my turn
hi everyone. how’s everything? all’s well here. but i do miss my paris markets.
i’ve been holding back for weeks on posting maison et objet coverage and now i can finally share it! i’m not used to censoring myself and by writing and taking pics for a team of pros like lonny’s made me have to focus and compartmentalize things.
my usual m.o. is to take tons of pics and keep them on external hard drives and in forgotten folders. but no more! with my trusty newfound organization underway, i can happily say here’s the first installment:
maison et objet, paris 2011: upholstery trends
mixing textures and contrasting fabric on sides and top, herringbone wool fabric, two types of piping
super-soft but durable linen as upholstery, contrasting armrests, cotton rope piping
linen stripes
box mattress seats and cushions, small graphic prints, moderne furniture
traditional techniques, durable materials like burlap
linen with a hint of metallic, pink ribbon under nailheads
edged in ribbon trim and covered-button nail heads
contrasting covered buttons in velvet
suit fabrics on sofas mixed with piped removable seat covers
cozy is key stripes=cozy
what’s underneath is just as important. traditional french furniture making allows freedom for anyone to design a chair
classic styles offer endless versatility
everything ready to be upholstered, timeless shapes, deco club chair
bright lacquer chair frames
hi gloss edges in bold colors
contrasting edges, fabric on furniture, black and white check
playfuil
ameythst linen, pink satin ribbon
navy and gray velvet chair. turquoise piping, vibrant velvets, quilting on cushions
a nod to art nouveau. contrast is the last word!
hope you enjoyed it! more tomorrow, bonne nuit!
you are my raison d’être
blog.lonnymag.com/maison-et-objet-trend-report-part-deux
hi guys, it’s the second installment of my report of the trends at the maison et objet last week in paris. i hope you enjoy it and if so please let me know, cause without your comments, my joie de vivre is gone and i just can’t go on!
and the beat goes on
hey guys, how’s life? i’m back stateside and caught up on everything but work. then again, like surfing the net, it’ll never be finished. maybe i’ll scratch that off the to do list.
i’m winding down to watch my bravo ladies after a month without tv. before i go just wanted post a piece of paris that came in today from my new bff sophie at the market as our cross continental connection continues. she’s a lampshade lover like me and fell in love with the ones i picked up and posted last week. before i left ii showed her where they were stashed and can happily say they’ve fallen into the right hands. she’s an artist who’ll bring them back to life. the top shot is her fabulous creation with the shades in the box below and feather touches!
i bought two of the hot pink and she took the third. when she sent me her version this morning, i laughed at my new muse and it inspired me to do something with mine right away. i happened to have a light in the car so it was obvious serendipity, especially since it was a feather sconce!
and i’m loving them tonight! anyway it’s jolly good fun to have a pen pal who loves playing with with feathers and frills as much as i do. you too?
by the by, my coverage of the maison objet for lonny will post on their blog tomorrow and thursday. please go by and leave a comment if you get a chance, it would mean a lot to me.
have a great night!
head in the clouds
hi guys, ca va?
tomorrow’s my dernier jour en paris. one last chance to hit the fleas and a couple brocantes. it’s been all work when i’m not here blogging and i’ve been patiently waiting to flea once more encore!
we live for the hours we have to leave our laptops and stroll for a snack. every outing is an adventure. you’d think after all these years it would get a little tired. but i guess that’s how paris is; endless inspiration from every angle. going through today’s pics i noticed a recurring theme of green spaces and shooting upward. i’ve been trying to capture a paris without a time. and without all the chaos that’s going on at street level making you realize exactly what year this is!
with my head in the clouds it was heavenly
the colors were vibrant, the sky so bright.
but with feet on the ground you’re bound to find beauty too.
my petit ami took us the long way home through parc du temple.
where i’d never been. loved their green wall
eVeRyOnE was blissed out.
we passed this book in shop window on the way home. the photo is timeless and catches a perfect moment. in the park, at that instant, all was well. that’s how it felt today watching everyone enjoy life at once.
well i have an early am so i’m out. bonne rêves!
behind the scenes
i took the other day to rendezvous for coffee with friends. the first was richard from eye prefer paris who has a colorful blog where he interviews locals, showcases off the beaten path streets in popular neighborhoods, and highlights the character and joie de vivre de paris. he also gives tours and showed me one secret up his sleeve with a quick look into a courtyard right next to the cafe. if you want a quick, virtual jaunt through the city, head over to his blog where you can tour this petit palais. check it out some more here: nytimes.com
the day of play left a lot to catch up on so bonne soirée~ more soon!
the city of lightning speed
hi guys, how’s life at home? c’est tres grand en paris but my days are numbered and flying by. every minute is jam packed and the moments in between are when even more can happen. it’s hard to keep up!
some of that magic happened unexpectedly when i met a soul sister my first day here. neither of us completely understand what the other is saying but we totally get each other. so i’d like to introduce my new bff, sophie atlan. her boutique is at the marché aux puces at Clignancourt, in Vernaison specifically. her dad was once a merchant there too, so the winding, tiny alley streets were her playground. years later it’s a family tradition that she radicalized with her bold and chic shop. she’s very private and never allows pics but we became real friends over the past few weeks and she let me shoot a couple real quick. i couldn’t help but share her with you.
