HD Buttercup

These framed dried flowers stopped me in my tracks at Lillian August at HD Buttercup. They are modern, graphic and feminine.

This "cloud" print looks incredible in this lucite box. It rests on top of a natural linen board within the box, it's hard to explain but it's a cool effect for hanging a print.

Cisco Brothers

Goodman Chair Cisco Home

Next we headed over to HD Buttercup, the LA sister store of ABC Carpet and Home. I had not been there in a while and it has gone through a much needed re-vamp. We hit Cisco Home first and encountered the perfect chair for the dinning room. The idea is to flank the ends of the dinning table with high back leather upholstered chairs and this chair fits the bill. It is going to look gorgeous in the "denim" leather we have picked out from Larsen.

Rowan Bed Cisco Home

We both fell in love with this bed and are considering it for the guest bedroom. Just gorgeous.

This little chair was very comfortable. This is a serious contender for the master bedroom. If it is a go, we will have it slip covered and look for a matching foot stool. I can't remember the name of this chair but I will get it and update later.

Bill Cunningham

Marc and I had date night tonight (what can I say, we are parents now) and the night entailed drinks and a movie. We had cocktails at Tavern Restaurant in Brentwood then headed over to the Nuart Theater to see the first LA showing of Billing Cunningham New York. It is only running for a week so run don't walk to catch this film. Bill has been documenting street fashion in NY for some 40 plus years and is a NY icon. I guess you can say that Bill is employed by the NY times though he has never cashed a paycheck for fear he might be bought! The measures Bill goes to in order to maintain a purity in his work comes as a breath of fresh air in our current sell out culture. The movie is less about fashion and more about a human being's complete and utter devotion to his work. Thanks for the pics Bill!

Windsor Smith

A few months ago while exiting the canyon I noticed Windsor Smith's sign went up next to a lot that showed the beginnings of new construction. I thought to myself "wow, this is so cool"-to be able to witness the vision of a legendary interior designer come to fruition-oh joy! It's not hard to stumble across her work while flipping through the pages of any given shelter magazine, it seems her work has been written about quite a bit lately. Her interiors are pretty, elegant and airy, like a fair tale come to life. I can't wait to see this home in it's full glory. So far I know the structure looks u shaped and the brick exterior is painted a soft grayish white. There are lots of parked trucks obstructing what little view of the house there is so taking a flattering photo is next to impossible. I suppose these photos of her work will have to suffice until I can steal a shot. Cheers.

This is where the magic happens. Windsor Smith Home headquarters.

Karen Martini

I discovered Karen Martini's delightful cookbook Where the Heart Is while on honeymoon in Tokyo, of all places, almost three years ago. I was staying at the Park Hyatt, the same hotel where Lost in Translation was shot, having coffee downstairs and saw a picture of a striking woman on the cover of a book turning a pepper mill. After opening the book I was completely captivated by the most beautiful photos of exotic foods I had ever seen and could hardly wait to get home to try to duplicate some of them. One of my favorites recipes in the book is the Barley-Almond Tabbouleh with Sumac-Spiced Prawns in which you cook the barley with cinnamon stick, the aroma is out of this world. Another favorite is the Escalopes of Ocean Trout with Peas, Asparagus, Lemon Cream and Pancetta which sounds complicated but is incredibly easy and oh so good! I am excited to announce that she will be coming out with a new cookbook, Feasting, at the end of April. Below is a video clip of her making Vongole with Chorizo and Orecchiette which has got me thinking about who I will be inviting over to share this with me because the "hubs" does not eat clams. Hmmmmm.

Malibu Country Mart

My favorite building in the Malibu Country Mart is James Perse

We are expecting rain in LA this weekend so it was critical to get little "P" out to expend some energy. She might just combust from reaching her boredom limit over the next couple of days. So we headed north to the amazing Malibu Country Mart off the PCH today. I don't know any other place where you could ease your shot nerves with a glass of wine after your kid has stopped screaming because you forbade her from eatting sand. Did I mention the restaurant is about twenty feet from the playground?! Genius! All of this while surrounded with some of the best clothing shops this side of the Mississippi. Yah, I would say this is every stay-at-home mothers version of heaven! The mart has evolved substantially from it's early days with additions over the years and the latest is by far the best.

French doors open up to a courtyard at Ralph Lauren

If you are going to shop there is nothing like doing outdoors especially at the Malibu Country Mart. The developers captured the eclectic laid back vibe that is the west side. There are beautiful container gardens everywhere and all are unique to the aesthetic of the individual store. The containers range from a huge galvanized metal tub to terra cotta pots.

The Maxfield's boutique

I love the use of reclaimed wood as siding for buildings so much that we are using it on the exterior of our house. The siding on the Maxfield's building has a grayish tone and looks incredible up against the patina from the metal doors.

Double R L shop looks like a vintage gas station garage

Container garden at Double RL

More multi plant containers

This is the most beautiful J Crew shop I have ever seen. The exterior facade is also reclaimed wood and the white washed finish compliments the beachy feel. The same wood is carried inside in the flooring. Spring has sprung in the shop and the bright pinks, oranges and striped blues pop against the pale grey walls. The feminine chandeliers resemble recycled glass. The dressing room had a large banquet with a linen upholstered cushion and pillows made from Hable Construction polka dot fabric in taupe tones. Photo taking is prohibited in the store otherwise I would have posted images. Guess you will have to check it out for yourself.

Flor

Eeeee! I received the Spring catalog of FLOR today and how I love looking through the pages. Of course the flooring is cool but what I love are the styling and the interiors they use for the photo shoot. Where are these homes?! The photos in the catalog are better than ones I find in most shelter magazines.

David Netto

I client of mine once told me he would rather have good taste than lots of money and I could not agree more. Some people are born with an eye for design while others have been taught by mentors. If I could inherit someone's aesthetic it would have to be David Netto's. I see his style as being studied without trying too hard. His look is fresh and cool without neglecting history. He recently restored a Richard Neutra with the help of designer and friend Paul Fortune. These photos are from the 1st Dibs website and David Netto is featured in their Style Compass section. If you have never been to the 1st Dibs website I recommend you do, if only to read the article a little more clearly. It is a site dedicated to the resale of vintage furniture, lighting, art and jewelry and they have really interesting interviews of various people in all forms of design. Not everything on the site is a bizillion dollars and a few pieces can give your home a more unique, thoughtful appereance. Some of the dealers are quite competitive!

More Progress

I wanted to post some progress photos of casa Bayliss. Our house is located on a flag lot against the canyon. This is the view of the house as you come up the driveway. Eventually there will be gates and fences on either side of the house. The contractors are working on stucco next week and the siding goes up on the second floor in two weeks. Yippie!

This view is of the back of the house that faces the pool. The chimney will stuccoed as well. I can't wait to have my balcony built off of my bedroom.

I thought I would post some interior photos as well. This is a photo of the living room.

The view from the living room toward the kitchen.

The nail detail on the back of these vintage chairs sold me. They were imported from China and have the original metal tags in the back that have Chinese characters inscribed.