Renowned interior designer William “Bill” W. Stubbs, whose home is Houston, has done it all.  Named to Architectural Digest’s “Top 100” designers and architects in the world, Bill’s successful book, “I Hate Red, You’re Fired!” has now been eclipsed by the TV series he hosts, “Moment of Luxury.”   The first 26 episodes have aired on public television stations across the country, and he is currently taping his third season.

A former Sunday School teacher born in Gonzales, Texas, Bill has gained international acclaim as a result of his great talent, hard work and his sunny, upbeat approach to life.  Bill’s series shows viewers different ways to incorporate beauty and luxury into everyday life as he shares some of his favorite inspirations in cities around the world. We asked Bill to tell us about some of these sources and how they have inspired the interiors he has designed.

(Photo by Jack Opatrany)
Bill Stubbs, President, William W. Stubbs & Associates and TV show host, "Moment of Luxury"

(Photo by Robin Marriott)
Here I am taping the first episode of my series at the largest flea market in the world, the Marche aux Puces de saint-Quen.  I‘ve found endless inspiration here over the years to incorporate into my own townhouse in Houston.  When I’m in Paris, I always stay at the Saint James Hotel, a former turn-of-the-century mansion with impeccable service. I loved the bathroom there so much that I recreated its feel in my own home.

(Photo by Bruce Bennett)
Originally the plan for the master bedroom in my townhouse included a canopy bed, but that changed when I spotted this big, unusual country French bed with massive barley-twist posts at a shop in Paris.  It had an old mirror on the headboard, which I had replaced with ecru upholstery.  All fabrics are Robert Allen.

I’m admiring a classic old-fashioned Lincoln Towncar in this photo, taken while filming in Southern California.  In this episode, called “Pyne House Organic and Easy Entertaining,” I take a ride in a 1940s Lincoln Continental and revisit a design project I began in Season One, a family home with an eclectic organic garden.

(Photo by Rob Muir)
In this guest suite, I re-created the feeling of the owners’ favorite London hotel, The Stafford.  The Louis XVI Trumeau above the fireplace features an oval painting on canvas. The oil painting beside the bed is The Ballerina by Peter Miller.

(Photo by Dan Woolsey)
Of course, New York City is one of my favorite cities in the world. Here I am taping a tour of the Kips Bay Decorator Showhouse on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.   I asked my friends Bunny Williams, Juan Montoya and Charles Pavarini to give our viewers a tour of the beautiful rooms they designed for this annual Showhouse, which I consider one of the best showhouses in the country.

(Photo by Bruce Bennett)
Taping an episode in my hometown of Houston was a real highlight for me, especially the experience of welcoming the viewers I’ve come to think of as my friends into my own home.  I’m particularly proud of the bedroom I designed for my daughter Courtney. I selected 28 different fabulous Robert Allen/Beacon Hill fabrics and trims, with layers of textures, tassels, embroidery and beads in the bed coverings and bed hangings, the incredible tufted rosette canopy, the embellished accent pillows, the upholstery and the draperies.

(Photo by Bruce Bennett)
I wanted Courtney’s room to be the best, most beautiful room a dad could hope to give his daughter. She says I succeeded.  She’s now all grown up, newly married and living in Manhattan in her own home.  One of my own favorite luxuries is spending time with Courtney, her husband Robert and my son Chad when I come to New York.

Amy Lau founded her New York-based interior design firm, Amy Lau Interiors, in 2001 and has since attracted prestigious residential and commercial clients such as Elvis Costello and Elie Tahari.  Also an independent advisor to collectors of 20^th Century decorative arts, Amy’s background in international mid-century modernism is reflected in her interiors, which are more curated than decorated and always filtered through a modern lens.

We asked Amy for her top pick of “places to see” for designers and design enthusiasts visiting New York City, and this is her response:

  
Amy Lau, president, Amy Lau Interiors:

If you go nowhere else in New York, you’ve got to see the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD), which unveiled its new home, the Chazen Building, at Columbus Circle in September 2008.    

The Museum showcases the limitless potential of materials and techniques when used by creative and innovative artists.  Its permanent collection, which focuses on art, craft and design from 1950 through the present day, is international in scope.  The 54-year old Museum’s spectacular new facility was designed by Allied Works Architecture and is located at the southwest corner of Central Park at 59^th Street & Broadway.

Baskets like you’ve never seen will surprise and delight in “Intertwined: Contemporary Baskets from the Sara and David Lieberman Collection,” on view through September 12. Thirty years of collecting fiber sculpture and baskets made of materials ranging from Japanese bamboo to silver salmon skin resulted in this internationally-acclaimed special exhibition of contemporary baskets and fiber sculpture.  (While you’re in the elevator, by the way, you’ll see my wallpaper for Maya Romanoff’s Anniversary Collection!)

