Three Graces of Brooklyn

My New Apartment

2010-02-05T10:19:00.000-08:00

I've been busy at work in my new apartment. Below are some pictures of my recent work.

I put these book shelves up myself. I obviosuly still need more as the books on the floor were too big to fit onto the wall shelves. It still looks a bit too messy for my taste.

I found this amazing 1930s dresser in a local vintage furniture store. I just love the curves!

Art Collecting for the Not So Wealthy

2009-09-18T11:13:00.000-07:00

D.D. has been collecting art for some time now and he recently purchased some outsider art pieces from ebay for somewhere in the neighborhood of $20. I have always wanted to collect but always imagined that it was beyond my reach. I've been doing some research and have come across some pretty amazing things. This one below can be found on http://www.3fishstudios.com/ and comes framed for $90. I'm in love with it! Maybe i'll cave in and get it instead of that new pair of shoes i've been eyeing....

Design Inspiration: Neon and Retail

2009-06-12T10:10:00.001-07:00

These pictures are a bit old, but I found them in my files and they were just another example of the use of neon. These were Louis Vuitton's window displays.

Design Inspiration: Grey Goose Headquarters

2009-06-12T10:02:00.000-07:00

Antwerp designers Puresang have completed the interior of a bar at the headquarters of vodka brand Grey Goose in Brussels, Belgium.

The bar features a faceted wall composed of blue, triangular mirror-tiles and has a conference table at one end of the bar. A conference table at the end of the bar? Can I please attend those meetings?

I really love the look and feel of the room, it's almost cavernous or spaceship of the future dining room. I relaly enjooy the use of facets and reflective materials. It works for me, but I'd be afraid to have too many drinks in here, it might get very disorienting very quickly.

Repotting: IN NEON!

2009-06-08T12:47:00.001-07:00

This time of year I always have plants on the mind. Mine have been growing so quickly since the weather has warmed up. One of the major pluses of the new apartment is the abundance of sunlight compared to the lack of it in my current space. I'm sure my plants are going to be so much happier. Since they have been growing so much, I have had thinking about repotting soon - since they will be reaching the limits of their current containers. I've been looking around for pretty pots and I found the ones below at Adonde and I am obsessing over them. I just love the combo of the wood grain and the neon pink and the gray. It's just perfect!

The nearest location that they are sold is Montreal and even so they are pretty pricey....at the very least they are a very good source of inspiration for the sort of container I am looking for.

Inspiration Room

2009-06-08T11:09:00.001-07:00

This color is very close to Glass Slipper:

Light Captured as a Table

2009-06-08T11:04:00.000-07:00

I love these tables from Glas Italia so much! They are so colorful and cheerful and bordering on the wonderfulness of neon but in table form. They were designed by Johanna Grawunder who is a former lighting desginer who just recently made her debut as a furniture designer with this series. Drawing on her lighting experience for inspiration, Grawunder has designed XX console and XXX low table - two fruit salad tinted tables - to emanate light without the need for electrical interference. Constructed from x shaped glass bases and topped with rectangular and circular surfaces, the tables were uncovered this week alongside the rest of Glas Italia’s 2009 collection. In my opinion, I think she did a great job nof translating her work with light into furniture.

Glass Slipper & Palest Pistachio

2009-06-08T08:57:00.001-07:00

This past weekend, with the help of my darling boyfriend, we painted my new living room Benjamin Moore's "Glass Slipper." It was reccomended by my good friend Craver, from Decor Craver, and I must say that I am more than pleased with it. I've seen it in several different ights now and it changes from a glassy pale green blue to a deep gray blue and everything in between. There are tones of blue, green, gray and even purple at times. I just love it.

The bedroom is going to be tackled next weekend and it's going to be Benjamin Moore's "Palest Pistachio." The rooms are going to feel lighter than air, which is effect I was hoping for! I can't wait to get my new digital camera to show you guys the rooms.

Design Inspiration: Mismatched Chairs

2009-06-04T09:31:00.000-07:00

I love the mismatched chairs for this dinning room table. I own one dinning room table and four mismatched chairs. I feel awkward at times because of the hodgepodge look, but it's nice to see other people doing the same thing.

Hello Again!

2009-06-04T09:12:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, it's been ages since my last post. In my defense, my day job was kicking my butt...but, now it's summer and things at the office are winding down and I can begin to focus on the things I love again!

Even more exciting, I'm going to be moving to a new apartment and that comes along with so many new ideas for a new space. This weekend I am going to be painting and here is my color inspiration:

My good friend Craver helped me pick out a beautiful color from Benjamin Moore called "Glass Slipper" for my bedroom and in my living room I want to go with a glassy green equivilant to that color that has yet to be found. I want the colors to be bright and light and airy and feel like you're at the bottom of a beautiful swimming pool sparkling in the August sun!

I am so excited for the new space and for this summer! Posts to come more frequently, promise!

Colors

2009-03-16T12:56:00.001-07:00

I love the colors and design used on the cover of April's issue of Wallpaper magazine. It almost looks like a Pucci print. I love the shades of blue and diamond or crystal like pattern. I'd love to have this as a rug, tapestry or bed spread.

Outdoor Furniture

2009-03-16T12:37:00.000-07:00

Living in New York, I don't have much need for outdoor furniture, but I found these really amazing tables and stools. The sleek Galets series by Ludovic Renson features a low roto-molded table and stools that are chrome-painted with a bamboo insert on the surface. Cool, with just enough warmth, which is the exact look that I love. I wish there was a person in the photograph to give a clear sense of scale.

Espresso!

2009-03-13T13:49:00.000-07:00

I love coffee, it's in my blood. Look at this machine!

"Wheel" is an espresso machine with a 19 bar pump. turning the wheel a quater rotation, than open door and the box for nespresso-capsule move out and now you can put in an new nespresso-capsule. push the door and make a quater rotation from the wheel. the rest coffee dosen´t stand in the pipe will be that blow out with an overpressure. the water tank is a specila bottle from Vittel with Vittelwater. AND the best part? It's shaped like a C!

It's Been Forever

2009-03-13T13:38:00.000-07:00

Hi! I know it's been forever and I doubt if anyone who actually did read this is still even looking for updates. But on the off chance that you are, here I am, updating again. My life has been in turmoil for a couple months, but thankfully, the dust is settling and I am coming out with only a few scrapes and a lot of lessons learned.

For My first post back, I'll keep it simple. Check out this super cool wall sconce. You know I love a good sconce. Stepping into DecoTech, Andrei combines state-of-the-art design with the manipulation of indirect and direct lighting. Designer Brian Rasmussen pays tribute to Andrei Tarkovsky's film Nostalghia by incorporating pleated mirrors that provide a fragmented reflection to the viewer. You know how much I love mirrors and reflective surfaces. Available as a sconce, floor lamp, or chandelier. You can find it here.

Wabi Sabi

2009-01-23T13:19:00.000-08:00

I recently came across this book and it has opened up a whole new concept to me. The wabi-sabi aesthetic comes to us from ancient Japan. It is centered on the idea that nothing is permanent, nothing is perfect and nothing is ever finished. Wabi-sabi "occupies roughly the same position in the Japanese pantheon of aesthetic values as do the Greek ideals of beauty and perfection in the West." Andrew Juniper claims, "if an object or expression can bring about, within us, a sense of serene melancholy and a spiritual longing, then that object could be said to be wabi-sabi."

