A Farewell to Armoires?

Armoires are probably becoming an extinct species these days. I mean, what once used to be a practical means to store clothes or china or even arms (originally, the French armoires were used to store tools or arms and hence, the name), now everyone has large walk-in closets and built in shelves. So why would anyone need an amoire?

Well, I'll tell you why. To me, they are one of the most beautiful pieces of furniture one could ever own. It's right up there with owning a beautiful piece of artwork. There is just something so elegant about a house that has an armoire in the great room, or foyer or even the bedroom.

It just brings you back to a day when furniture was made with such painstaking detail and carvings were a must. In New Orleans, especially, where there are still a lot of beautiful old mansions and shotgun houses, an armoire is a common household staple. I don't think I've walked into a house (regardless of the number of walk in closets it has) and not seen a beautiful armoire displayed prominently in one of the main rooms. Whether used to hide a TV or children's toys (as in my house) or used as a pantry or to put extra blankets, etc., an armoire is just one of those pieces of furniture that has so many uses. And aside from it's uses, they are just plain beautiful to look at. They add elegance and poise to any room.

I have a love affair with armoires, from the very elaborate ones down to the very plain and simple ones. I can't have enough of them! Even in my bathrooms, I have small one door armoires. So go ahead, invest in one. Not only are they a gorgeous piece of history, but they only go up in value like a beautiful piece of art.



Although simple in structure, this armoire is stunning with its painted surface and intricate artwork (from Fabulous Flea).

An armoire painted in coutry swedish style for a girl's bedroom or home office (from Mitchell Settoon).

An elaborate and breathtaking french armoire in the living room (from Bountiful Home).

A more classic style, this empire style armoire looks regal in the bedroom (from Bountiful Home).

A powder room or master bathroom becomes an important room with an armoire (a Provencal Wire Demi Armoire from stylehive).

Perfect for a little girls' room, this one door french antique armoire was just purchased from my 1st dibs store for a 2 year old girl who just went into remission from a long battle with brain cancer. I could not be happier that this beautiful piece has found a wonderful home with such a strong little girl.

This is one of the most beautiful armoires I have ever seen and had the pleasure to have. Gorgeous carvings and details. It can be seen personally admired at my shop (3652 Magazine Street), or on 1st dibs at http://www.disegnokarinagentinetta.1stdibs.com/.

A more simple one with glass doors to display linens and pillows. Also at my shop. Please inquire if interested.

And finally, my latest masterpiece below. Painted in a gustavian grey with hints of gilding and gesso. It is absolutely stunning!!!! Also part of my collection at disegno Karina Gentinetta.

My Little Roma

Today, I dedicate this post to my little girl, Roma Aida. Today, she turns 5. It seems only yesterday she was born a bit undercooked (she was not due for another 5 weeks), but as she has proven to be, she was determined from the very start to be part of this world and brighten it up with her smile. She's always been on the petite side (just like her mama) and in pre-K, she is the smallest girl in her class. But wasn't Madeleine the smallest and most vivacious one of the 12 little girls that lived in a house in Paris and walked in two straight lines?

When she was born, she had no eyelashes and no eyebrows (did I tell you she was undercooked?) and I thought I had been punished for wishing for a beautiful little girl. But here she was and I looked at her and she looked back at me with her hairless eyes and we decided to get along. I still cried. My husband thought she was the most beautiful little baby in the whole world. The jury was still out on my case. I waited, and I waited. But in her defense, I tell you, she was the most wonderful, sweet baby ever (as though to make up for what she was lacking in looks).

Roma grew up to be the most beautiful little girl ever and I am so ashamed that I ever doubted it. She can light up a room with her smile and bubbly personality. She's sweet, caring and very responsible for such a small person. She has stolen my heart and my life. My sweet Roma tomato, named after the most beautiful city in the world -- Roma (Rome).

