So Haute!

{Haute Shopping} The Melrose Trading Post

I think LA has some of the best flea markets around. Some of the better markets in the LA area are in farther away cities like Pasadena or Long Beach and only open on select weekends so I often miss them when I come to town. The Melrose Trading Post however, best known for its art, antiques and collectibles, is open every single Sunday rain or shine. It's also located right in the heart of Hollywood so it's easily accessible and even on holidays it's still open. I always manage to check it out when I'm in town and it's usually chock full of great deals. 

When I visited LA in May I stopped by to see if I could find some new tchotchkes for my place and found this booth selling everything for $1. Yes, that's right - ONE DOLLAR!

You  had to sort through a lot of junk but there were certainly many treasures to be found. It was full of fabulous lamps in working condition like this brass pair above. Couldn't you just imaging these all polished up with a fresh pair of black lacquered shades...they'd look so fab! 

This brass artichoke lamp was also in the dollar booth. I regret not buying it. I was being lazy and told myself it would be too much of a pain to lug on an airplane. I went to sleep that night and then woke up thinking about this lamp. Next time I'll do better! Below are photos of a few more fabulous finds I spotted at The Melrose Trading Post. The next time you're in the area, I'd highly recommend stopping by!

The Melrose Trading Post

Located at the Fairfax High School Parking Lot

Fairfax & Melrose, Hollywood, CA

Open Sundays, 9am-5pm 

Rain or Shine

Topshop Hits NYC!

After a long delay and much anticipation, Topshop is FINALLY opening in New York this Thursday but last night I was in Topshop heaven when I attended the store's private shopping preview event. I promise you, Topshop's first US outpost, located at Broadway & Broome in Soho, does not disappoint!

I didn't really take any photos because I was too busy shopping (!) but here's one I snapped with my Blackberry of the store's second floor. The place is HUGE...almost like a mini department store spanning four levels. Topman is in the basement and Topshop for the ladies covers the ground level plus two upper floors.

_{Photo: Kyle Eriksen for WWD}

The third floor houses a more casual assortment of apparel but the real treat is the shoe lounge! There were shoes galore! The party was a lot of fun though. It was not crowded at all, there were free flowing drinks, great customer service and well-heeled list of attendees which included fashion editors, stylists, socialites and other NYC influencer types. While there I spotted actresses Emma Roberts, Michelle Monaghan and Michelle Trachtenberg, my favorite supermodel of the moment, Arlenis Sosa, and Marchesa's Georgiana Chapman among other VIPs. The atmosphere was very civilized but I'm sure it will be much different story come Thursday! New Yorkers are always in a frenzy when cool shops like this finally open in the city so if you plan to go on opening day, you might want to bring your helmet!

After covering all of the floors and trying on everyhing, I ended up with a few really great finds, including the studded leather jacket in this photo which I'm in love with! I also picked up a grey blazer, a denim jacket a dress, a couple of t-shirts and some fun jewelry. The whole experience was quite overwhelming...there were so many cute things I wanted to buy, I could have easily gone broke!

If you're in New York be sure to visit Topshop, opening this Thursday, April 2nd. And if you're not near NYC, don't fret because Topshop's US e-commerce site is up and running and you can click here to visit. Happy shopping!

Question of the Day...

If you could furnish your home entirely out of one place what would it be?

For me it would be ABC Carpet & Home hands down. The store is insanely huge and has everything you could possibly need to furnish your home. I love their mix of products which runs the gamut from fine European antiques to mid century modern to Philippe Starck modern to Asian antiques, the list goes on. They have shop in shops of known retailers such as Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams and Ralph Lauren Home. In addition, ABC offers tableware, bedding, bath linens, lighting, kids furniture, fabrics by the yard, mattresses, electronics, you name it.  And of course they have an incredible selection of carpets which includes the famed Madeline Weinrib Atelier (Weinrib is the great granddaughter of the ABC Carpet & Home founder by the way). I love going in there and wandering around from floor to floor to see what's new. ABC also has 2 great restaurants attached to it, Pipa and Lucy Latin Kitchen...both really good although Pipa is one of my brunch favorites. The only caveat with ABC is that their merchandise doesn't come cheap. But-cost conscious shoppers will delight in the fact that ABC has three outlet stores-one in the Bronx, another in Hackensack, New Jersey and a third location in Delray Beach, FL. For more info visit the ABC website.

