Nobody does preppy chic like Ralph Lauren. His current home collections are totally aligned with what you'd expect from the man who styled Hollywood's version of The Great Gatsby. Le Grand Hotel is inspired by luxury resorts on the French Riveria, and La Plage is inspired by the strip of shoreline just beyond the hotel steps.
It's classic summer style—blue and white, cotton and linen fabrics, and a healthy dose of wicker. The collections remind us of Nice in all its sun-drenched, overheated, and overcrowded glory. It's a style that's recognizable, friendly, and a little predictable—how many times and how many ways can one person do wideband navy blue stripes? Still, we love seeing it come around again every summer.
What do you think? Is this look distinguished or dull?
• Photos 1-5) La Plage Collection
• Photos 6-10) Le Grand Hotel Collection
Images: Ralph Lauren
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I'm going to say dull. I think the preppy nautical theme is out for the time being. However I do think the model in the first picture looks chic. My friend had a blue striped denim couch similar to the one in the seventh picture, in the 1990's.
A little dull because as much as I like the color combination, stripes have been done to death and now it's less French Riviera and more Nautical Country Club.
pin striped chair and tray table are great. But none of this is nothing I haven't seen before. Nobody's reinventing the wheel here.
-anna
chateausavoie.com
RL makes a fortune off of classic styles people want, but which other designers won't deign to do.
No more dull than the MCM overkill we're seeing right now. The preppy/nautical look isn't for me, but you can't argue with the combination of blue and white, and at least this look has staying power.
Personally, I think this look needs at least a few antiques to look "right." Timeless style everything brand-new = McMansion.
You cursed this combo by presenting under the RL (nautical) flag.
Had you presented this purely as a round-up of blue & white ideas and interiors, you'd be getting comments like "Classic! Fresh! Ooooh, here's blue and white stuff on my Esty shop!!"
hmmmm....sorry to say it...but dull...
Patrick--very funny!
Does anyone think that RL himself actually designs any of this stuff? (At least with Gatsby, he was pretty much in charge.) And the photos are dependent upon the stylists, so who's to say how the individual pieces work in other settings?
patrick - thank you! i don't see 'nautical' anywhere in this aside from a painting or object here and there. i have a great affinity for the ralph lauren home brand -- their designers do amazing work; they are tastemakers. the blue and white combo always looks fresh to me.
Booooring!!!
Obviously it's not reinventing the wheel. RL always goes for classic, and isn't that, by definition, NOT reinventing the wheel?
I do like this, but maybe I just miss New England and this kind of beachy chic look that you don't see much of in central VA...
I think it's classic. It's clean and uncomplicated. Some say "boring", but I say "simple". There's a lot to build on with a color combination like that; it's almost its own neutral.
Patrick is so right - Some folks are turned off by the RL label, but a great many more like some part of the image that's portrayed: RL is the DWR of classic preppy style for non-bluebloods - providing instant "antiques" and "heirlooms" for those who never had them.
He's really no different from Martha Stewart and Tommy Hilfiger - These folks are not a designers, but (life)stylists.
Personally, I love Blue and White - It never goes out of style.
(I'm coveting a pair of those chairs)
I don't like any of it, but if I HAD to choose then I would go with the bold navy blue stripes with white accents and brown leather. NOT the chambray blue, off white and wicker.
Meh... it's too dull for me. I don't see anything terribly innovative (although I do rather like the pinstripe chair) and it's much to traditional for my personal tastes. If you're into very traditional interiors I think some of the pieces here may provide some added interest, but it's just not for me.
I thought the least interesting part of each photo was the furniture. The styling - the French Gallimard book bindings that give a subtle Euro flair, decorative objects, and architecture of the room - suggest scenes out of Tender is the Night. But the furniture in any other space would look quite pedestrian. Which is fine! But the settings here sort of re-cast the overall image of the furniture.
It's very clean and crisp and it's been done a hundred times before. I like it even though it's not my style.
I'll say dull.
Blue, white and gold; colours of Mediterranean; colours of home. Beautiful and exciting.
I'd say dull, but mostly for everything as it is, in a grouping like that.
Individually, I do like the chevron stripe pillow and the porcelain garden stool. I have a blue and white porcelain garden stool in my living room. It's an antique passed down from my grandma and I love it. Every few years, I see it in every magazine, then people decide it's out and then it's back again in a few more years.
I think in moderation, without making things too theme-y as they are here in Lauren-Land, any color or design can look fresh and new and interesting. It's the over-thinking and layering with the exact same design elements that gets boring, IMO.
Crazy! That chair is nearly identical to one that I've had for years, that I just refinished, in an eerily similar finish as pictured - a light gray linseed oil... Am in the process of reupholstering (got it at the Salvation Army for $25).... Glad to see that it's a classic - I chose to go bit bolder with mine with an oversized with a bold Thomas Paul print:
http://www.urbansherp.com/chair-upholstery-101-v-4-taking-shape