Because crowns aren't just for royalty...

 These are amazing... I need to start collecting them. I honestly don't think I could ever have enough. I'd love to switch out the ones above my bed and display the others... and if I could find one the right size I would definitely wear it.

 

A 19th Century Italian Giltwood Corona

 

An 18th Century Italian Giltwood Bed Ornament from 1st Dibs

 

A 19th Century Danish Bed Corona from 1st Dibs

 

This design is new, but I like the juxtaposition of the ornate with the gauzy draperies 

 

I'm not sure about this dusty rose color... I'd love to see that replaced with a very saturated purple and I would replace the carpet with ebonized floors and leopard rug

 

 A completely over the top French Empire design

Something I Need

This chair from Blackman Cruz is definitely something I need... bronze snakes. 

Need I say more?

 

I'm going to need a pair.

19th Century Wallpaper

 Today I'm working on my Bachelor's Essay and as I sift through books on mid 19th century curtains, carpets, and furniture, I find myself increasingly distracted by the wallpaper. I love the hand blocked prints and their irregular discoloration... I wish I could buy them already distressed, tattered, and hanging from my walls.

 

A flocked Rococo design from the V&A collection, c. 1760

 

An amazing panel of panoramic wallpaper... I love the juxtaposition of the paper with the 1940s portrait and its unceremonious setting...

 

A 19th century hat box covered in period wallpaper... I wish I could find a top hat with that print on it...

 

The object of my research... the Aiken Rhett House double parlors. Untouched since 1918 and retaining their original 1830s empire furniture and 1850s French wallpaper. The house is preserved as-is rather than being restored, making it even more haunting and romantic.

Lynn Goldfinger-Abram

Tonight's One Kings Lane Tastemaker Tag Sale looked less than appealing when I first checked out the designer's websites... but once I was able to look through Lynn Goldfinger-Abram's selection, which included a number of amazing vintage portraits and antique hotel silver, I definitely saw a few pieces I could live with...

 

These vintage chairs are absolutely phenomenal... I love the finish...

 

This vintage lion paw cocktail table is so unique... I love the shape, but I could definitely see it with a more dramatic finish... either all gilt, or lacquered black... 

 

... and though they're not too practical, I'd definitely love to have a collection of these antique fountain pens for my desk...

Something I Need

I discovered this Napoleon III canape while perusing 1stdibs... it's not usually what I go for, but I can't stop thinking about it. I want it in a room with either black or hot pink lacquered walls and an insane abstract painting above it. Unfortunately I don't have an extra $20,000 to spend right now... but when I do I'll definitely have to return to Antiques on Old Plank Road...

While on the subject...

John Singer Sargent is one of my favorite artists and his Nonchaloir (Repose) c. 1911 is one of my favorite paintings. It's absolutely effortless and the colors are amazing. I love the large brush strokes and resulting loss of detail in the elaborate woodwork, embroidery, and furniture. 

While in the National Gallery of Art I accidentally stumbled upon this painting. I've always loved it, and wasn't expecting to see it there. That's one of the greatest feelings... accidentally discovering a work of art you've loved and unexpectedly getting to see it in person.

Gilded Dolphins

Yesterday I found myself on the beach at Sullivan's Island where we always see dolphins leaping out of the water... which got me thinking about how much I love dolphins, the fish not the mammals, especially when gilded and incorporated into some piece of furniture...

 

An amazing Swedish giltwood console table c. 1820

 

An English lead model of a dolphin, c. 1830 

 

A fantastic giltwood Venetian grotto seat

 

An important American Empire console table photographed in the Aiken-Rhett House, Charleston, SC in 1918. This fantastic piece of furniture is still in the house today. 

One of my favorites

While attending an event at the Gibbes Museum of Art, I rediscovered the portrait of Mrs. Pierre Gautreau, or more well known as Madame X. I've always loved John Singer Sargent's work and I love the story of Madame X. Deborah Davis' book Strapless is about Madame X and her fall from Parisian society. The portrait at the Gibbes post-dates the Sargent painting.  I'm not quite sure why or how this portrait ended up in Charleston, South Carolina, but I'm quite glad it did. 

Madame Pierre Gautreau, 1897, by Antonio de la Gandara

Madame X, John Singer Sargent

Incomplete Study for Madame X, John Singer Sargent

Madame X in Sargent's Studio

Oil Sketch of Madame X Giving a Toast, John Singer Sargent

Tony Duquette for Baker

Baker's line of Tony Duquette reproductions is amazing. I want to make room for all three of these...

 

This last lamp reminds me of the jeweled tortoise from one of my favorite novels Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh... I now can't decide if I'd rather jewel a tortoise or gild it...

 

The New Find

Today while at my favorite Charleston antiques store 17 South, I saw two amazing upholstered Billy Baldwin style x-benches. They're upholstered in their original tangerine velvet... they're even more amazing than these that I found on 1st Dibs

 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Blackman Cruz

One of my favorite things to do is to browse through the One Kings Lane Tastemaker Tag Sales. Periodically I'll find one or two things I really like, but today I've found a few things I don't think I can live without, and I've been introduced to a new retailer I'm obsessed with: Blackman Cruz. Get ready to be amazed... and really prepare yourself for the third image... I still haven't recovered.

 

19th Century French Copper Madonna Head

 

Hand Carved & Gilt Thorn Mirror

 

1930s French Bronze Zeus Emblem 

Visit their One Kings Lane sale here, and Blackman Cruz online here

Villa Margherita

 Villa Margherita c. 1930

 Contemporary photos of the Villa's deterioration

 

A contemporary view of the Villa showing losses of major architectural components.

Villa Margherita is located at 4 South Battery in Charleston, SC and was built c. 1892 as a wedding gift for Daisy Breaux Simonds. After her husbands death in 1905 the home was converted into a luxury inn which operated until 1953. The home has lost extensive architectural features such as the cupola, balustrade, and a Pompeian colonnade which surrounded Charleston's first indoor swimming pool. The home is in a state of deterioration and what appears to be abandonment. This is one of the most intriguing homes in Charleston and one of my favorites.

Something I Need

 

I want this photograph by Ivan Terestchenko so badly.

Vintage Posters

This weekend I'm working at Julia Santen Gallery. She specializes in the highest quality vintage posters ranging from Art Nouveau to Contemporary. I never really saw myself as a fan of this genre of art... but continued exposure has awoken a desire for larger than life colorful prints of parrots toting bottles of alcohol and Warholian gays with bright red, curling tongues.

All images come from either Julia Santen Gallery or her blog