If I had to pick a second source to furnish my whole home I'd go online to 1stDibs. It's an amazing resource for fine antiques and vintage pieces from around the world.

What would be your source? Please share!

_{Photos: Top, Woter Vandertol/New York Spaces. Bottom, abccarpet.com and Andrew Carcie/New York Magazine}

Haute Shopping in Santa Barbara

Last week I was in Santa Barbara for a quick business trip and when I say quick I mean less than 48 hours quick. I had a busy schedule but since I had never been to Santa Barbara before, I was determined to find time to visit a few shops. I did my research and the second I landed Tuesday afternoon I hopped in my rental and headed straight for Lillie Avenue in Summerland where I was told had some of the best home furnishing and antique shops in the area. By the time I actually made it to Lillie Ave I only had about two hours before all the shops closed. I only got to check out two shops but they did not disappoint!

My first stop was Botanik. I read that Botanik was a must-visit destination for Charlotte Moss whenever she's in town and that Nate Berkus shops there for Oprah's home in Montecito so of course I had to check it out...

Botanik is known for its amazing selection of items for the home and garden which are housed in picturesque cottages situated side by side. Above is the entry to the garden shop...

 

Inside is a well-edited selection of garden and patio furnishings, accessories, candles and some of the most beautiful orchids I've ever seen which you can see in the photo above. 

 

Out back is an array of everything you'd ever need to create a beautiful garden including plants, trees, shrubs, pots, planters, urns, sculptures, fountains, you name it...

 

There are also many beautiful topiaries along with and an extensive assortment of succulents which Botanik is very well known for.

 The adjacent home furnishings stop carries a wonderful selection of home furnishings and accessories...

I loved this antique, floral patterned Chinese lacquer trunk. Atop are those Michael Aram pomegranate salt and pepper shakers that I've blogged about before. I also love the little lotus leaf salt and pepper cellars which are available for purchase on Botanik's website.

I love the pairing of the Moroccan bone inlay mirror above the French daybed piled with pillows made of block printed Indian fabrics. Talk about global chic! 

Here are more beautiful block printed textiles...

 

All of the vignettes set up in the store were styled to perfection...

I was especially impressed with Botanik's selection of tabletop items many of which were imported from countries around the world...

Like these beautiful linen napkins with ruffled edges, artisan dinnerware, and shell and silver place card holders seen here...

I loved all of the ornate serving spoons and the pewter and ceramic serving bowls in the photo above were standouts as well...

Here's one last photo of tabletop goodness from Botanika....Now on to the next stop...

Right across the street from Botanik is another incredible store called Rooms & Gardens.

I fell in love with Rooms & Gardens the second I walked through the door. The vibe inside feels very bohemian/Mediterranean/British Colonial/Spanish Colonial/beachy...truly an eclectic mix of furnishings and accessories.

I love a well dressed bed and if I could, I would transplant this one right into my home as is! 

The store stocks plenty of plush suzani printed pillows as well as pillows with Indian paisley and batik prints. I'll take any of these home too!

Room and Gardens' assortment of furnishings and accessories include antiques and imports as well as artwork and other items by local California artisans.

They also design custom furnishings for many of their clients in addition to providing full interior design services.

Aside from furniture and accessories, Room and Gardens' merchandise mix includes a nice selection of fabrics by the yard from companies like Peter Dunham, Les Indiennes, Kathy Ireland and John Robshaw.

And in addition to the John Robshaw fabrics, they also carry plenty of Robshaw bedding and tabletop linens as well, which you can see propped on the shelves in this photo. 

