A Noguchi Copy Cat Lantern You Can Afford!

I love the Noguchi Akari Lantern, especially the oversize one. The largest one measures 39" in diameter, and that really is the one to have to make a design statement. It sells for $985.00 from the Noguchi Museum store.

Noguchi Akari Lantern

However, being the queen of the high and the low, I found a round paper lantern for you that is 42" in diameter and only $39. HERE  Add a very affordable light cord kit, and voila you are in business!

I've used these lanterns since my student days decorating my first apartments, and then I used hundreds of them for my event design work. Clean and classic, it makes a wonderful visual statement.

the 42" round copy cat of the Noguchi lantern - only $39. !

Here's a round up of some large Noguchi Akari Lanterns to inspire you.

A large Noguchi lantern in the Swedish apartment of Mats Gustafson as seen HERE

A large Noguchi lantern in the Swedish apartment of Mats Gustafson as seen HERE

Noguchi lantern over a dining table

Noguchi lantern looks wonderful in thus open floor plan space

Some Noguchi lanterns in a shop

UPDATE
Apparently link I gave to buy oversize lantern is out of stock;
Try this one - they have a 30" and 36" in stock (that would work very well for the lok) and you can get cord kit here too. xo xo

http://www.paperlanternstore.com/36whirripala.html
http://www.paperlanternstore.com/36--even-ribbing-round-paper-lanterns.html
http://www.paperlanternstore.com/15whcoforla1.html

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Swedish Style For Real

Have you ever opened the pages of a magazine, or newspaper and have someone from your past jump out at you? Downtown New York in the 1980's spawned a group of artists, dancers, writers, actors, musicians, filmmakers, photographers, restauranteurs, foodies, drag queens, and interesting personalities that to me then were just the wonderful friendly people I knew (and worked with), that hung out in bars, showed up at parties and gallery openings, and went to the downtown clubs.

The large Noguchi lantern caught my eye HERE - Love the plaster detail on the ceiling, the greige, the swan in the window sill. the drawing on the wall,  and the whole feeling of natural northern light at its best

At the time we already were famous in our minds, playing in bands, making little movies and photographs, hanging art in ratty lofts and storefronts, ditto for doing dance and performance pieces and poetry readings. We hung out all night drinking and talking. We had day jobs, but we lived for the night, even if we worked a night shift, it often ended early enough to still hit the clubs and the late night restaurants.

None of us were on a fast track with any plan for the future. We weren't "branding" ourselves. We didn't have web pages or blogs. We didn't have Facebook or Twitter. Our immediate concerns were how to pay the rent, and what to do with our love lives, and planning the creative projects we earned day job money to produce.

Where you'll find me every Sunday morning - HERE

Early Sunday mornings I'm ensconced in bed with coffee, CBS Sunday Morning, Alberto asleep next to me (ditto for Cholo and Kitty Kitty Bang), and my favorite part of Sundays, The New York Times. This week is extra special because the extra magazine dedicated to style is there, this one devoted to interior design.

A beautiful editorial called True North piques my interest. Very greige, very sophisticated and layered, very European. Under the title, the tag line says Stockholm artist. Ah, I think, a more modern Swedish interior. mixing in antiques and art just the way I like it. After flipping though and looking at the pictures, I hunker down to read the text, and BAM! the names Mats Gustafson and Ted Muehling jump out at me!

A collection of Scandinavian Modernist vases adorn the fireplace that has a stunning metallic finish - I love the collection of candlesticks on the table - they were designed by Ted Muehling - the simplicity of the blossom in the vase is perfect

OMG two names from my past from that glittering time in New York, though at the time it was more like glitter and glam rock for some of us. Mats was dating a friend of mine, so I saw the two of them pretty often. Ted Muehling was breaking out as an artist/jeweler via the legendary Soho shop called Artwear. All of the downtown girls loved his stuff, and I purchased a pair of his pine cone earrings then.

The foyer holds a simple 19th century bench with a painting done by Mats' great-uncle Birger Ljungquist - All the wood work and trim in the apartment was painted with oil base paint in order to bring out the detail

Mats made a drawing for me for my birthday in 1984, a portrait of me! At the time I loved it, and it was one of several portraits, or photographs I had of myself done by various artists. I was an artists model a decade earlier in art school, and it was not unusual to be gifted with something from an artist I posed for.

Another view of the foyer reveals more antique furniture juxtaposed with another fabulous Noguchi lantern - Many of the antiques are family pieces - Mats says "Rather than get new old things, I'd reuse these. There's more of a connection".

