GLAMOUR PHOTOGRAFY

. . . and the weather was so beautiful today, it's becoming clear that it will be increasingly difficult to concentrate on work [or any matter indoors] in the days and weeks to come, and with all this brightness and buds on trees and newly unfurled petals in devastating shades of lavender and dusky violet, there comes also, the feverish need to clean and sort and organise anew, and here, when all the feverishness is over, there will be glass cases for storage & display, for everything, from towels and bottles of perfume in the powder room, folded rows and hangers of clothes in the bedroom, and most of all, for favourite pairs of shoes . . .





{p.s.} another way to store & display shoes /// handbags /// jewellery /// artwork /// perfume
& more shoe display cabinets : one & two



[images: 1&2, livingetc via the diversion project; 3 - photography by simon brown for elle decoration uk, scan by moodboard]

. . . shall always and forever adore velvet {this sofa is stunning}, and even more so after happening upon it in mesmerizingly beautiful and wonderfully luxurious shades of gold . . .

{p.s.} hello! thursday again, and dashing out the door for a late lunch on a sunny terrace across town, and today it's a chignon and diamond earrings, a delicate white dress with thin straps and gold embroidery, perfectly paired with gold strappy summer sandals

hope you're having spectacular week and more lovely things soon,
xo

{image: elle decoration uk via the diversion project}

. . . deep into summer and it's as many wonderfully languorous hours en plein air as possible, an afternoon spent dreaming away or lost in the pages of a beautiful book and breathing the scent of a million blossoms, or idyllically swinging from the boughs of a perfect tree, or best of all, lilting conversations over an early evening dinner under the cover of the most charming canopy in a shade lost somewhere between lilac and lavender . . .

{images: photography by tim evan-cook for elle decoration uk july 2002 via moodboard}

. . . always in love with all things gold, and after covering a cocktail table in gold-leaf in early spring, even more drawn to its elegant shimmer, especially as gilded accents on walls and along ceilings, and on luxuriously beautiful carved sofas . . .

{p.s.} the fourth guest post for lucky magazine can be viewed here

{images: 1 - fendi ad, elle decoration uk march 2010; kate moss by mario testino, vogue paris january 2006 via fashion gone rogue}

. . . good morning! a hazy monday and perfect for the pared-down palette and beautifully bright space of an island country house in demark: filled with an enchanting mix of shades and textures, flea market finds and souvenirs from travel -- an antique birdcage, a gilded frame, butterflies from france and silver lanterns -- all intermingle exquisitely to create a warm serenity. . .






{p.s.} more scandanavia:
* designer home, copenhagen
* apartment, sweden
* charlottenlund, copenhagen
* boutique hotel, sweden

{images: scans by this is glamorous, photography by birgitta wolfgang drejer for elle decoration uk march 2010; image 4 via tine k home}

. . . the now softly fading rays of sunlight breaking through the overcast mornings of early november skies with melancholy evoke quiet daydreams of the always inviting combination of grey & yellow, flax & slate, silver & gold . . .











{p.s.}thursday already! hope you're having a beautiful week

{images: 1 - photography by thibault jeanson, martha stewart living september 2005; 2 - flores del sol via decor8; 3 & 8 - lucyina moodie via desire to inspire; 4 - scan from elle decoration uk; 5 - photography by mikael olsson; 6 - via remodelista; 7 - lara stone via a glamorous little side project; 9 - photography by isis on flickr via julia; 10 - tori golub interiors via desire to inspire; 10 - studiopatró; 11 - martha stewart living}

{two lovely things:} pretty peonies and floral etched wine glasses + daydreaming on still waters . . .

{p.s.} see also:
* at this moment: bar carts
* more here + here

{images: photography by neil mersh for elle decoration uk july 2004; editorial - outward bound, angela lindvall by carter smith for vogue uk}

. . . another whirlwind week has come and gone and this weekend is tall boots and fallen leaves, brisk afternoons and warm tartan blankets, and in the evenings, tulle dresses and moonlight . . .

have a beautiful, beautiful weekend, everyone!
xo





{p.s.} more stacks of freshly chopped wood

{a few things you may have missed:}
* fashion: london + new york
* eco chic: emma loves retro
* at the shops: rose & grey
* video: a dreamy afternoon
* photographer: karen collins
* fun DIY: painted sea grass
* travel: luxe luggage
* autumn afternoons

{images: 1 -anta, first discovered via chelsea; 2 - sophia coppola for louis vuitton clutch via scanned by daisyinbloom from marie claire feb 09; 3 - photography alex sarginson for elle decoration september 2002, scanned by moodboard; 4 - adrian lima, vogue paris -- thanks, mimi!; 5 - dace; 6 - shelter}

{from Elle Decoration May 2008}

The panels of Sarah Dorkenwald and Ruth Spitzer's Wallfurniture LC2 wallpaper {above} will instantly open up a small space into a view of an ultra-stylish and modern lounge . . .

