To Rome with love: Palazzo Margherita

Can I just say how much I appreciate the magical touch in Woody Allen movies.  We went to see To Rome With Love late last night and even though I enjoyed every scene and vision watching the beautiful Italian architectures and ruins, it was probably not the best of the ideas.  It just made my yearn for Italy a lot more profound.  Whenever we go I need to pay a visit to Palazzo Margherita, owned by Francis Ford Coppola, located in an unconventional town called Bernalda.  The Hotel was designed by Jacques Grange, another reason for me to visit it, and it's authentically old school Italian.  It's not in a very touristic town.  This is a place more in tune for people who want to experience the real Italian small town life, but even if there is not much to do, I would be perfectly content drinking Margarita's by the pool or simply walking around the town and enjoying the beautiful medieval hilltops. 

images from WSJ and Palazzo Margharita.
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Guy de Rougemont

When the lovely Diane de Polignac introduced me to The golden clover table designed by Guy de Rougemont, above, at The Young Collectors Night in January, I almost flipped out.  I didn't really know if to go ahead and let my emotions spring forth and hug it or kiss it and run out with it carrying it, if only it didn't weight so much.  I decided for a bit more of Prudence and kept my calm.  To my defense, I think this is one of the chicest tables I've ever seen.  Diane told me that this is part of a limited edition of 8 signed and numbered by the Artist, for the Gallery, which is located in Paris.
Rougemont stated: "I am a painter: my sculpture and furniture are those of a painter"  but he is the kind of artist who has broken the boundaries of art, he does everything that's design-related from porcelain to carpet, to sculpture and even films apparently.  Yeahp, He is a designer extraordinaire.

Below, are a few images of his famous Nuage Table designed in 1971 and if it looks familiar to those who have visited Mark Bar at The Mark Hotel in New York City is because he created it, commissioned by Jacques Grange, see the last two images.  Enjoy the chicness!

The bar is more than breath taking with the bar created by Rougemont and furniture by Vladimir Kagan.  If you're in New York City, go and pay a visit and experience it by yourself.

A lot to thank William Hogarth: Serpentine Line

William Hogarth 1697-1764 England, was a painter satirist and social critic during the 18th ct.  His satiric paintings and engravings mostly covered and criticized social and political situations by ridiculing conventional and social standards of his times.  One of my favorite work of his is Marriage à-la-mode, a series of six paintings which were later engraved and published, ridiculing arranged marriages where of course the unhappiness of the entire family ends with the tragedy that covers everything from murder to suicide.  Go figure!   "Moral: don’t listen to evil silver-tongued counselors; don’t marry a man for his rank, or a woman for her money; don’t frequent foolish auctions and masquerade balls unknown to your husband; don’t have wicked companions abroad and neglect your wife, otherwise you will be run through the body, and ruin will ensue, and disgrace, and Tyburn"
And you may be wondering why am I reading all this and you're right! but William is entirely responsible for what's called Serpentine Line or Line of Beauty which is the S-shaped curved elongated line that frames an object.  He thought that curves, not Sophia Vergara's in this case, were more dynamic, more interesting to see, more lively and not as dead and static as straight lines.  And I so much agree.  When my professor said these things in class last year I thought "that's my man right there!"  He probably had no idea that his theory would transcend to furniture, hence the Serpentine sideboard and many more wonderful good looking furniture and sculpture that we enjoy today.  Below, a few images that show gracious and beautiful curves.  Enjoy!

images via Nuevo Estilo, Vogue, Elle Decor, Vogue Living Australia, AD and Lace and Tea.

Claude Wasserstein's Chic Home

Some people are lucky and others are ridiculously lucky.  Claude Wasserstein is among the latter, not only for having the freedom to hire three top designers such as Jacques Grange, Jeffrey Bilhuber and Daniel Romualdez but for having both of best worlds, an elegantly chic apartment and an incredible garden, both in the City.  When I was finalizing reading the huge September issue of Vogue, notice using a pillow underneath to cushion my legs, I came across this refreshing breath of air from a rooftop apartment with an amazing outside garden complete with a table that seats up to ten people.  Exceptional!  The splash of yellow throughout the house is evident and the layers of a colorful palette is uplifting and appropriate for every season.  It's a long weekend, yippieee! and I'm planning to enjoy it with my family, locally and relaxed.  Have an excellent Labor Day Weekend everyone!  

 Isn't that Ikat carpet absolutely beautiful?  I really, really dig one!

Having a rooftop like this with artificial grass to walk on,  real flowers, lavender, mint and snapdragons that grow beautifully out of boxes is a New Yorkers wildest dream!

Photos by Francois Halard for Vogue