Pretty shop windows

The other day I was walking in an unfamiliar neighborhood and noticed the window display of a shoe shop. There aren't that many small shops that go all out for windows that I've come across here, so this shoe shop caught my eye with giant poufs in ice cream colors- so fanciful I thought they'd be cute in my little girl's room. Well, randomly I happened upon a site today, Supermarket Sarah (you must see her site if you haven't already) which featured the creator of that very window display, a set designer named Cordelia Weston. I know everyone may be tired of seeing tissue paper pom poms hanging around in blog decor, but these were really different, and quite beautiful- more like ballet costumes than paper poms. I'm inspired to try to make some. (photos from Cordelia Weston's blog)

Read More

Artist's studio- Stanley Lewis

I am always interested in artists' dwellings, aren't you? This studio is where English artist Stanley Lewis lived and worked in Yorkshire for the last 7 years of his life, until he died at the age of 103. What a remarkable man! He painted every day for 84 years! But he didn't start to become known until the age of 101, having rejected the traditional commercial art market path when he was young. An article about him is here.

Thought this is a tiny peek into his home, I think it's representative of what one often finds when looking into artsists' private quarters. Prints and drawings cover every surface and the walls are filled, maybe a little haphazardly. But in the article, Mr. Lewis says, "I call it organized chaos and I know exactly where everything is." I think that is a common trait of artists. (Photos and quote from World of Interiors, April 2010)

Read More

a 17th century Italian farmhouse

  

A time-worn farmhouse owned by artist Sam Miller and his wife Helen in the Le Marche region of Italy. It hasn't even been fully renovated- they've just left everything as is and moved in their furniture.  The sunlight really seems to stream in the windows and give the stone floors and walls a quiet, ancient glow. By the way, take a look at the artist's portfolio here, to see the interesting mirrored glass sculptures and pieces you see on their walls. You can also read the entire article on his site here. (Photos from World of Interiors, June, 2010)

Read More

Hand-stitched home of Aurélie Mathigot

Aurélie Mathigot is a visual artist who takes sewing to a new level. She embroiders, knits, stitches and crochets coverings for objects and colorful decorations, and her touches are visible all over her home! (Look closely at the piano in the first photo!) She says her art is an expression of the idea of recovery (a theme, I think) and the need for talking about everyday objects in another, new way. (Photos by Eric Flogny in Marie Claire Maison, April 2010)

p.s. I see that Famille Summerbelle has also posted about her this month. Take a look at their blog for some more photos.

Read More

More eclectic nests from Milk Deco

These photos are from the Gramercy Park, New York City home of Carin van der Donk, owner of Sons and Daughters a now-closed East Village shop.
**About that interesting ceiling chandelier in the first photo- it is a special order from Lindsey Adelman using hand-blown bulbs. If you like that, you simply must check out her work here. Her lights are amazing!





These four photos are from the home of Laurence Gautier and Gabrielle Soyer, in a suburb of Paris. They fill their house with souvenirs from their flea markes and antique store hunts. The article says the house is just not big enough to hold all their finds! Hmmm, I know how that feels, although my house is much smaller.





This set of five photos above is from a French visual artist's home in Tangier. Yto Barrada grew up in Tangier and says she has her grandmother's sense of style in that she loves "antique flowers and lace, collecting dresses and fabrics, accumulating and juxtaposing."
And I thought this little old-fashioned sleeper couch was interesting. The photos was from a home in Utrecht. (all photos from Milk Deco Issue No.3, Oct. 2009)

Read More

Allessandro Twombly's home in Italy

A few snippets from the 1800's farmhouse home of Allessandro Twombly (Cy Twombly's son), north of Rome. I think the simple, antique furnishings leave room for the eye to appreciate the art and the space. They renovated the rooms and decorated it simply with berber rugs, carvings from their travels and Empire furniture passed down from family. The neutral wood colors are a fitting background for the bright red and orange Cy Twombly paintings, don't you think? I think the small photos don't do the home justice- it is just beautiful, really.

His wife, Soledad, mentions she prefers to have more space and therefore hasn't crowded it with furniture. I think that's interesting; I have an empty wall that probably could use furniture but for now, I'm just keeping it empty because I like the luxury of a few spare square feet of space! This probably comes from living in small-ish city apartments. (from Elle Decor 2009, phographed by Miguel Flores-Vianna)

Read More

Artist Jean Sonnet

Jean Sonnet is a French artist whose expression is through found objects. "The value of the objects isn't what matters; it's the visual impact that's important," he says. The photos resonate with us probably because he chooses humble, daily objects that become poetic in their arrangement. The photos, he believes, address emotion more than reason. (photos from Marie Claire maison Sept. 2009)

His work reminds me slightly of the work of one of my favorite bloggers, Jeska from Lobster & Swan (and Record the Day).

from Lobster & Swan's etsy shop

Also it makes me think of another talented artist whose work is on etsy, Lush Bella.

These three photos are from Lush Bella's etsy shop and Flickr page. I love her work: simple, refined and interesting.

Read More