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Colorful, Luxe Designs for the Traditional Home

Designer Steven Gambrel’s debut book offers a peek at his signature style: a balance of bold hues for classic yet modern living

Wendy Shott July 1, 2012

A voracious reader of interior design media, I review home decor books.

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What immediately jumps out at you with New York-based interior designer Steven Gambrel’s work is his dazzling use of color. Lacquered walls in saturated primary colors and rooms upholstered in jewel-tone textiles are de rigueur in a Steven Gambrel-designed home. And his daring color choices are never out of place. Whether designing an oceanside retreat, historic country manor or city residence, he creates richly detailed settings that meld the architecture of the region with a modern lifestyle. “The place that a client chooses to live reflects their personality, and helps inform others of their unique lifestyle,” he writes. “For me, to design a backdrop for that lifestyle is a very exciting task.”

Steven Gambrel: Time and Place, his first book, showcases the unique way he brightens and accentuates domestic living. Read on for ideas from the book on updating your home, Gambrel style.

ABRAMS

Use patterns to emphasize scale: The luxury of large rooms is their ability to absorb pattern and color. Here, Gambrel mixes just the right amount of patterned and solid pieces to create a harmonious yet interesting composition. The black and white patterned drapes draw the eye upward to the dramatic vaulted ceiling.

Tip: The vaulted ceiling was not an original feature of this room. To get the effect he wanted, he opened up the lowered ceiling, painted it with semi-reflective paint and installed the softly luminous mother-of-pearl lanterns.

ABRAMS

Update a traditional room with bright paint: Gambrel pays homage to the historic whaling town heritage of his Sag Harbor home by decorating the guest bedroom with rustic wood floor planks and early American antiques. But the coral walls and contemporary-looking framed art instantly and seamlessly anchor the room to the 21st century.

Tip: Repurpose old paintings. Gambrel cut nautical scenes out of a 19th century folding screen to create a framed montage on this wall.

ABRAMS

Play with contrasts in color and texture: In this prewar Greenwich Village apartment, Gambrel went for a sophisticated European look. He achieved this through stark contrasts. The apartment entry shows this off beautifully — warm yellow curtains stand out against white, black and gray surfaces, and the lacquered wood floor is amplified by the matte paint on the walls and doors.

Tip: Understated European elegance is evident in the door’s color palette, which was painted in three shades of gray after a storefront seen in Paris. To further accentuate the entryway’s architectural elements, he applied thin strips of black paint to the wood paneling.

ABRAMS

Soften “masculine” rooms with high gloss and color: The clubby atmosphere of this library is tempered by the golden glow created by the reflective surfaces and amber accents. The shiny black walls are the perfect backdrop for a contemporary art collection while the bright yellow ceiling gives the illusion of a lofty ceiling.

ABRAMS

A touch of playfulness goes a long way: Situated in between two grand public rooms in this New York City apartment, the kitchen is deliberately minimalist. The colorful globe lamp adds a touch of levity and contrasts with the industrial backdrop of cabinetry and appliances.

ABRAMS

Guide your design choices by picking a feel for the room: This library evokes warmth and comfort as a counterpoint to the marble-clad entryway preceding it. Gambrel achieves this with walls clad in scored beeswax and lined with cerused oak, and soft orange accents.

Tip: Prominent crown molding not only lends the room an architectural gravitas, it also accentuates the height of the ceiling.

ABRAMS

Uncover unexpected details: To open up a dark and cramped kitchen, Gambrel removed a closet and installed windows and built-in bench seating. The twist of the staircase is now a feature of the room that adds to the kitchen’s relaxed ambience.

ABRAMS

Steven Gambrel: Time and Place - $50

More inspiration:
Designer Crush: How to Decorate Like Thomas O'Brien

Design Tips From the Countess of California Cool

Interview: The Design Magic of Tobi Fairley

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CAROLE MEYER

Wow....I am struck by the first room. This room is just stunning and so different from what I am used to seeing. Very creative. Wow again.

1 Like July 7, 2012 at 1:44PM

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Hides and Co.

The entry is gorgeous. Love the chandelier especially.

1 Like July 8, 2012 at 12:06PM

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kuyktama

Maybe it was the angle of the picture but the scale of the room didn't feel good to me. Either the lanterns needed to be scaled down or the furniture up. It's such a long room I would have prefered 2 seating areas: one cozy area
by the piano and the other main area more not so elongated. Again, maybe it was the angle.....

Like July 8, 2012 at 5:20PM