Crimson Peak at Bergdorf Goodman, New York, Photo Romi CortierCrimson Peak at Bergdorf Goodman, New York, Photo Romi CortierCrimson Peak at Bergdorf Goodman, New York, Photo Romi CortierCrimson Peak at Bergdorf Goodman, New York, Photo Romi CortierCrimson Peak at Bergdorf Goodman, New York, Photo Romi CortierCrimson Peak at Bergdorf Goodman, New York, Photo Romi CortierCrimson Peak at Bergdorf Goodman, New York, Photo Romi Cortier
The Gothic Romance film Crimson Peak opens in theaters today, and Bergdorf Goodman in New York has created these superbly ghostly windows in honor of today’s premiere.
What a thrill to be in Manhattan for only a few days and have the pleasure of seeing these spooky ooky windows. If you’ve ever seen their windows, then you know what works of art they are, they’re theater in their own right. And to be honest, I really didn’t know what Crimson Peak was until I googled it. I just thought these were some crazy cool pre Halloween Windows. But once I saw the film trailer and it all clicked. All I know is that I make it a top priority to see their windows, no matter what time of day or night. And lets face it, night time is the best time to see windows like these.
Directed by Guillermo del Toro, the film stars Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston, and Jessica Chastain. Set in Cumbria, England, in the late 19th Century (translates to spectacular costumes) the crumbling mansion harbors ghostly and mysterious entities. The estate, owned by siblings Lady Lucille Sharpe (Chastain) and Sir Thomas Sharpe (Hiddleston), is the setting for Edith Cushing’s (Wasikowska) romance and marriage to Sir Thomas Sharpe… who isn’t who he appears to be. That said, this film looks to be the perfect Halloween romp that might scare the pantaloons right off you. Imdb gives it four stars, and Rotten Tomatoes gives it three and a half.
Lot 446, Laddie John Dill, Untitled, $1,500 – $2,000, Image Courtesy LAMALot 440, Ettore Sottsass, Spool Vase, $1,200 – $1500, Image Courtesy LAMALot 355, David LaChapelle, 1000 B.B., D&G, New York, $5,000 – $7,000, Image Courtesy LAMALot 338, Yunhee Min, Events in Dense Fog #3, $8,000 – $12,000, Image Courtesy LAMALot 311, Roy Lichtenstein, Modern Head #4, (From Modern Head Series) $15,000 – $20,000, Image Courtesy LAMALot 305, Robert Dowd, Untitled (Dollar Bill) $2,000 – $3,000, Image Courtesy LAMALot 255, Gertrud & Otto Natzler, Green Crystalline Glazed Bowl, $3,000 – $5,000, Image Courtesy LAMALot 231, Jeff Koons, Ballon Dog (Blue), $15,000 – $20,000, Image Courtesy LAMALot 202, David Hockney, Celia with Green Hat (From Moving Focus Series) $15,000 – $20,000, Image Courtesy LAMALot 177, Ken Price, Big Wave II, $17,000 – $20,000, Image Courtesy LAMALot 111, Roland Petersen, Fall Cloud Shadow and Fields, $15,000 – $20,000, Image Courtesy LAMALot 89, Pedro Friedeberg, Three Leg Table Clock, $3,000 – $5,000, Image Courtesy LAMALot 50, Herbert Bayer, Owl People, $4,000 – $6,000, Image Courtesy LAMALot 45, Oskar Fischinger, Stippled Cosmic, $5,000 – $7,000, Image Courtesy LAMA
One of my favorite auctions of the year is coming up at LAMA (Los Angeles Modern Auctions). The Modern Art & Design auction will be happening this Sunday, October 11, 2015, at 12 pm.
I would give nothing more than to preview this auction and see these gorgeous works in person, however, I’ll be in New York for the weekend, celebrating my sisters 50th birthday. We have tickets to see Wicked as well as reservations at The Boathouse on Central Park. I know I’m jumping ahead of myself here, but I’m hoping to have lots of great things to share on future Design Diary entries.
Back to feeling Blue. It’s always been one of my favorite colors, and apparently I’m not the only one. It also appears to be the worlds most popular color, from denim jeans to corporate logos. Dark blue signifies trust, dignity, intelligence and authority. Bright blue indicates cleanliness, strength, dependability and coolness. Light blue suggests peace, serenity and infinity. Did you know that 53 percent of the flags in the world contain blue? And aristocracy is blue-blooded in all European languages. It seems that blue is sharply refracted by the eyes, causing the lens to flatten and push the blue image back, therefore, we perceive that blue areas are receding and smaller.
If I could have any of the works above, I would choose Roy Lichtenstein’s Modern Head. The contrasting shades of blue, separated by solid black lines and black dots, are striking and strong. I’d love to see it hanging in a room with a black chair by Viennese secessionist Joseph Hoffman. They’re certainly from different era’s, but unexpected pairings make for great interior design.
Sitzmaschine Armchair in Black, Joseph Hoffmann, Image Courtesy Wikipedia
I hope everyone has an amazing week, and I’ll look forward to sharing whatever crosses my path in Manhattan very soon.
Check out Los Angeles Modern Auctions to see the full catalogue of items up for auction this weekend… and by the way, they’re not all blue.
