FRENCH EYE VIEW: WHITE BATH

COUP D'OEIL

Just something that caught my eye.

The simple line, the minimal fittings, the size, the rhythm of the tiles.It could be Paris, it could be the 40's. Save the hint of a glass wall.

via remodelista

bon weekend.

NOT YOUR GRANPA'S WING CHAIR

LES BERGERES HAUTES

A very dear client is considering using two wing chairs on each side of an oval table in front of a large bow window in her dining room. The space is very large and there are already eight chairs around the dining table and four more around the perimeter, so tall seating makes real sense. This arrangement will create a cozy conversation tète-à-tète, and at the same time bring height to that side of the room, framed as it will be by the long curtains on each side of the tall window.

Wing chairs have a reputation for being somewhat stuffy but new shapes, materials and modern lines have given this overlooked piece renewed appeal.

My favorite wing chair is definitely Arne Jacobson's Egg Chair. I used one in a room I designed for the last French Designer Showhouse I participated in a while ago. I wish I still had it, but it was on loan as most showhouse furniture often is....

I think I like even more in this luxurious caramel leather.

images sognisorrisi, decorpad, la maison fou, pliopsandpearls, chattafabulous, jadhny

au revoir.

KIMONOS

LES KIMONOS

I have always loved kimonos. The shape is utter simplicity, just an assembly of squares and rectangles but the finished garment is striking especially considering how many traditional or more modern fabrics can be  chosen from.

The kimono has been the subject of many a work of art be it Japanese, delicately painted on silk organza over parchment paper like this screen I inherited from my grandmother who lived in Indochina in the 30's.

or these two splendid occidental paintings by George Hendrik Breitner and William Merritt Chase

What is interesting in the shape of a kimono, all simple geometry, no curves nor tucks or gathers, is that as such, it is very easy to hang on a rod or frame flat and that the size alone makes for a spectacularly decorative piece.

images kurokami, jadhny, littleaugury, vintage kimono, decorpad

sayonara.

FRENCH EYE VIEW

COUP D'OEIL

Just something that caught my eye.

Old map and charming globes, travel suggested, a soft Moroccan/Syrian/elsewhere feel. Just what I need right now.

nibslog

au revoir.

DESK CHAIRS

LES CHAISES DE BUREAU

My office chair finally broke down irreperably a few days ago. It was stylish with its modern brown leather with thick stitching around the edges. It was comfortable, it was easy to move around. 
For a while. 
Then, one wheel came off... AFTER the return date. I snapped it back on but that worked for a while and then, off again it fell. I have asked, but it cannot be fixed. I tried. Trust me. So, the time has come. A new one is needed. 

I am doing this the easy way- who has time to shop around for hours for an office chair?- It's straight to this great office furniture website. They have EVERY office chair on earth available. Color or black, padded or not, executive, side chair, adjustable, management etc. You name it, they have it. 

So, let's see.

simple and modern

but too basic

luxurious

but too Rockefeller for me

designed to death

 too... Star Wars.

high tech comfort

but too evening news

No, the absolute truth is that I know EXACTLY which chair I want. 

I want the Eames Aluminum Group with no arms - the side chair. The style is not the issue here. I love the ripple stitching effect, the simplicity, the elegant line. 

No, the issue is what color.

black?

too serious even in this soft warm office.

color?

Yes! but which one? 

Red? 

Very bold, the color of energy, a strong statement

Green?

Soft, soothing, the color of nature

One of each day of the week?

Just kidding. Great around a conference table but I have those covered in the shape of mid-century danish chairs just reupholstered in a leopard print linen.

white?

Too clinical even with the wood floor and my wood desk and work/conference table, and there is no pure white in my office except for the boxes for fabric and wallpaper swatches

I have it!

ivory

Neutral, warm and a little feminine, goes with everything and the opposite of top-executive-with-a-corner-office look.

images narratives, design classic, herman miller, from your desk, decorpad

 I am not receiving any compensation for this post

done and done!

au revoir.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

C'EST LA SAINT VALENTIN

image yves st.laurent

Be generous.
With everyone.

au revoir.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND

Passez un weekend au calme et au chaud.

images cote sud via linen and lavender

Keep warm and relax.

au revoir.

ECLECTIC STYLE

EC-LEC-TIQUE

-adjective

1. selecting or choosing from various sources.

2. made up of what is selected from different sources

3. not following anyone style, (..) but selecting and using what are considered the best elements of all styles.

4. noting or pertaining to works of architecture, decoration, landscaping, etc., produced by a certain person or during a certain period, that derive from a wide range of historic styles, the style in each instance often being chosen for its fancied appropriateness to local tradition, local geography, the purpose to be served, or the cultural background of the client. -wikepedia- (rewritten slightly to suit the subject)

modern

+

classic

+

island

+

asian

+

south American

ect.,

=

eclectic

in a nutshell, of course, but you get the idea.

and here is the maestro

jacques grange

yes, I never tire of his work.

This is the style that is dearest to my heart, so to speak. A mixture of anything from anywhere, valuable and rare or common and inexpensive, dark, light, bright or neutral, made long ago or designed today, by a recognized master or a creative amateur. 

However, there must be a fil conducteur- a common thread- to tie it all together, no pun intended: quality, whimsy and a coup de coeur - love at first sight- would be my adjectives of choice for this recipe.

Respect the past, embrace the present, look to the future, and travel, travel, travel if only in your mind, would be my advice.

This could apply to any aspect of our lives, in fact. 

images happy man , home decor, great interior design, picasaweb, flickr, haute decoration, wreckorated little augury

au revoir.