Florals and Veggies

Spring has most definitely sprung down here in the South. We've had some warm, sunny days, and everything is coated in a thick layer of pollen. So naturally, my mind has turned to vernal thoughts of flowers and vegetables. Bring on the buds and the blooms! Time to serve some Spring Pea Soup. In the spirit of the season, here are some other ways to indulge in the season's bounty.




How cool is this? It's a sterling silver champagne saver by Mary's Garden. You simply place this pretty little gadget into an open Champagne bottle and it preserves the bubbles (I don't know how it works, but it's very clever.) The garden inspired savers are available in Camellia Leaf, Chinese Paper Plant Bud (shown above), Flowering Dogwood Berries, and other horticultural designs.


The Design for Health Portion Plate by Jeffrey Harris. This porcelain plate depicts the proper portions of veggies, starches, and protein that one should consume for a healthy diet. Looks like I need to start doubling up on the vegetables.


Any of the white asparagus I've bought here in Atlanta tastes like dirt! Next time, I'll save my money and buy some white asparagus candles instead. Vegetable candles by Point a la Ligne.


Nymphenburg Sketches plate designed by Hella Jongerius, available at Moss.


"French Tulips" painting, available at Dutch Touch Art.


Doesn't Erin Rosenow create the cheeriest floral arrangements? You can buy arrangements like this one (and the one at top) at her shop in San Francisco.

Blue and White and Wow All Over

With the upcoming release of Carolyne Roehm's new book A Passion for Blue and White, there is sure to be a lot of talk about this classic color combination. It's one of the easiest color schemes with which to work, and you never have to worry about it not looking chic. Of course, Roehm is not alone in her love of blue and white. Here are a few designers and fashionable persons who make these two colors look so great that you too might develop a passion for blue and white.





I love this vibrant dining room designed by British decorator John McCall. He based the blue and white color scheme on the Delft tile in the fireplace and the owner's collection of blue and white porcelain. (British House & Garden; photographer Bob Smith)


Updated yet classic American style in this bedroom designed by Sara Gilbane. The punchy print is a youthful take on timeless blue and white.


Who wouldn't want to be invited to a dinner served at this table? Dining room of the always stylish Oscar de la Renta, photographed in 1971. (Image courtesy of Vogue Living, Spring/Summer 2008; photographer Horst)


Isn't this over the top? And totally fabulous too? The Capri home of Valentino, photographed in 1971. (1971 must have been a fun year in design!)

A Primer on Modern Furniture

I recently admitted to myself that my knowledge of modern furniture (especially mid-century and later) was a bit thin. And this was a situation that had to be remedied. Of course, I was familiar with the modern classics, especially those iconic pieces by the Eames, Panton, Nelson, and Bertoia, but beyond that? Well, I certainly could not write a post about modern furniture with any authority.

I went about my modern furniture education the old-fashioned way- by reading. Fortunately, Vintage Furniture: Collecting & Living With Modern Design Classics by Fay Sweet came to my rescue. The book is a great overview of modernism from the late 19th century up to today. The early adherents of modernism are featured, including Thonet, Rietveld, the Bauhaus, and Ruhlmann. Next, it's on to those very creative Scandinavians: Aalto, Wegner, and Jacobsen, to name a few. And of course, no modern furniture book would be complete without discussion of the Eames, Noguchi, and their fellow mid-century maestros.

Where the book was especially helpful, at least to me, was with its chapters on Pop and Post-Modernism. With the recent death of Ettore Sottsass, Memphis design has been featured everywhere! There have been articles about this movement in recent issues of Elle Decor and Vogue Living. Kelly Wearstler has a Sottsass Carlton Cabinet- one of the most iconic pieces of Memphis furniture- in her new home. Could this be a sign of Wearstler's new direction? Will we be seeing a resurgence in popularity of 1980s furniture? I don't know, nor am I sure if I'll take part in this trend. But at least now I finally have some idea as to what everyone seems to be talking about.

So if you too need, or want, to bone up on modernism, I enthusiastically recommend this primer on modern (and classic) design.


A nifty folding chair designed by Michael Thonet... in 1890!


How gorgeous are these plywood pieces by Alvar Aalto (especially that drinks trolley). To me, this is the kind of modern furniture that mixes well with more traditional antiques.


The iconic "classic" of Memphis- the Carlton cabinet by Sottsass, designed in 1981. Although I can't see displaying this cabinet in my home, I do respect both the design and the spirit of the piece.

(All images from Vintage Furniture by Fay Sweet; Antique Collectors Club; 2007)

Estee Lauder & Kazumi Yoshida

A few months ago I wrote a post about artist and fabric designer Kazumi Yoshida. The creative mastermind behind many of Clarence House's most inventive prints, Yoshida has recently partnered with Estee Lauder to design a limited edition candle and bottle for Lauder's fragrance pleasures. Aerin Lauder is obviously a fan of Yoshida as she says "Yoshida's consummate artistry is evident in Clarence House's beautiful decorative fabrics, some of which I have in my own home. Yoshida's designs are elegant, luxurious and timeless."

