Inspiration Recap is the work by other stylists, decorators, artisans, and designers who have inspired me this month. I don’t have a better name for it, yet.
I started this Substack this month in June. Here we are at the end! I can’t believe how fast the year is going.
In January, I had just mailed off wedding invitations. By the end of March, I was celebrating my 39th birthday. In early April, I was married and on my honeymoon. May came and went and June? June brought us the Summer Solstice and I worked at figuring out what lies ahead.
I also deleted my interiors and graphic design portfolio where I normally blogged about my projects and inspiration thus I needed a new outlet.
How can I use Substack creatively?
What is my plan to find an audience, a community who supports me and shares my ideas?
What is my plan to seriously pursue a decorating business and make a career switch?
I decided to say goodbye to Instagram because it was not serving me. No one engaging with a post. No one seeing a post. No one interacting with a story. My husband has 1,200 followers for his photography profile and less than 10 people might see his new work.
Maybe I’m a weirdo but when someone asks for my two cents online, I give it to them. “What do you think, red or yellow?” Yellow!
Besides that, it is a huge time sink when I should be doing things offline like reading, crafting, designing, exercising, etc. In the month without Instagram I read a book. I never finish the books I start so I’m already becoming a better human being.
It’s funny how much time I spent scrolling to now spend hours writing a “newsletter”. Trading one social media platform for another. At least I’m working towards a goal?
Here is a collection of images that I saved and posted to Instagram in June before calling it quits. Finding inspiration going forward will be different. I suppose that’s what reading, traveling, learning, and Pinterest are for!
Parisian living room of Interior Decorator Jacques Grange photographed by Jesper Lund; I love this. It’s collected and sophisticated without feeling pretentious. I'd much rather see a home that is full of life, full of memories, full of collection and warmth than an empty room full of designer furniture. I don’t mind seeing a little mess and life about the room! It’s the mix of high and low that make a space sing, that make it real and human.
Emma Beryl East Hampton Cottage; I like the textures. The ease at which it feels a conversation among friends would flow. Cocktails or greasy pizza, game night or impromptu dance party while listening to records they each brought…I want to join whoever is there.
Balenciaga; Lovely plaster work. I will spend entire weeks binging This Old House. I love to watch plaster piped out like icing on a cake. Are you brave enough to try on your walls? I love the look and admire the craftsmanship of these skilled masters.
Rosie Assoulin Making Your Point Top (sold out, boohiss); I saw this image in a Kindred Black email and desperately wanted the top even though I know it probably wouldn’t suit my figure. Having a full bust yet small frame brings me many sartorial dilemmas. Mostly what bra to wear. Please let me know if you’ve given the sticky bra things a try. I am a 30FF.
Cote de Folk Bathroom Tile; I love Sophie Rowell’s style. I first noticed her with this project. She uses a lot of seagrass rugs. I contacted Jessica about her rugs but her pricing was far outside our Rental Bedroom Makeover budget. It also didn’t make sense to buy from the UK when Rush House is only a few states away (in Mississippi), a fraction of the price, and we can support stateside makers.
Quality area rugs can be expensive. Rush House starts at $425 for a 9x12. This is great for the budget!
I know this isn’t bedroom texture appropriate but gosh darn I don’t care.
Net-a-Porter Wide Leg Jeans; I’ve been hunting for the perfect jeans that fit my thighs and hide my hormonal belly fat for a while now. Jason says if I exercise it will disappear but I know being in early menopause isn’t helping. I’m fully onboard with wide legs though to be honest I’m curious how I’d look in a pair of skinny jeans. It’s been about 6 years since I’ve worn them.
I splurged and ordered the Meridian pant from APiece APart. They remind me of being a teenager (1998-2003) and memories of dog-earring the pages of all the clothing I wanted in the Alloy and Delia*s catalogs. They are designed for giant women. By giant I mean tall. I had to cut over 6 inches because I am only 5’2. I often wonder why designers make the longest inseam imaginable when the average woman in America is 5’ 3”.
Manuel Canovas’s Chenille Sofa; I love this deep chenille blue and fun fringe welt! Dream sofa. Maybe I can tack on a fringe to our CB2 sofa. 😜
Rejina Pyo Micah Dress; a perfect cover up or wear anytime dress this Summer. I’m obsessed with see-through/sheer garments but a lot of times they end up being made from plastic synthetics that don’t breathe. This seems to fall into the same camp. Womp womp. I still like the style and look of the dress and I love just about everything that comes out of the Rejina Pyo atelier.
Shoe Shopping in Tehran, 1976; Some things never go out of style! Platform shoes. This image could easily be taken today.
MKCA Park Avenue Hidden Bar; I don’t like hokey “secret rooms” like you see on bad design shows but there’s something to space saving hidden bars that appeal to me. Kind of like a powder room, it’s an opportunity to be wacky and over the top. A special moment to excite you once you open the door.
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Margaret Keane’s Big Eyes in Life Magazine; I tried watching the Tim Burton movie this month but couldn’t believe actors Christoph Waltz and Amy Adams were in a relationship so I didn’t finish it. Not the best casting choice for me. Walter Keane was born in Nebraska not Austria! I initially thought Margaret wasn’t very good, only painting cutesy sad eye kids but after digging a little deeper, learning her story, I found the Big Eyed women and I really love them.
Her experience is important in the art world; so many women artists have been overlooked in favor of men. I also love a good art fraud story…some crazy things have happened!
Summer Movie Rec: How to Steal a Million
Miranda in Sandro (now on sale);
Ana Mendieta, Imágen de Yágul, 1973; I so often want to lie down in the grass, or lie on a rock, and just soak in all the energy from the ground.
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I had the opportunity while we were at The Sea Ranch in April but Jason was terrified I’d roll off and plunge to my death in the rocks below so it wasn’t really the sensorial moment I crave. I am reminded now that we have boulders within driving distance and the only thing stopping me from connecting to the world is me. Also the fact that it’s 99 degrees outside.
Miranda in Stine Goya (now on sale);
Working Girl Catherine Parker’s NYC Interior; Something about the blue on the walls and matching carpet. The obvious eye for, yet constrained use, of antiques juxtaposed with modern technology. I hear wall-to-wall carpet is coming back. Hopefully not an entire house but I can accept interesting patterns or a monochromal scheme in a bedroom.
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Snake Window Guard; This reminds me of Jeff Shelton, a very whimsical architect in Santa Barbara who is inspired by Nature. In his book he writes,
“Along the sidewalk [of the Cota Street Studios], pedestrian-friendly benches are provided for people to take a rest under the purple jacaranda tree.
Benches for pedestrians provide civility to the street, a place for a parent and child to sit, and are an essential component to a healthy society.”
I appreciate that so much because the current trends in American architecture do not care about the beauty of our city or how we interact with the world around us. I’m very much inspired by anyone who chooses to elevate the things we use everyday, like window railing, or a bench, and how it connects us to each other.