The Chloe Showroom is My Kindred Spirit And Other Random Lovely Bits

Chloé showroom via Porter Magazine's instagram

I've been a (very) bad blogger of late. So bad, in fact, that I've actually pondered stepping away from this space in a more formal way for a while. But every time I'm ready to pull the trigger, farewell post composed in my mind, I chicken out. Blog, I just can't quit you. Sure I'm unreliable and half-assed, but I'm still here. And that's what I'm going with for now...

So no excuses, no long-winded laments about the things that have kept me from this space... Instead let's just go with some lovely things, shall we?

First there's the fun fact that the top of my television cabinet in the den is looking an awful lot like a corner of the Chloé showroom. Oh groovy, wonky, drippy pottery. My love for you knows no bounds.

I'm also smitten with Appointed's canvas notebooks. In fact, Suann's just killed it with the entire Appointed enterprise. She's making the Chicest. Work. Supplies. Ever. The whole thing is just total and complete perfection.

Another obsession: the shoulder baring frocks that went down the runway at Litkovskaya Tbilisi and  Nino Babukhadia. I somehow feel like this is an age-appropriate, smart girl way to do sexy, yes?

And while we're talking perfection, there's the matter of this bedroom situation at Swedish hotel Ett Hem via the genius Ilse Crawford. (Really the entire hotel is just crazy gorgeous.)

And because I'm all about coming full circle, how about we close out this bad boy where we started with some pottery action. Feeling like one of these Clam Lab beauties needs to join the television cabinet line up. Just sayin'.

Recent Work (And The Totally Disconcerting Warp-Speed Passing of Time)

I know it's not especially compelling or interesting to talk about how quickly time goes by. In fact, on the scintillating conversation scale, I would put it up there with chatting about the weather, traffic, and how busy you are... (All three of which I regularly discuss, clearly it's time to up my conversation game.)

But banality of subject matter notwithstanding, I'm going there. Friends, time is flying by. Zooming, racing, in full turbo mode.

Part of this, I suppose, is due to being heads down on a slew of branding and interiors projects at the studio (i.e. the action happening in those images above). There's nothing like an abundance of interesting, compelling, creative work to make you look up from your computer and wonder how the hell it's already the end of the day.

But I think the bigger "time warper" is how quickly my girlies are turning into young women. I feel like yesterday we were reading board books and watching Yo Gabba Gabba and now we're dealing with leg shaving and what have you (the what have you being the particularly alarming part).

Oy vey.

The good news is that while I miss those little kid years, the big kid years are pretty darn amazing. I am so smitten with these girlies of mine... They are becoming such interesting, witty, thoughtful people. They amaze me every day with what they notice, their small gestures and grand moves. I am in awe. Sure, they can also be total pills (what kids aren't occasionally?) but mostly we're in a pretty good groove. I'm marinating in it, for sure.

Perfed Part Two

A perforated Jenni Kayne dress that, while out of my wheelhouse, is immensely lovely nonetheless...


I spent the better part of the day at the mall overseeing Audrey and her posse as they embarked on some birthday scavenger hunt action. In between recording five tweens serenading a Starbucks barista (and other mildly embarrassing acts) and feeling super old, I was stealthily window shopping with my friend Christine.

Thankfully, Christine is not only one of my dearest friends but also the mom of one of Audrey's dearest friends (lucky break, yes?). She also happens to be one of the most. stylish. women. I. know. Full stop. So, no matter how  much I don't like the mall (and, friends, I really do not like the mall... see: old), somehow going there with Christine is wholly enjoyable enterprise. It also didn't hurt that I downed a bloody mary over lunch.

During said window shopping I found myself (yet again) ogling all things perfed. A giant black suede Pedro Garcia perforated bag and a buttery pierced suede bomber jacket were the two standouts. I'm still thinking about them hours later, so I thought why not dive all the way in and pull together a little perf wish list. Hey, I'm nothing if not committed...

Herewith seven object of my perforated affection:

1. Kelly Wearstler's gold perforated cuff goodness

2. Big oval perfed tights courtesy of Proenza Schouler via Moda Operandi 

3. Pine + Boon's perfect perfed convertible pouches via Vee Caravan. Christine was carrying the tan one today, and I'm fairly confident that it was what kicked off the day's perforated preoccupation.

4. Arizona Muse's perfed neckline photographed by Paolo Roversi for Piece d’Anarchive SS13

5. Madame Wearstler's perforated studs (I think it's safe to say that Kelly seems to dig the perf as much as I do).

6. The aforementioned Pedro Garcia perforated suede tote... This was even more stellar in person friends. It is officially on my wish list.

7. And last but not least, that perfed bomber jacket... all members only wit a buttery pierced suede twist via Anthro... Would be so cute over a black pencil skirt and a white men's T, yes?

