Beautiful Gardens and Inspiring Spaces

The window at Nathan Turner decorated by India Hicks for "Legends La Cienega" 

Last week was an inspiring one here in Los Angeles for home and garden enthusiasts. If you are an interior designer then you probably know about the Legends La Cienega event that occurs every year in Los Angeles during the first week of May. The windows of the design stores on La Cienega and Melrose Boulevards are decorated by interior designers and can be viewed for one week. I have gone with friends several times to see the windows. There is always a theme and this year it was "One of a Kind." The designers consistently do a fantastic job and this year was no exception.

The other and much bigger component to the "La Cienega Legends" are the lectures, seminars, conferences and book signings. Two days worth of fascinating and educational design events. This year I was able to attend with my sister who is an interior designer in Greenwich, Ct. I was wowed by all the fascinating information I learned as well as the visual feast put on by everyone involved. What a fun and inspiring two days!

The photo above is of the window at Nathan Turner decorated by India Hicks. She created a fantasy room for the well-travelled home-owner. It represents a lovingly curated space filled with souvenirs from far-flung locations. You could easily spin a narrative based on this space. What interesting conversations there would be about all these objects.

Her well-appointed coffee table

India Hicks was at the store to show her new fashion line which includes scarves, handbags and accessories.  

Mecox Gardens

Mecox Gardens is one of my favorite stores on La Cienega. It always makes me think of summer, casual living and outdoor entertaining. They have everything you would need to decorate a beach house. When we visited last week the place was jumping. In the back room there was a trunk show for interior designer Mark Sikes' new clothing line. And in the front room Will Taylor, an interior designer from London, talked about his design career in England and new book which is about to be published. He has a popular blog Bright Bazaar. 

Suzanne Rheinstein's Hollyhock 

Will was on the panel of design bloggers that kicked off the first event which was held at Suzanne Rheinstein's beautiful store Hollyhock.  Hollyhock is one of the loveliest stores in Los Angeles. Antiques are combined with carefully curated objects, art work and ravishing fabrics. Suzanne was signing copies of her newest book Rooms for Living. We gathered on her outdoor patio for a bloggers' breakfast and panel discussion. It was a spirited affair moderated by Newell Turner, the former editor-in-chief of House Beautiful. The bloggers were asked to give their opinions on many different design trends. 

This generated a lot of laughter as the bloggers held up paddles saying either "Love" or "Hate. They weighed in on the following home decor concepts:

Banana leaf print, macrame wall hangings, black walls, round copper pendant lighting, chalkboard walls, sheepskin seating, white tulip tables, entertainment wall units, tufting, green velvet, sliding barn doors, skirted round tables, sunburst mirrors, peacock chairs, zebra rugs, black and white checkered floors, all white kitchens, Staffordshire dogs, Windsor chairs, succulents, the great room, cement floors, ginger jars, layered rugs, tufted headboards, and faux flowers.

There were many diverse opinions but the one that generated total agreement was "faux flowers." They were universally disliked!

A lovely little vignette in the back room of Hollyhock

Of course we couldn't forget about the windows and luckily when we went over to Melrose Place for lunch we saw the window that was decorated for Waterworks. It was created by interior designer Schuyler Samperton. Her theme was "The Past Perfected" and was an ode to "one of a kind women." The spirit of Vita Sackville-West loomed large here. It's amazing how a creative use of objects, colors, textiles, lighting, flowers and whimsy can convey such a strong sense of place. I felt as if I were in the English countryside. The designer's goal was to create a "refuge of a creative spirit where history is revered, inspiration flourishes and dreams come to life." This was my favorite window. By the way, I had to photograph the windows from inside as the glare was too strong to take a photo through the glass!

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And just in case the garden lovers felt left out, there was a design event for them as well. This was the weekend for Garden Conservancy Open Days in Los Angeles. It featured beautiful and intimate gardens in Santa Monica and Brentwood. They were filled with inspiration. Nothing lavish or showy in these gardens. Just beautiful garden moments that were created with enormous attention to detail. These were gardens we could all relate to. Each was an inviting, green haven. Take a look at a few of these serene and inspiring outdoor spaces.  

