well read ~ part two

“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.” ~ Charles W. Eliot

Wishing you a lovely weekend!

Hallberg & Wisely

Haynes-Roberts

J. Randall Powers

Jacques Grange

James Huniford

John Minshaw

John Saladino

Juan Pablo Molyneux

Kara Mann

Karin Blake

Lars Bolander

Lauren Gold

Luis Bustamante

Magnus Lundgren

Mary McDonald

Meichi Peng

Michael Smith

Michele Bonan

Miles Redd

Nina Griscom

Richard Shapiro

Robert Couturier

Sheila Harley

Steven Volpe

Suzanne Rheinstein

Ted Tuttle

Thomas Jayne

Thomas O’Brien

Tricia Huntley

Vicente Wolf

William Frawley

Windsor Smith

Yves Saint Laurent

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one hundred posts!

above, Alex Papachristidis

I made it! Today is my 100th post! When I started “a thoughtful eye” back in September, one of my goals was to write one hundred posts before the end of the calendar year and happily I achieved that goal with a few days to spare! To celebrate, I’m sharing with you my top twenty favorite interiors! Each and every one of these images brings a smile to my face along with a vivid memory of the first time I experienced their beauty.

This is my special gift to you, my loyal readers…thank you for taking time out of your busy lives to join me on this personal journey…I can’t thank you enough…there is so much I have yet to discover and explore about our visual world…I hope you continue to join me, it wouldn’t be the same without you…

below, Antony Todd

below, Bobby McAlpine

below, Bunny Williams

below, Charles Spada

below, Darryl Carter

below, Jacques Grange

below, John Saladino

below, Kelly Wearstler

below, Miles Redd

below, Richard Shapiro

below, Robert Couturier

below, Stephen Sills

below, Studio Ko

below, Susan Ferrier

below, Thomas O’Brien

below, Veere Grenney

below, Vicente Wolf

below, Windsor Smith

below, Yves Saint Laurent

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richard avedon

Researching and writing “a thoughtful eye” uncovers an infinite number of connective threads. I love that art, photography, interiors, architecture, fashion, and film are so intertwined. I found inspiration for today’s post while researching interior designer Miles Redd. Two days ago I posted about Redd and discovered one of his greatest influences is famed fashion and portrait photographer Richard Avedon. For Redd, The Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition titled “Avedon: Photographs 1947-1977,” a retrospective of Avedon’s fashion work, is a huge inspiration. Maybe Miles Redd found stimulus for his black and white kitchen from a Richard Avedon photograph? It’s fascinating to question the influences and inspirations of those we admire for it gives us a more complete picture of who they are, how they got there and a much deeper appreciation for their art. The next time I see a Miles Redd interior, I will most certainly be thinking about how it relates to fashion and the photography of the masterful Richard Avedon.

Above and below are pictures from Richard Avedon’s apartment. I love that you can see some of his photographs on the walls of his home. The stories and the memories must have been wonderful for him to live with. I’d like to share with you some quotes from Richard Avedon that speak so purely to his life and to his work. To learn more, click on richardavedon.com

“And if a day goes by without my doing something related to photography, it’s as though I’ve neglected something essential to my existence, as though I had forgotten to wake up. I know that the accident of my being a photographer has made my life possible.” ~  Richard Avedon, 1970

“My photographs don’t go below the surface. They don’t go below anything. They’re readings of the surface. I have great faith in surfaces. A good one is full of clues. But whenever I become absorbed in the beauty of a face, in the excellence of a single feature, I feel I’ve lost what’s really there…been seduced by someone else’s standard of beauty or by the sitter’s own idea of the best in him. That’s not usually the best. So each sitting becomes a contest.” ~ Richard Avedon, 1980

“I’ve worked out of a series of no’s. No to exquisite light, no to apparent compositions, no to the seduction of poses or narrative. And all these no’s force me to the “yes.” I have a white background. I have the person I’m interested in and the thing that happens between us.” ~ Richard Avedon, 1994

