Conceptual Design

clever IKEA hack from G.V.M. of The Netherlands
sourced from here.

The Biblioteca Bookshelf
innovative design created from vintage coffee tables, by Matt Carr for Umbra.

Chest of drawers by Tejo Remy
for Droog

Weekend Sale

visit here for fabulous vintage finds.
coupon code:
found5avings

Putting it Out There: Completion!

This post is in reference to a previous post

made, ironically, on the Canadian Thanksgiving.
(it is a 'coincidence' that this one is falling on the
American Thanksgiving)!

Here is the finished piece; my embellishment of a
Found Sampler that caught my eye & my imagination...

It measures 19" x 26" so it has the size impact I was after.
My color palette went quite bold as I wanted to counter the antiquated aspect of the piece and bring it into my own aesthetic. The bold red & white striped fabric throughout helped to keep me on course with that.
(interesting side note: that fabric came from a Dior linen jacket I spotted at Value Village).
It was O.K. to use as a cutter since it had a bleach stain on the front!

Lamp Love

I have a love for vintage lamps.
The more colorful or stylized the better.
To me they are sculpture.
Sculpture that lights up... cool.
Sculpture that is functional as well... fabulous.

All these pieces I have found at thrift stores and sold on Etsy.
It makes me happy to see this (small) selection all together.

Kind of like I just created my own design poster.

Found: Maurer-Becker Utensilo

FOUND.

Utensilo or Wall All designed by Dorothee Maurer-Becker,
Germany, 1969.

These iconic pieces were manufactured both in Germany & the U.S.A.

This one was made by Format Sales in NY, USA.
It is the smaller version.

I love that it is in black and goes with my vintage Steelcase desk.
I love that I found it at a thrift store for $2.99.
(these smaller ones sell from between $200.-300.)

Venice- Teatro la Fenice

I was determined to experience a night at the opera in Venice.
We decided to 'go big' and got some great box seats;
an intimate enclosure for 4 although we were only 3.
What fun it was to have our own perch to people watch down below!

The space is spectacular. It had to be completely re-built after it burned down in 1996.
Amazing how they were able to replicate the fine artistry of the original.

Venice- Modern Art

The Peggy Guggenheim Museum was a lovely way to spend an afternoon. The largely 20th.C collection is housed in her actual palazzo, which is right on the Grand Canal. The works hang in the same spots they did when she lived there and there are photographs in each room of her sitting in that room surrounded by the same art we are at that moment appreciating... (no photos are allowed to be taken inside and, tempted as I was, I obeyed)!
Almost as thrilling as the exhibit was the terrace with this spectacular bronze sculpture, "The Angel in the City" by Marino Marini, 1948.





One of things I love about Venice is, that although it has an amazing history of art & culture, it is not locked into it's past. It loves to celebrate art as it continues to be created; a vibrant, relevant and evolving dynamic.

We saw a wonderful exhibition of Stanley Kubrick's black and white photographs before he got into film making. Aside from the work itself, the site was intensely beautiful; the juxtaposition between the red silk walls, venetian glass chandelier and stark b & w photos was striking...

Venice- The Food

The local restaurant, Tosi, was steps away from where we stayed. This is where the locals go (and perhaps a handful of more adventurous tourists) to hang out...

The Parmesan & Arugula Pizza was my favorite!

I hadn't realized how huge sweet shops were in Venice. They seem to turn up every 10 paces and each is more spectacular than the last. The goodies not only look amazing but taste scrumptious as well. Part of the reason they taste so good is they are not overly sweet. You can actually taste flavors, not just 'sweet' the way so many North American desserts seem to be...

Add an expresso for the perfect combo. (Standing at the counter of course is about half the price compared to sitting down).
The coffee is out-of-this-world. The best. anywhere.

After a gallery visit we had 'toast' which is how they refer to all the sandwiches on display which get grilled after you order. Perfect comfort food. Yum.

Venice

I just returned from a one week stay in Venice- a city like no other; a city referred to as "the most beautiful in the world".

You quickly adjust your way of looking... you are in another reality in a sense...

Venice simply embodies grace and beauty everywhere in everything. From the street lights to the shop signs to the painted doorways and the ornate brass buzzers on all the apartment entrances to the filigreed grillwork on the most humble of windows...

We are incredibly lucky to have a close friend who had the courage to buy a flat here. It has become her 'go to' place several times a year. (she rents it out during the rest of the year). We stayed with her and were able to get a real feel for the place through her eyes. Shopping for fresh produce on the barge that parks on the canal by her flat, buying cheese at the local deli and eating pizza at the small restaurant right in front of her place was, well. heaven...

I will continue to post on Venice throughout the week... opera, galleries, special exhibits and amazing food... oh my, the food- thank goodness we walked for miles every day!