Frank Roop loves him some brown and blue.

And really, who doesn't? They're the colors of earth and water, sand and sea, chocolate and blue curaçao.

I love Roop's use of color, but he also has a wonderful flair for mixing: he pairs mid-century furniture with his own designs, achieves harmonious palettes via repetitious blending, and grounds his modern interiors with rich fabrics (velvet, linen, and Edelman leathers) and wood and stone accent pieces.



His interiors are fundamentally neutral but enlivened with pops of lime green, chartreuse, jungle green and turquoise. He's a master at balancing color and textural contrast.


In the study of his 1865 Boston brownstone duplex (above), gray, blue, and taupe mingle beautifully. The sinuous chair, a vintage Austrian piece, is a wonderful counterpoint to the Jacques Adnet cocktail table and Jansen desk. The mercury-glass floor lamp and André Arbus light fixture date from the 1940s. The curtains are made from a Great Plains linen and a Travers velvet.


In his dining room (above), mid-century modern abounds: the T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings walnut table, Danish chairs upholstered in an Edelman leather, and Curtis Jeré metal wall sculpture are all vintage. Roop designed the floating bookshelves and travertine mantel, and the ceiling light fixture is by Fortuny.


Above, he paired a mid-century Eugène Printz desk with a stool he designed. The vintage resin lamp is by Marie-Claude de Fouquières; the curtains are made of Pollack’s Chambray Challis with a deep border of Edelman suede.


For the bay window alcove, above, Roop upholstered two 1960s Sergio Rodrigues chairs in a Great Plains linen velvet by Holly Hunt. The Danish sofa is covered in Flair linen by Dedar, and the floor lamp is vintage Arteluce.



Roop designed the bed in his master bedroom, above, and upholstered it in an Edelman suede; he also designed the light fixture; the shade is made of Donghia linen. The curtains are made of Montreaux velvet by Travers.

Above, in the sitting area of the bedroom, the Danish rosewood chair is from the 1960s, the metal sunburst is Curtis Jeré, and the Harvey Probber desk and Laverne Tulip chair are vintage. The oil is by Bernd Haussmann.


Roop's other projects showcase his design philosophy. In the TV room of a 2,400-square-foot Boston condo, above, he covered the raised floor in leather tiles from Edelman, and upholstered the sofa's frame, back cushions, seat cushions, and throw pillows in different velvet and linen fabrics.


He designed the headboard and steel wall sculpture in the condo's master bedroom. The bed platform is upholstered in his signature Edelman leather.

In the condo's kitchen, Roop created the horizontally striped accent wall in the dining area with hand-cut strips of paper-backed silk. He also designed the stools, which are upholstered with Liaigre leather from Holly Hunt.


A detailed view of the dining area, above.


Above, the living room of a Nantucket project. The coffee table is Jacques Adnet (Roop has a similar piece in his library), the bronzed garden seat is 1960s, and the opaline glass sconces are early 19th century. The sofa is covered in Larson's Uno in Eucalyptus; the floor cushions are Pierre Frey's Erevan in Café.

Below, in a guest bedroom, he added pops of yellow to his signature taupes, blues, and greens.


The chair fabric, above, is William by Anna French. The bed's blue throw pillow (in the first photo) is Victoria by Donghia.

The dreamy blue master bathroom of the Nantucket home. Roop painted the walls Borrowed Light by Farrow & Ball. He drew the mosaic tile floor on a computer with CAD software, and Tile Showcase manufactured it in one piece, like a carpet.

He makes it look easy, which it isn't, of course -- but I find his interiors incredibly inspiring.

What can we all learn from Roop?

• Use a mix of tactile fabrics
• Focus on blending colors, tones and saturation levels rather than matching 
• Achieve pattern through texture
• Use a diverse mix of geometry and scale
• Warm up a modern, disciplined interior with natural elements, such as wood and stone
• Invest in classic mid-century pieces
• Seek inspiration from nature, art, travel and fashion (Roop began his career in men's fashion, and he's said that his interiors are greatly inspired by clothing).

Oh, and P.S.! One of his favorite paint colors is 'Soft Fern,' a chalky gray-green by Benjamin Moore, which he likens to "a cool breeze through pine trees." Mmmm.

Check out our Flickr photostream to see many more Frank Roop interiors.


xo,
Sarah

Photo credits: First photo, Eric Roth, Elle Decor; second photo, Frank Roop website; next 6 photos, Eric Roth, Elle Decor; condo: TV room, Bill Jacobson, bedroom, Eric Roth, kitchen, Bill Jacobson, all Metropolitan Home; detailed view of condo dining area, Frank Roop website; Nantucket living room and first bedroom photo, Francesco Lagnese, House Beautiful; second Nantucket bedroom photo, Frank Roop website; Nantucket bathroom photo, Francesco Lagnese, House Beautiful.