Bead of My Heart

T.S. Eliot had it all wrong. February is the cruelest month by far. Even with our occasional glimpses of the sun, the winter has not kept me warm, though I am hopeful for the lilacs. I'm weary of the cold and gray.

Casting about for inspiration and distraction, I enjoyed Town & Country's profile of Diane von Furstenberg. It reminded me of the House & Garden feature of her Paris apartment in September of '05. (Yes, that is the kind of nonsense I retain, while I had to remind myself that Eliot deemed April the cruelest month. April, even in the waste land of the modern world, is a piece of cake compared to February.)

von Furstenberg's apartment is that tireless and timeless mix of old and new and this and that. Oh, and the Warhol, of course. But when I looked it up, what I couldn't resist was the African beaded chairs.

Right? Then, on the hunt for something else, I ran across the image of Charlene de Ganay's vacation home, second from top, which features a beaded chair as well.

This is just the kind of folly that would lift my spirits. Imagine how much fun those boys would have pick, pick, picking until the cascade began. I cannot begin to imagine if these are comfortable or not, though if I were a guest of von Furstenberg or Ganay I am pretty sure I would neither notice nor care.

Several beaded chairs, stools and tables can be found at 1st dibs and other spots on-line. In addition, Christopher Filley sometimes has a piece of beaded cloth or such that holds the same graphic appeal.

Looking over the budget it appears that Mr. Blandings has left off the "African Beaded Chair" line item, so perhaps I will make my way back to the Nelson to enjoy the African beaded throne that sits just outside the Homer Page exhibit. Where I will stand tapping my beaded slipper, impatiently waiting for Spring.

Image, top, photography by Francois Halard, next, Ganay's home, Elle Decor, October 2007, photography by Simon Upton, chairs and stool, 1st dibs, image, last, courtesy of the Nelson-Atkins.

Labels: Product