So Sylvie

'Greedy' Man Shops Globe

So I watched Sundance Channel's new reality show about a buyer for Anthropologie called Man Shops Globe. More like Man Plunders Globe. How dare they?! How dare Anthropologie and the Sundance Channel (I thought Robert Redford was supposed to be some sort of eco-guy??) produce and air such filthy excess. In the midst of an economic crisis no less. It's arrogant consumerism disguised as thoughtful re-use. White neocolonialism (is that redundant?) is alive and well. Yeah, he has some good ideas for utilizing found objects, but so do you and I. Unfortunately the exploitive nature of the show outweighs any of the positive notes.

Robert Clive & Family with Indian maid, painted by Joshua Reynolds, 1765

There's a scene where the "star" of the show, Keith Johnson walks through the streets of Jodhpur and points to wooden transport carts that hard-working people are using to deliver goods around town, "Can we get those?" he says to his Indian agent. And with a sweeping wave of his hand declares, "Let's get twenty of those." Isn't that cute the way they use those primitive carts to do back-breaking work all day. Let's make those into a coffee table that we can rest our tired Gucci soles on after a hard day's shopping. Get those to Anthropologie stat!

I'm hoping that they are reading their reviews. It appears that they are as following my earlier post wherein I pointed out that they used the wrong name for one of "their" artists, Leslie Oschmann, a correction was made on the show's web site. If anyone out there has contact with Robert Redford please feel free to share this with him. Cheers.

"Man Shops Globe"

A new show airs tonight, Man Shops Globe, on the Sundance Channel, where Anthropologie buyer Keith Johnson cruises the world's flea markets. I'm going to check it out even though I have a personal gripe with Anthro as they refused to compensate me for a photo of mine that they used to market their drawer pulls, WTF?! 

 

Here's a photo of Keith in Amsterdam looking at some of Leslie Oschmann's pieces. If you remember I did a post on her recently:

 

For some reason they refer to her as Leslie Osterich. Did she get married, change her name... seems like a branding mistake (I learned that on Dragon's Den; note to self: too much TV lately). Anyway, isn't it convenient that he meets up with someone who formerly worked for Anthro. Not exactly an unexpected discovery. We'll see. I'll give my review of it after this episode.

On a side note: I'm thinking of getting this at an auction. Not for myself necessarily. Is it so ugly that it's beautiful, or is it just ugly?

Follow-up: I reviewed the show HERE.

Transcontinental Design

I received an email from a gentleman, Fredrik, in Sweden who saw a coffee table of mine on Flickr and wanted to get the dimensions so that he could replicate it. It was a table that I sold in my shop quite some time ago -- for only $65 (consolation gifts may be forwarded to me, thank you)!

This is the inspiration table:

Part of Fredrik's email:

"The background is that I got a lot (approx 500 kg ) of massive oak boards from one of my friends (it has been part of an enormous large bookshelf in a luxury house) that I am using to build things to our family. I had just finished a large dinner table (shaped like a super-ellipse nearly 3 m in length and 1,3 m wide) when my girlfriend asked if I could do a new coffee table, and I said 'yes'."

As I said, It had been quite some time since I had the table so I gave him my best guess as to the dimensions. Well he has finished the table and today sent me photos of it and the dining table. I would love to find a pile of wood like that to recycle. Bravo Fredrik! Your work is gorgeous. You have one lucky girlfriend!

 

 

I had a project yesterday -- no comparison to Fredrik's of course -- to reconfigure an entertainment hutch, purchased on Craig's List for $70, for storage in my dining room. I will be adding another shelf for more cookbooks, the drawers are for aprons and tablecloths. It had a paperboard backing board. I replaced it with a proper backing board covered in $1 paper from Ikea.

 

 

Happy Sunday!

It's Swarm in Here...

Leslie Oschmann blossomed when she moved from New York to Amsterdam and turned her childhood passion for creating objects into a business of reclamation and redemption called Swarm. She manipulates cast-off furniture pieces and infuses them with artistic elements that make them feel alive and animated. She gleans her materials from local flea markets.

Red cabinet wrapped with the canvas of an oil painting:

Chairs decoupaged with prints and paintings:

 The process:

"Oschmann sands down the furniture, carefully wraps sections of oil paintings – generally landscapes and florals – around the frames and nails down the edges. She then sands and seals the canvases with clear, protective lacquer." -- Telegraph, UK

Needlework on buffet:

 

Now, where did I put that jar of Mod Podge?

