I don’t think that there’s a magic way to mix wood tones in a room. Just think how beautifully cedars, cypresses, spruces and redwoods look in a forest. I think the more open you are to variety in texture and tone, the more playful and natural your space will feel. Architectural Digest gives some helpful tips, and here’s an example of a room where half a dozen different woods came together so well.
Can we all agree that these wicker chairs are dreamy. I’m not sure how much time you’d want to spend in one, (they don’t look too tusch friendly) but you’d sure look good flopped inside its petals. I like the mismatch of those rather 80s looking arm chairs in the background, because two quite different conversations can indeed take place in the same room.
Somewhere among our family photographs is a black and white picture of my grandmother sitting at her vanity looking into a triptych mirror. It’s such a striking image. I remember seeing it for the first time as a child, and to this day, I think it’s why I have a thing for vanities. Of course, not all dressing tables are created equal, and hers, I’m sure, was a beautiful one. If I were buying one today, I’d be tempted by the nostalgia and romance of something from the 50s. But then again, this one by French artist Gérard Rigot is right up my crazy, colourful alley. 
When I get the guest loo I’ve long dreamed of, I want it to feel like stepping into an English country garden with walls of wild flowers, fruits and vegetables and bright green tiles a foot. This wallpaper at Bakeri in Greenpoint is simply perfect. I don’t expect my guests will want to leave once their pennies have been spent. Good reading will always be on site, I assure you.
For a moment, I thought this image of director, James Ivory was a painting –– a very detailed David Hockney, perhaps. I clicked on the image, and off I travelled through the beautiful Hudson Valley home he shared with partner in work and life, Ismail Merchant. They bought the 1805 Federal 19-room mansion in 1975 for about $105,000. All these years later, the home is bursting with memorabilia from a life together making movies. This wallpaper –– are they magnolias or waterlilies –– is gorgeous, and just look at all the beautiful textiles scattered around the place. With its grand columns and green shutters, the facade is so beautiful. Just imagine coming home for the weekend.
Light Locations seeks out super spaces for photo shoots, and this one, bright and whimsical, caught my eye this morning. The mantle of mismatched vases is charming, and I love the pastel palette throughout. Floral motifs run everywhere, and all those vintage pieces add such character. All you need is bed hair and vintage kimono, and you’ll fit in nicely.
I don’t think I could imagine a more breathtaking morning view if I tried. Just picture giving your gums a scrub to this sight. I don’t think I’d ever leave the bathroom.
Practice makes perfect goes the old adage. It’s actually not perfection that I’m striving for in my pottery, but rather functionality with a playful twist. To get to the point where I can confidently and consistently make plates that sit evenly on a table and stack neatly in a pile, I must practice, practice, practice. Once you have a good form, wonky rims and free flowing glazes only add character. It’s easier to embrace imperfections when something functions well, then they look deliberate, organic and charming. Imagine a structurally sound house with creaky floors. So this is my challenge right now –– to focus on better form, so that I can paint my pieces crudely, freely and imperfectly.
I discovered Laboratorio Paravicini today –– a Milano based ceramics house, that produces wafer thin porcelain plates adorned with safari animals, snakes, air balloons and vintage cars. My favourite collection is circus themed, with acrobats, tight-ropists and trapeze acts. It’s the perfect plate for a piece of cake. It’s the perfect plate for anything, really. The company is run by mother and daughter, Costanza Paravicini and Benedetta Medici. Do we not love those names?
I met a fellow colour lover the other day –– a sales guy at Home Hardware with a penchant for pink and turquoise and most colours in between. His name is Habib, he’s from Tangier, and he’s been mixing paint there for over 40 years. “I’m the best in the city,” he said, while preparing a gallon of cobalt blue for me. One of his favourite colours is marigold yellow. “Mine too,” I said. He showed me photos of his home –– dusty pink walls in the living room, a shade of red in the kitchen. The furnishings were all antique, re-upholstered in seafoams, peaches and clarets. You’d never think to find such style at your local hardware store….
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