The Glamour Files - Part II - All about Brass

The Brass Shelves found and lost :)

 Studio last Sunday..

Pierre Vandel coffee table with brass detailing (in my sitting room)

 Brass shelves as seen on The Decorista

 Spot the beautiful brass shelves in the back - Maison21

stunning brass lamps & antilope - Maison 21

or just a tiny brass wall fixture - Maison21

 

Yes I know I promised to give updates on the editing of my interior. Brass is one of the ingredients with which I am spicing up. Ashlina, The Decorista, and I are on the same wave length when it comes to brass. She happened to do a post on brass shelves at the very same moment I was about to purchase some!
So last Friday I was oh so thrilled with my new conquest that I decided to "flaunt" the shelves first before putting them in my appartment. There they were bang bang bling in my Studio where I was hosting a lazy Sunday afternoon drinks & viewing party. BAD IDEA..... a dear client convinced me to sell it to her (along with some pillows from my collection of course :)).
As you may guess since Sunday evening I am frantically hunting for another pair of shelves but it is not easy. I saw the most wonderful pair but I would have to cross the ocean to get it as they are over at Maison 21.  But I think the ocean is there to protect me, otherwise I would buy up its entire contents. The tasteful brain behind Maison21 is Christian May, "a Los Angeles based interior decorator with decided opinions about design". And NO I am not getting any commission from CM, it is simply love!

So the current status of glamming up with brass is down to the brass detailing on my Pierre Vandel coffee table and matching sidetables. C'est la vie!

DESIGN REFUGE - MONTHLY COLUMN "THE LEARNING CURVE"

Today you can find my first monthly column over at Design Refuge. Each 3rd Monday of the month I will share lessons learned during my passionate mission to build a brand. Simply because oh boy my life is not all pretty pictures :)!

If you haven't heard of Design Refuge yet it is the largest meeting place online for design bloggers worldwide! Tastemakers like Table Tonic, Bright Bazaar, Little Blue Deer & A Diary of Lovely are members so if you haven't registered your blog yet what are you waiting for! Get daily inspiration from contributors such as The Decorista and founder of Design Refuge Dagny Thurmann and interact.

Art Basel Miami & Bobby Berk Home

Well it is all set. Eva Roepers of Interdecorations who is doing a fabulous job at representing me in The States will be hosting a cocktail and viewing event during Art Basel Miami together with Bobby Berk Home on December 2nd.

Urban chique Bobby Berk Home is smack in the middle of Miami's design district. The store features a great selection of hand selected items from around the world showcased through faultless design vignettes. Bobby Berk Home also has  Flagship store in trend setting Soho, NYC.
As you can imagine I am delighted to stir a cocktail (or two) with my bold, colourful artwork and designs at such wonderful location. Thank you Bobby and Eva! And...if you are in Miami at that time please join us (rsvp eva@interdecorations.com)

Ivy & Piper - a new wonderful online interior design magazine!

Lazy Saturday. Time to catch up on some blogs and I immediately hit the jackpot with Ivy & Piper! A fabulous new online magazine on interior design
Dive in and get inspired by contributions of trendsetters like Anna Spiro. I am not going to reveal more as you just need to check it out yourselves!
Founders Melanie and Elizabeth can be really proud of their first born. Congratulations and thank you for this new wonderful source of inspiration.

images from the magazine Ivy&Piper, Anna Spiro, Kelly Green

The Irresistible Piet Paris

 

 Saks 5th Avenue window display

Runway Victor & Rolf

 Piet Paris at the exhibition
signing the MMM Hair pencil drawing

Paris' original illustration on my wall

Yesterday I showed you my latest art purchase, a pencil drawing, not revealing who the artist was. Well it is by gifted creative director Piet Paris (1962). Paris is a fashion illustrator extraordinaire. His distinctive colorful, graphic work is made with stencils created from an initial sketch and colored with acrylic, gouache or pastel using a paint roller. He has done illustrations for many magazines like Vogue Japan, a wonderful campaign for Saks Fifth Avenue and the runway design for Victor & Rolf Spring RTW 2011 collection. Besides making illustrations Studio Piet Paris also designs products, on commission as well as under its own label. Paris runs the Studio together with dedicated Marc Kwakman.
20 years "in the business" was recently celebrated by a sales exhibition and a book launch here in Amsterdam. It was a an instant hit and a complete sell-out! And so well deserved!

Studio Piet Paris is on facebook.

The Glamour Files - Part I

 

"MMM Hair" pencil drawing on my wall

Lifting a tip of the veil. As announced I am editing my appartment by adding some glamour. First element is art. Although my walls are already covered with quite a selection I recently purchased two wonderful pieces by a gifted Dutch fashion illustrator. His signature pieces are usually in mixed media/collage, but one of the works I purchased is a pencil drawing called "MMM (Maison Martin Margiela) Hair". It was instant love..... Can you guess the artist's name? I will reveal the second signature piece tomorrow!

