Things Matter

Joshua Tree
woven photograph, Fernando Bengoechea
 

One Man's Treasure

 

If you believe that the things you surround yourself with, the things that fill your home and your life reflect and tell the story of your life, then you would agree that things matter.  This is the premise that inspires and defines interior designer Nate Berkus's approach to creating meaningful, beautiful, and functional spaces that are as unique as the individuals who reside in them. 

 

"I've always believed your home should tell your story," he writes in the opening line to his newest book, The Things That Matter.  Telling your story means bringing together and living with the items of your life in a purposeful way.  The start of a new year is the perfect time to look around and consider:  What do you really love?  What makes you smile?  What makes you reflect?  What connects you to others?  What brings meaning and joy to your life?  The things that do should be up front and centre, and if they are not, take the time to reorganise, rejig, and redesign.  (Everything else, if it doesn't have a value or place in your life, is clutter.)  Start small.  A shelf here, a desktop there.  Seek inspiration -- Berkus's book is a very good place to start.  He declares,

            "Each object tells a story and each story connects us to one another and to the world.
             The truth is, things matter. They have to. They're what we live with and touch each
             and every day. They represent what we've seen, who we've loved, and where we hope
             to go next."

So, identify, celebrate and enjoy the things you love.  Give them a place of honour in your home.  As for the clutter, move those pieces along.  Let them have the home they deserve; as you know, one man's trash is an other man's treasure.  
  

Things that Matter to...

These are a few of my favourite things

Nate Berkus include the top photograph by his late partner Fernando Bengoechea.  It is one of a pair that hang in his current living room.

For me, they are all things I loved on sight and things that connect me to a time and a place: a necklace of Russian amber I purchased while strolling through an old town in Europe with my cousin; a piece of coral being hawked by vendors outside a lighthouse that stands high on a cliff, at the edge of the ocean, on the most western point of the European continent -- the last stretch of land that marks the old world; an orphan dish with a delicate graphic depiction of the signs of the zodiac I found for a few dollars at a local flea market; and a few metres of fabric, whose gold and bronze threads create a striking Asian design of gnarled pine trees that remind me of those that run along the edge of our property. 

These are some of the things that matter to me.  What matters to you?

Top photo via Elle Decor; bottom photo D. Sleziak

Into the Blue



Cobalt Turquoise azure lapis  cerulean  teal  Ultramarine  indigo 

Robin's egg  Baby Blue  sky blue  aquamarine  Prussian periwinkle 

 

NAVY

 

Mark Rothko, Untitled

Modern Love

       

          Blue is the most popular favourite colour in the western world.

          Blue seems to be all around us -- in water, in sky -- but in nature it is elusive and ephemeral

               and few concrete examples exist: lapis lazuli is one that comes to mind; a robin's egg is

               another.

          Blue fills many roles.  It is calming, serene, refreshing, restful, soothing, nautical, rich,  

               sophisticated, and the darkest of blues, navy, is dramatic, timeless, and sexy.

          Blue walls -- dark ones -- have been making a statement in interior design the last couple of

               years; dark blue fabrics, upholstered pieces and accessories are slated to be popular next

               year.

          Blue, in fashion, is a seasonless colour, and after black, it is regarded as the most accepted

               sartorial choice.                                     

 

So, if you're feeling the love and in the mood for something blue (like me), here are some options...

 

 

In Your House

                                         

     

         Clockwise from upper left: Fabric from Lulu DK; Navy upholstered pieces with ikat cloth

         in foreground; Kelly Wearstler fabric -- Mineral in indigo; china by Jasper Conran                      

                                           

                                         

                                                                                      

 

 

On Your Walls 

 

                                                                   Clockwise from upper left: Wall colour Farrow & Ball's

                                                                            Lulworth Blue; Lacquered blue interior; Art for your walls

                                                                            by Mallory Page; Wallpaper by Eskayel

                                                                 

  

  

                            
      

On Your Back

                                                 

                                                  Clockwise from upper left: Classic chambray and denim;

                                                                 sophisticated suiting; natty handbag; sexy swimwear

                                                                                                

 

All images sourced from the World Wide Web.