Characteristics of the wabi-sabi aesthetic include asymmetry, asperity, simplicity, modesty, intimacy, and suggest a natural process.

When looking at actual wabi-sabi objects, I must admit, i don't like them very much. I do, however, LOVE the concept of findign beauty in the imperfect, the transient and the unfinished.

Mock-ups to Generate Ideas

2009-01-23T09:48:00.000-08:00

Mock-up 1 Escavara - by Christopher Grace on Polyvore.com

Dining Room Mock-up - by Christopher Grace on Polyvore.com

A Soft Spot for Neon

2009-01-21T12:54:00.000-08:00

Being from Miami, I have a soft spot for palms, stucco and neon among other things. I found these amazing lamps made out of neon tubes by Roger Borg. I would love to have one of these. His philosophy is that there is no longer a need for an interior bulb. "The bulb is the shape. The shape is the light."

In other news, this past weekend I redid these two darling plant stands that D.D. and I found one night coming home drunk. I painted the wire frame an ivory cream color and had new tops made for them out of a bright orange see-through plastic. They look fantastic! I wish I could post pictures, but my camera died and I need to wait until I can get another one.

Further Thoughts on the White House

2009-01-14T07:16:00.001-08:00

As I am sure many of you are, I have Inauguration on the brain. I've been thinking a lot about the new first family and what they represent. I have also, of course, been slightly obsessed with the history of the White House. I read a great article in the American Museum Association's January issue explaining the history of the White House and how it was only fairly recently (thanks to Jackie) that the White House and it's contents were treated as a Museum. Since the Kennedy administration, the White House has been a living museum with unique curatorial challenges. These challenges are mainly the fact that the house keeps changing as it's occupants change and most first ladies take it upon themselves to make the house reflect their personal tastes, the image they wish to project and the physical requirements of their families (Teddy Roosevelt had six kids living in the house!). Another challenge is that the furnishings and rooms are in constant use with continual wear and tear.

The interiors of the White House have passed through three distinct phases and made a full circle, from neoclassicism to Victorian and then back to a consciously revived neoclassicism after 1902. Before 1961, the furnishings of the previous administrations had simply been removed, sold or thrown away, without any attempt at preservation of the house's history. Most of the original furnishings were sold at auction by Chester A. Arthur to finance the Victorian redecoration of the mansion. When Mrs. Kennedy moved into the house it was decorated in mostly governmental department store furniture circa 1948 (eek!) and she sought to revive the old house and place it back on the map of noteworthy design. She also realized the importance of trying to regain the original furnishings of the house and created the post of White House Curator to assist her in the task. For the first time in it's history, any furnishings or objects that entered the doors of the White House became part of the permanent collection. No longer could President's and their wives dispose of furniture and objects in the house, they are now removed to a secure off-site storage facility for preservation and cataloguing.

Thanks to Jackie, the White House now has one of the most impressive decorative arts collections in the world. The focus is on American furnishings and decorative arts from 1800 to 1825, the Federal Period. The aim is not to create "period" rooms, as Jackie once said, but rather elegant, usable rooms that enhance the sense of American history. First Ladies have the entire collection at their disposal when redecorating the White House. What a dream! to have all ofthat historical furniture to mix in with contemporary pieces! In short, I LOVE JACKIE, well I mean, what she did was ensure that even though the White House is in constant flux, reflecting the politics, interests, tastes and composition of the president's families, she ensured that all of the objects would receive museum-like care, scholarly seriousness and would be preserved in a permanent collection.

My previous post sounded very disdainful towards the rumored interior designer that Mrs. O might be using but now that I have read more about how the interiors of the White House work, I like the idea that the Obamas will be leaving their imprint on the history of our nation's house.

White House Redecorating

2009-01-08T13:27:00.000-08:00

The online design world is abuzz with rumors that designer Michael S. Smith has been tapped by the fabulous Mrs. O to redo some of the rooms in the White House. Take a look at his portfolio and share your thoughts. My thoughts are - safe, expensive, conservative (is that the same as safe?) yet trying to be "with it" by injecting modern art, "ethnic" pieces, and Buddah statues - In short, everything you would expect from somebody meant to redecorate the White House in a faux edgy way. (vomit!)

Knots & Knitting

2009-01-08T13:07:00.000-08:00

Check out this new line of interior seating by Bauke Knottnerus called Phat Knits. These can be very cool for a lounge or TV room. Anywhere really, where casual seating and flexibility are key. As soon as I saw them I thought of D.D. and his love of knitting. I love the massive gray threads - the largest could work as an individual chair and with a few carefully selected pillows the other would make a fabulously squishy sofa.

Eye Candy

2008-12-22T12:27:00.000-08:00

Isn't this one of the most gorgeous tables you've ever seen? I love the limestone wall, the marble floors, the sleek design and all the wonderful gold accents in this picture.

Wish Fulfilled

2008-12-22T12:24:00.000-08:00

For Christmas, my wonderful boyfriend D.D. got me several great things, one of them is a gorgeous bell jar with a venus flytrap in it! I'm so nervous about making sure this little guy lives but I am so excited to start taking care of it.

Nature reimagined by Geraldine Gonzalez

2008-12-15T14:24:00.000-08:00

I'm a huge fan of jellyfish and Medusa's. Check these out by Geraldine Gonzalez.

Design Inspiration: Sol LeWitt

2008-12-05T12:38:00.000-08:00

This is a piece by Sol LeWitt at MASS MOCA that I have fallen in love with. I would love to do something like this on a long wall in a hallway that I have in the apartment. Thoughts?

Desgin Desire: Glass Bed

2008-12-04T13:19:00.000-08:00

Designed by Italian manufacturer Santambrogio Milano these pieces of furniture made from glass are something quite interesting, that you don’t see everyday. The collection uses the ultra-clear Diamant Glass that is produced by Saint Gobain. At a first glance I’ve thought that this design is totally impractical, (lord knows i love things that are impractical) but after I’ve saw that the design is made using superdurable tempered glass I’ve changed my mind. This past weekend, D and I went to ABC Home and Carpet and saw some fantastic glass tables and now I've found dream bed! This is what the Snow White of the 21st century would be sleeping on.

Design Desire: Bottle Stopper

2008-12-04T11:03:00.001-08:00

Check out these fantastic raw crystal bottle stoppers. I want the clear one...you can get it here for a mere $55 bucks.

A Mug that Packs a Punch

2008-12-04T10:59:00.000-08:00

This is one set of steal knuckles that won’t get you busted in parts of the U.S. and Canada—but it still delivers the force of a punch. The wallop is in the handle coated in 14-karat gold. The ceramic mug is safe to drink out of...although the piece is intended as an object d’art and limited to 100. The latest in the capsule line of locally made accessories from P.A.D., the Los Angeles design duo comprising of architect Thomas Robertson of Ripple Design and Eli Bonerz, a founder and art director of the XLarge streetwear brand. This item is an A+R exclusive.

Camping Style:Raindrop Shaped Treetents by Dré Wapenaar

2008-11-21T12:59:00.000-08:00

Sylvan housing has just come out with these wonderful dewdrop shaped Treetents by Dutch sculptor and designer Dré Wapenaar. Originally designed to ease the lives of tree-hugging activists, they also make excellent treetop retreats for campers, kids, and anyone soothed by an evening spent softly swaying among the branches. Each beautifully formed droplet attaches directly to a tree trunk and is roomy enough to sleep a family of four. I would love to go gamping in one of these!