 

A Touch of Modern Glamour

Pages from Glamour by Michael Lassell

Hope you had a wonderful spooky weekend. Halloween is not that big in The Netherlands so I enjoyed a quiet family weekend partly browsing books for inspiration. Next month there will be another magazine shoot at my appartment and this is such a trigger for change. I am especially charmed by touches of glamour so I am figuring out how to implement those in my existing setting.
This summer I bought the book Glamour by Michael Lassell. Michael Lassell is a gifted writer and editor and former features director of Metropolitan Home. Here are some pages to give you a flavour. The book shows interiors with a high wow factor, it is simply inspiration heaven. If you love Glamour it is an absolute must have and you can find out more about Michael through his website and blog.

Follow me over the coming weeks while editing my eclectic appartment into something just a bit more glamorous.


And to conclude with a totally different book. The winner of my book give-away Before (During) After (Louisiana Photographers reactions to Hurricane Katrina) is the lovely Jeanette of Everton Terrace (blog).

Southern Delights - an impression

nervous before speeching (I am just better with my brush)

handing the first card box to Francoise Oostwegel

 elegant Judith Oostwegel with my proud mother

 well deserved glass of wine :)

all my paper products "spinning around"

with Chef Hans Snijders celebrating his 30th anniversary as Chef of Chateau Neercanne

With Chef Vincent van Vierzen of Kruisherenrestaurant

It was a busy but wonderful weekend. Here are some impressions of my exhibition at bookstore Selexyz Dominicanen. The location is just amazing! In connection with the exhibition I created a culinary card wallet for Camille Oostwegel Chateau Hotels and Restaurants. Inspired by delicious recipes of Chefs, Hans Snijders of Chateau Neercanne, Otto Nijenhuis of Chateau St Gerlach, Vincent van Vierzen of Kruisherenrestaurant and Roland Vincken of Restaurant Pirandello I made 5 paintings to illustrate their culinary art! Charming Judith Oostwegel and artistic daugther Francoise were guests of honour.
Maastricht is so much worth visiting and if you do, staying at one of Oostwegel's spectacular historic hotels is an absolute must!

Photo's courtesy photographer Linda Ruepert

Silence is Holy!

I know, (again) I haven't been blogging for a couple of days but all for a good cause. I am preparing for my next exhibition in Selexyz Dominicanen in Maastricht, according to The Guardian one of the world's most stunning bookschops. The vernisage is this Sunday and the exhibition will continue until December 31.
Above you see the area where my work will hang (in the picture it shows an exhibition of artist Klaas Gubbels, a man who I much admire!). This former church was redesigned by Merkx+Girod architects. I am glad that my work has powerful colours, otherwise it would just disappear in this amazing space!

The week in pictures - From GLAMOUR to Joan Sutherland

LATIN AMERICA. The cherry on "this week's cake" was the October edition of GLAMOUR (LATAM) featuring one of my paintings and 2 pillow designs in connection with the exhibition at Design Within Reach in West Palm Beach. To view my work and designs directly available in the US go to Interdecorations.

 Aurélien Poirot in action

AMSTERDAM. I finished a series of commissioned illustrations for BRIDGES, the hip and happening fish restaurant of 5 star hotel Sofitel The Grand in Amsterdam. The illustrations will be published as boxed culinary cards with recipes by briljant French chef Aurélien Poirot. The cardbox will be launched towards the end of November celebrating the restaurant's one year anniversary so expect a full report then (and sorry I can't reveal any images yet)!

 The Sofa Studio - Dubai

DUBAI. My pillow designs are now available through The Sofa Studio. 

 Joan Sutherland with my mother Tine van Grootel in Maria Stuarda

GENEVA. Sadly Joan Sutherland died aged 83. I had the pleasure of meeting her on several occasions during the time that my mother sang with her. She was amazing.

 Expat Living (October 2010)

SINGAPORE.  Earlier this week I blogged about some wonderful publicity in Expat Living featuring happy clients talking about my work.

Rowan Metzner's fish picture

Elizabeth Kleinveld's Spring Exhuberance

NEW ORLEANS. I did a very special book give away of "Before (During) After", Louisiana Photographers reactions to Hurricane Katrina. You can still enter until October 26 so PLEASE DO as the story should not be forgotten! To enter click here.

Enjoy your Sunday xox!

New press - Happy clients in Singapore!

Today I received a wonderful suprise in the mail, the October issue of Expat Living (Singapore) featuring charming Marilisa Busatta and her husband in front of my painting Interior with Chinese Screen. I met Marilisa when I was exhibiting in Singapore in October last year and told me that she had seen one of my "parrot in cage "paintings at a friends house in Paris and that she fell in love with my work. We had an immediate click. So thank you Marilisa and Expat Living. I feel honoured with such tribute!