SEE THIS HOUSE: A $7.3 MILLION GREEN NYC TOWNHOUSE!

This upper east side townhouse with its bright red door and limestone facade has a Thermal Envelope that reduces the amount of energy needed to "run" this eco-friendly home. (above)

This new townhouse on the posh upper east side of New York is truly green...not in color but in construction with its environmentally correct LEED certification.

(Aside admission: uhhhhh...I didn't know what LEED was until I just looked it up...here's the definition from wikipedia..."Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) is an internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies intended to improve performance in metrics such as energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts"...good to know...some of us more clueless folks learn something new every day...who knew...right?).

Anyhooooooo...it is 5 bedrooms, 3 baths, 2 powder rooms, a wine cellar, entertainment room, 3 outdoor spaces and 3 stories. Wow. Ultra modern living (with a few soft edges) right in the middle of Manhattan.
















I like the foyer with the round loft opening to the second floor balcony/landing, the wood floors, the open kitchen (even though I always say I do not prefer open kitchens) and all of the private outdoor space right in the middle of New York. Clearly this is staged for selling...a little cold and impersonal...but if I got my hands on it to decorate, I could warm it up and make it a wonderful home!

Is this home your "green" cup of tea?

xo
Coco

P.S. Reminder about the potential for a fab linen pillow giveaway...please join the COCOCOZY FACEBOOK PAGE and/or please suggest it to your friends. The minute we reach 2000 followers there, I will do a linen pillow giveaway again. Windsor Smith designed linen upholstered pillows! Yooo hoooo...

P.P.S. Also, please go to the COCOCOZY FACEBOOK PAGE today to find out what coveted item my dog ate...and please some advice on what to do with my pampered pooch who is literally eating me out of house and home! Leave a comment after you find out what he ate this time (hint this is the same 15lb dog who has gnawed through two sofas)...hmmm....perplexing!

Photos: Sotheby's

A DECORATIVE PAGODA STYLE BIRD CAGE - MY NEW HOME DECOR OBSESSION!

Photos by Coco of Cococozy

Custom painted in a glossy teal...a Chinoiserie inspired wood bird cage turns into a wonderful intricate decorative accent on my deck(above)
Okay...loving this decorative wood bird cage. I don't have a bird but I now have a bird cage! Makes COCOCOZY sense...right? No bird, has bird cage, doesn't want a bird but loves the cages that a bird would go in, should find more important things to be obsessed with but is obsessed with this bird cage....hmmmm....

I'll use is it as a table center piece, as a delightful pop of color in my living room, it can work in any room, it can hold a small plant or flowers...who needs a bird anyway...right? No more vases or colorful jars or any of those other cliche decorative accents...bird cages all the way.

Actually...must give credit where credit is due...best of friend AM turned me onto bird cages during my last trip to New York. Here are AM's favorite topics to talk about: her family (kids and husband), decorating her son's room, anything Chinoiserie and bird cages...

What can I say...here I am after spending a few days with best friend AM now obsessing over a bird cage. Birds of a feather I guess... :-)!




At my little cocktail party the other day, I actually gave away a bird cage...we did a numbers guessing game and friend TH won it...would be interested to see what he'll do with a bird cage! Anyhooo...

What do you think of my new decorative blue bird cage?

Happy Wednesday and first day of September!

xo
Coco

P.S. Check out the COCOCOZY FACEBOOK PAGE to find out how my sparkling outfit went over at work yesterday...!

P.P.S. Went to Osteria Mozza last night and had a lovely dinner with my sister DS. She was wearing sparkles too...!

FIVE BEDROOMS WITH INTERNATIONAL APPEAL!

I am so intrigued by these bedrooms created by celebrity interior designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard. So many layers to explore and enjoy. Fun and daring but tasteful and elegant at the same time. All with a certain international appeal from all over the globe; strong influences from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and more. Bullard shows a complete lack of fear, in fact bravery, when mixing genres, fabrics, colors, textures and even cultures...it seems that the world was his design palette allowing him to dream up these beautiful boudoirs.

The beds play the starring role in all of these rooms...from a Chinoiserie inspired toile drape and crown, to a mahogany turned wood traditional four poster, to a lovely little daybed with canopy...all of these beds make big decor statements.

Can't decide which is my favorite...so many choices...although the blue room below was what first caught my eye.






Thank you Martyn for sharing these gorgeous rooms (and to Victoria who actually sent me these photos from Martyn's portfolio). Also, a huge congratulations to Martyn on being announced as the Andrew Martin Interior Designer of the Year Award winner. Well deserved!

