VUITTON HOME DECOR

Park Avenue princesses, rap stars, and fashion-friendly teens all aspire to own Louis Vuittons, and by extension, a stamp of taste and expense. Those gold quatrefoils are the pattern seen round the world. But that's the new, recent Vuitton - the original began in 1854 as a trunk making company in Paris (luckily, the most glamorous of glamor cities; imagine if they'd had the misfortune to be founded in Guernsey or Quimper). Curiously, what set Vuitton's first trunks apart was not their attractive design or sturdy construction, though they had that too. It was the fact that they were flat. Most trunks were made with round tops to repel water, but Vuitton cleverly waterproofed his trunks, making them imminently stackable and easier to transport. Voilà! Other manufacturers followed suit, and a legend was born.

Today, in our world of 3 oz liquid limits, roller-bags, and hefty weight fees, LV trunks rarely do much traveling. But we can be grateful for those flat tops yet again, because nothing is easier to decorate than a smooth surface. Lucky enough to have one? Haul it out of your closet/attic/cellar and put it to work. Your stylish rooms will thank you.

P.S. Interested in purchasing vintage LV? Make sure you learn how to identify authentic LVs.

Credits:  Hilfiger library, Hotel images, Side table, Coffee table.

ORGANIZATION EN PLEIN AIR

I'm such a fan of the recession-born design venture, Lonny Magazine, an all-online shelter mag. The February issue is packed with great goodies (and piles of pastels), but what really grabbed my eye was the repeated use of open-air organizers and storage. But is that really a dominent theme in the Feb issue, or just an illusion brought on by my subconscious, which has been trying, for weeks, to flag down my conscious and get it to clean out the closets? Number one for sure. My closets aren't THAT bad. Mostly.

Courtesy of Lonny, a few great ideas for storing your belongings in plain sight:

Images, Lonny Magazine.

HERMES ON SALE!

Hermes is on sale at Bluefly.com! True, it's only a discount of about 10%. True, it's STILL an obscene amount of money. Also true? Hermes never, ever, ever goes on sale - or out of style. Below, a sampling of my favorite things currently on sale:  Perforated "H" Large Carry On, Clipper Diver Watch, Mushroom Porcelain Ashtray, "Dog" Studded Belt, and H Beach Towel. But my favorite thing of all is Hermes Orange!

Images, Bluefly.com

PRINCESS DIANA COMES TO ATLANTA

Last week I visited an exhibit in Atlanta, GA, where 28 of Princess Diana's outfits were on display. The wardrobe ranged from her first official public appearance - that wedding dress - to her last official event, where she donned a Jacques Azagury black beaded floor-length sheath. There were a number of surprises in the collection. Aside from the nukes, the 80s suffered from massive polka-dot proliferation. And the gargantuan size of the puffed sleeves! It brought to mind the song "Beautiful Girl" from Singing in the Rain -

"You'll never guess what loud applause this cunning hat receives, 

And you'll never dream the things that you could hide within these sleeves." 

But the most surprising element was Diana herself. Being in a room with so much couture (Versace, Lacroix, Catherine Walker, Chanel) is normally rather thrilling, but many of the pieces in person were rather underwhelming - unlike most other wardrobe displays I've visited. Yet, surrounding the clothes were screens running clips of Diana in various outfits, and photos of her in the pieces in the exhibit. And in every one, both she - and the clothes - looked stunning. This was, I thought, the truest compliment to Diana's style. She wore the dress; the dress never wore her. Her personality was truly her best accessory.

Here's a little mini-exhibition for you:  a sampling of images of the gowns on display, and Diana's appearances in them.

  The collection will return to England after June 13. Visit here for more details and to get tickets!

Credits:  VF Cover, VF Cover Dress, The Wedding, The Wedding Dress, The Cathedral, The Train, Wedding Shoes, Spencer Tiara, Navy Blue Suit with Pavarotti, Navy Suit Image, Kameez Outfit, Blue Dress Image One, Blue Dress Image Two, Black Dress, Pink Skirt Suit, Blue Skirt Suit.

HOUSE OF STYLE

How many times have you visited the domicile of a woman you admired - stylish, coordinated, well put-together - and noticed that... well, her home wasn't so much. Or is that you? Perhaps the only thing your pals find more miraculous than your personal style is how you manage to achieve it in such uninspiring surroundings. Well, I'm not going to feel sorry for you. Not even for the time the UPS man took a look at your apartment and asked how you liked being in a new neighborhood - and you'd lived there two years. If you can match your shirt to your suit, or your heels to a dress, you can accessorize your home. Stop stalling. Start with something small like throw pillows! Don't try to do the whole room! Do you buy an entire year's wardrobe in one go, or do you develop it over time? 

You know what draws you. You know what you like. It's hanging in your closet right now. And if you're willing to wear it, you can probably live with it, too. Here are a few closet inspirations...

Images, companies as attributed.

BANISH THE BEIGE!

