Photo :: Brett C. Valenstein, 2009 - Please Do Not Use Without Permission

Here we are on December 15th and I am SO not in the Christmas spirit.  I’m not anti-holiday, I’m just meh.  I think it’s because I’m in Southern California.  You can put as many Christmas lights on a palm tree as you want, it still isn’t a Christmas tree in my book.

Christmas to me is the tree at Rockefeller Center, the windows at Saks Fifth Avenue and Bergdorfs, vendors selling roasted chestnuts and the Nutcracker.  Or, if I’m in Jackson Hole, walking into a holiday party from the freezing (or all to often, below freezing) outside and being encircled by the warmth of the heat and the other guests inside.  The air smells of pine tree and cinammon and everyone is in their holiday best, or worst holiday sweaters (if that is what the party calls for — I would NEVER voluntarily wear a Christmas sweater).

But, I am not in either of those places for the Holiday Season this year and rather than complain I should start my own SoCal tradition and get to decorating.  I wonder how they decorate in the Southern Hemisphere… How do you decorate for the Holidays if you aren’t in a traditionally “Christmas” climate?

Related: NYC as seen by db's iPhone camera :: bergdorf goodman holiday windows (http://www.designbabylon-interiors.com/blog/2010/1/5/nyc-as-seen-by-dbs-iphone-camera-bergdorf-goodman-holiday-wi.html) by Brett C. Valenstein - I went home to NYC/CT for the holidays -- Christmas is one of my favorite times of year in the City, next to Spring with the Cherry Blossoms in bloom in Central Park.

I mean really, why don’t you?  Not only can it be an unexpected whimsical touch, it’s another way to ground a room.  

The traditional way to ground a room would be to go for a large floor rug, but let’s face it… rugs, good quality ones at least, can be cost prohibitive.  

Wall paper is a less-expensive option that delivers as much of a “wow!” moment as an area rug, if not more.  An added bonus?  Wallpaper will cover any cracks, water stains or other, er, imperfections on your ceiling that probably drive you a little bit crazy when you see them.

If you have high, loft-like spaces, wall-papered ceilings will help make the room feel like a more intimate space, less-echoey, if that’s what you are trying to achieve.

Wallpaper can be scary — glueing something to the walls seems like an awfully big commitment to most and the ceiling can seem an incredibly bizarre place to make that kind of commitment, but trust me — it’s worth it!

Some notable wall paper manufacturers include :: 

Clarence House

Elli Popp 

Graham & Brown

Kravet

luludk 

Ulf Moritz

Zimmer Rohde

Not that I’m a grinch or Scrooge.  No, No, No…. far from it!  I love Christmas/Holiday décoration, it just snuck up on me this year.

Not on my friend Michelle… in fact she was so excited about the Holidays that she put up her Christmas tree at our ski condo while most of us were in the kitchen cooking our various dishes for thanksgiving.

I couldn’t help but snap some shots of our little condo tree…. so here they are! (Oh, and that sweet-faced pooch is my love Xena)

 Fa la la la la la la

All photos br Brett Valenstein

Above is a photo of our table. As many of you know, rental ski condos don’t necessarily have the, er, most stylishly decorated décor so I had to make the most of the table setting.  (Yes, I realize that the photo is a little out of focus but I may have had a bit of wine before taking the photos.)

I brought your basic painter’s canvas dropcloth to use as a tablecloth, which I think turned out pretty well.  I also  brought out a set of plain white porcelain plates, orange cloth napkins and gold chargers; all available at your local Pier One Imports, World Market and Home Depot.

I wasn’t totally thrilled with the napkin ring slections at World Market, so I bought some inexpensive bangles near the check out line and made them work.

 Above is a close up of the table.  I added votives, glass containers filled with nuts and unscented white pillar candles , the spray painted squash and a selection of votices.  Bonus of the nut display?  They are there when you are feeling a bit “peckish” — just clean up the shells when you are done.

I do have a simple warning regarding the spray-painted acorn squash, butternut squash, and pumpkins.  Unlike gourds, you can’t dry them out.  My center piece literally started to disintegrate within days (ick) so the squash AND the table cloth had to go.  The nut and candle elements can stay and be repurposed for Christmas, so stay tuned to see how I “make it work” (Thank you Tim Gunn).

