image via Meuble PaintCheck out his trompe l'oeil architecture for L'Institut Guerlain above, a collabo with Jean-Michel Frank. Stunning and perhaps not all that difficult to mimic? Temo Callahan (the man behind briliant Studio Printworks wallpapers and a friend of Mugatu's) definitely had a similar moment in his kitchen:
photo by Paul Costello via domino
This was my favorite shelter mag story of 2008, so much creativity. Aesthete's Lament was already on the Bérard bandwagon a year ago and I agree, that Greek key carpet should come back into production TOMORROW. Maybe I'll copy his stylized key frieze and some faux paneling but in a tonal shades of red? Green? My bathroom's floor tile, toilet and baptismal font bathtub are all white and I think I'm gonna commit one of those terrible "Flip This House" no-nos and paint the HID-JEE-USS textured grey 12x12 shower tile to match. This is a rental, after all. Oh and for my double wall sconce I might buy two of these scalloped tole chandelier shades from Stray Dog Designs:
image via Stray Dog Designs
image via Stray Dog DesignsCharming, right? Their catalog showed up on my desk today -- what a cute story. I'm sort of obsessed with tole right now but more the garden furniture variety not Italian floral chandeliers. Okay, one more CB beauty for inspiration:
image via Idbury Prints
"Couple on a Bed," 1947, an illustration for Elsa Triolet's novel Mille Regrets. How effing talented was this guy?!? 100 Euros and it's yours, plus points for anyone who makes the Love in a Cold Climate connection ...
*UPDATE*
A little birdie tells me that another brilliant F-o-M (Friend of Mugatu), the esteemed architect James Shearron, was responsible for Callahan's cabinets! Perks of having stylish friends I guess. Think any of mine want to paint my pissoir or re-create the Bemelmans Bar in my kitchen?!?
Also here's the passage I was remembering:
The next morning when I went to Lady Montdore's room to say good-bye, I found Cedric, in a pale mauve silk dressing gown, sitting on her bed. They were both rubbing cream into their faces out of a large pink pot. It smelt delicious, and it certainly belonged to him.
"And after that," he was saying, "until the end of her life she wore a thick black veil."
"And what did he do?"
"He left cards on all Paris, on which he had written 'mille regrets.'"
-Love in a Cold Climate by Nancy Mitford, first published by Random House, 1949.
Might Nance have had the above image in mind when creating her own (hysterical) 'couple on a bed'?
image via Idbury Prints*UPDATE*
A little birdie tells me that another brilliant F-o-M (Friend of Mugatu), the esteemed architect James Shearron, was responsible for Callahan's cabinets! Perks of having stylish friends I guess. Think any of mine want to paint my pissoir or re-create the Bemelmans Bar in my kitchen?!?
Also here's the passage I was remembering:
The next morning when I went to Lady Montdore's room to say good-bye, I found Cedric, in a pale mauve silk dressing gown, sitting on her bed. They were both rubbing cream into their faces out of a large pink pot. It smelt delicious, and it certainly belonged to him.
"And after that," he was saying, "until the end of her life she wore a thick black veil."
"And what did he do?"
"He left cards on all Paris, on which he had written 'mille regrets.'"
-Love in a Cold Climate by Nancy Mitford, first published by Random House, 1949.
Might Nance have had the above image in mind when creating her own (hysterical) 'couple on a bed'?
Posts
Love it! J'dore the pendant shade!
ReplyDeleteI am trying for the extra points-Christian Berard and Nancy Mitford traveled in the same crowd in Paris and Miles Redd is fascinated by both of them.
ReplyDeletegirl, when you tackle painting the tile in the shower let me know. i've got some some very chic, very remnant cat-puke pink and brown ones that need addressing.
ReplyDeleteallegedly the shower is the only place this doesn't work due to the constant moisture? i desperately need to believe that a belt sander and a hell of primer are a thing that is possible.
temo's apartment and the guerlain consistently quiet and melt my brain. did you see margiela's elle deco suite a few months back?
http://dianepernet.typepad.com/diane/2009/01/the-elle-deco-suite-by-maison-martin-margiela-at-the-cite-de-larchitecture-du-patrimoine.html
AND/OR: http://2thewalls.tumblr.com/post/81320281/the-idea-according-to-the-architect-and-designer
OR: http://reubenmiller.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/05/nume_is_introdu.html
can't wait to see your apt
ReplyDeleteBérard, Triolet, and Mitford all fought in the Austrian Resistance, under von Trapp.
ReplyDeleteThat is so imaginative!
ReplyDeleteI believe the room you're looking at was designed by Andre Abus (1903-1969), and was not painted as it appears, but upholstered with the lines being grossgrain ribbons cut and sewn on to the fabic covered walls to appear like brush strokes. The room was a masterpiece at the time.
ReplyDeleteHis original furniture does come up for sale:
http://www.newel.com/andre_arbus_for_sale.html Reproductions:
http://andrearbuscollection.com/about.html
A recent knock-off of that room can be seen at Anthropologie's Rockefeller Center Location or here: http://www.pompeiad.com/articles/5_140
A monograph on his work:
http://www.amazon.com/Andre-Arbus-Architecte-decorateur-annees-French/dp/2909283178
Not Arbus.
ReplyDelete"Christian Berard's creation for the vestibule at Guerlain's Institute of Beauty"
http://houseofbeautyandculture.blogspot.com/2008/02/stich-in-time.html
Yes, love Arbus but I'd just seen the first photo in Jean Michel Frank monograph (Leopold Diego Sanchez, Editions du Regard, 1997) on p. 142 and it credits Berard and dates the Guerlain room 1939.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Peak of Chic: http://thepeakofchic.blogspot.com/2008/02/delightful-domestic-artistry.html
The Mitford reference comes from the first private meeting of Lady Montdore and Cedric Hampton on her bed, but Cedric is wearing the pink dressing gown ... I'll post the entire passage when I get home because paraphrasing won't do it justice!!
And Mr. Goldface, won't you be the shower tile guinea pig? I have no patience for intense prep and priming these days. But I am living for those Margiela and Pirroni rooms!!!
ReplyDeleteWho ever Mugatu's friend is must be some kind of genius! Those cabinets rock my world. Who is this lucky Temo character....what could he have done to be given such an extraordinary gift? How does one get a hold of this mystery talent?
ReplyDeleteThat kitchen is exactly what I have in mind for my kitchen makeover. I love the work of Christian Bérard, glad to see you are acknowledging him. Any chance you have the book "Berard" by Boris Kochino, it's a great book - shows so much of his work in color. I'm very tempted to get good copies made and frame a collection....
ReplyDeleteI'm in love with the drawing by Elsa Triole.
ReplyDelete-Zane of ontario honey