Desiree Dolron: Cuba Captured

2008-11-21T09:49:00.001-08:00

DOLRON’S THIRD PROJECT,TE DI TODOS MIS SUENOS MEANING ‘I GAVE YOU ALL MY DREAMS’, TITLED FROM CASTRO’S LINE FROM HIS SPEECHES, WAS EXECUTED DURING TWO TRIPS TO HAVANA IN 2002-2003. ALTHOUGH GOING WITH THE INTENTION TO PHOTOGRAPH FIDEL CASTRO, ONCE THERE, DOLRON REALISED THAT, AS WELL AS THIS GREAT COMMUNIST LEADER, THE ESSENCE OF CUBA THAT WAS OF INTEREST TO HER LAY WITHIN ITS PEOPLE. WITH THIS VISION SHE CREATED A BODY OF WORK WHICH FOCUSED ON THE COMMUNITY WHERE SHE WAS LIVING. THE HOMES, KITCHENS, LOCAL SCHOOLS, LIBRARIES, BEDROOMS AND STREETS; SOMETIMES INCLUDING A FIGURATIVE ELEMENT, SOMETIMES ABSENT. UNLIKE HER ACCLAIMED PROJECT, XTERRIORS (EXECUTED AFTER HER RETURN FROM CUBA) ALTHOUGH HAVING A DIALOGUE, EACH PORTRAIT OR SCENE STANDS ALONE WITHIN THIS PROJECT. SHE PRESENTS US WITH JOSE MARTI, THE FREEDOM FIGHTER AND POET, STANDING CROSS ARMED ABOVE THE LIBRARY; TALL, DEFIANT AND PROUD OF THE SHABBY, OLD, DOG EARED BOOKS WHICH LIE BENEATH HIM.

AS SOME OF YOU MAY KNOW, I HAD ANOTHER AUNT ARRIVE FROM CUBA JUST LAST WEEK. THE SITUATION ON THE ISLAND IS GETTING PROGRESSIVELY WORSE AND DAILY LIFE IS BECOMING MUCH MORE DIFFICULT FOR THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BECOME THE REAL VICTIMS OF THIS IDEOLOGICAL struggle. HOPEFULLY, WE CAN SOON BRING CUBA INTO THE FOLD OF THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY AND ENGAGE THE PEOPLE AND THEIR GOVERNMENT IS TALKS THAT WILL PRODUCE REAL CHANGES.

THAT BEING SAID, I THINK DOLRON REALLY CAPTURES THE SENSE OF GLOOM THAT HANGS OVER HAVANA IN THESE AMAZING PICTURES THAT WILL BE UP FOR AUCTION AT PHILIPS DE PURY IN LONDON NEXT WEEK. SADLY, THESE PICTURES ARE ESTIMATED TO GO FOR 15,000- 20,000 POUNDS EACH AND I DOUBT ANY OF THE MONEY WILL SEE ITSELF BACK TO HAVANA.

P.S. SORRY FOR THE CAPS. SOMETHING IS OFF WITH THIS DAMN BLOGGER!

Dexter Decor: Blood Splatter Dining Room by Amy Lau

2008-11-20T10:28:00.000-08:00

Amy Lau was one of 11 designers who transformed a Gramercy Park townhouse as part of Showtime’s Design House project. Their inspiration came from the six original hit series. However, it is Amy Lau’s dramatic dining room makeover which stands out. Her macabre decor was inspired by Showtime’s Dexter series. Of course I’m totally in love with Michael C. Hall. The result is a dining room fit for a serial killer.

The dining room is largely done in white - better to see the fake blood splatters everywhere - on walls and even embroidered on chair upholstery. Candlesticks shaped like human vertebrae carry blood red candles. The glasses on the table have “blood” filled stems and tell-tale fingerprints. The ceramic tableware was handmade and incorporated blood splatter, veins and capillaries patterns. Dismembered flatware completed the ghoulish atmosphere. Many of the Dexter inspired designs are now for sale on Showtime’s website.

In the Garden

2008-11-20T09:51:00.000-08:00

The Louvre Museum is so insanely big, that it would require an immense staff to simply watch all of the security cameras alone. Therefore, half of the security cameras in the Louvre are actually fake. What if you installed fake security cameras in your garden? But on top of that, what if they were actually birdhouses! FANTASTIC!

The Wolfgang S. birdhouse seeks to defy: It gives ordinary citizens the ability to arm themselves. In addition it will create more habitats for singing bird species. Absolute added value for security and enviromentalism - everybody wins!

Designer: Dennis Nino Clasen (Germany)

Manufacturer: Friesland (Germany, leave it to the Germans!)

Decorative Desire: Ceramic Computer

2008-11-19T12:42:00.000-08:00

Bored of that tired old white Mac computer that everyone and their great aunt has? Pure* Art Line has come out with a line of computers that are minimalist towers made in ceramic. That alone was enough to make me giddy...but now they came out with one in GOLD. Move aside Apple. They have also commisioned artists to create their own designs on the ceramic casing. You can take a look at them all here. Pictured below are the computer (left) and amplifier (right).

Cutlery Craving: Cutt

2008-11-19T12:34:00.000-08:00

Cutt is the name of this amazing set of cutlery pictured above. The set is made of sterling silver. I love how geometric they are and look as if they have been cut from diamonds. They are neither highly functional nor very ergonomically friendly, but that has never stood in my way before. Beauty above all else! (At least in theory) The design of Cutt focuses on the cultural development of european tableware in form and context. Cutt is produced in Vienna by the traditional Wiener Silberschmiede Werkstaette company. Just wait until I invite you over for a dinner party and force you to eat with these!

Barcart Redux

2008-11-10T12:44:00.000-08:00

I have been consumed with the idea and inherent romance of barcarts...I need one ASAP. Until then, I've found some other ones that I like. The last one is a vintage French barcart from the 60s. J'adore.

The Glamour of a Barcart

2008-11-07T13:59:00.000-08:00

Oh..I dream of the day when I am entertaining my dear friends in my fabulous apartment and I roll out my glamorous barcart, filled with gorgeous bottles and every sort of glass and mixer. I really think these should be more common. How do you like this simple, classic and stylish cart from Restoration Hardware?

Decorative Desire: Head of Lenin

2008-11-06T11:28:00.001-08:00

Designer Maxim Velcovsky has created a series called Ornament and Crime, in where he explores the history of socialism and communism through decorative bourgeois creations. Velcovsky made busts of Lenin and other communist and socialist figure heads (pun intended). He decided to cover their faces with a traditional onion pattern. Onion pattern, originally named bulb pattern, is a white ware decorated with cobalt blue or pink. The pattern was a popular decorative pattern for the china of the Czech middle class in the 18th and 19th centuries. GENIUS. I want them all.

Pillow Talk

2008-11-06T11:13:00.000-08:00

Look at these sexy pillow cases for your sexy bed. What a fun way to spice up the bedroom. I'm not a fan of even having a television in the bedroom. I really do believe that the bedroom should be strictly reserved for sleep and sex and I really think these pillow cases get that message across. Third Drawer Down has oodles and oodles of wonderfully unique textiles for the home. Check them out here.