So Storefront...

Anne over at Storefront & Studio has a new online shop:

AND she's having a 50% off sale on some fun decor items:

I'm overdue in giving big congratulations to you Anne for the Sunset Magazine (June '09) feature on your home! We had such fun with you and Eloise watching Madagascar 2 in your yard. It's the perfect solution for someone like me who likes to sing and dance while watching a film. The people around me in movie theaters don't appreciate my enthusiasm, ha. Now everyone head over to Anne's online shop and enjoy!

An Italian Guy Staring at Me

I'm beginning to set up my bedroom that's been neglected since making the move this summer. I'll be painting the whole room white with white trim, and one wall a pastel teal with a white Rollerwall pattern over it. I painted a $45 Craig's List dresser white and the handles a sage green.

I plan on hanging a large framed vintage print I have of Bronzoni's Portrait of a Young Man on the accent wall. But do I really want that guy staring at me while I'm trying to rest? I'll have to wait until the whole thing is in place to decide. I may just go with some landscape paintings.

Anything is better than this:

To be...Lynde or Lyndie, that is the question...

Sometimes just one page in a magazine will get me to buy it. Such is the case with the Mai/Juin issue of Marie Claire Maison and page 119. It features a mobile by Lyndie Dourthe, my latest greatest insprirationix:

photo: cora büttenbender

From her site: "A bit of botany, a little voodoo, a little anatomy, and a hint of superstition ... the workshop of Lyndie Dourthe is a cabinet of minuscule curiosities."

She treats her subjects as a scientist or curator might, cataloging and classifying them in little treasure boxes:

Merci beaucoup pour l'inspiration Lyndie!!

Note: for some reason the press call her Lyndie Dourthe, rather than Lynde, without an "i", as it shows on her site. Not quite sure why. Repondez s'il te plait, Lynde.

UPDATE: Lyndie wrote and in fact the correct spelling is Lyndie, with an "i". It turns out that the page of her web site I was reading was a bad Google translation page. I will pay closer attention from now on. Merci encore Lyndie :)

Let the roller derby begin!

When I was out doing my errands yesterday I came upon a little something that made me think of my dear friend Scott Waterman. I venture to guess that at that very moment the postal carrier was placing a package from him on my doorstep. When I returned home I discovered it. I'm surprised my new neighbors didn't call the authorities when my screams, amplified by the cathedral ceiling, rang out upon opening this totally psychic gift!!

Let me explain. I first "met" Scott on Flickr in the winter of 2007 (seems like you've always been there). That fall he posted photos of some items he would be selling at his yard sale in Los Angeles. I couldn't make it, but I told everyone I knew in the area, "You have to go!" Among the items he was parting with were his collection of Rollerwall rollers. Over the years I regretted not having gotten them. And more recently, sitting across from a dreary wall in my new place it came back to haunt me. "I wish I had those rollers from Scott."

Well VOILA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He's so smart, he even included swatch fabric for me to create samples of each pattern. I'm in heaven! The landlady comes to town next week so I can run it by her. But I've always thought this was the perfect solution for a rental home where you'd like to be able to wallpaper but the removal upon leaving would be too laborious. With Rollerwall you get the design impact of wallpaper and then it can easily be painted over when the time comes. Oh Scott, how can I ever thank you enough. You are one amazing friend. You make the world a mucho better place. A endlessly textured and vibrant place! Merci.

Visual Thanks

Merci beaucoup to lovely Valorie of Visual Vamp for spotlighting my blog in her sidebar. She is a tango maestra and talented interior designer based in New Orleans. Her generous heart touches all who have the pleasure of crossing paths with her and I love her dearly for that :)

 

 

Simple Pillow Project

Here's an easy-peasy idea for making a small pillow. As you may know I love re-purposing cloth items -- shower curtains for wall art, bedspreads for tablecloths, etc. This project involves making a pillow out of a placemat. This only works with a double-sided placemat. The one I used is $5 right now at Pier1 Imports.

One end of this placemat is topstiched. Use a seamripper to take out those stitches, thereby opening one end to insert the pillow. I used an 12" x 20" feather pillow insert from Hancock Fabrics.

It is possible to flatten the pillow down enough to topstitch the end closed by machine. You can also hand stitch it. Ça y est, c'est fait! You have a sweet little two-sided pillow!





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What an easy way to make your home blossom for springtime. Have a beautiful easter weekend!