars, Kristin Stewart and Rob Pattinson actually do date in real life. 

 

Kristin aka Bella in the beach house, snapped by a paparazzi intruder.

While in Rio,  the paparazzi and thousands of fans followed the filming.  When the crew moved to the beach house, they expected complete privacy, but that was not meant to be.  Most startlingly, a lone paparazzi snuck into the beach house with a camera and caught Kristin walking around in her underwear. There were more photos of  her and Rob laughing and getting dressed in wardrobe.  These pictures were then shown on Brazilian TV and were a bombshell.   The captions read in Portuguese “Actress In Her Panties!!”    Disgusting.    Increased security was immediately instituted in Baton Rouge where the filming has now moved to and will continue until April of next year. 

 

 

Such a cute couple!   This scene was shot on the streets of Rio during a staged carnival.  When these pictures were released, there were thousands of inquires about the availability of Kristin’s dress.  Sadly, it was said to be a one-shot vintage.   No one enquired about Rob’s clothes, but…….

 

 

I got the biggest thrill during the filming of this scene showing the honeymooners leaving by boat for Isle Esme – I discovered that their luggage is the same exact set that I own!  I almost died and ran to show Mr. Slippersocks Man who was beyond thrilled.  Not.   But seriously, what are the chances that my luggage would end up in my favorite movie?   It’s an omen.  Of what?  Maybe I need more pieces of luggage???

 

 

But, without a doubt, the biggest thrill of the entire Brazil photo shoot was this picture, taken by paparazzi of course, of poor Rob’s bathing suit falling down.  How truly awful!!!!!  hehe

 

 

To rent the beach house, go to its web site, HERE.  To read more about the architects, Bernardes and Jacobsen, which I highly recommend, go HERE.  And to read the story about this beach house, get the January issue of Architectural Digest.  And no, there is no mention of the Twilight connection to the house! 

 

 

SO, back to business, how is Margaret Russell’s first Architectural  Digest?   I think it’s a great issue, a winner.   First, there seems to be shift to cleaner covers, but otherwise, the layout appears to be the same, with maybe some font size differences.  I’m sure major changes will come later.  Margaret, being the class act that she is, wrote a glowing article about Paige Rense’s legacy.   Margaret is one gracious lady.   How many times does a new editor come on board and nothing is heard of the former one ever again? 

 

 

Photograph by Derry Moore of the cover story in this month’s Architectural Digest.  Greek Isles go Swedish!

 

Inside there are some gorgeous photographs – they are extra large and plentiful for each article.   There’s a Tim Corrigan Parisian flat, there is Sting’s Tuscany spread, which is to die for.   There is a beautifully photographed house on the Aegean Sea.  Derry Moore took those photos and I hope we continue to see a lot of his work in the future.  There is a wood Zen Californian house, which I didn’t care for, but then there is another Californian house decorated by Windsor Smith!  Windsor in Architectural Digest!!!! That’s a first.  Photos by Erhard Pfeiffer.   There is a fabulously cluttered French penthouse in Manhattan, also photographed by Derry Moore.   Then, there is the Twilight beach house, of course, all ending with yet another Parisian flat.  How many houses is that?   Eight!   Amazing.  I did notice that Margaret has lured writer Mitchell Owens over from Elle Décor.  I’m not sure who else she brought with her. But just the fact that she showed Windsor Smith is a huge step – I’m guessing that the doors will be opened for all kinds of young, fresh talent at Architectural Digest – something that has been lacking for years. 

My final thoughts:    Architectural Digest will have a record year with new subscriptions.   It is chic again and that is all due to Margaret Russell’s touch.   Congratulations Margaret.  The first one is a winner!!!!

 

 

And for Houstonians:

 

For the first time, six houses in Southampton (my favorite Houston neighborhood!) will be open, one day only, all dressed up in their holiday finery.   Readers will recognize several of the houses on the tour.  One was in Lonny Magazine, April 2010, HERE.  Another was shown a few months ago on this blog – designed by Ashley Goforth HERE.  One house was designed by favorite Randy Powers.   I’ve heard that the house at 1754 Rice is a stunner – absolutely fabulous.   You can get tickets at the doors on that day or email cathyblum@greenwoodking.com to reserve them. 

 

 

 

The house on the tour at 1902 Sunset has a long and interesting history.  It was featured in Lonny Magazine this past April.

 

And, this house on the tour at 2115 Sunset was designed by Ashley Goforth.  Pictures of the house were shown on the blog several months ago.

 

 

And finally:

Kathryn Ireland’s living room – she reveals what actor Steve Martin said about this room!

 

In other news:  Interior Designer extraordinaire Kathryn Ireland was a guest on the Skirted Roundtable.  Watch for information about when the interview will go online!!!  It’s a good one!!