*Sophie Atlan, Vernaison Market, Alle 8 Stand 163*
she invited me to a red carpet event that the market is hosting the evening of october 14th. all the dealers will hold soirées in their booths with hors d’oeuvres and champagne. if you’re going to be in town let me know cause i have 2 extra invitations.
i couldn’t leave without taking a piece of sophies’s world home so got a bunch of wallpapers to play with. i’ll show you the patterns when i get back. i thought it would be fun to put them alongside the armoire, on the back of the shelves, stuff like that. well i’m working all day tomorrow so will dit bon nuit. hope to get back here at a reasonable hour to post a un petit peu plus de paris. a tout a l’heure!
not fade away
it was a perfect sunday at the fleas. i’m computer challenged at the moment so will be happy just to post my favorite find of the day. i indulged in the hot pink pair. the rest were old and faded but now that i’m seeing them again, they all still have so much personality even thought they’re near the end of their days. i’d love to know what boudoir or bordello they came out of!
well more from the fleas tomorrow. it’s already almost 3am and tomorrow is un autre jour~
living in color
bonsoir guys, ça va? it’s 1:00 am and i have an early morning at the fleas again. before i turned in i wanted to finish my obsession at the show for the bright colors. i’m trying not to post too much from the show with a piece coming out next week, but i just can’t help it, i want to share it now!
amazing that as garish as it can get, you can still find these brights in nature.
i’ll get to labeling and linking soon. tonight it’s dreamland or bust!
bursts of color
bon journee guys, i’m off to meet clients and friends at the flea this weekend but didn’t want the show to go by without giving a little review of what was there. i’m putting together something much more complete but today it’s just a bit of what struck me as one of the strongest elements and that was color. i’ll come back and label things after the markets cause i don’t want to be the one who’s late so better dash. til then, enjoy a splash of color and more soon!
light and levitation
i’ll post the artist’s link when i come back from dinner!
hey guys ~ i’ve been pretty bad about blogging but finally have what’s due turned in for the most part. i’ve been catching up on work and organizing the photos, a job in itself!
i wish i could post right now but i have to head out. by the by, last night we hit a super funny french theater act en anglais. we laughted our arses off! how to become parisian in on hour
so i’m getting foot tapping cause the sun is shining…
gotta go!
two pics by the theater for good measure…i detest graffiti but can’t help but shoot it when it see it~
put it to bed
whew! the show is over. i’ve never done all 5 days before. everyday more unfolded as if it was the first. i still feel like i only skimmed so much of it. i’m beat but wanted to stop by if only for a sec. i had to share this cause it was my favorite booth called vox populi, designed by pascale palun. i’ll start posting more show pics tomorrow. tonight, bonne nuit!
ps: in the meantime here are some shots. the first two are from her site, the rest i shot at the show:
vox populi-via TPA-1
maison objet et curiosités
hi guys, Ça va? it’s 4 am and it’s day 5 of the show. i just sent 100 shots for lonny to choose from. i haven’t been posting here cause i wanted them to have a good selection. but if i can remember how to make a slide show, i’ll put something together with the rest tomorrow. in the meantime, this pic sort of sums up what a long, strange and wonderful trip the show was in the end. it was a brutal monster but going all 5 days was the only way to tame it and the truth is, there’s still a ton to see.
alors, more eye candy and news on collabos when the show is over. for now, good nuit!
what a difference a day makes
hi there! sorry if i was crabby yesterday, i have a whole new attitude today. the enormity of the show was overwhelming. i forgot that the only agenda is to gather info and walk as much as possible. no one’s clocking it so it taking the pressure off myself led to a way better day. these pics are about a kibillionth of what i took but wanted to post some things besides TP and macaroon soaps :)
once again it’s way past midnight so i’m just posting some traditional trends we frenchy types like, just for us. there are a lot of innovations though so this is a smattering. the first is sort of quilting worn old rugs together. it’s a great way to recycle what would usually be irreparable and tossed out.
guadarte used one in their entrance
the furniture was as pretty as ever with a nod toward baroque and rococo. (or maybe that’s just what i honed in on)
louis xvi daybed
deep carvings on a rococo chair
moderne two-piece chaise lounge
tufted, boxed seats
silk velvet upholstery
rococo daybed
linen ruffles and marie a
attention to detail
more ruffles on edges
ruffled curtains and chairs!
