Living with Art: Part Deux Update

I love it when people I've profiled email me or leave comments. They always add that missing element that makes the story so much more interesting. So I was very excited to receive the following comment regarding my profile of Marc Jacobs' Paris home that was featured in the November 2007 issue of W magazine. I hope you enjoy it too!

"I am the women in the sitting room photo. I'm Marc's personal chef. The photographer, Philip-Lorca DiCorcia decided he wanted me in one of the photos. Marc asked me if I wouldn't mind being in one of the photos with him while I was serving them all lunch on the terrace. It was an offer I couldn't refuse!! We just improvised...the make-up artist didn't even have 'women's make-up' because he thought he was only doing Marc. That's him, by the way(the make-up artist), under the covers, speaking of improvisation!!"

The Marc Jacobs story was a bit of a fantasy and not a regular home feature so it's even more fun to hear the behind the scenes shenanigans! I was also wondering who was under the covers and now the mystery has been solved!

Who's Gonna Get Your Vote on Domino??

I have thoroughly enjoyed the readers design competition that's been going on at Domino for the past few weeks. So many of the rooms that were submitted were very inspiring and original. I love the fact that the magazine featured so many of the rooms during the ongoing submittal process. Many times magazines hold design competitions and cherry pick the few submittals they deem worthy of publication never letting us see the range of what was actually sent in. Domino should be commended for putting it all out there. The good the bad and the sometimes ugly. It is so much fun to see the variety of entries and to see if you can pick the winner from the start.

My favorite room from day one has been Steven from Des Moines!! I adore this room. It is vibrant, creative, full of energy and shows a deeply personal side of the occupant. It is not a sterile attempt to "create" design. It is a room that seems to have been grown and cared for over time until it reached it's lovely maturity as we see it now. Every piece is interesting and well placed. The proportions are great and the colors are vibrant and invigorating. Great job Steven from Des Moines - I hope you win!!!

My pick for runner up is this lovely, feminine room by Catherine from Mill Valley. This gal is obviously chock full of talent as she hand painted and glazed all of the surfaces herself. Great Job! I love the tranquil feel of the space and the vibrant punch of energy she has thrown in with the careful placement of hot pink accessories. The eclectic and unexpected mix of period and mid century furnishings adds a modern flair to what otherwise would have been a pretty safe room. I also commend her for her savvy use of texture as a key element in the room.




Get on over to Domino and cast your votes. I can't wait to see who wins.

D.L. & Co. - Modern Alchemists and Purveyors of Curious Goods

There are creative types and then their are creative types that take things to a whole other level. Such is the case with Douglas Little, owner of D.L. & Co., which touts itself as Modern Alchemists and Purveyors of Curious Goods. That's putting it mildly. And what better time of year to profile Mr. Little and his fabulous company than at Halloween!

My first introduction to Douglas Little was through his original signature line of candles. They smelled like nothing I'd ever encountered before and had names that sounded slightly sinister like Thorn Apple, my favorite. I love it so much that I keep hoping he will turn it into a perfume. He already has a line of stationery and other objects and curiosities so I feel like it might be a possibility soon. Fingers crossed!

Last year, House and Garden featured Douglas Little's designs in a spooky spread in the November issue of the magazine entitled Gothic Splendor, and he also recreated the haunting images for the Fifth Avenue windows at Bergdorf Goodman. The following images are so stunning and visually intricate. I love them. You can also check out the Bergdorf windows and the process behind creating them on the D.L. & Co. website under Press.

Douglas Little's creativity and attention to detail continues to astound me. I feel like I never know what he's going to dream up next but I know it will be something fantastic, like the Mori Ex Cacao (Death by Chocolate) collection he collaborated on with Valerie Confections. The perfect Halloween treat to scare your sweet! BOO!

Chic Designer: Antonia Hutt

I realized recently that I haven't been focusing on interiors as much so I thought it was about time I profiled the home of one of my favorite interior designers, Antonia Hutt. Or at least what her L.A. home looked like in May 2001 House Beautiful magazine. I've held onto the tear sheets for years because I loved her use of color. It's funny that Antonia Hutt claims not to have a favorite color since her home is filled with orange and my home contains not much orange at all even though it is my favorite color.

It seems like nowadays, everyone has a Saarinen table and matching chairs but what really makes this set special is the blue leather cushions. I think the color is really beautiful against the white in her breakfast room. The Tommy Parzinger coffee set isn't too shabby either. And the "painting" is actually a rubbing of the tombstone of a medieval Scottish knight. How unique is that?!

I'm sure most people would never dare pair purple and orange but in the right tones, it's very complimentary. I also love how she placed the sofas back to back which actually make the columns part of the design instead of an inconvenience.

I love the painting Tangerine by Ray Richardson above the fireplace, one of the first Antonia Hutt ever bought, is a wonderful focal point and another use of orange.

The orange plastic on the 1960's dining room chairs is yet another pop of orange and compliments the blue banquette. The photograph of what first appears to be a tree in winter is actually a photograph of a building being demolished and is another unique piece of art in the home.

