There just is no competing with it or upstaging it…Red takes the stage! As an accent or filling a room with red, it always commands your attention! It is very intense and eternally flattering. Not for the timid, red is a bold backdrop that begs for strong accessories. Silver, white and yellow are great colors to coordinate with it. Dark chocolates, charcoal grays and rich caramels all have enough strength to balance with vibrant reds. I just did a room with a gray velvet sofa and did red accessories such as a red lacquered mirror frame and red silk pillows. Of course there is variations of the shade of red and they all inspire warmth and a festive feeling. Don’t be shy…go for it!

As an international designer, Anna Weatherley’s career has included designing and manufacturing couture fashion, jewelry, home furnishings and printed textiles. In the early 1990’s Anna established a studio in Budapest, Hungary where she trained a group of highly talented painters to create her collection in hand painted porcelain. This is the china I picked to showcase in the “Butterfly Brunch” chapter in Kimberly Schlegel Whitman’s best-seller “Tablescapes.” It is one of my very favorite china patterns as each piece is such a work of art and I love the whimsical butterflies, ladybugs and other charming bugs found on most pieces. Anna’s designs are inspired by early botanical illustrators and flower painters of 18th Century Europe. In 2009 Anna delivered her magnolia patterned china set to the White House and a different pattern can also be found in the Blair House, which is the Presidents guest house. Anna is a true American success story and she is a fascinating woman who has had many successful careers in her life. You can find her gorgeous porcelain china patterns in over 400 stores including Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman. Anna is a native of Hungary, and went back to her native country and now employs 60 master painters to execute her designs. One plate will take up to 2 days to paint. Having something hand-painted anymore is a dying art and these older workers do such fine work but when they are gone, it’s over.

It was a thrill for me to meet Anna personally after admiring her work for so long. If you don’t need a full set of china, there are gorgeous vases, cachepots, chargers or tea cups…something for everyone and once you see these pieces I know everyone will want a treasure to enjoy!

Suddenly the most buzzed-about interiors in LA are the ones that appear to be inhabited by actual homeowners!! We’ve gone through the modern, austere interiors to having the pendulum swing the other way. With all the collecting over the years why stash it all away? It is our life…personal, authentic, sometimes odd, occasionally tacky but filled with surprise and our persona lites! Interiors have been so pristine that they weren’t directly linked to a sense of self. Welcome to eclecticism…the culture of people doing their own original thing. That is the fun of surrounding yourself with things you want to live with!

While I lived in Singapore for several years I collected Chinese blue and white ceramic, celedon pieces, masks and textiles. I am going to bring some out of storage and have some fun! As you find some of your favorite things to bring out you still need a plan on how to place it in order to appreciate it. Accessories and art are the two biggest things that gives your home it’s personality. Don’t follow everyone else…make it your own! The photo’s are from Kate Spade’s home.