Amy Hirsch, Author at Amy Hirsch

The Lonny Blog and Magazine

Lonny Magazine, an online magazine and blog, is a fantastic resource and inspiration.

Lonny Magazine, an online magazine and blog, is a fantastic resource and inspiration. While the magazine is “published” online bimonthly (soon to be monthly!), the blog is updated more often with design and lifestyle trends and finds. Between the two formats, you can always find something intriguing!

Launched in 2009 by designer Michelle Adams and photographer Patrick Cline, Lonny focuses on interesting interiors, bloggers, and current design trends. They strive to make incredible design accessible to their readers while introducing their favorite products and companies. The online format allows Lonny certain freedoms a print magazine can’t offer, such as the ability to click on an image to learn more about that project. Some articles even feature videos! User-friendly, visually interesting, and easy to share via Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites, Lonny is as pleasurable to flip through as a traditional print magazine.

lonnypic copy — Hover over a product in the magazine to learn more.

LonnyMarchApril2012Cover-72.jpg.scaled1000 — March/April 2012 Cover

The Lonny Blog features a team of several bloggers, each with their own contributing style. Focusing on everything from books to trends to art, colorful blog posts compliment the regular magazine content and give readers plenty of reasons to visit between issues.

Lonny Magazine is also on Facebook and Twitter so you can stay updated on all their new issues and posts!

Peacocks

With their regal, rich colors and unmistakeable texture and form, peacock feathers naturally lend their beautiful attributes to everything from jewelry to walls to accessories.

It’s no wonder peacocks have inspired all manner of designs. With their regal, rich colors and unmistakeable texture and form, peacock feathers naturally lend their iridescent attributes to everything from jewelry to walls to accessories. A symbol which has figured in art for centuries, the peacock transcends design.

In early Christian art, the peacock symbolized eternal life. To the Buddhists, it symbolizes wisdom and to the Hindus, the stars. Whatever the meaning placed on the dramatic feathers and colors of the peacock, we can all enjoy the stunning result of its influence on design.

peacock2 — Peacock gate in Jaipur, India

peacock5 — Amazing peacock mosaic by Maggie Howarth

peacock9 — Peacock Dining Room - James McNeill Whistler

peacock8 — Nepalese Rug - Matthew Williamson

peacock10 — Peacock hue interiors - Tilton Fenwick

1920’s Fashion

By 1925, the style of the Roaring 20’s was in full effect, with dresses that allowed freedom of movement and short hair to fit under stylish cloche hats.

I love just about everything about the 1920’s era. Art deco, flapper dresses, Elsie de Wolfe’s design, the carefree entertainment lifestyle. Rather than try to cover all of the fantastic things about this time period at once, I want to focus on one aspect at a time. And today, that focus is the fashion of the Roaring 20’s.

In order to understand the forces behind fashion changes that look place in the 20’s, you first need to understand the mood of the country at that time. The U.S. had just come out of WW I and was enjoying a time of prosperity and optimism which, naturally, led to relaxed social customs and morals. Prohibition was in effect but was widely ignored. Women finally won the right to vote. New advances in clothing materials such as rayon and easier-to-use fasteners like hook and eye closures and zippers made it easier to fasten clothing shut. This combination of a national good mood and modern convenience caused women to begin to abandon strict, formal modes of dress for more comfortable fashions such as shorter skirts and trousers.

By 1925, the style of the Roaring 20’s was in full effect, with dresses that allowed freedom of movement and short hair to fit under stylish cloche hats. Fashion icon Coco Chanel was one of the first women to reject the corset, cut her hair, and wear trousers. I can easily imagine how liberation from corsets would inspire women to kick up their heels and do the Charleston!

77476056059547747_UG207wiT_f — Bobbed hair, cloche hat

77476056059547799_f7nUGj6l_f — Flappers (image via corbis)

77476056059547791_s2qszRaS_f — Love the black and metallic combination.

Unsurprisingly, modern fashion still takes inspiration from the 1920s. You don’t have to look far at all to find designers drawing from iconic flapper style.

262405115758388927_kKE3s2hW_f — Chanel Spring '12

77476056059547788_GpIU57o0_f — 1920's inspired

bracelet — Rigate mammoth ivory and diamond cuff - so 20's!

Color Obsession: Jade

I am obsessed with this amazing shade of green right now.

I am obsessed with this amazing shade of green right now. From fashion to design, it is so chic and glamorous!

1. SJAE ALEXANDRE 1950’s ottoman/coffee table

2. Paloma by Charlotte Olympia — my new fave shoe designer

3. Valentino Couture

4. Aurelie Bidermann Wild West Cuff

5. Diane von Furstenberg Jade/Ebony Clutch

6. Malachite

7. French Glass Coffee Table by Jamb

8. Emerald glass chandelier by Amsterdam Modern

9. Fortuny fabric: Moresto

Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao Spain

The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, designed by architect Frank Gehry, is widely considered one of the most important and admired works of contemporary architecture.

Imagine walking through the old city of Bilbao, Spain, with ancient cobblestones under your feet, surrounded by buildings adorned with lively colors. The shape of the alley naturally brings your eye up where, at the end, sits a massive modern structure that seems to undulate in the sun. This is the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, designed by architect Frank Gehry and widely considered one of the most important and admired works of contemporary architecture.