 

I couldn't leave without buying something so I picked up these lovely hemstitch linen hand towels with the letter "N" embroidered on them...I was so excited! That's all for my little shopping tour of Lillie Ave in Summerland. Stay tuned for more from my Santa Barbara trip very soon!

Scalamandre for the Masses

Did you know that Scalamandre, purveyor of high end upholstery fabrics, fine wall papers and luxe home furnishings has an online outlet that's open to the masses? The company, which has a rich history, is best known for their exquisite upholstery fabrics and is highly regarded by design professionals around the world. Their products are available to-the-trade only but with the addition of this new online outlet, non-designers can shop from an assorment of discontinued patterns which are priced dirt cheap. Visit Scalamandre's website to check out the goods.

Haute Inspiration from Jayson Home & Garden

 

During my recent trip to Chicago I made sure to stop by one of my favorite area shops, Jayson Home & Garden. I also snapped some photos of the store to share with you. Often blogged about and featured in publications like Domino and Elle Decor, Jayson Home & Garden is a home design emporium that any decorator or design enthusiast would appreciate. The loft like space is filled to the brim with unique home furnishings, lighting, textiles, home accessories and books. A stylish mix of antique and vintage pieces are juxtaposed with furnishings from contemporary brands like Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams and Lee Industries while a selection of one-of-a-kind items from around the world add to the store's eclectic feel. And you can't forget about their incredible assortment of cut flowers, plants, topiaries and chic garden furnishings. The shop is well merchandised and is chock full of inspiration for anyone interested in interior design. And it's a must visit destination if you're ever in the Chicago area. For those of you who can't get to Chicago, you can shop the Jayson Home & Garden website. But given the store's extreme popularity, you've probably been there, done that:) Enjoy the photos!

 

_{Click any of the above photos to enlarge.}

Haute Inspiration from Mecox Gardens

I'm always so inspired every time I set foot inside Mecox Gardens. I snapped these photos of their Southampton flagship a few weeks ago when I was in town. I hope you enjoy!

My Super Saturday

Super Saturday was HOT....literally. It was a gazillion degrees outside and there was hardly any shelter from the sun. Still, it was a fun day and the heat didn't stop me from shopping up storm to help raise money for a really great cause. Aside from many incredible fashion finds, there were lots of great products for the home available at Super Saturday too. Here's a little peek at some of the many items that could be had for a song at this year's event:

I was dying for the new Dyson Animal hand vacuum which was marked down to just $90 (originally $199)! Sadly, every single vacuum cleaner at the booth including the display models were sold in the first 30 minutes of the event! And I thought all the frenzy would be over Rachel Zoe's booth!

Celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe's had a booth with lots of incredible clothes and accessories that were donated by Rachel herself as well as by many of her celebrity friends and clients. Above is a photo of a shopper perusing the racks. There were lots of amazing things... Temperley dresses, gorgeous Valentino gowns and quite a few pairs of Guiseppe Zanotti shoes.

There were also plenty of bags from Rachel Zoe's exclusive Judith Leiber handbag collection for sale. The funny thing is that I was expecting her booth to be a mad house but it wasn't nearly as crazy as I expected...it was actually quite civilized!

Cottages and Gardens Publications also had a booth...as you can see there were lots of chevron printed floor cushions for sale as well as a great selection of throw pillows, design books, dishware and other stylish accessories for the home.

I was excited to dicover that Dwell Studio was at Super Saturday this year. They had current season sheet sets and duvet covers for more than half off...and the prices were marked down even further as the day progressed...

Dwell Studio also had an interactive theater tent for kids...very cute!

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I also stopped at the booth of Madewell, the new line by J. Crew. They had quite a colorful array of jeans on display...

One of my favorite booths at the event was Smythson of Bond Street. There I picked up a beautiful ivory colored French wallet in croc printed leather as well as a red leather key fob and an aqua colored business card holder...all at prices far below retail!

