testinovogue32212.jpgI see photos of beautiful rooms every day — it's my job, I love it and no matter how many I see, it never gets old. Yet, every now and then, I come across an image of a space that stops me in my tracks because in addition to being an interesting interior, it's a place I have the immediate desire to occupy.

I want to be sitting on one of the banquettes NOW, drinking in the atmosphere (and, let's see, a glass of champagne sounds just right for this room, too).

There are so many interesting things to see in this one photo, it's a bit like a "Where's Waldo" of good design ideas. Here are the important ingredients that go into this particular style recipe:

• The room, while wildly eclectic in other ways, has a very strict color palette — white, black/charcoal, brown, rust and blue. There's plenty going on, but it all hangs together thanks to the simple color story.

• No fewer than five rugs create style and use zones throughout the room. They are very different patterns and sizes, but all work together to visually divide the space, add tons of gorgeous texture and help anchor the furniture groupings.

• It's a mix of formal and casual, clearly a room influenced by living a visually creative life. Case in point: a straight backed settee meets huge pottery dragon andirons. Say no more.

• Oversized decorative details are everywhere — big floral arrangements, big sculptures, big lamps with big lampshades, big pots and the aforementioned big dragons. The uniformity of size of these details helps tie the room together for your eye, making a very full space feel calm and somewhat regulated, instead of frenetic.

• The super dark floors and bright white walls form the perfect backdrop for the collection of things. The simplicity of the dark/light space highlights the amazing architecture of the home, and allows the objects, artwork and furniture to shine instead of competing for your attention.

• Repeating patterns create interest. Two examples: The thin black framed bookshelf echoes the thin black framed window and french doors that flank it and the repeating white on black artwork display that runs above the window matches the general scale and dimensions of the individual window frames.

• The design relies on symmetry to help maintain the visual balance, including: pairs of lamps and pillows at each end of the settee, the two blue and white pots, the matching blue velvet chairs, the dragons and the banquette cushions.

According to the article in Vogue, the interior design (as well as the photo) was done by Testino himself. It's a testament to his creativity and strong visual sense, as well as to what appears to be a lighthearted outlook. This is a beautiful room that also has a sense of humor and happiness that shines through. I'm sure I'll be coming back to this post often to visit it again and again...

See the rest of the home: Vogue

(Image: Mario Testino/Vogue)

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