No Mercy

I just finished watching The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, a movie about the former editor of Elle magazine who was paralyzed by a massive stroke at the tender age of 42. It was such an amazing film, so luminous and unexpected, that I was curious about what other projects director Julian Schnabel might be currently involved in. I already knew he was a famous painter and respected film maker -- having seen Basquiat I was expecting great things from his latest movie and I was wholly undisappointed -- but I didn't realize that he had also extended his creative pursuits to interior design. Now I know hotels are usually Karly's forte, but since I'm nursing a mental crush on Schnabel, I thought I'd check out his take on the newly renovated Gramercy Park Hotel in New York:

Is it just me, or does the (grand) entryway look like it belongs in a Harry Potter book? I think it's the script on the custom designed carpet... I have to admit I've always wanted a checkerboard floor, though.

Here's a better look at the hotel's art collection which rotates some pretty heavy hitters. Although I'm not familiar with the particular pieces, I'm pretty sure that's a Warhol on the left and what must be a Cy Twombly on the right. Schnabel also included several cast bronze pieces he made, including that creepy Beetlejuiceified lamp.

There are plenty of bars in the hotel, which suits the decor well since bar design seems to lean toward the theatrical anyway. Of all the rooms, I think these two are my favorite. The Damien Hirst spin art painting on the left is a great counterpoint to that amazing pendant light display and the red curtains, and I love the pink walls with the gold Warhol Rorschach painting on the right. The Beetlejuice bronze definitely looks better as a chandelier than as a floor lamp.

The rooms themselves are a little... different. Instead of relying on art as decoration, they almost look like paintings themselves. This suite is very Vermeer, I think.

The penthouse is similarly jewel toned, with extremely bold color choices. I wonder what it would be like to actually sleep there, not that I'll ever have cash enough to find out.

When talking about his paintings and films, Schnabel claims that he's "aiming at an emotional state, a state that people can literally walk into and be engulfed." It's funny that his movies, not tactile in the conventional sense, do exactly that, but that his hotel seems superficial in comparison, despite its obviously tactile and luxurious environs. I think it's a little cartoonish, sort of like Disney meets the Whitney Museum, and that it misses much of what makes his films and paintings great: a sense of scale and proportion, a willingness to mix real with surreal, and enough grit to take the shine off the decorative.

What do you think? And I being to hard on my new hero? Does adulation always doom the adored?

Getting to know you: Geoff McFetridge

As a graphic designer by day and home obsessed fantasy decorator by night I can't help but have a big giant soft spot in my heart for Geoff McFetridge.  While I was mildly impressed by such yawn-inducing accomplishments as directing the Beastie Boy's magazine, Grand Royal, founding the Director's Guild with Sophia Coppola, and scribbling a bunch of silly doodles for some of the greatest movie opening credits ever; Geoff really stole my heart when he designed this wallpaper:

(way to take the roll of the toilet before getting the shot, homeowner) 

Left: little whales in gray Right: shadows of the paranormal in red

I love how everything just looks like crazy insane shapes, but then you look closer and see this:

Left: Shadows of the Paranormal in Gray

Right: All of Us in Black

Hello! Do you see how sasquatch's legs are actually a hunter shooting him?  Genius I say, mad genius.   With everyone and their kitten getting into wallpaper design these days, papers start to blur together and there's really only so many flowers and birds one girl can look at.  Geoff's designs quietly make their way through the crowd, not really asking to stand out, but really really standing out.  

According to an interview done with Geoff by Loftlife, most of his paper designs originate as art installations, others are cast off projects for various clients reincarnated through his own design company, Pottok.  Who would cast these off?  Probably the same people who would leave a roll of TP in a DAMN HOME DECOR SHOT. Let's get past the anger and see some more pics, shall we:

Dead Trees in Green

I love how each panel tells a story.  One day, when my entire house is covered floor to ceiling in his (ahem) $150 / roll paper I will spend hours and hours finding new secrets in each picture, my cat will be there, she will like it too, Matt will be somewhere else.  In addition to providing countless days of looking at walls in a dream-like state, my hard earned duckets will have also helped save my dear, precious life:  each of the papers is hand silks-creened on recycled paper with water based inks.  good for me, good for you.

When McFetridge isn't scheming to cause my soul and bank account heart break, he works on these amazing installations:

the (in) Mind (or in the Mind), installation at the Seattle Art Museum Olympic Sculpture Park

hooray!  it's like his wallpaper in 3-D!  Or his wallpaper is the installation in 2-D?  Oh, deep thoughts, very chicken or the golden egg.

When looking at Geoff's work, I couldn't help but be reminded of uber-pattern designer, Alexander Girard, take a look at Girard's disigns:

Turns out, McFetridge is a big fan too.  There's the same stark contrast, pattern within pattern, and a sense of a story with Girard's work.  McFetridge's art really takes it one step further, sort of like a grande Girard acid trip.  I would love to tell you more but I am dead tired, mostly from all the wallpaper fantisizing, it tires a gal out.  So, why don't you go check out this great video on Geoff over at Western State and I'll get some dreamy sleep time.