Diptyque, 202 N. Larchmont, Los Angeles, Photo Romi CortierDiptyque, 202 N. Larchmont, Los Angeles, Photo Romi CortierDiptyque, 202 N. Larchmont, Los Angeles, Photo Romi CortierDiptyque, 202 N. Larchmont, Los Angeles, Photo Romi CortierDiptyque, 202 N. Larchmont, Los Angeles, Photo Romi CortierDiptyque, 202 N. Larchmont, Los Angeles, Photo Romi Cortierdiptyque, 202 N. Larchmont, Los Angeles, Photo Romi Cortier
The artistry of Diptyque works on so many levels. Aromatic. Theatrical. Black and white packaging that makes me think of Aubrey Beardsley. Beautiful window displays. In store vignettes layered with meaning.
Those of you who know me, know that I’m currently obsessed with black and white decor. So when I passed by Diptyque’s store front window on Larchmont Boulevard last week, I simply had to slip in and savor all of their visuals. It’s a feast for the eyes, and of course, a feast for the nose. To much fragrance will assault my senses and send me sneezing out the door. However, in this store, that’s never a problem. Leave it to the French to find the perfect balance, with fragrances that entice without overwhelming.
As I discovered on their website: www.diptyqueparis.com their 3 founders had backgrounds in interior design, painting and set design for the theater. Voila! It makes complete sense when you look at the images above. The window boxes are miniature theaters designed to tell a story… the story of fragrance for the home and body. Founded in 1961 in Paris at 34 boulevard Saint-Germain, the trio created a stylish bazaar that included fabrics and wall papers, as well as stylish goodies for the home honed from their travels. And in case you were wondering why they chose the oval shape for their labels, it’s a nod to an 18th century medallion, suggesting the shields of ancient Rome.
The next time you’re strolling down Larchmont Boulevard in LA’s Hancock Park, pop into 202 N. Larchmont and savor the refined luxury of Diptyque, or give them a call at 323 962-3622. You won’t be disappointed.
Art Deco Clock, Bullocks Wilshire, Los Angeles, Photo Romi CortierArt Deco Clock, Bullocks Wilshire, Los Angeles, Photo Romi CortierIndustrial Era Clock, Bullocks Wilshire, Los Angeles, Photo Romi CortierCubist Clock by Jock Peters, Bullocks Wilshire, Los Angeles, Photo Romi CortierArt Deco Clock, Bullocks Wilshire, Los Angeles, Photo Romi CortierArt Deco Clock, Cactus Room at Bullocks Wilshire, Los Angeles, Photo Romi Cortier
Clocks. They represent the many faces of time. And what could be more elegant than these Art Deco clocks seen throughout the interior of the former Bullocks Wilshire department store. While these six stood out for me, research indicates that at least 30 of them were custom made for the many nuanced theme rooms in this cutting edge modernist masterpiece built over 85 years ago.
Yes, 1929 was an entirely different world. A world that didn’t include iphones or apple watches. It was a time when the automobile was the newest and most remarkable invention, along with the idea of air travel. Everything had to be done with great style. It was a bold new world that celebrated the joyous movement of speed. Remember as a kid how the comic strips made cars look like they were moving fast by drawing a couple of parallel lines behind the bumper? That in essence is what inspired the graphics of this particular era. While the 50’s and 60’s had the boomerang shape to represent the atomic age and the art nouveau era had its sinewy lines of curling opium smoke to thank for it’s graphic inspirations, the deco era of the 20’s and 30’s was rich with parallel lines representing speed. It translated beautifully to graphics like the clocks above, as well as large scale design lines on building exteriors. I’m constantly spotting hidden gems around Los Angeles that go completely unnoticed, desperately in need of good period paint jobs and some TLC. Streamline modern is so easy on the eyes because it’s all about scale, balance and simplicity. A little one story building can look sleek and magnificent, while something much bigger and spacious can look clunky and heavy. There was nothing cookie cutter about this era. Everything was a ‘total work of art’ born out of pride of craftsmanship, with an emphasis on beauty.
When I look at these clocks, I become lost in time, quite literally. Studying the curve of each number and the thickness or thinness of each line, I wonder what the artisans sketches and drawings might have looked like with each incarnation. I’m so thrilled that these little masterpieces still exist, and I hope their artistry inspires future generations.
There’s so much to love at Bullock’s Wilshire, including the stunning Coco Chanel Room. Initially it housed ‘fine accessories’ and was known as La Chinoiserie, later becoming the famed Chanel Room guarded by her trademark bronze monkey’s. I was particularly smitten with the 4 delicate wall murals painted by George DeWinter. They’re so exquisite that I have to wonder if they’re ever been restored, or if they’re completely original.
Built in 1929, the Bullocks Wilshire Department Store was the premiere Art Deco shopping destination in Los Angeles until it was converted into the Southwestern Law School in 1994. The building is not open to the general public, however, once a year the building is open to the public for a special open house. And that, is when I made my entrance, scouring every corner of the building during the course of several hours. You’ll see several posts during the coming weeks from my tour. I regret that I couldn’t get this post published to celebrate Coco Chanel’s recent birthday on August 19th, but I’ve been in the throws of moving to a new residence… and we all know how daunting that can be.
This room is Stop #20 on the Self-Guided Tour, and is described as French Rococo Design. I have to take argument with that statement, as I think the room is actually French Neo-Classical Design. Everything about the room is so delicate, from the thin gold trimmed wall panels, to the very refined garlands above the mirrors. Rococo design is much heavier in overall appearance, with an emphasis on asymmetry and shell like curves. That said, Chinoiserie (Chinese-like) was popular during the Rococo era, so I can see why that association was made. Regardless, the Coco Chanel Room is what dreams are made of. Can you imagine your own walk-in closet with this sort of remarkable craftsmanship, it would be the epitome of refined elegance.
