Tony Duquette - BG Windows

Have been reading my newly-purchased Tony Duquette compendium. I came across these Christmas windows by Bergdorf Goodman, inspired by TD. I think they are last year's designs but I'm not completely sure. Stunning, aren't they? Photos found on Martha Stewart's site. There are also a number of pages from the TD book.

But I Don't Smoke

As usual, my daily-inspiration blog Style Court picks up on a (non-)trend I'd noticed in the Shanghai Tang store - a stack of beautiful ashtray/bitsy containers that make you want to start smoking. Here are the Hermes ones on SC's blog:Here are the ones from Shanghai Tang, unfortunately there isn't a more attractive photo. They were presented in the store stacked in exactly the same way.

More Libraries, Please

More images from Candida Hofer's (yikes! I've been spelling her name incorrectly) Libraries. Images found on if:book A Project of The Institute for the Future of the Book, itself an interesting site.

I was surprised by how many Google Images there are out there of her work, so readily available. On one hand great because her work is amazing and I wouldn't have known of her otherwise, on the other I'm wondering if its because her work is widely appropriated. I am officially a fan.

TA for h~fh

Books I bought when I went Home

I have caved and purchased the Tony Duquette tome that every second style blogger has posted. I have conceded that yes, it is a terrific and monumental book everyone should have, and deserves its ra-ra status.
I also bought China Contemporary by Thames&Hudson, Sir Terence Conran's inspirations book, and the littlest Paris Style book by Taschen. I spied Candida Hoffer's magical Libraries book and had palpitations because it's too beautiful - I couldn't let it go. Have determined to find a better online bargain somehow, but any clues as to how to find genius at a discount??

Things I did when I went Home

I met Patricia Urquiola. She was in town launching her Canasta range. We talked about her visiting and other mundane things because I couldn't think of anything else to say without seeming like a design groupie. No, a fraud design groupie, which is worse. She seemed lovely.

I met her while we were buying a lamp. An Arco by Castiglioni, whom -as I later found out- was Patricial Urquiola's mentor. What a Coincidence with a capital C.

Eiffel Envy

I decided awhile ago I want an Eiffel Tower all of my own, but haven't seen one I've fallen in love with. Then I spot this on Paris Hotel Boutique's blog - my perfect ET lives in Karen's house.Other bits and pieces I like: photo found on Greg Girard's website

Simryn Gill .... Dalam

I met Simryn Gill at the Singapore Biennale 2006 and I was really emotional after that meeting. Other than being one of my favourite artists, she is probably the one I find most inspirational because of her work ethic, and I feel an affinity with her life and career - born in Singapore, lives in Sydney, returns to Port Dickson . She told me that if she could become an artist, anyone can. I'm going to remember her advice and be one of the 'anyones'. She's represented by Roslyn Oxley9 in Sydney; I'm scheming how ($$, logistics) and when (what colourful excuses can I use to make another trip to Sydney??) to buy a work of hers. I've been thinking about it for too long.... its time to find that excuse.
TA for h~fh

The Elements of Style Illustrated

.... is the next book on my impressive(ly big) list of "To Gets". Watch the video on the Barnes&Noble website as Maria Kalman talks about her inspirations and lots of juicy views of her illustrations.

Puppy Daybeds

If I had a pooch to pamper.... but it looks far prettier than the room it'd go in.

Libraries by Candida Hoffer

Found this on thecoolhunter.com - it looks stunning and another book I can pass of as "an educational investment". Hee.
Write up on Cool Hunter website:

The newest offering from Thames and Hudson has an unexpected literary edge. The book is a photographic portfolio of the world's most magnificent libraries. Before you start snoring, we're not just talking about your school library, we're talking about true cathedrals of knowledge housed in some of the globe's most stunning period buildings, absolute architectural landmarks in their own rights. Libraries featured include the BritishLibrary in London, the Escorial in Spain, the Whitney Museum and the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York, the Bibliotheque
nationale de France in Paris, the villa Medici in Rome and the Hamburg University Library, among others. by Billy T

Three Potato Four Shop

I love this online store that sells a bit of everything. Their animal-items are especially cute.... I really do need a hippo-shaped stapler. Unfortunately they've sold out. Aren't their groupings lovely? I find the simple still lifes quite inspiring.

Photography by Greg Girard and Yang Yi

I'm intrigued by quiet, abandoned spaces that nobody really thinks about. They don't fit in with the pace of our lives, or our penchant for instant gratification and instant beauty. Maybe like the Angkor Wats or Parthenons, these are the modern ruins of our time - not particularly majestic, not really pretty, but layered with historys just the same. Greg Girard is a photographer who works out of China - in a place where the passing of time and frenzied change is happening before our very eyes.

Artist-Photographer Yang Yi has done some intriguing underwater stills of the controversial Three Gorges Dam. Reminds me of scenes from the film "Balzac And The Little Chinese Seamstress".

TA for h~fh

Powder Room Decor

I'm thinking of these beautiful Anna Dove wallpapers for the powder room, with a crystal light fixture and some sort of glass bowl basin on a plinth.

I Want John Rocha (to light my world)

Serious lust issues for... John Rochas lamps. These to me are the epitome of understated elegance, beautiful Wedgewood craftmanship, and completely functional. No compromises anywhere - is this the holy trinity of good design?

SD for h~fh

I love finding happy books

I was in Sydney, alone on a significant birthday, and feeling very blue when I found an unexpected gift for myself. "Around the World with Mouk" is one of the most fascinating picture books that I fully believe was written, and drawn, just for me.

The book is printed in NZ and Aus by Gecko Press-Printers of curiously good children's books from around the world. This book is categorized as "Picture: 6-9 yrs" and I think it might be a reflection of my emotional maturity that I'm so terribly fond of it. You can buy it online.

Everyone wants a gift wrapping station, don't they?

I'm slightly obsessed by the idea of having a gift wrapping station after seeing Martha Stewart's.

When asked what is her gift wrapping style (I never thought of gift wrapping as having a style. Maybe I should.) in a RealLiving article, interviewee Sophie Leete says:

I don't think I have a particular style, but everyone knows any gift from me will always be immaculately wrapped and everything will match in terms of colour and style. Although I have just had stickers made which say 'A gift from Sophie' and I stick these stickers on some white paper bags I bought in bulk. The card will also usually match the paper as I make my own cards and I often use the paper or at least the same colours or style. The actual wrapping itself tends not to fit in with the gift but it will for the occasion - for example when someone who is moving overseas or travelling I use an old map from the country they are going to and I often include a little compass keyring (which I get from a $2 shop) and include a tag which says "So you will always know which way is home." How clever. I can do that. Check out the full article

I'm also very much in lust for these items from The Container Store:

It's so unfair they have the best stuff in the US and don't even know it. Santa, you KNOW what I want this year...

IH for h~fh

Sandy's blog

I've just added Sandy's blog because I'm a huge fan of her work and her drawings are amazing little gems. They have a charm, innocence and folksiness that I've not seen much of, but they still reflect a real-life edginess.... you think its just a pretty sketch, go closer and you get a humorous wake up. Other reasons: She also has the loveliest personality and dresses like a french schoolgirl. Tres cute.

welcome to self

welcome to myself and the multiples! i'm wondering how to add a heading banner like i've seen in other blogs. oh well, one thing at a time.

they say that on the net you can be completely anonymous and you can create any identity for yourself. but i'm hoping to find something in myself by putting it down in writing. i haven't kept a diary since i was a little kid and i've never been good at writing because i've always been afraid to have my thoughts on record, that someone else might have access to my feelings - so maybe this is just the thing i need to start doing.

h~fh