Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Where Originality Resides...

Couldn't resist adding one more deafening ovation to Sean Scherer's unexpected and non-conformist eye. While researching the Kabinett & Kammer posting, I came across a New York Times article about Scherer's 1840's farmhouse in the Catskills...

Salvaged wood and glass school lockers

Collection of mercury glass

Andres Serrano photograph and anatomical models

Collection of vintage photographs of Pompeii

Turquoise palette

Vintage diagrams

"Birds of New York" Folio-created wallpaper

Newspapers and Soviet Agitprop posters 'paper' the bathroom walls

French zoological bat diagram

All photographs from here 
Photographer: Tony Cenicola

Monday, March 28, 2011

Kabinett & Kammer

Described (perhaps rather extremely) as Damien Hirst-esque, the astounding vision of artist and collector Sean Scherer culminates at Kabinett & Kammer on 174 East 2nd Street. Marvelously curated, this store clearly signals that Scherer's personal charter is the pursuit of the extraordinary. A selection of school charts from long defunct classrooms are staggering (what wouldn't I do to lay my hands on the jellyfish). Once you have exhausted the new East Village store, take a road trip to the original shop in the small settlement of Andes, New York. Unusual vintage sports equipment, specimen shells, taxidermy (all but impossible to find these days) ends up here...










Andes, NY

All photographs from Kabinett and Kammer
NYC: 174 East 2nd Street
Andes, NY: 7 Main Street

Mayakovskaya Electrozavodskaya (I know, me neither!!)

When taking the underground in any city, one has to contend with urine, grime, creepos and general stink. For self-preservation, I tend to concentrate on the subway tile (which does pique my joy-dar). However, I couldn’t resist sharing some spectacular subway stops with you.
Moscow: begun in the 1930’s as part of the Socialist legacy, the Stalin-era underground is quite literally an underground “palace for the people”. Straddling Baroque, art deco and modernism simultaneously, it stands in stark contrast to the bleak tenement towers that have sprouted up on the outside.
Track 4680 miles west to NYC for a hidden gem of our own. Simply take the 6 train without detraining. At the end of the line you will discover the abandoned, but immaculately preserved City Hall subway stop, circa 1904, decommissioned because of the hazardous, curved tracks...




Avtovo Metro Station
NYC City Hall Subway Station
Electrozavodskaya
NYC
Komsomolskaya
Moscow
Moscow





NYC
St. Petersburg
Subway Station in the West Village

Images via: jalopnik.com , azweird.com, Jake's travels, redbubble.com/ beeflowers.com

jamesmaherphotography.com

If these walls could talk…

Jeffrey Moss is no stranger to styling. A longtime photo stylist for Pottery Barn and Target, he has cleverly elected a crisp white backdrop for his own Chicago loft. Unexpectedly, the walls erupt into chaos – an avalanche of photographs cover the walls, all vying for attention – part of a vintage collection he began years ago (no photos taken later than the early 60′s). A master curator, Jeffrey collects walking sticks, vintage tip trays from defunct restaurants and more — each object is artfully displayed as though an installation in a gallery. One could never tire of this ever-evolving wallpaper – the perfect inspiration for his spells of re-arranging, movie script writing or shoot-envisioning. Oh, and Jeffrey…. I’ll be right up for one of those Manhattans on your thick antique butcher block.

Antique croquet markers

Sombre portrait momentarily interrupts...

R. Brad Knipstein photo 

Pub lantern and grain sack cushions 

Plaster deer head and cook books 

Photo chaos 

Office

Vintage Tip Trays

Bar set up for Manhattans 

All images from Chicago Home and Garden

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Château de Moissac-Bellevue, early 17th century


Dear Mr. God… it is me, Philippa. Just wanted to bring your attention to the Chateau for a mo (even though I know you are very busy with the floods in Australia). See, I really want it. Can we strike a deal? From now onwards, I won’t just talk to you on turbulent airplane trips over the Atlantic. I propose a more frequent correspondence, especially once I am shaving black truffles in the kitchen (see below). Just saying. Love Philippa.

(Chateau is available for photo shoots, seminars and private receptions)
All Photographs by:
Henri Del Olmo
Bernard Touillon
Patrick Van Robaeys
Contributor: Philippa Berrington-Blew

Friday, March 25, 2011

Out of the Ordinary

Last Sunday while driving to St. Michael’s, MD, I remembered a shop I had once spotted on a moonless night en route to Baltimore. I think my husband seriously doubted my antique sleuthing ability when I made him drive through a large garish outlet mall to get to DHS Designsa pure beauty asylum tucked away behind a strip of urban sprawl. The talented owner is interior designer Darryl Savage, who has been coined the ‘King of Hearths’, and for good reason. He has one of the most impressive collections of 19th century limestone mantels imported from France. In fact, the entire showroom is a visual treat of oversize heirlooms, world class tapestries and garden ornaments. The boundless inventory boasts friezes, giant clocks, a vast array of Vase d’Anduze, even a ceramic crocodile head. Darryl couldn’t have been more gracious and charming as he gave a me a whirlwind tour describing the fascinating provenance of some of the one-of-a-kind pieces.
















DHS Designs is in Queenstown, Maryland
All Photographs by Philippa Berrington-Blew and Craig Strydom