BY NICKY SUMMER
One of our favourite places to dine in Paris is the terrace restaurant adjacent to the Ralph Lauren store on Boulevard St Germain. There is always an elegant but comfortable ambience; the traditional decor, music and styling resonates with Parisians and American visitors alike. As a residential, hotel and yacht designer, my eye is always drawn to the details – floral installations, the lighting, the soft furnishings, the art, the planting on the terrace – which is a mix of bux potted in urns, olive trees and other greenery. The classic look that Ralph Lauren established at the very start of his career carries through the property and can be recreated in your own home using some of our favourite suppliers…
Horn chandeliers, ice bowl holders and other accessories (as above) can be sourced from David Moura Design; statement floral installations of greenery can be provided by RVH Floral Design (below, right). Bespoke leather seating can be found at the Nicky Summer Home collection, as can the leather and brass telescope below – a very popular accessory that we often install in penthouse/loft apartments allowing the owner to scan the amazing roof top views over the city…
Above: An informal look around the Ralph Lauren indoor/outdoor terrace restaurant on Blvd. St Germain, Paris. For property refurbishment including wood panelling as seen here, contact Phinesse Concepts.
Lighting is an important feature of any interior scheme; Ralph Lauren use their own glass and chrome hurricane lamps with candles as low level lighting; lanterns such as the one below left from Vaughn Designs in a variety of finishes are perfect for recreating the ambience…
Equestrian prints are a large feature of the Ralph Lauren look – the large scale image above left is by wildlife photographer, David Yarrow represented by the Maddox Gallery.
When designing a dining terrace, I always like to opt for something a little opulent and scented, such as Daphne Odora, Viburnum opulus, Hydrangea Annabelle, Camellia, lilies in pots and, of course, fresh flowers for the table…“
Barry Burrows, Bartholomew Landscaping
To style your garden dining terrace, bring in the experts; Barry Burrows, founder of Bartholomew Landscaping, suggests installing Daphne Odora, Viburnum Opulus, Hydrangea Annabelle, Camellia, fragrant Lilies in pots and, of course, adding fresh white flowers as a table centrepiece…
Alternatively, find a gorgeous selection of plants at The Chelsea Gardener in Sydney Street, London, SW3 (see above, left)
Beautiful relaxing colours are key to a wonderful vibe, of course; just as important however, is the freshness of the air you breathe. Graphenstone paints are not only rich in minerals and pigments, with none of the toxicity or pollution of plastic paints, but are also Air-Purifying, absorbing CO2. What a difference that makes to the perfect vibe!”
Patrick Folkes, Graphenstone Organic Paints
Ralph Lauren is well known for his love of classic cars (below); you can find a beautiful selection of vintage cars at the Peter Bradfield showroom in South Kensington, London SW7; alternatively, be driven around in your own specially designed cab from Clive Sutton (above)
Celebrate the Ralph Lauren lifestyle with Champagne Arlaux (above, right).
GET THE VIBE COMPILATION: For supplier details contact info@nickysummer.com