Bookshelves

2008-11-06T11:05:00.000-08:00

Bookshelves have been on my mind recently. My roommate got his back from an apartment he was subletting and so we now have a really big bookcase in the apartment. At first, it seemed so overpowering to me, but after an evening of re-arranging furniture and making our downstairs neighbors hate us, we found a spot we could both agree on. Now I think it looks great and is helping the main living area look more finished. Expect pictures soon, but in the meantime, look at this cool bookshelf below.

Crystals REDUX

2008-10-30T07:50:00.000-07:00

So, Lady Gaga performed in NYC a couple nights ago and just look at what she was wearing!

Oh man, I can't get over my crystal obsession, especially when fabulous people start WEARING them!

Bookworm: Eunoia

2008-10-30T07:16:00.001-07:00

I have never posted about a book, but I love love love language and found this book and thought it was just amazing, so I wanted to share it. Eunoia is the shortest word in English containing all five vowels - and it means "beautiful thinking". It is also the title of Canadian poet Christian Bok's book of fiction in which each chapter uses only one vowel. Mr Bok believes his book proves that each vowel has its own personality, and demonstrates the flexibility of the English language. Below are extracts from each chapter.

from CHAPTER A - FOR HANS ARP

Hassan Abd al-Hassad, an Agha Khan, basks at an ashram - a Taj Mahal that has grand parks and grass lawns, all as vast as parklands at Alhambra and Valhalla. Hassan can, at a handclap, call a vassal at hand and ask that all staff plan a bacchanal - a gala ball that has what pagan charm small galas lack. Hassan claps, and (tah-dah) an Arab lass at a swank spa can draw a man's bath and wash a man's back, as Arab lads fawn and hang, athwart an altar, amaranth garlands as fragrant as attar - a balm that calms all angst. A dwarf can flap a palm branch that fans a fat maharajah. A naphtha lamp can cast a calm warmth.

from CHAPTER E - FOR RENE CREVEL

Westerners revere the Greek legends. Versemen retell the represented events, the resplendent scenes, where, hellbent, the Greek freemen seek revenge whenever Helen, the new-wed empress, weeps. Restless, she deserts her fleece bed where, detested, her wedded regent sleeps. When she remembers Greece, her seceded demesne, she feels wretched, left here, bereft, her needs never met. She needs rest; nevertheless, her demented fevers render her sleepless (her sleeplessness enfeebles her). She needs help; nevertheless her stressed nerves render her cheerless (her cheerlessness enfetters her).

from CHAPTER I - FOR DICK HIGGINS

Hiking in British districts, I picnic in virgin firths, grinning in mirth with misfit whims, smiling if I find birch twigs, smirking if I find mint sprigs.

Midspring brings with it singing birds, six kinds, (finch, siskin, ibis, tit, pipit, swift), whistling shrill chirps, trilling chirr chirr in high pitch. Kingbirds flit in gliding flight, skimming limpid springs, dipping wingtips in rills which brim with living things: krill, shrimp, brill - fish with gilt fins, which swim in flitting zigs. Might Virgil find bliss implicit in this primitivism? Might I mimic him in print if I find his writings inspiring?

from CHAPTER O - FOR YOKO ONO

Loops on bold fonts now form lots of words for books. Books form cocoons of comfort - tombs to hold bookworms. Profs from Oxford show frosh who do post-docs how to gloss works of Wordsworth. Dons who work for proctors or provosts do not fob off school to work on crosswords, nor do dons go off to dorm rooms to loll on cots. Dons go crosstown to look for bookshops known to stock lots of top-notch goods: cookbooks, workbooks - room on room of how-to-books for jocks (how to jog, how to box), books on pro sports: golf or polo. Old colophons on schoolbooks from schoolrooms sport two sorts of logo: oblong whorls, rococo scrolls - both on worn morocco.

from CHAPTER U - FOR ZHU YU

Gulls churr: ululu, ululu. Ducks cluck. Bulls plus bucks run thru buckbrush; thus dun burrs clutch fur tufts. Ursus cubs plus Lupuspups hunt skunks. Curs skulk (such mutts lurk: ruff, ruff). Gnus munch kudzu. Lush shrubs bud; thus church nuns pluck uncut mums. Bugs hum: buzz, buzz. Dull susurrus gusts murmur hushful, humdrum murmurs: hush, hush. Dusk suns blush. Surf lulls us. Such scuds hurl up cumulus suds (Sturm und Druck) - furls unfurl: rush, rush; curls uncurl: gush, gush. Such tumult upturns unsunk hulls; thus gulfs crush us, gulp, dunk us - burst lungs succumb.

Crystal Chairs by Igor Solovyov & Tokuji Yoshioka

2008-10-28T11:04:00.000-07:00

I have recently been very seduced by crystals. I have been toying with the idea of painting a mural in the living room of crystals. My sketches have multiplied but I continue to waver. This past weekend D.D. took me on a surpise trip to ABC Carpet on Broadway and we oogled all the furniture and especially the insanely priced crystals they had everywhere. I found these chairs by Igor Solovyov and aren't they amazing?! They make me very happy and I wish I could have one. I would love to own one in a very pale pink so that it looks like quartz.

In a much more literal interpritation, I found this chair by Tokuji Yoshioka. The chair is actually grown slowly while submerged in a tank like the one seen below.

Design History:Gabriella Crespi: Architecture & Disco

2008-10-28T10:37:00.000-07:00

So, I know that all my design history posts seem to be focused on the same period, but I can’t help that I am drawn to this period so much. I promise that I will be more thoughtful in my attempt to diversify, but if you read the November issue of Elle Décor’s article on Willy Rizzo, you will see that I am not alone in my obsession with the lead designers of the 70s and 80s.

Today’s pictures are of Gabriella Crespi’s furniture and accessory designs. Throughout her career as a designer she designed lamps, silverware and jewelry, in a huge range of materials, from metal, wood, marble and bamboo to seeds, shells and gemstones. Produced mainly in the 1960's and 70's, her creations graced some of the most elegant homes in the world. Elizabeth Arden ''fell in love with my designs, and wanted everything in the collection,'' Crespi said recently. Thomas Hoving, Princess Grace, Gunther Sachs and the Shah of Iran were other aficionados.

Today, her furniture and decorative objects are beginning to bring high prices, as the design world turns its focus from mid-century to late twentieth century.

The multifunctionality of her furniture is a Crespi trademark. She made coffee tables that rose to dining height, bookcases that became room dividers, seating that converted into beds. This is due, no doubt, to her architectural studies at the Politecnico Institute in Milan. ''I was in love with Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright when I was young,'' she said. Le Corbusier, happens to be my second favorite all-time architect and his aesthetic has heavily influenced my eye, so it is no wonder that Crespi’s furniture is right up my alley.

She was born in Milan in 1922, and raised in Tuscany near Florence. She met her husband, Giuseppe Maria Crespi, at a tennis club in Milan. They were married in 1948. The Crespi family is one of the richest families in Italy. Gabriella Crespi is currently 86 and lives in the Himalayas where she studies with a spiritual guide and attempts to live in silence.

Halloween DIY!

2008-10-23T09:52:00.000-07:00

Halloween is almost here and I am so excited! This past weekend D.D. and I carved the above pumpkin and then roasted his guts. Very very yummy and pack full of protein. Two weekends ago, we also worked on our Halloween costumes. I made a sun crown, that i don't have pictures of, but D.D. made his really amazing bunny mask. Take a look at how it came out. The brown fleshy color adds a level of creepiness to the mask.

