I Have A ' Thing' For Tulips

I just have always had a real thing for TULIPS !

More importantly, how can something so beautiful not have a yummy scent ???
Is it because they are so beautiful, graceful, and simply elegant that G-D figured it would be over-kill ?
What then ?
I saw this and thought , WOW.
I love tulips.
I love the way they are shaped, the way they do this weird curvy, contorting kind of thing in a vase of water on the second day.
When I was a kid and first moved to NYC, I had nothing but courage .
I would have loved this giant tulip behind by bed, which was a only a mattress on the floor.

I can't help it , I LOVE BLACK & WHITE TOO !!!!

That wallpaper is just fun !

I saw this and thought of all you Bloggers with Dachshunds.

How cute is this?

This should be the wall-covering in a Victoria's Secret dressing room.

Don't you think ?

Just Crazy.

So wild, but I know somewhere on this planet ( or another ), there is just the right space.

papers from: nonoliving-uk

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Renee Finberg 'TELLS ALL' in her blog of her Adventures in Design

My Conversation With Carleton Varney

My Conversation With Carleton Varney-

On January 21st 2009 I was running late, caught in traffic,
on the cell with Margaret (Carleton Varney’s Assistant), asking her what she would be wearing, explaining what I was wearing………trying to make this interview happen.

Margaret Landry was as nice as you ‘ wouldn’t imagine .’ I expected a ‘Gate Keeper’ of sorts, but she was nice, friendly and genuinely helpful

After telephone tag, about 4 calls within 25 minutes, we found each other in the DCOTA ( Design Center of The America’s in Dania Beach, Florida ). There she was, just as she had described herself, and in addition, cute as she could be.

Margaret then led me to Carleton Varney ( CV ) who ( thank G-d ) was expecting me.
And there he was…all Carleton Varney-ish !!
He was the ‘Real Deal.’ And He Was Fabulous !!!
He was dressed in a white linen suit; he was tanned, and had gorgeous lightish-blondish hair, and a disarming smile. Carleton Varney is very handsome , yet still retaining a boyish quality, which as all we ladies know, is so attractive!!!’
I ask you, is there anything more perfectly Palm Beach than that ?

Here are some of the things we talked about.
His happiness, his favorite design projects, art, his hobbies ,
his favorite places to be, words for young designers,
and will he retire ?

***********************************************

Q's & A's

The 1st Question: “Are you happy ?”
Answer: Carleton Varney ( CV ) told me he was happy to be alive. He had a great big smile and leaned back. Them he proceeded to tell me about how wonderful his parents were, and that they just wanted him to be happy. They taught him not to be wasteful, and to give of yourself without expecting anything in return.

Q: What is your favorite color ?
A: My favorite color is green, and I love blue as well.
I had to nail him down on the blue that he loved , and I came away understanding it to be ‘ AZURE Blue‘ ( which is my fave too ) .

Q: What was your favorite finished project ?
A: CV thought that is was The Greenbriar, he loved the black and white floors , the wallpaper and fabrics. He loved all of the colors and patterns and the way it came together.

Q: Favorite Job ?
A: He said ‘ THE WHITE HOUSE’ ( JIMMY CARTER . 1977-1981 ).
CV told me that the experience was incredible.
Carleton Varney got to know President Carter and the 1st Lady on a personal level. Everyone treated him with kindness, and in addition, he was exposed to international dignitaries, and some of the world’s most powerful political players. CV was clearly moved when discussing the relationships he established with some of these people.
The experience, I am sure, was an awesome one.
( please note pictures included in this post as it relates to the players in President Carters White House )

Q: What is your favorite place to be ?
A: CV said that ‘In Jamaica, lying on a boat, in a beautiful lagoon’ with the breeze blowing through the leaves of of the trees. Just feeling like he “never had to move again”, surrounded by swaying palms , blue skies, and the turquoise water

Q: What have you not done yet, and you still want to do ?
A: CV told me that he wants to be able to ‘ follow through’ on all that he has to do.
He wants to be able to ‘ find commitment’. ( have the time to actually start and finish )
He wishes that he had more time. Carleton Varney told me that Ethel Merman once told him; “ Get On The Boat Before It Leaves The Pier “.

