Elle Decor's A-Team (Part IV)

A few weeks ago, we started a new feature, looking at Elle Decor's 2010 "A-List of 25 interior designers." Some are well known to us and some vaguely familiar, but all have distinguished themselves as the best in the industry (at least according to Elle Decor). We'll be looking at these taste makers each week - to see how they appeal to our own aesthetic and even find a little Key West in their style if it exists.

Catch up with:
Part I
Part II
Part III

On to a few more (I think we're halfway through the list now? Okay maybe a third of the way...) Here they are:

Joe Nahem

ED (Elle Decor) describes Nahem as "a master at using sculptural vintage furnishings...which he mixes with custom-made items, glittering accessories, and bold contemporary artworks. The results are dynamic and quietly dramatic rooms - highly textured spaces where history meets the future."






We love the luxury of his design style. His attention to lighting fixtures - particularly chandeliers - and ornate accessories, brings an old school glamour to clean lines and uncluttered spaces.

Thomas O'Brien

ED describes O'Brien as "an influential product designer as well as a taste making interior decorator...O'Brien has a look that's instantly identifiable - warmly modern rooms where furniture and accessories...mingle with rare and surprising objects that could have come from a cabinet of curiosities."

As I experienced with Charlotte Moss last week, it was hard to find images for O'Brien since there are so many to choose from. He doesn't have a current project "portfolio" on his website, so I just did some looking around and pulled some images that appealed to me:







O'Brien's work is timeless, and while he uses modern pieces, the colors and textiles maintain a quiet elegance. We love how he manages to achieve that in spaces that are also functional and comfortable.

*images from: Chic Coles, Martha Stewart, Washington Post

Alex Papachristidis

ED (Elle Decor) describes Papachristidis as "best known for his cheerful, pretty, multilayered interiors inspired by the Old World, packed with colors, patterns, objects, and art that could have been assembled over generations...What he never neglects is a touch of glamour."










If there are two things we can't get enough of, they are chandeliers and chairs. Papachristidis doesn't disappoint. That red fixture paired with pale green fabric and accessory accents? Charming. His portfolio shows not only talent, but also the ability to translate his own vision into the style of his clients. Each project strongly reflects his aesthetic, yet remains unique.

And another flash of whimsical and ecclectic Key West style for you - that last image pretty much nails it!

So what do you think? Any opinions so far on Elle Decor's selected designers?




*Unless otherwise specified, all images procured directly from the designers' websites.