section: past & present 
Want to have your own Audubon print? This blue heron hand-colored engraving from 1837 could be yours for $80,000.)
There has always been a relationship between interiors and nature. In light of the current and (seemingly never-ending) John Derian-esque craze for all things nature, I thought it might be fun to take a look at one of the most well-known naturalists – Audubon. 
from left: Flamingo, Gyrfalcon
It’s nearly impossible to look at a bird print and not think of John James Audubon. And there’s a good reason for that – Audubon’s Birds of America, published between 1827 and 1838, was comprised of 435 images all drawn life-sized. The book was a result of 18 years of work. Not only did Audubon trek across the United States searching for his subjects, but he spent nearly as much time looking for subscribers for his volumes. In light of Audubon’s enormous achievements, it’s extraordinary to realize that he likely never would have pursued his career as a naturalist if his life had worked out the way he had intended. It was only when Plan A didn’t work out, that he turned to drawing – and he pursued his passion for birds with a dogged determination. 
from left: Wild Turkey, Yellow breasted chat from the New York Historical Society
John James Audubon was born in Saint Domingue (now Haiti) in 1785, the illegitimate son of a French sea captain and plantation owner and his French chambermaid, who died of infection shortly after his birth. His illegitimacy would be a source of embarrassment for his entire life and something that he successfully concealed from all but those closest to him. After the death of his birth mother, he was taken to Nantes, France where he was raised by his father’s wife. 
An original Audubon print can run you into the tens of thousands of dollars, but this DIY Audubon paperweight is less than ten dollars! It a quick and fun way to bring a little nature into your home or office!
CLICK HERE for the rest of the post – including an easy Audubon-inspired DIY after the jump! read more … October 27th, 2009 - 12:00pm 
concert room of sanssouci palace in potdam, germany by eduard gaertner, cooper-hewitt museum
After the Louis chair guide, a number of you commented that it was really the rococo style that made your heart flutter. I promised to delve into the style in greater detail. And I keep my promises! Here’s the ins and outs of rococo. Rococo is really all about the two C’s – curves and comfort! Beyond that, there are three characteristics of rococo style: - Curved lines
- Exoticism
- Forms suggesting rocks or shells
madame de pompadour by françois boucher, c 1757
We can’t talk about Rococo without talking about Madame de Pompadour. Louis XV was known for his love of two things – hunting and women. Madame de Pomadour was born Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson and she was one of a string of royal mistresses (Only titled nobility could be presented at Versailles so the marquisate of Pompadour along with its estate in Limousin was purchased for her). In her role as royal mistress, Madame de Pompadour was challenged to keep an easily bored Louis XV entertained. In addition to the countless suppers, festivities and shows, de Pompadour distracted the King by embarking on a series of building and redecorating projects. The Petit Trianon was one of Marquise’s projects. She commissioned the neoclassical building from architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel. 
2 photos of madame de pompadour’s private apartments: Ethan Robey
As part of my graduate studies, I had the opportunity to study 18th century French decorative arts in Paris. (I might have mentioned this before!) One of the unexpected highlights of the trip was a visit to Versailles as our French instructor had worked at the chateau for 35 years and was able to get us into all the private rooms (I even saw Louis XIV’s bathroom!). One of the highlights was Madame de Pomadour’s private apartments – this was not on the regular tour. The rooms were small and intimate as was the fashion, and perfectly coordinated in the Rococo style. (Don’t you love her little alcove bed? They were called lits de travers and were introduced in about 1740.) I should add that this is only one example of Madame de Pomadour’s taste. She had many apartments in a number of different residences. After her death, it took a team of notaries working for a full week to compile a list of all of her possessions! 
Looking to bring a little Rococo into your home? I’ve rounded up my favorite Rococo-esque items – everything from Pamela by Samuel Richardson (a favorite of Madame de Pompadour) to rococo-esque drawer pulls!
CLICK HERE for the rest of the post – including facts to know and my favorite books about Rococo (and Rococo roundup with 25+ items!) after the jump! read more … October 13th, 2009 - 12:00pm 
cabin illustration by julia rothman
I felt it was about time that past and present look at something a little less European, and maybe a little more American. But that’s a little easier said than done when you’re talking about former European colonies. There’s nothing quite like a log cabin to symbolize pioneer-can-do-it spirit, but that very emblem of self-efficiency has it’s roots in – (I think you’ve guessed where we’re going here) Europe! 
russia island of kizhi, church of the transfiguration of our savior
Although archeologists can’t say exactly when the first log cabin was built, it certainly was well before anyone built a log cabin in North America! The tradition of log building seems to originate from Scandinavia and Northern Russia. The Russians had a particularly impressive practice of log building that dates from as early as the 16th century. The photo above is of the Kizhi Island in Russia. The entire island, filled with impressive wooden structures, is a museum and an UNESCO World Heritage site. The Church of the Transfiguration was built without a single nail on a loose-rock foundation. 
traditional southern cornbread baked in a reconditioned cast iron skillet!
But who brought the tradition of log cabin building to North America? And how’d we get from little log cabin shacks to the huge log buildings found in every American National park? And because no log cabin living would be complete without cast iron cookware, I’ve included an easy way to refurbish your cast iron skillet! CLICK HERE for the rest of the post – including facts to know and a short reading list (and a reconditioning cast iron project with a cornbread recipe!) after the jump! read more … September 29th, 2009 - 12:00pm 
louis chair illustration by julia rothman print available at julia’s website!
