Redesigning our Home (again!)

Hopefully you recall what our living room looked like the last time I featured it:

Most of the items at our home (with some important exceptions) we maintain actively for sale on our website, so we frequently have to start over again with the design of living spaces. The first thing to sell was the great industrial coffee table, gone to Greenwich Village in NYC, via 1stdibs. We are still in need of a great coffee table. Those are really hard to find. My husband had seller's remorse after that sale. The next thing I changed (not because of a sale but just because I liked them better) was the pair of white-painted armchairs. Instead, I took home this pair of comfortable French bergeres:

But alas, those are now on their way to Hong Kong, so I decided to bring home some rough leather moustache club chairs for a totally different look:

The same week I sold the charming white settee to a designer from Illinois. So off that went and my only choice was this more formal gilt settee which I upholstered in a light burlap to dress it down. I think it makes a fun contrast with the club chairs.

I never really liked the proportions of the little table in the corner with the pink table lamp next to such a big mirror...

so I brought home this amazing antique processional statue. I'm sure you've figured out by now that I have a weakness for religious pieces, though part of what I love is its sculptural qualities.

She is sitting on this appropriate gothic style side table (also originally for processions):

I don't have pictures of the new room because my camera was stolen (grrrr....) but I'll have a new one soon, I promise!

Designing an Enticing Holiday Showroom Display

For a long time, I've had a thing for the glass domes that were used in the 19th century to protect important clocks, taxidermy specimens, or religious statues. They have certain quality to them that makes whatever is inside just a little more special. I bought a series of empty ones last year and it took me a while to figure how to do something creative with them. Here's what I came up with:

Vintage jewelry displayed on stacks of old leather bound books.

Old crowns on some crusty paperbacks in an oval dome. This group joined another "Souvenirs" dome:

This display needed some holiday cheer, so I added some Christmas balls and gilt finials:

These stacked books set the stage for some tiaras:

Here's the completed holiday card shot:

Happy Holidays to all my wonderful readers, you are very much appreciated!

Preparing a Thanksgiving Table

This week, my thoughts have turned to the Thanksgiving holiday. I wanted to create a vintage, French-themed table to inspire my clients. One of my goals was to incorporate some not-so-expensive items, so that my customers don't feel like they have to spend a lot of money to have a beautiful and charming table. I began my process by creating a tablescape that was not a "set" table:

I focused it on this small still life painting which I thought represented to be largely what Thanksgiving is all about: giving thanks for the bounty of our nation and eating good food!

After adding a few more items around it, I was not pleased with the end result because the set did not really convey the message of a real Thanksgiving table. So, I started over. This time I began thinking about the elements I wanted to be sure to incorporate. I also had in mind a specific fall color scheme.

Some French vintage napkins ($25. each)

antique Villeroy & Boch majolica plates ($150. each)

Sarreguemines transferware dishes ($35. each) and set of 12 Puiforcat dessert spoons and server (set $1200.--ok, I realize that isn't cheap but they are 19th century sterling and vermeil!)

A few more details here and there and...voila! the tablescape that I sent out to all my customers:

In case you are thinking that this is not hard work, here is a picture of our photo session so you can get an idea of how detailed this whole process actually is. D. is a very talented photographer and he just launched his personal website.


A few more options for your Thanksgiving table:

Another set of napkins with red detailing--so chic!

A pair of English bone china Royal Crown Derby plates ($275. each)

And because I can't load my entire inventory onto my blog, you better just click over to the new Tabletop category page we created on our website. Happy Thanksgiving planning!

Rough Luxe and New Directions

"Rough Luxe" is an oxymoron that I have been running into quite frequently and I've been reflecting on this nascent movement (trying to determine what it is and isn't.) The WJS Magazine defines it, when referring to those in their 20's, as "a rejection of the minimalism that dominated the world they grew up in...Rough Luxe sounds the death knell for perfectionism" WSJ.

I quite like the term myself and believe that Rough Luxe describes a design aesthetic I have embraced for a while in my home and my shop. Take the photograph above, it is of our showroom's entrance. The floor is marble but not polished... rough yet a luxury. The painting is unframed, giving an arguably luxurious item a toned-down, un-stuffy feel. The sideboard has great history, yet its straight lines and contrasting colors give it a modern and timeless feel - a few accessories on it, but not cluttered. Vintage yet modern: Rough Luxe.

It's a bit of a surprise that I could embrace any movement with the term luxury in it. During the condo-building boom of the past few years (at least here in Miami), the term "luxury" was so overused to describe just about anything that it quickly became a joke between my husband and me. We would drive by huge billboards with scantily clad women draped over them, martini in hand, advertising the latest "luxury" project. The term became so diluted that it is now in the process of being redefined by pairing it with other concepts.

Rough luxe is now the name of a new boutique hotel in London which states this on their home page:

This is Rough Luxe. Half rough, half luxury. A little bit of luxury in a rough part of London. A little bit of rough in a luxurious London. ..Guests at a Rough Luxe hotel might share a bathroom or have a small room or a small shower cubicle, but the luxury is in the choice of the wine, the bed linen, the art on the walls and the people looking after you. Our look is a mix of old and new, furniture and art; combining colours and beautiful fabrics with cheap materials and existing distressed original walls. Cheap materials are treated as precious items and preserved for their beauty and memory of the site.

