What is Your Luxury? Elle Decor shares at Fall Market

Luxury Issue of Elle Decor (Nov)

What is the definition of luxury? Is it the literal definition .. 

lux·u·ry/ˈləkSH(ə)rē/

Noun:	The state of great comfort and extravagant living.
Adjective:	Luxurious or of the nature of a luxury: "a luxury yacht"; "luxury goods".
Synonyms:	noun.  pomp adjective.  luxurious - fancy - deluxe

or is it something more closely related to that defined by our senses - touch, sight.. and whether you feel luxurious?

What does it mean to you and what importance do you attribute to having these luxurious moments or elements within your home?

Elle Decor's very own Michael Boodro shared with us some of the answers that architects, designers, landscape designers, decorators, and overall design influencers answered on a national survey which is the feature of this month's issue.

Curious? I was ..

Here are a few of the results, and the top 3 answers from the survey..

Necessities for a Luxury Residence:

1. Spa Bath 74%
2. Outdoor Kitchen 62%
3. Home Gym 61%

Design: Trip Haneish, Photo: Simon Upton 

Courtney Cox's home spa, as was seen in Elle Decor in July 2011, designed by Trip Haenisch sink fittings are by Waterworks (another of the Luxury highlighted brands) and a chair and ottoman which are upholstered in a velvet by Rose Tarlow Melrose House. Let's just say, the epitome of luxury!

and when it comes to the Outdoor Space .. Michael Boodro himself in his Editor's letter say it best..

... the Outdoor space, in fact, is the new plus ultra.
And that is what I stumbled upon with my first Manhattan apartment, which came with a terrace nearly as large as my studio. I assumed I would never use it. But before long I was tending roses and lilacs, and hosting barbecues and cocktails.         - Michael Boodro

Design: Trip Haenisch Photo: Simon Upton 

Luxurious Fabrics:

1. Clarence House
2. Brunschwig & Fils
3. Cowton & Tout

By selecting these brands, are we seeing a shift back to more traditional prints and patterns within design schemes?

1/Cowton & Tout Kapurtala fabric (Cowton & Tout)  2/ Brunshwig & Fils Parfum d ete Ebony
3/ Clarence House Tibet Print

Luxurious WallCoverings:

1. Phillip Jeffries
2. Maya Romanoff
3. Gracie

Textures, and patterns that make every room come alive - Wallpaper, a MUST!

1/ Maya Romanoff Flexi Mother of Pearl  2/Phillip Jeffries Imperial Gates Grasscloth 3/ Gracie Handpainted paper

Luxurious American Furniture Brands:

1. Baker
2. Holly Hunt
3. Hickory Chair / Rose Tarlow Melrose House

Thomas Pheasant / Baker Collection  -  Alexa Hampton (with Thor) at Hickory Chair
Showrooms - High Point Market (North Carolina)

Not 3 but 4 great American Furniture Brands. Although there are so many others that are also personal favorites of mine, these few as highlighted by the Elle Decor survey, such as Baker with it's new collection by Thomas Pheasant as covered in my post, or Hickory Chair and it's many collections with designers like Alexa Hampton (pictured above), are also great supporters of providing designers with options and flexibility among the high standard of quality. That for me, as a designer, is the TRUE luxury!

Holly Hunt & Showroom / Rose Tarlow & Showroom

Holly Hunt & Rose Tarlow Melrose House, both considered leading women in the design industry and recognized as such as well by Elle Decor, also showcase many of their pieces of furniture in the D&D - Design & Decoration Building, with spacious showrooms and wonderful selections.


Not only about the brands, but those that bring them together to create unique experiences for their clients.. Some well known designers, shared their thoughts on what Luxury means to them as well..


What is Luxury Now?

"Real luxury is the way you live—ironed sheets, fresh flowers, polished furniture, a welcoming house. The atmosphere you get when you’ve really made an effort with the space, versus a space devoid of life." - Bunny Williams

Bunny Williams & John Rosselli - with Beeline Home presented in the John Rosselli showroom (18th floor)

One of the visits during the 2 days of Fall Market at the D&D Building, was a lunch hosted by Bunny Williams with her Beeline Home collection on display, in the John Rosselli showroom, which happens to one of the most exquisite showrooms with so much to offer for every need and style.

"Luxury is defined in two ways. There is the cerebral interpretation, which has to do with comfort, relaxation, and a quality of space that’s an escape from the pressured realities of life.

The object-­oriented part is things that are unique: hand-loomed fabrics, handmade lampshades, verre églomisé panels, and furnishings made by artisans who cross over into the realm of fine art, such as Hervé Van der Straeten and Ado Chale."                 - Jamie Drake

This could not have been more apparent in Jamie Drake's room, in the Kips Bay Showhouse as pictured from my afternoon there. I had the chance to speak with Jamie at the time, and his attention to every detail is the reason he has been considered one of the most influential contemporary interior designers.

Jamie Drake: in his room, Kips Bay Showhouse 2012

So how do you define luxury - for yourself, and in your home?

As an interior designer, this is part of what my client's are able achieve. Not only is it in the final result, but in being part of the process of discovery as to what luxury is to them.

Make sure to head out and get the latest issue of Elle Decor, and more to come on the Fall Market and Market product finds and trends. Wishing you all a wonderfully luxurious weekend.