Antonia says the cream lacquered buffet by Tommy Parzinger reminds her of a Chanel handbag and is the perfect base for the 1970's aluminum lamps with orange shades. The tall mirror is a great vertical accent. If you notice, a lot of the art is tall and vertical and draws your eye upward. Even the shades in the bedroom below are another example.

I don't love the custom coral coverlet and shames on the bed. It's just not my style but other than that, I could move in tomorrow and be very happy. And that's my idea of great design. And what could be better than an orange filled home right before Halloween?!

Photos by John Coolidge

Habitually Chic Jewelry: Asha by ADM

"A thing of beauty is a joy forever" - John Keats

Every woman should have at least one signature thing that reminds people of her. For me, it's my perfume and my necklaces. I can almost always be found wearing a long beautiful necklace and one of my favorites is by Asha by ADM. Asha's story is almost of fun as her designs too.

Ashley Dodgen-McCormick designs under the name Asha, a nickname given to her by her Cuban grandparent's, and is only 24 years old! Having lived and studied in New York, Paris and Florence, her jewelry reflects a love for art, travel and a cosmopolitan lifestyle. As an art history major at Georgetown University and inspired by the world of aesthetics, Ashley launched her jewelry line to create classic pieces with a fresh appeal.

Ashley incorporates semi-precious stones, natural materials such as shell and ivory, and sterling silver dipped in 18k yellow and white gold with a discerning eye for art and history. Her signature quatrefoil clasp was inspired by frequent visits to the medieval chapel, Ste. Chapelle, in Paris, where she studied at the Sorbonne as well as pre-roman architecture she studied in Italy. Many of her designs are interpretations of architectural motifs and also of vintage pieces found in New York and travels abroad.

You really have to check out the rest of her collection online because these photos don't even do it justice. Her pieces are at the same time modern and classic. I love her mother of pearl necklaces that remind me a little bit of Van Cleef and Arpels but aren't a knock-off. Calypso in New York carries an extensive selection of her designs including the famous Zodiac rings which look similar to the Zodiac necklace above. She just previewed her Spring 2008 jewelry line this week and has added jeweled clutches to her repertoire. I can't wait to check them out because evening clutches are another weakness of mine!

Helmut Newton - Philippe Starck & The Sahara Hotel

Diving into my November issue of Metropolitan Home I noticed that two of the featured residences in the magazine were proudly displaying copies of uber-photographer, Helmut Newton's gargantuan book, Sumo, published by Taschen. It is a larger than life volume of Newton's famous fashion and celebrity photography selected and edited by his wife. The book is so large that it requires it's own custom made stand to support it.


The stylish stand is designed by none other than super designer and over-achiever Philippe Starck. The volume is the grand daddy of all style books with a price tag big enough to match it's exuberant size. It originally sold in limited edition for $10,000.00!!! Rare copies go for around $15,0000.00 today, if you can find one on the market.



Above - a picture of Starck working on the design of the stand for the Tome.

Starcks designs can be seen all over the globe and are not restricted to interiors. He has designed cars, yachts, industrial goods, and even plastic silverware.


Recently he has signed a five year exclusive contact with SBE Entertainment Group, the restaurant, hotel and film empire currently being built by 31 year old investor Sam Nazarian. One of Starcks assignments for Nazarian is to rebuild The Sahara Hotel here in Las Vegas. Nazarian hopes to re-vamp the less than stylish Sahara into a mecca for the young and beautiful celebrities that frequent his other nightclubs such as Area and Hyde Lounge and restaurants, Abbey and Katsuya.

I can't wait to see what Starck is going to do with the property. I'm sure it will be super dramatic !!! I'm told by insiders that he is beyond eccentric and his vision is less than easily understood by those responsible for carrying it out. I will keep up with the gossip as the project progresses and share what I hear along the way. Should be a very interesting ride!

Many Thanks

I am happy to send my sincere thanks and a big hug to my good friend Joni at Cote de Texas. She has graciously included me in her top 10 influential blogs list. All I can say is - I'm not worthy - I'm not worthy !!!!!!

Another big thanks to The Decorating Diva for including Jackie Blue Home in her Best of the Web list.

Life is Chaos & The World's Most Expensive Dogs

I've been neglectful in posting this last couple of weeks as my life has descended into total chaos. I did post a very long and, some who saw it said, amusing post earlier this week about my great husband and his job but he got nervous about it and I had to take it down. I'm sure you would have loved it had you been permitted to see it. You see it 's not just H&G that's censoring us but our own family members!!!!!. We can't get a break.

Anyway, this week I am doing some work on my house. They say the shoemakers children have no shoes - well, the designers house is always a total mess and is never ever finished. I cringe every time I find out someone is coming over. Most of my distressed has been caused by the family pets.

I never thought I would become a dog person. I thought dog people were weird and a bit psycho. I've always had dogs and cats but they we're just pets to me. They laid around, ate, took up space and we're basically a pain in the a$$ to arrange care for when I went out of town. Then two years ago, on a whim, I bought my husband a miniature dachshund. Her name is Peanut and I now refer to her as my husbands clandestine "doggie luuvvvver". Not in a literal sense of course - that would be weird - but the two are inseparable.


