STYLISH GIFT IDEAS FROM UBER STYLISH TASTEMAKERS, EDITORS AND DESIGNERS

No matter how you say thank you to friends and family this holiday season, say it with style. I talked to the best talent and creative minds in the interior design industry to see what they were giving this year. The results are a mix of varied treasures, sure to make any recipient glad to have a friend that chic!

Photo courtesy of Hutton Wilkinson
Tony Duquette designer Hutton Wilkinson will be "giving everyone on my list limited edition signed and numbered special edition set of my books, Tony Duquette and More is More, double boxed in a Jim Thompson fabric slip case with gilded edges, special book plates and satin ribbons." Ooh la la, am I on that list, I hope?

Photo courtesy of Allegra Hicks
London- based Allegra Hicks does fashion and fabrics with Lee Jofa. She just came out with a new book, and will be giving friends and loved one's the Travel Bag she has designed for her collection.

Photo courtesy of Benneton Graveur

Christopher Spitzmiller helps friends remember essential dates with engraved calendars from Benneton Graveur.

Photo courtesy of Very Vera
Julia Noran, founder of Editor at Large likes to give cakes for the holidays. "Very Vera is the best!" she exclaimed.

Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé Champagne
Interior designer Kevin Isbell's favorite gift to give go to gift for the holiday season is a chilled bottle of Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé champagne. It makes the perfect hostess gift, or a simple token of appreciation. The Billecart-Salmon has a beautiful rose color and is dry without being overly dry. For those extra special occasions opt for the Billecart-Salmon Brut Cuvee Elisabeth 2000. It's worth every penny.

Photo courtesy of Hollyhock
LA's Suzanne Rheinstein likes to give embroidered and applique cocktail napkins she has made for her LA shop, Hollyhock.

Photo courtesy of Barneys
Architects James Shearron and Richard Bories of Bories and Sharron revealed, "We love to give Cire Trudon candles. Our favorite is Roi Soleil....eucalyptus, orange, cedar, fir and green leaves. The fragrance of the "Mirror Gallery" of the Chateau de Versailles."

Photo courtesy Jonathan Adler
The best giftie according to Jonathan Adler is his whimsical needlepoint Astrology Pillow. They really are fun.

Photo courtesy of Treillage
Bunny Williams likes to give her fragranced candle and bone lidded container to put it in. Available at her shop, Treillage.

Photo courtesy of Eduardo Garza
Amanda Nisbet is a big fan of designer Eduardo Garza and his handmade decorative boxes, "they are fabulous for their color, texture and duality of materials."
Photo courtesy of Nina Campbell
After a collaboration with Brit fashion designer Ted Baker, Nina Campbell is giving her Perroquet - patterned Osborne and Little fabric shoe trees cosmetic bags and hangers to friends as stocking stuffers.

Aesthetic eye Timothy Whealon designs projects around the globe but loves the delicious all - American confections from Hughes Home Maid Chocolates in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. To order, call 920-231-7232.

Photo courtesy of Robyn Brooks NY
Home accessories designer Robyn Brooks will be helping her friends keep track of their luggage on holiday travels with luggage tags she designed.

Photo courtesy of For Your Party
Sophie Donelson, freelance writer and Editor TV host shared,
"I never tire of giving cheeky custom party supplies from For Your Party. For a friend in Red Hook, Brooklyn, I designed coasters with an anchor illustration and the phrase, Red Hook: Not Just For Hookers. For my parents, who live in my hometown of Ashburnham, Mass. (which I loving refer to as The 'Ham), I gifted, 'ham is where the heart is paper napkins."

Quest's Executive Editor Georgina Schaeffer will be giving her godchild a cute towel from Personalization Mall.

Photo courtesy of Fouta Lifestyle
Mieke Ten Have, Elle Decor's new Associate Style Editor is giving her friends Fouta Lifestyle's Tunisian towel. Is it a wrap, towel, or blanket? You decide.

Photo courtesy of Mecox Gardens
Mac Hoak of Mecox Gardens has a great selection of antique bookends. These lions are fierce.

Thomas Jayne treats friends to hand made business card holders in red leather from Peter Hermann Leather Goods at 118 Thompson Street, New York 212 966 9050.

LA based designer Ruthie Sommers is going the environmental route, giving friends a tree in the Amazon rain forest through Rainforest Forever.

Photo courtesy of Kathryn M. Ireland
LA designer Kathryn M. Ireland carries Hugo Guiness prints in her Almont Yard shop and online, which she will be giving for the holidays.

Photo courtesy of Liz O'Brien
Vintage furniture guru Liz O’Brien will be giving her friends a glowing gift. These reproduction brass, mirror and glass hurricanes originally designed by Albert Hadley in the late 1960’s for a Washington DC nightclub called Pisces.

Photo courtesy of Branca
Chicago interior designer with a newly launched website and blog, Alessandra Branca, loves the shimmer and pop of the Silvered Log Stool from Branca.