When she was about to be born, I had a dream. I had already decided that if I ever had a little girl, I would name her Roma. But in this dream, my maternal grandmother Aida showed up. I loved my grandmother and she taught me so many things that I hope to pass down to my own children. She was a small, petite, Italian woman with red hair. Humble and loving and oh, so giving of herself. When she died (two weeks after we moved from Argentina to the U.S.), the Catholic Church gave us a special dispensation to have her body cremated so that we could take her with us wherever we went (because as immigrants, we did not know at that time if we were going to stay in the U.S.). My father thought long and hard for the perfect inscription for her urn that would capture the essence of who she was. After deliberating for a long time, he came up with the perfect epitaph.

In this dream, Abuela Aida came up to me. She smiled and hugged me. She took me by the hand and led me to her urn. She pointed at it and I looked, not quite understanding. She pointed again at the epitaph and said, "look." I read the epitaph that my father so lovingly wrote on her urn. It reads, "Amor, Amor, Amor" (Love, love, love). I woke up and knew that even my grandmother approved of my soon to be born little girl's name as I realized what she was telling me in my dream. "Amor, Amor, Amor" afterall is "Roma, Roma, Roma" backwards.

My sweet little girl through her five short years.

Happy Birthday to my sweet, beautiful angel.

Happy Birthday Ms. Paris Apartment

Yes, she is going to kill me but I would not forgive myself if I didn't wish my friend Claudia Strasser a happy birthday!!!!! Yes, she turned 29 yesterday :) And partied like it was 1999 (so I was told) and she is paying for it dearly today. So let's all wish Ms. Paris Apartment a happy birthday together.

In honor of Claudia's birthday, I baked a cake. Well, let's just say, I searched on the web for the perfect cake for her. And lo and behold, I found the most amazing blog. The most amazing confections that don't even look like they could be cakes. Let me introduce you to Sedona Cake Couture. Founder and cake artist, Andrea Blaut, has been designing and creating exquisite wedding and artisan cakes for over 10 years. She has won numerous awards for her creations including being named the Ultimate Cake Off Champion in 2010, Food Network Challenge Medalist in 2008 & 2009, NACE 2008 1st Place, Best of Show & Peoples Choice, NACE 2007 1st Place, Best of Show & Peoples Choice, ACF 2007 Arizona Silver Medal - Wedding Cakes. Her cakes have been enjoyed by celebrities such as Tom Cruise and Kirstie Alley.

So, Claudia, because I could not decide on which of her fabulous cakes to get you, I got you one of each of my favorites.

Who would not like a slice of Sedona Cake Couture's Peonie cake?????

Or perhaps something less indulgent????

Claudia, this little number is just for you.


But these delectable shoes are just for me!

Bon Appetit!!! And Happy Birthday, Claudia.

There is no time like Springtime

I love Spring. It is probably one of my favorite times of the year. Of course, here in New Orleans, Spring is that week of cool weather we get between scorching humid summers and less scorching humid winters. But still, if we are lucky, we get a week of just beautiful California-like weather that we fondly refer to as Spring.

And this is the week! And here we are all giddy with delight at the opportunity of spending every minute outside, having good hair days and not breaking a sweat. So in honor of this beautiful spring time week, I'll share with you some of my most treasured pics that I've collected and keep tucked away in one of my folders to refer back to in the heat of summer.

Enjoy! And I hope this gets you in the spring time mood. These delightful and simply gorgeous images come from two of my favorite shops and websites -- Bountiful Home in California and Atlanta Bartlett (one of my all time favorite white on white designers in England whom I've had the good fortune of meeting, albeit by exchanging emails).

Kick your bare feet up and just bask in all the glory of spring.

Whoopi Goldberg's house as designed by Bountiful Home.

The amazing simple and elegant style of Atlanta Bartlett

Weddings on the Brain

Okay, a change of pace for my postings. Today, I had weddings on the brain. It may have to do that my friend, Christine Smith, is about to get married in about 5 weeks and she is going to NY for her second dress fitting this weekend. As I help her decorate the house she is building in NH with her fiancee, Lee, I catch all her pre-wedding excitement that goes with having a wedding only 5 weeks away. Can you remember it? I still can. All that preparation, all that anticipation, all that planning.... I remember after exchanging vows with my husband, AJ, 8 years ago on this day (yes, March 30, 2002) exclaiming, "That's it??" "That's all there is to it?" And in just 10 minutes, I was Mrs. Andrew James McAlear a/k/a Karina Gentinetta since I just could not bring myself to go from being Argentine to Irish in 5 minutes.

