"Fascinated" by Cherry Chau

In Paris in the Marais we stumbled upon this fabulous shop owned by designer Cherry Chau.

Yes, she makes the fascinator headpieces that Kate Middleton has made instantly popular. Cherry has been making couture bridal and wedding dresses and accessories for her upscale clients for years.

How's this for a nice little Oscar dress????? Maybe with...


This??????

We were lucky to meet Cherry and score some of her bracelets for the shop, which we brought back with us from Paris. This a wood and velvet with crystal bangle.

This little cuff is fabulous with the crystal.... It looks like space, with stars.

This is a generously sized leather bangle with leather, hide, and jet trim. We like our leather here in Texas especially when mixed with...You guessed it!

Bling! Here, a leather lined "Cherry" red hide cuff with gorgeous stones, that I thought went nicely with This....

This is a faux pony cape, lined with silk. It is fabulous.........Looks great on either side as it is reversible....... And drop dead gorgeous with either of those last two bracelets..... Think white, shirt, Jeans, boots.

A close up of the detail....

OOPS! Almost forgot this stretchy woven bangle accented with leather and brass. To see Cherry's Shop in the Marais, go to 30 Rue de Sevigne, say Hi to Natasha......

Cherry also has shops in Selfridges in the UK, a shop in Madrid....

If you decide you would like to purchase any of Cherry's pieces we brought back, just email us at the shop (beadboardupcountry@sbcglobal.net) for pricing and information.

Chau!

Arte Pura! Wear Your Jammies Out!

One thing is for sure, you will never be dissappointed with the artistic presentation of the Arte Pura Italian Linens at Maison et Object in Paris. I fell in love with this mannequin. It has passementerie on the top, plaster is applied on the body over fabric, then the bottom is wrapped with an organza like fabric with Italian writing on it no less.

This is the Carte Colore or Color Card with all the choices you have for Bedding, Tabletop, Bath and THESE!!!!!!!!

Hello. Did I mention they make incredible Dreamwear????????? Well they do. Look at the buttons and the lace on this. This is the Baleari in the Polevere Old ( a light beige with a hint of pink) the collar is ruched, too.

We bought pajamas by mistake the first time we bought the line.... Robes wanted a linen shirt...Well, not speaking any Italian, we ordered Pajamas Completo by mistake and got a pajama ensemble the top of which is shown below.

Here in one of their two new colors,( it looks like light butterscotch...)is the top of the Maddelena pajamas. And the first Arte Pura we ever sold in this very home design oriented shop was, you guessed it, PAJAMAS COMPLETO!!!! One customer got four of these in four different colors and mixes it all up.... She bought a Lava Grey one and wore to the opening of the Santa Fe Opera!!!!!!!Adorned herself with Silver jewelry.......How cool is that???

It seems no one is wearing these to bed. The tulle lace on the bottom is a trim choice also on the bedding, bath, and tabletop. This is the other new color it looks like peach ice cream. The piece is Mykonos. The ruched sleeves have cashmere.....

Here is the Maldive.... Bell sleeves with the cornely roses. I can see this with capri length leggings, or just the bottom of the Maddelena pajama set. Yawn, I think I'll put this one on and just sit around......

And watch my tulle wrapped candles flicker in the dark......

Gray to Stay at Maison Object

I love the way this showcased room is put together to make darker colors springlike by adding a splash of lime green, light flooring, and lots of glass. I also like the two round mirrors. They don't have to be huge, just strategically placed.

I think it is Eicholtz, the Dutch company who is on the cutting edge of design. I am not a big fan of animal hides but this totally works here to brighten up the space.

Also look at the glass cabinet. Simple, elegant, uncluttered.....We have all been trained to put our "stuff" on display. What is your opinion of this???????

Another great room from the same company...I think.... (If I am wrong ,just email me and I will make the appropriate changes or do whatever derriere kissing I need to do to give credit where it is due:) Love the two candle features here on the tray. Gray pillows mixed with metallics on a rumpled linen sofa.... Gee, do you think it was so inviting people actually SAT THERE?????
I certainly do. All you wrinklephobes, just fluff the cushions and enjoy!

A Valentine Pour Vous

For Valentines Day please enjoy these,


While in here,


With a big a bouquet of these,



While sipping on this. OOPS! It's a little blurry.

Note to self: take picture BEFORE sipping!

The End!
HVD!

Andree Putman Ambassadrice du Style

This year the Mairie of Paris,as last year ,presented a retrospective on designer Andree Putman, one of my all time favorites.

I didn't realize that she also designed a lot of fashion items as well like these triangle sunglasses for RAC.


This wonderful tabouret is more what she is known for. Contemporary design. This was one of the fabulous pieces being offered up for public view at the Hotel De Ville through Feb 26th. We went. If you are there, then GO.






She has an amazing past and is still making an impact in the design world at 83. This really put her on the map one of the first "Boutique " Hotels in Manhattan, Morgans. The hotel made the black and white check motif a part of Putman's signature style.


This bathtub is also at the retrospective.......Amazing.....

Also this Piano designed for Pleyel Pianos the oldest piano company in France. It has a constellation on the inside of the top and the signature trim of black and white check. She did study piano extensively but her interest in design won her over.

I never knew she designed SHOES!!!!This was for Hermes, I think,Or possibly Charles Jordan. Pink Suede!!!! Normalement Iam not a shoe girl, but these?????? OH YES!YES!YES!