I love French style! And French style usually means you’ll find a Louis chair somewhere in the mix! But it wasn’t until I really studied the heyday of French style – the 18th century – that I began to get a handle on what was what. Luckily, I had some fantastic teachers. (One of whom double-checked my chair identification! Thanks, Laura!) No longer is there any reason to confuse your Louis XVI with your Louis XV! Here’s my little guide to all the Louis chairs! 
clockwise from top left: louis xiii, louis xiv, louis xv and louis xvi
All of our Louis were of the House of Bourbon. The only Bourbon king not on our chair list is Henry IV. With all apologies to the Henry, we’re going to stick with the Louis. Not only is it convenient that all our guys are named Louis, it also makes some practical sense. It was during the reign of Louis XIII that furniture became comfortable for the first time (although that obsession with comfort wouldn’t take off until the 18th century). It’s not surprising that the furniture styles were named for the reigning monarch. For centuries, fashions came from the top, down – unlike now, where you can see street fashion on the runway. Each new king had his own style that differentiated his reign from the others. Of course, there is never a rigid divide from one style to the next and there were a couple of transitional styles as tastes changed, but for our purpose, we’ll leave the transitional styles ’til another time and concentrate on the high points of the Louis styles. 
fleur-de-lis design from The New York Public Library
Capetian Dynasty, House of Bourbon (1589-1792)
Henry IV (1589-1610)
Louis XIII (1610-1643)
Louis XIV (1643 -1715)
Louis XV (1715-1774)
Louis XVI (1774 – 1792)
louis xvi-inspired candlestick project: full instructions after the jump!
CLICK HERE for the rest of the post – including facts to know and a short reading list (and a fun Louis XVI DIY candlestick project!) after the jump! read more … September 15th, 2009 - 01:00pm 
‘hope & anchor’ trial medallion from the wedgwood museum
This week I thought we’d take a took at Wedgwood. This year is actually the 250th anniversary of the brand created by Josiah Wedgwood (the Wedgwood). Even if you’re not into fancy china, the story is pretty fascinating (and how can you not love that medallion above?!) Josiah Wedgwood was the 12th child in a family of struggling potters at a time when being a potter was little better than being a farmer. At the time of his death, he was worth £600,000 (equivalent to around $100 million today!) Not only was he a designer and inventor, but he instinctively understood the importance of branding and marketing. Early Years
Born in 1730, the 12th child and the 5th living son, Josiah wouldn’t have expected to receive much in the way of inheritance or support. Despite these odds, Josiah was determined and he did have some advantages. His family was able to send him to school until he was 14 (which was a 7 mile round-trip walk!). Once he turned 14, he was apprenticed to his older brother, Thomas. Poor families would have had to send their sons to work at age 9, and waiting until later was a sign of prosperity. Shortly after he began his apprenticeship, Josiah contracted smallpox. Although he recovered, the smallpox weakened his knee and made it difficult for him to work the potter’s wheel. The disability seems to have made Josiah be all the more inventive and he spent more of his time designing pottery rather than making it. 
Modern Wedgwood-inspired Stencil DIY Project: full instructions after the jump!
Josiah worked for his brother for 3 years following his apprenticeship, spending much of his time ruminating on ways to improve the art of pottery. Thomas was reluctant to change much about the business or give Josiah a stake in the family company, so at age 22 Josiah moved on. It took him 7 years and a couple of different partnerships before he was able to establish his own firm. CLICK HERE for the rest of the post -including facts to know and a reading list-(and a fun modern Wedgwood DIY stencil project!) after the jump! read more … September 1st, 2009 - 12:00pm 
illustration of various forks types by Julia Rothman
For my second, past and present column, I thought we would take a look at the fork. I’ve included a few tips on simple collecting and care of silver as well as a little “fork etiquette section” (and there’s even a little bonus section at the very bottom!) In addition, I’ve pulled out a few “facts to know” that will give you something to talk about the next time you’re stuck for conversation at a dinner party!
It might surprise you to know that the tool you use to eat with every day was once considered immoral, unhygienic and reminiscent of the devil! Before the introduction of the fork, most people preferred to eat with their hands. There would be a ewer and basin at the table for cleaning hands, and the table napkins and tablecloths were frequently changed during the course of the meal. If an utensil was necessary, a spoon was used and the nobility might eat their meal using two knives, one in each hand. 
from the V&A museum. from top: ivory handle with silver piqué work and red and green painted enamel, 1698; handle of horn and mother-of-pearl with engraved brass, 1600-1700; handle of ivory and piqué work, 1682.
CLICK HERE for the rest of Amy’s post after the jump! read more … August 18th, 2009 - 12:00pm 
hi, my name is amy azzarito. i’m excited to be joining d*s to share a new column called “past and present“. in each past and present post, i’ll explain the history of an object, leave you with some quick facts (to hone those trivia skills) and give you some great take-away tips for incorporating the object or concept in your own home. i’m a librarian at the new york public library (i co-produced design by the book with grace) and love research; i just completed a master’s degree in the history of decorative arts and design from parsons (graduated in may!), and during the course of that program, i had the opportunity to spend a lot of time studying objects. we started with the renaissance and progressed right on through to the present. no matter the era, i loved learning about how different types of furniture were developed to accommodate fashionable clothing or how the arrangement of rooms in the home evolved or what was considered new and fashionable. in this column, i hope to to reintroduce you to the things you see everyday in an effort understand more about the objects that surround us. i’m so excited for this opportunity to continue learning about the objects in our homes past and present. (thanks, grace!)
[image above: amy's chandelier diy project- full instructions after the jump!]
CLICK HERE for the full chandelier post and diy project after the jump! read more …  August 4th, 2009 - 01:00pm | 