My friends in the condo share my same quirky sense of humor and we decided to wear costumes to our feast.  We had a couple pilgrims, a turkey and an indian, and some party poopers.  I decided NOT to post the costumed photos of our merry bunch just in case any of them decide to run for public office (you’re welcome.)

I hope your Thanksgiving was as jovial and full of wine as mine was!

But OK, back to the point of this post.  As I am the lone interior designer attending our costumed feast, I thought it only appropriate that I decorate the table.  I wanted the design to be something fresh and new, not your typical smattering of gourds, chocolate turkeys and indian corn.

I pictured squash and gourds painted metallic and matte colors, branches and leaves from outside (also spray painted) lots of candles in hurricanes and votives and tons of nuts.  Yes, I realize the people sitting around the dinner table may also qualify as nuts, but I’m talking about the mixed nuts variety that you buy in bulk at the market.

The first step? Go forth and get gourds.  Unfortunately the market I went to was fresh out of them (!?!?) so I settled with interestingly shaped squash.

photo :: brett valenstein, design babylon interiors

Next stop was Michael’s where I went a little nuts with spray paint, glitter & glitter glue.  I guess I was in the mood for a little sparkle!  Once I returned to my pad, I realized I needed to make a temporary spray booth so I wouldn’t gas myself and my furry little critters out of the house.  I jury-rigged a temporary booth with an Arbonne box I had laying around ::

photo :: brett valenstein, design babylon interiors

Isn’t she pretty?  Yeah, not so much.  But it gets the job done.  Next I found a piece of cork tile (a ceiling tile or piece of foam core will work too) and made a bed of nails so the squash and whatever else I decided to spray has something to rest on and won’t roll around as I work.  I think I saw this on Martha Stewart….

photo :: brett valenstein, design babylon interiors

Before you can get to the fun part, you have to prime all the squash, or gourds if you’re lucky (bah).  I like Krylon and it is available at craft and hobbie stores as well as Home Depot.

photo :: brett valenstein, design babylon interiors

So take your squash and rest it on your bed of nails.  Hold the can a good 12” away and move in long sweeping strokes.  If you hold the can too close you’ll end up with an uneven coat of primer and drips.  I had to figure that out the hard way.

photo :: brett valenstein, design babylon interiors

Once you’ve primed all visible faces of the squash, let it dry for about ten minutes, then flip it over and do the same thing to the remaining faces.

photo :: brett valenstein, design babylon interiors

Look at all my pretty primed squash all in a row!

photo :: brett valenstein, design babylon interiors

Now for the really fun part!  I bought an assortment of metallic spray paint, a high gloss terracotta and a flat white paint.  Apply the paint the same way that you applied the primer.  Slow even strokes 12”+ away from the squash.  The paint dries faster than the primer so you can start to move a little faster.

photo :: brett valenstein, design babylon interiors

And oh, isn’t she cute?  My first copper pumpkin!

photo :: brett valenstein, design babylon interiors

Did I mention that this a work in progress?  Off I go to finish up the spray painting — I’ll be back soon with an update!

sketch :: Garance Doré

Ahhhhh…. Garance Doré!  Who is Garance?  Well she is a wonderfully talented illustrator, photographer and blogger from Paris.

 She features some of her amazing sketches on her website (she has both French and English versions) and when I first saw them, all I could think of was how amazing they would look framed and hanging in my house.  I still haven’t done it {maybe that will be a weekend project} — but can’t you picture these great illustrations in your bathroom, closet or dressing room?  I feel like she captures the essence of woman so well that they belong in a more feminine place in your home.  What do you think?  I think they would look trés fabuleux printed on a textured paper, like Canson for example.

Source: About Garance Doré (http://www.garancedore.fr/en/a-propos/)
Source: Canson Paper (http://www.canson-us.com/)

Cameron Creativity Storage System with Art Cubbies

These shelves are a great option for a home office, your child’s room or a play room.  Where did I come across them?  Why, Pottery Barn Kids of course! This is a good reminder not to rule out kids furniture catalogs! 

