Hello Lovely

Gregoire de Lafforest is a genius of architecture
and design with a major resume.

Design projects?
Hermes' headquarters in Paris,
Cartier boutiques, a mansion for Veuve Clicquot,
Sky restaurant (at the top of the Montparnasse Tower),
and this imaginative Paris residence with
a gorgeous peaceful presence
that blew my mind into a billion lovely pieces.









Am I right?
This kitchen fits the bill for the client who requests
'open concept but not really open.'





I knowwwwwwww, right?



In other non-Paris apartment news, it is tres tres chilly outside.




Oui.

It's Monkeys-in-Snowsuits,
Richard-Simmons-Actually-Wearing-Pants, 
Trees-Cutting-Themselves-Into-Firewood
ARCTIC damnCOLD.

So I am happy to be leaving to dwell among
the sea turtles and will check in with you soon!

Peace of the warm tropical breeze to you
right where you are.

For me, the Cali home of trend forecaster Anne Ziegler
has just the right balance of white and juicy color
and is a lovely model of a minimal, undecorated, peaceful nest.

Anne simply used pieces she lovingly collected,
intuitively knowing they would work together.

I may have to buy this botanical print which
features such a gorgeous pink:



This is what my place looks like too...stacks everywhere!





Anne Ziegler



How cheerful yet chic is her guest room?



So airy and friendly without extra stuff.



Swedish touches everywhere.
(Aren't the chair legs reminscent of antlers?)



I still love these lucite peekaboo consoles!




and here's a peekaboo at anne's inspiration board






Brings to mind my talented Frenchy friend
Dore and her collections of winter white.


chairs from Ikea






I can't even...





So many creative examples for creating a
peaceful, beautiful, humble, artful home.

* * *
And here are ideas inspiring me as a writer,
artist, and peacemaking spiritual seeker:

Artist Bo Bartlett's comments about working within your own temperament.
Developing new habits in 2015 from my friend Leslie's blog Gwen Moss.
The concept of "hidden wholeness" as imagined and captured by Thomas Merton.
Betsy Eby's gorgeous book featuring her encaustics.
Inner landscapes of beauty articulated with eloquent grace by the late John O'Donohue.
This blog post by Shauna Niequist.


Peace to you, right where you are.

 Creative genius Melissa James loves mid-century modern style
and decked her halls with wows and folly for a 
party for family (that's us!) the other night.
Wanna know her recipe?

 It's a unique Midcentury Mod mix tempered with
wisdom culled from heroes including
Paul McCobb and Charles Eames.

*Showbizzy lights over a piano.
*Original contemporary art.
*Fresh greenery.
*Aluminum trees.
*A treasured sparkly fez.
(Yes, a fez. What screams Rumpapumpum more
classically than a bust of David in a vintage fez?)






  Bonus ingredient to make a holiday fete feel even sexier?
Just add fur.


WHO EVER SAID THAT PLEASURE WASN'T FUNCTIONAL?
~Charles Eames


THE ROLE OF A DESIGNER IS THAT OF A VERY GOOD, THOUGHTFUL HOST
ANTICIPATING THE NEEDS OF HIS GUESTS.
~Charles Eames


 A dark horse is right at home in Melissa's beachy den.

against a festive backdrop artfully rendered by Melissa.
What joy!


EVENTUALLY EVERYTHING CONNECTS.
~Charles Eames


Happy New Year, friends.

Peace to you right where you are.

Textile artist Mr. Finch loves sewing and stories.

Rescuing scraps of thread, fabric, curtains,
paper and beads, Finch stitches and pulls
to bring to life a world of magical threadbare
bunnies, insects, flowers and birds,
all of whom hold secrets and stories
from past lives.




The artist works alone, creating fairytale creatures
by hand in a studio full of books, glass jars
and naughty cats.



So very much to love in his whimsical works of heart...


Yer the bee's knees, Finch.

and his new book is a wonderland of lovely:
Mister Finch: Living in a Fairy Tale World
(Glitterati, 2014)

Peek inside Finch's Yorkshire Studio!




My favorite description of his folksy gems (from the artist):
"Storytelling creatures for people who are also a little lost, found and forgotten…"



Lost, found, and forgotten...oui.




But make no mistake, and herein lies the paradox:
with the artist's eye and needlework love,
the creatures first imagined then born,
become unforgettable.
* * *

Buy the book here: Mister Finch: Living in a Fairy Tale World
What are you collecting or creating at the moment?



Here are my picks for beautiful design books to inspire.

By now you must have surmised I have no eye
or talent for gardening, floral arranging, or
keeping vegetation alive.

I have three plants hanging on for dear life right now:
elephant bush and two angel plants...heaven help me.

above via


via

So I have the utmost admiration for those of you
who excel at such magic.


via

These creative arrangements make me smile.


via

So does a new book which just arrived chock full
of inspiration from a true master: Per Benjamin.

With truly original ideas and innovation, this chic volume
proves an interior can go from a simple room to an
environment living, breathing, and emoting with style.


Stichting Kunstboek, 2014

Here are the particulars for all of you lovers of blooms:
Interior Emotions (ACC Distribution) by Per Benjamin,
Max van de Sluis, and Tomas De Bruyne.


cafechatelaine

Not in the book but just right for
my skill level and what I happen to have on hand.

* * *
Do you have a go-to floral arrangement for the holidays?

Peace to you right where you are.