Art & Culture
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DCNY
I had a busy week. Meetings, travel, design events, etc. A jam-packed schedule isn’t necessarily enjoyable mid-stream, but I always love the results. I meet new people, see interesting things, get inspired, and in general, shake things up a bit. Between DC and New York, I stumbled upon some fabulous finds this past week. Whether it was design or fashion, food or art, it seemed that new and exciting things were available and in abundance. Of course there is never enough time to take it all in. It’s a good thing I am able to document it all with my trusty iphone and enjoy the fruits of my labor long…
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Tune Out and Turn On
I’m inspired as of late. I’m finding crazy/wonderous/beautiful things everywhere I look. It’s like I’ve snapped out of a foggy stupor. I haven’t discovered a new vitamin or taken up Buddhism, but I have made a committed effort to unplug from the oversaturated and under-inspired world of regurgitated design. It’s become pretty obvious lately that most of what’s online, in magazines and in the stores is the same recycled concept over and over again – i.e., a random mix of genres with the ubiquitous pop of color, pseudo-ethnic pillows and obligatory mid-century focal piece. Bleh, enough! In this day and age it seems that the internet has become our main…
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Chez Huntley – update 08/05
A great deal of progress has been made here in the past couple of weeks. The millwork installation – new casing, baseboards and bookshelves – is complete. The painting has been corrected and looks lovely. Lighting fixtures have been installed in the foyer/living room along with simple, modern light switches and receptacles throughout the main floor. I’ve even styled my bookshelves and purchased a new painting for the dining room and a pair of cast greyhounds for the front entry. And as excited as I am to move on to the next layer of furnishings and accessories, nothing is quite as important to good design as getting “the envelope” right. I…
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Quips and Quotes
This week I stumbled upon several meaningful quotes while thumbing through newspapers and magazines. It was like finding water in the desert. I dedicate so much time to visual consumption that I have neglected one of my first passions … the written word, I love a well- crafted phrase. The right combination of words can be truly magical – evoking sentiment, laughter, insight or inspiration. I may produce a blog about “all things design” – that I admit is 85% photos – but I do consider the words as important as the images. Hopefully I engage my readers with each opening paragraph by delivering a thoughtful, humorous and/or compelling…
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Branded
There is one question I receive more than any other from prospective clients, writers, editors, vendors and the public-at-large. “What’s Your Style?” Simple enough I suppose. After all, most designers and novice decorators have a catch phrase … “edited elegance”, “shabby chic”, “retro glam”, etcetera. The funny thing is that despite having worked as an interior designer for fifteen years and having my own firm for five, I’ve never been able to provide a nice neat answer to that all-important question. I guess I found it difficult to sum up all of my professional passions and aspirations into a few choice words. And perhaps subconsciously I realized that I…
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Spring Greens
Is there any other color on your mind this time of year besides green? Trees are budding, the grass is coming back and we’ve just celebrated St. Patrick’s Day. It feels like we’ve turned a corner and everyone is in higher spirits, so let’s rejoice in the one hue that delivers a boost of happiness just when we need it most. Kelly, chartreuse, lime or sage – whatever the shade – you are sure to find glorious greens all around you this spring. – nature / exteriors – “Green” buildings Ann Demeulemeester in Seoul and the Caixa Forum in Madrid. Spanish copper wall image c/o…
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Color and Light at the Corcoran
I fell in love last weekend … with an exhibition. The Washington Color and Light exhibit currently on display at the Corcoran Gallery of Art is – in the true sense of the word – awesome. The show features major works from Washington Color School artists such as Gene Davis and Thomas Downing as well as from their contemporaries. Not only is it an impressive collection, but there is a sense of magic to its arrangement. Thoughtful consideration was given to grouping of works and gallery-to-gallery views creating an environment that is scintillating and inspiring. Even the adjacent spaces and the works therein complement Color and Light beautifully –…
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Dangerous Beauty
I used this term two weeks ago when describing a C. Jeré nailhead sculpture. It came to mind last night while viewing the current exhibit at Hemphill Fine Arts in DC. Julie Wolfe’s work includes paintings, prints and sculptures. And her name suits her work – it’s often a juxtaposition of loveliness and peril. Creative tension is a concept that I always find intriguing in art and design. Beauty is so much more interesting when its twisted on its head; you really see it up against something dark. Ms. Wolfe's work incorporates colorful, organic images alongside macabre symbols of death and violence. The contrast enlivens the sweet and…