I think I would like Martyn to come add some texture, color, life and international allure to my bedroom in my tiny cottage in the Hollywood Hills...it certainly could use it.

Have a great Tuesday and happy last day of August! Must go get ready for work!

xo
Coco

P.S. Sorry...said I was going to get ready for work...not quite true...still typing. For those of you who are star watchers...as an fyi...Martyn's client list includes Hollywood heavy hitters like Cher, Sir Elton John and David Furnish, Christina Aguilera, Eva Mendes, Ellen Pompeo, Kid Rock, Sharon and Ozzie Osbourne. Just realized after typing this list...might be hard to get him to make a detour to my smidge of a house considering his schedule and clients... :-)!

P.P.S. Going to get ready for work now. Hmmm...what should I wear? Might just throw on something with sparkles in my hair or around my neck just to confuse people in my office..."why is she wearing a tiara to work?" they might wonder or say. I've got to keep them guessing at all times...hee hee...

Photos courtesy of Martyn Lawrence Bullard

PIPING AND PLAID!

Lauren Moffat - Cadet Cape - $385 (Military inspired cape is made of 100% Navy Wool. Trimmed with red piping)(above)
When in NY a few weeks ago, my very fashionable friend Amie Robinson mentioned that she had gone to the showroom of a cool new designer - she was raving about this designer's clothes and showroom. Amie has great fashion instincts so when I got home, I immediately popped onto my computer and had to look up clothing designer Lauren Moffat. Amie was of course right...Lauren's fall collection is indeed awesome.

In particular, I love Lauren's outerwear which includes a cool plaid bomber jacket and 2 great navy capes with colorful trim. These coats inspired today's post...piping and plaid in fashion and in home decor and furnishings too!


Photo: House&Home
White piping on black upholstered dining chairs. (above)


Lauren Moffatt - The Family Tartan Bomber Jacket - $390 (100% Plaid Melton Wool. Tab at waist, front flap and snap pockets, gold buttons, knit cuff, slightly cropped sleeve. Green, navy and red)(above)


Photo by Coco of Cococozy
Plaid wingback chair at a designer showcase home. (above)


Photo by Coco of Cococozy
Crate and Barrel - Plaid Plate - $8.95 (Green, brown, blue and white plaid stoneware accent plate. 8.5" diameter) (above)


Ralph Lauren Home - Wyland Chair - $4,125 (Plaid upholstered armchair. Regency mahogany finish turned wood legs with casters) (above)


The Scottish Weaver - MacKenzie - $99.95 (Woven in pure new wool and lambswool) (above)


Photo: Lauren Moffatt


Photo by Coco of Cococozy
Chocolate contrast piping trims my white living room sofa (above)


Crate and Barrel - Trace Chair - $999 (Available in 18 colours, ivory contrast piping) (above)


Photo: CasaSugar


William Sonoma Home - Brookside Sleeper Sofa - from $2850 (Six cushion sleeper sofa with subtle contrast piping. Comes in a variety of fabric grades and colors)(above)
Had a small group over my house this weekend...even though it was just wine and cheese, I had to have the plaid plates for my table. I bought 12! They are a good price too and great for outdoor or indoor entertaining.

Thanks Amie for turning me onto Lauren...I think I must have the bomber jacket for fall!

Readers, anything here strike your fancy? Or any other trend you like for fall in home decor or fashion?

Hope you have a great Monday!



xo
Coco

WEEKEND PHOTO: COVETED COURTYARD IN THE ENGLISH COUNTRY!

A charming English country house courtyard!
Love this courtyard from an English hotel. The Lime Wood Hotel renovated this country house into a relaxing and beautiful retreat right in the middle of a national forest! The Regency style architecture, the mosaic floor, the comfy seating groups, the arched windows all work for me. I would love to plan a weekend getaway there! If only I lived in London...if only I had the free time!!

Happy Friday!

xo
Coco

THE GREAT OUTDOORS IN STYLE!

Love this outdoor living space. Looks like this patio is plopped down right in the middle of a forest! The black furniture, the huge modern grey stone fireplace with the metal chimney, and the garden stool with their pops of orange and green...all work. What a great patio. I could easily stretch out on one of these sofas...with a great book...lounge and sleep....ahhhh...

