Ya-Ya Sisterhood????

I absolutely love blogging. I have met so many wonderful, dear friends through it. Friends who I would otherwise have never met. All of you (and you know who you are) are part of my Ya-Ya Sisterhood (and if you haven't read "The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" go get yourself a copy right now!)

I want to especially thank Sandy Foster of My Shabby Streamside Studio blog who did a wonderful post this week on visiting my store here in New Orleans. Her photos are simply amazing!!!! I'm simply humbled and honored. My guest room is always here for you, Sandy.

Sandy is just so amazingly talented. When I think of how she single-handedly (and I mean literally single-handedly) renovated her cottage in the Catskills to be a studio from a fairytale, I feel a tremendous sense of pride in being called her friend.

Thank you, Sandy, for your wonderful post on my store!!!

I also want to thank my dear Claudia Strasser of The Paris Apartment who also included me on a post about "Amazing things my friends are doing." How wonderful is that? To be included not only among her group of friends but also to be told that I'm doing amazing things. Wow. I'm on Cloud 9. Thank you for making my day, Claudia.

Claudia is just simply amazing and when I grow up, I want to be her. :) She is always between here and Paris and arranges for fun girl shopping trips to Paris. If it wasn't for my crazy schedule, I'd be on the next flight to Paris with her. She arranges everything for you to have a wonderful time in Paris, shopping, shipping, dining and all. Just click here for more information.

Thank you, girls, for your friendship!

Required Reading: The Finest Rooms in America

I happened to come across this wonderful book by way of 1stdibs. In it, author and interior designer, Thomas Jayne celebrates 50 exceptional interiors in "The Finest Rooms in America (The Monacelli Press, $50). The diverse mix includes the marble-paneled dressing room at Vizcaya, Mark Twain’s ornate Victorian library, the Chinese parlor at Winterthur, and Rose Tarlow’s tailored living room.

Here is a peak at some of the fabulous rooms.

Outdoor room in the Frances Brody House, Los Angeles. Decorated by Billy Haines.

Dining Room, Oceanfront House, Palm Beach, Florida. Thad Hayes, designer.

The dining room in Robert Couturier's South Kent, Connecticut, house. I was just amazed as to how much the mirror over the mantle resembles one of my very favorite mirrors in my antique collection (presently in my showroom in New York). Take a look.

Antique Italian Giltwood Mirror, 1stdibs.

Tea Room, Monticello, Charlottesville, Virginia.

Bunny Williams and John Rosselli's Great Room, Falls Village, Connecticut. Bunny Williams, decorator.

Chinese Breakfast room at The Elms, in Newport, Rhode Island.

Tribeca loft, New York City. David Kleinberg, decorator.

Dressing room, Vizcaya Villa, Miami, Florida. Paul Chalfin, designer.

All images from The Finest Rooms in America: 50 Influential Interiors from the 18th Century to the Present by Thomas Jayne (The Monacelli Press, 2010)

Queensland, Australia

I found this photo today in the news and I found it all too familiar. This was us 6 years ago in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. I thought I would not see these images again until today, when I ran across it while reading an article on the status of the floods in Queensland, Australia.

More than 43,000 homes and business have lost electricity in southeast Queensland and will have to be rebuilt one way or another. Lives will also have to be rebuilt as disasters like these not only take a physical toll but an emotional one as well. But I'm here to assure you, this too shall pass. Trust me. Just when you think you have no where to go, no place to return to, nothing left to call home, you will find the will to keep going. You will find your way back home. You will find the strength and help to rebuild what you have lost.

Kelly Wearstler

Unless you’re a design aficionado, a Hollywood insider, or a long-time reader of Playboy, chances are you’ve never heard of Kelly Wearstler, the centerfold model turned interior designer who has placed her undeniable style on the swankiest hotels and homes from L.A. to Anguilla.


I first found out about Kelly when I was invited to join 1stdibs as one of their antique dealers. As a featured designer on 1stdibs, she has gained a lot of exposure lately, including catching the attention of Oprah and People Magazine and gracing the cover of our beloved and very much missed, Domino Magazine. Last year, the New Yorker ran a 4,000-word profile about Wearstler, dubbing her the “presiding grand dame of West Coast interior design.”

There’s nothing subtle about Wearstler’s designs. You either love it or not. They’re bright. They’re bold. They’re daring. They’re not to be ignored. Personally, I admire them and find them to be works of arts and inspiring, especially when combined with antique elements (which she does).

But you be the judge.




I just adore the combination of the modern abstract wall painting with the elaborate architectural elegance of the winding staircase.

The chandelier above, could very well be one of my very own... below (available on my 1stdibs store and New Orleans address).

Italian Chandelier with Venetian Glass Crystals

To contact Kelly Wearstler or see more of her collection, go here.

Australia, New Orleans Is With You

To all those affected by the severe floodings in Australia, please know that our thoughts and prayers are with you.