Saturday, January 31, 2009

Rubie Down Under!

Photo: Patrick Cline for Real Living, March 2009

Hello and goodbye! I'm off to Australia for 2 weeks (wahoo!) to present at the Decoration + Design show in Sydney, so I thought I'd leave you with a bit of love from down under! I'm incredibly flattered and excited to be featured in this month's issue of Real Living, one of my absolute favorite Australian decorating magazines! I've picked up the perfect travel bag from the one and only Ladybird, (which has vegetable-dyed leather and a chic gold monogram for an additional $8 bucks!) so I'm ready to go ;)

Hopefully I'll be able to post some inspiration while I'm away, but if not, please check back on Valentine's Day for my latest Aussie finds, as well as an apartment tour of one of my favorite designers, Ron Marvin. G'day mates!

Friday, January 30, 2009

Farewell domino

Although by now this has been covered by just about every design blog known to mankind, I wanted to voice my sorrow that such an incredible publication has come to an end.

To so many people, domino was much more than just a magazine. It was a resource that rekindled an interest, excitement and passion for interior design. It challenged the way people looked at current design trends, products and publications, and brought together a community of like-minded design-lovers from literally all around the globe. Best of all? It was delivered to the reader with a lack of pretension found in so many existing design publications.

During my first interview with domino my senior year of college, I stepped into Deborah Needleman’s office and sat down nervously with my portfolio. She asked me what I liked best about domino and I remember telling her that it was the first magazine in years that actually understood what people wanted to see, and how they wanted to be spoken to. I told her that I loved how they delivered high-style design while also choosing to highlight more down-to-earth details, pointing out Carolina Herrera Jr’s beloved chalkboard as an example, which she found outside in a neighbors trash pile. Instead of showing the reader an impossibly expensive home and offering resources that were exclusive to the trade, domino brought humility to the design process and taught the reader how to express their personalities and passions through the homes they designed. Deborah’s response? Right on lady! That’s what it’s all about. She spent twenty minutes looking through my portfolio with genuine interest, and soon hired me on as a market assistant upon graduation.

My time at domino showed me first hand that the editors and staff who created the magazine were some of the most innately talented and passionate people in the industry. While I’m sad to see such an iconic publication come to an end, I’m excited to see where this new move will take the domino team. When I had mentioned to Deborah that domino was the first magazine of its kind in years, I was specifically referring to its predecessor, Living Room, which was published in 2002 and folded after merely one issue. Deborah was shocked that I remembered the magazine, and was excited to tell me that domino’s creative director Sara Costello had founded it. No wonder I thought it was brilliant! So my point is that although we are currently in a time where shelter magazines are closing their doors, it won’t be long until new ones open. And in the meantime, domino, you will be sorely missed.

I've included some images that I scanned in from marketing material which you might not have seen! Click on each image to enlarge. In the next few weeks I'll be sure to post more ;)



Sunday, January 25, 2009

Introducing: Lonny

Photo: Patrick Cline for Lonny
For the past twelve months photographer Patrick Cline and I have been working on our latest collaboration, and tonight we couldn't be more thrilled to finally share it with you! I met Patrick in 2007 at the chintz shoot for domino magazine, and we have since partnered up as a photography and styling duo. Having lived in both London and New York, Patrick and I are constantly inspired by our surroundings and our photography is a reflection of the diversity we've encountered. From pristine beaches in the Hamptons to graffiti covered buildings in Brooklyn, we proudly introduce Lonny.

Photos: Patrick Cline for Lonny
Since I'm a fan of all things equestrian, the Lonny horse photos are some of my absolute favorites to frame. I have the three prints above in my apartment, and they feel very Jackie O and Kelly Klein inspired.Photo: William Waldron. Kelly Klein's living room as seen in Elle Decor via Habitually Chic

Image of Jackie in 1967 by unknown photographer © HORSE by Kelly Klein, Rizzoli New York, 2008. Via Style Court

Photo: Patrick Cline for Lonny
One of Patrick's favorites is titled Sea, and he recently framed it in his newly painted bedroom. He chose a chocolate brown paint by Ralph Lauren called Crosby for his walls, and the contrasting white frames with his photography look incredibly chic.

Photo: Patrick Cline for Lonny
Since I am a fan of contrast, I love the idea of pairing this photo with slightly stuffier decor. I imagine it in a thin black frame leaning on top of a vanity, surrounded by pretty glass perfume bottles and bowls of sparkling costume jewelry. Or perhaps in a small lucite frame on top of a stack of books ;) Below are some more Lonny prints I'd love to frame, followed by some of my favorite ways to display photography.

Photos: Patrick Cline for Lonny

Photo: Simon Upton for domino, sept 2008
Photo: John Demsey's bachelor pad as seen in Elle Decor via habitually chic

Vicente Wolf via absolutely beautiful things

Image via Liberty Post

Photo by Max Kim-Bee for domino, February 2009

photo: source unknown

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Kick off your shoes

Photo: Patrick Cline
Nothing makes my heart skip a beat quite like an organized shoe closet! So last week Patrick and I decided to shoot my favorite landing spot for shoes in my living room (above) as well as my closet door/favorite shoe organizer of all time below!

Photo: Patrick Cline
I spotted this rack in an issue of domino last year from Lowe's, and since I didn't live near one I figured I'd head into the Container Store to find something similar. Except they didn't have anything. So I tried Home Depot. Nothing! So finally I ordered the silly thing online and literally couldn't be happier with my decision. Instead of masking my shoes in slouchy canvas pockets, it proudly displays them like a mini shoe gallery inside my closet door. It also makes me take a hard look at the shoes I own, and only hang onto the ones I truly love and wear. (Like my favorites above:)

Photo: Steven Randazzo for domino, September 2005
Here it is again in domino, above! I love the idea of hanging it on the wall with a curtain in front of it.

Photo: Annie Schlechter for domino, April 2007
Here's what my closet would look like if I, um, had a closet! (just kidding, I do have one, but trust me she's tiny)

Photo: David Nicolas for domino, April 2006
And finally here's what my future husband's closet will look like, if I have any say in the matter ;)

Monday, January 19, 2009

Official Blogroll Update!

Hello again and happy new year to you all!  It goes without saying that M.A. has been M.I.A. for a tad too long now (sorry!) so I wanted to let you know that I'm back and have finally updated my blogroll!  Thank you all for inspiring me on a daily basis, and please let me know if I've missed any on my list ;)