While doing a Google search on my son Marcel today I learned that the singer for The Marcels, Cornelius Richard Harp passed on June 4th. They are one of my Marcel's favorites and he even has a 45 of Blue Moon. We sang that song for my Dad while he was in hospice care. The Elvis Presley version is prominently featured in the Jim Jarmusch film Mystery Train. Rest peacefully Cornelius.
That's my nom du jour. This is the fun part, getting to put together different looks for Marcel in his blossoming career. We had a magazine crew come by the other day (details to follow) and I did some test shots of Marcello in his outfit.
He's wearing a vintage CBGB's t-shirt and a 1940s fedora that I've had for about 30 years. It's embellished with a black silk fragment from a 1920s gown. The pattern is leaves embroidered with silver and blue silk thread and flowers formed with teal and orange grosgrain ribbon. The skull wrist strap was custom made by a friend (details by request).
Because this is supposed to be an interior design blog also – ! – I'll throw in a photo from my barn kitchen shelves…
and a corner of the living room in progress…
The duality of life.
My son Marcel receives press credentials to cover various music events in the Bay Area. One recent event was the C2SV Festival in San Jose. For one of the highlights click HERE. Another wondrous highlight was an impromptu private performance for Marcel by the group Onward, Etc. when they learned that he had missed their show. They're an incredibly endearing group of guys, and so truly talented.
As this wasn't planned, and I just happened to walk in the room the moment they began playing, I was lucky I got my camera out of the bag in time. Their new album is titled Old Soul. Indeed.
So, back to the barn conversion project. Here are some snippets of the progress…chugging to completion…soon! Here are some vignettes, still in process (click on photos for larger view):
Belgrade beauty Ana kraš is the creator of soft and delicate objects that light up. Pendant lights. But more than just pendants, each one is handcrafted, slowly, in meditation, with the kind of patience that is reserved for only a scarce few souls in the perpetual motion of this 21st century.
She weaves skinny wool threads over metal frames in spontaneous patterns…slowly
pinkie finger…
And she's a photographer. And she designs furniture.
noodle table, tray, waste basket
And she's the fiancée of her fiancé, Devendra.
When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie…
Senti bella Ana! I will trade you a handmade textile something of mine for one of your lights! Drapes for those tall NYC windows?
I've been saving a collection of handmade papers that my friend Scott Waterman gave me for my birthday about 4 years ago, waiting for them to speak to me, to tell me what they wanted to be used for. At last they said, "Light me up!" So I made a custom lampshade with them. I call it Judah Street:
Different from every angle:
I like seeing the wrinkles in the paper. Makes it feel singular:
A big merci to Scott and Brett!
My son Marcel has been reviewing live shows, doing album reviews and interviews by email with musicians, but it wasn't until he began doing video interviews that he got much attention. He's now hearing from record labels and bands from all over and most recently today was featured on Nashville Cream for his interview with William Tyler. Merci beaucoup to D. Patrick Rodgers!
And merci beaucoup to William.
Also mentioned on Merge Records' Twitter and Nashville Cream's Twitter.
I just discovered 29 year-old self-taught interior designer Ryan Korban – while procrastinating my barn renovation project! Of Lebanese lineage, his journey took him from Quaker school in Pennsylvania as a boy, to NY's New School as a young adult where he studied Art History and Drama.
While there he connected with fashion designer Alexander Wang who was going to Parsons at the time (Later, Wang would become his first residential client). In his senior year he co-founded an accessories boutique, Edon Manor, where the shop's interior design and styling commanded so much attention for Ryan that a career was born. Designing by instinct and a love for history his interiors have a deep maturity to them that belies the age of the young creator. It seems he brings with him some past-life experience.
He studied historical fashion while at the New School and he brings some of his appreciation for it to his designs. He dresses his interiors in silks and furs (let's hope those pelts are antique) and the reflective surfaces — crystal and brass — shine like jewelry. Rich artwork and antique rugs pop out on a background of his go-to paint color, Farrow & Ball's Cornforth White, creating a restful contrast.
A peek at his 500 square foot home in New York's West Village:
Let's have a round of applause for all the self-taught artists out there! Trust your instincts and have fun. Live now!
I'm hoping you already know about Etsy, but in case you don't, it's a wonderful online place for buying and selling vintage and handmade goods, as well as crafting supplies. You'll see an Etsy widget in my right-hand sidebar that links to my shop.
Why am I telling you about this? Because Etsy recently became one of my customers. They bought my vintage hooked throw rugs for their office in New York!
Thay have exquisite taste!
So Sylvie 
