Paris Trip Envy: Volume Three!

Just another day living vicariously through Louis and Allison's Parisian adventures at the Maison et Objet show...Dallas is just not the same as Paris!

Last night we had no dinner reservation so we took a chance and went to Les Bouquinistes Avec Guy Savoy. We were happily surprised on a busy Saturday night to get a table for 4 within 15 minutes. We were seated by the kitchen initially and although fine with us, the head waiter (full of apologies) moved us to a table facing Notre Dame. The food was amazing and the whole staff was great, providing excellent service but also chatting and joking with us, sending us off with hugs & kisses and making us promise to come back - if only our budget would allow that! Anyone who says the French aren't friendly & accommodating to Americans is just plain wrong in our book.

Our 1st great find of day 2 at the show are these beautiful canvas carts. We saw them used around the pool for towels at J.K. Place hotel almost 2 years ago and have been searching for them ever since. The canvas can be printed so we ordered ours with 'POOL' printed on the side.


Next we discovered The Laundress. We've seen the products before and love the black & white packaging but we didn't know much about the brand until one of the founders, Lindsey, educated us on the line. Made with renewable resources: biodegradable, non-toxic, plant-based ingredients, all the products are allergen, dye, phthalate, phosphate & paraben free and can be used for hand washing or in washing machines. As soon as Lindsey (in the kindest, sweetest way) explained that grocery store brand fabric softeners use things like beef fat to soften your clothes, we were hooked on carrying this eco-chic line!



In the fabrics pavilion, we found Jim Thompson has introduced The Tony Duquette Collection of woven and printed fabrics. The patterns are stunning (malachite, ermine tails, and coral branches) and are in beautiful saturated tones of green, orange, & gold.


Another item we found are adorable multi-wick candles that spell 'LOVE'. In hot pink, white, or red/orange we think they'll make great birthday & hostess gifts (sorry no pic).
Even though our order was relatively small, all the salespeople were so kind in offering us a seat, some water, wine or champagne and they gave each of us a small gift before we left their booth. It's so nice to feel your business is really appreciated and most exhibitors here really go to great lengths to make you feel that it is.

Eating while at the show is almost as fun as discovering new trends & products! Although there are several dozen places to grab a great sandwich on crusty french bread, there are fantastic restaurants & tea salons built within the show place just for Maison et Objet. Cafe Elle Decor, Blue Elephant for Thai, Fish for Asian influenced food, and Mariage Freres tea salon are only a few of the great (and very civilized) dining options.

And for an afternoon snack, we'll take one of the delicious french macaroons from the Laduree cart any day over the hot dogs, stale NY pretzels, packaged chips, or frozen lemonades we find at the other trade shows we attend!

Sketches of Frank Gehry

If you are an artist, architect, or designer looking for inspiration - I recommend the movie Sketches of Frank Gehry. I just watched the intimate portrait of him directed by the late Sidney Pollack. Frank Gehry discusses his humble background, his process, and how he feels about his projects. As a designer, it was refreshing to see some of his insecurities. His parting words in the film were something along the lines not to strive for perfection, because you'll never get there!

Planting their ads

In addition to the Grace Home Furnishings ads, I have found that Plantation has some ridiculously good looking ads as well!


I want all of it!

Breaking news!

Each day that passes, I seem to hear of another store closing its doors.

I was shocked to learn from Interior Design magazine that Home Depot was closing all thirty four of their Expo Design Centers. How could that be? I was just there yesterday picking out carpet for someone. The saddest part is that 5,000 employee will be laid off...

Let's hope that the regular Home Depot doesn't close too...or even Lowe's!

I Have Been Caught Dreaming...

Been traveling quite a bit for business and kiddo stuff.. .college auditions for our young, talented,  classical musician,  and have been searching through archives of amazing dream bedrooms.  Not sure if I need to wake up or sleep more deeply through this process :)

Some of my favorites are from British Homes & Gardens.

This "Modern Classic" example is alive with blocks of colour (gotta love that) accented with florals and geometrics.  Subtle, soothing shades emphasize the cocooning nature of the room, while ceramics and accessories in pure white impart light relief...that I dig.
This "New-Look Country" is based on texture and pattern which brings a sense of intimacy (blush) to this bedroom scene.  A dramatic floral wallpaper, tempered by clean lined furniture and unfussy curtains, gives the space a romantic feel without being overwhelming.
"Boudoir Chic" is all about an over-sized bedhead (UK speak for headboard) that creates a striking focal point and works beautifully with a delicate color palette.  Subtly patterned wallpaper, plus accessories and cushions in silk and taffeta add to the sense of glamour and luxury.

Hmmmm.  Looking for a bit of shut eye......

Trina: To the Trade

I worked for Neiman's for a short time after I graduated college...being exposed to designer's upcoming collections and gorgeous clothing on a day to day basis, was not half bad I must say. But they put me in the contemporary sportswear department with an awful buyer who I thought was comparable to Meryl Streep's character in The Devil Wears Prada. She was very harsh and we were expected to know about the various fashion designers in her department. At this point in my life names like Milly, Cynthia Steffe, Vince, Tracy Reese, Rebecca Taylor and Trina Turk were foreign to me. After spending a good amount of time around their collections, Trina Turk soon became one of my favorite designers and a household name, no less.