But, I digress......

So, anyway, having Christine talk about her dress fitting tomorrow and having my own anniversary today which we celebrated by having our nightly homemade family dinner (me cooking Pasta Bolognese and AJ baking my favorite Blondies) with our beloved children, I got to thinking of all the beautiful things about weddings -- the dresses, the shoes, the lace and trim and satin and flowers...... Sigh.......

Here is a little eye candy to get you in the mood.


OMG!!! Where were these shoes when I got married??????????

And the back... Did you check out the back of these shoes??? I think I'll have to design a chair to mimic these shoes.

Aahhh, yes, my wedding dress was pink too, but oh, the tulle!!!!

I could even marry in black if I had had this Christian Dior dress. Is this to die for or what?

I have a thing about corsets. They look so gorgeous and so ballerina-like (photo courtesy of Olivier Lalin Weddings).

Well, you can just bury me in this one!

And this, believe it or not, is an Etsy design by Bonzie. I love the tulle and the tailored jacket.

And one of my all time favorite princesses -- Grace Kelly on her wedding day. I could just stare at this photo all day.

My beloved father and me, 8 years ago today. The only wedding photo that survived Hurricane Katrina. It was immersed in water (hence the water marks all over) and the hairline down the photo is the cracked frame glass. The photo is permanently stuck to the glass and it was probably that that saved it from disintegrating in the flood waters. So broken frame and all, it's the only photo I have to remember that wonderful, warm spring evening 8 years ago tonight.

Children and Antiques

I get this all the time -- "How I wish I could have antiques at my house, but I can't have beautiful furniture in my house because I have children."

I'm here to tell you that children and beautiful things can co-exist. Actually, I find that a mix of antiques and new things are actually more forgiving with children than say, Pottery Barn furniture. Take those mass produced furniture pieces, put a little crayon or marker writing on them and, well, you have a piece of furniture that has crayon and marker drawings on them. Chances are you'll stash that in the play room and close the door when guests are over.

But there is no need. Take a farm table that has survived over 100 years of children, and wonderful family dinners and goodness knows what else, and a bit of crayon markings only adds more beautiful patina on it. No kidding. My kitchen farm table has markings on them that wipes right off. If it doesn't, well, it just looks like it was always meant to be there.

So with three dogs and 2 young children, trust me, I'm living proof that you can have beautiful things and children at the same time. In fact, my linen covered sofas and chairs have withstood the test of time -- muddy tennis shoes, chocolate stains, etc., just come right off in the washer machine. Linen is a natural fabric that has existed for ages. Dirt just doesn't settle in its fibers the way it does in white denim or white cotton duck slipcovers. Even red wine comes right off of natural linens.

So go ahead and use belgian linen for your beautiful upholstery!!!! There is no need to wait until the kids are in college to have the house you always dreamed of.

And, yes, kid stuff and gorgeous antiques do mix!

How beautiful is that mirror in a little girl's room???? I love the way Jeanne's little aqua chair contrasts the gorgeous gilding on that mirror. Now, there is nothing wrong with having a little pizzazz even in a play room. You won't want to close that door when guests are over!

And matching antique convent beds make a wonderful alternative to mass produced children furniture. Look how whimsical antiques make this room. And the plaid on the empire chair looks like it was made for this room.


These twin beds (there were matching pairs) were painted by me and upholstered in a natural muslin. They were purchased to go in a 2 year old's bedroom.

And for the older girls, well this is quite the refined look. I just love the color combination of the reds and pinks and whites.

Local designer, Melissa Ruftin, designed this guest room for a local client. Now, I could see this in a kids' room. And, believe me, although it looks expensive, you'd be surprised as to how this compares to other mass produced furniture.

So go ahead and dare to mix children and antiques! I can promise you it will be the most fun you'll have searching for those gorgeous gilded pieces and mixing them with pinks and blues and teddy bears and cars. And when your children are playing cowboys and indians, like my own Liam and Roma did just this weekend, well, the worse that can happen is that your little dainty antique chair may end up looking like this. And that, my dears, is priceless.