black and white stripes and painted furniture
and high gloss lacquers in the french tradition.
ok back to work tomorrow, happily. tonight it’s time to pack it in, hope you enjoyed a little of the show, more tomorrow~
a lot like work
whew, another day running in and out of here, trying to post before it all piles up which is starting to seem impossible. yesterday was a full one at the maison et objet and although i’d really love to go to the saturday flea markets, it’s back to the convention center. i’ve always loved this show but it’s getting bigger and bigger and it’s almost an untamable monster. it used to be a pleasure to walk the show but now seems like it’s a race to get through it all with so much expansion. maybe i better take it down a notch and just see what i see.
thankfully there are lots of silly simple stuffs between all the talk of export, duties and taxes. i love these macaroon soaps and thought the TP was just too cute in toile and lace.
we came across these bags and are looking to import them among many other objets, but that will have to wait. it’s getting late and i have to accomplish something today. like getting there!
as for my attempt to get to know the immortalized guys, today’s is the caron de beaumarchais. his statue is around the corner. we’re off blvd de beaumarchais and i’ve stayed at the beaumarchais hotel. it’s probably best to know something or other about him. turns out he was pretty busy!
via wikipedia: Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais 24 January 1732 – 18 May[1] 1799) was a Frenchwatchmaker, inventor, musician, diplomat, fugitive, spy, publisher, arms dealer, financier, and revolutionary (both French andAmerican). He was best known, however, for his theatrical works, especially the three Figaro plays. i thought i was busy! ok more soon!
to live is to be slowly born
i like this sentiment cause it implies that experience comes at every moment. hOwEveR, night is coming faster than i can keep up. after walking 11 hours yesterday, today’s on and off drizzle knocked me out. it’s after midnight and the show is tomorrow so i have about one minute for an allo and to share some of yesterday’s random shots before they get burried or deleted from my phone.
i’m always looking at stores for rent. must be the merchant in me.
i guess cause it’s the infinite possibility of what it could be. maybe a fleur store…
with hydrangea topiaries
cutting through the louvre i’m usually too jaded to take pics but read about playing with lines and shapes. this is cafe marly on the square at the louvre.
and i never really understood the pyramids till i saw them through the promenade.
c’est moi
a table awaits
we ate a lot of chocolate
so that was about a minute of yesterday except for one last thing. i’m on a little mission, (not sure how long it will last). you know how there are statues everywhere from the louvre to the hotel de ville? ever wonder who they were and what did they do to warrant a life size, eternal figure? well i’m shooting one a day and looking him up. the random choice at the louvre was Jean-Jacques Rousseau. as for who he was, wikipedia says:
His Confessions, which initiated the modern autobiography, and his Reveries of a Solitary Walker were among the pre-eminent examples of the late 18th-century movement known as the Age of Sensibility, featuring an increasing focus on subjectivity and introspection that has characterized the modern age.
and that’s just the beginning.
these are some of his writings
i love the covers
so with paris happening at a mile a minute, it’s gonna take some control to enjoy it it slowly and let it unfold. something i have to remind myself to do whenever i’m here. must be the new yorker in me.
paris grafitti
and now, off to catch some rêves et rêverie. sweet dreams to you!
marie antoinette is alive and well
i’m stopping by for a quick allo as i have guests arriving in about a minute. just wanted to share some of the love the city still has for our girl marie and admire how her legacy lives on. she may be the most influential fashion icon of all time cause she’s still reigning how many years later? and to think there were no photos of her at all. so much for technology…well, bonne nuit from paris!
bits and pieces of a day
hi guys comment ca va? i hope your labor day was great and you spent it with the ones love. i was at the market again today trying to soak up as much as i could since i won’t be back there till the weekend. mondays at clignancourt are great cause it opens at 11am and goes till about 5 so if you saw something sunday and didn’t nab it, you have a second chance. i picked up a bunch of pretty little things and am giving away a bunch of ephemera including letters from paris circa 1898, stamps, sheet music, little keys, fabric swatches, invitations and handwritten notes. if you’re interested let me know and i’ll send three winners little packets at the end of the week.
i’n writing about the bargains at the fleas, how you can find all sorts of things for one euro.
it takes some searching through little boxes but you can find tiny treasures if you have the patience.
i know lots of you appreciate stuff like this so since i’m here i wanted to share the abundance of these fleas!
on the larger scale, i’m looking at bringing back doors and moldings, pieces that add so much to a room with not much effort. more on that later. these are some of the possibilites.
i wouldn’t mind having these doors for myself! well i’ll leave you with a random act of flowers. it seems every street has a talented flower vendor and this was my fave of the day. tiny little vases with loads of charm.
well it’s midnuit here so i’m off to bed. more tomorrow!
