Paris in Black and White (and Grey)

I'm still chained to my desk, writing a book about Provence and the south of France that's facing a tight deadline, so hope to catch up with all your lovely emails, comments and also a few overdue posts by the end of this week. In the meantime, here's a glimpse at Paris, in all its black and white glamour. 

(I was showing a friend some pix of the recent trip the other day and we noticed that all I seemed to take photos of was fashion and flowers. So apologies to all those who are tired of seeing frocks and floral borders. Will try and resume regular posts soon, including Harbour Island, New York and London.)

Paris in black and white.

The newly restored cafe of the Musée d'Orsay.

(And the famous clock, through which you can see a fantastic view of Paris.)

Vintage Dior gowns at the Haute Couture Exhibition at the Hotel de Ville in the Marais.

(This exhibition was free. Don't you love that?)

More gorgeousness from the Haute Couture exhibition.

A flashback to 1980's Chanel in the window of the Rue Cambon store. 

(Apparently Chanel jewellery from the 1980s is hugely popular again, according to a dealer I met in New York.)

A present for my mother for her birthday.

The Chanel exhibition.

(Which was also free. And not a single person in the queue.)

The beautiful powder room of the Hotel Trocadero Dokhan, where a group of us met for a few bottles of Champagne one evening. 

(I picked up the tab. The price of 200 Euros made my eyes water slightly. But it was a wonderful evening, and the group hadn't let me pay for dinner once during the week. Such lovely people.) 

Ralph Lauren's Left Bank boutique.

Always love to peek in here.

The simple but classically stylish fitting rooms at Ralph Lauren.

Artwork at the Hotel Maurice. 

This quirky grey painting said, simply, 'Versailles'. Not sure if the chairs were part of the installation? 

The foyer of the Hotel Maurice. 

Had afternoon tea here with a friend. I hadn't realised how magnificent it was inside. 

Some of our cute group taking in turns to take a photo of the Eiffel Tower. (I had taken them to a secret place where you can get the perfect shot of the Eiffel Tower, and they'd all lined up in a row to compose it.)

This photo makes me smile every time I look at it. Look how happy they look? No barging in front of each other, no complaining, no whinging that people are in their way. Just patience and pure joy to be on holiday. That's what travel is about.

A quiet corner.

Dinner at a classic restaurant on the Seine.

A quiet street near the Luxembourg Gardens.

A glimpse of an icon.

The gates of the Fashion Museum.

A blink-and-you-miss sighting of my books in the WH Smith on Rue Rivoli.

Valentino. Oh, Valentino.

A great little store on the Left Bank that sells vintage Louis Vuitton and other labels, including old steamer bags and trunks.

Look at the lovely old cash register with the LV on top.

Pure Paris.

Vintage Vogues, Botanical Whimsy & Other Miscellany

Just in time for the weekend comes this quietly beautiful image. It's a vintage Vogue from the 1950s, framed by our wonderful local framer. (Our framer is incredibly cheap: email me if you want his details.) It was part of Santa's kind Christmas stash.

I asked my framer's assistant if anyone ever brought in... you know... prints that were so awful they weren't worth framing. "You mean like the black velvet Elvis someone brought in last week?" she said.  (BTW I love Elvis. Don't want to offend anyone who may have framed a black velvet print of him...)

The Vogue and a gorgeous old New Yorker magazine from the week I was born (another gift) now sit on our hall table. With my collection of shells from around the world. Which are apparently contraband, according to my partner who used to work in the Federal Police. 

Don't you love the Wish magazine that comes with The Australian newspaper on the last Friday of every month? I love a freebie. Grab it this weekend while you can people.

I noticed India Hicks has redone her guesthouse. Look at this banana yellow. Who knew yellow could be sexy in a beach house? Wonder if it was for a photo shoot? (Pottery Barn were there recently.)

Still infatuated with this botanical wallpaper at The Dorset Square Hotel in London. Kit Kemp's taste is impeccable.

Whipped up some curtains for our living room. Only had time to do one, so can't show you the whole room. This fabric was $10/m at Spotlight. It looks just like the Manuel Canovas print that I was coveting in Paris, below... Which was 100 times the price.

