QUICKIE IN THE BATHROOM (Before and After)

PROJECT BATHROOM!!

THE CHALLENGE: Makeover a tiny shoebox-sized bathroom (4'x6'!!!!) that has mahogany paneling, 50's turquoise fixtures, and faux marble floors. GOD AWFUL.
BUDGET: Uh, practically nonexistent?
This guest bathroom went largely unused for a long time, if only because it was truly a dark, dank hole with a weird turquoise toilet, sink, and exposed mirror lights, all original from the 50s. Time and again, family and friends advised the fixtures be removed and replaced with something more "in date." "At the very least, replace those awful lights!!," they insisted.

To be sure, there are some really fantastic bathroom fixtures out there in the grand world, but not so much on my budget. And the way I see it, there's nothing less exciting than a generic fixture. I'd rather chance it with the showgirl lights and turquoise toilet and sink than go the local hardware-store route. No one could possibly accuse them of lacking character, after all.


So what did I do?
1. Painted the dark paneling glossy white.
2. Moved the old mirror to an adjacent wall and replaced it with an old, baroque wood and plaster thrifted gem. Two walls covered in mirror are better than one.
3. Went wild stacking paintings, prints, silhouettes and old photos (you can find these very inexpensively on ebay, for instance) to increase the sense of height in the tiny room. All of those mirrors have to reflect something.
4. Used black and metallic accents for texture, to play against the turquoise. The only new item is the towel (from Target). I think it does a nice job of tying in the baroque details in the room while picking up the black accents.

Time this took: a day and a half, only because the paint was asphyxiating me.


And the result? Not too shabby. In fact, I think I've fallen in love with the classic exposed dressing room mirror lights!!! It would have been a HUGE MISTAKE getting rid of them; in the right setting they remind me of showgirl dressing rooms in the 40s. Ditto for the turquoise sink.

Skull Time

Scan from Art & Antiques, October 1985.

Tourner à Droite

When I bought these panels they were unpainted and sporting a disgusting shade of greenish brown. Like bile. So, much like everything else in life, we painted them. Without a doubt, they're meant to be mounted on a wall flanking something— they're actually labeled "droite" and "gauche" in giant cursive script on the backs. Exciting, right?! (I enjoy speculating fabricating insane stories about the provenance of my junk shop finds nearly as much as I enjoy power ballads while plastered.)


Actually, we've painted them several times. There are only two panels, but as you can see, the one on the right in the above picture is a canvas panel glued onto the back of one of the panels. You can see the front of that one below:


Convenient, because I can rotate it when the mood strikes. Or repaint them, even. And clearly, the mood has been striking an awful lot.

DO IT.

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Red Alert!

Carolyne Roehm may have a passion for blue and white, but I have one for black, white, and red. And so does designer Anouska Hempel, evidently (all of the black/white rooms below are hers, the red is the boudoir of Maria Alexandrovna, 1853, in the Hermitage Museum). No one does stripes quite like Hempel:


The look is forceful, but sometimes we need a little punch in our lives, right?

My own red hot voyage began with a couple of accent pieces Lydia has been working on: the pungent red pie table and the graphic striped silverware box.

My goal: Grunge it up with something glam, gilded, leathery... something... dirty.
Solution: Painted canvas upholstery, painted canvas...pillows? I played around distressing the metallic tones, tearing apart the canvas and sanding the matte damask motif that I applied over the gilding.


Rich red velvet and more painted canvas adorn pillows set against a bright, glossy white wall. The top pillow is an amalgamation of my favorite antique metallic embroidered textile fragments, mounted on cranberry velvet with some bizarre shots of robins egg blue and lavender ribbon. For the center pillow, I hand-dyed white linen and applied painted canvas straps at the sides. As for the textile at the bottom, it's of questionable origin. General consensus seems to point toward it being a horse blanket of sorts.


Oversize pillows are a godsend. Inspired by the antique metallic embroidered fragment on the cranberry pillow, I painted a larger-scale version of the very Turkish design, mounted it on black velvet, and trimmed it with striped silk and hand painted leopard print silk ribbon. (It sits in the center, behind the pillow by which it was inspired).