my brush with greatness
hi all! how’s your holiday weekend going? i hope you’re still playing until at tomorrow in celebration of another year’s hard work! it started as a dreary rainy day here but my clients and i braved the drizzle and hit the fleas first thing in the am. as usual we were rewarded with incroyable finds all day long. i guess my favorite was this original pen and ink drawing that was a fresh and chic as the day it was penned. (above and below). i couldn’t take my eyes off the detail and for only 20 euros it was a steal. one of my clients fell in love with it so of course, clients first! she ended up taking it home.
but first i did take a photo of it and when i got home googled the artist, rene vincent. turns out he was very active in paris in the 20s and drew ads for everything from cars to furniture that really captured slices of life at the time. i spent the past hour looking at his works and hope you enjoy them as much as i did. i’ll never have the the original (unless she wills it to me :) but if you click on the pics above you’ll see the remarkable and exacting detail of his work. it seems he was never really more than an ad man but to me he’s a true artiste! i guess that’s the beauty of the paris fleas, they’re a museum where you can take home priceless works of original art if you sift through papers and boxes. you just never know what you’ll find. digging is key!
i got a little obsessed with his work for a furniture store called au bucheron on rue de rivoli. his illustrations show a slice of life in a golden age. as a furniture lover it’s fun to see the many ways he depicts the pieces in everyday ways.
the artist in her studio
the happy couple shopping for the maison
an avant garde daybed
le armoire
le mirror
chic fabric
taking the dog for a promenade
is she reading madame’s diary?
the perfect place to pose
le shopping
packing for le voyage
at her husband’s office
help with the holiday meals
le foyer
the red heels, tres moderne
turns out he was best known for his car ads
and this we’ve all seen. kind of amazing he’s not more well known. at least not to me.
women were just getting their feet wet with a new independence, racing cars, changing tires…
ok yes, i romanticize the 20s but it was such a delicate and pretty time, despite all the bad times. but i guess that wasn’t till ’29 actually. well enough for tonight! the market is open again tomorrow and this time i hope to get something special for my collection. oh and i saw some things for you too and will have a fabulous giveaway tomorrow. see you then. sweet dreams and have a great day off!
some things never change
bonjour tout le monde! it was a gorgeous day to land en paris. i think it may have been the warmest and clearest i’ve ever seen the city. everyone was out and about enjoying le soleil and i walked the whole afternoon. these are just shots around town while i was messing with my phone’s camera.
the streets were as pretty as ever and as much as is new with lots of boutiques and cafes, some things never change.
what really amazed me was how many events are happening this month. these shots below were mostly taken in one metro station!
tomorrow i have clients at the flea but when i get back i’m gonna check out some of these goings on.
it’s getting late so sorry there are no links but it’s everything from eco design to photography to artists markets.
and apparently it’s paris design week. it may be fashion week too!
one thing’s for sure, this is the city that never stops. and parisians enjoy both their past and present.
i hope to get to a few of these at least
i mean it just doesn’t stop as far as stimulation! i guess i’ve been a country girl for the last few months and city life is coming at me full throttle!
i did want to check out the event at versailles, at least i know what i’m in for but then again maybe i’ll go the roads less traveled. ok more soon!
they’re chanting in the streets out my window. sounds like it could be a night in 1750! alors, bonne nuit!
making and breaking connections
hi guys! i’m in a bit of a rush because i’m trying to catch an airwave while waiting to board my flight to paris. since it’s intermittent i’ll hold off on a big post but wanted to share at least a little of the day before the connection breaks again.
i was thrilled to get the note from ellie somerville over at lonny mag that her apartment was being featured and she used my handles on one of her transformations. it’s the little things, right? if you’re a new yorker and have a tiny space, her apartment will get your juices flowing. she got pretty creative and it’s palatial for a petit place!
voilà! her ikea wardrobe is altered with the handles.
before i cut out i just want to shout out to my girl ariel who interned at lonny this year. before she left, she connected me with ellie and the gang to blog for them while i’m at the show. you never know who will be a liason! i’m excited and grateful, girls.
alors, more from the other side!
just a click away
is it me or do the days just fly by? maybe cause i’m getting ready to leave that it seems like there’s an endless to do list.
of course all i’d like to do is be creative and cut and paste but for now i’ll have to put that on hold and just enjoy the fruits of others’ hard labor.
burstsofcreativity.blogspot.com
i thought you may enjoy some more art journals. do you do one yourself?
flickr.com/photos/alacartemaps
there’s such an endless source of creativity out there.
flickr.com conjure_real Natalie Ratkovski
i guess inspiration boards and art journals are nothing new!
i
there’s something that’s so much fun about books with layers. they’re so tactile and unique. well maybe i’ll have a chance to play with mine a little more tomorrow. tonight i borrowed some inspiration and got the jolt i needed. i’ll never get over having so much creativity a click away just when i’m fading. alors, bonne nuit!