Q: What are your favorite things to do ?
A: CV said to me that he loves painting, and so he told me another cute story….
CV was friends with Anita Young, who was Georgia O’Keeffe’s sister. One day while CV was over at Anita Young’s house, Anita Young was rummaging through a closet of hers that was stuffed with her sister’s ( Georgia O’Keeffe ) work.
Miss Young did not like ( not even a tiny bit ) Georgia O’Keefe’s work.
Anita Young looked at Carleton Varney and asked him if he wanted some paintings ?
CV did not accept the offer , he told me.
And laughing , he said; “ I sure wish I had ! “

Q: Will you retire ?
A: No.

Q: What is the ‘PIECE’ ( furniture or fabric ) that you have designed,
that is your favorite ?
A: Mr. Varney had to really think, I came back to this question several times trying to pin him down. And finally he told me that it was a fabric that he designed for the Shah of Iran & Queen Farah.
What was left over of this fabric was still lying around in his bedroom.
It was a woven ,with pale yellows and turquoise. The fabrics name is: ‘Faraldhi’. Carleton Varney’s one regret with this design is that he did not create the Wall-Covering.
( my regret as well )

More on the Shah of Iran :
http://www.iranchamber.com/history/mohammad_rezashah/mohammad_rezashah.php

Q: Do you have anything to say to the new designer ?
A: Yes, “ You Must Be Born One. “. He told me that even if you have a proper interior design education, it is the way a real designer sees the world. It is placement and presentation. And to put it really simply , he said; “ You don’t prepare a dinner plate with steak , cauliflower and mashed potatoes” , “ it’s just not pretty.”
“ Use carrots or peas.”

I agree completely with him, Carleton Varney has a design school , here is an article he wrote : http://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/realestate/content/realestate/2008/10/17/RES_101708_VarneyOT.html

Mr Varney has done so much, if you listen to his Life-Time Achievement Award Acceptance Speech on my other blog; Design EXPOSED , you will hear how brilliant and accomplished he is, yet still a man who retains humility and gratitude.
As much as I am in awe of his life’s achievements, I find this to be his crowning achievement.
I felt very fortunate to have met him, and to have been surrounded by his warm energy and generous nature. And for sharing with me some of his wisdom, and a few great little stories.
Thank You for the interview Mr.Varney. xx

Want More On Carleton Varney ?
Go Here :
http://www.blackbookmag.com/tags/tag/Carleton+Varney

http://www.hotelsmag.com/design-trends/article/CA6518912.html

http://www.hgtv.com/public-places-private-spaces/carleton-varney/index.html

http://www.allbusiness.com/manufacturing/furniture-manufacturing-plastic-wicker/6313170-1.html

http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-5281389.html

http://go.pioneerlinens.com/search?w=carleton+Varney

http://www.caymanmama.com/2009/02/05/pioneer-hosts-tea-party-carleton-varney_200902054019.html

Some of Carleton Varney’s products at Ficks Reed:
http://www.ficksreed.com/catalogue.aspx?COL=20

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Renee Finberg 'TELLS ALL' in her blog of her Adventures in Design......
Carleton Varney, renee finberg, renee finberg, ,Carleton Varney
carleton varney

A Lifetime Achievement Award For Carleton Varney

Carleton Varney,

The owner of Dorothy Draper & Company, Inc. ( est. - 1926 ), receives his lifetime achievement award at the Design Center of The Americas.

Go to Design Exposed to my video of the event.

Renee Finberg 'TELLS ALL' in her blog of her Adventures in Design

Beautiful ' Order And Disorder ' Makes Stunning Storage !

Beautiful 'Order and Disorder ' Makes Stunning Storage

How great is this look ? They have taken the fronts of china cabinets , or have achieved this look by installing/attaching custom china fronts ( or salvaged antiques ) , over the opening in a wall where a pantry or closet might be specified for storage.

Think of space you save with set-in storage, and the beauty you achieve with these china cabinet fronts instead of using standard doors. It is a great alternative when you want the look of an antique in a room , but you are dealing with limitations, and sometimes we are talking ' inches'.

Or... guess what ?

You could just apply a salvaged china cabinet front, or a dresser/buffet front with a mirror and a pair of electrified sconces on either side . Use your glorious imagination !