Bedroom Mural Revealed

2008-10-23T06:20:00.000-07:00

So I had lost the cord for my camera a while ago, but luckily I found it! Here is a shot of the finished mural in my bedroom. I would love to hear your thoughts!

The bedroom still needs a lot of work, but I am so happy to have finally finished the mural in there. After finishing the mural in the dinning room, I was a bit terrified at the idea of beginning another one, but I pushed through it and I am happy with the final result - even if they look somewhat like the vegetation from a Dr. Suess book.

Wonderful Lamp Suggested by D.D.

2008-10-22T12:34:00.000-07:00

Robber Baron
Standing Lamp

designers:
Job Smeets
Nynke Tynagel

design year:
2006

manufacturer:
Studio Job, The Netherlands

materials:
polished and patinated cast bronze; glass; electrical components

A patinated bronze floor lamp in which three important icons of architecture - the Parthenon, the Empire State Building and Saint Peter’s Basilica - merge into one. The Zeppelin docked at the pinnacle symbolizes technological failure, and references the Empire State Building, whose top spire was originally intended as a mooring for Zeppelin airships. When illuminated, the hundreds of windows glow, diffused by a hand-blown frosted glass interior. The light bulbs can be changed by lifting the polished bronze ‘cloud’.

Magnificent in scale, exceptionally finely detailed, with precision mechanical movements where required, and incorporating deeply carved iconographic reliefs, these works are guild-like in their master craftsmanship, each taking approximately one year to complete.

Their mirror finish reflecting the outrageous excesses of America's 19th century tycoons and Russia's new oligarchs, these surreal, highly-expressive furnishings, each a complex composition of multiple visual elements, represent an interior belonging to a powerful industrial leader, or their heirs. With clouds of pollution belching from towering smoke stacks, missiles and falcons and gas masks, warplanes and wrenches adorning golden surfaces, Robber Baron celebrates and shames both Art and Industry.

The collection will be an edition of five. This piece is No. 4 of 5.

Design History:Paul Evans - Cityscape Dreams

2008-10-21T10:02:00.000-07:00

Paul Evans began in the 1950s making copper chests and followed with sculpted steel-front cabinets. The different uses of metal and sculptural forms are motifs that would persist throughout the majority of his furniture designs. Evans had a two-man show in 1961 at America House, an exhibition held at the Museum of Contemporary Crafts in New York (now named the Museum of Arts & Design, to which D.D. took me to for the first time two weeks ago). This exhibition in turn opened doors for him to become the designer for furniture manufacturer Directional Furniture in 1964. With Directional Furniture, Paul Evans introduced several series of furniture lines; such as Argente series, Sculpted Bronze series, and my personal favorite and his most refined, the Cityscape series.

The Cityscape series was released in the early 70s and is a line of furniture that speaks to me immensely. I love the reflective surface countered with the sculptural forms that convey a sense of mass so well. This combination allows for a large piece of furniture like a buffet, credenza or sofa to take up a large amount of space without fully overpowering the space. Not to mention, as all of you know by now, that I am particularly inclined to this sort of disco high glamour that each piece exudes. Again, an entire set would be overkill but a few, critically selected pieces from this series will bring back a touch of that 70s nightclub witchery to any contemporary design.

Evan's pieces were almost always signed, and all of the custom items have a signature and a date. So when searching through second hand shops and garage sales make sure and look for the signature. Paul Evans' combination of handcraft and technology anticipated the limited edition art furniture of today. The artist's relationship with Directional Furniture set a unique standard for creative manufacture by insisting every piece is made by hand, finished by hand, supervised by the artist at each step of production, one piece at a time. So even if this series looks manufactures and modern, every piece has been made entirely by hand, which adds so much to their value.

Evans is a designer that nowadays could be seen as dated and outmoded. We need to embrace these designers and learn to understand their vision and how we can relate it our current world. On the plus side, most people not up to par on their design history would consider his things to be too garish and are therefore willing to let them go for a trifle. Yay for me! So enjoy these beautiful pictures and imagine yourself sitting on the wonderful tufted couch drinking milk in an English mod home from “A Clockwork Orange” or sipping a Seven and Seven with Faye Dunaway in a penthouse apartment from “The Towering Inferno.”

Architecture Inspiration: W. R. Grace Building

2008-10-17T08:16:00.001-07:00

Built in 1974 and designed by Gordon Bunshaft who was an architect at Skidmore Owings & Merrill, the W.R. Grace building has always been one of my favorite New York City structures. It should not be confused with the Solow Building which is also one of Bunshafts creations. I seem to have a penchant for buildings that could easily be transformed into evil doer headquarters and I feel that the Grace building falls into this category. I love the sense of mass and weight that the building brings, while the slight slope upwards lifts its strictly regimented facade higher into the sky. When standing at the base of the building and looking up, you get a strong feeling of vertigo - as if you are about to begin falling up.

The use of white travertine marble also pleases me. It gives the building a sleek 1970s chicness that is undeniable. The black high gloss windows, arranged in their rigid grid, seem like slits that will soon open to uncover a bevy of laser guns that will shoot down intruders.

Design History:Pierre Cardin - Design Genius & Empire Builder

2008-10-15T08:11:00.000-07:00

Known for his bold designs, Pierre Cardin revolutionized the world of design. The first designer to embrace ready-to-wear clothes, he created an empire that spans the globe and seeped into every design field imaginable.

Pierre Cardin was born in Venice, Italy in 1922 to French parents, both wine merchants. When he was four, his family moved back to France and he grew up in the Loire Valley region. He moved to Paris to study architecture, but soon shifted his interest to fashion design. He obtained work as an assistant in the house of Paquin where he helped to design the costumes for Jean Cocteau’s (1946) film, Beauty and the Beast. He also worked for Elsa Schiaparelli and later joined Christian Dior as the head of his design studio.

Cardin left Dior in 1950 to open his own Haute Couture house and followed soon after with his first boutique on the Rue du Faubourg St. Honore. Pierre Cardin’s ready-to-wear line, the first of its kind, launched in 1959, scandalized the fashion powers in France who expelled him for attempting to make designer clothing more accessible. They later reinstated him, but he never showed his collections with them again.

Pierre Cardin is known for his “space suits” of the 60s, his metal body jewelry, and as the inventor of the “bubble dress.” His early designs were dramatic, bold, and often irregular in cut. His unisex fashions were often more experimental than practical. Honestly, I don't care much for his fashion sense, but when he decided to move into interiors is when I think he found a truely unique and qonderful voice and spoke to the times.

His furniture designs are sleek and elegant. I would never want to live in an entire space designed by Cardin, but certain pops of his designs are crucial for a luxuriously chic feel.

With his goals of building the first global empire, Pierre Cardin was the first couturier designer to target the Japanese market when he visited there in 1959. In 1978, he signed production agreements with the Soviet Union. The next year, he organized a trade agreement with the People’s Republic of China to produce Pierre Cardin clothes, one of the first western companies to do business in China. In 1983, he opened the first western-owned restaurant in China, Maxim’s. Take a look at the Maxim's Hotel in Paris here.

