Coveting 3.10.10

This photo’s original intent  was to showcase the basket, but I really just want that fireplace, the ceiling and these walls in my life. I want them in the living room of my imaginary summer house. Across from the fireplace there will be a window that looks out over a garden and down into the sea. The garden has big bushes of lavender in it, and in the summertime bees fly lazily through them. The house itself is located up on a hillside, but you can pick your way down a rocky path to a little cove, unknown to anyone on the island. The beach there is rocky, but it gives way to sand, and we have a little dinghy anchored a little ways out, that we can take around to the other islands. Some days we put on masks and go diving off the rocks further out to hunt for sea urchins, which we crack open and eat on the beach with the rest of the lunch we brought down with us. When it gets a bit chilly, we wrap big faded striped towels around ourselves and race up the hill back to the house. Everyone collapses laughing onto the  couch in a tangle of tanned limbs and we sit there and gab until someone gets up the energy to wander into the kitchen for dinner fixings. At night we drink a bit too much wine and sit out in the garden and wonder at how dark it gets away from city lights.

Sound good?

2.20.10 Coveting

There is something about this room that has weirdly captivated me. I think I’ve returned to it at least 8 or 9 times since I first saw the slideshow the of the house (which is in itself entirely covetable. Anyone want to help me turn some poor Dutch family out of their awesome modern home so I can take up residence? I’ll buy you beer.)

I never thought I’d be this into a bathroom, of all things, but there’s something about the combination of the clean lines of the fittings against the big pane of glass that just makes me want to grab a glass of wine and a good book and lounge around in the tub all evening.

Here’s a picture of the house itself, and the orange kitchen counter, another attractor. I strongly encourage anyone inspired by this to go look at the rest of the slideshow.

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Role Model

I have a whole plan for when I’m 80. It involves  a motorcycle, a great wardrobe, younger lovers and general eccentricity. Perhaps a greyhound and a sword-cane. All the things I don’t or can’t properly indulge in now (though I can drive said motorcycle).  I’ve always found old women to be the epitome of cool. Their lives have made them a treasure trove of awesome stories, (I just got to hear my friend’s tales of her grandma’s life in Manchuria under the Japanese occupation… fascinating!) sage advice and shameless quirks. Most of all, 80 years on the planet pretty much guarantees that whatever clothes you end up . I’ve always loved seeing old Italian women when I’m home, in their perfectly refined coats and dresses, and aspire to dress like them. At the same time, I also find it endlessly apppealing when a woman has spent her life accumulating unique pieces and combining them in new and inspiring ways. That’s where Iris Apfel and her collection come in.

I remember first seeing her in a magazine spread a few years ago, and just fixating on her trademark big round glasses, which somehow managed to stand out to me through the splendid visual clamour of her clothing and jewelry. Then this weekend, amidst glorious girly bonding with one of my dearest friends, it was mentioned that there was an exhibition of her clothing at the marvellous Peabody Essex Museum in Salem. (Aside– if you’re ever in the area, go! The museum is a treasure trove of beautiful objects, and offers a fascinating insight into New England trade culture in the past, notably, beautiful Asian and Native American artwork.) We whipped out the laptops and rediscovered her and her wardrobe– along with paper dolls!–  and spent a good couple hours poring over the website. Or rather, constructing ensembles of our own out of the things they had to play with.

There are many wonderful things about her– firstly, that she is not the idle society wife that springs to (my) mind when the words “clothing collection” are heard. She’s accumulated a lot of clothing, but she has also turned her eye for aesthetics outwards from the fun-filled costumes she crafts for herself to a successful career as an in-demand interior decorator. Aesthetics is a whole lifestyle with her.

She also started the Old World Weavers textile company with her husband, Carl, drawing inspiration from her widespread travels for their replica period fabrics.

What I love most of all about Iris’ approach to clothing is how she manages to break free of her pieces’ backgrounds and use them simply as colours and textures, rather than thinking she needs to stay married to a certain kind of look. The result, with all the unexpected elements is beautiful and unusual. I also really enjoy her stated dislike of fine jewellery. I’ve always found myself much more attracted to organic forms and semi-precious stones than to faceted gemstones (though I wouldn’t turn down an Indian-style necklace made of gemstones) and I applaud anyone who agrees with me on this. It’s a much more interesting look. And I covet this turquoise and bearclaw necklace intensely.

Anyway, poke around and enjoy these other excerpts from her wardrobe, and be sure to go to the Peabody Essex website and play with the paper dolls!

Travel outfit, made with Old World Weavers fabric, custom-woven on 19th century looms. Because why shouldn’t you travel in head-to-toe tiger-print velvet?

And on top of everything, she and her husband are the cutest couple ever:

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Never thought I would meet an object that so thoroughly would fulfil my loves for both furniture and typography. I think the only way I could love it more would be if the letters were backward. Sooooo very cool however.

from Kent and London. Yours for a mere £2700.00.

(Aside: I love the way pound signs look in this font. £££. ££. £. Yay!)

What my bedroom threatens to become…

I estimate that I read a book approx. every 4 days, and I like owning them, rather than taking them out of libraries. I also like recording notable passages. This is clearly just a small step away.

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Ghosts of lamps

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Time for Tea!

I really don’t think this would fly in my mostly-male household, but I’m obsessed with Vintage Renaissance‘s Tea Set Lamp:

It’s quirky and sweet, and reminds me just enough of Alice in Wonderland to make it near-perfect. Actual perfection would be if the pieces were askew, but then we get into serious feats of construction, and I can settle for being a little less demanding. It might also be fun to see the tea sets with the original patterns, though I do quite enjoy this shade of blue. Either way, it’s a lovely piece, and I ardently wish it could be mine.

It’s apparently inspired by Anthropologie’s One Lump or Two Lamp, which I have also sighed over, but I must say that I prefer Vintage Renaissance’s version, if only because I know the pieces are unique, so there’s a better story to be had behind them. It’s not like I don’t spend enough money at Anthro as it is.

Dorian Leigh

Photographed by Richard Avedon, August 1949, in an evening dress by Piguet.

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Too chic to be the retiring type

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A Meubelcouture Story

You call it “Furniture Couture”, I call it “Frah-zheee-lay“. Highbrow, lowbrow, what’s the difference?

via the Virtual Shoe Museum.