Decorative Arts Museum

Last week was one of those weeks were no matter how hard I tried to make things work correctly they seemed to come out incorrect. I'm glad the week is over. I'm ready to start fresh with new solutions to a problem I've had since taking on this adventure. More of that when things are completely hammered out.

In the meantime I managed to find the photographs I thought were lost of my last visit to the Decorative Arts Museum here in Paris.

The pieces above and below were my favorites of the dinnerware I came across in the museum. Why you wonder, well mainly because I have thing for art that's been influenced by the eastern world. I love the detail and pattern involved. It is represented so differently than the way the we and the Europeans have done it and continue to do it to this day.

What I love so much about these pieces is how the cultures are literally overlapping one another. They are truly timeless, with a little modification here and there. I personally am not a fish fan, in terms of icons in my designs and would use another figure or none at all. I still find them wonderful and will keep them in the back of my head for something in the future.

They were both designed and I believe painted by Albert Louis Dammouse who was around between 1848 and 1926.

Oh, how I wish this light fixture was as beautiful in the photograph as it was in person. The shades are different colored flowers, red, yellow and green. Completely and totally beautiful. Just growing right out of the ceiling.

Next up detail from the same room, of a table that was designed to go with the ceiling fixture. Leafs scattered across the table, like they had fallen from a tree. So hard for me not to touch.

Slightly better but sorry not great view of the table. The room and it's furniture were designed by Nancy Bruxelles in 1904. The beginning of the new movements in art and design. You can begin to see how important craftsmanship is to the design of all these objects. Which was the fundamental believe to the Arts and Crafts movement. Ah and the kick off to all that followed..

Merci

The plan was to do a post on more of what I saw at the decorative art's museum, but all my photographs magically have vanished.  Don't know if it was a small child or the wonders of technology.  So here is Merci instead.  The much talked about concept store.  Marie-France and Bernard Cohen, founders of the children's clothing boutique Bonpoint, decided to put their retail skills to good use, while raising funds for charity.

Many descriptions of what lays inside those two doors have been thrown out there.  All I can say if you like home design and clothing you won't be disappointed.  For me the store was more about the experience than the actual products in the store.  Beautifully merchandised without being particularly special.  That's not to say there aren't wonderful special things in the store there are, loads of them. Absolutely worth a visit next time you're in Paris.

Monday Windows

Crossed over to the left bank on Sunday and strolled through the neighborhood. What did I find? But this lovely window that belongs to Le Prince Jardinier.  Perhaps if gardening stores were more like this window I would be more inclined to garden.

Walking a little further...

There is nothing like a Chanel window.  Or at least there wasn't today.  Couldn't get a better image do to the fact that the sun was shining and I won't complain about that.

I just loved the details and yet the suit was so very simple.

Now this is something I could really see in my future dressing room, its by Roche Bobois.  Someday I'll have a dressing room that's just the right shade of pink with just the perfect furniture.  I imagine my dressing room will be more about the space and light then about the clothes that will occupy it.

Decorative Arts Museum

OK so I have to admit I couldn't wait until next week to go to the Decorative Arts Museum.  One, I was dieing to go, Two, do every get to the point where there is just too much going on in your head that you can't think straight?  Well that pretty much describes what's going on with me right now.  Too much stuff that I'm unable to influence or control so it's time for an escape. And escape is what I did.  The next time you're in Paris if you've not been to this museum you must go.  If for nothing else the view.  I got to stand and look out this window for as long as I wanted.  There was no one else there.

 

I got to see the most amazing collection of home design that spanned the centuries, basically alone.  One or 2 other couples might have wandered by but that was it.  I absolutely loved, LOVED the arms sticking out of the wall above.  If I had cropped the photo a bit differently you would never have guessed those were done in 1650.  They hold candles.  Sorry the image is crappy no flashes permitted.