Pics above and below from her Summer '09 collection


Trina is no stranger to bright color and bold pattern- it's no wonder her first clothing boutique opened up in Palm Springs.

Then in May 2008, Trina Turk residential opened next door to the original boutique in Palm Springs.


The most recent Trina news is that she has a new line of indoor/outdoor fabrics for Schumacher.

I am just slightly obsessed with them!


So many exotic prints to choose from...

And don't worry, there is plenty more where these came from- view the rest of her Schumacher fabrics here

Who will be the next clothing designer to launch a home or fabric collection?

Paris Trip Envy- Volume Two!

Allison and Louis of Maison 24 sent me more updates today on their exciting trip to Paree!

Today was our 1st day shopping the Maison et Objet Spring/Summer '09 collections.
This is a huge show that takes place just outside Paris from Jan. 23 to Jan. 27 with 6 major pavilion halls and 3 specialized halls.

Halls 1 - 6 include ethnic chic, home textiles, interior decoration divided into "references", "charme", and "inspiration jardin", and home accessories.
Hall 5B is called "Scenes D'interieur" and it is a show for the greatest creators of luxury home fashion - sort of a best of the best and a very inspirational section of the show.
Hall 5C is "Editeurs" and it features over 150 international luxury upholstery fabric houses.
Halls 7A & 7B house "Now! design a vivre" which is a preview of new, edgy, innovative design.
We covered Halls 1,2,3 and Now! today - which is about all you can do in 6 straight hours of walking the aisles.

Our first stop was to visit the the design installations in Halls 1, 2, and 3 to see how this year's designers are interpreting design in today's world. All noting that we are living in uncertain times, each designer used his or her space to offer reassurance that the home & experimenting with design can be the best antigloom remedy.

Chalk white walls covered in vibrant, jarring graffiti created the backdrop for Iconoclash by Vincent Gregorie. The products, curated from among dozens of exhibitors, fused urban & rustic, natural & artificial, and the archaic with the technical.

Our favorite pieces included a white porcelain Richard Ginori sculpture of 4 regal men with 'love' painted in rainbow stripes across them, a glossy white buddha that had assuring words like 'believe!' scrawled across the base and a chest of drawers where every drawer front was unique - mirrored, baroque, stained wood, lacquered wood - and mismatched.

Francois Bernard created a space called Valeurs-Refuge. As he sees it, whimsy and humor are an antidote to the time we're living in and the home is comfort - revisiting classics and fixing up the run-down charm of the known. Mr. Bernard's space was tented with fabric printed with a classic hounds tooth pattern but on an enormous scale and the entrance was meant to look as though it was being unzipped or opened by a giant zipper which immediately revealed a working fireplace beyond the entrance that made you feel warm, welcomed, & comforted.
Unique finishes & fabrications and hand-made & limited edition pieces made up the unique offerings.

The best examples we spotted that reflected Mr. Bernard's vision included an acrylic chair and stool screened with a classic Louis style design in a shimmery silver and a mounted deer head covered in a patchwork of vintage needlepoint canvases (and we bought both to add to our Spring mix at Maison 24).

Both designers visions seemed to be echoed throughout many vendors booths where bright colors, whimsical design, and a re-invention of the classics were dominant themes.

We can't wait to continue exploring & buying tomorrow!

Design Trends Gone Bad

The Los Angeles Times featured an article in their Home & Garden section titled: "Bad design trends we hope die in 2009." They asked more than 20 Los Angeles based designers their opinions, here are some highlights:

Heavy drapery:

Fake suzanis:

Mass-produced, oversized, cheap leather club chairs:

Coral. L.A. interior designer Linda Allen says, “I’m coral-ed out. Can we date 2007 to 2008 the Coral Era, please, and get on to other organic items as accessories?”

Overly crackled, overstuffed, heavy Italian furniture:

Ornate gold frames:

Oversized sleigh beds:

Cubed ottomans and faux zebra skins. Suzan Fellman says: "How does a zebra print translate onto a cowhide rug?

Which trends do you agree/disagree with? Which trends might you add to this list?

Concetto

I am a huge fan of CaesarStone for counter top surfaces (kitchen, bath, bars, etc). CaesarStone also has a line called Concetto, which consists of stone slabs of crystals and semi-precious stones. I once inquired about the product, only to discover it's several hundred dollars per square foot. However, it makes a beautiful stone top for any table or surface if you are looking for a unique stone.

CaesarStone has just launched a new website for the Concetto. The site explains everything from the essence and energy of the crystals to the process of Concetto creation to its care and maintenance.

LOVE.

Anna Spiro of the very popular, "Absolutely Beautiful Things" blog posted pictures of her personal home back in December and I just had to share! What an amazing talent! Her shop in Brisbane, Black and Spiro, is equal eye candy. For more wonderful photos be sure to visit her blog.