Campari and Cope

One of my most insanely gorgeous and exciting purchases was this very old cope (of the ecclesiastical vestment variety). I acquired it on ebay, it shipped from France, and it found me on the hottest day of the summer drinking bitter spritzes.


Anyone who hasn't tried a bitter spritz absolutely needs to. Little bars in Venice serve these drinks by the pitcher, along with salty snacks. Mix: 2 parts prosecco (or other dry sparkling wine), 1 part campari, top with a splash of mineral water and a green olive. For a sweet spritz, replace the Campari with Aperol and add an orange slice instead of an olive. Incidentally, these were probably the reason why it seemed like a good idea to play dress up in the cope, but that's a story for another day.


I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with the cope. My first thought was that the back panel would make a lovely oversized and very Byzantine-inspired pillow complete with fringe, but ultimately, I didn't have the heart to cut it apart.




And then, a eureka moment! The cope fits perfectly on the sofa. It's like it was tailored for it. WHO KNEW.

Crystal Clear

For an unexpectedly delicate table setting, why not pile on the glass and crystal? After setting this, I realized that I was sorely in need of glass plates! Luckily, they're easy to find and extremely cheap: Target, for instance, has a basic set of 12 for 24.99.

The look doesn't need to be extremely costly, either. Use whatever good crystal you have, pair it with cheaper glass where you need to fill in, and keep the silverware simple.

Oh, and for the love of god, no plastic.

For the Love of Tools

In light of all the buzz surrounding Julia Child, I thought it might be interesting to share this scan of her kitchen from my 1977 edition of Architectural Digest Celebrity Homes:

Though there were also photographs of the other rooms in her house, I was fascinated most by the kitchen, because it reveals so much of Child's character. Her quote, "We rejoice in the shape of tools," says it all! If anyone has photos of a personal collection of tools displayed decoratively, I'd LOVE to see/ post them— interesting shapes and textures can render even the most functional objects beautifully decorative. (You might remember a post from a while back about the texture of a pair of levels I found, and another about the forms of forcolas... )

For me, the carefully chosen material possessions that comprise a person's "style" are interesting in that they reveal the character and personality behind those objects. I am just infatuated with characters who go to the ends of the earth to pursue a unique aesthetic for their lives, even if it occasionally takes them off a cliff. The concept of "chic"? Frankly, I can take it or leave it (although probably leave it).

Yesterday, Scott Schuman from The Sartorialist wrote that Bruce Weber's character studies in A House is Not a Home made him aware that objects can say as much as words when it comes to revealing character. And it's absolutely true. A picture is worth a thousand words? Try a beloved possession, or better yet, a collection of beloved possessions, arranged for life and action.

Bottom line: Indecorous taste, or in decorous taste... who even cares about the distinction, as long as the taste expresses personality, panache, character, and a personal aesthetic?

Hot, Rich and Easy

Get your mind out of the gutter. This isn't about my latest date, it's about spicy chocolate truffles!

Tiffany Dinner Plate, antique Czechoslovakian creamer, cup and saucer.

Alice Waters has a gloriously simple recipe for truffles in her cookbook The Art of Simple Food that, provided you don't scrimp on ingredients, look and taste far more sophisticated than you'd expect for the amount of work involved (none). Feeling prematurely autumnal, I improvised and added freshly ground ginger and various other spices to the recipe. The result was oddly reminiscent of pumpkin pie, and completely delicious. The basic recipe:

1. Melt 1/2 lb of bittersweet chocolate and 10 tablespoons unsalted butter in a double boiler, or else in a heatproof bowl set in a shallow pan of simmering water.
2. Stir in 6 tablespoons heavy cream
3. Refrigerate mixture until firm (several hours) and then scoop out small balls with a melon baller or teaspoon. Roll in cocoa powder.

Store in refrigerator, bring to room temperature before serving.