This could be done in a foyer that is too tight , but you wanted an impressive entrance. 'Voila,' you can have it !
As a designer, I never have taken very well to the words , " it is impossible" or " there is not enough space to do what you want".
I always figure something out. Always.


And I love the contrast of the high-tech kitchen with the warmth and elegance of the
china cabinet's facade. It works beautifully in my eyes.

I think this might be what Mr Brock was alluding to when he was quoted in the NYT :
Mr. Brock’s definition of aesthetic beauty is based on a complex mathematical theory he developed.
In the catalog he writes that beauty is present in an object “when the right balance is achieved between order and disorder.”

But, even what we read is subjective , NO ?

picture from: curbly.com

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Renee Finberg 'TELLS ALL' in her blog of her Adventures in Design

Dorothy Draper And A Few Of Her Custom Pieces

What A Gal !


And what a gal I would be, if only I had accomplished just one half as much as Miss Draper !

This chair is what inspired this post.

It is functional Art.

Dorothy Draper Crown Chair
USA30's

These were designed for the Crown Room in the Fairmont Hotel here in San Francisco.

Price$1,650 ( I think this price is a bargain )
Measurements

height: (2 ft. 5 in.)

second height: (1 ft. 7 in.)

depth: (1 ft. 8 in.) 20" deep ? what could be better ?

width/length: (2 ft.) only 24" , how great ?

I might kill for this chair ...

And how great would it be

if I were writing this post while sitting in this chair ????

Beyond Princess !!!

These are silver plated handles on a set of night stands.

These look just like something I had custom made for a client. So, I definitely love them.

I could live quite nicely with these next to my bed.

These are from a hotel that Dorothy Draper did the interiors for.

Again, hotel furniture designed by Dorothy Draper.

I know you have seen the table toppers that they make out of painted tin, they add a false apron, in addition to the decorative surface. They are very fashionable and pricey.

HMMMMMM....I wonder where they might have come up with the idea ?

From Dorothy Draper tables perhaps ?

These look so heavy, I wonder what the wood type is ?

1st Dibs has quite a collection of Dorothy Draper Originals.

Go here to find out more :
http://www.1stdibs.com/furniture_search.php?i_creator=Dorothy+Draper ( 1st Dibs )

http://www.interiordesignquotes.com/dorothy-draper.html
http://www.dezignare.com/newsletter/DorothyDraper.html

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Renee Finberg 'TELLS ALL' in her blog of her Adventures in Design

The Right Balance Between Order And Disorder....

Mr. Brock’s definition of aesthetic beauty made me reflect on how I put together the many pieces of the 'DESIGN PUZZLE,' that I call a beautiful and interesting room.

Horace Wood Brock may be a cutting-edge authority on the economics of uncertainty, but when it comes to art, he’s as traditional as they come.

“Beauty is back,” he said defiantly, discussing his collection, which is now on view at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. “Political correctness, move over.”

His collection includes a 17th-century Flemish cabinet-on-stand veneered with turtle shell, ebony and bone; an extremely rare Louis XIV Boulle longcase clock commissioned for the palace at Versailles; a Louis XVI fall-front desk by Jean-Henri Riesener; a George II japanned chinoiserie tea table; a garniture of floral Qing dynasty porcelain vases with Louis XV bronze mounts; and a Regency medals cabinet-on-stand veneered with precious woods. (His English Regency antiques have been promised to the Boston museum.)



Go here for the rest of the NYT article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/30/arts/design/30anti.html?_r=1

Mr. Brock’s definition of aesthetic beauty is based on a complex mathematical theory he developed. In the catalog he writes that beauty is present in an object “when the right balance is achieved between order and disorder.”

Go here to see collection:
http://www.curatedobject.us/the_curated_object_/exhibitions_boston/

*you may have to type in the above link and search for 'Splendor And Elegance' ( the name of his exhibit)

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Renee Finberg 'TELLS ALL' in her blog of her Adventures in Design

'Carlton' & Me

On January 21st 2009 , I had the pleassure of meeting with Carlton Varney before he picked up his Lifetime Achievement Award at the DCOTA in Dania Beach Florida.