Also like the effect of using one panel of Tracy Kendall's Plates wallpaper, installed as artwork next to a powder blue Smeg and metal colander.

{image via alkemie}

The clear glass doors on Nicky Hilton's built-in {above}, remind me of Liza Giles' French armoire {below} in her London flat. I quite like the idea of the transparent doors, which is similar to using library storage for pretty shoes and clutches, in which the items themselves become decorative, as opposed to being hidden away, adding dashes of colour and interest to a room.

{image from Elle Decoration, UK Edition October 2007 (NO 182), photography by James Merrell}

There has been a recent resurgence of marble in design, leading style forecasters to herald its comeback, but certain it never went away . . .

Marble is a metamorphic rock form composed of coarse crystals from limestone or dolostone rocks. (If you remember from your geology classes, metamorphic rocks are rocks that have changed from one form to another by the high pressure and temperature environment of the Earth). This metamorphic process causes a complete recrystallization of the original rock into an interlocking mosaic of calcite, aragonite and/or dolomite crystals.

There are many, many types of marble, from Bianco Carrara to Calacatta Imperiale to Fior Di Pesco Carnico, only to name a few. Some types of marble are named after the locations of their quarries, for example, Black Marble from Kilkenny, Ireland; Boticena and Onyx(Green) from Pakistan; Carrara and Luni from Italy; Macael from Spain; Royal White from China, and Makrana from India.

{marble coffee table in a New York loft}

The word 'marble' comes from the Greek marmaros, meaning "glittering" or "shining stone". When polished perfectly, marble gives a soft glitter that seems to come from the inside, and when rays of light penetrate it, marble comes to life and gives off pink, yellow, grey, blue, greenish, reddish, brown, and black tones, as well as various other beautiful colour combinations.

{a stunning marble facade elevates the look of this office designed by 3rd uncle}

The characteristic swirls and veins of many colored types of marble are usually caused by mineral impurities such as clay, silt, sand, iron oxides, or chert which were originally present as grains or layers in the limestone. Green coloration is often due to limestone with high magnesium content or dolostone with silica impurities which have been mobilized and recrystallized by the intense pressure and heat of metamorphism. A recent post, {luxury is in the details}, gives an example of green colouration in marble and {beautiful bathrooms} showcases some beautiful marble bathroom fixtures.

{ring coffee table by autoban}

The temperatures and pressures necessary to form marble usually destroy any fossils and sedimentary textures present in the original rock. However, if you look closely at certain varieties such as Verona, Fossile Marrone, Jura or Rosso marble, you may be able to glimpse the shapes of ancient shellfish, corals, petrified algae, and shells. Some types of marble with quartz and pyrite 'veins' glitter with crystal and golden tinges.

{marble fireplace in a hotel lobby}

Pure white marble (the kind favoured by Michelangelo) is composed of the mineral calcite, and is the result of the metamorphism of very pure limestones. White marble has always been popular for sculpture and building construction because of its beauty and relative softness. This softness, however, also makes it vulnerable to weathering, as the calcium carbonate content in marble is easily damaged by acid rain.

White marbles, like Carrara in Italy, Royal White and Bejing White in China, have been the number one choice for sculpture since classical times. This preference has to do with the softness and relative isotropy and homogeneity, as well as a relative resistance to shattering. Additionally, the low index of refraction of calcite allows light to penetrate into the stone before being scattered out, giving a "waxy" or life-like look to marble sculptures of the human body. The Venus de Milo, Parthenon, Zeus of Olympus temple, columns of Artemis temple in Ephesus,(one of the Seven Wonders of the World), were all made of soft white marble.

Whether it's Carrara or Bianco Perlino or Rosso, a status symbol, a floor, or a fountain, there's no denying the luxury and glamour of marble, and its timelessness by all of the history that it represents.

{the venus de milo}

{images: Elle Decoration, 3rd Uncle, Autoban, Livingetc}