Reception Hall at Rough Luxe Hotel

Furthermore, they define the Rough Luxe philosophy as a new way of looking at luxury as part of time and not just as an object of consumption... An enriching personal experience... A time for reflection, the intellectual value of objects ... of social and cultural experiences linked to locations...food, lifestyle objects and events.

I must admit that in the past few years I have struggled a bit to appreciate both the minimalism and perfectionism of the trends in the design world. And I think I'm not the only one. Let's face it, much of that style is not all together comfortable or practical and it doesn't allow for a lot of variation and creativity in design. As a long time lover of all things old, the story and journey of a piece has always been a priority in creating an atmosphere that is meaningful. Meaningful in the experience it allows the people who live around it or visit to enjoy. Nothing with a history is ever in "perfect" condition and yes, it is desirable that way. Personally, I'm ecstatic and hopeful that the tide is turning. This does not mean that all 20th century design should be abandoned, I'm certainly not advocating that. Let's just be less strict and more adventurous in the settings we live in. Hopefully everyday can be a little more interesting.

Some close-ups: Antiques + Industrial

Following my popular post on our new house, I received several requests for close-ups on the industrial pieces that we threw into the mix. Here is the wall in the dining room that you couldn't see:


The small cabinet was handcrafted by some Parisian artisans we know who purchase the iron from old factories and re-invent functional uses for it.


I will have to do a whole post on our dear friend, designer and source for them as he was recently featured on the new "Man Shops Globe" series on the Sundance Channel (if you don't know what I'm talking about, don't worry I'll fill you in soon.) On this rather rough iron piece I have two old mercury glass candlesticks and a pair of biscuit porcelain figures one of which was used on my wedding cake. The painting above is a study by the artist Georgette Agutte, for a larger painting that I sold during an exhibition I created surrounding her works in my gallery. She is my favorite artist that I've had the opportunity to represent and I had to keep something for my personal collection. More on her in the future too!


In the niche to the left of the fireplace mantel, I have an antique wedding trunk from the Switzerland. They are called wedding trunks because girls would go filling them with their dowry or trousseau until they were married. It is lightly decorated with a garden urn-turned lamp, a small religious statuette, and a painted porcelain plaque. You can also see in the corner of the photo a painted bench which is not visible in the larger photograph of the room. The purpose of this bench is to have additional seating when we are entertaining, one commenter pointed out that we have seating for only 4 in our living room, well this bench makes it 5 or 6. More than that I don't consider conducive to good conversation.
Our "piece de resistance" so to speak has been our industrial cog wheel center table. It is a really neat piece and I love that it has "ITALY" cast into the base. This is a sign that it is 20th century and not earlier, or it would have read "Italia" instead. I purchased the iron base and then got the beveled top locally--42" was the perfect size. Unlike the candlesticks in my dining room, the mercury demijohn bottle is a reproduction currently made in Poland. We sell them at our shop for $100-$150 depending on the size. They can add just the right amount of "sparkle" to a room. There are a few more further down.


Not only have I begun to mix the industrial with antiques at home but also in our shop. Here is a recent photo of one of the vignettes you would see at Alhambra Antiques if you came in today.

A 19th century trumeau over a factory work table, decorated with some more bottles and some vintage tins. You can just get a glimpse of the industrial lights hanging overhead.
To the left of the console I have this French urn with iron base, another interesting combination of something old and classic juxtaposed with something more recent.



I also just sold this fabulous French Dentist's Cabinet. I loved that it had features of fine furniture, such as a marbletop and cabriole legs while incorporating the functional elements of the glass trays and doors. This must have been one chic Parisian dentist! It is being shipped to Hong Kong for a very cutting edge fashion designer. I'm sure it will look fabulous, I hope she sends me pictures.


Lastly, I also got several requests for my paint color, it is Sherwin Williams Silver Sage 1185. Thanks for dancing with me.

Merci Beaucoup, Joni!

Merci, merci to Joni from Cote de Texas...what I surprise I got when I went to her site and saw--myself! Welcome to all my new CDT readers. The pressure is really on now. I discovered Joni's blog soon after I began writing Dancing Through Paris - and I had to smile when I read her motto: "French design on the Texas Coast. Yes, it does exist!"

I soon became an avid follower and still cannot believe the amount of work and dedication she pours into every post. Her posts are not small blurbs or random thoughts, but are planned, researched and edited articles with wonderful images. She has truly created a magazine of her own (I can only imagine what her readership numbers look like). And since that evidently is not enough to keep her busy, she has also teamed up with two more lovely ladies, Megan and Linda, to create The Skirted Round Table, a weekly radio show in which they interview the world's top designers and bloggers. Their last interview was none other than Charlotte Moss!

The question now is: what to send Joni as a thank you? I would love to be as creative as Sande from A Gift Wrapped Life and wrap something with beautiful bows and decorations:



But I think it makes more sense to send her something from Alhambra Antiques. So here are some of our "gift"offerings. Let me know what you think:

some antique manuscripts with dried flowers...Joni looked at these while at my booth in Round Top

A bouquet of lavender from Provence

or do you think she's more of a red roses kind of gal?

If the budget allowed, I would certainly send her a tiara...


or this turquoise Rose Idee Collection necklace to go with her Round Top outfit...

or how about a Baccarat bonbon jar...

Any favorites?

(thank you card image from Reverie-daydream.com, gifts from Oohlala, all others from alhambraantiques.com)