Suzanne Kasler's New Soicher Marin Collection at Hickory Chair

As promised, here are the images of the second Suzanne Kasler for Soicher Marin collection as seen in the Hickory Chair showroom in High Point, North Carolina. Her space was, as expected, gorgeous! But then that whole showroom is such an inspiration. I don’t know how Ron Fiore gets it all done!

You can see all of the Suzanne Kasler for Soicher Marin collection at http://soicher-marin.com/designer-collections/suzanne-kasler.

Suzanne’s first Soicher Marin collection featured a series of oversized horse bit prints that we made from two antique prints she had. We took the individual bits, blew them up, and they are striking.

For her spring 2009 launch, we did a few more of the oversized prints and a new composite print with bits and shoes! In the chic, lounge-like set up of this room, they are gorgeous with her Montview Mirror (http://www.hickorychair.com/product_detail.aspx?i=5222) for Hickory Chair. All together it’s very chic, very Hermes.

In the same room, she hung the Paris city map over the sofa and put some of the new antique maps we did right on the windows. I love how she uses art so unconventionally.

This little room is so cozy—I could live in here! It could be the most darling studio apartment ever. The tone-on-tone palette is so appealing and the room is just so lovely. These oversized garden plans are new for her collection. I love the strong graphic quality. I also love that she hung this one horizontally, and across the room she propped the other up vertically—more of that unconventional use of art!

Of course these darling little watercolors are also part of her line from the first collection she did with Soicher Marin.

To round out the studio living space is the sleeping area. If I could live in a place this gorgeous I would make the twin-sized bed work! The framed textiles are from Suzanne’s first collection.

The de’Gournay wall covering really is the art feature in this room, and it’s gorgeous!

Next time, I’ll show you some of Mariette’s collection at the Hickory Chair showroom. Check back soon!

Fantastic Film and Fabulous Art...oh so Indiscreet

Not long ago I saw the tail end of a terribly romantic movie featuring Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, and a GORGEOUS set. It was pure glamour and I made it my business to find the movie, Indiscreet.

And when I did, I watched it over and over again, pausing to stare at the gorgeous apartment design and Bergman’s couture gowns. The story itself is charming. Anna Kalman, a famous actress (Bergman), tired of an endless stream of lackluster men (sound familiar?), meets the man of her dreams, Philip Adams (Grant), a charming, handsome, debonair, diplomat. Sadly, or so it would seem, he’s married. Throwing caution to the wind, the two engage in a scandalously, passionate affair which does nothing to tarnish their destiny as soul mates. In actuality Grant is NOT married, but only pretending to be so that he can avoid a commitment (I mean really). The story has lots more charm and wit, but what I want to talk about is the set design, which only enhances the folly of the film. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any movie stills, so I took some shots of my television screen.

The majority of the film takes place in Anna’s London apartment, one with a distinctive European flair and Parisian essence. Modest in its proportions, the architectural accents and art make the small space appear larger than life. Central to most scenes in the movie are two collections of black and white sketches, framed with vibrant, candy-colored mattes and simple moldings. The collections flank a beautiful limestone fireplace and an antique landscape painting—that juxtaposition imparts a real sense of confidence in Anna’s style. I sure wish I knew who the set designer was………

That’s not really how the movie ends, but you’ll need to watch it and see! http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051773/