Tuesday, 29 June 2010

Inspiration 6.29

Rounding out the last day of my trip with some more French interiors...


Sunday, 27 June 2010

Floral Overlay on Photos

One of my favorite paintings at the Louvre is Le Printemps by Giuseppe Arcimboldo (pictured below). Seeing it reminded me of these beautiful mystery photos in my inspiration files. I've been holding off on posting them since I don't like to publish something without a source, but I just can't resist anymore. If anyone knows who these are from (I know I found them on Flickr) please comment below.

Les Printemps

Friday, 25 June 2010

Inspiration 6.25

Two schools of object display...

Via Maison Francaise and Lonny

Wednesday, 23 June 2010

Vintage St. Tropez

After reading Garance Dore's rave reviews of vintage clothing shop Le Marche Du Marin, I made sure to check out the store while in St. Tropez. My already high expectations were more than exceeded: Amazing selection of nautical staples (think endless rows of St. John sailor striped shirts, white linen and sea-inspired scarves), affordable prices, and a super friendly staff. And how can I forget -- lovely shop design. Quite possibly the new inspiration for the seaside home of my dreams.

I could have spent hours in the shop, but was in a rush to go visit Cannes and only had one hour. I ended up scoring a St. John striped sweater, a fabulously worn-in briefcase style handbag and a tribly hat, which I loved, but may very well never have the guts to wear at home.

For those of you who won't be jetting off to St. Tropez anytime soon, I have some great news for you. The owners are planning to open a New York store this winter.

A few shots of St. Tropez and the store:

The gorgeous design inside the store:

Annnd of course, an embarrassing photo of me and my hat.

P.S. I've missed you all and have loved reading everyone's comments. Can't wait to get back and catch up on everything. My reader is +1000 now -- Eeek!

Inspiration 6.23

via Fondly Seen

Tuesday, 22 June 2010

Remembering Cordelia de Castellane's flat

I think what I love most about Paris is the seamless mix of new and old. An easy example would be I.M. Pei's pyramid at the Louvre. I'm not sure if it's just that Parisians are so spoiled by the splendor that they're never afraid to experiment, but I constantly see that spirit in their style, cuisine, architecture and interiors -- a deep respect for traditions and the foundations of an outfit, recipe or building, but with a very current interpretation.

A perfect example of this is Parisian designer Cordelia de Castellane's apartment. The herringbone wood flooring and ornate moldings are the definition of Old World elegance. It would have been easy to turn the apartment into a ridiculous mini-reproduction of Versailles, but Castellane's apartment is the picture of restraint. Healthy doses of contemporary furniture and an emphasis on white keep it clean, with pops of color throughout to keep it interesting.

Inspiration 6.22

Leaving Aix-en-Provence this morning, and thinking I would love to sit down and write at this little country desk from Marie Claire Maison. On to St. Tropez!

Sunday, 20 June 2010

Paris, Je T'aime

Just a few quick shots from my first (and only) full day in Paris. In Provence now, but I will be headed back in just a few days. I haven't had a chance to check out some of the shops on my must-see list, but I was able to do a lot of vintage book shopping from les bouquinistes along the Left Bank and from Shakespeare & Co. Favorite purchase so far -- the above 1954 copy of Les Enfants Terribles. (Apologies for the awful picture.) More to come soon!

Friday, 18 June 2010

Handmade Notebooks from Ruth Bleakley

Every design lover I've ever met has had a penchant for a great notebook. A penchant for jotting down ideas poolside, at midnight, or in the grocery line just seems to be one of our many wonderful quirks. Right now, I'm loving book artist and illustrator Ruth Bleakley's hand-bound, and hand-stamped creations. Shop here.

Cuteness...

This adorable little metal owl was one of my favorite details from the newest Lonny, and definitely put me on the hunt for one of these Curtis Jere style sculptures. In the meantime, I think I'll be getting my fix from this owl knob from Anthro. Too cute.

Inspiration 6.18

Another fab wallpapered bedroom...

via Automatism

Thursday, 17 June 2010

Paris Bound + More Kari Herer

Well, my lovelies, it's finally time for me to head to PARIS. I'm going to do my very best to keep you all updated pending internet connections. I've been before, but I'm especially excited to spend more time exploring the streets, lingering at outdoor cafes, browsing books at Shakespeare & Co. and finally making it to watch a sunset at Sacre Coeur.

But you guys know I won't be leaving Paris without doing some serious damage to my bank account: A few stops on the list: handmade from Astier de Villatte, Le Petit Atelier de Paris and French Touche, vintage from Marie Louise de Monterey, Le Marche du Marin (St. Tropez) and hopefully catching the Butte-aux-Cailles flea market on June 27.

Please, please, please leave your recommendations in the comments below. Paris bookends my trip, but I'll also be in Avignon, St. Tropez, Nice, Dijon and Aix.

But before I leave, I wanted to share some more loveliness from Kari Herer. Au revoir!

Inspiration 6.17

via La Dolce Vita Blog

Tuesday, 15 June 2010

Artist Spotlight: Seth Clark



Some of you might remember my obsession with abandoned homes from this post about the photography of Brian Vanden Brink (one of my all time faves). I just discovered these mixed media paintings from Pittsburgh artist Seth Clark, and wanted to share. Gorgeous texture that really captures the chipped and faded paint, weathered wood and drooping beams.

Discovered on Chic Batik