Photo courtesy of Michael Devine
Fabric designer and blogger Michael Devine will be gifting Venice Trinket Trays in his fabrics to friends.

Lindsey Coral Harper, a New York- based interior designer who is great with color is giving friends her holiday soy candle from Lamshop, her furniture line.
Photo courtesy of Taschen
LA Interior designer Trip Haenisch will be giving 100 Contemporary Artists from Taschen. “Art is a very important element of my design and is an important part of a well-done home. As a designer, part of my process is to educate my clients and to expose them to the best; be it art, furniture, fabric or accessories. I see what they respond to and take my inspiration from that. This book serves to educate my clients and friends to contemporary art and will also look great on a coffee table!”

Photo courtesy of Porthault
Celerie Kemble said, "I love the odd D. Porthault dumbell pillow (great for travel) or showercap --a granny chic useful trifle-- for girls."

Photo courtesy of Bernard Maisner
Nandita Khanna, a senior editor at Town and Country shared, "I don’t think you can ever go wrong with beautiful stationary from Bernard Maisner. This winter he’s created a selection of note pads with his signature whimsical illustrations—the question marks are my favorite. Even in the day of the iPad, iPhone and Blackberry, I still love having a chic notepad to jot down to-do lists, or take messages on. I’ll give a selection of these to friends whose holiday parties I’ll attend.”

Photo courtesy of Kim Seybert
Tabletop accessory ace Kim Seybert likes to give friends accessories from her Heavy Metal Collection.

Photo Courtesy of York Street Studio Gimme Power
Writer and interior industry talent Susanna Salk's tech take is interesting: "My friends at York Street Studio just designed this way cool silver hand charger for the iphone and Apple snatched it up. The perfect gift for my most fave and fab friends!" Order through York Street.

Photo courtesy of Diane James
Carolyne James McDonough will be giving friends her new Diane James Home signature scent candle, "with pretty packaging done by none other than the talented painter Patricia Von Esche of PVE Design!"

Photo courtesy of Hubs
LA designer Betsy Burnham is giving Hubs Peanuts, because, "I give these every year to clients, vendors, friends, neighbors. they are the biggest, heartiest, most delicious peanuts you’ve ever had. and the chocolate covered ones are to die for! I love them because they’re festive without being typically christmas-y (or super unhealthy), and also because the company is family owned and the product is locally grown (well, in virginia) and unbelievably fresh."

Photo courtesy of Marcia Sherrill
The Deenie Tote is what writer, antique dealer and all around creative entrepreneur Marcia Sherril is gifting, "I am giving everyone an Anabelle by Marcia Sherrill handbag, for one thing most of my friends have bags named after them....and they are the perfect accessory!"

HADLEY ALUMS CAME OUT IN FORCE FOR SOUTHPORT'S ROOMS WITH A VIEW

It was the best year ever! Early in November, Rooms with a View honored Albert Hadley, with 12 designer vignettes created by those that have gone on to great success after being mentored by the design icon. Hints of red, round mirrors, animals and etageres play a role in the spaces, as an homage to Hadley's favorite homey and welcoming design elements. The annual showhouse, located at The Southport Congregational Church, brought out the design cognescenti from near and far, who came to see the exceptional rooms created by leading designers who have gone on to run their own successful firms.

Bunny Williams worked with Mr. Hadley for 22 years since the days of Parish Hadley.

An homage to Hadley's New York apartment, Bunny used a round table from her Beeline Collection and hanging pendant light. Check out the french doors with an image of Mr. Hadley in his Southport garden circa 1990.

Her Bee Line Collection pieces make the small space a relaxing room.

A gorgeous gold gourd made by Christopher Spitzmiller sits next to sentimental photos, and stacks of books.

Bunny's favorite books, a bar and objects fill an etagere surrounded by framed art.

Genius! Bunny made a shelf of an etagere an instant bar.


Pamela Banker worked at Parish Hadley in in 1995, staying for 5 years. She and her team created a red office with a signature etagere, round mirror and workable desk and painted zebra canvas rug.

This antique mirror is fantastic, a round mirror is de regeur for a Hadley interior.

An Albert Hadley designed lamp from Christopher Spitzmiller in silver glaze illuminates the work space.

David Easton strikes a pose. After a year with Hadley he went out on his own. He is in the midst of a twenty stop book tour promoting his new book, Elegant Interiors

David Easton's office setting included a desk from his collection and Safaveih rug he designed. A Moroccan hanging lamp adds an unexpected twist.

Beautifully engineered shelving hold models of homes he has designed.

The back wall is made of a painted cork board displaying architectural renderings.

David brought desk accessories from home and a lamp from his Robert Abbey collection.

Thom Filicia worked for the firm from 1992-1993. Here he is, standing in front of his fantastic electric yellow vignette.