A few notes: I added around a tablespoon of freshly ground ginger, along with a heap of curry powder, a couple teaspoons cinnamon, and a pinch of cayenne to the mixture along with the heavy cream. In hindsight, it might have been easier just to add a tablespoon or two of pumpkin pie spice... I used an 85% cocoa chocolate bar made for eating, not baking, as the bittersweet chocolate (two of my favorites are Kallari or Vivani, either would work perfectly), and rolled some of the truffles in a mixture of cocoa powder and cinnamon, others in shredded coconut, and others in chopped macadamia nuts.

Poodle Puff

This is what would happen if Mimi Bobeck were to somehow morph into a poodle:

dailymail.co.uk

Remember when waxing hearts into the bikini region was a thing? Is "creative poodle grooming" the new version of that trend?

This is so ugly, I'm fairly certain that some line has been crossed.

Oh What I Would If I Could...

1. "Bonbon Treasure," from the Crystal Candy Set by Jamie Hayon for Baccarat. Limited edition, 1 of 25. www.hayonstudio.com, www.baccarat.com
2. "Blackberry Freeze" in clear and amethyst crystal, from the Crystal Candy Set by Jamie Hayon for Baccarat. Limited edition, 1 of 25. www.hayonstudio.com, www.baccarat.com
3. Medusa Bust work in progress by Philadelphia based artist Adam Wallacavage.
4. Turquoise vintage cross bottle by Claire Montrose. Available online at Greyfreth.
5, "Nuclear Pomegranate" from the Crystal Candy Set by Jamie Hayon for Baccarat. Limited edition, 1 of 25. www.hayonstudio.com, www.baccarat.com
6. Clear vintage cross bottle by Claire Montrose. Available online at Greyfreth.
7. Rings by Turkish jeweler Sevan Bickaki . Available at Barneys.
8-11. Hand blocked textiles by Venetian designer Mirella Spinella.
12. Rock crystal obelisks. C. Mariani Antiques.
13. Baxter "Chester Moon" sofa.
14. "Miroir Fait Mur" mirror by Galerie Maison Darré.

Plush Purple, Transformed!

The newest incarnation of the infamous purple velvet screen. As much as I love the plush purpleness, I'm kind of in a Denning and Fourcade/Tony Duquette "pile it on" mindset at the moment. Just in case that isn't painfully obvious, ha.

Let Them Eat Cake

Lately, I've been shamelessly drawn to the idea of living life in varying shades of pastel. Think thick gobs of cake icing, Florine Stettheimer paintings, and jordan almonds.

Light aquamarines, pale pinks, nudes, golds and grays; there's something delightful and fantastic about embracing such an overtly...feminine...color scheme.

Here are a few of my favorite pastel "moments," where good design transforms what could easily become a child's playground style disaster.

1. Wedgwood Pink Cameo Archival Mug. This was actually recently featured in a British Vogue feature of Plum Sykes's favorite things. However, it's near impossible to find as Wedgwood discontinued it a while ago.






2. Marie Antoinette with Kirsten Dunst is like fashion photography in motion, a giant layered cake full of aquamarines, pinks, peaches, frosty whites, ruffles, tulles, silks, and crystals. It's divine. Unfortunately, it's a miserable movie on most other accounts (plot: it has none; acting: lackluster).

3. As it turns out, Marie Antoinette's actual rooms were more glorious than the movie's sets that they must have inspired. Below, the Méridienne, a small room decorated by Richard Miqué for Antoinette in 1781. The delicately luxurious couch is to die for. Scan from The Grand Tour: Homes of Kings, 1977.
4. Antique Capodimonte porcelain lamps and ceramic floral bouquets. The lamp on the left is quite possibly the best lamp that ever existed, that's how much I adore it. Every night before bed, I contemplate eating it, since it could pretty much double as a cupcake.

5. At the moment, I'm very much into oversized silk scarf pillows. I made this one with a delicate Oscar de la Renta scarf, and backed it in a bold gray/white stripe.

6. The dusty pink walls and blue gray woodwork of this room by Christophe Gollut mimic the palette of a sunset. It's a subtle use of pastels, and he makes the color scheme work brilliantly. Scan from Textile Style by Caroline Clifton-Mogg, 2000.

