Living Room Design Ideas With Susanna Salk for Ballard Designs

In her book, “Be Your Own Decorator,” Susanna Salk emboldens her readers to find inspiration in the masterfully decorated rooms of top designers featured in her book. Her design philosophy is practical: find what you love about these rooms and repeat it in your own home.  But is it easy? We challenged Susanna Salk to recreate the essence of four rooms from her book using key pieces from Ballard Designs.

Living Room Design Ideas with Susanna Salk A Valorie Hart Room - for Ballard Designs

From Ballard Designs:
"Valorie Hart’s living room is an exercise in the art of effortless mixing. The room is filled with personality from top to bottom, with a creative juxtaposition of style, period and price points. Susanna couldn’t wait to replicate the look and feel of one of her favorite rooms from her book."

Susanna says,“The reason why all these different items exist together is because they’ve been placed there with love and confidence,” she says. “There’s a happy feeling to this room that once we put all the pieces together, it definitely mirrors what Valorie did.”

VV here -
Wow! I am thrilled!!!! Go check out the video. It is magical! The best line: "I never met a zebra rug I didn't love."

And if you don't have the book Be Your Own Decorator, get it now. It really is fabulous.

Be Your Own Decorator by Susanna Salk

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Jill Sharp Brinson Has Ideas

Idea board for Style Studio by Jill Sharp Brinson

I know you all remember Jill Sharp Brinson. She had one of the hottest covers ever to grace House Beautiful, and burned up the blogosphere acquiring hundreds of blog admirers along the way.

She is the creative director at Ballard Designs, as well being a wonderful interior designer, product developer, and star stylist.

HERE is a link to a feature she did at the Style Studio over at Ballard about what I call idea and inspiration boards.

I love a good idea board, don't you? They often become evolving collages that are very much like a work of art. Even with our desktop on our computers, nothing takes the place of a good old fashion tactile inspiration board. Do you have one?

Ballard Designs Great Copy Cat Chandeliers

Ballard Designs does it again! They have managed to reproduce a very good looking French style chandelier at a fraction of the cost of an antique or even a good looking reproduction.

Lourdes from Ballard looks like a Julie Neill chandelier

The Lourdes chandelier looks very much like a Julie Neill style chandelier. Even when I worked for JN I could not afford one of her lighting fixtures, nor could I talk her into rewarding me with even a sconce as a commission ha ha.

Lourdes is a miracle for only $299.
A Julie Neill reproduction chandy goes for thousands

If you have a some DIY savvy, you could doll up the Lourdes with a little gold leaf. It's pretty easy to do.

Julie Neill chandelier

Genevieve is another great looking copy cat chic chandelier

There is also another great looking chandelier at Ballard that is a little fancier, dripping with glass beads. It's called Genevieve. While neither of these may be as high quality as a hand crafted designer chandelier, they are very good looking for the price, and are certainly more attainable.
I hate when stylish pretty things are reserved only for those with lots of money, and that's why I love Ballard. They make design a bit more democratic.

Genevieve retails for $469. instead of $4699.

I got the latest Ballard catalog the other day and found a couple of more things I like.

This giclee is described: "California artist, Samantha Carlisle, uses layers of color and script to give her canvases endless depth and lingering mood. In this romantic print, the gown and French script background seems to glow from within with a soft, ethereal light."

Giclee of a dress $349. at Ballard HERE

This Samantha Carlisle print would be so pretty in my house

Ballard also has alot of Christmas stuff on sale. Check out the Ballard Estate Sale online. I love this pre-lit slim tree because it is 9 feet tall, perfect for the tall ceilings in New Orleans.

50% off at Ballard HERE

Concorde Medallion panels on sale at Ballard HERE

I also like these curtains found in the Estate Sale section.

Concorde Medallion panels from Ballard Designs

These panels remind me of Jill Sharp Brinson who is the creative director at Ballard, and had one of the all time favorite covers and editorial features in House Beautiful in December 2009.

The living room of Jill Brinson

Jill Brinson had the best House Beautiful story of 2009

Do You Have A Signature Design Element?

As we all look at magazines, design books, and on blogs, certain designers stand out. You may love that designer, or you may loathe that designer. But even before you read one caption you recognize their work.

Designers get hooked on using some of their favorite things, and these things become sort of a signature design element. Do you find yourself buying and using the same tried and true things you love? What are they?