 

Fast forward to 1971 you'll find this amazing La Boule, by Helen von Boch.  When I was in college I had an amazing opportunity to go to Villeroy & Boch's factory in Mettlach, Germany, for the summer.  I and a handful of students from Parsons went to the factory and put our designs into production.  Villeroy & Boch then sold them as limited additions in their stores throughout the world.  It was amazing experience for everyone, but I diverse, can't help it every time I see the name I'm reminded of the experience.  What I didn't know then was that Helen von Boch was such an amazing designer. Villeroy & Boch is still a family business (they started in 1748) and we met most of the family.  I wasn't able to find much information on her but I did find lots of her work.  Another example is here

Next week I'll show you a little more of the amazing work I saw.

Past to Future

My next visit to the Louvre was the decorative arts spanning the Renaissance to amazing work Sévres started churning out in the 1800s.  I can't help it I'm drawn to dinnerware.  There is something so amazing about seeing plates people ate of off nearly 600 years ago.  I admit most of what I have here were more than likely in the Renaissance china cabinet and used for special occasions, the key word for me is that is was used.  The dinner plate above was painted in the very early part of the Renaissance 1450.

I personally love these two, and could very easily see them modified for today's consumption.

How cool is this?  It was painted according to the famous Raphael painting.  I find it so amazing that artists have been borrowing (bit of stealing here and there) from one another since the very beginning. I realize of course that this particular subject has been a theme for more than a few paintings, but what I didn't realize was how often those famous paintings were translated onto other media like ceramics or textiles.  This particular plate was done around 1525.

I'm a huge fan of this whole series that took place in the Renaissance and continues today in Italian ceramics.  Again these are mostly copies of master paintings and portraits done during the Renaissance.

This is a floor tile.  A floor tile!  I mean imagine how amazing that would look.  Wouldn't take much revision at all to make this piece contemporary.

Finish up more the more recent work of Sévres or the Kings China.  These pieces where done in the 1800's.  Again with the portraits.  I believe these where original works, as Sévres took great pride in not only the quality of the product it turned out but the artist themselves.

Next week I'm off to the Decorative Arts Museum.  One whole museum devoted to stuff people used dating back to the middle ages.  I can't wait!

Lovely Days

The plan was to show you Galeries Layfette's windows this morning.  David Lynch has done a series of dreams in the windows.  They are amazing but impossible to see on any day but Sunday since tons of people are checking them out.  So down I walked to Galeries only to find their windows covered with sales signs.  Hmm I though you were only permitted to have sales in Paris in January and July.  It was a lovely day in Paris and the city is meant for walking so that is what I did.

The holiday lights are going up all over the city.  I've never been here around Christmas and I am so excited to see the lights, this being the city of lights and all..

What a cool bag I found in another window.  This is an actual hand bag from the 1940's.

Down and past the Louvre and through the Jardin des Tuieries I walked and discovered this floating bed.  Yes, that is life sized.

And onto the Champs Elysees where I walked and walked.  Saw these lovely French boys.  Oh if only you could see, the one to the right has on blue shoes and yes the guy on the left has a red scarf to go with his striped shirt.  They made me smile as I walked behind them.  I'm sure they thought I was stalking them as I was very close trying to listen to what they were saying.  OK that's a bit creepy but I do it all the time trying to improve my French.

Louvre

I decided to venture down to the Louvre the other day.  The place is totally overwhelming and for that reason I generally avoid it like the plague.  But since I have the luxury of time on my hands I am able to go to one section at a time, which really in my mind is the only way to enjoy a museum.  So off I went to to see Napoléon's apartment. 

The photo above is a close up of the walls in one room, which was silk and embroidered.  Can you say Donald Trump you ain't got nothin on Napoléon!  Below is a shot showing more of the same wall covering.

OK I'm sure there are plenty of you out there thinking big deal hand embroidered silk wallpaper big deal we have that in our bathrooms.  Well check out the ever so understated light fixture below, that was in the hallway.  Notice the gold trim, just what we all need.

Or perhaps you enjoy slightly more decoration on your walls, I mean really Napoléon you could have pushed it a bit more, with the Greek inspired Christian imagery. 

He loved those Greek gods but was sure to keep them in the Christian faith.  So much gold so much silk and carving, it blew my mind away.  It's crazy to think the Louvre was once home to a lot of people.  Next time I'm off to see some amazing ceramics.