Happy Thursday!

xo
Coco


Photo: Roger Davies

DESIGN ON SALE DAILY: CUTE LITTLE TABLE LAMPS!

ylighting - Miss K Table Lamp - on sale $169; regular $325 (Philippe Starck for FLOS. Polycarbonate)(above)
Comes in blue or yellow. So cute. Right? Can add a transparent punch of color to a room through the light source. They call it polycarbonate...I call it plastic. Never thought a plastic lamp could be so adorable!

xo
Coco

A HOTEL AND MOVIE INSPIRE A BEACH CHIC HOME BY HUNTER-BARNES!

A graceful arch leads to the stately dining room in a tastefully designed home in the Pacific Palisades. (above)

Long story short...I feel very lucky. Okay...I take that back. Long story short...I feel very lucky right this minute about this post. Can't make big statements about feeling lucky as my daily life seems filled with unexpected twists and turns that definitely cannot be equated with luck. An example of lack of luck: Last week I got home after a long week at my real job and literally thought to myself as I was walking up to my house, "Well at least everything at the house is okay."; no less than 1/2 hour later, my neighbor is screaming my name and yelling "Coco there is water pouring down your hillside...water is gushing down from your house! Coco! Coco! Where are you?"; turns out my water main had just decided to break; yup...that's my kind of luck.

Anyhoooo...back to why I feel lucky about this post. Out of the blue and by luck, I got an email from nice Megan the other day...she works for Hunter-Barnes, a fantastic interior design outfit based here in Los Angeles owned by talented designers Adam Hunter and Spencer Barnes.

Okay...here goes the part where I end up making the long story long as opposed to what I had promised about making a long story short.

So, I had met Adam and Spencer of Hunter-Barnes awhile back (again not sure if that was yesterday, last year or five years ago...see yesterday's post about my inability to track time as of late) at a party for a friend of mine. They were very charming. We exchanged information and I said I would feature them on COCOCOZY. Well then life got in the way and months and years passed and no COCOCOZY post. I'm sure Adam and Spencer were thinking that I was a sham but I just forgot, I mean I just never got around to it, I had put it to the side and it was on my to do list, I mean I had a million things to do and the dog ate my homework...excuses...excuses...hee hee.

So it was lucky for me that on Monday I received a nice email about something or another about Hunter-Barnes which immediately prompted me to return to their website (which is quite nice I must say), which then in turn led me to immediately email nice Megan about this house! And so here we are. There! The shortest long story I've ever told (or the longest short story...you pick)!

Soooooooo...this is the stunning 11,000 square foot house that Spencer Barnes and Adam Hunter designed for a client who lives in the Pacific Palisades (a posh enclave in the Los Angeles area). It has 5 bedrooms, 7 baths, a media room, a state of the art gym, infinity pool and much more! A lovely beach chic house inspired by a famous movie and a swank hotel.

Hunter-Barnes tells me that their client loves the Hamptons home featured in the movie "Something's Gotta Give" (that movie with Diane Keaton and Jack what's his name and something to do about them in the Hamptons and this gorgeous house where she is writing stuff and they fall in love or something...but I don't remember). Spencer and Adam's design challenge was bringing the Hamptons feel to Southern California. So Hunter-Barnes decided to find new inspiration right here on this coast in the posh Santa Monica hotel, Shutters. They call the style they created for this home "Shutters Chic"! Love it!

After telling the longest short story ever...I think I will let the gorgeous pictures tell the rest...by luck, I bring you an elegant beach chic home with wonderful designer touches!


A glass front door illuminates the foyer and welcomes visitors into this home. (above)


Unconventional dark textured Holly Hunt walls, a soft blue sofa from Nancy Corzine, oyster herringbone linen drapes, a custom settee covered in Bennison Belgian Linen "Songbird" make for a dashing living room...Adam and Spencer's favorite room. (above)


Pale blue/grey walls, bright white wainscotting, an arrangement of framed coral, coffered ceilings, a large dark wood round table, beautiful dining chairs upholstered in a light blue fabric, a gleaming metal chandelier make for a serenely luxurious dining room. (above)


A red bamboo chair and built-in banquet seating give us a tease as to what the kitchen looks like. Hunter-Barnes promises more kitchen photos will come soon! Can't wait! (above)


Dark wood walls and a chocolate brown and white houndstooth rug set just the right tone in the home's library. (above)


The bar! A perfect place to serve up a champagne cocktail! (above)


A row of built-in bookshelves and cabinets lines the walls of the second floor landing...stylish form and great function at its best. (above)


The owner has three sons...one of which it seems is lucky enough to have this very dapper boys room.(above)




I'm ready to move in! I always judge a house by whether or not I would live there. I would live in this house in a minute. In a second. I could make myself quite comfortable indeed!

