patrick demarchelier ~ dior couture

In his new book, Dior Couture (Rizzoli), famed fashion photographer Patrick Demarchelier photographs roughly 150 dresses, suits and coats, all made by Dior ateliers from 1947 to 2011…using modern day models, the early pieces come to life once again…their timeless beauty just as chic today as they were decades ago…from Christian Dior’s early work to John Galliano’s fall 2010 couture show, the book offers an artful look at the history of this remarkable couture house…in an interview with Cathy Hoyrn for the NY Times, Demarchelier speaks about his humble beginnings and his passion for his craft…to see the inspiring video interview, click here

above ~ Patrick Demarchelier’s photograph of John Gallino’s fall 2010 couture show

below ~ Photographs from Patrick Demarchelier‘s fine art collection

Christy Turlington, British Vogue, New York, February 1992

Nadja Avermann, Harpers Bazaar, Paris, October 1994

Nadja Avermann, Harpers Bazaar, New York, January 1995

French Vogue, October 2007

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rose tarlow ~ melrose house

Let’s continue our journey down Melrose Avenue in sunny Los Angeles! Next stop, Rose Tarlow Melrose House…

Designer, author, philanthropist and dog lover, Rose Tarlow prides herself on creating warm and relaxed environments…having been in the business for 35 years, she’s and expert when it comes to style and comfort…take for example her line of furniture and textiles for her namesake, Rose Tarlow Melrose House…inspired by her passion for antiques, her pieces echo the beauty of the past but with a twist all her own…crafted in Los Angeles by local artisans, using age old techniques, every piece emerges as a work of art…heirlooms that can be passed down from generation to generation…beauty meets form and function…

Please enjoy this intimate visit to Melrose House

“To me, sophistication is a perfect marriage between intelligence and simplicity.” ~ Rose Tarlow

“Furniture and accessories must be considered with great care and attention, but must not seem so.” ~ RT

“I have always had a aversion to the concepts of in style and out of style.” ~ RT

“If my rooms were food, they’d be something comforting like macaroni-and-cheese with a crusty top. Or toast.” ~ RT

“Ollie, my eight-year old poodle, is my favorite possession. To be honest, I don’t know if he’s mine or I’m his. Someone asked me if he was a rescue dog, and I said, Yes, he rescued me.” RT

photos from Rose Tarlow Melrose House

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the melrose project

Every month I look forward to Elle Decor’s feature titled 12 things he (or she) can’t live without! This month, we discover some interesting tidbits about one of Hollywood’s most beloved stars, Diane Keaton…notorious for flipping houses, Keaton includes The Melrose Project, located on Melrose in Los Angeles, on her short list of favorites…

“The Melrose Project is a unique collection of the country’s most distinctive and distinguished dealers and artists from the world of antiques, fine art, rugs, and contemporary furnishings.  With pieces from each contributing member thoughtfully installed in a single shared space, curators Tommy Clements and Kathleen Clements present new stories month after month outside of the literal boundaries of design.”

Please enjoy some inspiring vignettes from this ever changing world of art and design!

photos from The Melrose Project

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small business saturday

Tomorrow, Saturday November 26th, is the 2nd annual Small Business Saturday! It is a day dedicated to supporting small businesses on one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year…small businesses create half of the jobs in the private sector, in fact, they have created 65% of the net new jobs over the last 17 years…if we support independently owned small businesses in our community, we can truly make a difference…today’s post is a tribute to twelve of my favorite small businesses in the Boston area…from colorful silk scarves at Artisans Way in Concord to a wooden box of chocolate mice from L.A. Burdick Handmade Chocolates in Cambridge, these lovely shops are filled with unique gift ideas for everyone on your list!

Wishing you a glorious holiday weekend! Happy shopping!

