"Meanwhile, Out by the Beach . . . "

Ashley Whittaker Design, New York

Greetings,

There's another grey, gloomy Saturday dawning just outside my bedroom window. Another harsh day of rain? Or just chilly and windy? Or conversely, there could be blinding sunshine before I can even finish writing this post. Such are the weather patterns out here near the beach in San Francisco.

So I'm heading where I know the sun is warm and shining. Out to a clear, bright summer's day in Southampton New York. And the bright, charming work of interior designer Ashley Whittaker.

Love. Love. Love. The soothing shade of blue. The great mix of

patterns. And the half-tester over the bed giving a

sense of intimacy in the spacious room.

"I wanted to use some serious furniture shapes and a few

antiques in the living room of this house, but I wanted

to have fun with the fabrics and color."

-Ashley Whittaker

from House Beautiful

And this little corner of the dining room. I love seeing these little 'micro' images of what are clearly large, dramatic spaces. It's like a little short film. A 2 minute documentary. And you have a complete sense of the entire space - because of the colour of those two garden stools under the console. And the great shade of the dining chair upholstery. The hint of the coral chandelier in the top right corner. And the Quadrille textile on the walls - one of the big stars of this little piece of cinema.

Okay, this room totally blows me away. Starting with the rich warm colour - and that amazing China Seas textile on the window treatment. And clearly, not forgetting the great use of white lattice to give this sunroom the perfect setting. And I love seeing the more formal dining room in the adjacent space. You just know that this is where everyone ends up after dinner. Laughing and relaxing.

More great textiles. More great colours. More great sunlight.

Well, it does look like it's starting to clear up a bit here. And i promised myself that I would go to the beach and workout. And give my recovering shoulder a little exercise. (Just a little exercise I said. lol)

Don't forget the sunscreen,

tartanscot

images from Ashley Whittaker Design and House Beautiful.

Photography by Eric Piasecki