A huge thank you Adam and Spencer of Hunter-Barnes for designing such an amazing home and for allowing me to share it with my readers! (Oh and thank you Megan H. for sending photos!)

Readers...what do you think of this Pacific Palisades home? Would love to hear your take on it! Please comment below.

Happy Wednesday all!

xo
Coco

Photos courtesy Hunter-Barnes

COLOR WATCH: STAIRS WITH FLAIR - SPIRALING OUT WITH HOT PINK!

A minimalist kitchen/dining area with white Panton swoosh chairs, a Saarinen tulip table a leather love seat and a hot pink spiral staircase!(above)

Need I say more. Don't know if I could live with it but I love this bright pink spiral staircase. Way to make a design statement...keep everything else simple and then infuse powerful saturated color in one part of a room! Great stairs!

What do you think?

Happy Tuesday!

xo

Photo: Bruno Suet

ASK TOM: ARCHITECT ADVISES ON KITCHEN PAINT!

Gourmet kitchen in a Cheviot Hills home....this is the photo that inspired today's post! (above)

I thought I would try out a new segment here on COCOCOZY. It is inspired by all of the emails one architect has received from being featured here on COCOCOZY.

The architect's name is Tom Newman of Newman & Wolen here in Los Angeles.

Almost two years ago, I did my first post on Tom's work and since then and several fab posts later, Tom has received dozens and dozens of emails from COCOCOZY readers asking design and architecture questions.

Tom suggested that I post some of the emails between him and my readers...I thought, "that's a good idea". So, this is a trial run of this new COCOCOZY franchise called ASK TOM.

In the first ASK TOM, a reader from Canada happened upon a post I did on a grand home that Tom remodeled. She had lots and lots of question about kitchen paint. :-)

Here is the email chain between architect Tom and COCOCOZY reader Sandra B. from Canada:

***Hi Tom,

I recently saw beautiful pictures of a project you worked on in Cheviot Hills in LA. It was a Spanish villa of sorts. I loved the kitchen and I know you chose Benjamin Moore Iron Mountain for the cabinetry but wondered what paint color you chose for the walls. The color combination is stunning.

I am preparing to move in a couple of months and was starting the process of choosing colours etc. Thanks so much for your help,

Sandra Bauly
Toronto, Ontario

***Dear Sandra,

I found out it was the old standard, “Swiss Coffee”, probably from Benj. Moore or Dunn Edwards. This color is a good neutral because it is not sharp like pure white, not too yellow, and goes with almost everything.

Good luck!

Tom

***Thank you very much Tom. Living in Canada my challenge will now be how to track it down. I've never heard of Dunn Edwards. I think I will need your luck!

Sandra

***Most paint companies have a version of Swiss Coffee. Can you get Benjamin Moore paint? If so, you’re fine.

Tom

***Yes we can definitely get Benj. Moore. If I have to, I'll use their equivalent. I'm sure it will be very close.

I hope you don't mind answering one more question for me. What paint finish do you recommend for kitchen cabinets - semi gloss?

Sandra

***Hi Sandra,

Yes. Semi-gloss, so it can be wiped clean. The wall would probably be “eggshell” for the same reason. “Flat” stains and can’t really be cleaned without taking off paint.

Tom

***I am so sorry but I have one final question - I promise.

My spray painter "guy" just told me I needed to provide him with melamine paint for the cupboards.

Do you recommend melamine paint or just regular semi-gloss paint?

Sandra

***Hi Sandra,

I’m not quite sure what that means. As far as my familiarity with these terms, melamine is a veneer put over wood or MDF (fiber board), sort of like Formica. If you are repainting old cabinets that have a melamine veneer, then you need a special paint that will adhere to it. This is a new product (within the last year or so) that did not used to exist; it used to be that you just could not paint melamine. I’ve never worked with the new paint, but I’m told it works. As for the sheen of that special paint, you can probably get it in a semi-gloss or the equivalent.

When you are done with your project, be sure to send photos to Coco for her to post on the blog. Everyone loves before and after shots.

Have fun!

Tom
***

If you have a question you'd like to ask architect Tom Newman of Newman & Wolen, please email him at tom@newmanandwolen.com and maybe your correspondence will be chosen for the next ASK TOM!


Tom Newman, Newman & Wolen (above)
Thank you Tom and Sandra for sharing your email chain with me!

xo
Coco

Photos courtesy of Newman & Wolen