I know my mom would have loved this booth. St. John, whose prices are astronomical at retail, had pieces available at serious markdowns. Their jackets which normally range between $1-2000 were on sale at Super Saturday for $595! Still expensive but a great deal compared to what they usually cost!

There was also an amazing raffle with prizes like this Chanel bag which I would have loved to win!

Here's another great raffle prize. Gucci Python...what more can I say?!

At the end of the day I left with my goodies from Smythson, a few great dresses from Diane von Furstenberg, Twinkle and Sunner, a pair of Spanx and some really cute swimsuits from Victoria's Secret. Super Saturday did not disappoint!

Les Indiennes

Lately I've been drawn to ethnic printed fabrics so I thought I'd devote a post to a purveyor of ethnic textiles that I really love. Les Indiennes produces the most beautiful, hand printed Indian textiles and their fabrics have a casual, bohemian elegance that I find very appealing. If you aren't familiar with the company, after reading this post you'll probably start noticing the brand often in the media as they receive a fair amount of press and are credited regularly in magazines such as Domino, Elle Decor and House Beautiful.

Les Indiennes was founded in 2002 by Mary Mulcahy, a former fashion editor and stylist who sought out to create a line of beautiful yet simple hand blocked textiles that were authentically Indian. Les Indiennes' fabrics are made entirely by hand in a small village in India and the prints are derived from the ancient art of Kalamkari--a complex printing process which requires 13 steps and 40 days to complete. Their organic cotton fabrics are sun bleached and hand printed using only natural dyes. A five meter bolt of fabric costs $550...quite expensive but totally justified given all of the labor involved plus the fact that it's imported.

In the About section of the Les Indiennes website there is a step-by-step synopsis of the Kalamkari process, illustrated in the photo above, which is quite an interesting read.

 

Be sure to visit their online shop where, in addition to fabrics, you can also purchase bedding, pillows, wall papers and more.

 

On their main website you'll also find plenty of inspiration in the gorgeous photography that is featured. Below are a few photos I found particularly inspiring. Check out more here.

_{All photos via lesindiennes.com}

Antiquing on a Hot Saturday Afternoon

Yesterday was the hottest day of the Summer thus far here in New York, but even with a 98 degree temperature coupled with extreme humidity, I still decided to brave the heat and spend the entire day walking around Chelsea, hitting up all the flea markets and antiques shops in the neighborhood. The strip of 25th street in Chelsea between Broadway and 7th Ave is filled with antique shops, vintage stores and flea markets and is always bustling on the weekends. Yesterday, however, was relatively quiet because anyone with any sense was at home indulging in the comfort of their air conditioner. It was actually sort of nice to not have to fight through a crowd for a change but I have to admit, the heat was exhausting. I visited many antique shops, vintage stores and flea markets during my Chelsea antique tour but I thought I'd highlight a few of the more notable places I went to. My first stop was the Showplace Antique Center...

As soon as I got there I headed straight to the top floor which is dedicated to home furnishings. (The galleries on the other floors mainly house collectibles, jewelry, art, etc). All of the furniture and accessories are curated into little room vignettes which provided plenty of inspiration.

These Milo Baughman tufted leather chairs were the first pieces I spotted when I reached the top floor. The chrome and the black leather combination is so masculine and sexy.

These French armchairs also stood out to me. The mahogany frame is beautiful and I love the black and white printed velvet fabric! I kind of have a thing for chairs...

I loved these too...

And these...

 

And these...


And this one...

I thought this piece was really interesting. It's an antique x-ray lamp from a dental office...

Also loved this pair of silver mid-century whippets...

This vignette was filled with many Hollywood Regency pieces. The Dorothy Draper chests were in perfect original condition. I also loved those blue murano glass lamps and the starburst mirror...

My next stop after the Showplace Antiques Center was right across the street to the 25th Street Flea Market. I breezed through everything pretty quickly because it was just too hot to take my time looking at everything. I saw a great pair of silver Foo Dogs that I really wanted but they were a little too expensive so I took a pass. On to the Antiques Garage...

