Baby Lair: A glimpse of what is to come

So at 22 weeks along I have finally come up with a plan for a space for this new baby of mine.  I will keep the nursery discussion minimal but knowing me you can be sure that any posts related to the topic will be decorative painting related and not themey or overly juvenile!  


So this project has a few challenges.  Our current home will not be our home much longer, as we own it and adore the location it is not the best set up for a couple, an 80 pound hairy beast and a newborn.  The room that is soon to be the nursery has had many lives(space for the broken-hearted, homeless, and air-conditionless) since our marriage and will have one more transformation before we sell and move on.   


All of this being said the palette and items need to be restrained since it may need to be quickly transformed from baby lair to chic guest quarters very quickly if Mead Manor II presents itself!  Luckily, we have chosen not to find out the gender of the baby which also helps keep me on target and focused.


I thought I would start with furniture.  I swore to myself I would steer away from child/baby specific furniture with the exception of a crib.  I have been looking for a mid century credenza to paint and use as a changer and dresser for months but my Ebay dealers in NYC have gotten so pricey and then there is the shipping, a real heartbreaker.  This past week, I found these siblings on Craig's List locally.

I realize that their finish is very unfortunate but we should never judge a book by its cover or pass something along because it isn't love at first site.  These are actually vintage Childcraft children's pieces from the 60-70's.  This piece above actually is a changing table!  As I was very apposed at the beginning to a changing table specifically, this piece has useful storage and I could not pass up the solid wood construction and price including the other dresser for 200 bones.

Months ago, in the not so fun beginning months of pregnancy, a designer friend sent me this picture to cheer me up and get me re-focused.  Knowing Dorothy Draper is one of my all time favorite style icons, of course I think this changer is adorable and a practical piece for a new born and beyond.  The real truth is, I can't afford it since I will have to educate this little one!

Behold, the Uptown Changer from Nursery Works:

• Taking inspiration from the architecture and furniture design of 15th century Britain, the Uptown Changer is reinterpreted with a modern twist and playful and sophisticated colors. 
•  Designed by Tamara Honey of House of Honey

Not to be confused with the España Bunching Chest by Dorothy Draper:

The España Bunching Chest was designed by Dorothy Draper by invitation of the Spanish government to design a collection to raise the profile of Spanish design in the international market. 

Both historically based in their design, functional, simple and easy on the eyes.  These will be my inspiration for the dresser and changer from Craig's List; the whole room's design will start here. 

Trompe L'oeil in Fashion

So most mornings I get an email from Kate Spade.  I don't know why because I really don't buy a lot from her these days.  I do enjoy reading about what she is up to in her business and her designs have always been some of my favorites; simple, clever and practical.

This was in my inbox today:

Advertising her Trompe L'oeil Lace Dress.  
Adorable but not on me in my current physical state!  

This is the Postmaster bag!


So I guess even the fashion world loves a good surprise and dose of Trompe L'oeil!

Roberta di Camerino

Proenza Schouler, Louis Vuitton, Zac Posen

Sonia Rykiel

Neon Brunette

Darryl Hannah as Elle Driver in Kill Bill

Chanel 

My all time favorite...The Hermes Birkin on the decorative painter's budget!

New Developments

I hate to make excuses for my absence of late but I have a few and they are pretty good!

So there are some changes going on here at Inspired.Paint.Repeat.  All good but all change.  For once in a long time I am completely swamped with work all summer!  This is good thing however it gets so hot here that it gets hard to focus on anything other than when and where you can locate your next snowball!  Lots of furniture, gilding, a mural for the City of Gretna, a few painted floors, lots of fun things to keep my mind and hands busy for a while!

Secondly, I am expecting my first baby in November!  Thrilled but overwhelmed with many emotions.  Now that the fuzzy tired feeling has left I am starting to feel like myself again.  It is not a myth, morning sickness feels like a really bad hangover and that inability to focus...that is real too!

Last but not least, I am working on something new.  Something not really related to painting per se but most definitely related to design.  I got a call from a designer, client and friend who gave me the most random job request(challenge) I have ever received.  I honestly love these moments, since more often than not, the greatest challenges spawn the greatest reward!

My sister is a graphic designer and she often sends me some great posts and newsletters on design.  These are by Paul Rand is a legendary design icon, he is also well assosciated with the modernist movement in all forms.  I find these quotes relevant because when I get swamped with work and life I find it easy to lose sight of why I do what I do.  I have mentioned this before but as a painter/artist we all have the same skills or can arrive at them with practice but at the end of the day our discerning eyes and skills are what brings value to a project.  Enjoy!

Paul Rand on good design:

Even if it is true that the average man seems most comfortable with the commonplace and familiar, it is equally true that catering to bad taste, which we so readily attribute to the average reader, merely perpetuates the mediocrity and denies the reader one of the most easily accessible means for aesthetic development and eventual enjoyment.  


from Thoughts on Design


Good design adds value of some kind, gives meaning, not incidentally, can be sheer pleasure to behold; it respects the viewer's sensibilities and rewards the entrepreneur.


from Design Form and Chaos