Not only is she a designer but THE designer FOR designers. She has designed boutiques for Thierry Mugler, YSL, Anne Fontaine, Guerlain, Azzedine Alaia, Balenciaga, Karl Lagerfeld, Barneys for Women, and designed Pens for Mont Blanc, Silver for Christophe, Bags for Louis Vuitton, Coffee items for Nespresso, and the inside of the Concorde down to the flatware........Which, being an ex sky goddess, really sent me round the bend to see the pictures and examples of actual carpets, lights, seats and tray tables set up for dining of the elegant Concorde a la Putman. Just a few of some fun things she has gotten to do in her life.

This was also in the exhibit, a bathroom from the original design of Morgans, where Robes and I stayed shortly after it opened. It was owned at the time by the late Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager of Studio 54 fame (right after it closed) which is probably why no liquor license was granted at the time..( It was ok, they just offered to go fetch). Not a problem now....... Ian Schrager went on to head up the marvelous Morgans Hotel Group. Robes goes "Hey that was our bathroom!!!!! I wonder if the ring I left is still in the tub?????"(This is why we don't attend many of these things......)

Andree's chair for Emeco.

Look at this fabulous treatment of the restaurant courtyard in a Hotel in Bordeaux.

These Half Moon sofas were on display similar to the ones in the Hotel Particulier seen here in the 7th in Paris. I love how her contemporary design blends with the architectural detail in this very French room. Image from Habitually Chic.

See the pearls on the left like the tabouret????? Oh and did I tell you I LOVE Anne Fontaine's blouses??????I love Anne Fontaine ANYTHING!!!!

Especially this!!! The Spa in Paris for Anne Fontaine also designed by Andree. Take me there NOW>>>!!!!!

Morgan's early common / breakfast room.

She even did crystal........Also some private residences owned by very lucky clients, and offices for the ministers of culture and finance in the France. Sometimes you just have to find things to keep yourself busy......

Really, if you get a chance and are in Paris, go see this...And then google Andree Putman and learn why she is the true Ambassadrice du Style, not just in France but the world.

Parisian Fleurs D'Hiver

One of the things Robes and I do first when we get to Paris is go pour "Les Provisions".

This means we get bread, fromage, cornichons, coffee, real yoghurt, confiture, bottles of wine for the apartement and some incredible FLOWERS.... Not any flowers but ones we can't get at the "unsupermarket" we have here in a small town.

So, while we are going through this cold snap here in South Central Texas ,( which is on a similar latitude as Tampa) and the wind chill is 7 degrees..(Yup one digit.) I am reminicing about balmy Paris in JANUARY!

After Pascal Mutel ,where we used to get flowers, closed one of his shops on the Carrefour de L'Odeon, we were surprised it is now a shop devoted to artisanal single malt scotch and whiskies mostly made in Japan.( not a problem, but we were in search of Les Fleurs.) When you are in search of flowers Scotch just doesn't cut the mustard, AND when you are in search of Scotch, flowers don't quite float the boat either!!!!!

We were sooo happy to discover this lovely shop. Frederic Garrigues, Styliste de Fleurs,

in the Marais, at 2 Rue St Gilles.

Love this very basic domed light fixture with little postcards of musical notes ....

Do you think it has something to do with the fact he studied at L'Ecole des Beaux Arts???? Nah!!!!

The French love their spring bulbs and hyacinths are prolific everywhere.

As you will see in later posts.

Another great idea, take your curly willow put small vases in some organza bags and put some orchids in there. Simple, Classy, Elegant.

What did we leave with??? The anemones from the first picture.

Look at how they do the bag, with the little sprig tied with raffia....... And their card.

Thanks Frederic!!! We'll be back!

Only the FRENCH could think of THIS!

Natura Collection, innocent enough, beautiful large glass encased bathroom, floating flowers... and spectacular tile in an animal print motif, but guess what else they did with that animal motif.?????!!!!!!!!





They had two gorgeous models, body painted like the tile......! I don't know about you but after looking at furniture all day this was the hit of the show for many!!!! At a market where pictures are VERBOTTEN, EVERYONE was snapping away like they were Helmut Newton.


The whole thing was encased in glass and was a little farther back than other exhibitors, no you couldn't go in there and TOUCH anything....(Much to Robes Dissappointment) I must say though it was tasteful, impactive and no one forgot about this... Now Robes wants to redo the bathroom, guess what tile he likes????? What do YOU think??????

Maison Object Spring 2011

Ok, so my camera went south on me during the Deco Off.....Not to worry,

I got plenty of shots of the latest and greatest taken with my little coolpix, clandestinely. (Robes likened us to Maxwell Smart and 99)

Here a gorgeous bed from Demeura. Love the headboard, bedding Yves Delorme

The window at the Pierre Frey Shop.

More Pierre Frey...

This was my favorite at the show, in the entrance was a rickshaw with fabric flowers.

This is KENZO> Fantastic.....

More Kenzo, sorry about the clarity but I was sneaking these with my "fountain pen camera", then my shoe phone rang......

Loved this bed with the Kenzo logo on the coverlet.

Another show stopper Missoni Home.

Thinking this was Yves DeLorme ???Not really that wow I didn't think.

But more purple showing up.......

Designer's Guild, they never fail to dissappoint.

Loved this vignette from Osbourne and Little...The topiaries are even in the floor covering. Look at the way the little trees seem to be 3 D.

Also loved this from Christian LaCroix for Osbourne and Little,

no, grey isn't going anywhere. It's popping up all over.