The Antiques Garage happens every weekend and at this antiques market more than 100 dealers take over two floors of a parking garage to showcase everything from antique furniture, rugs and art to vintage clothing, jewelry, books and other collectibles. As the sign above indicates, admission to the garage is free.

This photo gives you a general sense of the atmosphere. I didn't buy anything here either but had a ton of fun looking.

After I left Chelsea I headed down to Soho to run a few errands. My stylish friend Linda recently told me about a great little antique shop there called Penine Hart Antiques so I made sure to stop by while I was in the neighborhood. Antique dealer Penine Hart's eponymous shop is filled with lots of French furniture, beautiful art and the most lovely ceramic and porcelain pieces you've ever seen. And best of all, everything in this charming little shop is relatively inexpensive. Definitely worth visiting if you're ever in the neighborhood. For more info on Penine Hart visit her website here.

{Haute Shops} Housing Works

Inside Housing Works' West Village location

There's an amazing vintage store chain here in New York called Housing Works. They sell everything from clothes and jewelry to furniture and home decor items and whenever I'm in the neighborhood of one of their seven locations I always stop in to check out their goods. The very best items are merchandised beautifully in the store windows and put up for auction on the Housing Works website. The cool thing is that Housing Works is more than just a chain of thrift shops...it's a charity that benefits homeless and low-income people living with HIV & AIDS in New York City and all the profits from the items sold in the stores and on their website go to fund Housing Works' wonderful programs. So if you purchase a larger ticket item you'll feel good knowing that you're helping others in need. Below are photos of some of the items currently listed for auction. For those living outside of the NYC area, Housing Works unfortunately offers limited delivery options so be sure to read their FAQ section carefully if you're interested in bidding but don't live in New York. Enjoy the photos!

An eclectic vignette currently installed in the window of Housing Works' Chelsea location.

A beautiful carved Asian armoire as featured in the window of the Chelsea location. Current bid as of 3/23 is $159.50. Auction ends on 3/26.

A pair of very cool vintage leather bolster chairs by Treillage from the E. 77th street Housing Works window. Current bid is $732 as of 3/23 and the auction ends on 3/30.

This current bid as of today for this upholstered side chair at the E. 23rd Street location is $109.50. Auction ends on 4/1. It's hard to tell with the busy fabric but this chair features a tufted seat back and it looks like it has a very solid frame. I'm not a fan of the blue floral upholstery but this chair could live nicely in my apt if I re-covered it in a different fabric. Perhaps a chic, lived in-looking nubby linen. Hmm...

This gold, gilded French-style scroll mirror is featured in the window of Housing Works' 2nd Ave location. Unfortunately, the auction for this piece ended at 5PM today so it's no longer available. The winning bid was $275.

Woodson and Rummerfield's House of Design

When I was in LA last week I got to sneak away from work for a bit to hit up LA's design district and browse some of the amazing antique stores and showrooms scattered up and down La Cienega. One of the showrooms on my must-visit list was Woodson & Rummerfield's House of Design. I love Ron Woodson & Jaime Rummerfield's design aesthetic. Their signature style combines California modern with old Hollywood vintage to create a look they've dubbed "Modage". I've seen many different incarnations of their ever-changing showroom in pictures, as I'm sure many of you have, but seeing the space in person was so incredibly inspiring. The rooms were GORGEOUS! It made me want to go straight home and re-decorate my apartment! Below are some photos I took of the place...

This is the main "living room." Love! The black fireplace, moldings and chandeliers make the room feel very dramatic while the purple velvet sofa and pink jacquard throw pillows add a feminine touch. This room is so glam! The entire  showroom, including the above space, is filled with re-done antique and vintage pieces mixed in with items from Ron & Jamie's Woods & Fields line. The photography on the walls is by an up-and-coming LA photographer named April Brimer. The modernity of these photos is striking against the more classic furniture styles and decorative elements in the room.

