ART IN THE HOME

I've decided it's time for me to consider investing in some art. I love how it can give complete direction and focus to a room - or vignette - in the home. While I'll have to wait until I get into my new apartment to really start decorating, until then, I've been doing my research!

I'm finding so much inspiration in interiors and artists who I've had bookmarked for a while, like Sally King Benedict (top right) and talented friends like Jen Ramos of Cocoa & Hearts, and my favorite Nicole Cohen of Sketch42 (bottom left).

I'm also head over heels for pretty much every piece by Yolanda Sanchez and recently discovered Wendy Letven's 'Water, Land Air' series as well. The big question is do I go soft and let the art work with some of the pieces I already have, or do I go bold and mix things up, regardless of color scheme? That, we will have to wait and see.

For more of my favorite artists and picks, you can also follow my pinterest art board!

*rooms: kate schintzius via design sponge, interiors mag, veranda and suzanne kasler

WEST COAST IS THE BEST COAST?

I was very happy to spend a few sunny evenings this weekend with my girl Kelley, who is officially making her move to the NYC in a matter of weeks (we'll miss her so much!). Which begs the question...


Which coast is the best coast? I'm a born (in Santa Monica) and raised (in Seattle) west coast girl, but there are many things about the east coast that I really love too. Where does your heart lie, and what do you love about your coast... or city for that matter? I've come to realize that if I am surrounded by people I love and a city that offers me inspiration and a coast line, I can handle just about anything... but my heart will always lie by the beach in my la la land.

*prints by scout's honor

Picasso and Marie-Thérèse: L'Amour Fou

If you are looking for something to do this weekend, I suggest heading over to the Gagosian Gallery to see the new Picasso exhibition, Picasso and Marie-Thérèse: L'Amour Fou.  When Picasso saw the beautiful and blonde Marie-Thérèse Walter outside the Galeries Lafayette department store in Paris in 1927, he told her, "You have an interesting face.  I would like to do a portrait of you.  I have a feeling we will do great things together."  The fact that she was 16 and he was 45 and married didn't matter and she went on to become his muse and mistress.  The exhibition chronicles the life of Marie-Thérèse and their love affair through Picasso's paintings. There is a wonderful excerpt from the exhibition catalog written by John Richardson in the May 2011 issue of Vanity Fair and online for those of you who can't make it to the show in person.  The exhibition was also made possible with help from Diana Widmaier-Picasso, the granddaughter or Picasso and Marie-Thérèse.

Picasso and Marie-Thérèse: L'Amour Fou

Gagosian Gallery

522 West 21st Street

New York, NY 10011

April 14 - June 25, 2011

www.gagosian.com

Marie-Thérèse Leaning on One Arm, 1939

Marie-Thérèse Coiffee d'un Beret, 1927

Photo of Marie-Thérèse Walter, date unknown

Top Painting: Marie-Thérèse with Garland, 1937

Joan Mitchell: Lady Painter

I am still editing all my photos from High Point but decided to take a break today.  While catching up on my favorite websites, I was excited to read on Vogue.com that there is a book about to be released about my favorite artist Joan Mitchell. While I absolutely love Joan Mitchell's abstract paintings, I just realized that I don't know much about her life. Joan Mitchell: Lady Painter by Patricia Albers won't be out until May 3rd so I'll have to wait until then to read it...unless Knopf wants to send me an advance copy as a birthday present.  I have no shame when it comes to a subject I love!  Bon Weekend!

Revisiting the Art of James Nares

I wrote about artist James Nares shortly after a began my blog which was almost three and a half years ago.  Since then, his work has shown up in many more publications.  I love seeing how great his flowing calligraphy brush stroke art looks in such a variety of interiors.  What's even more interesting is James Nares suspends himself to paint them.  I think I might have to see if he's open to a studio visit!  Bon Weekend!

John Barrett residence from Elle Decor

Todd Alexander Romano via New York Social Diary

Josie Natori from Elle Decor

Baroness Bruno de Pampleonne

Michael Rosenberg and Assoc.

Foley & Cox

Alexandra von Furstenberg

Kara Mann

Laura Day via Lonny

Michael Smith

Blue Carreon

“It’s a fine balance between design and the thing making itself happen. The stroke has to have complete precision to work. Sometimes I lose it on the exit. You can’t fudge it. It ruins the whole thing.” The resulting figures are almost always contained within the rectangle. “It’s less of a window if I keep it within the confines of the canvas, but there’s almost always a drip that’s an umbilical cord.” - James Nares

A FLOWING FLORAL CHANDELIER

I've been spending time the last few days searching for some spring installation ideas for a project I have up my sleeve, when I came across this stunning floral 'chandelier'...

It was part of the San Francisco Decorator's Showhouse back in 2009 - I had one of the images saved in my inspiration files, but did some digging and found out a little more...

The designer for the entryway, Nicole Hollis, commissioned artist Yedda Morrison to create this stunning centerpiece to the hall, setting the tone for an indoor/outdoor feel. The framed butterfly art adds perfectly to the botanical feel, and the natural linen drape does the same.  Now I'm curious how hard this would be to pull off on a smaller scale for an intimate spring dinner... hmmmmm....

*images via yedda morrison, anh-min, and flickr

Chic and Colorful and Art Filled

The calendar says spring but the temperature says winter. Makes me wish I had a conservatory like Alexis and Trevor Traina in San Francisco. Vogue featured the home in the December 2009 issue and just posted some party pics online today.  It was fun to see the dining room set for a chic lunch to celebrate the new Balenciaga exhibit at the de Young Museum and a visit from Hamish Bowles who curated it. 

