Monday, February 27, 2012

Style á la Schuyler

Hurry out and nab the March Vogue with Adele on the cover.
Vogue 2012 Adele Carolyn Murphy Schuyler Samperton
(Photograph by Jay Fitzgerald)

Because Schuyler Samperton, one of my favorite LA interior designers, has done it again.
The last time I had coffee with Schuyler (at Joan's on Third, a stone's throw from her chic office), she had dropped some hints to me about the home she was currently designing for Carolyn Murphy.

Me: It sounds so crazy beautiful. Will I ever be able to see it?
Schuyler: (pause, followed by a cryptic smile) I think so.

(Photograph by Jay Fitzgerald)

Schuyler's interiors combine bohemian, vintage and French-country elements, but more than that, they have a soulful, laissez-faire glamour that you instantly feel when you walk into them. They whisper, they don't shout. They breathe a sexy relaxed confidence (come to think of it, just like her and her clients).

I love how she has broken her rooms down into their key decorating elements, don't you? (You can view them on her blog here.) It makes it so much easier to understand how different pieces can work together.
(Photo by Grey Crawford for Vogue)

living room vogue interior design carolyn murphy home schuyler samperton
(Photo by Grey Crawford for Vogue)


When I emailed Schuyler last night for a quote, she wrote back immediately (and during the Oscars, no less!):

"In terms of the experience, I'd have to say that Carolyn and I were always totally in sync about the vision of the place. We'd worked together on a few houses in the past, and so we have kind of a shorthand with each other. She has amazing taste and appreciates irregularity, imperfection, age and history, so I was able to gather a really interesting and unique collection of rugs, furniture, textiles, paintings and accessories. It's the mix of objects, as well as the objects themselves that create the mood."

~Schuyler Samperton

Quick, someone grab me before I tumble head-first into this photograph and start speaking in some old Provençal dialect.
(Photo by Grey Crawford for Vogue)

On Schuyler's blog, she writes about her design process, inspiration and even her favorite LA shopping spots (which I'm reposting below):

160 N. La Brea Avenue, LA 90036


730 N. Highland Avenue, LA 90038
(323) 957-0370


724 N. La Cienega Boulevard, LA 90069
(310) 273-6200


8925 Melrose Avenue, West Hollywood 90069
(310) 492-9990


746 N. La Cienega Boulevard, LA 90069
(310) 657-8708


Merci, Schuyler!
________________

Editor's Note:

Regular readers of this blog will remember that I was lucky enough to meet Schuyler last year when she emailed me about a Bloomsbury Group-themed window she was styling for 2011's LA Design Quarter. In fact, a needlepoint pillow I stitched from an actual design by Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell (from the book Bloomsbury Needlepoint) even made it into the photo shoot, and if you think that pillow has been putting on airs ever since, you would be right. :)
(Photo by Karyn Millet)

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

What I love most about this design is that these rooms have the feeling as if these was a work of years. Hundreds of years even. I love how it seems as thought these collected items have been there for ages..

Just incredibly lovely!


www.houseofhemingway.com

Bumble at home said...

So exciting that Schuyler has started a blog,I now have you Mark D Sikes and her to follow in LA such a gret mix

Anonymous said...

So very lovely and inspiring! These interiors took my breathe away!

Anonymous said...

Wonderful post. Since I am a 'new subscriber' I hadn't seen the 'Bloomsbury-esque' room with your embroidered pillow...love, love, love, the Vanessa Bell pillow. When I lived in England (near Cambridge) one of my favorite places to go for an afternoon was 'The Orchard' outside of Cambridge...a favorite spot for members of the Bloomsbury group.

Cheers!
Meredith @ Tuscan Blue Design

Lisa said...

I bought the issue last week for a spread on another famous face but for some reason found myself more entranced with the pages of Carolyn Murphy's home than the perfection of the other place. The magazine has already been dismantled and Carolyn's pages placed in plastic sheet protector's in my 'book'. How I envy her cat.

Jessica Thor-Miller said...

This is sitting next to my bed begging to be consumed. I've been deterred by the sheer heft of it! Thank you for sharing - what an inspirational design!

MT

The Buzz Blog @ Diane James Home said...

Yeah - so excited that Schuyler's beautiful work was featured! Thank you for writing about the article - our Vogue arrived but it was so ladened with ads that we hadn't seen the spread yet! Schuyler's sense of style and mix of patterns is always so warm and inviting. Cheers, Cynthia

Hanz, Fashionista Era Design said...

such a great images! decor is really good!! just came across your blog..really nice

Dont miss my 4 HARVEY PRINCE PERFUMES Worldwide giveaway :)
http://fashionistaera.blogspot.com/2012/02/harvey-prince-perfume-worldwide.html

Thea vintage said...

Looks lovely! Must buy a copy!

Karen Orr said...

Good looking blog!

The pictures of Carolyn Murphy's house are wonderful. I would love to see more photographs of this house on the blog.

shiree segerstrom said...

Lisa, loved this post on Schuyler. I think I recall hearing she worked with Michael Smith for a while. She did a lovely job for Carolyn Murphy. Great style. Very easy and confident. Shiree'

Anonymous said...

Incredible so simple and cosy interior gives you that feeling of real home. I adore her works a real inspirations for me. Greets check out report london

Amy A said...

After reading your post, I decided to order the Bloomsury book and would like to begin the cushion project. I'm a bit confused as to how to transfer the design from the book to the cushion. Any tips? Thanks! Amy

Amy A said...

After reading your post, I decided to order the Bloomsury book and would like to begin the cushion project. I'm a bit confused as to how to transfer the design from the book to the cushion. Any tips? Thanks! Amy

Amy A said...

After reading your post, I decided to order the Bloomsury book and would like to begin the cushion project. I'm a bit confused as to how to transfer the design from the book to the cushion. Any tips? Thanks! Amy

Lisa Borgnes Giramonti said...

Amy A:
It's counted-stitch embroidery, so there is no transferring the design, unfortunately. You basically start in a corner and needlepoint each stitch according to the grid. It sounds horrible, but you totally get used to it.

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