I find the idea of this modern masterpiece in the heart of an old Spanish city so conceptually cool; I’d love to experience this! Gehry designed the building to have an organic feel, with seemingly random curves. Sitting along the Nervion River, the building looks like a ship about to head out to the Atlantic. At the same time, the titanium panels covering those dramatic curves bring to mind schools of shiny fish cutting through the nearby waters. It’s incredible how one structure expresses different aspects from varying angles.

guggenheim2 — Image by Pignatelli Massimo

guggenheim3 — Image courtesy of 2008 Gehry Partners LLP

guggenheim4 — Image courtesy of guggenheim.org

La Dolce Vita

The success of La Dolce Vita stems from Paloma’s “passion for the sweet life.”

In 2007, during a summer break from her former career as a high school Spanish teacher, Paloma Contreras of Houston, TX, founded her style blog La Dolce Vita. Since that time, she has attracted a worldwide readership and been featured in publications such as the New York Times, New York Magazine, Washington Post, Better Homes and Gardens, and many others.

The success of La Dolce Vita stems from Paloma’s “passion for the sweet life.” Blog posts focus on interior design, fashion, travel, and people, and are beautifully complimented with photographs. An impressive group of contributors, each with their own talents, interests, and perspectives, also provide material for La Dolce Vita. Along with guest bloggers and contributions from designers, Paloma and her team have created a blog that appeals to a variety of styles and tastes.

Eclectic Family Room

This family room was such a fun space to create.

This family room was such a fun space to create. It has an edgier vibe with a punch of color, definitely a modern room. The palette and design approach allowed for so much creativity and the use of fantastic accents.

One piece that instantly sets the mood for the entire space is the Donghia swivel chair upholstered in F. Schumacher Ikat Velvet. I just adore Ikat patterns!

The shag carpet from Patterson, Flynn & Martin is another favorite element of this family room. Shag carpets can be a hard sell to present to a client, with its reminders of the 1970’s, but this carpet is hip and urban, especially with the dark grey hue.

Other important pieces for the room include the Pottery Barn storage cabinet and coffee and side tables from Design Within Reach. All are solid and anchor the space without detracting from the room’s modern lines.

Finally, the accessories really make this space speak. The hint of gold adds contrast to the furniture pieces. The artwork is abstract and grounds the use of the dominating red hue of the room. The unusual wood lamp and touch of Buddha spirit add a decorative element as well. These are the kinds of essential details that make a project into something more than just a decorated room!

Les Lalanne at Les Arts Decoratifs, Paris

I recently came across these images of the Les Lelanne exhibit Les Arts Decoratifs and was entranced.

Les Arts Decoratifs, or the Museum of Decorative Art, in Paris holds more than 350,000 works in its collections. I recently came across these images of the 2010 Les Lelanne exhibit at the museum and was entranced.

Les Lalanne is an artist duo comprised of French artists François-Xavier Lalanne (1927–2008) and Claude Lalanne (b. 1924). The married couple co-created projects, with Francois focusing on animal sculptures and Claude preferring vegetation. Their works have been exhibited in various venues, but I particularly love these exhibits at Les Arts Decoratifs.

The appeal of this exhibit, for me, is the effect of the whimsical animals seeming to wander around in this vast architectural space. Displayed in an area with minimal color, the exhibit produces a visceral reaction.

Grand Entry

The entry is always the central core of a residence. It sets the mood for the first impression when a guest enters your home.

The entry is always the central core of a residence. It sets the mood for the first impression when a guest enters your home. This entry is vast in height with a grand stairway open to the upper floor.

Finding the perfect entry table here turned into a real scavenger hunt. Initially, I began sourcing antiques because I needed such a long table for this area. Bored with the typical consoles and frustrated that the most spectacular pieces had been used by other designers, I thought, “Why not start the search from scratch?” What I found was a table that originally formed part of an 1800’s bar that originated in the south of France.

I remember the day I presented the piece via email to the client and they said “Yes!” I must have danced around the office like a silly child, so thrilled to have something authentic and aged in a newly refurbished space.

Another component I really like in this entry is the brass scale on top of the console table. I have these moments where I speak up and conjure some crazy idea but have no idea where I’m going to locate what I’m presenting. Somehow I always manage to figure it out, and the scales are a perfect example of that. I wanted something of substance and not your typical accessory. What I love about the scale is the way it functions as a vase for filling with flowers or other arrangements.

The console itself is a beautiful piece of art, but the accessories that adorn the top are so unique and strategically balanced. The stone horse weighs a ton! It was almost impossible to get it up there.

Being able to add so many custom elements to this entry also made it a memorable project. The gorgeous Buton area rug by JD Staron Galleries, light fixture in brass and dark bronze patina by Charles Edwards, and mirror and bench from Dennis & Leen, all complement each other and the grandness of the entry to form an overall atmosphere of impressive sophistication. Finally, strie wall paper by Farrow & Ball cover the walls to provide subtle background texture and complexity.

New Exhibition at Anne Loucks Gallery, IL

From February 3 through March 31, Anne Loucks Gallery in Glencoe, IL (20 miles North of Chicago) will be running an exhibition titled Photography 2012: Through the Lens.

From February 3 through March 31, Anne Loucks Gallery in Glencoe, IL (20 miles North of Chicago) will be running an exhibition titled Photography 2012: Through the Lens. The exhibition will feature the work of several amazing artists. I love the Anne Loucks Gallery and encourage you to experience the exhibit through their website if you can’t attend in person.

The photographers whose work is on display for this exhibit represent a variety of styles and subjects. All of these artists are amazing!

Chris Honeysett