Today, the Pierre Cardin empire employs over 180,000 workers in 70 countries. His fashion lines include menswear, eyewear, fragrance, women’s fashion, and lingerie. His name appears on products from fashion to wine, bicycles to furniture. Pierre Cardin licenses over 840 products in 98 countries. He owns the Maxim’s hotel and restaurant chain that includes restaurants in five countries and a product line of gourmet foods. A tireless businessman, he boasts that he has never borrowed a franc from the bank. He has become the world’s richest Haute Couture designer, but despite his success, he shuns advertising.

Pierre Cardin lives in Paris and collects furniture, parrots, and couture clothing.

Organic Architecture

2008-10-09T10:37:00.001-07:00

Take a look at these amazing houses. Make sure and check out the Nautilus House.

Sconce

2008-10-09T07:30:00.000-07:00

I need this sconce...ASAP.

Un Cafecito Cubano

2008-10-07T11:06:00.001-07:00

Coffee is an important part of any Cuban household. Growing up my mother, aunts and grandmothers would spend hours chatting away drinking coffee from their tiny fancy espresso cups. As children, we knew that if we wanted to stay over at each others house a bit longer, we could just say "Why don't you have another coffee?" and our mothers would undoubtly cave in and sit down for another round. I also remember my mother giving me spoonfulls of coffee that had been heavily sweetened with lots of sugar to form a sort of coffee flavored simplek sugar that was used to sweeten the coffee. Even today, you will always be greeted with a cup of Cuban espresso when you come into my mother or grandmothers house, they seem to always have a percolator running. The only real difference between Cuban espresso and regular espresso is that Cubans give it to you pre-sweetened...usually with waaaay too much sugar. I guess when you live on an island with a surplus of sugar and coffee it tends to creep into the national diet - for better or for worse.

I like to keep certain traditions alive. I still drink espresso every morning - though I now drink mine black. I have been looking everywhere for some adorable espresso cups and look at these! They are simply J'ADORABLE little cups by Sami Rinne Design. My vote goes for the white ones with pretty golden wings.

Faux Candle Sleeves

2008-09-30T11:39:00.000-07:00

D.D. thinks these are tacky, but I think that if they are used correctly they can be really fun. Take a look!

Carnivorous Plants

2008-09-26T09:07:00.000-07:00

Remember my earlier post about terrariums? I've recently become enamoured (I've always been fascinated, even as a child) by carnivorous plants. I would love to have a beautiful terrarium with these gorgeous creatures growing in it. I love them because they live in the shadowy land between the Animal and Plant Kingdoms, forming a bridge between the two. I figure, these plants are so beautiful they would make great arrangements. Im a huge fan of arrangements that are beautiful and still living and I think that carnivous plants fit that category beautifully - and talk about a conversation piece! I love cut flowers, but sometimes knowing that a thing of beauty is still alive and well is a great thing. To quote a dear friend when I was talking to him about my carnivorous plant obsession he said "And if your guests become a bore, you can feed them to the plants!"

I have way too much fun with this!

2008-09-22T14:36:00.001-07:00

America: The Gift Shop

2008-09-22T09:12:00.001-07:00

Over at Cool Hunting, I found this great post about the artist Phillip Toledano's work called America: The Gift Shop which turns major politcal events from the United State's past eight years of Bush in office into fun kitschy, politcally heavy objects. Can you imagine having that coffee table? It would scare sooo many people.

Your Opinion?

2008-09-19T12:35:00.001-07:00

Which of the following tables do we like best?

Architecture Inspiration: The American Standard Building

2008-09-19T12:35:00.000-07:00

The American Standard Building (formerly the American Radiator Building), is a gem in NYC architecture. It was built in 1924 in the ne0-gothic style by Raymond Hood & André Fouilhoux. I love the choice of black brick and gold accents (a color combo that I am quite fond of). The black brickwork on the facade was chosen to lessen the visual contrast between the walls and the windows and thus give the tower an effect of solidity and massiveness. It rises up like a dark luxurious tower. The Gothic-style pinnacles and the terra-cotta friezes on the edges of the setbacks are coated with gold. The base is clad in bronze plating and black granite. There are carved

allegories, symbolizing the transformation of matter into energy, quite appropriate for a heater company. The entrance lobby is decorated with black marble and mirrors a la Tony Montana's foyer in Scarface. Those of you who know me can see how this building fits my aesthetic so perfectly and inspires me to no end.

Ideal Bedroom

2008-09-17T14:37:00.002-07:00

Ideal Living Room Idea Board

2008-09-17T14:37:00.001-07:00

Architecture Inspiration: Two Columbus Circle

2008-09-08T14:14:00.000-07:00

Many New Yorkers probably hate this building, but it is one of my favorite buildings in New York and one of the most recognizable to anyone who has ever been to Columbus Circle. The building was built in 1965 by Edward Durrell Stone & Associates and was the former Gallery of Modern Art to house Huntington Hartford’s art collection

"....The walls of the Venetian-inspired vertical palazzo were perforated with porthole-like openings at the corners, base and crown to suggest rustication inspired, according to Stone, by Saint-German-des-Prés, a Romanesque church in Paris. At the ground floor, the building was carried on columns to form an arcade. The top two floors, where the restaurant was located behind a loggia, opened to a view of Central Park. Ada Louise Huxtable likened the overall effect to a 'die-cut Venetian palazzo on lollypops,' while Olga Gueft said that the building's 'red-granite-trimmed, green-marble-lined colonnades, these rows of portholes like borders of eyelet hand-embroidered on a marble christening robe are too winsome for heavyweight criticism.'...The arrangement of a stair gallery wrapped around a core was similar to that of Howe & Lescaze's Scheme Six, proprosed for the Museum of Modern Art in 1931. Filtered natural light was introduced through the glazed perforations at the corners, a technique that worked well with Abe Feder's artificial lighting, while also producing tantalizing glimpses of Central Park without distracting the viewer from the art. The lobby floor was paved in terrazzo, into which were set the discs that had been cut out of the marble when the exterior arches were formed in contrast to the white-painted anonymity of the Museum of Modern Art's galleries. Hartfords' were paneled with walnut and other hardwoods and thickly carpeted or elaborately finished in parquet de Versailles and marble. A pipe organ was included in one of the double-height galleries. Though Hartford's collection did not include any paintings by Gauguin, the ninth-floor Polynesian restaurant, the Gauguin Room, included a tapestry based on one of the French master's paintings."

The building just speaks to me. It reminds me of something that belong son the set of the movie Titus. It is a structure that would have been erected in Fascist Italy when the ideals of ancient aesthetics of Rome were being melding together with Marxist idealogy. It looks like a monument, maybe even the base for an immense statue. In short, it is a grand statement of a building meant to convey the power of history and the art which it contained.

Re-potting

2008-09-03T08:59:00.001-07:00

Last year, I decided to try my hand at indoor gardening. Plants make such a nice addition to any room and it's always nice to be surrounded by living things. The little plant you see in the picture below (not in the pink pot, the other one) was given to me by a dear friend who we will call the Incredible Mrs. K as a housewarming gift. The little plant (who I named Saffron, for her pretty yellow flowers) grew so quickly! I went to my local gardening store in Brooklyn called GRDN to buy a bigger planter, a shovel and some soil. They have an amazing collection of planters and wonderful gardening things that cost much more than what I allow myself to spend.

But I eventually decided on this beautiful Italian terracotta planter. The white stuff over it is a dormant moss that grows from the water that is absorbed by the terracotta. I loved the natural feel of it.

