Travel Reviews

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Ralph Lauren Home's Bohemian Ile Saint-Louis

You know I love Ralph Lauren Home products. I've blogged about them a lot, even cataloging some of the most amazing Ralph Lauren Home collections throughout the years here and here. While they are all outstanding, I tend to truly covet the more bohemian of the collections.

Through the years, we've had La Boheme:



A gorgeous collection of jewel toned, and worldly tribal fabrics mixed with gilded antiques and modern art. Of course, the layering upon layering is what makes this truly bohemian, that subtle mix of color, texture, and style that only the brilliant minds over at Ralph Lauren seem to be able to pull off.

We also had the New Bohemian collection:


 
A dirtier, less refined collection than La Boheme, however still lovely, and still mixing those genres and textures and styles all for that bohemian-glam look that Ralph Lauren has made so covetable. One of my favorites, if not the favorite, St. Germaine:
 



Another lovely collection of things new and old, rough and refined, luxurious and destined for the trash - all paired up together and layered upon layered to create this intimate experience. And really, isn't that what we all want out of our houses? Perfection without having to be perfect?

So, when I popped in on Ralph Lauren Home to see what collections they had for Spring/Summer 2014, I was so happy to see another bohemian space, this time called Ile Saint-Louis:








Gorgeous, right? As I soaked up these images, and looked, then relooked at the detail of each one, it seemed as if all at once, my idea of the Ralph Lauren bohemian "look" shifted. What I had remembered of collections like La Boheme, New Bohemian, and St. Germain, these over-filled, over-decorated, over-layered rooms, so beautifully hoarded - had collectively sealed my idea of what bohemian rooms should look like. Yet here we are, with Ile Saint-Louis, delicately spare in decoration, simply styled, and devoid of overpowering layers, and the bohemian look still rings true, shining through in every image.

Industrial tables mixed with French antiques, linens mixed with cashmere and velvets, found objects mixed with off the rack specials, it proves that often you don't need a room filled with objects for it to be beautiful. More over, you don't need all of your objects to be antique, or unique. Quite the opposite, sometimes you have to break up those antiques with trendy off the shelf specials and visa versa in order for a room to feel truly collected, and ... special.

Yes, indeed, there's always a lot to learn from the brilliant designers over at Ralph Lauren who put these stunning visual feasts together for us every season. For more on this one, and to see the other less bohemian collection for Spring/Summer 2014, go to RalphLaurenHome.com.

7 comments:

  1. OMG.....so divine! I want to torch my house and start over now.
    I think I'll go buy a lottery ticket.......
    ~Des

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  2. My favorite is also the St. Germaine, and though I think the newer images are lovely, I am definitely more drawn to the layered fabrics, jewel tones and overall look seen in the first photos. They look more like rooms that have been collected and put together over time. The others, again beautiful, look more staged to me and not 'real'. You summed it up the first rooms appearance perfectly, no pun intended, when you said, "perfection without having to be perfect"! And, I cracked up when you described one room partially as, "luxurious and destined for the trash."
    Beautiful, inspiring and fun post!

    Nancy
    Nancy's Daily Dish

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  3. He is an amazing designer. I still have a comforter I bought as a new wife 16 years ago. I still have it and love it. The texture and quality have made it my favorite and the rose design is timeless. I love the rough and refined look the most. Jeans a white t-shirt and leather. Classic. Thanks for stopping by Arbor House Lane. My husband and I built our home in Pendleton on land from his family. He also has an aunt and cousin whom live in Lewiston so we do frequent often. My sister also is a cake decorator for The Village Bake Shop. Small world. Have a wonderful weekend. Alaina

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  4. Adore Ralphie too.

    I think it's about loving each and every thing, deeply. Why it works. Found objects or $$$.

    Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

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  5. All are amazing here . A lot of thanks for this post on public . So thanks .

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