for what it’s worth
hello guys, i hope you’re already off to a fabulous sunday.
it’s the first time in a while i’ve had alone so, well, here i am doing what i want to do! and that happens to be indulging in an obsession i’ve had for a couple days.
in spare moments i’ve been collecting shots of the soon to be redecorated (the interior NOT the exterior) hotel de crillon in paris. i’m stashing way too much but thought you may enjoy a little of the edited collection. some of the links to the photos are at the bottom of the post. if any are yours please let me know.
the grand hotel has been on my mind since richard mentioned on his blog that it was going to be ‘redecorated’ over the next two years (not torn down). some of the contents will be sold at auction next week to make room for improvements.
here’s the link to the items on the auction block: artcurial.com/en
i once had a ball there with claudia T and hate that they’re taking some of it apart.
pretty things
it’s one of the oldest and most ornate hotels in paris.
perfect for fairy tale weddings and chic fashion shoots since it’s such a magical public palace.
known for impeccable service
the perfect place for high tea or a quiet rendezvous
great ambiance
attention to detail
and the food’s good too
oh, and desserts
legendary
beautiful garden restaurant grounds
started in the 1800s, she hasn’t changed much since her unveiling in 1909
watching the well heeled come and go
the perfect backdrop
thousands of stories on a romantic stage
the rooms could use makeovers on the upholstery and bedding
but taking down the chandeliers? :(
and the marble mantles? those are up for sale too, for some reason they’re taking the originals out. to replace with what?
they’re also selling linens, dishes and the hotel silver.
it’s always been the place to see and be seen (myrna loy photographed on the roof deck)
and photographers love the setting
even the outtakes are good
not to mention the finished product
it stirs creative imagination
fashionmagazine.com/blogs/fashion/2012/10/11/couture-photo-shoot
links in this post:
sashaparis.wordpress.com/2013/03/11/a-la-russe-presentation-in-hotel-crillon-paris
flickriver.com/photos/22771024@N02/4385399986/
flickr.com/photos/concorde-hotels
waeiskiani.com/blog/2012-11-27/wk-crillon-debutante-ball
1.bp.blogspot.com/-6Kvpws_HFTM/TzcEePxGgyI/AAAAAAAACdQ/CHzP5VVj4OE/s1600/hotelcrillon2.jpg
Random Facts:
The Hotel de Crillon in Paris is one of two identical stone palaces on the Place de la Concorde, wich was constructed in 1758.
In 1788 the Count of Crillon, acquired the building for a hotel.
Address: 10 place de la Concorde, 08 Arr., Paris, Ile-de-France, 75008, France
Website: crillon.com
hi again! just thought i’d share some of what’s for sale in the hotel. i may be over reacting (someone wrote and called me a drama queen), but i just don’t get why you have to take out the orignal and traditional in the process? like these fireplaces, why are they being removed? why aren’t they worth preserving?
- Lot 2327
- CHEMINEE DE STYLE LOUIS XV
En marbre blanc veiné gris
H. : 108 cm. L. : 145 cm. P. : 38 cm.On y joint une paire de chenets, en fonte, à décor rocaille
H. : 23 cm. P. : 44 cm.(19)Estimation 400 – 600 € 
- Lot 918CHEMINEE DE STYLE LOUIS XVI
En marbre gris veiné, à décor de feuilles de laurier
H. : 102 cm. L. : 125 cm. P. : 32 cm.(303 / 305)Estimation 400 – 600 € 
- Lot 946CHEMINEE DE STYLE LOUIS XV
En marbre blanc veiné gris
H. : 110 cm. L. : 145 cm. P. : 40 cm.On y joint une barre de cheminée en métal doré
H. : 83 cm.(311/315)Estimation 400 – 600 €
- Lot 1091CHEMINEE DE STYLE LOUIS XVIEn marbre blanc veiné, à décor de cannelures
H. : 101 cm. L. : 130 cm. P. : 39 cm.On y joint une barre de cheminée, en métal doré
L. : 83 cm.(343)Estimation 400 – 600 € 
- Lot 1TROIS VITRINES DE PRESENTATION MURALES ECLAIRANTES
En métal doré, ouvrant en façade par un vantail
H. : 119 cm. L. : 68 cm. P. : 31 cm.(ENT)Estimation 800 – 1 200 € 
- Lot 65LUSTRE DE STYLE LOUIS XV
En bronze doré, à six lumières, agrémenté de pampilles en verre taillé
H. : 97 cm.On y joint une paire d’appliques de style Louis XV, en métal patiné doré, à deux lumières, agrémenté de pampilles en verre taillé
H. : 27 cm. L. : 37 cm.(102)Estimation 300 – 500 € 
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anyway i’ll calm down now!