 

The Fab Five

Robert Indiana, The X-5, 1963.

Also known as "the heavy hitters," "the tried and true," "the pros," these are the blogs I turn to on a daily basis to inform, entertain and inspire me. The bloggers have been in the field for some time, are often cited, and most have published books. If any are unfamiliar to you, give them a peek. I assure you, you won't be disappointed.

 The Bright Lights, Big City Gal

Empire State Building, New York, N.Y.

Heather Clawson of Habitually Chic covers all the highbrow action of "the" big city -- New York -- as well as places she visits, such as L.A., Miami and Morocco.  An interior designer who has been blogging since 2007, she has been quoted or interviewed by a wide selection of shelter magazines, including Elle Decor and Canadian House & Home.   With her trademarked name and a soon to be launched book, Habitually Chic: Creativity at Work, she is hard at work building a brand.  Her blog covers not only the world of interior design, but also touches on art, fashion, photography and events.

Your Mother's Daughter

Body + Soul, October 2009

She may be her mother's daughter, but she is clearly her own person.  That's what I like so much about her.  Alexis Stewart is a passionate cook, and her blog offers a peak into her life with a focus on meal preparation.  With cursory notes on how well the dish was received, links to recipe sites, and photos of the finished product, it's a great source for healthy, meatless dishes.  Posted randomly throughout the month, the blog includes occasional glimpses into her home life as a mum raising two children under the age of two.  The clean, modern and streamline presentation is refreshing and a visual palate cleanser from the advertising clutter seen on many popular blogs.

The Urbanite

Vintage travel fashion, early 1950s



A highly respected photographer based out of New York, Scott Schuman, who began with simply posting images of street fashion, has grown a world-recognised brand, which includes his blog, The Sartorialist, a anthology by the same name, and a soon-to-be-released limited-edition tome entitled, The Sartorialist: Closer (Limited Edition).  Along with girlfriend and fellow blogger, Garance Dore, he has won this year's CFDA Media Award.  Schuman focuses his lens on fashion from N.Y.C. to Tokyo, and all urban centres in between.  His site includes "On the Street" -- what I call fashion in action -- where he highlights highly diverse styles and the individuality randomly spotted on the street; "Style Profiles," which include substantial interviews of creative, expressive dressers; and, my favourite, "Vintage Photos," where viewers are encouraged to submit vintage photographs (often of loved ones) and include the back story.  In addition, he covers all the major fashion shows. 

The Artist

Moon box

A professional photographer who paints and sculpts, sails, surfs and is a world traveller; Can it get any better than this?  Yes! Ivan Terestchenko's blog contains breathtakingly beautiful photographs of nature, landscapes, cityscapes, still lifes, architecture and interiors.  His work appears in such diverse publications such as Elle Decor Italia and The Wall Street Journal, and he has collaborated on a number of books, including Paint and Colour in Decoration by Farrow and Ball.  His clean blog design and spare poetic text are perfect complements to his photographs.  And the best part?  The sidebar section entitled, "Above My Roof," where he tracks the daily progress of the moon's phases -- another example of poetic beauty... I think I'm in love.

The 21st Century Romantic

On the shelf, in the library

Contemporary artist + age-old medium; Anglophile + Angelenos; seasoned traveller + "domestic explorer" (her words); Old World wordsmith + motorcycle-cool collector = Lisa Borgnes Giramonti.  If you find these juxtapositions intriguing, check out the deliciously appealing, A Bloomsbury Life. 

The Plus One

So plus one does add up to six, but this is a brand-new appreciation for an old read.  Since I first discovered this site several years ago, it has been updated and is now much more engaging.  Suzanne and Lauren McGrath are a mother-daughter interior design team and a blogging duo.  They recently published a book, Good Bones, Great Pieces: The Seven Essential Pieces to Carry You Through a Lifetime, and their blog -- Good Bones, Great Pieces -- covers different categories, like "Out and About," "Product Spotlight," and "Shopping," which often highlights their excursions to secure affordable, vintage pieces.  Most appealing is their philosophy of longevity in design and real-life livability. 

 

New York, box and books by D. Sleziak