 
“Portable Treasuries: Silver Jewelry from the Nadler Collection,” is another great special exhibition up through August 8, 2010.  This unique collection of silver jewelry from around the world includes 150 works from N. Africa, the Indian Subcontinent and the hill tribes of Southeast Asia.  The scope of these designs collected by Daniel and Serga Nadler is extraordinary and inspiring.

Opening April 27th, “Dead or Alive” will feature intricate sculptures and installations by over 30 international artists crafted entirely of natural materials  Organic materials and objects that were once produced by or were part of living organisms ---parts of plants, feathers, bones, silkworm cocoons, insects, even hair---are the medium of these artists and their works are awesome and thought-provoking.  This special exhibition will remain open through October 24, 2010. (Photograph above by Levi Van Veluw entitled Landscape I, 2008, courtesy of Ronmandos Gallery, Amsterdam).

If you’re in N.Y. between April 22-25, catch the Visitor’s Preview of “Dead and Alive” and observe artists such as Jennifer Angus as they create site-specific installations for this exhibition at the Museum. Jennifer is known for her architectural interiors covered with thousands of dried insects that are pinned to mimic vintage wallpaper. (Image above is Silver Wings and Golden Scales, 2007, from Jennifer Angus installation at Chazen Museum of Art, Madison, WI).

At the center of the Museum’s mission is education. On the 6^th floor, three open artist studios engage visitors in the creative processes of artists at work. There are classrooms and studios for master classes, seminars and workshops for students, families and adults.

Top off your tour with lunch or dinner at the Museum’s restaurant, Robert.  Its delicious Mediterranean-influenced cuisine is rivaled only by the views of Central Park from its perch on the 9^th floor.  Oh, and don’t miss the Gift Shop!  I find something great every time I shop there. And you can take home a memento of a great day.

Our thanks to the photographers who provided these photos: Ric Kallaher, Emily Balz, Cynthia Alberto and Alvin Klein, Helene Binel, and also Chazen Museum of Art, Madison, WI.  For more information on the Museum of Arts & Design, visit www.madmuseum.org.

For more information on Amy Lau Design, see www.amylaudesign.com

Larry Laslo, President, Larry Laslo Designs: I thought I’d give you some insight into my inspiration for Destinations, my next collection of upholstery, window and multi-purpose fabric for Robert Allen.

Need I explain? This was me hard at work researching the Destination collection. I was soaking up that South Florida atmosphere for Miami Beat, one of the two books of my designs that debut next month. The other book, called Rustic Chic, was inspired by another destination I love, Aspen.

I do a lot of work in South Florida and when I’m there, I always fit in a shopping trip to the Dixie Highway.  This stretch of road in Palm Beach has an assortment of eccentric antique shops where I almost always find a vintage piece or two for my projects.  Interiors are all about the mix – like really good hair color, they are a blend of different colors and influences.

You’ll find an animal-skin motif somewhere in most of my interiors.  But my leopard-skin fabrics are interpreted in lush, saturated hues of ruby, tourmaline and amber.  A touch of the unexpected takes a glamorous interior and makes it memorable.

This is the dining room from a Miami condo I’ve designed for one of my clients. I love contrast- in scale, in pattern….even in materials.  I’ve paired antique brocade with Robert Allen’s polished white patent leather on the Christopher Guy dining chairs. Drop a meatball and whip out the Windex…

In the bedroom of the same home, I combined three shades of silk on the abstract sculpted headboard by Christopher Guy.  The difference in the colors is so subtle you have to look very carefully to see what makes the fabrics shimmer. I consider composition in two and three dimensions.  And I see each room completely finished as a photograph in my mind at the start of each project. 

Here’s another cover from our dearly departed Met Home Magazine, this is one of my Aspen projects.  My clients are sophisticated art collectors and they wanted “rustic but not corny.” The antique Biedermeier-style chaise with burl veneer was one of their favorite pieces.  I knew it would fit right into this contemporary interior if I covered it with lime green hair on hide.  

I designed the brass base of the dining table to support a crystal tabletop – not glass because I didn’t want the edges to look green. The midcentury starburst chandelier adds a fantasy touch.  The centerpiece consists of the largest succulents I could find – low enough to not interfere in conversation.  But the real star of the show is that spectacular mountain view!

You’ll find a touch of humor in all my projects.  I love glamour but it has to be livable and it has to be fun.  I love what I do for a living and I think that’s the key to my success.

No one thought it strange one woman living with seven men in the forest?

Visit www.larrylaslodesigns.com for more information.