Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Simply Divine

It's been bookshelf bounty around here the last couple of days. I have neglected everything else and have been reading Jonathan Franzen's Freedom when not toting or driving or fixing something for someone else.

Today's post was supposed to be about finding cool stuff for yourself instead of letting catalogue companies reproduce it and deliver it to your mailbox, but I took a turn at Spivey's Books and never made it to the River Market Antique Mall.

There I found this tiny little pamphlet-like thing, Interiors, Character and Color edited and written by Van Day Truex. For $3. Wonderful. Being so close to Half-Priced Books I stopped in to see if Vreeland's Allure was still there. Was. Truly, I don't need to be spending $50 on a book, but it seemed some kind of divine intervention so I lugged it around while making a quick dash through the design section. There, completely unaware that it is fashion week, was The Fashion House with no price tag. "How about $2 since the jacket is torn?" said the nice woman behind the counter. Um. Great. Thereby justifying the alluring Allure.

So while the youngest did his math homework and spelling, I was tutored by Vreeland and Truex. After all her musings on style and photography and attitude she declares, "...really, we should forget all this nonsense and just stay home and read Proust."

Then, with iCarly in the background, I noticed Yves Saint Laurent's note in the Fashion House that his entire home was conceived around Rememberance of Things Past. But I can't possibly return to Proust right now as Franzen has my fancy and in the meantime I must ponder the allure of Bill Blass's white walls.

All images Bill Blass's home in The Fashion House by Lisa Lovatt-Smith. Photography by Fritz von der Schulenburg.

Jonathan Franzen will be at Unity Temple on the Plaza, thanks to the wonderful Rainy Day Books, September 22nd. Information here.
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16 comments:

  1. KarenaSeptember 13, 2010 at 11:10 PM

    I must get to Spivey's even though you have picked over everything worthwhile!!

    Kidding because I am off to the library to pick up the bio on Paggy Guggenheim!

    Karena
    Art by Karena

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  2. Daniel ShigoSeptember 14, 2010 at 12:04 AM

    Dear Mrs. B- I adore Bill Blass' white walls and classicism, having come upon several of these images in Henrietta Spencer-Churchill's book Classical Interior Design (2005). In fact, Blass' walls are the reason I painted everything white in my apt in the first place. Now where can I find his furniture?

    Very nice to see these additional photos!

    Daniel

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  3. Splendid SassSeptember 14, 2010 at 12:25 AM

    Such beautiful images!
    Teresa

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  4. AnonymousSeptember 14, 2010 at 12:31 AM

    I knew I liked the images for a reason- Bill Blass's taste was so underrated. Nice to see.

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  5. La Maison FouSeptember 14, 2010 at 4:50 AM

    I love the white walls; mine are P&L bone white and ceylon ivory.....soft and aubtle. For me I work with so much color, the loss of it at home is relaxing and refreshing.
    L.

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  6. Style CourtSeptember 14, 2010 at 5:34 AM

    Patricia,

    You're gathering a beautiful collection of white walls for the next chapter. I notice the prominence of sculpture in these pics too :)

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  7. marySeptember 14, 2010 at 7:19 AM

    I love the way your mind works!! Proust was great, but very self-centered.

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  8. Acanthus and AcornSeptember 14, 2010 at 8:58 AM

    A fantastic distraction in the form of a different kind of hunt!
    The first image is truly perfect I would say. So very glad you could maintain focus with i Carly in the background, no easy feat! There is always tomorrow for treasure hunting...

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  9. Peggy BraswellSeptember 14, 2010 at 12:20 PM

    Bill Blass is just the best..clothing, interiors-thanks for sharing love the pictures.
    peggy

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  10. cotedetexasSeptember 14, 2010 at 12:54 PM

    wait. you don't read while you drive? that's my favorite time! get an ipad for that. hehe

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  11. Victoria ThorneSeptember 14, 2010 at 1:07 PM

    Simply divine easily describes stopping by to visit with you; like having the best cup of coffee with an incomparably delightful and erudite friend (who has such sweet and brilliant stories to tell). Love all of this, and adore your tutors. Coffee today was heavenly, thanks to you.

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  12. The Down East DilettanteSeptember 14, 2010 at 1:17 PM

    Without doubt, along with his country house, among my favorite interiors of all time. I'm practically licking the screen.

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  13. Room TemperatureSeptember 14, 2010 at 4:59 PM

    If I had better furniture--well, & chunkier moldings & the kind of light BB had--I'd probably have white walls too, but since I have nothing special furniture & mismatched moldings, I had to go with the distraction of color. But if life were more otherwise than it is, you betcha I'd go for his calm, patrician look. Of course I'd need some new friends, too.

    BTW, I need to get than Van Day Truex book. I've never even heard of it.

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  14. Sue Murphy@ life as a houseSeptember 14, 2010 at 5:40 PM

    OOOOhhhh so lucky. Just the way I like to spend an afternoon, looking at amazing images. Thank you for sharing your finds.

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  15. Boxwood TerraceSeptember 14, 2010 at 5:48 PM

    And sublime I think too. These rooms make me want to throw everything away and start over. If only it were that easy. So nice that you found a couple of great design books that were practically free.

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  16. UnknownSeptember 15, 2010 at 7:57 AM

    So happy you got your Allure! Fashion is art...and art is fashion!
    Elizabeth

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