The overall feel of the club is warm and gracious.  Like your chic grandmothers home it is easy to live in yet something to aspire to.  Tom was able to blend the old tradition with a new forward thinking look.  I assuming keeping members of all ages thrilled.  It is very difficult to bring about any change in a club and he has done so with aplomb.  You find chinese chippendale mixed with bamboo, rattan, wrought iron, cane, grasscloth, antiqued mirror, and loads of quadrille, and michael devine fabric.

Above: One of my all time favorite rooms

Above: A close up of the walls.  They installed grasscloth and painted it a deep chocolate brown.  They then painted ivory and white palm trees on top.

The result is fantastic.

Above: A shot of the Library where backgammon is played and you can escape the sun to read.

Above: The Bar done in reds and tans with leopard rug.  It is cozy and timeless yet feels totally current.

Above: A close up shot of an etched bell jar lantern- one of my favorite light fixtures to use.

Above: A seating area in the lobby with large panels of antiqued mirror, a Peter Dunham fabric on the kidney shaped sofa, and a custom fig leaf ceramic ashtray.

We stayed in room 39 right on the beach and it was fantastic.  I can also recommend the cottages which were terribly chic, calimg, and fresh with their quadrille wallpaper.  Another favorite spot was the Yacht Club with a navy and black striped floor that picked the colors right out of the swordfish that hangs above the fireplace.  Sitting outside at a table you overlook a bode court watching beautiful boats pull into their slips.  Sigh…..take me back.

Above: The clubs signature drink the Rum Dum.

Totally relaxed!

xo,

S

Some of my favorite’s:

This one blew my mind. They had a drawing Picasso did when he was 8 or 9 years old. Hercules 1890 below:

Portrait of the Artist’s Father 1896 is below. Done only 6 years after the drawing above.  His talent grew incredibly- amazing.

Sorry about the size of the image… I loved this one in person, the colors and mixed media gave it such a wonderful feel. Portrait of Antoni Sabates 1899:

Seating nude and Standing Nude 1906 is below.

Yellow Nude 1907 below:

Still Life with Chocolate Pot below. 1909

The New York Times covered the exhibit today: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/07/arts/design/lines-that-kept-moving-and-knew-no-boundaries.html

Buy your tickets online and go see this exhibit before it is gone: http://www.frick.org/exhibitions/picasso/

xo,

S

And we’re back! I went to Nantucket this past weekend with my husband and daughter to stay with friends. The weather was truly gorgeous and we had an action packed weekend. Growing up in New England, Nantucket has always been a favorite summer getaway. I could go on and on…but I won’t. I have included some photos I took this weekend of a few of my favorite spots.

Above: The view of the harbor as you fly in.

Above: We spent some time at The Westmoor Club with our friends who are members.  The landscaping and facilities are amazing.  We played croquette on the grass courts next to the grass tennis courts and ate dinner in the club house.  The Colonial Revival mansion built in 1917 for Alice Vanderbilt is now the clubhouse ( the large dining room was added on when the club was built).  The following day we went out on the club’s 77′ classic wooden boat Belle and had lunch and watched the regatta.

The Chanticleer is my absolute favorite restaurant on the island. Located in Sconset, the charming old restaurant is beautifully decorated and sits amidst beautiful gardens of wild flowers.  The food never disappoints with their modern French menu emphasizing New England and Artisan ingredients. I had the beet salad which had goat cheese and a chocolate truffle glaze. Unbelievable.  For my main course I had the swordfish with an onion ring on top.  Perfection. I cannot get back there soon enough.

The Chanticleer: 9 New Street • Sconset • Nantucket, MA • 508.257.4499

Below are photos I took while walking the bluff in Sconset.  This is a great way to see some of Nantucket’s most beautiful homes and gardens.  The walk along the bluff takes you through every waterfront home’s front yard.

I am all ready missing it!

Here are some great cocktail table books so you can bring Nantucket home with you:

Nantucket: Island Living

Buy it here: http://www.amazon.com/Nantucket-Island-Living-Leslie-Linsley/dp/1584797231/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314203080&sr=8-1

Nantucket: Gardens and Houses:

Buy it here: http://www.amazon.com/Nantucket-Gardens-Houses-Taylor-Lewis/dp/0316523348/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1314203200&sr=8-12

xo,

S

So sorry it has been such a long hiatus! We have been swamped with clients and haven’t had any time to post!  I am off to Nantucket for a long weekend to see friends and get some R & R.  I promise to have a juicy, ultra-fab post for you about my travels when I return!