never can say goodbye
good morning dear friends! i have to apologize for dropping off the face of the earth for the past few days (or was it weeks)? it’s been a long road but one that’s been fun and furiously fast paced. in fact the pace has caught up with us and the project we’ve been planning has finally taken shape and is about to launch this weekend!
my crew of companions who’ve helped get thru it are all staying for the next few days to embark on a giant slumber/packing party. claudia ii, candy and ellen are here to put the final touches and tweaks on it all. it’s been months in the making…and tada…our brand new OKL sale is launching this weekend! the busy work is done. the container arrived from paris, chairs have been restored and re-upholstered in silk satin, pictures are framed and matted and accessories have been painstakingly cleaned with toothbrushes and tarnx. now t’s almost time to say goodbye but it feels like everything just got here!
maybe i get too attached but i’m loving living with it at home. i feel like my apartment is a living, breathing manifistation of the work we’ve done. and now i’m holding onto it for dear life, trying to take it all in. i’m torn between being a collector and curator and want to relish each piece one last time before this day gets started and it gets packed and stashed for the sale. oh but it sounds like everyone is starting to stir so these are my last few moments of quiet perfection before the chaos starts.
i’m glad you came by and promise to keep you posted! we tried to make it vast and varied with something in every range for everyone so i hope you enjoy it! the sale will be from march 9-11 and starts bright and early on saturday morning.
by the by, the new book is heading into a second printing! there are still some first editions available amazon (if i promised you a book in the giveaway i’m still going to send it out) but otherwise there will be signed first editions on the sale.
ok, the girls are up and i smell coffee. more soon!
in living color
carina okula-polaroid paris and carina okula rue-view-paris
hi guys happy sunday! i hope you had a great weekend and are about to embark on a nice long night. we’ve been busy running around all week and today was a relaxing respite. i cracked my laptop lid for the first time in what seems like an eternity just now. instead of surfing around i’m stopping on the very first bit of beauty in my inbox. i can’t keep this photographer’s work a secret since her images of paris are so bright and cheerful and getting her newsletter is completely inspiring. hope you enjoy her work too! well, i’m off to squeeze in a little more downtime, have a great night!
battling the elements
bonjour dear friends! it’s my last day in paris although i fought and lamented the bitter cold, eventually i fell under the spell of the snow that dusted the city.
i spent the day visiting my favorite museum, musee carnavalet which is just down the street from the apartment. it draws me in every single time i’m in town.
it’s one of those places that’s pure soul food, full of inspiration. i must have shot 600 pics!
but what stood out in the edits today were not the interiors (i’ll share them tomorrow) but instead, the snowy shots. it seems to be a rare and disarming occurrence according to taxi drivers, locals, weather reports and airports.
and once i got into it, saw that it did cast a magical spell on just about everyone and everything.
looking through the paintings it’s obvious that a little snowfall never stopped this city from celebrating grandeur even on the bleakest and most overcast and snowy days.
painters were inspired to capture the elements and capture the moments of silent, white winter streets
i march through the city slush and sometimes take for granted what it took to build and protect it
before photography the painters were the historians, giving us a glimpse into a difficult but marvelous time
somehow without heat, running water and electricity the women were still able to look chic
and even bundled up were the essence of sophistication
i honestly don’t know how they did it, i couldn’t have made it without my uggs
i guess that’s why paris has always been the benchmark for elegance despite the weather
now it’s all about the right gear; duck boots, down jackets, hoodies and hand warmers
but the eternal beauty of the city will never fade and that’s the magic of paris i guess! well, see you on the other side, sweet dreams and stay warm!
museum quality
brrrrrrr! it’s downright bone chilling cold in paris! today was our final day trudging though the slush and snow at the markets all weekend but i can definitely say our mission was accomplished!
i was fully focused on shopping with the crew so didn’t get much but photo memories which is somehow ok, at least this way i’ll have them forever.. and as my guy always says, you can’t buy it all!
