BLOOMINGDALES CHALLENGE

Have you cast your vote for the Bloomingdales Window Challenge? I think of the three choices, it might come down to two. Eddie Ross competing for Elle Décor uses bold and groovy pieces in his room including the blue lamps and orange pop-art print by Campbell Laird, set against Hinson's spatter-paint wallpaper. Great pink & orange touches, too. Apartment Therapy founder, Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan's writer's room is a strong contender as well. I love the trompe l'oeil bookcases painted by Mark Chamberlain [artist and resident Color Therapist at Apartment Therapy] juxtaposed against Neisha Crosland's Birdtree wallpaper. Chamberlain's earthy palette and bookcases with objects were inspired by the famous Gubbio Period Room at the MET. Good luck to all and don't forget to cast your vote!

INSPIRATION | SHAPES & CUT-OUTS

Cut-outs are back in style this year from fashion to art, and interiors. I still love this tin urn cut-out from a dog-eared page of Elle Décor magazine. Before we sold our 300 year-old house, I had intended to cut this urn shape and leave it on my husband's art studio floor so it could develop an organic, paint-spilled patina. But I never got around to it, and the look is not perfect for the condensed modern structure we live in now. The urn shape is simply its most beautiful in this cut-out form. And, also in this silkscreen print by artist, Wayne Pate {shown below}. As a nod to the cut-out trend, Taschen has released a wonderful Matisse two-volume set, that includes a perfect reproduction of his seminal cut-out work: Jazz, and another volume that provides a historical look at Matisse's Cut-outs.


click on image to buy this print from Wayne Pate

click on image to buy Matisse Jazz and Cut-outs

LIFE WITHOUT DOMINO

Magazines are having a tough time these days, and so are those of us who love them. There is still chatter and of course, a lot of tears over the demise of our favorite Domino. This is the first month that Domino will not appear in my mailbox, and I am determined to pick a new favorite to be as excited about. I do love receiving Elle Décor, Town & Country, Vogue, Vanity Fair, and The New Yorker - but I've selected "C" California Style as my new pick. It's a different genre than D but C is a fun read covering—style, beauty, home, food, culture, and travel. I'm an East Coast girl but love California style and appreciate its influence on all aspects of American design and culture. C magazine launched in September 2005 and is published 10x/year. An annual subscription is $16.00.