Legendary

Hi kids! The sun is FINALLY out after a Noah's Ark deluge, and it looks like I should be able to snap a few pics of the newly painted dinette this afternoon. Be ready for a superpost tomorrow, filled with mockups and waffling and too many choices. You know -- the usual.

Meanwhile, I'd like to point out that some people know exactly what they're doing. Some people know how to make a plan and stick with it. Some people is my friend Christian May of Maison 21, who created a crazy amazing window for the Legends of La Cienaga Design Quarter event -- an event so paltry it includes nobodies like Kathryn Ireland, Muriel Brandolini, Nate Berkus, Waldo Fernandez, etc. Let's check out his window deluxe:

Like I told Christian yesterday, that screen is trying to have sex with me. You know the monkey wants to watch.

One of the best things about blogging is meeting a host of talented, amazing people -- Christian falls into that category.

He knows what he's doing.

He hoarded that vintage fabric and then had the chairs custom upholstered at Gina Berschneider, purveyors of fine things such as this:

Also check out the hubba hubba Black Crow Studios custom printed wallcovering on that custom fabricated screen!

Black Crow can do no wrong:

Watercolor hot flashes!

Finally I would be remiss if I didn't mention the infamous monkey:

Custom painted by Christian, and then dissed by angry Noguchi loving Apartment Therapy readers everywhere.

Perfect for the show window.

I aspire to be more like Christian -- to know what I am doing.

But first we will have to work through the pink kitchen, which is messing with my emotions.

Tomorrow.

Team Wipeable

I'm taking a break from my own decor drama to give a shout out to my bud Naomi of Design Manifest, who has a splendiferous article about Mona Ross Berman in the latest issue of Trad Home. The best thing about the article (besides Naomi's mad writing skills) was reading about how the designer dealt with a kid and pet friendly household, which is something near and dear to my heart (and furniture). Now if someone were to gift me with a yard of Scalamandre's infamously expensive Le Tigre or Leopardo velvet, I would of course grab it... and hide it. Far, far away from Ike and the baby and my heinous vomity cat.

This is a spectacularly gorgeous, totally hostile environment for children. I might as well move to Jupiter.

I know that a lot of people have expensive textiles and white couches, and somehow manage to impose something called "rules" on their kids and pets that magically keep expensive stuff clean. But I'm dealing with a stable of wild animals and it's really important to me that our house be livable. Wipeable.

Cue Naomi and her article on Ms. Berman.

No carpet underfoot and leather chairs make this dining room as approachable for children as adults. May I also point out the lilac walls and Sarfatti chandy? Kids can't ruin that unless they bust out a ladder and get really maniacal (I guess it could happen).

The banquette is covered in LAMINATED Duralee fabric. Brillz.

Ha! Just try to destroy this, children.

There goes one of the little buggers now -- looking for trouble, no doubt.

Mom and dad have subverted midnight rotovirus attacks by using washable velvet fabrics throughout the master bedroom.

Keeping breakables in cabinets away from tiny hands is always a good idea.

As long as no one mistakes the walls for a coloring book, everything should be fine here.

So what do you think? Would you rather have your lovely delicates on full display and train your brood of pets and children accordingly, or are you on Team Wipeable?

Should we just call this debate Fabric vs Leather?

[Trad Home]

Jamie Bush

A while back my pal David John of the uberfantastic blog You Have Been Here Sometime casually informed me that he had worked for Jamie Bush, architect and designer extraordinaire. I shouldn't have been the least bit surprised because David John is ultra talented, super educated, and lots of other important stuff. And then I started stalking Jamie Bush... dude has some genius solutions for odd spaces, and he knows how to work materials like nobody's business.

Just when I think I'm over Mid Mod, this comes along to remind me that I'm only over erstatz Mid Mod -- the ugly lovechild of fleabitten avocado green upholstery and big box espresso veneer.

I would happily sell my soul to live in a place like this -- half baked neotrad aspirations be damned.

I never said I wasn't a fickle beast.

[Pics via Remodelista]