After we got Peanut we couldn't bear for her to be lonely so we got her a little friend - another mini-dachshund named Marty. They are both adorable little things only about 8 pounds each. We call them cat-dogs because they have a lot of cat-like qualities. They climb on things and sleep on top of the sofa back or around your neck and of course have to sleep in bed with us. (too much information ??)


So now we are officially "those people" who are crazy about their dogs and talk about them like they are children. No, I don't not dress them up in fancy outfits ( I tried but they won't keep them on ) I don't carry them around in a Louis Vuitton dog purse ( I tried that to but they barked constantly and tried to chew their way out), and I definitely don't take them to work with me ( I work at home now so they are with me 24 -7) .


Now here comes the expensive part. Just like bad little children those dam little dogs refuse to commit to housebreaking. They do not like the inconvenience of going outside to do their business but instead prefer the soft and luxurious carpeted areas of our home. They do not however, seem to enjoy dropping their load on the tile floors. Therefore, in order to rid my house of it's unpleasant dog poop aroma that even the strongest Glade candle could not quench, I am forced to go to great expense to put in wood floors throughout the house. I am hoping against hope that they will finally get the message and resolve to use the dog door. We did the downstairs this week and had to move everything into the entry and kitchen which are tiled. Talk about a disaster - I have way too much stuff. It looks like a furniture store after a bad San Francisco earthquake in here.



OMG look at the dust on top of those bookcases - for shame!!!!


All of this for a couple of over pampered dogs!!!!


In the midst of this flooring project I was getting ready to do a Home Decorating & Remodeling Show here in Vegas. I was hired to do some easy DIY window treatments for display and to give three seminars at the show. My display space was supposed to be 10' x 8' of floor space including three walls. When I got to the show on Wednesday to set up they had given me a 20' x 20' island space which meant I had to cover 3x's the space I had been told. So I have spent the last 3 days killing myself making new samples and setting up this booth. Not my idea of a good time!!! For anyone interested I will post some pictures of my samples in the next couple of days.

So today after working 12 hours at the Home Show I came home to my house which is in complete disarray. There is not an empty surface to be found or a chair in the right place to sit in. The home show ends on Sunday and then I can come home and try to put my place back together.


And by the way, one of the little rat bastards has already left me a nice fresh gift on my new wood floor!!!!!!

Chic Designs: Sophie Conran for Portmeirion

One of the first things I put on my Christmas list this year is Sophie Conran's Collection for Portmeirion. I already own a few pieces including the sugar bowl and creamer that sit on my stove (see last photo) but now I want the place settings. Actually, I want the whole darn collection. Every last piece! But only in pale robin's egg blue. It's my favorite color and matches my decor perfectly. I love that they all look slightly off kilter and handmade, although I'm sure they are not but it's nice to know something mass produced doesn't have to look like it!

Sophie Conran is the daughter of Sir Terence Conran, the famous designer, and is a cookbook author as well as designer now herself. She said she believes in enjoying every moment and in creating a beautiful world around you and your family, with warmth, simplicity and love.

The Portmeirion Collection includes the porcelain which has been designed to look as good on the dining table as it does in the kitchen. They not only look great but are robust and can go from the worktop to the oven to the table to the freezer, and back to the oven again. Love it! There is also glassware, silver serving pieces, wood pieces, and aprons and tea towels. Oh, and it's also a design winner! Sophie's collection won the Elle Decoration Design Award in 2006. So I guess I'm not the only one who appreciates it. There are many stockists who carry the collection including Anthropologie, Macy's and Amazon.com. Just in case you want to put in on your holiday wish list as well.

Habitually Chic Artist: Julian Barrow

Bethesda Fountain, Central Park, New York

I'm always in awe of artists who are capable of evoking the feeling of a particular place through their art, especially those old-school artists such as Julian Barrow. When the invitation for his upcoming exhibition at W.M. Brady & Co. in New York crossed my desk, I thought his art was just too spectacular not to share.

Julian Barrow, a painter of cityscapes, conversation pieces and interiors throughout the world, is an Englishman as comfortable in New York, Venice, and Rome as he is in London. His paintings convey his delight in travel and in getting to know a subject, whether it be architectural, human or a combination of both. He has exhibited regularly in New York, London and the Middle East since the 1960's after studying painting in Florence. His studio is in Tite Street, Chelsea, London in a Victorian building of studios where both Sargent and Whistler painted. And as you can see from his work, he is just as wonderful and talented as the former tenants!

After I uploaded my Julian Barrow post yesterday, I received a lovely email from Mary Aarons, Slim Arrons' daughter, mentioning that she had met Julian Barrow and admired his painting in person when she met him this past April at the Palatino (overlooking the Forum and Colliseum in Rome). How exciting is that?! She was even kind enough to send me the photo above. The best part about blogging is hearing fun stories like this that add another wonderful dimention to a story.

Park Avenue at 69th Street, New York

Dogana, Venice

Palazzi on the Grand Canal, Venice

St. Peter's, Rome

Horse Guards, London