Michael S. Smith

This picture is from the book Michael S. Smith Elements of Style. I have often admired this picture but had never read the photo credits for it and last week to my surprise I discovered that the trio of temples carved in soapstone were purchased from the estate of Michael Taylor.

Michael Taylor was one of my early mentors and I have posted a tribute to his work. Recently I was serendipitously introduced to the work of David Ward who creates organic twig art for the Michael Taylor showrooms. I consider Michael Taylor to be a great design icon I am was very pleased to see how his legacy is living on through the work of Michael S. Smith and artists like David Ward.

Other interesting items in this picture are the carved gilt console which is a treasure from the classical Irish residence Luttrellstown Castle and the wallpaper is Vintage chinoiserie. The house that this room is in, is located in Los Angeles designed by the architect James E. Dolena (1888-1978) and built in the early 30's and now owned by Howard and Nancy Marks. Interestingly it took Michael Taylor ten or twelve trips to Paris, Brussels, London, and New York and dedicated auction sleuthing around the world to gather the beautiful collections for this home.

Photo via Girl Meets Glamour

Baz Luhrmann - Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)

I orginally watched this on The House of Beauty and Culture's Blog and I haven't been able to get it out of my mind. There is a lot of sage advice here. I hope you enjoy it.

Blog of the Day Award

I just got word that I have received "Blog of the Day Award"

Architectural Digest

I have recently been published in Architectural Digest magazine and have been getting quite a few inquiries about the chairs I used in this article. They are from Poltrona Frau designed by Paolo Rizzatto. They are an extremely modern design of the bergere chair: comfortable and welcoming, but with great visual simplicity. The seat and back are obtained from a single rigid shell which is covered with a new design of the capitonnee, where the buttons are replaced with special fastening rings of polished aluminum that create transparencies. The base is aluminum. The armchair can be reclined to find the ideal relaxing position. Upholstered in white Ferrari leather.

More photos from Architectural Digest December 2006

X Sculpture Martha Sturdy

David Ward artist for Michael Taylor

Michael Taylor House and Garden Feb 1991
Artist Charles Arnoldi

Below is a picture I posted awhile back titled Calling Card Chic. I had the pictures in my files for awhile and had always liked it but couldn't remember where I had gotten it. To my surprise yesterday the artist, David Ward, who had done the organic stick art on the wall in this very same picture contacted me. I have long been an admirer of Michael Taylor's work and did a retrospective posting on his work that showed the room above with his signature trademark, with this same stick art. Also I was recently in the Michael Taylor showroom in Chicago where David Ward has another piece of this artwork. As a designer I have so many images running through my mind on a 24/7 basis that I don't always consciously know the sources for everything. So I think it is quite serendipitous that David contacted me to introduce himself and I was able to piece all these images together, and above all to have found the artist of this fantastic artwork. That is another reason, among many, that I love the blogging world. You make connections that you might never have made.

Michael Taylor headquarters designed by Jeffrey Weisman of Fisher Weisman
Stick Art by David Ward

This is a lighting fixture that David has just completed for a Tea Bar called Teance in Berkeley California. Fu Tung Cheng is the designer and owner. Fu Tung Cheng also has a stove hood fans that he has designed for Zephyr.

David Ward also does rock art, which I think is stunning and bold.

More of David's designs above and below

Visit David's web-site http://www.sticks-n-stones.net/index.shtml

Alberto Pinto "Haute Interior Design"

Alberto Pinto is described as the preeminent master of unabashed wealth and opulence. He creates on all the continents private residences to offices or even palaces for the greats of this world. More over, he has brought interior design up to the status of

“Haute Interior Design.” (haute - ōt: trend-setting, high fashion, high style)

Castle in England

Home in Sao Paolo - A dining room with a stucco wall panel in the Art Deco style
Home in Athens
Apartment in Geneva
Home in Athens - whitewashed walls are inlaid with pebbles in a diamond pattern.

Apartment in Paris

Home in Athens
Ranch in Sante Fe
Apartment in Geneva

Home in Sao Paolo - a view of the dressing room complete with a daybed in the center. Mirrors reflect carefully organized closets illuminated by Venetian ceiling lamps of painted silk by Mariano Fortuny.Castle in England

Based in Paris his "agency" as it is called is installed on the five floors of a 17th century private residence situated at the Place des Victoires in Paris: Hôtel de la Victoire.The Alberto Pinto agency is an interior design and decoration office of 55 people whose "domains of intervention" cover not only the realization of main residences, vacation homes, office buildings, hotels, but also yachts or private jets. I have long admired his work and if an office is indicative of the type and quality of work that you do....his offices below do him justice.

A majestic eighteenth stone staircase with a robust wrought iron railing coils to the top of the mansion. The different departments of the agency open on to the four levels.
The library occupies the left side of the sitting room. A wealth of carefully classified documents is available to the staff on the floor to ceiling oak bookcases.

In the sitting room comfortable sofas and armchairs covered with ecru linen surround a high-wool Moroccan rug executed after a cartoon by Alberto Pinto. An over sized collage by the Spanish artist Antonio Valdes.Two immaculate white plaster columns in the pure Forties style by Pascaud are placed in front of the large bay windows in Alberto's office. A bronze head from the Cubist period sits atop a black lacquered chest on the far left.

For other posts on Alberto Pinto see:
My Marrakesh

My Marrakesh
Enseignedegersaint

Mediterranean-Lifestyles

All photos courtesy of the Alberto Pinto web-site

Rome

I have been watching the HBO production of Rome Season 1 & 2. I highly recommend it. The acting, sets, costumes and cinematography are superb. It was filmed entirely on location in Rome on a 5 acre set. Rome earned 7 Emmy® nominations, including Outstanding Art Direction and Cinematography. If anyone else has watched this series I would be interested in your feedback.

This picture is Cleopatra committing suicide with the bite of a deadly venomous snake.