The Trainas renovated the home and added the conservatory by Amdega. The furniture was designed by Ann Getty who collaborated on the interior design with the couple and interior designer Thomas Britt.

The dining room set for lunch.

I love the pop of pink stemware against all the green in the room.

The chairs were designed by Ann Getty and Andrew Fisher designed the abalone topped tables.  The chandelier was found at Coleen & Company.

The entrance hall is perfect for tricycle riding.  The artwork is Studio Wall Drawing: 13th May 2004 by Keith Tyson.

Another Keith Tyson painting, History Painting (Baden-Baden, 1942) hangs in the entrance gallery.

Thomas Britt thought the red velvet by Sabina Fay Braxton would be the perfect backdrop for Trevor Traina's photography collection.  Queen Elizabeth II, 1999 is by Hiroshi Sugimoto.

Alexis and Trevor Traina with their children in the drawing room.

Thomas Britt also designed the Lucite banister which adds a modern touch to the old house.  Hanging on the stairs is Walking Cake II by Laurie Simmons.  The artist's daughter Lena Dunham wrote, directed and starred in an independent film Tiny Furniture which is also worth checking out.  Hope this colorful home brightened your day!

Photos by Andi Hatch and Francois Halard

Avenue Antiques & Art at the Armory Discount

The Avenue Antiques & Art at the Armory show has generously offered Habitually Chic readers a 50% discount on tickets to the show this weekend.  The tickets are regularly $20 so you will be able to attend for only $10 with the code DBLOG.  Perhaps you could then donate the $10 you saved to the American Red Cross to help those affected by the recent earthquake in Japan and resultin tsunamis. 

Avenue Antiques & Art at the Armory

Park Avenue Armory

643 Park Avenue at 67th Street

Friday and Saturday 11:00am - 7:30pm

Sunday 11:00am - 5:30pm

www.avenueshows.com

SEASCAPING

Missing my beach time and dreaming of the sea...  I think these two pieces would be lovely additions to the home as little abstract reminders of that feeling of calm I get when looking out at the ocean...

*angela adams rug in gorgeous pile texture

*stunning and intricately layered paper artwork recreating the san francisco bay by crafterall on etsy

GLOBAL STYLE: JAMES NARES

Hello friends! Cristina from FujiFiles here, and I'm quite sure we all feel the same way about this Lonny living room. I know I had it on my Christmas list - in its entirety.
But for now let's narrow that (lofty) dream down to the two pieces responsible for the room's splash of color: the paintings.

Those vivid brushstrokes are the work of James Nares, a London-born artist, filmmaker, and musician based in New York. His paintings are like strokes of calligraphy, magnified and flowing across large format canvases.

To achieve the look, Nares suspends himself over the canvas in a selfmade harness, and paints one continuous stroke using large brushes he developed himself. 

"I found that brushes are like characters in a way: Each one does a different dance."  

Nares can go through hundreds of attempts before he's satisfied with a particular stroke (his assistant squeegees the paint off the failed attempts). With all of the work and ingenuity that goes into every piece, the final product has definitely earned its place on my art wishlist.

I love the bold movement and color they bring to every interior!

*images via Lonny, House & Garden, Google images

FRED SHAND FOR ANTHROPOLOGIE

One of my most favorite collaborators at Anthropologie is the designer Fred Shand - I'm completely enamoured by her graphic yet organic designs. So I was really excited to see this exclusive collection created with artists from Dehli, London and NYC...

The quilts (there are also pillows) are true pieces of art (and priced accordingly!). I wouldn't hesitate to hang one on my wall, if I could afford to! They're absolutely dreamy...


*see the full collection in 'the gallery' at anthropologie.com

GLOBAL STYLE: ITALIAN BEACHSCAPES

Happy New Year, friends! Cristina from FujiFiles here, and it appears I'm not alone in my post-holiday winter blues. How ever are we meant to brave the winter chill without the momentum of the holidays to get us through? By retreating into our beautiful, beachy abodes and sipping grapefruit mimosas of course! In the event that you (unfortunately) don't live beachside, however, I recommend large scale art pieces instead - fake it 'til you make it!  

These beachscape prints were taken by photographer Massimo Vitali, from Como, Italy. His recognizable Italian beach panoramas feature dreamy blue landscapes dotted with sunkissed beachgoers - one look and you'll forget the grey skies outside!  

Hang one of Massimo Vitali's large photographs on your wall and you'll feel as if you're gazing out the window of a resort hotel, practicing one of my favorite pastimes - people watching! 

images via canadian house & home, lonnymag

Colorful Mats

The apartment of Ingrid Bergman in the 1958 film Indiscreet has become a design favorite.  I've never seen anyone else frame their art so colorfully until yesterday when I came across two examples. 

David Hicks also used colorful mats or "picture mounts" as they are called in David Hicks: A Life of Design.  This London apartment from 1954 was also featured in House & Garden so I wonder if the set designer from Indiscreet happened to see it.

While looking through Tales of Endearment, the blog by Natalie Joos yesterday, I came across a photo of Fabiola Beracasa's apartment.  I love how cheerful the bright colors look on the dark wall. 

Kate and Andy Spade also hung artwork with colorful mats in their daughter's room.  The craziest color I've used for a mat is pale blue so I might have to add this idea to my list of things to try this year!

IF I COULD, I'D GIVE YOU LA LUNE...

So in love with this simple and sweet print... With so many of my friends having little wee ones in their lives, I'm constantly looking for pretty nursery ideas, and I think this one falls into that category! After all, who doesn't want to give their child the moon?

*available at double merrick