I have carried the Mats drawing with me all these years. It is in fact,  my favorite portrait. At one time when I could not afford it, I had it framed at a fancy Upper East frame shop, and that frame still holds the drawing today.

If anyone knows me they know I wear the Ted Muehling pine cone earrings everyday. They are my signature jewels so to speak. A couple of years ago I lost one, and I was upset. A very dear friend (thank you Jessica) noticed I wasn't wearing the earrings, and when I told her I lost one, she contacted Muehling in New York and had another one made to match the remaining one, and gave it to me for Christmas.

Mats uses this room off the living room as his studio - I would love to open those drawers and see all his beautiful work

The tiny pine cone earring is a signature piece for Ted, and no matter where I am in the world, someone always recognizes the earrings and the designer, and compliments them.

The view from the studio window and a collection of Swedish glass - I love the light - In fact, even though the apartment has been renovated and modernized, there is no built-in or recessed lighting -  Mats and Ted prefer the glow of lamps and candles (me too!)

Looking at the beautiful images of the Stockholm home of Mats and Ted, made 30 years melt away. I always feel so proud when I see the success of that unique 1980's arty group. It truly was (and still is) a remarkable gathering of glitterati.

The kitchen got a complete update, that combines the old and new beautifully - The table and chairs are antique, and the original windows were kept - I love the taxidermy black bird in the niche

The fantastic old apartment building Mats and Ted live in when they are in Sweden - Talk about Swedish style - It reminds  me of of the Dakota on the Upper West Side in Manhattan

One of my first blog posts was about Mats HERE.
Apparently the avatar I use caused some comments. Funny how that stuff used to matter.

A photo I took this morning in the New Orleans version of natural light - The drawing by Mats Gustafson sits on an antique Swedish demi-lune table, and Kitty Kitty Bang Bang sits on the back of the couch

Portrait of Valorie Hart The Visual Vamp by Mats Gustafson

Look closer - I taped one of my Ted Muehling earrings on it!

Ted Muehling silver pine cone earrings - I wear a pair like these everyday

I would love to get another pair - I LOVE these Ted Muehling earrings in black!

The best thing about the apartment of Mats Gustafson is that the Swedish style is genuine. First, it's in Sweden. Second the pieces are real family pieces, mixed in with the modern things Mats and Ted have acquired in their lifetime.  And third (though I appreciate it), it's not  Gustavian.

Swedish style has hit an unfortunate note of popularity here in the USA, producing too many manufactured rooms done by shopper/decorators using fake "antiques" (and calling them expensive reproductions does not elevate them much), stuck in the Gustavian era. It has taken something fresh and original and reduced it to the ranks of the overkilled Tuscan style of the 1990's. When will we learn that joyful restraint and authenticity (and I mean authenticity as being true to who you are) make for rooms that truly are beautiful and interesting.


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Moving Art

There have been a couple of photo shoots at my house. That and the subtle feeling that the seasons are changing, got me moving things around again. Well, actually it's more like being a restless crazy decor maven, something you might know a thing or two about.

Sabina suggested I move the art around. So I did, and here a couple of photos. Where have all of you moved your art around to these days?

Moving art in the living room, - Symmetry rules the day! Swedish antique demi lune tables from Karla Katz. - This is the first time I have flanked this couch with a pair of lamps - "Quiet" art placed, not hung - Shades of white tell the story - Framed drawing (a portrait of moi done in 1985!) on the right by fashion illustrator  Mats Gustafson - All of the art was flipped from one side of the room to the other - Photo of the room by Valorie Hart

This is the view of living room with the way the art was hung before - It was more colorful -  Zak hot pink  tray - The portrait entitled "Audrey" by Ashley Longshore dominated one side, while a large  lithograph by Will Barnet entitled 'The Young Couple" balanced the other side of the couch - smaller portraits were stacked over the larger -The hot pink tray and the bold graphic pillows were changed out for a more quiet look as seen above - photo by Valorie Hart

The smaller portraits that were once stacked above "Audrey" and "The Young Couple" are now placed on the mid century Baker credenza, along with the portrait of a chair by Anne Harwell - The portrait on the left behind Anne's painting is of Michael Pelkey done by Letty Nowak  - "The Young Couple" now hangs where the portrait done of me by Mats was - The large lamps used to always be on this credenza, but I prefer them on the demi lune tables now - I like the way the art along with the vintage anatomy charts (and yes that is a mask on one of the skeletons) frames the flat screen TV to form a casual gallery wall of sorts, making the TV almost seem like another piece of art - The more graphic pillow moved from the couch to the orange chair - I retired a pair of Ikat pillows that have been in the living room for three years to the master bedroom - photo by Valorie Hart