I just got my pleasures candle, and it smells divine. The packaging is so sweet and perfect for Spring. And, it's just another way to add a bit of Kazumi Yoshida's imaginative artistry to your home.

(By the way, you can buy the candle from your Estee Lauder counter. I also know that you can purchase it online at Bloomingdales.com)

Passementerie Lighting!

Passementerie sconces?? Why those are two of my favorite words in the design dictionary! As soon as I saw mention of them on 1st dibs yesterday, I had to immediately visit the site of the mastermind behind this quirky lighting line- Hélène Aumont. The California based Aumont not only designs lighting but furniture and accessories as well. And if that isn't enough, she is also an interior designer (I am assuming that she decorated the glorious Paris apartment of Patrick Aumont, who was featured on 1st dibs.)

But it's the passementerie covered chandeliers and sconces that have caught my fancy. They're wildly chic and whimsical and reminiscent of 1930s French design. What do you think?


Passy Grand Chandelier


Passy Petit Chandelier


Pompidou Sconce


Orsay Sconce

Image at top: A passementerie sconce in a Paris apartment designed by Hélène Aumont.

Claire Cormier Fauvel

Remember when I wrote a post about my elusive search for the shell turtle candlestick owned by Joe Nye, Christopher Spitzmiller, and Todd Romano? Well, amazingly enough, I received an email from the candlestick maker herself- the talented French artist Claire Cormier Fauvel. While Claire does occasionally make smaller items for retail shops (like the turtle candlestick she designed for Hollyhock), she spends a majority of her time creating custom design pieces (chandeliers, sconces, etc.) for interior designers. In addition to working with shells, Claire also uses beads and iron to render her masterpieces.

Claire was kind enough to share these photos of her work with me. The pieces are truly wonderful! Although Claire does not yet have a website (she's simply too busy working her magic with shells and beads!), she can be reached by email: c.fauvel2@wanadoo.fr

Here is but a sampling of her amazing work:


Black Mussels Chandelier


Tiny Shells Frame


Blossom Chandelier


Coral Lantern


Coral Chandelier


Palm Candlesticks


Crocodile Chandelier


Eye Detail of Crocodile Chandelier- how fabulous!


Fish Chandelier

Image at top: My dream candlestick in the home of Joe Nye

The Architecture of Joy

I just spent the weekend reading Chinoiseries by Bernd H. Dams and Andrew Zega (Rizzoli New York, 2008), a book which has generated a great deal of buzz in the blogosphere. And I just couldn't not write about it- the book is too stunning and in my opinion deserves all of the praise that it receives.

The book is a compilation of architectural watercolors of 17th and 18th c. Chinoiserie follies and pavilions in France. Rendered by Dams and Zega, the colorful paintings capture the exuberance and charm of these architectural gems. To the authors, these buildings represent "the architecture of joy". And joy is what Dams and Zega give to the reader.

Some of the buildings featured in the book were never built; the authors based their renderings on historical documents. Sadly, most of the structures that were built have been destroyed. That is such a tragedy, but I suppose we can take solace in the fact Dams and Zega have preserved the legacy of these buildings, if at least on paper.


Tartar Tent at Parc Monceau; built c. 1775. Commissioned for the Duc de Chartres, this structure was later destroyed.


Chinese Tent for Trianon Versailles. Conceived by the workshop of Jean-Baptiste Pillement in 1780, this tent, never built, was possibly designed for Marie-Antoinette's gardens at Trianon.


Refreshment Tent for Versailles. Another project that was never built, this charming tent was designed in 1779; the architect is unknown.


The Pagoda at Rheinsberg. One of the book's few non-French examples, this pagoda was built for Prince Heinrich of Prussia around 1765. Located at Heinrich's palace at Rheinsberg, Germany, the pagoda is sadly no longer standing.

(All images from Chinoiseries by Bernd H. Dams and Andrew Zega, Rizzoli New York, 2008)

Palatable Florals

For months now, many magazines have touted the return of the floral print. Now, for some people, florals never went anywhere; they remained alive and well on sofas, bedspreads, and walls in many a cheery home. You floral fiends may now find yourself a little more in vogue than you were last year, and that's great! Stick with what you love. It's like me and my Chinoiserie- some years I'm the belle of the ball, while at other times I'm yesterday's news.

Personally, I'm very picky about floral prints. They can't be too sweet nor they can be too "floral-y". The prints almost need to be toned down by some other addition to the print. I do think, though, that there is a floral print for everyone. If you're like me, maybe some of these florals might be just the thing to get you on the floral bandwagon. But, if you have a strong dislike of these prints, then you too should just stick with what you love.

Despite being a floral-challenged person, I adore these Braquenie prints. See, they're not "pure" floral prints. Image at top: "Bordure Cheverny"; Image at bottom: "Rivière Enchantée & Pércale"


Now this is a unique floral print- "Paradise Lost" by Scalamandre.


Does this count as a floral? I do like "Elsie de Wolfe" by Scalamandre


Not too sweet nor saccharine. "Margot" by Clarence House


Now we're talking; this print is gorgeous! "Menars" by Brunschwig & Fils

Image at top: "Garden in Hell" living room of Diana Vreeland. She was the one person who could make florals look downright decadent.