Mad Men (And the Couches They Sit On)

Let's start off with true confessions: I have only seen one episode of Mad Men, and by "seen" I mean that I was in the same room as the television playing it. Sorry. Lot'a life to live. But this article on Double X made me reconsider - perhaps I should be watching the show, not as a SHOW, but as a live-feed, Emmy winning, highly dramatic version of House Beautiful. Worth a shot.

Mid-century modern. Hmm. I guess faux wood paneling isn't ALWAYS an executable offense.

Anyway, in the article, "Fainting Couch For Best Supporting Actor," Kate Bolick analyzes the styles of the various rooms and homes and declares them authentic. Authentic not just to the time, but to the individual psychology of the characters who inhabit them. Set designer Amy Wells weighs in on her design choices, and reminds us: "labels were all-important then." Guess times haven't changed!

FABULOUS zebra walls. Chocolate brown zebra walls.

Great hair. And the decor is so Draper (Dorothy Draper, that is).

Geometric patterns and a hint of chinoiserie hovering in the background.

No hints here. Full-on chinoiserie danish modern white men.

And finally (because why should imaginary people have all the fun?) here's where to buy some Mad Men goods. Just don't start wearing pantyhose and drinking 12-martini lunches.

The Club Furniture Mad Men bed.

Here's the CB2 Mad Men couch (not sure if it's still available). But I say thumbs down anyway. The only thing I despise more than burgundy is stripes of it. With GRAY? No thanks.

Pic 1, designbrothers.files.wordpress.com. Pic 2 - 5, pointclickhome.com. Pic 6, L.A. Times, Pic 7, fashionbinge.blogspot.com.

Glorious Kate Spade

Glorious Kate! Sequined bows, bubble jewelry, zebra jackets, and pink tweed. Scroll for a little Monday morning joie de vivre. I dare you to be down!

Twinkle toes!

All images, Kate Spade.

Best New Book: Tony Duquette

Everything about the late TD bespoke opulance, from the superfluous letters of his surname to his motto, "more is more," now the title of a new book on Duquette. This glossy tome by TD firm president Hutton Wilkinson builds upon Duquette's UCLA lecture, "The Enchanted Vision," and features layer upon layer of luscious photographs. The book also proves the versatile nature of his vision, from set design to jewelry. I was inspired to track down some images of Duquette jewelry currently available (Wilkinson is keeping the firm going). It's safe to say, opulence is alive and well. Have you ever seen anything so exquisitely decadent? And yes, it's all real.

Pic 1, amazon.com. Pic 2, Elle.com. All others, tonyduquette.com.

If It's Wednesday, You Should Buy House Beautiful

Oh, a tug at the old heartstrings. I was in Wal-Mart yesterday, attempting to locate a suitably chubby mum (mums are like chickens - thin equals bad), when I started flipping through the October House Beautiful and completely forgot about seasonal florals. It's a gorgeous issue! Loads of beautifully colored spreads, genius tips, chinoiserie everywhere, a dreamy tablescape by William Yeoward - and the Barefoot Contessa does kitchens!!! Seriously, why are you still sitting at your desk?

My favorite pick - this bedroom by Meg Braff. I have an abiding love of green and white. Feelings run deep. I saw this spread not 45 minutes after purchasing a 5-piece green and white overlapping squares patterned desk set. Coincidence? I think not.

Another Braff bedroom. The five reasons this room excels: 1. Chinoiserie. 2. Toile. 3. Zebra. 4. Sky blue. 5. All together. Beautiful! Visit her website for more wonder.

That's all for teasers. You'll have to buy the issue!

Recessionista Tips:

If you're not a subscriber, but you ARE a Sam's Club member, get your HB (and Vogue, Victoria, etc.,) at the same time you're buying enough kleenex boxes to supply Bulgaria. They offer a discount off the cover price.

Be sure not to miss the Technophobia article on p. 48 of this month's HB. It includes a special reader's invitation to join the FABULOUS home discount sites Gilt, One Kings Lane, and Rue La La, with none of the usual "wait list" time. I'm a member of all three, and believe me, it's worth it.

All images: House Beautiful.

Pretty Ballerinas

The new Fall Pretty Ballerinas are out and they're lovely enough to dance in. This brand is part of Mascaro, the venerated Spanish shoemakers, and the flats are still handmade in Spain today, just as they were 90 years ago. Kate Moss wears them, as does Claudia Schiffer. As I mentioned this summer (and many of you agreed) Pretty Ballerinas are some of the loveliest ballet slippers out there. And they feel DIVINE. The only regret? They last so long! I need a valid excuse to buy more...