With Help from J, my beau, I re-potted Saffron on my roof terrace and brought her back downstairs to sit on her windowsill. She looked swell in her new home and hopefully she will now have lots of more room to grow. She went through a couple days of shock, the three yellow flowers she had fell off, but she now seems to be doing better and becoming acclimated to her new Italian pot.

In other plant news, the W siblings gave my these darling little herb planters for my birthday. The middle one was brown, but I painted it key lime green for some punch. The herbs (what they are I have forgotten) are growing nicely.

The Jade plant (in the pink pot in the first picture) is next to be replanted. I also bought a Eucalyptus tree that needs a bigger planter most desperately, but nice planters are so pricey and I think my plants deserve the best. I guess I'll just have to wait a bit longer.

Fabrics from Finland

2008-08-28T13:25:00.000-07:00

Marimekko just released their new fall fabrics and here are some of my favorites:

Light Bench

2008-08-28T11:13:00.000-07:00

This has to be the coolest bench ever. If money were no object I'd have at least one of these in my apartment. The bench changes colors. check out their website by clicking on the picture (it's in German).

Architecture Inspiration

2008-08-27T12:24:00.000-07:00

I am a huge fan of architecture. I wanted to be an architect, began studying it and then quickly dropped it when I realized the amount of math involved and the fact that I'd be spending the first 30 years of my career designing sprinkler systems. My love for the art form has never died however, and I think that a lot of my inspiration springs from architecture and the designs of my favorite architects. Interior design and architecture are always in conversation with one another and the majority of architects also do interior design - therefore, I think I will begin to do some posts about my favorite buildings here in New York.

For the first in this new series, I present to you my number one favorite building in New York City: The Seagram Building.

Designed in 1958, by my favorite architect, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, the Seagram building was definately a structure before its time. It's located at 53rd and Park and was the first building in New York to use a glass curtain for an exterior wall. Van der Rohe pioneered the idea of moving the load bearing walls of a structure from the outside (as masonary had done) to the core of the building (using reinforced steel) therefore allowing facades made entirely of glass, as foreseen by the visionaries of Modern Movement, like Mies himself. Between the windows, there are vertical decorative bronze I-profiled beams attached to the mullions to emphasize the vertical rise of the facade. Van der Rohe personally stated that this was his only building in the United States which met exactly his European standards.

Crafty Crafts

2008-08-26T12:55:00.000-07:00

I love a good craft project. Check this site out for all of these fun figures that can be made!
http://www.cubeecraft.com/

God is in the Details

2008-08-26T07:21:00.000-07:00

I really do believe in having wonderful little flourishes of detail in an apartment. Look at this great painting on the ceiling. It's as if the dove is delivering the glittering chandelier as a gift from Heaven.

Terrorist Teapot!

2008-08-25T14:23:00.000-07:00

Gun for a Rose

2008-08-21T10:21:00.000-07:00

On my birthday, my cousin gave me an awesome ceramic hand pistol that serves as a single flower vase and can be mounted to the wall. I wanted to paint a frame for it. Below you can see my project and how it turned out. I wanted to go with a modern hunting theme, even though this isn't a hunting gun. I also liked the way the antlers picked up on the motif of the barren tree. Tell me what you think. My roommate wasn't too wild about it.

Finished Tree Mural and Bedroom Update

2008-08-21T10:18:00.000-07:00

Below, you can see pictures of the finished tree in the dinning area and some updates on my bedroom mural.

Some More Inspirational Images

2008-08-15T07:45:00.000-07:00

Living Room

2008-08-14T10:39:00.000-07:00

Hallway

2008-08-14T10:32:00.000-07:00

I found a great book on the painting "The Coronation of Napoleon" by David. The book had endless pages of beautiful color reproductions and detail shots of the painting. I have this insanely long hallway in the apartment and I was inspired to cut out the pages, frame 16 of them and hang them in the hallway. I like the idea of one giant painting being cut up and shown in smaller segments, displaying them as if they were individual paintings and forcing the viewer to focus in on the details. It's a great way to have people look at a well known painting in a new way. What's great as well is that they still work as one larger piece and will fill the hallway nicely.

Bedroom Mural

2008-08-14T10:30:00.000-07:00

Here are some more pictures on the progress of my bedroom mural.

In A Dream World

2008-08-13T07:10:00.000-07:00

In a dream world, this is what my apartment would look like. I LOVE the communist and Soviet inspired art all over the house. I love the politcal integration into the decorating.

Bathroom

2008-08-12T09:47:00.000-07:00

This is the beginning of my bathroom decor. I have collected a lot of postcards from my travels and I have recieved so many great ones from friends around the world. I wanted to display them in a fun way. I think the bathroom is a great place to get whimisical. It offers a small space to provide some breathing room for your overall apartment decorating scheme.

Bedroom Mural

2008-08-12T09:44:00.000-07:00

So I have started painting the mural in my bedroom. I decided to go with palm trees to remind me of my hometown of Miami. When I'm freezing in the middle of January I hope these trees will help me think warm sunny thoughts. Here's the first of what will soon be several. (The mess in the foreground belongs to my beautiful friend who is visiting me from Stockholm, she is actually leavign today and she will be missed!)

Bedroom Inspiration

2008-08-11T09:47:00.000-07:00

Since I finally got a bed, I have been inspired to get working on my bedroom. Here are some photos I've been looking at, Obviously I want to create some sort of canopy. I have also been toying with the idea of just tufting the entire wall behind my bed in fabric. Let me know what you think!

Ring

2008-07-31T08:44:00.000-07:00

This has nothing to do with the apartment, but it does have to do with a design aesthetic. I found a picture of this ring oline and I really love it. I think I'd like to have my wedding ring look something like this. I love the combo of gold and gemstones.

Terrarium

2008-07-30T12:58:00.000-07:00

I'm always trying to grow tropical plants in my apartment and it never really quite works out. I recently had a thought that a terrarium or a bell jar would not only create the humid, warm environment that the plants need year round, they would also make interesting, unique and living accesories to a room. This one pictured is a bit pricey, but I really love it. I have to keep my eyes peeled for a cheaper version.

In bedroom news, I think i might have finally bought a bed and a chest of drawers! Yay! No more air mattress!

Ashtray

2008-07-28T12:07:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, living in New York, you have lots of friends that smoke. I knew that if I wanted to entertain, I was going to need an ash tray for my smoker friends. Of course, no dinky ash tray would do. I found this ashtray at a Brooklyn antiques store. I liked the shape and scale of it and knew instantly it was what I had been looking for. The mud brown color, however, would never do. I looked to the color of unrippened fruit and found the spray paint I could match most closely to it. In the after shot, you can see a little framed picture with lots of color squished in it. This is my color inspiration for the main room. I've been drawing the accent colors I want to use from it. It's a vintage postcard showing the ancestry of the Swedish Royal Family. I picked it up in Stockholm and fell for it. It has a bizarre melange of colors that work well together. This unrippened yellow green is the color of the garlands decorating the distinguished Swedish portraits.

Tree: Part II

2008-07-25T13:02:00.001-07:00

Here are some images of the progress in black paint after the pencil sketch. I added some birds on the bottom of the cliff and some rocks falling over - the beginning of an avalanche? In my design I have also tried to almost completely ignore the corners in the walls and roof and just painted the tree as if it wer eon a flat surface. I'm very happy with how it's coming along, it's quite the scary tree isn't it?

