A Virginia Woolf Kind of Room

 "Mrs. Dalloway" window designed by Catherine Kwong at George Smith on La Cienega Boulevard 

I was so excited when I heard about the theme for this year's La Cienega Design Quarter 6th Annual Legends: "Novel Interiors: Storytelling by Design." This is a highly anticipated weekend of design events in West Hollywood that includes panels, parties, and incredible window installations by some of the best interior designers. On Friday I went to see the window displays on La Cienega Boulevard and they were fabulous. The designers went all out and used novels such as "Mrs. Dalloway," "Passage to India" and "Out of Africa" as their muse. Among my favorites were "Mrs. Dalloway" by Catherine Kwong at George Smith, "The Enchanted April"by Krista and George Everage at Egg and Dart (a shout out to my friend Krista -- great job!) and "A Moveable Feast" by Thomas Calloway at Holland and Sherry. They were all brilliant. It was hard to take photos in the daytime with the window reflections so I borrowed these image from Lonny Magazine which did a fantastic job covering the event. Go here to see more of these beautiful windows. And be sure to take a stroll along La Cienega at night to enjoy these creative interpretations of great books by some very talented interior designers.

"The Enchanted April" window designed by Krista and George Everage at Egg And Dart

Inspired by the windows on La Cienega, I realized the the idea of connecting home design with literature is one I have always loved. When I visited Charleston, the country retreat of the Bloomsbury artists and writers in England, I bought some fabric that was designed by Duncan Grant and had two pillows made from it. They sit on the leather chairs in my library, with a letter from Virginia Woolf and a photo of her hanging above. I found some ceramic pieces on La Brea Boulevard in Los Angeles that look as if they could have been painted by Vanessa Bell and put them on the bookshelves. Whenever I walk past this room, I feel a little of the Bloomsbury spirit.

My collection of design books and magazines is growing by leaps and bounds and recently I found an article from an old House Beautiful magazine called "A Henry James kind of house." I loved the idea of identifying a design style with a writer. It is a different and interesting way to look at design. In that article Michael Smith said "there's something quite romantic and beautiful about an old New York, Henry James kind of house." It was fascinating to think about which writers would inspire with memorable interiors, which ones created rooms that are so thoroughly evoked we can practically move in. Edith Wharton, Jane Austen, Virginia Woolf, and Henry James all did this. The homes and interior spaces in their novels are like characters themselves. They have that lived in and layered look that tells a story. Looking at images of rooms by some of my favorite decorators, I found some great interiors that look as if they could be right out of a novel. Take a look...

This living room corner lit by candlelight captures the romance of old New York found in the books by Henry James
Design by Michael Smith
Photo via here

 This library in a Manhattan town house could be Lawrence Selden's study in "A House of Mirth" by Edith Wharton.

Design by Jeffrey Bilhuber
Photo via here

This elegant, ancestral-looking room could be right out of a novel by Elizabeth Bowen
Design by Michael Smith
Photo via here

This feminine library reminds me of Vita Sackville-West, author of "The Edwardians," who grew up in her family's ancestral estate in Kent. Like Virginia Woolf, she believed in "a room of one's own."
Design by Charlotte Moss
Photo via here

This room has the well-traveled look you might find in a book by Evelyn Waugh
Design by Bunny Williams
Photo via here

This room captures the intimacy of tea with the vicar, a recurring scene in the books by Barbara Pym
Designer unknown
Photo via here

This room could be the setting for a tete a tete between Harriet Smith and Emma Woodhouse in "Emma" by Jane Austen
Designer unknown
Photo via here

This Bloomsbury-inspired room from Domino Magazine (2007) has the artsy and bohemian style of Virginia Woolf and her set set - love that rug!
Photo via here

This kitchen looks as if it could be part of the country house at the center of  "Howards End"  by E. M Forster
Design by Ben Pentreath
Photo via here

And this hallway looks as if it could be in the London house belonging to the Schlegel sisters in the same book by E.M. Forster
Design by Ben Pentreath
Photo via here

This foyer captures the 1920's glamour of a Noel Coward play
Design by Miles Redd
Photo via here

If you live in Los Angeles and want to be reminded of how great novels can inspire decorators, be sure to take a stroll along La Cienega Boulevard. Go in the evening when the windows are lit. You will see how some very talented designers interpreted their favorite books. The windows will be up through the end of the month.

P.S. Go here to see Flavorwire's pick of "The 25 Greatest Homes in Literature"