going through the shots i couldn’t help but see that this trip i was attracted to art, paintings, sculpture and architectural artifacts…
the markets are so rich and thick that it really feels like a living, breathing museum. it’s a place where you can find junk juxtaposed with truly fine art.
and it’s not what a piece is worth but the joy it brings
and who makes the decisions as to what’s valuable if not the beholder?
the way the market vendors curate their booths is much more than you’d expect at a typical flea market and this year many sellers are really stepping up their game.
all sorts of busts and statuary are displayed as if they’re uber important pieces in super simple vignettes.
of course you can always find the funky, fun stuff
and the french certainly have a sense of humor about their past!
and one piece can really set a regal mood. you’d never know these were flea finds!
i guess i do wish i could buy it all and surround myself in my own tiny museum
but for now i’ll settle for just enjoying the pics and thinking about ways to incorporate more art in my world.
as for the gang, we finished up our weekend with stephane who always brings the market to life and today he greeted us in the cold with champagne and oysters, using snow in an ice bucket and along a huge silver tray for the shells he shucked. we had a ball and everyone left happy and well overfed. i’ll clue you in when the time comes as to what we all did but for now it’s off to bed, a couple pounds heavier but i guess that’s what winter is for, n’est-ce pas? enjoy the rest of your weekend!
the other side of paradise
greetings from paris mes amis! it’s beyond cold, in fact it’s downright bone chilling! but not cold enough to stop the shopping and yesterday was an incredible adventure.
we went to visit my friend stephane blanc’s warehouses in a tiny village an hour outside paris. it couldn’t have been more picturesque and even better, full of surprises.
you never know what’s behind big old doors and we were not disappointed when he opened the vaults to the 1750s barns where he and his father have gathered incredible treasures from french châteaux and estates over the years.
stephane brings pieces back to paris and restores them to sell at clignancourt in his tiny, curated booth on rue paul bert. my mystery guests and i were the first to go behind the blue doors. although he was casual about the enormity of his collection, we were blown away.
every kind of imaginable style is stacked up in chilly, cobwebbed rooms filled with furniture, mirrors, doors, chandeliers, artwork and toys.
we must have been there for 5 hours going through every nook and cranny in the cold.
no one left empty handed and at the end of the day we were exhausted and tired but happy with our treasures.
as someone who loves to restore old pieces, i couldn’t help wanting to take it all home and bring it back to life myself.
still, my philosophy these days is ‘no projects’ especially since i’m preparing for my OKL sale in just a couple weeks.
so at least for now, the clocks and tables are safe and sound, sitting quietly in wait.
and until i have the chance to come back (hopefully in warmer weather)!
i’ll just settle for getting pieces that are ready to go like these little treasures we found at the market. we’re heading out again tomorrow and sunday to vanves and clignancourt for a big day of shopping and shipping so i’ll keep you posted and take lots of shots! have a great day and happy weekend!
minuit à paris
pinterest.com/pin/29414203788016995
allo tout le monde! how’s your winter wonderland? i hope it’s warm and cozy in your world. i wish i could say this was me in the shot above but alas don’t think i’ll ever be that girl…but i just landed in paris and am about to go on the adventure of a lifetime.
i left miami today and snap, it’s midnight and i’m in gay paree! i vowed never to come again january but my most exciting flea market tour ever is about to go down. i don’t mean to play coy and am dying to drop the bomb on who i’ll be with but haven’t got the OK (hint hint) to post about it yet!
thefancy.com/things/274434105/Paris
we’ll be traveling to the markets and also going to the outskirts of town with a friend/merchant who’s had a stall passed down for over 3 generations at clignancourt. it’s a place i’ve always wanted to check it out and now finally have a reason to go.
pinterest.com/pin/130534089171308132
it was snowing earlier but once the jet lag hit i crashed and didn’t get to run around and shoot the beauty that is paris in the snow.
so instead of reinventing the wheel i searched for images of paris in winter and came across so many wonderful interpretations and moments captured over the years.
parisianfields.files.wordpress.com
while i’m here, i’ll be shopping for my next OKL sale which is scheduled for the week of march 3rd. if you want me to look for something special let me know!
pinterest.com/pin/417427459181689619
for now it’s off to bed. it will be nice to have the next few days at lorraine’s place with not too much on the agenda except enjoying the city for a change.
i’m hoping to get some flowers and take shots of her pretty little pied-à-terre that she has so beautifully maintained over the years. it’s like coming home and just knowing it’s here is such a dream. it’s right in the heart of the marais at the place des vosges.