On November 20th, 2010, the Paris Christie’s will be auctioning off 65 Richard Avedon photographs. The photos below are a sampling of the stunning works for sale. To see and learn more, click on Christie’s

below, Twiggy, Hair by Ara Gallant, Paris studio, January 1968 ~ Lot #13 Estimate $20,788 – $34,647

below, Pablo Picasso, April 1958 ~ Lot #28 Estimate $34,647 – $48,506

below, Veruschka, Dress by Bill Blass, New York studio, January 1967 ~ Lot #15 Estimate $20,788 – $34,647

below, Suzy Parker and Robin Tattersall, Dress by Dior, Place de la Concorde, Paris, August 1956 ~ Lot #3 Estimate $34,918 – $48,885

below, Dovima with elephants, Evening dress by Dior, Cirque d’Hiver, Paris, August 1955 ~ Lot #16 Estimate $554,350 – $831,525

below, Nastassja Kinski, California, June 14, 1981 ~ Lot #6 Estimate $41,576 – $69,294)

below, Veruschka, Dress by Kimberly, New York studio, January 1967 ~ Lot #1 Estimate $20,951 – $34,918

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mirrors

Yesterday’s post featured the ultra chic Miles Redd and his iconic mirrored master bathroom. I couldn’t help but think about mirrors and the important role they play in architecture and interior design. From grand to petite, circular to linear, simple to ornate, they have the power to transform a space from dull to dazzling. I’m excited to share with you some of my favorite mirrored interiors! Enjoy!

above and below, Miles Redd NYC master bathroom from David Adler’s Armour Estate in Chicago ~ photos from New York Social Diary

below, Yves Saint Laurent ~ photo by Pascal Chevallier for Vanity Fair

“A pair of undulating lily-motif mirrors, crafted in bronze and copper by Claude Lalanne for the upstairs music room, led, between 1974 and 1985, to the proliferation of over a dozen more, floor to ceiling. “I can’t live in a room without mirrors,” Saint Laurent said. “If there aren’t any, the room is dead.” The effect in the music room of their multiplying reflections was vertiginous—a touch of Mad Ludwig of Bavaria, as seen through the lens of Luchino Visconti.” ~ Amy Fine Collins for Vanity Fair

below, photo from Yves Saint Laurent: 5 Avenue Marceau, 75116 Paris

below, Bobby McAlpine

below, Vicente Wolf

below, Veere Grenney

below, Susan Ferrier ~ photo from House Beautiful

below, photos by danielle boudrot for Spero Home

below, Richard Shapiro

below, Paul Corrie

below, Lisa Luby Ryan

below, John Minshaw

below, Jacques Grange ~ photography by Vincent Thibert for Architectural Digest

below, Darryl Carter

below, Antony Todd

below, John Saladino

below, Michael Kors ~ photo by Douglas Friedman

below, Miles Redd

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miles redd

above, photo of Miles Redd by Camerone Krone for 1st dibs

When I think of the ever stylish Miles Redd, I think of his glamorous mirrored bathroom and ultra chic black and white kitchen with glass countertops and mirrored backsplash! I absolutely love his bold theatrical approach to interior design! This months cover of Veranda features a Miles Redd designed interior, hence the inspiration for today’s post! After doing some research, I was fascinated to learn that he graduated from NYU as a film major. Passionate about set design, he decided to stay in NYC working for antiquarian John Rosselli and later Bunny Williams. In a 2009 interview with New York Social Diary, he speaks of his time with Bunny Williams ~ “She taught me everything I know! How to break down a house and set it up, how are you going to use a room, the best ways to do floor plans, really super practical decoration … and how to run a business and a budget.” He credits fashion as one of his greatest influences along with photographers Richard Avedon, Irving Penn and illustrator Rene Gruau. His signature style mixes strong hues with playful patterns and textures. In a Redd interior, an animal print is considered a neutral! His love of art also plays an important role saying, in an interview with Annie Kelly for 1st dibs, “If he hadn’t become a decorator, he would have immediately been an art dealer. He uses art to change the emphasis of a room, hanging contemporary paintings to add punch to traditional decorating, and introducing traditional art into contemporary interiors for an extra layer of richness.” Redd is currently the creative director of Oscar de la Renta Home and continues to wow the design world with his luxurious, one of a kind interiors!

below, his mirrored master bath ~ photos by Jeffrey Hirsch for New York Social Diary

below, the living room of his NYC home ~ photos from New York Social Diary

below, Redd designed Mila and Tom Tuttles’ NYC four-story, double-width brick mansion built in 1836 ~ photos from Elle Decor

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