I just spent a little time clicking through Potter Barn Kids’ Online Catalog and found these other gems ::

Fisherman Ceiling Lamp

The Fisherman Ceiling Lamp would be great in a kitchen or a bathroom.

Cortland Swing Arm Sconce

I love love love love sconces…. so many uses!  You can put sconces on either side of a bed if your bedside tables aren’t big enough for a table lamp.    They work in libraries, dens, living rooms, reading nook — the options are endless!

Playroom Rug

I’ve always loved striped rugs.  I think I got my love for stripes from my former boss.  This one is adorable and the price is really great too!

Good deals can be found anywhere — even catalogs where the most common motifs are daisies and race cars!

Source: Cameron Storage (http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/cameron-creativity-storage-system-with-art-cubbies/?&bnrid=3547509&cm_ven=Email&cm_cat=Creativity_Storage&cm_pla=DTC&cm_ite=dtc_cameron_storage_system&cm_em=brett@designbabylon-interiors.com)
Source: Fisherman Ceiling Light (http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/fisherman-ceiling-lamp/?pkey=dceiling-wall-lighting)
Source: Pottery Barn Kids (http://www.potterybarnkids.com/?cm_type=gnav)

photo :: Mahal Bella Photography

Ugh!  And I was doing so well {posting regularly, that is…}!!  But in this case I have a good excuse for my absence. 

My beloved Jack Russell Lexus {known as Lexi} fell quite ill and I needed to send her to the great big dog park in the sky. 

She had a 15-year run on this earth and brought many people joy and happiness.  My tears are further and farther in between, but it is hard to focus on blogging right now.  Please be patient and I promise to be back with a VENGEANCE with regular posts soon.

For now, enjoy the above photo of Lexi taken by Annabelle of Mahal Bella Photography.  Lexi was very curious as to what the camera and flash were and followed Bella around as she photographed my house.

Cheers,

Related: Mahal Bella Photography (http://www.wix.com/mahalbella/main)

I want to reach people and express myself.  You have to put up with the risk of being misunderstood if you are going to try to communicate.  You have to put up with people projecting their own ideas, attitudes, misunderstanding you.  But its worth being a public fool if that’s all you an be in order to communicate yourself.” -Edie Sedgwick

Ah, Edie.  She was a muse to Andy Warhol, his first “Superstar” and the face of the “youthquake.” And one of my favorite style icons.  She was the epitome of the swinging 60s scene in New York City. 

Unfortunately, the wild society girl’s life ended at the young age of 28 but her style legacy lives on.

Underneath the shiny veneer was a very troubled childhood in a family pre-disposed to mental illness.  Both her brothers Minty and Bobby committed suicide at a young age.  Edie herself developed an eating disorder when she was young and once walked in on her father having sex with another woman.  Her father, Francis, accused her of lying and put her on tranquilizers.  Edie quickly became addicted and withdrew into herself.  Life under the thumb of her tyrannical father only worsened when he threatened to leave Edie’s mother Alice if she did not commit Edie to a psychiatric hospital.  Edie checked into Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan, CT in 1962.

Edie on her 21st Birthday with Ed Hennessy, April 1964

Image from the collection of Edmund Hennessy

Edie moved to NYC from Cambridge, MA with her good friend Chuck Wein in 1964 soon after she came into her trust fund.  Edie’s  idea was to become an artist and get involved in the gallery scene.  It was at one such art scene party that she met Andy Warhol and her life was changed forever. 

When Edie Met Andy

credit :: Nat Finkelstein, Black Star

Warhol was captivated by Edie’s old money heritage and artistic energy and she quickly became a part of Warhol’s inner circle at “The Factory,” where her unique fashion sense blossomed.

She merged uptown and downtown in her dress — her well-made clothes and family jewels from the former, the short, bottle-blond hair, fake eyelashes and heavily kohl-lined eyes from the latter.

Her signature style included big earrings, short hair, heavily kohl-lined eyes, high heels and opaque tights.  But the real key to Edie’s style was that she was always herself — she wore the fake eyelashes, the big, chandelier earrings and the opaque tights because she wanted to, not because someone told her to or because they were in fashion.