One of Woodson & Rummerfield's more prominently featured items is this stunning chesterfield style "Aristocrat" sofa. The luscious velvet fabric...the tufting...the Louis-esque legs...the beautiful color...all so perfect! And so chic! I envision some stylish woman with a glass of champagne in hand wearing a dress and high heels sitting cross legged on this sofa while tossing her head back and laughing at something hilarious. Seems like a fitting scenario for such a regal looking sofa! And don't you just love the series of Brimer photographs of the girl in the yellow dress above the sideboard? I do!

This is W & R's "Through The Looking Glass" chair. This beautiful wingback chair is the perfect example of how Ron & Jamie use just the right fabrics to make a more traditional piece of furniture to seem ultra modern. I forgot who makes the fabric but I love it.

I also really love this chair here. Another classic wingback style...this time with tufting and nail head detail...made to look more contemporary with white vinyl upholstery. Yup...I said vinyl. The designers opted for this as an eco-conscious alternative to leather. The chair, with its more petite frame, was designed with women in mind.

I love really creative pieces that are a bit out-of-the-box. This cute little chandelier is made of vintage crystal wine glasses and goblets. Very cool. I've never seen anything like it!

I noticed a kitchy little collection of interesting porcelain lady heads scattered all over the showroom. You can see them in the photos above. The top two photos are from the main room and the bottom photo shows a few lady heads positioned around the mirror above this chinoiserie cabinet in the entryway. I love the gold Florence Broadhurst wallpaper featured on the in the bottom photo. This is also seen framed within the moldings in the main room.

A view of the main room from a different angle. I really like the portraits at the top of the bookcase.

Lots more eye candy in the photo above of the showroom's "dining room". The red bamboo chairs add such punch and I love love love that table. I swear, I could just pack a bag and move right into this place! The best part about my visit was that Ron & Jamie's super nice business partner Tom happened to be there and was kind enough to show me around and give me the scoop on some of the projects Ron & Jamie have been working on. One exciting venture in the works is a new book called High Style, slated to be released this Fall. A little blurb about the book reads: "From Palm Springs to the Hollywood Hills, features on vintage furnishings and flea market finds complement the stories behind the fabulous rooms they've created. With over 300 stunning photographs, High Style packs all the glamour of Los Angeles-where modern fashion meets Hollywood antique-into a book as attractive to display as it is compelling to read." Another book to add to my wish list and I can't wait for it to hit the shelves! You can read more about it here.

{Haute Shop} Fig Antiques

While running errands over the weekend I stumbled upon a jewel of an antique shop called FIG. And on the Lower East Side of all places! (If you’re not familiar with New York, the LES is known for being one of Manhattan’s grungier neighborhoods.) This tiny little shop is filled with a well edited collection of fine European antique furniture, art, textiles, and jewelry along with many other incredible items. For such a small shop there were so many amazing things to look at! Some of the pieces date as far back as the era of Louis XIV. I was kind of in a hurry and left the shop feeling like I wish I could have learned more about some of the amazing things I saw there. Luckily they have a great website with detailed info on many of their pieces. Check it out here. Some of my favorite picks from their site are shown below. And if you’re ever near the LES you should definitely pay FIG a visit!

Left: How great are these Chinese ginger jars with the little Foo Dogs painted on them?! They're from the late 1800s. Right: A 19th century inkwell from France.

Left: A French Boudoir mirror from the early 1900s. You can see the store's reflection in the mirror. Unfortunately this piece is sold but they have a selection of other equally amazing mirrors to choose from (see below). Right: A 19th century French Bergere chair with original needlepoint embroidery.

Left: I love these South African Kudu horns! The Ebonized mirror behind it is also for sale...It's from Italy dating back to the late 1800s. Right: This 1920s Louis IV style desk is to die for. It's lacquered black with gilt metal detail and topped with a red tooled leather writing surface. Sorry people, this one is sold too.

These 14K and 18K gold bands from England are from the late 1800s. I'd buy any one of these...so my style! I love the one on the bottom right that looks like a belt buckle. So chic!