Thanksgiving Dinnerware

Every Thanksgiving I set my table with one of my favorite China dinnerware collections, Johnson Brothers "Friendly Village." It is an iconic collection of scenes of village and country life, having been in production since 1953. What is so unique about this dinnerware  is that each place setting has a different country scene and new pieces are always being introduced to this very popular pattern, and hundreds of different pieces have been made over the years.

DECONSTRUCTION

Work is underway for the new Indian restaurant that I have been designing for the past few months. It feels so good to finally have all the conceptual details agreed upon and the real work of making the project a reality begin.  But of course, as in any remodel project before we can create it we have to deconstruct it! Some might say this is the fun part and I think my crew wasted little time getting to the business of ripping out the old.  The transformation continues……………….

My sister found an old book, Ladies Home Journal Book of Decorating, last published in 1959. Shethought I would enjoy it and sent it to me. When I first thumbed through thepages a few months ago, I thought it amusing as I looked at the images of whatappeared to be outdated room design. Yet, today, as I carefully read the pages,I realized that classic design never becomes outdated. Indeed, if I compared imagesin the book with any of the current design magazines filling my shelves, Icould easily find similar rooms. 

The advice in the book still holds true as well, start withthe flooring, have fun with textiles, don’t be afraid of bold and exciting color,and the right lighting is essential. But, one bit of advice that I did not find relevant! “…the glass ash tray in your casual room will be quite differentfrom the one in your formal room.” Too funny!!

I submitted my first set of drawings to a buildingdepartment and they were approved on the first round. This seems like a smallthing to those seasoned designers, but I was excited. I guess it is just one ofthose rights of passage that you cross. Just in case you don’t know what a buildingpermit is - a permit is required in most jurisdictions for new construction, or adding on to pre-existingstructures, and for major renovations.  

This made me wonder about the history of building permitsand did a little research. It is believed the first building code was in the Code of Hammurabi  (really old, like 1750 BC). And it was seriousstuff.

·        Ifa builder builds a house for someone, and does not construct it properly, andthe house which he built falls in and kills its owner, then that builder shallbe put to death.

·        Ifit kills the son of the owner, the son of that builder shall be put to death.

·        Ifit kills a slave of the owner, then he shall pay, slave for slave, to the ownerof the house.

·        Ifit ruins goods, he shall make compensation for all that has been ruined, andinasmuch as he did not construct properly this house which he built and itfell, he shall re-erect the house from his own means.

·        Ifa builder builds a house for someone, even though he has not yet completed it;if then the walls seem toppling, the builder must make the walls solid from hisown means.

Luckily, although the current rules are quite stringent,I won’t be put to death…………

Busts

My Collection

I have to admit I have a thing for busts, no not that kind, a sculpture depicting a person's head. I have a small collection of them on my bookshelf. I generally can't pass one in a thrift shop or flea market without buying it. I think it started with my Mom, she does the same thing. So I was really excited when I saw this new Jonathan Adler table lamp. The Dora Maar bust and blue lampshade are desirous.

Place de la Republique

On my bicycle tour around Paris, I am pretty sure we peddled around the Place de la Republique. I was really trying not to get run over or hit a pedestrian.  Heather Stimmler-Hall points out in her "Secrets of Paris" Newsletter that the large and noisy Place de la Republique hasnever been a place to linger. It’s a nightmare for pedestrians, a confusingintersection for drivers, and usually full of protest marchers at the foot ofthe Statue de la République or drunks passed out on the patches of grass at thecenter. But you may want to take one last peek (and a “before” photo) before amajor facelift project gets underway this winter to modernize this square whichhasn’t changed since 1883. Strategically located at the cross roads of the 3rd,10th, and 11th arrondissements, in January 2012 the square and its surroundingstreets will be ripped up and replaced with a pedestrian esplanade of over 2hectares (about 5 acres), a tree-lined square set up for public events likeconcerts, and rerouting of the street traffic around one side (instead of allaround). This should make the square more welcoming for cyclists, publictransportation users, and pedestrians. It will supposedly be done by Spring2013. I think the proposed "facelift" will be spectacular and on my next visit to Paris, I will definitely make a point to check it out. http://www.placedelarepublique.paris.fr

The Front Door

During my recent trip to England, we stopped in the villageof Lacock on our way to Stonehenge.  Lacockis a village in Wiltshire, England and is owned almost in its entirety by the National Trust. It attracts many visitors by virtue of its unspoiledappearance and is the setting for many movies such as Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Harry Potter. Most of the homes were built in the 18^th century orearlier.

The village is absolutely adorable and is one of the highlights of my trip. Because it is owned by the National Trust, the structures ofthe Village remain in their heritage condition. But what fascinated me aboutthem were the front doors.

The cottages are almost identical, but each frontdoor is unique and special. I wondered what story it could tell about theoccupants, past and present. Not only are the elements of each door different, giving each cottage its own personality,but the faded jewel colors are fantastic.