Interior Design Trend - Hollywood Glamour Style

Samuel Marx style chest of drawers in green parchment - dealer Antony Todd Home

“One of the great things about Hollywood Regency is its versatility; the look can be done up in a very fun, camp manner or be tailored for an upscale feel.” - Dominic Albanese, owner of NY's Metropolis Modern showroom

Oscar Torres - Hollywood has not only influenced Fashion, but the Interior Design industry has widely been in the spotlight through the eyes of set designers and furniture designers as well. Hollywood Regency Style as sometimes referenced by designers, is inspired by the movie sets of Hollywood's most iconic motion pictures’ sets. Pieces range from simple lines inspirited by the past to hand-picked stylized objet d’art coveted by dealers, designers, and collectors worldwide.

Dorothy Draper 1940s plaster urn lamps - dealer Crais Van Den Brulle

This neo-classical revival style has been going strong in this century. Not only do we see it in décor, but also in home furnishings, textiles, and accessories from high-end Neiman Marcus to affordable Target.

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Floored! by the light

(Shakti Floor Light from YLighting)I recently researched light fixtures for a client but I became quickly stumped - many that I looked at just didn’t work in the space.  The living room had low ceilings so suspended lights were out of the question. My client didn’t want side tables so table lamps were out.  I looked at surface-mounted lights and they were dull as dishwater.  Then I looked at sconces but this involved a lot of wiring behind the walls which the budget didn’t permit. Then I hit upon the solution – floor lamps! 

I haven’t used floor lights lately mostly because I found the selection very limited.  Then I discovered these sculptural lights that just floored me!  The floor light above is the Shakti, designed by Marzio Rusconi Clerici for Kundalini.  The Shakti reminds me of the Brancusi sculpture, Bird in Space.  The long body is a laser-cut Plexiglass tube and is available in several colors.

Another beautiful sculptural floor lamp is the Alta Costura, available at YLighting.  Designed by Josep Aregall for Metalarte, the Alta Costura is made of translucent PVC panels and looks like soft folds of linens spiraling around a center. 

(Alta Costura from YLighting)Floor lamps don’t have to be tall – they can be short and sit on the floor, lighting up a dark corner.  This Laszlo floor light ripples like a loosely wound ribbon.  The light is designed by Cristian Malisan for Fambuena and is made of molded plastic.

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Under the Sea...Under the Sea...Life is much better..

I have a 3 1/2 year old daughter who is obsessed with The Little Mermaid (not to mention every other Disney Princess).  She covets her Ariel doll and sleeps with it every night.  She is her mother's child because she has already started planning her birthday party (it's in June, just so you know...not next week!).  I thought I'd step away from weddings for a while and focus on an Under the Sea themed little girls birthday celebration...and the idea that Emma is running with for her party.  Oh my, I have a lot of work ahead of me...

The following photos and amazing idea comes from Courtney Dial at one of my favorite blogs, Pizzazzerie. 

Click here for a direct link to the Under the Sea party blog for complete details...and trust me there are plenty of gorgeous details.

I hope you enjoy the following photos and can dream along with my little Emma about her ideal birthday party!

 

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The Secrets of the Gardner Museum

(The Courtyard, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum)What do you get when you mix a Venetian palace, priceless artwork, a female patron, and a daring art robbery?  If you answered the Guggenheim Museum in Venice, you’re only partially right, but if you came up with the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, then you’ve hit bull’s-eye! These ingredients make for a thrilling history, maybe even for a movie.  The Gardner Museum is back in the news with a reopening this past January after going through renovations and the addition of a new wing by Italian architect Renzo Piano - see below. The original building is seen at the right corner. 

(New Wing of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum) Modeled after a 15th-century Venetian palazzo, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum has always been considered a jewel among small museums, mainly for its masterpiece collection but also because of its beautiful, intimate and atmospheric space. It was also infamous for a dramatic art heist, still unsolved to this day. If you’re hunting for a Degas or a Vermeer painting, you may still uncover a hidden treasure out there!

(postcard of original Gardner Palazzo)

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Best Wedding Blogs

As a wedding planner, I look a lot at wedding blogs...seriously, way too many.  I love them, some for their tips and ideas, some for their gorgeous photos and weddings and some, well some just because.  Here are my top four (yes, four...not five) must view blogs for wedding and event planners (not including Sheffield Says of course!).

1. 100 Layer Cake

          This blog has it all!  Gorgeous photos, amazing ideas, and just an overall beautiful aesthetic.  Plus it's not all mason jars and burlap...but has some very modern featured weddings.  Here are a few photos from some recent weddings. 

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