barclay butera: monday makeover

5.20.2013

Based in Newport, California, interior designer Barclay Butera calls upon influences from Old Hollywood and West Palm Beach while creating spaces for his clients. Butera seems to effortlessly capture American coastal style by layering classic and comfortable textures, colors, textiles, and patterns. By mixing more than he matches, Butera keeps his tailored interiors interesting and timeless. He typically tops off his seaside spaces with nautical accents, including ships and shells. The combination of these bold elements compliment each other so well that they result in elegance that is only slightly understated—or, Barclay's signature style of approachable elegance. Butera approaches design as a well-rounded wardrobe and believes that "We all love our Gap t-shirt mixed with a great pair of designer jeans.”

For those of us on a budget, we may not be able to hire Barclay Butera, but the following suggestions may help you successfully recreate his signature style.

Consider reupholstering accent chairs with linen or even burlap. Cover an accent wall with toile paper, or treat windows with bamboo blinds. You can even consider covering a ceiling with grasscloth (Butera dares to do it—so can you!). Throw in some bold batik pillows, such as John Robshaw’s, and add a model ship to the mantle or some shell sketches to the wall. If all else fails, finish off your room with Butera’s book, Living on the Coast, an educational and sophisticated addition to any space!

Here, I have made a humble attempt to recreate the Butera look with the following budget-friendly items: 


The inspiration:

Barclay Butera

The recreation:

It's not Scalamandre, but it'll do:

China Toile Wallpaper
China Toile Wallpaper

I love the texture of this table:
Bamboo Coffee Table
Coffee Table
$1,116.00 from Zinc Door

Some softer textiles, such as the upholstry on this accent chair or the inviting area rug, will compliment bold textures, such as bamboo, that are often used by Butera.

Arm Chair
Armchair
$199.99 from Lamps Plus

Animal Print Area Rug
5' x 7' Animal Print Area Rug
$73.99 from Overstock

A round mirror with a solid frame for above a mantle:

Bold Bulls Eye Mirror
36" wide mirror
$340.91 from Lamps Plus
Duh:
Blue & White Porcelain Vase
Porcelain Vase
$199 from Ethan Allen

Beautiful shell prints--the perfect addition to any beachy abode!

Sea Shell Wall Art
Shell Print

Sea Shell Wall Art
Sea Shells Wall Art

And if you don't have the time or budget to reupholster furniture, just cover it with John Robshaw or Les Indiennes pillows:

John Robshaw Pillows
John Robshaw Pillows
~ $145 from Neiman Marcus

Les Indiennes Pillow
Pretty Printed Les Indiennes Pillow
$72 from Les Indiennes

A couple of cobalt vases. If these two get snatched up, Etsy has quite the supply...

Cobalt Vase
Cobalt Vase

Cobalt Vase
Cobalt Vase
A beachy basket for your Coastal Living collection: 

Wicker Basket
Wicker Baset accent
$34.95 from Crate and Barrel

And, of course, a clam bowl!:
Clam Bowl
Clam Shell Bowl
$22.99 from Made in Oregon

If you don't have a fireplace to work with, I feel your pain, but a cheapy floating shelf like this one from Target will do the trick here:
Floating Shelf
Floating Shelf (but in white)
~$20 from Target
Fresh flowers:
Orchid
Orchid
$124.95 from Teleflora

(Or you can buy a more affordable faux orchid like this one:)


Orchid
Faux Orchid
$49.98 from Wayfair

And last, but certainly not least, this book will be your best Butera-esque purchase yet:

Barclay Butera Book
Living on the Coast
$40 from Barclay Butera

Stack it with a pile of other fabulous books, top it off with your clam bowl, and voila! Vignette! ;)

Here is how it comes together:

Barclay Butera Room Recreation

Enjoy!

Emilie

4 comments:

liza said...

That came together very nicely! I love the shell prints and the Robshaw pillows.

emilie at shell & chinoiserie said...

Me, too! :) Thanks, Liza!

Andrea said...

You are so talented, Emilie!! This looks like a million bucks! Now I'm heading over to Home Depot to check out that fabulous Chinoiserie wallpaper, what a find! I wonder if it comes in fabric?

XOXO,
The Glam Pad

emilie at shell & chinoiserie said...

Thank you, Andrea! Coming from you, that is a *huge* compliment! Gotta love Butera on a Budget, ha! ;)

 
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