Purple Haze

Picking up this purple velvet screen from a thrift store was probably one of the better decisions I've made this week. It's old, partially falling apart, made from cotton velvet, and weighs a freaking TON. Someone less inclined toward the hideous might have turned down an Elvis-esque screen upholstered in skinned muppet.

But hey, I love a challenge, pieces that really dare me to make them work, you know?

I knew I had met my match by the horrified snickers that my fellow shoppers shot me upon seeing my zeal for these gems (yup, there's another one, haven't decided what to do with that one yet).

I love items that straddle the line of bad taste. The saving grace for this screen is really the age, patina (worn patches and yellowed areas), weight, and quality of the materials (no polyester here, kids). And I think it's working out pretty well. I'm contemplating painting panels for the inset areas. We'll see where it goes.

Seeing Stars

The library of Lord Byron, in his palazzo in Pisa, Italy.

Obviously, this moody image speaks for itself, especially the metallic ornaments on the ceiling that have a way of floating above the dustiness of the rest of the room.

Lord Byron moved to this palazzo in Pisa, Italy as an exile. Legendary poet and self-promotional womanizing rock star of his day that he was, Byron quickly turned the house into a meeting place for romantics and revolutionaries, including Percy Bysshe Shelley, who also lived in the city.

Aside from the fact that this room (and its provenance) is just really superb at inspiring fantasies of all kinds, I love it also because of its color palette. The dusty blues, lavenders, taupes, grays and aged metallics make a divine combination that could easily be put to use in any room, regardless of size or palazzo status.

Bathing Beauties

What are these caravan-type deals lined up on the beach for, you ask? They are, of course, bathing machines from the turn of the century! Ever the overwrought contraption-loving lot that the Victorians were, they devised these canvas covered horse drawn wagons so that ladies could maintain modesty while bathing in the sea.

At first I think, dear god, this is HORRIFIC! I mean, what's the beach without the babes, right? Also, something about utilizing what is essentially a portable turn-the-sea-into-a-cavernous-tub device is inherently unappealing (these things have no windows!!!). But then my mind wanders towards the weekly summer tabloids awaiting me in the grocery isle, with all the botched triple-stapled stomachs and dimply lipo jobs (think Tara Reid- she's an old classic in this genre, for sure), and suddenly these machines are looking pretty glorious.

And They Partied Themselves into the Ground

"Contrary to the image of high society, it was the fad of the day for lady guests to fling their lingerie to the winds as they passed the gates upon leaving. Local folk still recall seeing chauffeurs ceremoniously retrieving their ladies' undergarments in the wee hours of the morning." - Monica Randall, on the parties that took place in early 20th century Long Island, New York.

Former tennis court adjoining the indoor swimming pool, Harrison Williams Estate, Long Island, NY.

Mosaic gold swimming pool at Pembroke, Long Island New York

W.C. Bird Estate Oval Room, height of its grandeur, Long Island, NY

W.C. Bird Estate Oval Room, after 20 years of neglect. Long Island, NY.

Scans and quotes from The Mansions of Long Island's Gold Coast by Monica Randall, 1979.

A fantastic find at the thrift shop turned up these images of dilapidated grandeur, all taken in the once palatial homes of 1920s Long Island, New York (the setting for Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby) before they were demolished in the 60s and 70s. As you can see, many were abandoned and fell carelessly into ruin; there are stories of mansions being bulldozed with tiffany chandeliers still hanging from the ceiling.

That the parties were so overly decadent makes these images that much harder to stomach. Highlights includes the Kahn's yearly easter egg hunt where each egg held $1000.00 and Bradley Martin's "Come in the most expensive costume you can devise" party, given at the height of the depression, of course. And then there were the ducks that one mansion owner had a chauffeur personally deliver south for the winter, rather than have them fly, commenting, "...of course they can fly; thank God they don't have to."

Inspired By: Donald Deskey

Came across a fabulous article in the May 1987 issue of The Magazine Antiques about artist Donald Deskey's (1894-1989) screens:

Which were a source of inspiration in the creation of my closet doors:

Deskey was primarily a set and window designer, who created his graphic, art deco/streamline modern screens and paintings for everyone from Muriel Vanderbilt to Saks Fifth Avenue, and became famous for the decoration of Radio City Music Hall in the '20s. He also did ad work in his later years— Deskey was behind the Tide bullseye and the Crest toothpaste packaging. It makes sense considering the graphic nature of his designs but it's surprising nonetheless.