Vintage Chair

2008-07-25T09:05:00.000-07:00

During my days off last week I also repainted the chair pictured above. My roommate and I went antiquing in Brooklyn and I fell head over heels for this little beauty. I loved the lines of the chair and the houndstooth fabric was very well preserved. I debated as to whether paint it in black or white and in the end decided on black because the white might have made the beige on the fabric look dirty. The key to success on projects like this is the taping. I took extra care to make sure that none of the fabric was ruined.

Tree: Part I

2008-07-25T08:09:00.000-07:00

My first major project at Three Graces was the defination of the dinning area. The Living room, Dinning area and Kitchen are all in one big open space and so I wanted to create a way to more clearly delinate one area from the others. When I was watching my all time favorite movie "Gone With the Wind" I was so inspired by the screen shoots of these vivid sunsets and then the silhouettes of Scarlett and Rhett/ Ashley and a huge large oak tree. When she returns to Tara after the war, that same oak tree is seen in silhouette again with Scarlett, but this time around the tree had lost all of it's leaves and was scraggly and Scarlett had lost her gorgeous flowing dress and was in rags. Further inspiration came from the artist Kara Walker, who I am sure was also inspired by this classic ante & post bellum film's use of silhouettes. She had a recent exhibition at the Whitney. She manages to convey such depth with the starkest and most simple of silhouettes. I wanted something similar.

I took two days off of work to give me a nice long weekend to work on this project. I was hesitant at frst, but after i put down the first pencil marks the feeling of drawing on a wall was so liberating. I found myself reconnecting with my artistic self, something I hadn't done in a long time. I went to a Fine Arts High School, so I did a lot of painting and sculpture. In college I did printmaking and book binding. It had been a while since I had drawn or painted anything and I had never done anything to this scale. I started out with trying to just outline the silhouette of the tree. That proved too difficult. I ended up just drawing the tree, with perspective, shading and all. It was much easier for me to visualize the mass and volume of the tree. It also allowed me to make sure that the proportions were correct and that it looked at least somewhat realistic.

My aim was to create a tree in this corner that would envelope the dinning table and four chairs. I imagined a tree that was growing at the edge of a ravine, maybe somewhere on the grounds of Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff and Catherine had often sat there and looked over the rocky wind-swept landscape. Bent and knarled, I wanted a tree that was somewhere between life and death. I wanted it to be ambiguous as to whether it was a tree in winter, a tree about to bloom, or tree that had long since been dead and would soon tumble off the cliff.

Above are some pictures of my intial sketches. I tend to drag my hand as I draw therefore smudging a lot - the walls became pretty dirty. I had a great time, listening to good music, having a beer and drawing on the pristine white walls. It was one of the most relaxing days I have had in a long time.

Red Molding

2008-07-24T13:54:00.000-07:00

I will soon post pictures of the actual apartment, I promise. I just have all of these ideas and I want to use this blog as a sort of Idea/ Mood board so I am trying to get them all up before I forget them. There is a long corridor in the apartment and along one wall I was considering putting up red molding like in the picture above. I really hate the furniture in the picture above (save for the coffee table, hanging lamps, and cool lion's head above the fireplace). Focus on the red molding on the white walls. Maybe in a different color? My roommate likes the idea of them being red.

Wallpaper

2008-07-24T09:31:00.000-07:00

I've recently become slightly obsessed by wallpaper. I just love the variety of moods and effects that one can acheive with it. I have this nook in my bedroom that I plan to place my bed in. I want to wallpaper the inner walls and drape the edge of the nook, creating a false canopy for my bed. I've always wanted a bed a la Napoleon, and now I figure is a better time than any to have one. Since my roommate's veto cannot extend into my bedroom, I can have full creative freedom and create a space that is truly dramatic and spectacular to be in. Here are some wallpaper samples that I've been toying with. N.B., the space that I plan on wallpapering is not very big, so the wallpaper will serve as an accent in the room. That's why I think it should be something particularly stunning. The samples I've placed here are all very different. I guess it all depends on which direction and vibe I want the bedroom to take. Suggestions?

2008-07-23T14:34:00.000-07:00

This picture to the left is great! I found it on http://soulpretty.blogspot.com/ which is one of the many home blogs I read. I've always been a fan of white and I think this room does a great job of making the different shades of the same color work well together. Even though the room the all white, it still feels warm and inviting - showing the depth that the often misunderstood color has. I also love the picture rails and the chrome accenting on the chairs. I could do without the shag carpet.

3G

2008-07-23T14:21:00.000-07:00

I recently decided to leave Manhattan for Brooklyn. What could have caused me to leave the island and venture into a borough? An apartment. Not just any apartment, a beautiful blank slate of one - 3G. My roommate and I searched high and low for an apartment, never able to quite decide on one. Once we saw this one we both new instantly. We wrote checks, uncorked champagne and clinked glasses to our beautiful new apartment, Three Graces.

Three Graces of Brooklyn

My New Apartment

Art Collecting for the Not So Wealthy

Design Inspiration: Neon and Retail

Design Inspiration: Grey Goose Headquarters

Repotting: IN NEON!

Inspiration Room

Light Captured as a Table

Glass Slipper & Palest Pistachio

Design Inspiration: Mismatched Chairs

Hello Again!

Colors

Outdoor Furniture

Espresso!

It's Been Forever

Wabi Sabi

Mock-ups to Generate Ideas

A Soft Spot for Neon

Further Thoughts on the White House

White House Redecorating

Knots & Knitting

Eye Candy

Wish Fulfilled

Nature reimagined by Geraldine Gonzalez

Design Inspiration: Sol LeWitt

Desgin Desire: Glass Bed

Design Desire: Bottle Stopper

A Mug that Packs a Punch

Camping Style:Raindrop Shaped Treetents by Dré Wapenaar

Desiree Dolron: Cuba Captured

Dexter Decor: Blood Splatter Dining Room by Amy Lau

In the Garden

Decorative Desire: Ceramic Computer

Cutlery Craving: Cutt

Barcart Redux

The Glamour of a Barcart

Decorative Desire: Head of Lenin

Pillow Talk

Bookshelves

Crystals REDUX

Bookworm: Eunoia

Crystal Chairs by Igor Solovyov & Tokuji Yoshioka

Design History:Gabriella Crespi: Architecture & Disco

Halloween DIY!

Bedroom Mural Revealed

Wonderful Lamp Suggested by D.D.

Design History:Paul Evans - Cityscape Dreams

Architecture Inspiration: W. R. Grace Building

Design History:Pierre Cardin - Design Genius & Empire Builder

Organic Architecture

Sconce

Un Cafecito Cubano

Faux Candle Sleeves

Carnivorous Plants

I have way too much fun with this!

America: The Gift Shop

Your Opinion?

Architecture Inspiration: The American Standard Building

Ideal Bedroom

Ideal Living Room Idea Board

Architecture Inspiration: Two Columbus Circle

Re-potting

Fabrics from Finland

Light Bench

Architecture Inspiration

Crafty Crafts

God is in the Details

Terrorist Teapot!

Gun for a Rose

Finished Tree Mural and Bedroom Update

Some More Inspirational Images

More Postcard Framing

Living Room

Hallway

Bedroom Mural

In A Dream World

Bathroom

Bedroom Mural

Bedroom Inspiration

Ring