What a stimulating few days here in Los Angeles! Ideas flowed all around us and it was very exciting to be among so many vibrant and creative people. If you love home and garden design, be sure to sign up for one or both of these events next year.  

Saying Good-bye To Fall

How was your Thanksgiving? Ours was very special this year with our granddaughter sitting at the Thanksgiving table for the first time. There was so much to be grateful for. And it was fun to to set the table with a tablecloth from our daughter's home goods and textiles company Heather Taylor Home. The one we used is called "Redwood" and looked very festive, I thought. Go here to see more.

Today is the last day of November and tomorrow we will officially be in countdown mode until Christmas. I am looking forward to the special moments that make this season so magical. But before we move on to the big month, I thought it would be fun to recap some highlights of the fall season so far. I'm a little sad about it coming to an end. So here are my favorite things (in no particular order) about fall this year...

Many of them happened in New York...

1. "Hamilton"

The experience of seeing the Broadway musical "Hamilton" was thrilling. From the moment the show began I felt I was in the presence of something brilliant and original. Lin-Manuel Miranda read a biography of Alexander Hamilton and was inspired to create this electrifying show. If you get a chance to see it, please do. You won't be disappointed. As soon as Aaron Burr opens the show with his fabulous and expository song about Alexander Hamilton, you will be captivated. The music is so good! It may be the best musical I have ever seen.

2. Jennie Simogyi's final performance for the New York City Ballet

It's not often that a ballet performance ends with the kind of curtain call I saw in October after a performance by the New York City Ballet. This was dancer Jennie Simogyi's final performance and when it was over the curtain call went on for at least 20 minutes. She received enough flowers to fill a small flower shop. Her fellow dancers and friends came out one by one with bouquets until the stage was carpeted with blooms. The final touch was confetti and streamers raining down on her from above. It was a wonderful send-off and I felt so lucky to have seen the farewell performance of such a talented and obviously beloved dancer!

3. "Ernest Hemingway: Between Two Wars" exhibition at the Morgan Library

I have mentioned before how much I love the Morgan Library. There is always something fabulous to see -- the building itself, the gorgeous library filled with rare editions of so many books, and the fascinating exhibitions. This time we were lucky enough to see the Hemingway show. It's up until January 31 and if you are in NYC be sure to see it. Hemingway saved everything and consequently this exhibition is filled with an abundance of photos, books, corrected proof pages and letters. They give us new insight into this literary giant. One of the observations I took away was how much Hemingway revised. It was fascinating to see the many revisions of a book such as "The Sun Also Rises." Even the famous last line. 

And in Litchfield, CT...

4. Sitting in front of the fireplace in the library at the Mayflower Inn

Especially when Los Angeles was in the throes of a major heat wave. The crisp fall weather and cozy fireplaces in New England were exactly what I had in mind when I planned our trip to Connecticut. Fall in New England is a wonderful event!

And back here in Los Angeles...

5. A Garden Book Club

Some friends invited me to be part of a garden book club and we had our first meeting in October. We discussed Vita Sackville-West's Sissinghurst by Sarah Raven and Vita's novel All Passion Spent. It was enlightening to talk about Sissinghurst with so many garden enthusiasts. We talked about the structure of the garden as well as its plants. Everyone agreed that Vita was an inspiring woman and a force to be reckoned with. She created enduring legacies with her garden at Sissinghurst as well as her writing. She led a tumultuous personal life which included a long term marriage with diplomat Harold Nicolson despite having many affairs, including one with Virginia Woolf. Their marriage survived and together they created the beautiful garden at Sissinghurst. The image of Vita striding through her garden wearing long strands of pearls and riding boots is one that will stay with me for a long time. 

