Ginspiration with Juliette's Interiors
The weekend draws to an end and I have just finished watching season 3 of Mad Men. Slowly catching up with the mischievous Don Draper and the rest of the crew, I am drawn to the series less for the story behind it and more for the interiors - not that this will come as a surprise to any of you. Mad Men is full of mid century eye candy. And it covers an era where entertaining (at home and outside it) was big.
The furniture in the series is not all vintage but the sets are indeed designed to great detail, pleasing mid-century fans like myself. Rich colours (browns, teals and oranges) and warm wood is everywhere you look. Don Draper's Manhattan home is the stuff of mid-century dreams.
From the top: Don Draper's Manhattan home in Mad Men (photo AMC); Contemporary Gold Italian Designer Chandelier; Juniper Drinks Trolley all from Juliette's Interiors; Wallcovering from Arte International; Large Italian Designer Walnut Oval Coffee Table also from Juliette's Interiors.
Non stop cigarette smoking and martinis for lunch is the norm during the 60s in New York. Even drinking in the office is acceptable - you cannot help but notice how much things have changed since. But going back to my previous point - this era is all about entertaining - clients and friends.
All homes seems to be equipped with a fully stocked mini bar. Less of a "cava" and more of a trolley style arrangement though. The bar cart is big and in 2017 it has a massive come back with a design that raises the bar across all designer savvy homes. Meet the Juniper Drinks Trolley.
High gloss laminated birch ply together with diamond polished acrylic makes the Juniper Gin Trolley an enviable piece to have in a luxurious setting. With a hidden mini fridge inside, it will keep the soda cool while drinks are distributed evenly around the outside.
No clutter on the top either with a handy drawer that will keep the serving paraphernalia out of sight. There's even space for your liqueur glasses in the drawer. Small enough to be tucked away next to a sofa or against the wall but spacious enough for many bottles, the Juniper can be rolled easily around rooms when needed.
From the top: 100 Cocktail Recipes; the Juniper Drinks trolley; mid century brass bar stools; wall covering from Arte International; Contemporary Italian Designer Leather Button Upholstered Armchair. All the furniture is from Juliette's Interiors.
The Ginspiration Challenge
If you were to design a luxury interior inspired by this beautiful bar cart, how would you go about it, asked the Juliette's Interiors team. A styling challenge, for luxury interiors - this surely will be interesting. To help me focus, they even sent some glorious gin spirits across - which was indeed good fun as I was able to make some G+T and take some styled shots for my mood board. We ended up drinking the G&T so this may have invariably affected the styling outcome.
Above: Wild Island Botanic Gin is the perfect ingredient for an afternoon G&T in our living room. The art print is by South Island Art and is of course St Paul's in Farrow & Ball inspired colours. Glasses: these are the DECO glasses by LSA International. Monty snakeskin coasters, Sweetpea & Willow. Brass tray, H&M Home. Pebble vessel: NISI Living; Cocktail Shaker: Anthropologie.
Below: My mother bought this credenza in auction and we shipped it all the way from Greece. It has the most beautiful green marble top and guess what, it also serves as a mini bar! The trio of vases are Austrian mid-century ones. The table lamp is by Safavieh. The framed canvas is a wedding gift.
The Design
For me, luxury interiors always start with wall coverings or high quality wallpaper. Grass cloth would be top of my list. The Rivets - Gold on Mink Brown Manila Hemp by Phillip Jefferies or the Unite pattern (colour 80605) from Arte International would make a beautiful backdrop for high quality furniture and indeed the Gin Trolley. The styling would of course have mid-century vibes.
If the walls are dark, I would choose a lighter colour for the floor with a lush taupe rug like this. Obviously, if your wall covering/wallpaper has a geometric pattern, then the rug should be plain. Whatever your flooring however, a rug will help ground the scheme and bring everything nicely together.
Above: Italian Designer Occasional Armchair is of superb comfort enveloping you in softness. Simplicity and form combined in its clean and clear lines, of modernist inspiration for the refined design lover. The straight lines of the Juniper bar cart; Burnished Brass Luxury Table Lamp; all from Juliette's Interiors; The LSA DECO tumbler glasses.
Because 60s decor can become really dark with all the dark wood, you can play around with fabrics, adding creams for example. Cocktail chairs which are low in height can be beautifully upholstered differently on the seat and on the back, like this Italian beauty also from Juliette's.
My scheme requires shiny surfaces to help bounce light around - they also add some wow factor, for example this Ebony Veneered Bronze Buffet is glamorous but also breaks the dark scheme with its bronze front. Mirrors would also help massively.
Finishing touches for a luxurious scheme would include heavy table lamps and artwork. I would not add too many accessories (like throws and cushions). Lastly, a statement ceiling light would be placed ideally over the coffee table (depending on the size of your room and position of your sofa).
To help you visualise the scheme...
From mood board to an actual room here's the finished result of my Mad Men 60s living room. Now, don't tell me you cannot imagine Betty Draper strolling along to make a Gin & Tonic for Don? And yes, that's her sitting on this Juliette's corner sofa!
This is a collaborative post with Juliette's Interiors. Thank you for supporting the brands that inspire Seasons in Colour to bring you fresh content. Special thanks to Karen Joseph, Wild Island and Pickering’s 1947. Now, click on the photo below to see my Pinterest #Ginspiration board for more great 1960s ideas!
