Blow-Up

Tim Walker...most of you may already know...but if you don't, (his work is astounding) he is a genius photographer/artist who teamed up on this project with set designer Rhea Thierstein. Upon seeing the April issue of W Magazine...drawn to it by the cover of Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender...and flipping through my newly purchased copy...my eyes clapped upon the article, Blow-Up...these images are so jaw-dropping gorgeous, much bigger than life itself, and so much so that I found they changed the perspective of how I view these famous works of art~how brilliant! Pure exhilaration is found in beholding and scouring the details of each picture. There are more in W than we have shown here. Click on each photo to enlarge, but better yet get a copy at your local newstand. 

We can't do these justice...you must buy a copy if you don't already subscribe. W Magazine is a large..larger than most in scale, glossy magazine. These photos are best displayed within those pages. 

You must take in every detail...each piece enhances the overall impression. 

How ironic!

Delicious bits of finery...scattered with abandon.

The setting for these scenes is a vast Elizabethan Estate in Suffolk, England...Glemham Hall. 

The concept was to cause the characters in each piece of art to fall out into the reality of today. 

AGOURA ANTIQUES

Agoura Hills, the gateway to Malibu, has a row of "charm fairy" antique stores. To say many of them exude imagination and creativity is an understatement. We found ourselves asking the question, "how do they think up this stuff?" Sitting right off the 101 in the Whizin Center you simply must go by if you are in the area.

picture from a beautiful mess

One of our BeckwithRoad readers was so taken with the establishment, "A Beautiful Mess" that she simply could not leave without a purchase or two even though her vehicle was brimming with weekend purchases from here and there!"

picture from a beautiful mess

One of the unusual chandeliers we saw at "A Beautiful Mess". It is an aged garden fence rolled into a cylinder and outfitted with a vintage-style Edison bulb. This well merchandised store is the most talented  Kymberley Fraser's concept. You may remember she was among, if not the first to design creations from vintage and antique grain sacks. Many other talented women are showcased in her store, among them: Karen Chambers, Marilyn Thompson, Victoria Stoehr, Leah Cox, Tina O'Flaherty and the Junk Girls. Their tag line is, "Where antiques, design and oddities meet pure and simple elegance." Well said!

You can read more about them on their website, abeautifulmessantiques.blogspot.com.

You may have seen the articles in the NY Times or Romantic Homes that featured this store. One item that caught our eye in the window was the brass fluted part of a gramophone outfitted with an Edison bulb and hung as a chandelier.

We loved the color and patina of this piece.

We remember having a bike just like this one...well it was in better condition... that is until it was not being used anymore and then it was stored behind the barn... it was very similar...too bad someone carted it off to the trash. They just didn't see the beauty in rusty objects! We saw things a little differently then. There are some industrial pieces in these stores that are eye-popping amazing, you know things you've seen twirling around on top of a building and now being used as lighting? A metal basket that used to be standard farm equipment is now turned upside down radiating light as a chandelier. You really must come visit then tell us what you think.

You can see how far down the stores go. Oriental rug for ambience on the sidewalk anyone?

An interesting collection...did you see the picture recently of the galvanized wash tub like this one pictured here mounted as a laundry room sink?...what a smashing look for just the right home.

To visit, take the 101 north or south depending on where you live to Agoura Hills, CA. Exit Kanan Road. Make a slight left on Roadside Drive. You will find the antique stores behind Wood Ranch Restaurant. Happy antique hunting!

Arte Pura

Ancient flax....flavors of the past....pure luxury....timeless....

table...bed...bath...linens...clothing....accessories

Check out all their designs at artepura.com

Astier de Villatte

If we could fill our sideboard with Astier de Villatte ceramics...we just might never retire from the table...our meal would definitely linger. Each hand crafted piece is an amazing work of art. What makes Astier de Villatte pieces so unique is their form--it reminds us of times reminiscent of wares found in French Chateau's set in the 17th or 18th Century countryside. ADV has achieved the art of merging modern sensibility with the luxury designs of a bygone era. The milky glazed surface of their designs is pitted with deliberate surface imperfections. Pictures just do not do these ceramics justice. Now did we mention that you can pop these into the dishwasher or microwave?

Works of art!

Aren't you intrigued?

White is the little black dress of the dining table. Always chic and food is displayed at it's best when placed on white! It looks fresh and modern when done as a uninterrupted collection en masse if you will.



Getting our home ready for the holidays

We're getting ready for the holidays and there is a little spot that needs some ompfh! A little sassing up! We took an old mirror we've schlepped around for a ka-zillion years, cleaned the surface, then sanded it and taped it off for paint.

The paint we chose for this project was Restoration Hardware's Slate color,

and a touch of Mediterranean White to highlight the textured rice paper we added at the top.

We added a patterned rice paper using 1/2 white glue and 1/2 water to adhere it. When it was dry, we added a medallion and roped some tiny pearls for a beading effect along the top under edge for interest. We used a hot glue gun to attach the ornaments. We then began the painting process. First 2 or 3 coats of the Slate color.

A close up view. After we painted the Slate color. We used a dry brush with a small dab of Mediterranean White just to pop the pattern in the rice paper and the beading. We then wiped it off. Use a light hand. The rice paper came from Paper Source.

A close-up of the finished process.

Here it is in it's new place.
A close up view.

Holiday Musings

click on the pictures to enlarge them and see all the little details.

We've settled on a centerpiece this year of large fall branches. A couple of days before Thanksgiving we'll go to our favorite spot and get some branches. All on the up-and-up mind you. They will get a good bath and then be placed in a large rustic vase. We're loving the woodland textures this year. One of our co-workers is lending us their small chainsaw. Some of the trees in our backyard will yield some nice pieces for our table that we will combine with some other French wood pieces we've collected. Now we just have to pull out our family's signature recipes and order our free-range, humanly treated turkey (I hope you can support those that really care about how humanly an animal is treated and not kept in small boxes and tiny pens. Animals were meant to roam and roast and have a normal life. We can so easily do away with the inhumane treatment so prevalent in the USA. We'll jump down off our soap box now). Yippee, Thanksgiving is almost here! Look for our special recipes here over the next couple of weeks.

Anthro holiday post

Trees made with green plastic twist ties and beige tissue paper are so charming. So much creativity and we love the organic quality to all of their visuals.

The Rolls Royce of Wallpaper

In an era when so many 20 and 30 somethings' are fanning the flames of dying arts, one of the forerunners of this movement is Claud Gurney. Headquartered in Kent, England, his company, de Gurnay, is gathering fans from all parts of the globe, such as, Lulu Guiness and Kelly Wearstler. His traditional and non-traditional designs are the ultimate in luxury handpainted wall coverings. We love the agey India tea paper, small stained sheets of lavish quality paper affixed to large 4'x10' panels.

The de Gourney establishment.

They also make splendid 18th century chinoiserie paper and lavish 19th century French designs.

Check out the de Gourney website for yourself, http://www.degournay.com/

A more modern approach.

India tea paper.