This gorgeous home on 130 acres is located in Millbrook, in the Hudson Valley. Designed by Cicognani Kalla Architect it is country living at its finest. The great room has two 18th century stone fireplaces, limestone tile floors, and custom French doors. The kitchen opens right up onto fabulous gardens and a stone terrace. It has a heated greenhouse, wine cellar, chicken coop, and outbuildings include caretaker’s home and office. I also found that in December of last year it was for sale for $13.1M. What a dream!

The new owner of the place and his companion had clearly expressed their preferences for a style full of poetry and extravagance and a touch of nostalgia with references to the past. The tone was set for an apartment that had to be playful, warm, soft, daring, colorful, sophisticated and refined, a bit retro and nostalgic to live in withdrawn from the world as in a family home out of time, protective, far from the criteria of fashion and the trends of the present. Like a garment tailor-made for a personality with special characteristics, some choices were dictated by the owner’s Asian origins: design of the glass roof, Delft blue plates, enhancement of the collection of works of art, furniture and objects of Korean origin of exceptional quality. Wallpapers in bedrooms reactivate our childhood memories. This apartment translates the aspirations we had to invent an imaginary and poetic world by favoring fantasy, delicacy, and lightness.
I am always in awe of designer Marianne Evennou‘s work and this one is no exception. How she delineates spaces using colour, and uses colours one might never think to attempt in the same space is so impressive. The kitchen in this apartment may be tiny but it is GORGEOUS. Photos: Grégory Timsit.

It’s been nearly a million years since I featured Los Angeles based showroom and design studio Martin & Brockett so I thought I would share some design projects this time around. Lots of cozy spaces and love the use of colour, even when subtle. Also a fan of the plethora of art displayed throughout.

Over the years Desire to Inspire has proudly partnered with the A’ Design Award & Competition, the world’s largest annual juried design competition with over 100 categories (you can learn more about some of the super categories: Good Industrial Design Award, Good Architecture Design Award, Good Product Design Award, Good Communication Design Award, Good Service Design Award, Good Fashion Design Award). It honors the best designers, architects, and design-oriented companies worldwide to provide them publicity, fame and recognition. it is such an exciting competition, and an incredibly prestigious award!  A’ Design Award & Competition is an indicator of quality and perfection in design, recognized worldwide, with your design front and centre before design companies and professionals. Entries are judged by an international jury panel of scholars, professionals and media members and the benefits to the winners are inspiring. The trophy, of course, an invitation to the gala night, a certificate of quality, inclusion in the prestigious A’ Design Award & Competition exhibition and the yearly ResultBook but even more importantly press, PR, introduction to industry professionals and companies and international exposure. There is still time to get entries in for this year’s awards. Register today!

Let’s get started and have a peek at some of the talented winners of last year’s Furniture Design category (one of MANY categories that are included in the competition).

Golf Folding Chair by Miguel Arruda

Well’s Lounge Chair by Emre Oner

Tiramisu Pouf by Ruya Akyol

Arkhe Furniture Collection by Fulden Topaloglu

Stagione Transformative Chair by Nikolaos Karintzaidis

Hone Shelf by Pablo Vidiella

Cenear Bench by Christine Xiang

Alskar Lounge Chair by Danwei Zhao

Infinity Console by Cesare Arosio

Luar Armchair by Lattoog

Hanoi Detachable Sofa by Yuqi Wang

Accent Item Lighting Furniture by Yu Ren

Ariu Armchair by Research and Development Design Italia Srl

Oco Armchair by Mauricio Coelho

Tau Murano Small Table by Tulczinsky

Do you think you have what it takes to take on the best of the best design from around the world? You can register for the 2023-2024 A’ Design Award and Competition here but time is short so get your entries in now. And to see more award winning designs you can check them all out here.

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This post is brought to you in collaboration with A’ Design Award & Competition.

Nineteenth Century chateau on the northern bank of the river Charente, just a five-minute walk from the centre of glorious Jarnac. This extraordinary prestige property was built for a wealthy cognac merchant towards the end of the 19th century, sits high overlooking a town steeped in the culture and traditions of the cognac trade. Arranged over 3 stories, in excess of 700m2, and with a vast basement area to develop. On the ground floor there is a dining room, with grand wooden fireplace, wall-panelling, coffered ceiling and painted wall hangings, a study with another spectacularly carved and painted ceiling and a vast reception room area opening on to the terrace and below, the gravel driveway which encircles the building. Of particular note is the “winter salon”, with its mosaic flooring, stucco balustrading, hand-painted wall fabrics and ornate cornicing. A long hallway with painted wall coverings runs west to east, with a kitchen and stone, spiral, service staircase connecting basement to upper levels at one end, and a magnificent marble split-level, complete with yet more floor to ceiling hand painted artwork at the other. On the first floor there are four large bedrooms, each with its own bathroom and open on to the grand balcony at the front of the chateau. The top floor has a further 6 bedrooms. The park land of over 5 acres which slopes down from the house to the riverbank is predominantly meadow and directly in front of and beneath the driveway there is a stone “grotto” with a series of pools and waterfalls.
This sounds like absolute perfection, and almost looks like it (clearly some work required). Love this soooo much! For sale for €1,750,000 via Prestige Property.