Bold yellow stried walls play off a French blue table and blue ceramic lamp. A bulls - eye canvas makes a great focal point, and the circle motif is carried through in the console below.

An ebony hexagonal mirror ties the seating area together.

The coffee table holds two things Mr. Hadley always included-- a bowl of quarters and a pair of dogs.

Michael Whaley, who began his career at the firm, created a serene spot in taupe and cream. Elegant sconces frame the settee, covered in satin.

A slipper chair -- always present in a Hadley room.

Libby Cameron created an office with tried and true Hadley touches. covered walls in "Desmond", a black and white Sister Parish Design. In a nod to a favorite animal of Hadley's, wise owls dot the vignette. Libby filled me in on her time there. "I got a month long internship in the fall of 1982, I was then hired full time shortly thereafter in 1983 to be Albert's assistant. I first started working with him on the restoration of Gracie Mansion. I had the most wonderful, magical experience at Parish-Hadley during my fourteen years there-I learned so much and saw so much, I am eternally grateful. I left Parish-Hadley in the fall of 1995 after my daughter Clara was born, and put out my own shingle. Albert taught me the importance of details, and always stressed that everything had to be finished properly and have a finished edge, that welts could not be big, that everything had to be subtle and made to look like it was done by a dressmaker. Albert always referred to rooms having skylines, which is an image I always carry with me. One's eye should be able to travel around a room, up and down, and not have everything be at one level. Objects, furniture and paintings all at different levels create interest and intrigue-which is what makes a room work."

A bright glazed Christopher Spitzmiller lamp sits on a green desk. A clipboard holding a notepad with drawings and Do Not Forget notepad were ever present on Hadley's own desk.

A charming bookcase with bone inlay holds books featuring Parish Hadley work.

Rarely seen without a pencil in hand, Hadley was constantly sketching. Seventeen drawings done by him are hanging from Libby's personal collection.

David Kleinberg got his start at Parish Hadley in 1981. His area incorporated neutrals. Stripes carried over from the walls, to table skirt and floor design.

A Swedish L-shaped bench tucks in perfectly behind a round table, making the most of the allotted space.

The etagere again!

A glam floor of gold and white stripes.

Harry Heissmann, in his fantastic space. Harry was with Hadley from 2000-2009. He shared, "Albert taught me not to be afraid to think outside the box. Every detail matters, if you're using pairs of something - don't put them next to each other. The ceiling is a "fifth wall", don't forget it. I have "Mr. Hadley moments" all the time, where I think about what he would do. That could be editing or taking away or trying to find the most simple and effective solution to a "design problem" without overthinking it. On job sites or in workrooms when he didn't like something, he would say: "just make good". That meant: do it, solve it and don't talk about it - and believe me, it got you thinking! And then he teaches you to be humble. It's decorating and designing,not surgery..."

Harry Heissmann created a black space filled with graphic 70's elements.

All set for breakfast in bed with a side of Flair.

There is a tres Truman Capote feeling here.

Suzanne Earls Carr worked in a cream palette with touches of blue. There is a serene simplicity in her space. Topiary trees frame the entrance, adding their shapes to a linear space.

Cocktail time! A white textured Gourd Lamp (another great Spitzmiller piece) sits next to sentimental photos.

Thomas Jayne used Rorschach inkblot test- like brightly painted panels from Chuck Hettinger Studio to tie an antique filled space together. He worked at Parrish Hadley from 1986-87. He recalled, "He never discounted or overlooked any period of style for inspiration. He is as assured with Left Bank Parisian 1930's design as he is with Chippendale and Louis XV. I honor Albert because he advocates a personal connection with a room’s decoration. In an Albert rooms, you almost always get a sense of who lives there – they are never generic."

A clean lined settee with tapered legs fits neatly in the corner, covered with pastel pillows.

A happy faced pillow adds a touch of whimsy.

A narrow secretary would make a nice desk in a small New York apartment.

Great books like Happy Times and his newest tome, "The Finest Rooms in America" make the space personal.

Brian Murphy used amazing art that worked well with "Fireworks" wallpaper from Hadley's Hinson collection. When asked about his time working with the firm he said, "I worked for Albert from 1987 until 2000. My favorite quote from Albert is "Give em what they never knew they always wanted", which I think is a paraphrase of Diana Vreeland." The furniture in his booth is all 19th Century American.

A high backed garden bench and demilune plant stand and gothic hall chair and folk art coat rack.The bright and uplifting paintings that tie the space together are by Melissa Richard.

An American hooked rug from Rahmanan adds a nice graphic element against the painted furniture.


Brian McCarthy, who joined Parish Hadley in 1983 as Hadley's assistant, created a sitting area with neutral creams and dark browns. An amazing wavy wall surface out of plaster are juxtaposed against round mirrors from Line Vautrin grouped, a la Hadley. A comfortable chair, furry stool and ethnic rug tie the scheme together.

Every designer that has worked with The Dean knows and loves the folding ruler.