Rooftop Retreat

There was so much to look at in the September issue of Vogue that many might have overlooked this stunning rooftop apartment.  It's owned by Claude Wasserstein and was designed with help of interior designers Jacques Grange, Jeffrey Bilhuber, and Daniel Romualdez.  Usually, combinations like that could result in a mash up of styles and ideas but it all seems to work here.  I wish there were more photos since I know there is probably even more chicness to be found.  As much as I love that living room and the bed hangings in her daughter's bedroom, it's the terrace with real grass that blew me away.  I have to go to Central Park for green space that big but Ms. Wasserstein just has to step outside.  How fabulous is that?!

Photos by Francois Halard

Another Gorgeous Garden

As most long time readers know, I'm obsessed with gardens.  Kind of funny considering how much I hate bugs and even more so spiders.  But as a city dweller, I long to be able to see greenery outside my window and to take a walk in nature whenever I desire.  I do try to take advantage of Central Park but I have to share that with about 18 million other people.  Probably why I fell in love with Bella Pollen's English country garden when I first spied it in Vogue.  You can read the entire article here.  Bella and her husband fell in love with it too when they first saw it but it took many years of work to restore it and the neglected house to an inhabitable state.  I'm sure the final result more than makes up for all the hard work.  Just another reminder to get out and smell the roses this weekend!

Photos by François Halard

Magical Maine: Part Deux

The other Maine cottage that I wish would be featured again belongs to Marina Rust Conner.  It was built in 1899 by her great-great grandmother, Mrs. George Bird. When it appeared in Vogue, it looked a little more fussy and Victorian inside than Gwen McCaw's renovated house.  It would be interesting to see if any changes have been made over the years.  I've been to Maine many times and nothing beats that idyllic all-American feeling and slower pace.  These two homes make me want to book another trip but only if I can find an equally appealing summer "cottage" in which to stay!

Photos by François Halard

Visite Privée by François Halard

Photographer François Halard recently had an exhibition which was compiled into an accompanying book entitled Visite Privée.   The collection of photographs of artists and their studios include Cy Twombly, Julian Schnabel, Carlos Mollino, Ahn Duong, Richard Avedon, Paul Cezanne, Robert Rauschenberg, and others.  My favorite space is of course Mr. Hallard's own home in Arles, France.  There is a great story in Vogue Living: Houses, Gardens, People about how he wasn't intending to buy a home but fell in love with its "melancholy spell."  He spent years restoring the home and filled it with many pieces he already owned in storage including the Louis XVI lit a la polonaise canopy bed from the antiquaire Compoglio.  I've included photos from both books here but unfortunately Visite Privée seems to only be available in Europe.  A reason to hop on a plane to Paris if I ever saw one but if that's not possible, you can also check out the rest of the artists online.  À tout à l'heur‎e!

Photos by François Halard

What's black and white...

Someone recently told me that they asked a child, "what's black and white and read all over?" and they had no idea. I guess kids don't read the newspaper these days. For some reason, I thought about that story when I saw this black and white papered entry. Probably because I also can't answer the question of who designed it or where it's from. Some of the motifs are similar to things I've seen at the Neue Galerie so it might be Austrian or German or who knows, maybe it's in California. If anyone can identify it, please let us know. Until then, I'll be reading the news on the internet like the kids!

Photos by François Halard

Country Couture in Vogue

When I posted the gorgeous home of Pamela Skaist-Levy, one of the founders of Juicy Couture, last year, a reader asked if there were any photos of her partner, Gela Nash-Taylor's home. I couldn't find any at the time which was probably because they were being saved for Vogue. The September 2009 issue has a feature on the English country manor she shares with her husband, John Taylor or Duran Duran, and their family and friends. The bathroom above is one of my favorite photos from the spread by photographer Francois Halard.

Editor-in-Chief, Anna Wintour is also hosting the premier party for The September Issue documentary this Wednesday night. For those of us not lucky enough to be invited, the film opens in New York August 28th and elsewhere on September 11th. While Tom Ford makes his directorial debut at the Venice Film Festival also on September 11th with his first film, A Single Man, based on the Christopher Isherwood novel. Looks like it's going to be a very fashionable fall!