24 November 2009

Tony Duquette Designs Evoke the Spirit of the Season...


Sacerdotal and ecclesiastical (fellow Catholics, you know this stuff!) icons abound in Tony Duquette's timeless designs from the mid-twentieth century that inspire and thrill today....especially now as we approach the Winter Solstice when darkness falls so early in the day, and the world celebrates fire, starlight and snowflakes.

Think of ancient Druids' Yule, of autumnal Dawali, the Hindi Festival of Lights, of Christmas stars and lights, of Hannukah with the burning candles, Kwanzaa with the lighting of the kinara candle, and Sadeh, the Iranian festivity to honor fire and defeat the forces of darkness, frost, and cold.

You get the idea. Anything that reminds of us of warmer, sunnier, longer days immediately captivates us at this season!


The Jewel Votive Table Lamp



The Paris Snowflake Screen



The Sunburst Torchiere




The Terrapin Lamp



The Elsie Tabouret
Named for His Mentor, Elsie deWolfe
(It's just so Christmas-y I had to include it here)



The Abalone Chandelier


The Large Sunburst Mirror



The Original Starburst Sculpture





The Gold-Leafed Sun Sculpture



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Tony Duquette's Office



A Duquette Room Features the Paris Snowflake Screen



A Duquette Salon with the Abalone Chandelier


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"Considered by many as an American design icon,
Tony Duquette left behind an artistic legacy
that inspired fantasy and stirs the imagination."

....................

To learn more about the man who "was always trying
to enchant the world...a self-styled do-it-yourself di Medici
whose razzle-dazzle decor, costumes, jewelry
and interiors took center stage in Hollywood's heyday"
see Tony Duquette , a book by House & Garden
design director Wendy Goodman and
Duquette successor Hutton Wilkinson
reviewed here.


***
Sources for Tony Duquette Items:

vintage Tony Duquette: 1stDibs
carefully crafted reproductions: Baker Furniture

***



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CONTACT:


Kit Golson Design

for elegant, sustainable and pragmatic

Chic Provence Interior Design



20 November 2009

The Incredible Bathroom of Paris Stage Director...


Jean-Pascal Levy-Trumet. Photographed by the incomparable Pieter Estersohn. Appeared in the April 2003 issue of Elle Decor magazine.

I just can't get over how much I love this bathroom. I love the tub, I love the steel walls, I love the chandelier. It just speaks to me. I just love its clean lines, its simplicity, its elegance. I love the juxtaposition of all that industrial nail-headed steel sheeting against the amber old glass of the chandelier, and the smooth concrete of the tub. The illumination: completely breathtaking.


Parisian Bathroom of Jean-Pascal Levy-Trumet
photographed by Pieter Esterholm


{ Thanks! to Daniel Hale of Serendipity Rising for the photo source and information }


.............................................................


CONTACT:


Kit Golson Design

for elegant, sustainable and pragmatic

Chic Provence Interior Design


13 November 2009

Have a Happy {Chiner} Weekend & Look What I Found!


chiner, fr. {chee-ner'} : to root around in the brocantes (flea markets) looking for stuff
chineur, fr. {chee-nur'} : one who spends their free weekend hours rooting around in brocantes
.......................

Now that we know who we are, look what I found last weekend at the local fleas!

If you have any great ideas of how I can use this great stuff, let me know (Beth @ Chinoiserie Chic, are you listening?)



my little treasure trove from last weekend's "chineur"-ing


antique Chinese shawl--yes those are little silver balls
sewn into the design!



I kind of like this cool globe of pressed glass



my very adorable red Buddha from the 1920's



even the little blue lantern has a certain "chinoiserie" cache


the proud peacock on one of the metal panels I found


somehow I let these adorable dauphines get away


ditto the coral print from 1910



Hope these inspire you to get out there and support your local thrift stores, consignment shops, flea markets....remember it's a very green and sustainable way to shop!

For fun in the Bay Area this weekend, be sure to visit my friends at Afterwards in Menlo Park. They have a holiday celebration going on Saturday all day long, stop in for a bit of cheer. You will be amazed at their wonderful stuff!

And my favorite flea market, the Alemany Flea, is on every Sunday at the intersection of 101 and 280.

Have a great time!


.............................................................


CONTACT:


Kit Golson Design

for elegant, sustainable and pragmatic

Chic Provence Interior Design


11 November 2009

Thank You...You Know Who You Are





To All Our Soldiers Serving Overseas Today:
You Are Not Forgotten
We Are Grateful For Your
Sacrifice and Dedication
to This Great Nation



"Chin to the Wind"


..........................................................

CONTACT:

Kit Golson Design
for elegant, sustainable and pragmatic
Chic Provence Interior Design


07 November 2009

Feeding The Gypsy {King}* in Your Soul...



Sometimes....especially now when the darkness falls sooner and stays longer and the economic recovery is so not happening....you just want to take a little journey to somewhere simple and unaware of its sense of place.

Maybe you long to wander the highways and byways along the Mediterranean Coast again, pan bagnat in knapsack, exploring and hiking the wild, dusty hills and rocks along the sea, sleeping and eating at the first gite you find. You are in Gipsy Kings country (* Listen here to The Gipsy Kings), the cote sauvage of the sunny Mediterranean Sea.



Handprinted Linens by Idarica Gazzoni

When you arrive at your rustic lodgings, you are sure to find simple curtains like these drifting on the breezes there. You'll dress behind an old screen, you'll have un cafe et un petit dejeuner at an old table like this one. You'll walk on old, old tomettes (hexagonal tiles) on the uneven floor. You'll rest your head on pillows like these.

Sleeping in the sea air, you will rest well from your rambling and awake with the new dawn. With only your legs to carry you, you get an early start on the day after your strong coffee. The vistas await you.



Les Iles Sauvage in Corsica, France



Gypsy-Inspired Sofa and Pillows from Caravane




Gorgeous Pillows from Caravane


Colorful Beds & Bedding, Perfect for Coastal Hideaway, from Caravane






Your Gites on the Rugged Mediterranean Sea Coast





Tile Design and Room Design Above by Idarica Gazzoni



Antique Screen and Adorable Table Courtesy of




Tomettes on the Floor, Courtesy of Cote Sud



Your Idyllic Mediterranean Picnic Site



Your Knapsack, to Hold Your Pan Bagnat, from Caravane


Pan Bagnat ("Bathed Bread") Best Enjoyed With Glass of Chilled Bandol
Overlooking the Sea

Get the recipe at The New York Times





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CONTACT:


Kit Golson Design

for elegant, sustainable and pragmatic

Chic Provence Interior Design




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