Red Notebook Studio

So over at Apartment Therapy there has been a spirited discussion about the "Modern Rustic" "Urban Country" "Soho Shaker" (not my invention...i think Melinda is the authoress) aesthetic...one to which i ascribe.

It's bascially Country without the K. Rustic bones, natural finishes and materials, and clean, simple furniture. No clutter, everything purposeful.

There is actually not too much difference between actual Shaker and Soho Shaker, except for the stray chrome table or lucite chair.

The best example of the style is at Christian Liagre's island house near La Rochelle Il St. something that I still can't remember. Don't think Il St. Lo, but could be. I can't find any electronic pictures to link to, so I'll include some from my own house, which is heavily influenced by his place. His palette is white, black, brown and charcoal, with straw baskets and the like -- but not too many. Everything is quite geometric. My palette is slightly less restrained but also hinges on black, brown and white -- with a hit of red and avocado on the ground floor, and Tiffany blue upstairs in the bath. I love the bath; I built the Brazilian cherry box in which the sink sits, and the table is an antique oak table that was repurposed to hold plumbing. I also like pullies (you'll see). And in my kitchen, I cut my own granite counters (my dad's in the biz. great big saw). He made the granite sink for me based on my drawings and measurements. The backsplash is the natural edge of the granite -- normally tossed out at the fabricator -- and the kickplates are mirror. They totally freak my cats out, but they bounce a lot of light in the room.