Artisans Way, fine art and contemporary craft ~ Concord, MA

Nesting on Main, antiques, home and garden ~ Concord, MA

West Concord Five and Ten, old fashioned five and ten (perfect for stocking stuffers and wrapping needs!) ~ Concord, MA

Didriks, home accessories, tableware and outdoor furniture ~ Cambridge, MA

L.A. Burdick Handmade Chocolates ~ Cambridge MA, Walpole NH, New York NY

Reside, specializing in vintage mid-century modern furniture and home accessories ~ Cambridge & Boston, MA

Good, jewelry and accessories ~ Boston, MA

Hudson, furniture, home accessories and vintage items ~ Boston & Wellesley, MA

Neil Devlin Antiques, antiques and decorations ~ Wellesley, MA

Lakota Bakery, homemade cookies, brownies and bars ~ Arlington, MA

The Elephant’s Trunk, children’s bookshop ~ Lexington, MA

Andrew Spindler, antiques and decorations ~ Essex, MA

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wishing you a happy thanksgiving

O Lord that lends me life,

Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness

~ William Shakespeare

Detail of The Marriage at Cana by Paolo Veronese (c. 1560)

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dining rooms ~ part two

More glorious dining rooms to whet your appetite! Enjoy!!!

photos from Elle Decor and Metropolitan Home

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dining rooms ~ part one

from a stylish urban townhouse to a rustic country cottage, these artful dining rooms are sure to inspire delightful conversation and exceptional cuisine…more tomorrow!

photos from house to home

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libeco home ~ an inspired color palette

With Thanksgiving at our doorstep, my thoughts are of beautiful table-scapes…a gorgeous spread begins with luscious linens and who better than Libeco Home to get us started…located in Meulebeke Belgium, they specialize in manufacturing and distributing high end household linen and exclusive fabrics for retail and the contract market…I have purchased many Libeco linens over the past few years and for me, nothing compares to the quality of this product…from the glorious texture to the timeless color palette, these linens are a welcome addition to any decor…certain hues remind me of the Gauguin post I published awhile back…may these delicious plum and pumpkin tones inspire your holiday table!

photos from Libeco, paintings by Paul Gauguin

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alexander calder ~ ink on paper, 1925

While researching yesterday’s post, I discovered these wonderful ink on paper paintings by Alexander Calder…they date back to 1925 while he was a student at the Art Students League in New York…it was that same year he made his first sculpture and just one year later, in 1926, he left for Paris to study at the Academie de la Grande Chaumiere…his years in Paris opened his eyes to a whole new world of innovation and experimentation…he met other artists living in Paris, including surrealist Joan Miro and Piet Mondrain, whose abstract paintings inspired him to “make living paintings, shapes in motion.”

May these early Calder paintings brighten your day! Happy weekend!

photos from The Pace Gallery

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calder 1941 ~ the pace gallery

With thoughts of yesterday’s post still fresh in my mind, I couldn’t help but reflect on the work of Alexander Calder…his ground-breaking fusion of art and engineering has inspired so many…when I look at his pieces, I feel transported to my childhood…a place filled with wonder and freedom…what a magical gift

The Pace Gallery, in collaboration with the Calder Foundation, presents Calder 1941, an exhibition focusing on a seminal year in Alexander Calder’s career and the apotheosis of a decade of experimentation following his invention of the mobile in 1931. Calder 1941 is now on view through December 23, 2011 and includes fifteen mobiles and standing mobiles made primarily from sheet metal, wire and paint, many of which have not been on public view for decades, as well as a series of 1941 photographs of the artist’s Roxbury Connecticut studio by celebrated photographer Herbert Matter, which capture many of the works on view.

“The simplest forms in the universe are the sphere and the circle. I represent them by disks and then I vary them… spheres of different sizes, densities, colours and volumes, floating in space, traversing clouds, sprays of water, currents of air, viscosities and odours – of the greatest variety and disparity.” ~ Alexander Calder

The Pace Gallery, 32 East 57th Street, New York, NY 10022

photos and resources from the Calder Foundation and The Pace Gallery

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