Suzanne Kasler high end bedroom
Featured in her book HERE

Suzanne Kasler is the hot Atlanta designer every girl wants to be, or have decorate her home. She's hotter than Candice Olson was on Rate My Space (the original web site not the HGTV show). I've heard it said that SK charges $100K per project.

Wall brackets from the SK collection for Ballard
Buy a dozen and you can have the Kasler look like her high end bedroom

I will never know what she charges, because I will never hire her. But like many of you I appreciate her work, and recognize the design elements she favors.

Kasler likes to use repetition as a signature design element
These antlers are part of her affordable collection for Ballard

It's no secret to design bloggers and savvy shoppers that SK designed a low price line for Ballard Designs. I am so seduced when I get those Ballard catalogs. The styling is superb. It's like getting a mini design book in the mail, complete with new sections dedicated to how to put a room together, and a supporting web site that is pretty good.

Skirted SK linen table cloth for Ballard - use it in any room

We don't have a Ballard outlet here in New Orleans, but when I visited Atlanta, Renae Moore took me to the Ballard's Backroom, where I got to see and touch the merchandise.

Pale color SK gourd lamp for Ballard
Looks just like the ones in her high end bedroom

I was disappointed, because by and large the stuff is really cheap looking and feeling. Many of you have told me this, but I just didn't want to believe it. Yet if you are careful, you can pick and choose and maybe use a piece or two to mix in with the high and low.


The Kasler look is expensive and requires a pale color palette, repetition of objects, French antiques mixed with modern pieces, and graphic fabrics mixed in with silk and linen. Sounds pretty standard and easy right? Something that Ballard could knock off and any home decorator could achieve. Well yes and no. The elements may be familiar to us all, but how SK puts it all together is the magic, and why she is a major design star.

Suzanne Kasler high end dining room
Note the colors palette,
The silk drapes, the chandelier, the skirted table
Pay attention to the French style seating

Still with her book in hand, a ton of shelter magazines that have featured her, myriad blog posts bookmarked, and the Ballard catalog in hand, you could create the look.

SK designed this Swedish/French style chandelier for Ballard

I think a bedroom or a dining room would be good places to try some SK signature elements.

SK chandelier for Ballard Designs

Adding a wall of brackets or antlers, or a sunburst mirror (or a collection of sunburst mirrors) will propel you on your way. Choose any pale neutral wall color to place your Ballard treasures on.

Waldorf Chandelier - $579. from Ballard
Not cheap, but far cheaper than the antique Kasler
would use for thousands of dollars
This one looks very much like the one in her high end dining room

Add a signature chandelier. Kasler favors romantic French style chandeliers, and Ballard has a huge well priced selection (some designed by Kasler) that would fit the bill. The Ballard lighting fixtures seem to work okay in the high low mix.

Nine arm Claire chandelier from Ballard - only $399.
Very grand and very romantic - it would look great in an SK inspired room

Suzanne loves sunburst mirrors. She elevated them from mid century hipster cool, to an elegant design accessory. She brought back the sunburst design to the touchstone of the elegant French antique.

Suzanne Kasler loves the sunburst mirror

Many of us are "over" the sunburst mirror. It did get played up and perhaps out, and used by every designer on television or in Domino. I still love it, because it is a classic. People love it and gravitate towards it precisely because it is a well designed beautiful object.

Suzanne Kasler high end bathroom with a sunburst mirror

Ballard has a great selection of Kasler designed sunburst mirrors, and I want to believe that this would be okay in the high low mix.

Kasler designed this sunburst mirror for Ballard
Only $219! And the rays extend to an impressive 44 inches

Suzanne Kasler high end living room with sunburst mirror collection
These are French antiques
But she designed a collection for Ballard

So what did you think of the latest Ballard catalog? I'm sure you have all gotten your latest copy in the mail by now. And what are you ordering?

The Suzanne Kasler collection for Ballard HERE

I picked out some Kasler and non Kasler items that I like, though I know even in the photos that some of them will be just too cheap looking.

Wine Harvest bucket - looks too cheap to me
We sell a real one at perch. for $800. that is gorgeous


This antique style clock looks like a mini Mora clock
Is it good or is the small scale goofy?

Another diminutive luxury look
This Kasler designed ice bucket style vase

Architectural Models
These look like they would be okay for the high low mix

Kasler wooden folding table
Too expensive for something so flea market looking

Paris Places "subway" style sign - are they too late with this one?