A quote from the article in Antiques:

As a reviewer commented in 1929:

Screens have many uses that are utilitarian; the concealment of passageways, the shielding from drafts, to mention a few, but as a rule their present day use is an artistic one. They shorten the too long vista of a great room; they deepen the shadows in the corners in which they stand, and their angled surfaces offer a peculiar variation of light and shade that in itself is decorative.

Well said, reviewer from 1929; that is positively the most poetic way I've ever heard someone address the topic of a screen! More people should use screens. Even though not all of us have the problem of needing to shorten a "too-long vista of a great room," most could probably benefit from that peculiarly modern pattern of light that screens cast. Or the sense of enclosed intimacy they create.

A tiger at Sotheby's, 1999

The reason you should buy some quality tiger upholstery, NOW:

19th Century Continental, Neoclassical settee and armchairs, auctioned at Sotheby's May 4, 1999. Estimate: $20,000-$30,000.

A while back I did a post about Laura Bush's decision to upholster a particular settee in tiger print. She was RAILED for this decision, both by People Magazine (who compared it to Elvis's jungle room) and apparently her mother in law.

I didn't see what the big deal was then, and I still don't now. The concept of using tiger on classical pieces 1. isn't new and 2. doesn't necessarily indicate that one harbor's dreams of Elvis plopped on said settee, singing "Heartbreak Hotel" clad in white polyester.

This image of a 19th century settee auctioned at Sotheby's in '99 reminded me just how exciting tiger can be, minus the Elvis imagery and shag carpet, of course.

Venetian Safari

Nautical + Leopard. Unlikely combo, but leopard does a nice job of punctuating a sternly graphic nautical motif. Thoughts?

Created, styled and photographed by (IN)DECOROUS TASTE

Wednesdays with Wackos

Eben-Ezer Tower, Belgium.

In accordance with the ongoing fascination I have with eccentrics and people that otherwise show no inclination towards self-censorships and instead tend toward indulgence, (although this may be an understatement), I present you my first addition of "Wednesdays with Wackos." Loveable wackos, to be sure. This week, we have a little architectural folly constructed by Robert Garcet in the 60s, located in Bassange, Belgium.

Let's see what we're dealing with:
-Four horsemen of the apocalypse
-Sitting atop a tower built by a self-declared pacifist obsessed with biblical numerology (think number grids that add up to "666" in all directions... you get the picture)
-Situated on an ancient, and ENORMOUS, labyrinth of tunnels that may or may not have at one time existed as an entire city.

I love people who take it upon themselves to materialize their own fantasies. Even if those manifest themselves as a dungeons and dragons plot.

And, as a sidenote: Will you look at the sheer SIZE of those four horsemen in relation to the tower itself?! Amazing.

Happy Birthday To Me

Except, super belated, because my birthday was on the 22nd.

Simple outdoor dining, with my FAVORITE hand painted antique green striped Czech plates, an ebay steal from ages back. Somehow, I think greens are well suited for outdoor dining in that they bring out the texture and color of surrounding shrubbery and foliage. And of course, a little metallic and crystal never hurt anyone.

What you DON'T know is that it started monsooning a mere, oh, 4 minutes from when this baby was taken. What a scene. Good thing my guests were quick on their feet. I kid you not, the whole table experienced a god like resurrection that took place as quickly as the rain started coming down. Much thanks to everyone who came!

Towering

Glam Rocks For a Room

This decadently bejeweled and dripping glam rock orgasm of a chandelier by jeweler Erickson Beamon is still available at Vivre. WHY? Please take note, my birthday is rapidly approaching:

Glam Rock Chandelier by Erickson Beamon, available at Vivre, $32,500.00.

Alternately, these old school platforms from KISS are also an option. They look suspiciously like the Erickson Beamon chandelier, no?

Scan from Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal. Quality reading material, for sure.