Happy New Year

John Barman's apartment in Miami Beach via AD

Here is to a bright, cheerful, zesty,
colourful, juicy, fruitful
Happy 
2012

Diane Keaton clothes, plates and homes

It is no secret that I am an honnest fan of  Diane Keaton's.
If you've read my profile page, you know that Something's Gotta Give and Baby Boom are among my favorite feel good films ever.
So, I was thrilled to see the December issue of  Elle Deco feature an article on Ms. Keaton.
It is written in my favorite Q&A format as in
"Diane Keaton's Must-Have list: What she can't live without",
that is sharp and enlightening cause it makes people answer on the spot.
 And, surprise, Diane and I have one great article in common:

Oh yes, she is a lady close to my heart!
What's more, if more can be,
she also like lighthouses, which I love,
 and carries big bags, like I do, eventhough mine is not a Louis Vuitton,
though I would love a Louis Vuitton ;) 

I also saw her recently in some Chico's ads.
 She looks great, the kind of confident, relaxed and somehow tongue in cheek attitude that I love, in a style that is beyond time and age, and so perfectly her.
Very me, too!

Her Spanish style home -in fact she has renovated several houses in her native Southern California and she has even co-authored a substantial book on local architecture called California Romantica: Spanish Colonial and Mission-Style Houses- is sober and majestic-no frills, with favorite browns and blacks, very earthy and non frivolous, but with surprising touches, like these upside down lights that look so perfectly in place, and the cacti in lieu of the more expected-and therefore predictable- fruit and veggies on the kitchen counter.

Now Ms. Keaton has ventured into the design world herself, creating a line of bold, no nonsense everyday housewares for Bed Bath & Beyond. 

Though not my style (I like less matter-of-fact styles and more cheerful clourways) I find very true and charming what she said in an interview to the NY Times back in June. 

When asked 

Is the dishware inspired by anything in your own life?

Ms. Keaton answered:

I have a daughter who’s 15 and a son who’s 10. My life is such that I have these old dishes that I eat off with my kids. I’ve broken them, and all that. What’s come of all this is I like sturdy. I want something I feel will last and has some weight to it and is very simple. Like, for example, I don’t understand why we don’t eat more food out of bowls. I could eat all of my meals out of bowls.

Another favorite answer came when she was asked what kind of style she is considering for her new home. She answered:

There’s this American look which I think comes out of this factory-barn idea. The materials that are used are the kinds I find very appealing.I love cement. I love wood. I love shingle. I love casement windows. I’m now in love with shake roofs. I’m interested in roofs because they’re the most undervalued yet beautiful part of a home.I have a lot of theories, you see. 

A very interesting woman, a lady I'd love to meet, and i am sure we'd get along perfectly well together :) 

 {Elle Decor article here.The NY Times interview here.}

 

Thursday beautiful

 "There's something romantic about a Henry James kind of house"

- Michael S. Smith.

Greek columns, reinterpreted

Speaking of Greek style interiors.






The current issue of US Elle Decor (February/March) sports on its cover a set of Ionic style columns framing with great but not absolute symmetry a home office desk.
Flipping inside, we can see that the design comes from a Park Avenue penthouse apartment arranged maasterfully by classic American decorator Bunny Williams. The outcome is fresh and contemporary, yet welcoming and very elegant and distinctive.

I received for Christmas Bunny Williams' Scrapbook for Living which is fantastic and the kind of book one hopes to read from talented legends like Ms. Williams, and now sits side by side with my almost worn out copy of An Affair with a House that I absolutely loved.

It does seem though that Ms. Williams appreciates Greek style, which explains her trained eye for elegance and balance, as in her office, photographed for Lonny magazine, I can see a lovely bust of Perseus.

What I also found very interesting and instructive, is this part of Ms. Williams' description of the decorating process.

To forge a connection between the interior and the wraparound terrace, she installed blue glass on the ceiling to mimic the sky and added architectural detail with a framework of tailored zinc beams. “It took us 20 tries to get the size of the bolts in them right,” she says with a laugh.

And also:

 “I never would have looked at that table 20 years ago, but it’s essential to see pieces anew, to refresh your eye.”

Isn't it wonderful that a professional of Ms. Williams' caliber, is so open about her process, and her great attention to detail?




All in all a lovely feature and a copy to keep on my shelves.

Personal Heaven in Manhattan

I was first drawn by the apparent randomness yet harmony of this room; the conversation between the rug and the bookshelves, the armchair and the bed. The drawing of the young woman and the turquoise of the chandellier. I definitively don't like the cruxified Marilyn, that I find scarey, but I suppose that picture has something to say to the owner's psyche and process of healing.

The vintage ceiling fixture is by Ettore Sottsass

 I then liked the clean, almost monastic lines of the bed. The presence of the personal "saints" above the bed. The richness of the crimson bed rug ringing in the holliness implied by the photography.

The presence of flowers, with the sunflowers popping out of the picture

A private, personal story being told in every room.

Sally Hershberger's Manhattan penthouse via Elle Decor.

Inspiration Japonaise

Lisette, 15 modèles à coudre

the one that started it all...

and then I travelled

...

right now, I feel I could live in there all my life...

in there, too....

V

(thomas o'brien)

Who/What are you right now?

Current dreamroom-Allan Shope bedroom

This is a bedroom designed by American architect Allan Shope. I found out about him via Architectural Digest. This is actually a photo from the September 2010 issue.
The house is situated in Amenia, in the Hudson Valey, NY.

Shope is best known for his architecture based on the principles of sustainable living. He actually lives with these principles in his large farm.

What draws me to this room is its clarity. Its warmth. The quiet luxury of natural materials

In situ harvested black cherry clads the walls and ceiling of his master bedroom and is the source of its built-in furniture. As throughout the house, Shope avoided applying stains or paints. An old Kazak rug covers the bed. Audubon prints hang prominently, endearing the natural world to the room's occupants.

:: Read more ::

{ Allan Shope website~Architectural Digest house tour}

Friday's Fabulous Finds: Top of the crops

Hello dear friends,

Friday's Fabulous Finds is where I share with you the pictures, the posts, the findings that made it to my "save" function button.

On my list this Friday

Two books:

Decision Points by former US President George W. Bush.

Former US President Democrat Bill Clinton states:

"'Decision Points' is well-written, and interesting from start to finish. I think people of all political stripes should read it," Clinton said in a statement released Friday. "George W. Bush also gives readers a good sense of what it's like to be president, to take the responsibilities of the office seriously, do what you think is right, and let history be the judge. The book may not change the minds of those who disagree with decisions President Bush made, but it will help you to understand better the forces that molded him, and the convictions that drove him to make those decisions." {source}

With it I want to read former First Lady's Laura Bush's memoire Spoken from the Heart.
History, living history included, is a fascinating read. It excedes imagination.

Let's stay in the high echelons:

"In New York Parties: Private Views author Jamee Gregory, a philanthropist, seasoned entertainer, and contributing editor at Elle Décor, delivers a deeper look into the spectacular homes she visited in her first book New York Apartments by capturing them while at their most spectacular — when filled with elegant flower arrangements, soft lighting, the aromas of good food, and the conversation of friends." {source}

The stylish author

The book includes gorgeous parties hosted by prominent New Yorkers like  Michael Kors, Tory Burch, and Evelyn Lauder.

 

{source}

"Aside from the interest in interior design and lifestyle, if nothing else, these books are great documents of the time, particularly because of Jamee Gregory’s access. It’s also interesting to see how “the other half” (or more precisely the .001%) live. At least part of the time".

With Christmas coming, beautiful reading and delightful inspiration is a must!

                                               

Bon Weekend!