Non Kasler French sign - I know it's corny, but I still love it

French plaque at Ballard

Even more corny
Kitchen mats with with a black board menu look
And I am sorry to say I kind of like them

So, tell us if you have purchased anything from Ballard lately, especially from the Suzane Kasler Collection.

Suzanne Kasler living room for Ballard Designs

And check Holly at Things That Inspire who wrote a good post on this same subject awhile back.

A Swedish/French Style Chandelier You Can Afford!

Gustavian Swedish style derived from French elements has gone mainstream. Even if you don't go for the whole smorgasbord of Swedish furnishings, certain key pieces are used in rooms that have a mix of styles and era.

One of the most beloved items is the wood turned chandelier. By and large they hover in price around the $2000. (and up) price range. For most of us this is too pricey. Many regular folks can furnish a whole room for $2000.

Mariestad 12 Light Chandelier - HERE
30"H x 28"Diam. LC584 - $299.00

But now...drum roll...the good folks at Ballard Designs offer the first affordable Swedish style chandelier I have ever seen. Believe me I know because I have searched on behalf of clients and customers and friends who want one, but cannot afford the going rate. Even at wholesale cost you can pay around $800. - $1000.

Mariestad 6 Light Chandelier - HERE

25"H x 26"Diam. LC583 - $199.00

It looks great in the catalog, just the perfect color and proportion. If it looks too new to you, you could always do a little antique-ing with paint.

So at $199. for the six arm model, and $299. for the twelve arm model, you can own a great piece of style.

It would look great in any room in the house.
You can dress it up with little wooden drops from Aidan Gray.
Aidan Gray also has some wood turned chandeliers for around $800.

Fancy and expensive - but check out the wooden drops
Also study the finish on this chandelier
You can do this to the budget one
photo from Cote de Texas

They are currently sold out of the gray drops, but have the gold. If you want them right away, I would buy the gold and just paint them, or maybe gild the candle cups and see how the gold mixes and matches with the gray paint on the body of the chandelier.


Happy Weekend!!!!

Suzanne Kasler Hearts Ballard Designs

Did you get your Ballard Designs March 2010 catalog in the mail yet? A big part of it is dedicated to the rooms Suzanne Kasler did for them, using their merchandise.

Just a year ago I didn't know who Suzanne Kasler was. I never paid much attention to the names of the designers of rooms when I flipped through the eye candy of a magazine. I never read the copy or the captions. I just liked the pictures.


My former employer Julie Neill was gushing all over the place one day because she was going to get to meet Suzanne Kasler (who?) at a shop in Baton Rouge for a meet and greet, and then get to take SUZANNE KASLER to the airport!!!! Julie hoped having Suzanne Kasler captive in her car would be the CHANCE OF A LIFETIME to get Suzanne to use Julie's lighting fixtures.
My job was to get an extra special fancy expensive binder, and fill it with the best color photo copies of the fixtures, so Julie could slip it to Suzanne on the way to the airport.


Finally I had to ask: Who is Suzanne Kasler? And I was told, why she's the hottest designer in Atlanta and all the girls want her to decorate their houses. I went home and Googled her, and of course thought her work was very nice indeed.


I don't know if Julie ever sold a chandelier to Suzanne Kasler, but at least I wasn't a know- nothing anymore about this Hotlanta designer.


Blogging has become an education unto itself. In two years I have learned the names and the signature looks of many designers. And I have learned alot about Suzanne Kasler.


All of the images here are of the work Suzanne Kasler did for the latest Ballard Designs catalog, using Ballard merchandise. When you think of the high end quality and cost of Suzanne's interior design projects, the Ballard rooms are a real deal.


There are also excerpts of an interview with Suzanne, a how-to guide of sorts that is filled with great advice and tips HERE

If you had to choose one piece to get a little bit of the Kasler look in your home, I would choose the Quatrefoil Mirror. The quatrefoil is one of Suzanne's signature design motifs. This mirror sells for $269., and is a generous 36" sqaure and comes in two finishes Flemish Oak (shown), and a darker English Oak. Go HERE to see more details and order.

Kasler style mirror for Ballard Designs in Flemish Oak - $269.

I loved getting my Ballard Designs catalog in the mail today!

PS I wonder if Ballard Designs Creative Director, Jill Sharp Brinson did alot of the styling for the March issue of the Ballard catalog, and if she had a huge hand in choosing the merchandise. I've asked her to be a guest blogger and tell us about her process for choosing merchandise, and styling the catalog.


Maybe it will be something like this behind the scene slide show HERE