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Color Envy

Do The Math!

I confess that math was not my strong suit in high school. I mean, calculating all those lengths, volumes and angles usually gave me a headache. But you don’t have to be a math whiz to love the latest design trend making the grade. Geometric shapes are big this year and we can’t get enough. Circles, squares, triangles and hexagons are hitting the design runway in everything from ceramic tiles to wallpapers and fabrics.

On Madison has curated a montage of our favorites from this year’s hottest look. Find all of them on our Pinterest board, Madison Modern Blog. Who says parallelograms can’t be fun?

$Do The Math$

Born Stylish: Iris Apfel

There are just certain people for whom style just comes naturally: Diana Vreeland, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Audrey Hepburn, among others, possessed the innate ability to style themselves with fashion looks that would become not only their signature looks but cement them as iconic fashion symbols as well.

Add Iris Apfel to that list. Perhaps lesser known than her more famous style compatriots, Apfel is nonetheless a grand doyenne of all things stylish. She started her career helping to create the luxury textile house, Old World Weavers, with her husband Carl. Old World Weavers went on to become synonymous in the design world with quality and luxury. Iris and Carl traveled the world as a result of their business and Iris began collecting non-Western clothing and jewelry which would form the basis for her singular look.

Apfel is an artist and her canvas is herself. She has the unique ability to craft highly layered looks from her vast collection of richly woven garments and ethnic jewelry. There is no mistaking Apfel’s look: short platinum gray hair, huge over-sized round glasses, and massive jewelry often worn in staggering amounts.

Apfel, at 94, continues to exert influence in the worlds of both high fashion and interior design. She inspires creativity and the fearlessness to mix eras, cultures and styles with utter abandon to produce something that is truly individual. We showcase the fabulous world she created in her Manhattan apartment as well as her incredibly unique sense of style and beauty in the collage below.

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Design Driven Destinations

I don’t know about you, but this time of year I’m thinking about exotic destinations. Thanksgiving and Christmas are over and there are no major holidays left until Spring Break, which means it’s the right time for a vacation. For the design obsessed, our getaways have to inspire as well. Travel can provide the visual inspiration to not only recharge our batteries but to bring a fresh perspective to our projects, or simply fuel our imagination.

Here are some of our picks for design getaways that will have you packing your bags:

What do you get when you combine Alice in Wonderland and the epitome of French high fashion? A hotel designed by Christian Lacroix of course. The Hotel Le Bellechasse will have you feeling like you’ve stepped into a fantasy dreamland of oversized butterflies. Showcasing his interior design talent, each of the rooms has it’s own distinct character and style, featuring unique atmospheres, rich materials, and even large murals and decorated ceilings in some. And the location, of course, is prime as well, sitting on the left bank of the Seine River and only steps away from the Musée d’Orsay.

If you fancy a stay in the Far East, we recommend The Upperhouse in Hong Kong. Designed by architect Andre Fu, a highly sought after young architect, The Upperhouse is a 5-star hotel with a mix of suites and studios offers a peaceful, serene escape from the city. Lush with natural materials and minimalist design elements, Fu’s goal was to create “a haven of calm and quiet taste” and it surely accomplishes that with the clean lines of the architecture, furnishings, and room details.

Francis Ford Coppola. I mean the guy wrote, directed, and produced all three Godfather sagas, makes respected wines in the Napa Valley, and has created a string of luxury hotels all over the world. His latest venture is a collaboration with the iconic French architect Jacques Grange. Palazzo Margherita is located in the not very touristy part of Southern Italy’s boot where Coppola’s grandfather was born, the small town of Bernalda. This is what your Italian countryside fantasy is all about. The palazzo was built in 1892 and features stunning gardens and painted frescos, the entire property surrounded by a thriving agricultural countryside which grows local grapes, fruits, and vegetables.I know I’m a bit heavy on Italian destinations, but the Italians do have style to spare. The ultra exclusive Palazzo Fendi offers 7 exclusive suites in the palace of the Ludovisi Boncompagni family, originally the headquarters of Fendi until 2005. Completely restored, you’ll find history as well as signature Fendi style, which means luxe, luxe, luxe.

Another exotic locale that inspires us is the new outpost of the original and world famous Gem Palace in Jaipur. The Gem Palace was established in 1852 and has seen the likes of celebrities and royalty of past and present, being court jewelers to royalty and such throughout history. Their new Mumbai boutique is absolutely STUNNING, it’s hard to look away from the emerald green and sky blue color palette, as well as the striking furnishings and details in every corner. We’re obsessed.

See all the images in our post as well as links to more retail/interior/hotel inspiration at our On Madison Pinterest boards.

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