A Day at the Races

Last week, our friend, Kathleen Maley, paid Senor and I a brief visit on her way back from NYC. Kathleen designs and makes incredible jewelry that is classic, modern and sophisticated. These words could describe her as well. We were fortunate to host her at our home and were excited to plan some outings that we only seam to take when guests visit. After perusing our online resources, Kathleen and I found that Santa Anita Racetrack is hosting an event called "Free Fridays" until mid-March. This event includes free entry, free box seats, and $1 beer, hot dogs, and other refreshments. Like the Titanic, Santa Anita has class upgrades for a nominal fee, but you don't have to worry about sinking (unless you bet your paycheck on a bum horse). The building and grounds are stunning, and they have retained many of the original lighting,furniture, art and other architectural embellishments. We felt like glamorous movie stars from Hollywood's golden era. Great stars such as Jean Harlow and Tyrone Power frequented this entertainment mecca in the 1930's. Kathleen and I accidentally ended up in the Turf Club and decided to stay for lunch. Even though it is a bit expensive for salads and sandwiches, the food was excellent, the staff was darling and helpful, we had our own personal video monitors, and no line to bet! Did I also mention that the turf club decor more closely resembled an old Beverly Hills Mansion than a track hangout? The bathrooms are lounges full of walls of mirrors, marble counters, and lovely groupings of antiques and art. Next time I would like to have breakfast at Clockers' Corner where you can watch the morning workouts.For Lunch, I would like to order from the carvery on the main floor and have a picnic style lunch in the free box seats. I am thrilled that Santa Anita has been so well preserved, and I will not limit future visits to the times when guests are in town. I also vow to get out more often and enjoy all of the splendor and surprises of Southern California.

WEBSITES:

http://www.santaanita.com/
http://www.kmaleydesign.com/



The exterior resembles an exotic steamboat and is situated at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains.









If the monitors were gone, this would resemble a fancy hotel lobby. I love the chandeliers.



The scale of these metal horse heads are impressive.



Welcome to the Turf club. Is that Ava Gardner coming down the stairs? I love the gold palm trees and the classical railing in white and gold. This is like Trump taking over the Four Seasons.



I need one of these.



The restrooms really served their purpose. I love the pineapple lamps and the fabric on the couch.



Let the race begin!

The Secret of Jackie Beat's Successorizing!

We recently visited our client Jackie Beat to find out the secret of his successorizing. Successorizing is our made up term for successful accessorizing. Jackie has this talent in spades. This is very important skill for someone who loves to shop and collect things. Jackie sets a good example of how to create vignettes that are full of wonderful objects, but not so cluttered and confusing that it gives one a headache. My heart always aches with jealousy whenever Jackie gives me a tour of his latest scores which he always displays with perfection. An object is much more powerful when it is touched and tended to, so it is good to refresh your surroundings and rotate out art and objects on a regular basis. Turn your mind's eye into a frame and create interesting compositions that are pleasing to the eye and also reveal a little about yourself. Jackie has turned the home we created together into a personal statement that is all his own.



Upon entering the house, you are not so subtly reminded of who lives here. Large 3-dimensional letters are a fun way to personalize your walls or doors.



Jackie creates a beautiful scene with his collection of dolls from around the world and other interesting objects. A glass front display can give your objects a "museum-like" quality. I love the ceramic hand adorned with butterflies. Very Fornasetti.



Jackie found these odd little ceramic faces at a local thrift store. He backed them with cutouts from a vintage wallpaper sample book and put them in these simple black frames. The result is a delightful little art wall next to the entry.



Jackie puts the "fun" back into functional in this whimsical bathroom that keeps everything in its place with style.



Jackie created an homage to his parents next to this tiki style mirror in his bedroom. The round frame on the photo of his mother used to house a clock instead. Jackie loves re-purposing his interesting thrift store finds.



In Jackie's South beach inspired sun room, a monochromatic green tableau brings the outside in.



Paintings of foliage play off of the real thing outside to create a nature scene that is both fake and real.



These wall cube shelves are great for giving importance to small objects.



Mirror and clear glass make a dazzling focal point. Mirrors and mirrored objects add instant glamor to any room.



Jackie bought this gorgeous mirror display and the peacock plaques at our last garage sale. He has a great eye and a keen sense of proportion, which is an important trait for any great successorizer.

The Many Shades of Gray

While visiting with family in Austin, we were invited over to the house of two of my sister's dear friends, Greg Klar and Christopher Beach. Greg is a Realtor at Keller Williams Realty and Chris co-owns Chic+Green interiors with his mother Beth. They hosted us for cocktails in their gorgeous Lake Austin home. The view was spectacular and the guys were wonderful and charming hosts. I was given the "grand tour" of the place by Chris who also let me in on a few of his trade secrets. Chris has created a luxurious, yet relaxed and comfortable environment and he picked sumptuous fabrics that are easy to clean and dog-friendly. He also uses local artisans to create wonderful custom pieces that lend the house a high end Hollywood Regency touch. The palette of cream, black, white, silver, blue and many shades of gray gives you the feeling that you are standing inside an old black and white Hollywood movie. The charming leading men who inhabit this house lend a lot to this air. We all watched the sunset over Lake Austin as our glamor quotient went through the roof. Thank you Greg and Chris for a swellegant time! You can visit Chris's website at http://www.chicgreen.com/store/



The spun silver shades on this amazing chandelier create a fabulous focal point in the dining room.



The tiles are a mixture of limestone and concrete. l love the large lanterns flanking the fireplace!



Tufting gives modern pieces a more classic flair. This bedroom is clean, yet dramatic.



A huge picture window becomes a luxurious cocoon at night. The table and chairs came from Chris's grandmother. He reupholstered the chairs in a soft tweed and painted the drum table glossy white.



Chris custom designed this whimsical bench which is extremely comfortable. it is trimmed with brass upholstery tacks to create a circular link pattern. the fabric is a soft low pile velvet which is practical and sultry. Chris used a floor lamp on the table to balance out the height of the setee. The lamp is from Global Views.



I found this delightful tableau in the downstairs lounge area. The silver and gray lame curtain's were custom made by Chris. The ceramic fish was purchased at Z-Gallery and the sheepskin pillows are from West Elm.

Texas Time Machine

People come from near and far to visit the Mid-Century mecca located in the heart of West Texas called "As Time Goes By" .This family run establishment been going strong in my home town of Lubbock, Texas for the past twenty years. I wish this store had been around when I was growing up there.( I know I'm dating myself now.) Luckily, I get to visit at least once a year and hang out with the charming ladies who run this vintage wonderland. The hard working owners are the mother-daughter team of Elsie Shivone and Pam DeBellis. The deals are endless and the merchandise consists of a huge variety of gorgeous and whimsical furniture and accessories from the last century. We often used this store as a resource for our retail shop and Interior Design business. Pam and Elsie are always there to greet us and create a custom shopping experience that becomes an easy-going adventure.


This amazing large chandelier creates a sophisticated and modern take on glamor. This piece would make a room at only $399.


This bamboo luncheon and tea set is elegant and exotic at the price of $145.


I love this delightful brass candle wall sconce. This is a steal at $75.


Mid-Century art glass is a perfect home accessory. You can add pops of color and texture that play with the light.


I like the use of vintage luggage in merchandising. The wood grain lining is a fun touch.


This set of 1970's Italian wood and caned dining chairs look very contemporary. 6 elegant chairs for $390.


This terrific art glass globe light that depicts the moon landing would look great in a kid's room.