The World of Gloria Vanderbilt ~

Collages, Dream Boxes and Recent Paintings

Aurelia in turtleneck

When I think of Gloria Vanderbilt I think of those once thought of sexy jeans she came out with in the 1970's.  Admit it, (if you were alive in the 70's) you owned a pair or two!  Who knew she is also a painter and creates collages?  At 88, Gloria is busy painting portraits of friends and family among other things, and has been doing so since the 50's.  1st Dibs is showcasing her work in an exhibition thru October 24th.  Earlier works and dream boxes will be displayed, but only certain recent works will be for sale to benefit The Huntsville Museum of Art.

Cloud Land

Patterns

I liked the collages with their flecks of gold, shells, fabric and brightly colored bits of paper.  It looked like the faces were painted on the glass.  They had a 3-dimensional quality to them.  Often the collages were of royalist subjects.  Gloria's artistic endeavors spawned many business ventures.

Cavalier

Along side the paintings were dream boxes.  I fully admit, I do not understand the plexiglass containers filled with doll heads and paraphernalia, but somebody called it visual poetry.  Who am I to question art?

Surprises

Bye Bye Mamma from Baby Willy

Lily of the Valley

New Years Eve

Gloria usually doesn't know what she is going to paint until she is standing in front of the canvas, always wearing her denim painting smock and signature hair style.  Her inspiration; an appetite for life!

ph: Josh Gaddy

See more of Gloria's work: here
phs: 1st Dibs and CLI

SHOPPING: The Hampton's

English Country Antiques
26  Snake Hollow Road.  Bridgehampton, NY   (631) 577~0606

If you can't find it here, it doesn't exist.  Chris Mead began shipping antiques from England 20 years ago and hasn't slowed down.  Like a kid in a candy store, I spent hours, literally, studying the new and old; from bedding to a huge assortment of decorative lighting, boxes, and everything in between.  A venerable treasure trove for homeowners and designers alike.

Mecox Gardens made my heart skip a beat as we pulled up to the flagship Southhampton emporium.  With 8 stores around the country selling antiques, reproductions, and repurposed treasures from near and far, you'd be hard pressed to not fall in love!  Their mission is to seamlessly blend the inside and outside, and they do it well.

above & below via Between the Boxwoods

via So Haute

Mont XIII
40 Madison St. Sag Harbor, NY (631) 808~3333

Natasha Esch, an interior designer from Los Angeles, and prior to that head of Wilhelmina models, knows a thing or two about style.  The newest home store in Sag Harbor offers beautifully curated spaces with both new and reproduction furniture and accessories.  I especially loved the leather wrapped everything!

above & Below via Mont XIII

Ruby Beets
25 Washington St.  PO Box 1174.  Sag Harbor, NY   (631) 899~3275

Old and new co-exist in this little jewel of a store.  Sharone Einhorne and Honey Wolters have the perfect selection of unusual finishing touches, as well as contemporary murano glass, furniture, and art.  They are always included in everyone's list of favorite "to dos" in the Hamptons

via Habitually Chic

JED 
27 Washington St.  Sag Harbor, NY    ( 631) 725~6411                  

Jack Deamer, the owner (not Jed like you would assume), had a beautiful high end selection of antiques and objects'd art.  I was rooting thru a box of framed intaglios that were to die for but a little rich for my blood.  It does warrant another trip though, they all do!

via JED facebook page

Ya'll come back and see how I used what I bought on my shopping trip in a client's home ~ next time

I also checked out ~

Donna Parker Habitat Ltd.
Water Mill, NY

Gustavo Olivieri Antiques
East Hampton, NY

John Salibello
East Hampton, NY


and you should too.  Many of these great stores are on 1st Dibs as well.


ph:CLI unless otherwise noted.

House Porn

Michael Bruno and 1st Dibs did it again.  As if I needed another reason to spend more time sitting in front of my computer screen, now they feature hot properties and fine homes for sale spanning the globe.

Of course I want to see what goodies fill The Normandy House, a very prestigious home in Southampton, NY that is currently on the market for 35 million.

 

Or this lovely estate in Los Angeles, created by Windsor Smith.  With its blank slate, she was able to weave her magic.  It is reminiscent of a Kentucky horse farm, with a twist!  It can be yours for 11.96 million.

Who couldn't appreciate the gentrified Villa Contenta?  A 75 million dollar compound perched on a prime bluff in Malibu.

Yes, I want to know what lies beyond the gates of this Malibu estate as well.  It is calling to me.  In these homes, a theatre is de rigueur, but how many can boast an aviary or auto museum?

I see myself padding around this home overlooking Gramercy Park in New York.  I'm so adaptable!  The only thing standing in my way is the 21.4 million I need to walk thru the door.  I can see myself in many of these places, behind many of these gates.  That's the beauty of getting lost in the fantasy of fine homes.

From Malibu to Montecito, Palm Beach to Park Ave, there is something for everyone.  Search 1st Dibs Real Estate by location, designer picks, types of properties.  They all boast major WOW factor!  Beware, it's addictive.  Make sure you have loads of time and a comfortable seat.

I'll just keep idling the hours away voyeuristically enjoying the homes of "the rich and famous."  I lost a whole day.  I couldn't stop, couldn't turn away.  That's when the trouble began...I started rearranging my house.  My husband's gonna kill me!









all ph:Coldwell Banker & Corcoran

1st Dibs Comes Calling

Ask any decorator where they find inspiration and 1st Dibs is high on the list.  The online antique and vintage marketplace finds a home in the New York Design Center.  It occupies the 10th floor and represents 54 1st Dibs dealers; the best of the best, culled from around the world.  It is laid out like a marketplace, much like the Paris flea markets that inspired 1st Dibs creator, Michael Bruno.  There is also an art space for rotating exhibits.

The selection is vast and varied.  Is it French period you seek?

Middle Eastern or Anglo Indian, African, or anything in between?

Delightful Deco or Nouveau, Modernist, or Mid Century?

With a lot of natural light flooding the selling floor, it is really nice to be able to see every detail.  It is OPEN TO THE PUBLIC and it is a treat!  Just a stroll around the floor is fun.  You never know when you are going to find something you never knew you needed that is going to make your room sing!

If you can't make it in, you can be an armchair decorator from the comfort of your couch, still visiting the dealers from around the globe that take part in the online marketplace.  New merchandise is posted about once a week with a Saturday sale as well.