I took the above photos during my last trip out to Nantucket.  Sconset is my favorite part of the island- so charming!

xo,

S

Visit the shop: http://www.taigan.com/

xo,

S

To vote please visit: http://www.traditionalhome.com/design_decorating/howwelive/youngdesigners-sara-gilbane.html

The shoot with Lonny Mag’s Patrick and Michelle was as fun and laid back as you would expect something from Lonny to be.  This project was definately one of my favorite I have worked on.  The loft space is amazing and the client’s were a dream – great taste and excited about the design process.  It was wonderful working on this project and therefore very fulfilling to share this with Lonny, TradHome, and all of their readers.  A few more shots below:

If you haven’t read the article you can find it here: http://www.lonnymag.com/issues/19-trad-home/pages/1#p97

To see more images from the apartment please visit my website and view the TOWN section in my portfolio: http://www.saragilbaneinteriors.com/

xo,

S

My favorite quote from the article is “Happiness is not a big house. It’s being in each other’s way. That’s what brings memories.” This could not be more true.

Read the article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/07/garden/07location.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&ref=garden

Visit Karina’s online shop at 1st dibs: http://disegnokarinagentinetta.1stdibs.com/store/furniture_search.php?FRID=ZmqXaGxpkZWW

xo,

S

xo,

S

To see curbed magazines coverage and the other 19 nominees visit their website: http://curbed.com/archives/2011/02/02/sneaking-a-peek-at-trad-homes-20-new-traditionals.php#trad-home-17

xo,

S

Sounds promising…

Visit their site and subscribe: http://www.highglossmagazine.com/

xo,

S

xo,

S

House Beautiful asked me to style a sofa for their most recent issue (Jan/ Feb 2011). It was a fun project as it challenged me to get my personal style across with just throw pillows.  As you can see from my portfolio, I love color, texture, and fabrics so I thought it best to try to find a combination of the three.  There are many fabulous throw pillows out there but these caught my eye as something fun, chic, and different.  I am a fan of pairs of pillows and on a white sofa I love a solid color to make the throw pillows pop.  The deep eggplant ostrich feather pillows are so much fun.  Both the color and the feathers jump off the clean ivory linen sofa.  Layered in front are some of the most beautifully embroidered multi-color throw pillows I have ever seen.  The embroidery adfds another layer of texture.

I often advise clients who are in rental apartments/ homes to go with a neutral color palette for their base so they won’t have to reupholster their sofas over and over as this can be expensive.  Stick with a neutral on the sofa and you can completely change the feel of your next apartment with throw pillows and paint colors.

To see the other 5 ways to refresh a sofa visit House beautiful: http://www.housebeautiful.com/decorating/home-makeovers/pillow-decorating-ideas-0211

To purchase the Dransfield and Ross throw pillows you can visit my shop:  http://saragilbaneinteriors.bigcartel.com/

I took it one step further and selected additional items I would furnish the room with:

I would go with a deep teal grasscloth on the walls ( as seen in the background) to add an earthy texture in a bold color.  Taking a cue from the glam ostrich throw pillows I would bring in the capiz shell light fixture, gilt foo dog table lamps, and antique mirrored desk.  A desk chair with a fun shape upholstered in acidy yellow pulls out the color from the embroidered throw pillow.  The rug from Van der hurd studios adds another pattern and so unbelievably soft.

xo,

S

Many clients have their own books which end up looking sloppy or sad in the newly finished shelving.  We hunt down books by the yard to fill their shelves and the end result is beautiful.  The Strand book store in Union Square NYC has a fabulous selection but hearing about Juniper Books is a godsend.  Thatcher Wine will wrap your books or you can select from a vast collection of his.

A few of my favorite’s below:

Above: Custom Blues

Above: Kids Collection

Above: Da Vinci

Above: Fabric wrapped books in linen- how perfect would these be in a beach house?

Above: Pattern wrapped books

Visit Juniper Books:  http://juniperbooks.com/

xo,

S

http://www.elledecor.com/elle-decor/articles/interior-resolve

http://www.elledecor.com/image/tid/5974?page=5

Xo,
S

See more of Claiborne’s work at her website:

http://claiborneswansonfrank.com/work/

xo,

S