6. "The Immortal Beethoven" series at the Disney Hall

In October the beautiful Disney Hall in downtown Los Angeles was the setting for "The Immortal Beethoven" series which consisted of performances of all nine Beethoven symphonies. Gustavo Dudamel conducted both the Los Angeles Philarmonic and the Simon Bolivar Orchestra of Venezuela. We heard Beethoven's seventh and eighth symphonies and they were breathtaking.

7. Holiday Calligraphy Workshop at Hollyflora

Soon it will be time to send out holiday cards and since my handwriting seems to get worse with each passing year I thought it was a good idea to sign up for a calligraphy class. I have always admired this type of decorative handwriting. It was taught by Bianca Mascorro at Hollyflora studio. Her class was excellent. She is a very good teacher and the experience was therapeutic. When was the last time you held a pen dipped in ink? It felt delicious. This kind of beautiful writing is a lost art and I think we should bring it back.

8. Baking with pumpkin

Spiced Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Buttermilk Icing is one of my favorite fall desserts. I made it for my family to snack on while we cooked all day on Thanksgiving. The smell alone is reason enough to make this cake. Go here for the recipe.

9. Indian Summers on PBS

I love having a riveting drama to watch on Sunday nights and "Indian Summers" definitely fits the bill. Have you been watching this one?

10. The film Brooklyn

Each year the best films seem to be released in the fall. This year was no exception. My favorite so far is "Brooklyn." What a beautiful film!

Au revoir, November. Gingerbread season is right around the corner...

Happy Makers

"Nobody has measured, not even the poets, how much love the heart can hold."

-- Zelda Fitzgerald

 Botany Flowers last Valentine's Day

February is the shortest month and also the sweetest with Valentine's Day right in the middle. But maybe the best thing about February is that it's the last month of winter and the precursor to spring. In Los Angeles, it's still chilly enough to want to be inside but there are glimmerings of nature about to burst into bloom. Here a few things that are making me very happy this month.

Photo via here

Reading a wonderful article in the New Yorker about the history of "loving" to read. It turns out that those of us who feel passionate about books are in very good company. Many of us have a love affair with books; this article explains the romance of literature.  

Finding an old book with the loveliest artwork on the cover. I love the sub-title of this memoir -- A study in Friendship. Do you know about Ottoline Morrell? She lived in England during the early part of the twentieth-century and was a fascinating woman who was connected to the Bloomsbury Group. I have collected many books about her and think it's now time to do a little research! 

And speaking of Bloomsbury, there is a new novel about Vanessa Bell and her sister Virginia Woolf. It is a work of historical fiction and has gotten great reviews. 

Another new novel by one of my favorite playwrights, Yasmina Reza. She  is a French writer best known for her plays Art and God of Carnage. Her new novel is also getting great reviews!

Framing this poster from the fabulous Virginia Woolf exhibition I saw at the National Portrait Gallery last fall. It reminds me of our wonderful trip to London. Are you sensing a Bloomsbury theme to this blog post? Not intentional!

Being in awe of the pear tree bursting into blossom; this spectacular event always takes my breath away!

Getting ready for spring with some new outdoor furniture. I have admired Peter Dunham's Fig Leaf pattern forever and was so excited to finally have a place to use it!

Liberty of London's "Secret Garden" series which just debuted this month. It is as fresh as springtime. Each pattern is based on a quote from The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The pattern above is called "Jeffrey Rose Tree" and was inspired by the following quote:

"And the roses -- the roses! They came along day by day, hour by hour."

 What a brilliant idea to tie in a classic garden book with a fabric design. Go here to see more.

 Signing up for The Italian Sojourn -- a new lecture series that examines books about trying to reinvent oneself or alter life experiences by changing one's environment. Not surprisingly, they all take place in Italy. This one should be delightful as it is taught by one of my favorite UCLA professors. The books include Up At The Villa by Somerset Maugham, Where Angels Fear To Tread by E.M. Forster and Roman Fever by Edith Wharton. Go here to learn more.

And finally the "J.M. W. Turner, Painting Set Free" exhibition that is opening at the Getty Center at the end of the month. It is arriving from the Tate Gallery in London and features the artist's experimental and very modern  paintings done at the end of his career. I can't wait to see this.