Shopping info: for U.S. customers, they are carried in only one U.S. store (NYC), but they are also available online here. Prices generally range from (approx) $100 to $200, and I've discovered that Revolve Clothing carries a very limited selection in U.S. dollars. AND, they occasionally go on sale! The flagship store is in London (pictured above), so drop by on your text trip. Also, Canadians, you are in SERIOUS luck. Pretty Ballerinas is opening a shop in Montreal just for you! Click here for details. Happy shopping!

All images, Pretty Ballerinas.

The Economic Apartment

Economizing is all we hear about these days: money, space, or both. Ugh. Time for some can-do attitude! My favorite tip this week is for folks learning to live large in a studio apartment. No - don't click away. It CAN be done. Behold...

Here are a few marvelous "little" spaces that are big on style. First, Ron Marvin's studio apartment is breathtakingly simple. Choosing three colors, black and white with yellow accents, prevents visual clutter. The acrylic coffee table, which would normally block a large section of the floor, blends into the rug. Another hint: don't avoid pattern! In the same palette as the rest of the room, it keeps the eye moving. For another great example of a black and white studio apartment, click here.

This picture from gorgeous blog, La Dolce Vita.

Another beautiful studio apartment, courtesy of the late, great, Domino Magazine. Notice how white is a continuing theme. Why? It's just like you learned in your first visit to the dressing room: white makes things look bigger! And a high gloss white refracts light around a space. Another plus? Renters who choose white walls need not repaint. This apartment, like the one above, takes full advantage of natural light and a simple color scheme. And notice how mobile all the smaller pieces of furniture are. If you feel a little claustrophobic, pack 'em away!

Now, as anyone who has lived in a studio knows, the biggest question is: what do I do with the bed? Well, there's the traditional screen (made more interesting here with pattern). Don't be discouraged if you find only blah screens - decoupage my friends! Find a gorgeous paper and glue your way to a more stylish room. For how-to, click here.

Next up, the bookshelf conceal. This is my favorite, for a variety of reasons. 1) It doesn't look like you're trying to hide a bed somewhere. 2) It doesn't cut off light from the "bedroom" section of the apartment. 3) It has so many decorative possibilities!! Aside from placing eye-catching items on the bookcase, you can add a curtain for increased privacy when visitors come. And, you can treat the space a bit like a wall - stack books artfully, or hang pictures or mirrors. (For great hooks that you can attach to a bookcase without damage, I recommend Command hooks.) Can you tell there's a bedroom back there? Believe it!

Third and final option: give up and sleep on a daybed or divan. This is for hard-core fashionistas only! Not recommended if you have back troubles. But this look will convince your guests that the closet door really is a passageway to an entirely different room.

Now for the how-to. Here are my top four (inexpensive) suggestions for studio transformation, based on the designs above.

1) The Screen. These options from Overstock.com are $188, and come in a variety of great colors. My personal favorite is the Hermes orange! At five panels, they can cover a sizable space and are sturdy enough to hang pictures on, if you're so inclined.

2) The Daybed. This example from West Elm, called "overlapping squares," has been displayed in a number of magazines recently. Available in white and brown.

3) Bookshelves. I am such a fan of these Expedit bookcases from IKEA. I've had a set in white for years, and they've survived four moves and numerous other destructive attempts. They still look great - and just as good as models four or five times their cost. The best part? This wall-size unit is only $199. My favorite option, however, is the add-on desk. It's sleek and modern, and in a tight space? It's a desk AND a dining room table. All yours for only $50.

Naturally, storage is always a big problem in little spaces, so add some of these shelf inserts for $20. They look good from both sides, they're perfect in a room divider, and the little door opens to reveal whatever you've hidden. Even BETTER? Upgrade the hardware with some gorgeous knobs from Anthropologie, priced between $8 and $14. Remember: you have no problem buying cheap. You just don't want it to LOOK that way!

4) Acrylic. Pair some Philip Starke chairs with the desk/table above, and live spaciously ever after. Two for $258.99 at Overstock.com. For nesting tables that you can easily move around a space, try these from Target: three for $179.