This was the fabric. 'Beaurogard'. Beautiful. 

Did you know chintz is coming back in? Yes, truly. 

Best save your granny's curtains, people.

Have you seen Manuel Canovas' new 50th Anniversary collections? They've released new houndstooth. Love the denim blue too.

How about this for a cute fabric? 

Matchbook magazine did a fabulous Downtow Abbey spread in this month's issue. www.matchbookmag.com

Started reading this, on the recommendation of a bloggy friend Paula. (Originally recommended by Slim Paley.) It's set in the South of France. 

Also reading Michelle de Kretser's The Hamilton Case, set in old Ceylon. Thanks for the literary tips Miss Paula and Miss Slim.

Was cleaning up old photo files and came across these, from the Petit Trianon in Versailles. Still can't get over the intricate trelliswork. Wouldn't you love a potting shed that looked like this? {Images mine}

A tent to convert me to camping. By Field Candy Tents. Fabulous. {Images via Field Candy}

Did you see this whimsical interior in Vogue? It's a house in the Hamptons owned by the swimwear designer Lily Madock. 

Am only posting one image as I'm trying not to use too many magazine photos, after seeing my uncredited pix all over Pinterest last week. I always try and credit my pix, but it's still a grey line and The Library is now trying not to use professionally shot photos that have been especially commissioned by magazines. If I do, I will always credit, and will ascertain whether the photographer (like me) would be happy being featured. Usually it's the magazines that are cross, as evidenced by Habitually Chic's having to remove many from her blog. (Although her crediting is not the best.)

On an equally bright note, we've been working on some Lily Maddock-inspired page spreads for a new book mock-up. I can't tell you more as it's still in the planning stages, but you might be able to guess the subject matter from the pix.

Think lavender, wine, olive groves, sweet hillside villages, fields of gently swaying lavender, and charming stone cottages begging to be renovated... Just like this one. {All images mine}

The pix are going to be so luscious I won't even need to write any copy. 

{All pix mine, excluding the cute Citreon, which is my mother's photo.}

Have already made some new friends to see while I'm in this place. I emailed this couple last night to ask about their gardening smocks, of all things, and then complimented them on their house. They were so lovely they invited me to pop in and say hello. I'll do a special post on them soon as they're so interesting, and their architect and design work is so inspirational, but here's their bedroom...

Look at the ceiling! Isn't it fantastic?

Love the interiors of the new Corinthia Hotel in London too. {Image via their website gallery.} Olive and navy are always an elegant combination. But the grey stripes are inspired design.

Doesn't this make you want to have a kitchen that looks like an old general store? It's the kitchen department of Anthropologie in King's Road Chelsea. The old-fashioned cobalt blues and ceramic greens are so gorgeous. They'd even etched 'General Store' into the cabinet glass. {Image mine}

(On a side note, I want to say thank you Anthropologie for stocking my books, both in London and New York. It's thanks to this wonderful store that Chronicle bought 20,000 copies of the latest 'Paris' book, which has set in motion the wheels for doing a sequel. I will be shopping at Anthropologie for the rest of my life now!) 

Another fantastic place, this time a relatively new one. This is quite possibly the most beautiful new hotel in the world. Tall call, I know, but look at it. Pale power blues and emerald greens, with graphic black lines to hold it all together... Traditional and yet distinct at the same time. Look at the old safari hats in the rooms.

It's The Siam in Bangkok. Belle magazine featured it last last year, but I suspect it's going to take off very soon. Here are some more images from The Siam's website gallery (which are available to use)...

Love the greenery everywhere. 

Not sure about The Siam's artwork though. What ARE these people doing?

Shot this in a window near Liberty's in London. Such cute merchandising.

A wider shot. Don't you love botanica?

And lastly, have you seen the new changes to UK Harper's Bazaar under the editorship of Justine Picardie? Justine is a literary hero of mine; such a lovely person too. She's taking it back to the glamour of the 1950s. Look at this sublime page. Oh! I wish all magazines would experiment with white space and whimsical typography...

Wishing you all a whimsical and irreverent weekend. 

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