It's been a long, monochromatic, monotonous winter:  grey and white and brown and black. In the darker months, nature's simple palette is austere, cool - and depressing. And I'm through! Time for blinding color, boggling patterns, drama, joie de vivre, Cali, Mexi, Medi, and anything bright! Substance and style - nothing urbane. Shrinking violets aren't our thing; peonies, roses, and sunflowers are. Statements are in. And of course, so is Kelly Wearstler. Show us how, Hollywood style!

Chrysanthemums:  bold color, edgy shape, and Asian influence.

A Parrot Tulip... delicate peaches and corals mingle with soft whites.

Bluebells, and cockleshells, and objets d'art all in a row!

Marigolds! Sunshine splashes in through the windows, and gilt glimmers from every surface.

Grass Green - fresh, cool, welcoming. Spring!

All images, Kelly Wearstler.com

SPRING BREAK!

It's time! I'm packed! Are you? This year we're going to imagination vacation in Lisbon - we'll explore the Castle of Sao Jorge, stroll up Liberty Avenue, gawk at the Museu Nacional do Traje e da Moda (the National Museum of Costume and Fashion), and eat wonderful meals at restaurants like Pap'Açorda (we'll have the famous chocolate pudding!). And of course, we'll hit the beach too.... Ready? It's going to be great. Let the rain stay in Spain. We're headed to Portugal.

All images, J.Crew.com.

Frank Lloyd Wright, a la 1924

Concrete is, to say the least, a challenging medium for the home. We're used to seeing it in the sparer, impersonal parts of our lives: office complexes, government buildings, hospitals. It can be tough dwelling in a house whose closest genetic cousin is the overpass. But that's why we revere design geniuses like Frank Lloyd Wright. In L.A., Wright turned the stuff of city sidewalks into a light-filled, glamorous tinsel town abode. Check out the Ennis House, built in 1924 in Los Angeles, and inspired by Mayan Temples. One of the first homes constructed of concrete block, Wright fashioned this 10,000 foot, eerily beautiful design into a modern mansion. And like every other Hollywood classic, it's a bit of a film star: the Ennis House has had cameos in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Rocketeer, and most famously, Bladerunner. Let's take a tour:

The Foyer:  notice the temple-like column structure and the light flooding the space.

A view toward the dining room, where you can see the beautiful geometry of the blocks.

Glorious views of California hills are the perfect backdrop for the home; the block pattern runs through the interior and exterior of the house.

The pool was a later addition in the same spirit as the house. These days, the home's restoration is supervised by Eric Lloyd Wright.

A beautiful view down the hall - doesn't this feel faintly Egyptian?

Sadly, Ennis House is in danger of seriously deteriorating. Earthquakes, heavy rains, and wear and tear on the concrete patterns have caused costly damage. If you'd like to read more about the home or help out, visit here.

Most images, ennishouse.org and unknown online sources. Please contact me if you know the origin of these photos.

GEISHA PILLOWS AT TARGET!

And they're on sale!!! Behold:

Yes, and what does this remind you of? Only one of my dreamiest of dream pillows, 

one I've been stalking online for sometime. Yes, the Thomas Paul Chinoiserie Pillow. Even better, the Target pillow you see above reverses - the other side is yellow, with white scenery, making it a dead ringer for the Thomas Paul version. Normally, I'm an advocate of investing in quality for the generations. But I've invested in so much pillow quality my future generations are in danger of suffocating to death (as you know, I have a Throw Pillow addiction). So, I'm cheating:  the Target version is on sale for $16.99. The Thomas Paul version is $100. One you can purchase with the change in the bottom of your purse; the other one costs as much as a purse. You're welcome great-great-grandkids!

Thomas Paul pillow. Target pillow, target.com.

Liberty of London

How seriously is Target taking their home/decor/apparel/shoes/office/paper/men's accessories/bike deal with classic British design firm Liberty of London? This seriously.

The Target website today:

Yep. The whole website is Liberty. The entire store is too - I visited today, and they'd swathed

everything short of the cash registers in paisley. And you know what? It's fabulous. 

The home line is bright, cheerful, and well thought out - the pattern series gives variety, 

and the colors play well enough together that you can mix and match.

And don't forget the fashion! Website is a bit sparse; there's lots more in the store, including a 

FABULOUS spring coat with jet buttons. You'll recognize it when you see it, because it has my name on it.

There's little of it on the website, but there's also a wonderful stationary and home office series. A peek:

Images, Target.com.

Spring Into Neutral

More home design treats coming this week, but on the fashion side of things, I'm intrigued by the very dominant neutral trend for Spring this year. I'm a color girl myself - bright hues make me happy. But bright hues AND patterns = a little much. This season, many color-heavy designers, such as Tory Burch, have erred on the side of caution, creating an abundance of complex patterns rendered in taupes, whites, and grays. What do you think - cool and collected, or a tad dull? 

All images, ToryBurch.com