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!

Anthro Wedding Gowns

A bombshell dropped on the "wedding world", February 14, 2011

BHLDN.com

(beholden -- Dutch meaning to keep)

Anthropologie has entered the bridal and special events world. Until recent years, we were also enscounced in that world~so w-e-d-d-i-n-g-s still grab our attention! How exciting to see the winds of changes blowing through this institution at a record rate! Cookie cutter weddings are falling fast by the wayside. Have you seen blogs like, 100 layer cakes or ritzy bee? Couples are really infusing who they are into their wedding and being true to themselves, budget and all. In the end that's much more meaningful and endearing. This new addition to Anthro postures them right into the "now" mix. By the end of the year they will have  ventured into wedding receptions and the special events arena also.

What's cool about BHLDN is that their approach is similiar to the Urban Outfitter organizations model on design and lifestyle. Their website allows you to browse through times past weddings, become further inspired, and find your style be it Nostalgic Romantic, Neo-Sophisticate, La Bohemienne, or Lady With a Twist. You can view, gowns, dresses, shoes, lingerie, jewelry, coverups, hair adornments and accessories within each of those muse type categories or go with an even more eclectic selection on your own.

They plan to not only to utilize their own designers, but feature guest designers as well. Each season they will develop their line of vintage, heirloom quality, bougie wedding designs. Gowns are priced from $1,000.00 to $4,000.00 and bridesmaids or special occasion dresses will be placed at around $200.00 to $600.00. You can check it all out at BHLDN.com. 

 Sift through BHLDN's collection of past weddings for inspiration.

Do you know anyone getting married? Do they have that individualistic flair about them? Be sure to tell them about BHLDN.com

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.

A Nudge Out of the Nest!

The Urban Outfitters Catalog came this week. It got us thinking about all the gazillions of eye popping creations we've seen over the years from all of the companies tied in with Urban, i.e., Anthropologie, Free People and Terrain. Working in visuals for these companies is a schooling in and of itself. Each season is well thought out, has it's set of muses and you might even get a dvd about how beavers build their dams or how birds build their nest,etc. We kid you not! As crazy as it sounds, it works! They have visual books pre and post season when the "best of" is presented. I'm sure we all have our favorites, and just when it seems that they have exhausted their resources, out comes a whole creative process using coffee filters or plastic soda bottles cut into floral shapes or simple cups creating a modern collage.

Have you seen Keith Johnson's, Man Shops Globe, on the Sundance Channel? When Keith's partner, Glen Senk took over as President of Anthropologie, it was then that Keith found his genius as a buyer for Anthro.

What do you do when you pull the bag of tea out of your morning cuppa?

In London, they string them in strands ~ by the hundreds and viola~a show stopper window.

Who knew books could be so sculptural

This is a peacock created out of plastic spoons.

So we all have imagination. Really, it's true! Keep your home fresh and current. Shop your own home. Find different ways to use your possessions. Maybe you could create a visual impact with a collection, or switch rugs around or pillows, or art work. Open your eyes and walk around your home and look for things you could change up.

It doesn't necessarily take money to have good taste or to be creative. If you could live any way, any where you want, where would you live, how would you live? Could you incorporate some of that into your home? Live it now? How would you live in that dream "someday I'll"?

Nate Berkus said something very interesting the other day, he said, "Why do we get our homes just the way we want them when we are putting them up for sale, but live in them less than the way we'd like to ~ prior to that?"

We hear it from every decorating direction, paint can change the whole vibe of a room. Bring sample paint chips home and tape them on the wall. Now stand back and eliminate the ones you don't like. One of us has been itching to do a lime wash on some walls. I know one follower of ours that just needs this little push to finish painting her beautiful family room. (hint, hint) Live in the moment, but live! Also consider wallpaper which is very hot right now!

Families can foster a culture of good design. Encourage each other. Have swap parties. Bring something nice you don't use and swap with someone else. Here's a little secret, creativity is similiar to the term "priming the pump". Nothing seems to rise up at first, but the more you exercise those creative juices, the more they will flow. Few people feel creative all the time. We find it often surfaces when needed, and the more you use it, the more you will grow with your style and great taste.

Do you feel nudged? It won't be long until Thanksgiving and then Christmas. Nows the time to "just-do-it."

Pottery Barn Field Trip

Beckwith Road was in Sherman Oaks today poking around at Pottery Barn. In recent months, they have been bumping up their party saavy in a bigger way. We even tried a wine tasting party featured several months ago by Pottery Barn to great success! If you look on Pottery Barn's entertaining section of their website, you will find video tutorials on recipes with step-by-step instructions. Just go to www.PotteryBarn.com., then go to the bottom of the front page and under "resources" click "videos". When videos comes up, click "see more". You will find demonstrations on how to present cheeses, Thanksgiving menus, brunch recipes such as a farmhouse brunch, Mexican food, tapas, pizza, wine information, and more. Have you ever watched any of the videos about the owners of the homes that Pottery Barn uses to shoot their catalogs in? You will find them under videos too. Very interesting stuff!

Pottery Barn is a division of Williams Sonoma. We liked the way they are merchandising for fall. Maybe it's not as "out there" as Anthro, but on another level~Pottery Barn~is carving out their own niche just as we should our own abodes.

This photograph is not Pottery Barn. It is a catering company in LA that has been garnering accolades recently. They are called "Heirloom LA Catering. One of their specialities is "lasagna cupcakes" among other wonderful treats. We included their picture as a creative way to present a fall menu. We love the use of rustic planks ~ rough hewn wood~ mixed amongst vintage drawers and wooden bowls. etc. This is a very creative use of space~don't you think??

Rough and Refined

How clever!

To borrow from the closets of the professor, the swinging 60's and the heiress to create a cohesive look for the davenport. We are fascinated with the rough-hewn treatment of men's haberdashery fabrics juxtaposed with the swinging 60's. Then strewn across the sofa you find grandma's needlepoint colliding with a pillow dressed with beaded fabric any heiress might have in her wardrobe. Unpredictable genius.

Rue Online Magazine

We are counting the minutes until Rue Magazine's official launch.

This is the cover. Be sure to look them up online September 16, 2010. We don't think you will be dissapointed.

REINVENTED, REMODELED, REBORN

THE NEW RESTORATION HARDWARE

Baluster Desk

We got our catalogs this week. Gary Friedman the chairman and co-ceo of Restoration Hardware writes a lengthy explanation about the change of direction for their company. Beckwith Road has spent many sleepless nights doing floor-sets for Restoration Hardware. Their concept has been drummed into our heads. They have suddenly veered in another direction, fresh off the success of last years experiments. Are they borrowing a page from Ralph Lauren's constant success? Only time will tell. Ralph is a genius, one of his philosophies being that he doesn't design things..he designs concepts. The spin for Resto is that every act of creation is first of all an act of destruction. Not really true, but we see where Gary is coming from. Resto like most everyone else is feeling the pinch and they have been nearly destroyed. It is our hope that they truly find this turn successful. They are drawing upon the old, aged, safe pallet. The appeal is to the pocketbook of the more wealthy, yet there are smallish, great accent pieces that some of us might still be able to afford.

We've destroyed the previous iteration of ourselves, clearing the way to express our brand in a never-before-seen fashion.

We hope this new direction brings success to Restoration Hardware.

This re-conceptualization will take some getting used to. They are taking a risk, stating they are not following the pack by lowering prices and quality, but rather the opposite-by abandoning their past and re-defining their future. Are they "curators" of the best historical design the world has to offer?