mario testino at the mfa

 My favorite: Kate.  London, 2006. 

Just went to "In Your Face," the Testino exhibit at the MFA.  Great stuff.  I love to see fashion photography celebrated in Boston.  The show was pretty in-your-face in the scale and close proximity of the images.  It showcased Mario Testino's fabulous ability to capture iconic supermodels, iconic celebrities and create iconic images. Sexy, glamorous, stylish and irreverent images are saturated in color.  Plus he shoots for all the big guns: Vogue, British Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Vanity Fair, V magazine, not to mention being the official photographer of the Royal Family.  

 Carmen Kass, Los Angeles.  2009

 Jennifer Lopez, Los Angeles. 2004

 Gisele Bundchen, New York, 2004.

Some of the most fun to see are the candids of celebrities at posh events that we all wish we could attend.  He carries multiple cameras at all times & does not use digital.

 Mariah Carey, Donatello Versace, Beyonce Knowles, Milan, 2002.

 Josh Hartnett, New York, 2005.

 

Karlie Kloss, Bao Bao Wan, and Shaolin Monks, Beijing, 2011.

 Sienna Miller, Rome, 2007.

Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, Los Angeles, 2003.

Looking at his images, it's no wonder his subjects become close with him and ask that he "Testino" them.  Subjects look flawless!

goodbye to one season

..and hello to another.
You may think I am late, and perhaps I am, but it seems to me that this was the week the the leaves turned fiery and color is popping in nature.  We've had warm days and I utilized them to shut down our summer cottage.  Cover up the outdoor furniture, tie down the grill & pack the bikes away indoors...
Said adieu to the last sunset of the season on the deck.

Now I focus on the new.  I've been thinking about office / studio space for a long time.  It has come to a head & I think it's time for me to move.  I don't want a huge space, but I do want my dining room back.  The desire to head out of the house to work has grown steadily and keeping a space organized specifically for work is longed for.

My visions vary, but I need a large table to spread out on and prefer a separate desk for my computer and paperwork.

The above were all posted on Remodelista today and I love the organization and simple surfaces.

 This represents how I imagine working.  There are always piles of things around.  No matter how much I prefer a spare space.  I am working, after all.

 This loft is very inviting.  It looks like work can get done, but the elements are all inspiring.

 

My instincts are always to go all white.  I like this a lot.  Plus I envision a sawhorse desk or table.

 The decorator in me envisions this luxurious lady-like dressing room of an office.  But, unlikely.

 The designer in me swoons for this open space, raw architectural beam & column elements and modular storage.

 This is a very groovy marriage of a white shell with found and collected greatness.

 This is probably a bit too proper for me & all my stuff, but it's very handsome.

 I love it.  Can I get away with a lucite desk?  For client meetings at least!?

 A likely looking work surface.

 

Not kidding, but I've dreamed multiple times of having a "pod" in the back yard for an office.  Then I wake up and realize that I don't live in California.  Yet.

Simple perfect and attainable.

fall food interlude

It's my raison d'etre.  To create a life that revolves around the people you love enjoying a meal and each other around a table.  It always looks good!

We were kindly invited to spend the last long October weekend in Maine where it's about family, friends, fun, and food.  Nothing beats a great group of people getting together in an environment that is so enticing, inviting, inspiring and then cook & share a meal together!

 The seaweed from the lobsters!!

 The lovely table. German potato salad, local salad, roasted beets.

 prepping the table.

 A toast.

 runaway (Maine) lobster.

Cheese!

It was gourmet, but local, simple & delicious.  Tables were pushed together and new friends were made.
For the interiors buffs: the home is simplistic perfection.  Minimal farm house from early 1700s with unfinished walls and great antique rugs throughout.  The kitchen is the real heart and this long table in the middle of it is a great gathering place.  A long walk in the woods to the lake the next day helped to prep us for the next meal.

Can't wait.

xx

art room

Recently I finished a nice little project for a lovely and longtime client (whom I would call a friend!).  She has a large basement and it was dying to be finished so that her kids could enjoy a space and be creative.  An art room had been my dream as a kid & this seemed like the perfect place.

 Their old sofa has a second life in the TV area.  Perfect for a bunch of kids to cuddle up with popcorn.

We all need a Teepee in our lives!

Storage is a must - lots of toys and art supplies.

 

Rotating art display on a wire "clothes line" above the art table keep the kids inspired.

 Oddly, the floor grout turned blue from gray.  Never seen that before.  Will be fixing it.

 Trough sink vanity.  Great for cleaning paint brushes and little hands.

Needs accessories, but almost done!