Picture 1, La Dolce Vita. Pic 2 -3, Flickr.com. Pic 4, Elle Decor. Pic 5, Flickr.com. Pic 6, Overstock.com. Pic 7, West Elm. Pic 8 -9, Ikea. Pic 10, Overstock.com. Pic 11, Target.com.

The Cost of Inflation: Manolo Blahnik

So I know this is a fashion AND home blog - but it's Fashion Week! What can I say? Our homes will all still be here waiting for us when the last exhausted model has staggered home. On to more style.

Carrie Bradshaw's Closet

While watching a Sex and the City rerun recently, (season 6, episode 83) I was shocked by the cost of Carrie's shoes. The Abstract: Carrie goes to a baby shower, and the dedicated mommy insists that everyone check their shoes at the door. All are shorter but well until Carrie tries to leave - and finds that her Manolo Blahniks have left without her. Stolen! A scene ensues: Carrie wants her crazy-expensive shoes replaced, and cautious mommy wants Carrie to stop frivolously investing in crazy-expensive shoes. Their cost? $485. I was shocked when I heard that number. Shocked, because 1) that's the cost of a month's rent in most towns, and 2) that's WAY less than a pair of actual Manolos costs these days. Way.

The precious heels Carris lost. This is what $485 shoes look like.

Did Carrie get a special Sex and the City dispensation? Hardly. That's what Manolos cost in 1998. Wardrobe costs have skyrocketed in the last 11 years, and this is one of the reasons why I rejoiced to hear that Saks is now asking designers to price their clothes lower. I'm not an economist, and I confess I don't have any knowledge of production costs these days, but has leather and labor really gone up that much? Not by my paycheck. Or maybe they've started throwing loose diamonds in the boxes when you buy? I think not. I suspect that a booming economy and booming sales led to booming prices. While this recession is certainly painful, maybe it will serve the greater good of bringing prices out of the stratosphere and back to reality.

In today's prices: $715 (similar shoes at Neiman Marcus). That's a $230 increase.

Not convinced? Apparently, designers (and movie makers) weren't completely unaware of the skyrocketing costs of sky-high heels either. In the 2008 Sex and the City movie, Carrie covets (and gets) these gorgeous peacock blue Blahniks, for the price of $595.

However, that WAS a movie. $595 is a serious chunk of change, but not the real market value of the shoes (were the producers afraid of backlash from middle America?).

The shoes were actually sold that same year (2008) for $895 a pop.

Today, they're on the Neiman Marcus website for a cool $945.

Did their value increase by $50 in ONE YEAR? No. But apparently, our gullibility did.

What about it? Who supports shoe pricing sanity?

Images: Flickr, The Knot, Neiman Marcus.

This post is sponsored.

Anna Sui for Target

Usually, I'm the girl with the tent on the sidewalk before any new Target + Fabulous Designer launch. I was the first to buy a gorgeous new Felix Rey bag in my local Tar-jay last spring. I have stalked sales associates for their secrets (like occasionally putting a new line out on the floor at 9 o'clock the night before...). The new Anna Sui/Target collaboration excited me as much as the rest, but after viewing it in person, I'm packing up my tent, stashing my generator and styling tools, and heading home.

Why? The line is supposed to be based on the oft-copied, much beloved style of Gossip Girl, but frankly, I don't see it. The publicity photographs go so far as to present looks based entirely around the show's characters - The Serena, The Vanessa, and so on. But in real life, the garments look more like The Tacky, The Been Done, and The Project Runway Runaway.

Let's start with this vest. It's from a TV show alright - That 70s Show. And it's also no stranger to trailer parks and Goodwill bins.

In the "been there, done that" category, we have this tee - which could have been produced at any point in the last few years, and by any designer (like Mossimo for Target or Hanes Her Way... ). Nothing new to see here folks; move along.

Many of the more detailed pieces resemble early episodes of a Project Runway series - lot of fabric, little direction. What's going on here? Is it a cardigan? shirt? bolero? Is it trying to strangle her? And it's EYELET. As Tim Gunn would say "simplify, simplify."

Now that the worst is over, there ARE a few really interesting pieces in this collection - at least when styled and photographed by professionals. But a word to the wise: many of the dresses that photographed well appear in person to be overwrought - never a good thing when you're dealing with cheaper materials. Here are two looks I think succeeded in capturing the GG spirit. Go try them out for yourselves!

Top photo, jaunted.com. All other images, Target.