Carlton Varney and I sat in Brunschwig & Fils for about 40 minutes ( but who's counting ) , and I had the chance to ask him things that I wanted to know about his life and his feelings on design related issues.
I am way behind on getting his interview ready for you. I just started a new job, so I am way behind on 'my life' , if you follow me.....

But, I am working on it.


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pink is for CV
Renee Finberg 'TELLS ALL' in her blog of her Adventures in Design

“ Flower Of Louis "

Louis VII (ca. 1120-1180) was king of France from 1137 to 1180. He strengthened the authority of the royal court, went on the Second Crusade, and repelled the aggressions of Henry II of England.



Irises have a long and rich history. The Fleur-DE-Lis, a stylized representation of the iris, has a long history with French monarchy, beginning with Clovis the I a Frankish king whose empire birthed the French state. Legend claims that when Clovis became a Christian he dreamed of an angel who gave him an iris to commemorate the event. After his dream, Clovis adopted the iris as his emblem.
Fleur-De-Lis translates as “flower of Louis” and gained the name when Louis VII, who went on the Second French Crusade in 1147, used the emblem on his banner.

The Fleur-De-Lis is often used symbolically in art and is often seen as the terminal ends of the arms of the cross, which effectively leads us to the importance of the iris in Christian history. The reason the iris connects with Christian history is that the number three is what the iris is all about. It has three standards and three falls. Three is the number of completion according to Pythagoras and three is the number of the Trinity the center of the Christian faith. As a result, Christian art adopted the Fleur-De-Lis as a symbol.

Fleur-De-Lis translates as “flower of Louis” and gained the name when Louis VII, who went on the Second French Crusade in 1147, used the emblem on his banner.

BTW, this is the ceiling that Anne Boleyn gazed upon.

The fashionable Fluer De Lis had made it's trendy little self known in England, where it began to adorn it's castles, and fabrics.

Fleur-De-Lis translates as “flower of Louis” and gained the name when Louis VII, who went on the Second French Crusade in 1147, used the emblem on his banner.

The name, anglicized, means "lily flower", and the symbol is in fact a stylized Iris pseudacorus L.. It was adopted by King Philip I of France in the 11th century.

In case you were wondering; as a garden plant, irises moved quickly around the globe often in the path of conquest. Irises were some of the first ornamental plants that came to the New World. They were found on gardening lists for Virginia as early as the 1600’s and soon became the center of many public and private gardens because of their dependability.

Today The Fleur De Lis has become so common place it is virtually everywhere.

Personally, I do nor care for this counter stool with a Fleur De Lis on it's back.

May I use the word " tacky " ? ....over the top?, or commercial ?

It looks to me like it belongs to Gaston, from ' Beauty & The Beast '.

This is more tasteful.

Suggested reading :
http://www.sacred-texts.com/sro/rrm/rrm12.htm
http://plantsbulbs.suite101.com/article.cfm/irises_history_and_culture
www.ancientrootsresearch.com

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Renee Finberg 'TELLS ALL' in her Blog of her Adventures in Design

This Day

Obama Inauguration January 20th 2009




Go here:

The Way It Was

And The Way It Is

This was recently published in Trump Magazine ( winter 2008/09 ).
It sells for about $ 12 K, and is made of fiberglass and has all sorts of bells and whistles for a techno junkie to appreciate.
But for about $ 400-600 , you can have this an original Victrola.

This however, is what I grew up with in the living room of our beautiful home . My mother did an excellent job on all the interior rooms of the home I grew up in. This was always a fun night .... There is nothing that would stop you from converting this antique Victrola into a contemporary CD player , it could house the CD's as well. Think about lacquering it in a great color !
It could be really fabulous, and as I always am saying, a real conversation piece.

Since this living room was in a house on Palm Island in Miami Beach Florida, my dad would crank the air-conditioner up really cold, and he would get the fireplace going. LOL

Then my mom would pull out all these weird records, and sing & dance around the living room.

I would be in charge of changing the needles that went on the arms of the Victrola, which rested on the grooves and played the sounds of the record. They were made of lead and would wear out after 2 records .

huh ?

yes.

NO, I am not that OLD!

It is just that my mother made sure I was exposed to antiques and the past.

go here for Victrola's:

http://www.clarphon.com/Victrolas.htm

Renee Finberg 'TELLS ALL' in her blog of her Adventures in Design