Holiday Gifts: Exquisite painterly bags

  

I fell in love at first sight with these one-of-a-kind painterly tote bags last spring. Leslie Oschmann, a former visual director at Anthropologie, relocated to Amsterdam and founded Swarm, her home-based atelier. Leslie scours the flea markets of Holland and Belgium for vintage oil paintings and re-uses them in various ways.   

 See information here

The carry bags have sturdy leather handles and are each a unique work of art. The small bags measure 13" x 18" and the large bags measure 15' x 15" x 5".

See information here

 

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(This may just be a gift for myself...)

Holiday Gifts: Shaved chocolate?

PlumSiena will be offering unusual holiday gift ideas throughout the next few weeks and I have a fun one to start off with!

Wouldn't you love to receive this great little gadget? Shave your chocolate. Create away... and then let it melt in your mouth. 

 

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"Le Carrousel" is from a fabulous Parisian chocolatier in the 6th arr., Jean-Charles Rochoux.

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You can purchase Le Carrousel here or here.

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Dark and gorgeous

I'm loving Windsor Smith's fabulous powder room's walls, as seen in the latest issue of Rue magazine. 

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The color is rich and the velvet texture is so lush. You've got to run your hand on it!

 

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Tomorrow begins PlumSiena's holiday gifts celebration!

Join me in the quest for the charming, the captivating and the wow in gifts for yourself and your special ones.
 

Painted scrollwork

These are the loveliest shutters. 

The painted scrolls and charming border set the shutters off perfectly.

Wouldn't you agree?

Provencal Style

Unconventional Toile

Toile seems to be everywhere these days. Walls, drapery, accessories... you name it, it's there. 

Today, I think I'll take the sofa and handbag in traditional red and white.

Pierre Frey

Longchamp

With many thanks

Family, friends and God's green earth with all that it offers us- I am thankful for these.

French Country Living

Beauty in decay

This gorgeous photo was taken by Frankfurter photographer, Michael Himpel, in the Villa Eulalia of Old Havana, Cuba. Isn't the room hauntingly beautiful? 

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The Villa is now run by the Cuban Ministry of Education.

 Lumas Gallery offers many works of art for sale to collectors. Himpel's stunning photos can be seen here. 

 

Gustavian grey

Simple, elegant, refined.

Paris Objet Trouve

I love these walls

This cool bathroom of Mike Kennelly and Ben Bladel has many interesting elements: the walnut table with a granite vessel sink, the slate-tiled shower with a frameless door and the wall finish combine to create a masculine space.   

The wall's iron paint has been treated with an acid to create the rust patina.

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Amazing medieval copper

While on a recent trip to Italy, we encountered this amazing, bigger-than-life size exhibition of copper. Not what you might think. We walked into this medieval battle with horses and knights and hooded passersby. We did a double take.

The exhibit stands in the courtyard of the Communal Palace (Palazzo del Comune). The exhibit was created by Sara Bolzani and Nicholas Zamboni and is named The Humanity. It presents a unique vision of the Middle Ages, with each form expressing great emotion and incredible detail.

 

Look at the beautiful copper patina!

 

Up close:

Care for a bath?

 A zinc and copper tub to die for in this elegant bathroom! 

Again, the creation of Parisian designer Frederic Mechiche.

The tiled floor, painted mural and Mechiche's choice of objets lend the air of antiquity and glamour.

Cool alligator skin finish

Check out this fabulous alligator skin finish 

Florida artist Brenda Brunderman

did on this drum! 

Love the colors as well as the texture.

Sweet accessories

A limed wood carving, 
   a rusted sconce, 
      and an iron birdcage 
            = sweet accessories!

Art et Decoration



 

Beauty under the staircase

Parisian designer  Frederic Mechiche transformed this space under his staircase into a refuge of beauty. 

The classic columns and urn, along with the silk sateen sofa, add elegance to his book collection.

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Wouldn't you love to read your favorite book there?

This is a rug?

The rug companies are creating amazing works of art lately!

Here is a silk and wool combination from ABC Carpet and Home that is prettier than wallpaper. 

Gorgeous Gilding

This gorgeous, gilded crown molding hangs in the Villa Farnesina, a treasure trove of art in the Trastevere section of Rome. The Villa was built between 1508 and 1511 and contains striking frescoes by Raphael and his followers. It also contains fabulous grottesca!

Plaster remnants

Artist Carin Gerard's living room in California contains several large plaster remnants that were salvaged from the ceiling of an old French castle. 

Aren't they wonderful?

Traditional Home

Here are a couple close-ups:

Traditional Home

Traditional Home

Over in Oxfordshire, England, James Perkins became entranced with plaster remnants when he was a teenager and has been collecting ever since. He is now sharing his extensive collection in a country house that he has restored. Aynhoe Park is open for special events rentals. 

The World of Interiors

How cool would that be to have a party amidst the history? 

Nine new casts, taken from the originals, are now available at The Conran Shop.

Illuminating Memories

Porta Romana's lamps and sconces are a wonderfully creative collection that is bound to make us smile. Their combinations of gold, silver and a sense of humor are charming.

Here's a peek:

    Giraffe Lamp 

(for some reason not available in the US, but in the rest of the world)

 Beatrice Wall Sconce

Rock Floor Lamp

 Mussel Shell Bathroom Wall Sconce

 Duck Feet Lamp ( a limited edition with 24 carat gold leaf and a 14" goose feather shade)

 White Gold Glass Blossom Chandelier

A contemporary pattern... from the year 1280

It amazes me how talented the artists and artisans were many centuries ago.

This thoroughly contemporary pattern is part of the magnificent ceiling in the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, the Gothic church that stands a block from the Pantheon in Roma.

Here is more of the ceiling:

Cool coffee table

With its aged wood, chunky hardware and faded paint, this coffee table would be perfect for the casual room. Like my family room! No need to worry about the shoes on this piece.

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Bookshelf envy

These steel shelves extend 100 feet in the lower level of a house to accommodate the owner's large book collection. 

I could also use every inch!

 

Architectural Digest

Now this is a lacquered wall!

I am in awe! 

Creating a good lacquered wall is challenging and requires precise steps.

Don't you think they did a great job?

Cool color, too!

Stephen Sills

A frame like no other

The wood, the scrolls, the stone- I love it all!

As seen on a church in Orvieto, Italy.

What is this?

I like this new finish created with metallic waxes. It looks like rust, but is very smooth to the touch.

The diagonal line across the middle denotes the beeswax topcoat from the acrylic wax topcoat.

Here was my studio open house yesterday:

Bye bye Fall 2010

We had a long and lovely fall this year. My container plants are still flowering, but after Friday's sleet and cold, the leaves will be down in no time.