"Audrey" moved to the opposite wall of where she was - "Marilyn" by Mario Ortiz, and "Cholo" by Patricia Van Essche remain as they were - perfect!  "Audrey" looks wonderful here, with the back drop of the Union Jack armoire (painted by Alberto and gifted to us by Sabina) - another graphic pillow (both from Modern Market) lands on the second orange chair - the Saarinen coffee table now resides as end table (the bench I recovered in white patent leather is now the "coffee table" with more room for Cholo and Kitty Kitty Bang Bang to play, and it's great to put one's feet upon it as well) - The tall lamp was made in Toledo, Spain, one of many props I had made for an event I designed in Madrid some years ago - It's been used both as a floor lamp and a tall table lamp - photo by Valorie Hart

 

 

 

A view of the opposite wall where both large portraits were flipped to - It's great to sit on the couch and look at these beauties photo by Valorie Hart

The long view into the living room - I think moving the art has changed it, don't you?

Another view of the living room to showcase the antique French settee - photo by Valorie Hart

So there you have it, the great art migration. Well not so huge really, since all the art stayed in the same room. But really, moving the art around is a sure fire and quick and easy way to refresh your rooms, and I thank Sabina for nudging me.

Portrait of The Visual Vamp Valorie Hart by Mats Gustafson

Mats Gustafson

This is the muse...

This is the drawing...

This is a vintage poster you can purchase for $425. HERE
And you can purchase original works HERE

This a book you can get for $29.99 HERE

Oh the mean girls get to me sometimes. The blog queens are so uptight sometimes. This is a big internet, with lots of inspiration to go around. I clearly am new. And it just seems the new girl always gets a little ass kicking. Fine. Big ass, big heart, big brain, big mouth. I have it all.
I made a comment on another decor blog and this Anon person over there can be really mean.
The following comment was made to me after I posted a comment at this other blog. The reaction to my comment, of course, had nothing to do with the topic, but it had to do with the little picture I attach to my signature, and to this blog.
Anon writes: "Lose that avatar/portrait. Honey, it's ugly. There's no nice way to say it." Obviously Anon's mother never told her what my mother told me when I was four years old: "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."

So I thought I would do a fashion entry, because I haven't done one in awhile, and I thought I would do it about an old friend of mine, Mats Gustafson, who did "that portrait" as a birthday gift to me.

Swedish-born artist Mats Gustafson, known professionally as Mats, is considered a minimalist. His economical use of line and color has remained constant despite his stylistic shift over the past two decades. Whether sketching designers’ collections at the seasonal fashion shows or contributing to magazines such as Vogue and Marie-Claire, Mats has the ability to capture the essence of a fashion garment suggesting the details of fashion, rather than depicting them.
Many consider Mats the heir to René Gruau. Mats began his career in 1976 as a costume designer for Swedish television immediately after graduating from the Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm and the Scandinavian Theater Institute. Two years later he published his first illustrations in British Vogue and soon after he was contributing regularly to American, French, Italian, German and Australian Vogue, Interview, Marie Claire, the New York Times Magazine and The New Yorker. His advertising campaigns for department stores such as Bergdorf Goodman and Galeries Lafayette, for fashion houses like Chanel, Geoffrey Beene, Romeo Gigli, Yamamoto and Comme des Garcons, and his portraits are highly acclaimed.
Since 1980 Mats has been dividing his time between New York, Stockholm and Paris and his minimal style has been accepted by virtually all major fashion journals worldwide.
Fashion photography and fashion drawing are not only images of creation, but creations in and of themselves--productions of beauty, of outfit, and of lifestyle. They mediate images of fashion's fast trade which, as visual statements, are long-lasting, extending well beyond the day. In the book Unified Message, photographers and draftsmen carry on an unusual dialogue. Pictures by three of the most important fashion photographers of our time-- Peter Lindbergh, Paolo Roversi, and Alexei Hay--are questioned, commented on, and extended by three fashion illustrators of international renown--Mats Gustafson, Ruben Toledo, and Fran ois Berthoud. The radiating power of fashion is here revealed in the interplay of their respective images.
You can see more Mats images at another great blog HERE

Well my dear Anon, I think I'll just keep my ugly portrait out there for all the world to enjoy and see.
Who's done your portrait lately?
Sorry Mom...