Wishing you a Happy Valentine's Day!

Ready for Fall

September, 2012

Every year at about this time I start to get excited for fall and begin to anticipate the upcoming season -- the weather, the clothes, the food, the colors, the holidays. I am ready for fall. Do you feel this way? Here in Los Angles the heat is intense but I am dreaming of a chill in the air, cozy sweaters, autumn leaves, and fires in the fireplace. It all sounds heavenly right now. Fortunately the September issues of many magazines are out and there are some very exciting things coming up. Here are a few that have got my heart racing...

MOVIES

"The Imitation Game" starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley
Photo via here

Benedict Cumberbatch seem to be everywhere these days. In the film The Imitation Game he plays Alan Turning, the English mathematician who helped crack Nazi Germany's Enigma Code during World War II.  On the heels of his great role as Sherlock Holmes, he is once again playing a brilliant problem solver. Perfect casting. I can't wait to see this one.

 BOOKS

Photo via here

Fall and new books just seem to go together. Here are a few that sound very intriguing:

Novels

Lila by Marilynne Robinson

Everyone in the book world is excited about a new book by Marilynne Robinson. This is the third in her much-praised Gilead trilogy.

The Dog by Joseph O'Neil
I loved Netherland by Joseph O'Neil. His latest book is about a New Yorker who moves to Dubai to escape his problems and finds himself strangely at home. If it's anything like "Netherland," it will be filled with beautiful writing, witty insights and sharp commentary about the modern world.

The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher: Stories by Hilary Mantel
After wowing the literary world by winning the Booker Prize two years in a row -- for "Wolf Hall" and "Bring Up the Bodies" -- Hilary Mantel has written a collection of contemporary short stories.

The Children Act by Ian McEwan
This new novel by Ian McEwan (one of my favorite writers) is about a prominent London judge who faces the ruling of her career. The case is about people using religion to refuse medical care for their children and the life of an exceptional teenage boy hangs in the balance. This one sounds so good!  

 Cookbooks

Photo via here

Plenty More by Yotam Ottolenghi
Yotam Ottolenghi is the owner of Ottolenghi restaurants in London and also a cookbook author. His book Jerusalem was one of the most popular cookbooks in recent years. Filled with fabulous middle eastern recipes, it is a must for the creative cook. His newest book "Plenty More" is a sequel to "Plenty," which was filled with delicious and beautiful recipes for vegetables.

Make It Ahead by Ina Garten
A new book by Ina Garten is always an occasion. After all these years, she is still my go-to in the kitchen. I have purchased my ticket for her book tour in November. I went two years ago when she was promoting her earlier book "Foolproof" and she was fabulous! In person she is elegant, very funny, and always down-to-earth.

Huckleberry: Stories, Secrets, and Recipes from Our Kitchen by Zoe Nathan
Zoe Nathan is a celebrity of sorts here in Los Angeles. She is a young baker who has three very popular cafe/restaurants in Santa Monica and has just come out with a cookbook. People are very excited about this. She is one of the many amazing young women in Los Angeles who have developed successful businesses and continue to inspire all of us!

Photo via here

A Kitchen in France: A Year of Cooking in My Farmhouse by Mimi Thorisson
Mimi Thorisson is the creator of the beautiful blog Manger. She lives with her family on a farm in Bordeaux where she cooks and entertains with great flair. She shares her recipes and life style on her blog. Her new book "A Kitchen in France" is divided into four seasonal chapters and is part cookbook, part memoir. This book promises to be a beauty!

 DESIGN IDEAS 

Natalie Massenet's house in London
Photo via here

The design magazines at this time of the year often feature inviting and cozy interiors. Fall is a favorite time for nesting and I love the idea of warming up a house with a little touch of red. Did you see this piece in Architectural Digest on Natalie Massenet's house in London? She is the founder of Net-A-Porter. The red chairs in her dining room/library are a perfect touch. And don't you love a dining room filled with books? Go here to read more.