she rents it out so if you come to paris and need just a little place to hang your hat, retreat or write, this is it. luckily not too many people want to come in january so this week it’s all mine!
pinterest.com/pin/180003316328262507
the clock is about to strike midnight so i’m heading off to dreamland, have a beautiful night and sweet dreams to you my darling friends!
the end of the road
bonsoir toute le monde! reporting from paris in my final hours. it’s already midnight and there’s some toe tapping going on since we have an uber early plane to catch. now i’m wishing we booked a night flight. it would mean another full day which you always seem to need here!
i love staying in apartments because they really make you feel like you’re a part of the neighborhood and you fall into little rituals right away. no matter which way you walk out of this apartment it’s a completely different experience. i wanted to cover a lot of ground but even just a block circumference is full of goodies. if i don’t record them now i never will!
our favorite place was just around the corner, affectionately known as ‘comptoir’. we would rendezvous there at the end of the day to grab a snack at the counter that was the epitome of gourmet. and they make nutella crepes too.
the hood could not be more picturesque, and the shops are not just tourist places, they’re real longtime establishments who set the tone for this petit pocket of perfection.
it’s one of those places where everything calls to you…
i can’t resist the lure of the bookstores and there are SO many!
not to mention tea salons
and chocolate shops
sorry i don’t have the addresses but all bursts out from the odeon metro station.
next time i’ll go out another block further. i’d love to see a map of paris like that…from the center and radiating out.
i’m more furniture than food but even i was called by the feast of a show that’s laid out before us each day.
and les fleurs, don’t get me going!
we had dinner at atlas our first night and had the BEST mussels in creme
across the street was our best french breakfast (we tried a bunch), at cafe paris. (11 rue de Buci)
the shopping of course was outrageous with everything from innovative home furnishings like the fireplace above
and the vintage treasures tucked in among the hi end boutiques.
but as it always does, the night must come and the days wind down. it’s officially time to sign off. i hope you enjoyed your little tour. maybe it will be my new thing, the one block radius overview! for now it’s off to bed. see you on the home front. have a bon nuit!
bohemian rhapsody
good morning! it’s our last day and everyone’s tapping their feet waiting for me. before yesterday evaporates into forgotten memories i just wanted to post a little of grand palais’ beautiful exhibit on the bohemians of paris.
in’ve been to the petit palais but never the grand.
the exhibit was pretty great and best of all i learned a little about the evolution of the romanticizing of the gypsies of egypt and how the myth and mystery of their story morphed into the bohemians of paris we think of today.
the pics are pretty bad cause i was taking shots on the DL
the artists of paris were inspired by the colors, passion, music and free-spirited lives of the early bohemian gypsies.
but they were they both feared and revered for their free and unconventional ways and remained on the periphery of society as outcasts.
eventually the bourgeois sort of wanted to be like them.
maybe sort of a grunge movement
where being down and out was romanticized
anyway i hope this gave you a little flavor of it. definitely a topic i’d like to explore and one i didn’t know anything about about till yesterday. et alors, i’m out the door to see what’s in store. have a great day, more soon!
same stuff different day
hey guys, happy sunday! we spent it with a lovely guest and hit the markets to give her the lay of the land. she asked me if it ever seemed the same each week. i had to say no even though it really IS the same things over and over in a way. i but t never ceases to fulfill the promise of something wonderful around every corner. i didn’t get a chance to take a lot of shots today but we were really focused.
i did pick up something for myself in a pile of books out back at clignancourt. it’s an old version of letters written from a mother to her daughter that chronicled an era in paris in a way that was both literary and a sort of diary.
anyway i always wanted to know more about madame her since she lived in one of the most fabulous places in the city, hotel carnavalet.
and i couldn’t resist a 200 year old book…
sadly carnavalet is closed on mondays and we did vow to do something cultural. maybe the musee des arts decortaif or the boheme show at the grand palais.
but if you know me, ask monument vs market and i’ll always choose the latter. turns out clignancourt is having another one of it’s famous fetes all weekend.
these old pics are from the program. crazy to think how many times this stuff really does go round and round!
i’m supposed to spend the next couple days writing about the markets for my book while i’m here. i realize now that you have to be obsessed with your subject to write about it.
and thankfully i am! tomorrow i’ll head back for one last day of fleaing till spring. ok well i’m off to bed. have a great night!