Celebrity milliner Stephen Jones once said of Edie:

Iconic society women had always been demure and elegant.  Sedgwick was downtown not uptown, active not passive, sunglasses not ball gowns.  Her look was a mixture of sweet and sour, an angel face distorted with bleached hair and disfiguring makeup.  You could call her the first punk.

Edie became a central figure in both “The Factory” and Warhol’s world.  She starred in several of his avant garde films and Warhol rarely left her side.  Edie’s burgeoning popularity with the mainstream and dwindling funds soon put stress on their close relationship.  Warhol and the other members of his clique quickly began to distance themselves from Edie.

By 1966, her signature look had been picked up by the mainstream.  Vogue described her as  “white-haired with anthracite-black eyes and legs to swoon over.”  During this time she also became Betsey Johnson’s first fit model.

 Edie as a “Youthquaker,” Vogue, August, 1965

photo :: Enzo Selerio, Condé Nast

Edie Modeling a Betsey Johnson Design

Collection of David Weisman

Diana  Vreeland said of Edie ::

She had a little dance step in her walk; she was so happy with the world.  She was very charming.  She suggested springtime and freshness.  She was very clean and clear, and her hair was pulled back, almost Alice in Wonderland.  Freshness and proportion and a sense of the sort of rollick of life, you know, the fun of life.

Around this time, Edie met, and quickly became infatuated with, musician Bob Dylan.  It is rumored that Dylan’s songs “Leopard Pill Box Hat” and “Just Like a Woman” were inspired by Sedgwick.  Unbeknownst to her, Dylan was living with his future wife Sara Lownds and carrying on an affair with folk-singer Joan Baez.  Her former “bestie” Warhol took great delight in sharing the news with Edie when Dylan and Lownds wed.

Heartbroken and with out her best friend, Sedgwick left “The Factory” in 1966.

By the time she left “The Factory” Edie had burned through her trust-fund {with Warhol’s help, of course} and was flat broke.  Feeling alienated by the crew at “The Factory,” Edie turned towards speed and heroin for solace.

Her downward spiral continued when Vogue refused to endorse her because of Edie’s connection to the drug scene.  Later, she accidentally burned down her apartment in The Chelsea Hotel. 

Edie’s “superstar” reality evaporated and she returned to her family’s home in Santa Barbara.  Her brother Jonathan describer her as:  “A painted doll, wobbly, languishing around on chairs, trying to look like a vamp.”

In 1967, her old friend Chuck Wein cast her in his film  “Ciao! Manhattan” in which Sedgwick’s character lives at the bottom of an empty swimming pool.  The prevalence of drugs on the set hastened Edie’s descent into addiction and mental illness.  {Note :: I couldn’t finish watching the movie.  Edie looked so fragile and zoned-out, it was too painful to watch.}.

Following her father’s death in 1967, Edie slipped in and out of  hospital.  In 1968, The New York Post asked “Whatever Happened to Edie Sedgwick?”  Warhol petulantly stated of his former “bestie” and superstar “I don’t know where she is.  We were never that close.”

Edie & Mike Post’s Wedding, Rancho La Laguna, July 24, 1971

photo :: Hal Boucher

By 1969 Edie was back into another psychiatric hospital following an arrest for drug possession.  There, she met fellow addict Michael Post, whom she married in 1971.  Edie stopped drinking and worked hard to only use drugs for pain-management.

On November 15, 1971 a healthy looking Sedgwick attended a fashion show at the Santa Barbara Museum.  At an after party, another guest verbally attacked Edie, calling her a heroin addict.  Edie became hysterical and her husband took her home.  That night she took her prescribed medication and never woke up.  She was 28.  Her death was ruled as an accidental suicide due to barbiturate overdose.

Sedgwick and Warhol never reconciled.  When Warhol was told of her death, he wondered aloud if her husband would get her money.  A friend  curtly told him “Edie didn’t have any money.  She spent it all on you.”

In spite of all this,  Sedgwick’s lasting legacy is her individuality and personal style.  Not her unhappy private life.