LECTURE SERIES -- "CAUGHT IN THE ACT"

This is a popular time of year for lectures and book signings. I can never get enough of UCLA Professor Charles Batten's lectures and beginning in September he will be giving a fascinating series of talks on the subject "Caught in the Act." Each of the novels in this series presents "the mysterious relations of moral choice and circumstantial compulsion, of will and fate, in the lives of its characters." Our first book is "The Picture of Dorian Gray." The others are: "Lord Jim" by Joseph Conrad, "Ethan Frome" by Edith Wharton, and "The Ambassadors" by Henry James. Go here to find out more. As a side note, I just finished "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt and think it definitely falls into this category!

DANCE

Swan Lake
Photo via here

The Australian Ballet will be bringing their groundbreaking production of "Swan Lake "to Los Angeles this fall. The original production starred Rudolf Nureyev and Margo Fonteyn and played at The Music Center over fifty years ago. This year is the 50th anniversary of the Music Center at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and to celebrate their big 50th they are bringing back this critically acclaimed production. I already have my ticket to this one!

Art

Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs at the Tate Modern in London
Photo via here

Probably the art exhibition I am most excited to see this fall is Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs at MOMA.  It originated at the Tate Modern and is opening in New York in October. In the 1940's, Matisse turned exclusively to cut paper as his primary medium. He cut painted sheets into forms of different sizes and shapes and arranged them into compositions. This was a blockbuster show at the Tate. I hope to make it to New York to see this one.

Theater

The play Wolf Hall in London
Photo via here

If you can get to London this fall, the theatrical offerings are incredible. Hilary Mantel's books Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies seem to have taken over the London stage. They have been turned into plays and are now running at the Aldwych Theatre on alternating night. They are so popular that the run has been extended -- through October 4.

Happy September!

By the way, have you read The Secret History by Donna Tartt? What an excellent book! I loved it.

If You Love Flowers...

The Library at Robinson Gardens

May is a glorious month for gardens and if you live in Los Angeles you probably know that May is the month for a very special garden event. It is when the Robinson Gardens Tour happens (this year on May 17) and the house that Virginia and Harry Robinson built in 1912 is decorated by florists and designers and opened to the public. It's the best garden party in town!

The Living Room

Part of the event is the opportunity to see four private gardens in Los Angeles. After seeing those gardens everyone arrives at the Robinson estate ready for lunch and festivities. It is always fun to walk through the house first before going out to the great lawn for lunch. If you love flowers, you will be in heaven. Each room is bursting with gorgeous floral arrangements. Here are some of the highlights of  the Robinson Gardens House this year.

The living room was decorated with sumptuous flower arrangements by Sticks and Stone

Interior design by Marcie Bronkar

The Morning Room
Interior design by Kathleen Spiegelman and Hollyhock

The morning room feels old school and could easily be the setting for a tea tray brought in by Mr. Carson from "Downton Abbey." This room's femininity was enhanced by the gorgeous flower arrangements bursting with pink peonies created by Eric Buterbaugh.

Love the blue and white vase filled with peonies

The Library
Floral design by Mark's Garden, Interior design by Mindy Weiss

For me the library was the stand-out room. The theme was books, flowers and enchantment. The designers created a fantasy dreamscape for garden and book lovers. Mark's Garden designed a bridge table made out of roses that was absolutely amazing. The florist created ropes of greenery and roses which he hung on library ladders. These were displayed all around the room and looked very pretty against the leather bound books. This room was magical.

There I am taking a photo of the mantel

Master Bath
Flowers by Beverly Hills Garden Club

Dining Room
Flowers by Mark Byrd

Kitchen Patio
Flowers by Edie Zaratsian
Patio Glassware from Mayfair House

Kitchen
Le Creuset ceramics from Mayfair House
Such a gorgeous shade of green!

"There is material enough in a single flower for the ornament of a score of cathedrals."
-- John Ruskin

If you love flowers and are in Los Angeles next May, be sure to get a ticket for the outstanding Robinson Gardens Tour!