Visite Privee

Francois Halard, one of my favourite photographers, has a new book called Visite Privee. I first discovered his work in Vogue. In this book are complied shots from his archive of 11 artists and their working environments: Cy Twombly, Julian Schnabel, Jean-Charles Blais, Carlo Mollino, Richard Avedon, Paul Cezanne, Rita Ackerman, Ahn Duong, Miquel Barcelo, Robert Rauschenberg and James Brown. These are bookended with personal shots of Mr Halard's house in Arles.

He Said She Said

Monkton House, redecorated in the 1930s by Norris Wakefield.
"Rich colors are typical of a rich nature." - Van Day Truex (1904—1979)Fabric: Majorelle, by Martyn Lawrence-Bullard
Screen: Victorian needlepoint five-panel screen, mid-19th century

Weekend Reading List

While I'm hiding from the Lunar New Year mayhem that's happening all around me in the darkened, air-conned sanity of my room, I'm dippin into the lucid and acerbic musings in The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon. Sei Shonagon is like the Jane Austen of Medieval Japan, a Heian court lady-in-waiting. I can totally feel her: When things get a little bit crazy and a trip to Hermes isn't on the cards, I read The Pillow Book and the world is suddenly creaseless. I'm also dipping into George Plimpton's calssic bio of Truman Capote, delicious with my mommy's pineapple tarts and a lemonade. I'm flipping December issue of Elle Decor that Jo passed to me at the office. Matthew Williamson may not be a fashion designer of distinction but his eye for decor charms and surprises.