Foodie Perfection

My obsession with everything happening in Bon Appétit continues... Adam Rapport is still just killing it in every way. I'm especially smitten with the spread on L’Arpège chef Alain Passard in the July issue. The photos by Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriot, the art direction, all of it. Total perfection. Full stop.

Well played BA.

Axel is On To Something...

bottom two images via garance dore...

Ok,ok Axel Vervoordt is on to a lot of things (the man is a genius), but this one thing that he's on to particularly resonated with me this week...

Etre heureux en rendant heureux 

(or  finding happiness through creating happiness)

The  adage is apparently Axel's favorite, as it expresses his design firm's commitment to "inspire artists and audiences through discovering and transmitting the beautiful, with a deep respect for everything that is authentic."


"Discovering and transmitting the beautiful" might be the best. description. ever. for the practice of design. And doing it to create happiness in other people? Well, that's pretty much the ultimate goal... I mean what else is there?

Thanks for the reminder Axel.

Pinterest As Self Discovery (Or Holy Sh*& I'm Digging Green)

image via jonas ingerstedt

image via mix and chic

image via habitually chic

image via turbulences

image via sight unseen

image via c home

image via my domaine

image via mark d sikes

When a client comes to us without a clear sense of what they love, we get them on the Pinterest, stat. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200.

Don't focus solely on interiors, we instruct them, just pin images that make you happy. We also encourage them not to curate or to go back and look at their boards right away. Just pin, pin, pin, and we'll be able to figure it out.

It's interesting to see what bubbles up -- The self-proclaimed minimalist who's pinned the hell out of tables teaming with accessories; the glam obsessed who's earmarked sparse, earthy images. It's the ultimate exercise in self-discovery, sussing out latent aesthetic leanings. It's my favorite game; and it almost always works.

So, it should be no surprise that a spin through my own Pinterest yesterday revealed a previously unknown predilection toward green. Those images above are but a smattering... Emerald, moss, loden, forest, sage -- they were all there. Over and over.

Now, I have never had anything but kind words for green. I'm a fan. Heck, at one point my breakfast and guest rooms were swathed in the fair hue. But of late, green has not been my jam. I'm not working it into my house, I'm not working it into client's houses (save a pair of killer kelly green vintage Parsons console tables that belonged to the wife of a Dallas Cowboy from the 1960s...clearly I had to use those bad boys). It's just not in my head space.

Or so I thought.

Pinterest has proved otherwise. I'm apparently feeling the green friends. And, truth be told, I'm a little bit scared. Who knows what will happen next...(Bottle green master bedroom anyone?) Stay tuned.

New Necklaces Over On Vee Caravan

Hope you are having a lovely Father's Day friends.

If, after the celebrating of your hubby and/or pops, you happen to be in the mood for a bit of retail therapy this fine weekend, I have new batch of tassel necklaces, a smattering of beaded tassel bracelets, and a few new black ceramic and brass bead necklaces available over on Vee Caravan.

From Inspiration to Reality (Or 1530 Main -- The Joule Hotel's New Publication)

One of the best parts of working at a multi-disciplinary design studio is getting to toggle between such varied creative projects and do a little left brain/right brain switch-a-roo. While my days are largely filled with interiors endeavors, I also jump in on event design (a whole other animal) and some of our branding projects.

Friends, I looove the branding stuff. Love. It. I also happen to love magazines -- reading them, looking at them, re-reading them, making them. (I especially enjoy the making them situation.) So the fact that one of our most kick-ass branding clients, The Joule Hotel (a new website it also in the works), asked us to help them create a publication for their guests, well, was pretty much nirvana.

The result, 1530 Main, is pictured above, from brainstorming session to birthed piece. It was collaboration at its best. Can't wait for issue two.

Lise Silva (i.e. the maker of our current obsession)

We have a tendency to fall into group obsessions at the studio. Recent objects of our collective fixation have included Topo Chico,  staghorn ferns, Raquel Allegra, the Evan with chicken at Taco Joint, and Le Labo Santal 33 (we're all about the high/low).

Of late, Lise Silva's knotted necklaces have joined the list.

It started with that ivory "vibration knot" action above. I almost bought it at Christine's pop up shop a few weeks ago, but in a rare moment of responsibility and frugality, I decided to abstain from purchasing. Sam showed up at the same pop up a couple of hours later and snapped it up. Catie also coveted the "vibration knot" but ended up ordering the "entrance knot" online.  She and Sam eventually traded necklaces and currently have them in heavy rotation. Watching the two of them sport their Silva's has made me totally regret my initial decision. (Who am I kidding... I'm jealous every time I see one of them donning that groovy fiber goodness.)

I may have just purchased my own Silva.

Photos forthcoming.

Lise Silva's Double Coin Knot Blue Moon and Trio of Double Coin Knots at Vee Caravan.