In the Company of Greatness

Heads up! "Top Design" returns to Bravo TV on Wednesday, September 3!

No, that was not a paid endorsement. But I am excited. This is the second outing for this show - the last one resulted in my redoing the entire house! More design and less reality keep me tuning in, along with the chance to learn from the comments of the professional hosts and judges.

First, in the role of mentor, designer Todd Oldham. He is endearing beyond belief, but what I discovered some time later about him was his rediscovery, friendship and promotion of mid-century artist and illustrator Charley Harper www.CharleyHarperArtStudio.com. Those of us of a certain vintage will recognize Mr. Harper's signature style from tomes such as The Giant Golden Book of Biology. His wonderfully whimsical interpretations of the birds and wildlife surrounding us connect us to them through shared expressions of joy, anger, curiousity. Oldham and Harper collaborated to produce Charley Harper: An Illustrated Life, an enormous coffee table book that you can get lost in.

And then there's the panel of judges: Designer/Decorators Jonathan Adler and Kelly Wearstler, and Margaret Russell, Editor of Elle Decor magazine.

You've seen me wax eloquent about Adler and Wearstler before. Their styles are almost exact opposites on the spectrum - Adler: loud and happy and big; Wearstler: chic and sophisticated and tailored. But they both deliver a knockout punch that stops you in your tracks. It's a treat to observe design through their eyes.

That's a part of what we bring with us to Antiques on Cannon - what we learn from the professionals. Another part, just as significant, is what we learn from our customers.

I've had the opportunity several times recently to visit some of our customers' homes. They are as diverse as Adler and Wearstler, and each one teaches me something new about style.

I'm not talking about iconic stuff. It's not that we have to be "magazine-ready" to be stylish. On the contrary - we just have to let our decor be a stage for self expression. Whether that's through color, texture, style, minimalism or "maximalism" (a favorite Adler term). I often hear people describe themselves as eclectic - and they are almost apologetic when they say it, as if they think not committing to a certain style is in some way flawed.

Truthfully, the most impressive places I've seen are the ones that express the whole range of someone's character. Can you like both ice cream and pie? Thai food and Italian? Well, of course. And the same is true of fashion. Imagine a modern bedroom with a dangly chandelier. A traditional dining room with a French provincial table and Hollywood Glam/Danish modern chairs on a blue Oriental rug. If that's not spectacular, I don't know what is.

We've moved a lot of furniture in and a lot of furniture out in the last few weeks. After the "shoppe re-do" of my last post, we did it all over again this past weekend. Good thing I'm heading off on another buying trip soon! Come see the fabulous new finds that have already arrived, and look for even more fabulous-ness to come this Fall!

Too busy to write more - I have to go shopping!
marilyn