Negative Space

Just about every inch of my home is covered with rug, furniture, books or some decorative object. I think I must love clutter or I must love living like a bag lady--albeit a stylish one, if I do say so myself.

So I found myself wondering if I could exist/live/work in a space that is decorated with extreme discipline, economy and restraint, verging on the poetic. I was looking at the designs of Oliver Gustav the other day. And, I saw these rooms he's put together.

Then I remembered that Axel Vervoordt has a penchant for similarly restrained décor.

It's called negative space. Could you do it? Would you have the discipline, clarity of mind and vision? These are light, rather calming environments. But the bag lady in me would rebel.

Photographer Love: Richard Powers

See More of Richard Powers' Work Here

Pink in the Kitchen

The US' House Beautiful magazine called my attention to this polished kitchen which has some unexpected touches. Pink. Coral. Whatever you want to call it, just, how lovely?

I wanted to see it from as many angles as possible.

 

 

 

This is the work of the designer, Ken Fulk.

 

 

 

 

Fulk's design is House Beautiful's 2015 kitchen of the year. This kitchen is actually sited in a New Orleans home.

 

 

In London you would have to be a millionaire to afford the square footage for this kitchen. In Brussels, not so much. The maison de maître/town homes lining most of Brussel's streets could take on a kitchen like this. A little extension of about 2.5 meters into the garden would enable you to have this kitchen and it could flow into a dining room if you'd like .  Of course, living room and den or other reception rooms would have to be one floor above the kitchen. Most of the maisons are tall and deep but not very wide. 

 

 

Images from October's House Beautiful, Nola.com and BestofNewOrleans.com

Window Shopping: European Interior Decor Shops

I rarely regret moving to Belgium. Except, I miss a weekly "no appointment needed" mani-pedi from my corner manicurist. And the sun. I miss customer service. And I do miss American consumerism. Scandalous! Some people think it is a negative and I don't think it is. I think it drives innovation. And I think it makes for the growth of small businesses. I say this because I simply miss how great the shopping is in the U.S (good price and variety). I wondered whether I could find online businesses with great design, style and function in the UK and here on the Continent. I went on the hunt and I have become adept at window shopping. I share my finds with you.

 

 

This sideboard from Portobello Street works as a nursery addition because it's high enough to change a diaper and great for storing diapers, ointments and things. The wallpaper (above and below is from Studio Ditte in the Netherlands)

 

 

 It would be fun to update a pantry or kitchen shelf with a bit of decorative whimsy: the wallpaper would go nicely on a pantry wall or would be lovely as the lining in a kitchen cupboard. The ice cream bowls are from Anthropology; the chameleon platter is from the UK's Lou Rota; the cutlery from Seletti in Italy; and the dishcloth is from the South of France and is available at Ensoleilladesas--all would put the quirk in entertaining.  

  

 

  

Piero Fornasetti  channeled his obsession with Lina Cavalieri, the Italian opera singer, into his designs. Now his dishes are on walls all over the design world and the face of Cavalieri is now on  Fornasetti lamps, furniture, scented candle jars and carpets.

 

Down the Rabbit Hole of Style

Jackie Collins: All the things I find inspiring this week are from the past. Reading about the death of the saucy and glamourous Jackie Collins took me down a rabbit hole of sorts. Of course, I began by reminiscing about my teenage self buried under the covers reading Hollywood Wives---a book that was so steamy to my teenage mind it gave the 14 year old me the sweaty, nervous jitters at the prospect of my aunt discovering me. Such a talent Collins had in bringing to life, in my mind's eye, the sumptuous, decadent and glamourous homes and lives of her characters. Those Collins sisters---unapologetic, over the top glitz.

Dominick Dunne: A Season in Purgatory, anyone? Was there ever another to fluently portray the lives of the rich and famous as Jackie Collins did? Absolutely: the one and only, the late Dominick Dunne, novelist, journalist and chronicler of the life of the rich and famous. AD captured his Connecticut home some years ago. You may recall that Dunne interviewed the Collins sisters for Vanity Fair. Go here to check out that cover!

 

Elbow Patches: Seeing Dunne putter around in his home in his elbow patch jacket sent me on the search for my very own and I found it at JCREW. And, promptly bought it. A classic I will wear four seasons down the road.

The A-Line Skirt: I think fashion repeats itself only in so far as the things repeated are absolute classics. And I went on the hunt to Pinterest to view some ladies of classic style. I may have found some to inspire me during the coming fall: A-line skirts paired with turtle neck sweaters or oxford shirts sound about right.

 

Leopard: In the end, I've come full circle, because there is no classic like a leopard anything. Jackie Collins loved to wear leopard print. It has become my weakness too.

 

Rest in Peace Jackie Collins.

 

Of course ,  you can share with your friends. 

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Josef Frank: Cabinets and Commodes

Josef Frank is said to be the Austrian who raised Swedish design to new heights. Frank  is said to have felt that standardised designs would render humans bland and all the same.

 

Frank's perspective on Swedish design brought human warmth by incorporating features of nature into his work via colour, depictions, material and form.

Frank's take on interior design focused on rooms that were clear, free and breathable. This is reflected in his cabinets that are all mounted on high legs.

Frank's designs ranged from the 1950s up until his death in 1967.

See more of Frank's work at Svenskt Tenn, Bukowski, 1stDibs and Bonluxat

Coco Chanel at the Saatchi Gallery in London

 I stumbled on a little ditty which says that Chanel is opening a new exhibition starting October 13, 2015 in London. The exhibition will cover three floors of the Saatchi Gallery (yes, Nigella's Saatchi) and will highlight the inspiration behind the brand. I dare say a bit of Lagerfeld's work will take center stage. Deservedly so, I suppose. Sometimes I think Lagerfeld does service to the brand and sometimes not.  But I just hope they have on display a number of Coco's mementos and pieces from her apartment at Rue Cambon 31.

Photos from Anne Street Studio and Harper's Bazaar

 

Head over to Saatchi Gallery for more on the Mademoiselle Prive Exhibition

Design Hotel: Rooms Hotel in Tbilisi

Design hotels are a thing. Just like boutique hotels are/were a thing. You go to these hotels to be immersed in not just the pillowy mattress and high thread count sheets but also the artistry and creativity.






Of course there are extremely lofty versions of the design hotel. But I love exploring ones in what I call "comeback" cities.



Georgia is not an upmarket destination but travel is for more than just luxury. And of course there is the Dry Bridge Bazaar: the flea market in Tbilisi. As I need comfort at a minimum when I travel, I like this hotel.

1930s New York décor, claw-foot tubs, retro phones and writer's chairs, shelves stacked with books and a new use for an old publishing house. Is it safe to travel to Georgia now? Hope at the very least all the escaped animals are safely back in the zoo.