The History of Public Bathing with Mr Steam & BlogTour London

As many of you know, I spent many years living in Portugal - a country deeply steeped with the rituals of baths, especially with the fine thermal waters running throughout the country, and many spas of today still take advantage of these areas to establish specialized treatments and care centers based on the unique qualities of these waters.

In Lisbon, part of the local tradition for the locals weekly baths would create scandalous rippling of gossip across the city as the people descended the steps of the Praça do Comércio to bathe nude in the river.

Széchenyi Baths in Budapest,

Not only true of Portugal, but throughout Europe, the natural thermal springs such as in Bath were first discovered by Prince Bladud around 863BC, who was cured from his skin disease after bathing in the waters.

The Spa of Trenčianske Teplice in Slovakia, is one of the most visited and the oldest spas there, from 1397 with spring water at 37-40°C (98-104F) and with a chemical composition of sulphur-calcium-magnesium-thermal-hypotonic mineral waters, also known to cure many ailments and diseases.

While the Széchenyi Baths in Budapest, is the largest medicinal coeed bath and one of the largest public baths in Europe still today.




In Portugal, many of the older public baths based on the thermal natural waters, are now being rehabilitated and remodeled, such as the recent $20 Million investment renovation of the very well known group, Banyan Tree, and the Estoril Wellness Center in my very own "home" town..

1/ Thermal Water of Geres 2/ Hospital Thermal Bath (Caldas da Rainha)
3-4/ The new Thermal Banyan Tree Wellness Center - Estoril

But the use of public baths was not only common place in Europe and Russia,oh no...
In New York City the Asser Levy Public Baths from 1908 as reproduced here, were not only an area for cleaning but for leisure.

Asser Levy Public Baths (E 23rd St)  - 1908
Click here for a Simon Fieldhouse gallery.

Heating water of course was a challenge before contemporary plumbing was available, and although most hot springs are often found in volcanic areas made it possible to enjoy the pleasure of soaking, while steam rooms or saunas became possible by heating where in areas such as Portugal they used red-hot stones to make steam baths.

Russian Venus by Boris Kustodiev

Throughout history, and across the globe, many cultures and civilizations such as the "Banya" (a steam bath with a stove) in Russia, . Nowadays any type of bath or sauna is usually called banya in Russia and other former USSR countries.

The word banya is of Greek origin - “cleansing of a body with the help of steam.”, but some linguists believe the word takes roots from the Latin balneum — “something that makes pain and sadness go away.”

However similar they were in theory, the layout & overall designs of banya and/or hamam and Roman bath are different. In a classical hamam, there is a chimney which runs under the floor and heats the room & in the shape of an octagon with consists of three basic, interconnected rooms: the caldarium - hot room; the warm room (tepidarium), which is the intermediate room; and the cool room (frigidarium). 

Artists have used this ambiance for many backdrop to their art, being able to conjure up so many emotions and symbolic simply by setting the scene within one of these bath houses... 

exotic, sensual, primal, vulnerability, friendship and social interaction, luxury and exuberance. 

traditional hamam - painting via

The power of the location and what it stands for, and how we ourselves have somehow come across one of these situations ourselves is so evident simply by juxtaposing these two artistic expressions against one another.

Patrick Dallard & Santo Magonza @ Ice Hotel "Somewhere between dream and reality, ‘Hammam’ contrasts the cold, dry elements of the Arctic with the warmth and comfort of an early Arabic bathhouse"

Yet, today not much has really changed, as Michael Boodro Editor in Chief of Elle Decor Magazine  pointed out at a conference at the D&D Building I attended a few days ago (more on that later), the true definition of luxury for any one individual is unequivocally to have their own private "Spa" within their own home.

This overwhelming response defining clearly what they consider to be the defining element of "True Luxury" as shown with over 70% responding, in a poll of many interior designers & architects.

The Palms, The Drift Spa & Hamam - Las Vegas

So until you are able to recreate these types of spaces for yourself at home,

The Standard Hotel - Hamam, Miami Beach

So, why not indulge!?

Why not create a little luxury for yourselves at home? Don't forget the enormous health applications that a great Steam Room can provide for you ... as it serves to draw out toxins and soothes the skin...

The team from Mr Steam, while visiting their site, within a few clicks you can get an idea of what is possible to create within your own personal space by simply filling out their easy "size and selection form" and, voila!, they will help you build the home spa of your dreams and this could be you!

and if that is too much, then give them a call or write them an email 

Customer Service Hotline at 1-800-76-STEAM (East Coast)

 or 1-800-72-STEAM (West Coast) or email hello@mrsteam.com at any time.

A little more reading on the history of steam bathing ->

Steam Bathing Culture from Around the World 

via Steam Therapy. 

From Rome, to Japan; Turkey and Morocco to Russia; the Spanish Spas and Native American Sweat Lodge; and finally Mexico's traditional sweat bath.

Make sure to visit the Steam Therapy site, and Mr Steam for much more inspiration and information on all the products available to renovate your home today and create your own private steam spa.

Thanks again to all the sponsors, and Modenus for this amazing journey.

Tomorrow's post, I will continue on the theme of bathing, but perhaps making it a little more private!