Jan Showers Notebook

EASTER We celebrated Easter at our house with my entire family which is a tradition of many years. The cookies were made by my niece, Allison Sykes, who has started a business making the most incredible cakes, cookies and cupcakes. They are not just works of art....they are delicious. She will have a website soon, and I will post it when it's up and running along with some photos of her cakes. Allison has my mother's perfectionist gene regarding cooking and entertaining! The picture below was the centerpiece that Ron Schulz and I did for the main table. We wanted it to be whimsical, simple and fun. The little chicks are my favorite. My daughter, Susanna Moldawer, found them several years ago at Target in Houston. I love them because they look like antiques....they have bobble heads and bodies. I love the lilacs, too. WESTWEEK IN L.A. Westweek has become the one of the (if not THE) biggest markets in the U.S. in the past decade. It is always the last week in March and designers, editors and manufacturers from all over the world come to the Pacific Design Center on Melrose to see what's new and wonderful in the interior design world. With the economic situation as it is, we expected attendance to be off this year. However, it was very well attended and surpassed everyone's expectations. JS Collection is in the front window of David Sutherland's showroom which is situated in one of the most prime locations in the PDC on ground level. Our space in the David Sutherland Showroom While in L.A., Jim and I enjoyed visiting with other manufacturers who were there and loved seeing their new pieces. Jonathan Browning, Kyle Bunting and Ann and David Sutherland were all in attendance. Perennials has the most exciting new outdoor fabrics that I intend to use indoors as well. My favorite is Plushy which is like a cross between a velvet and a mohair. LOVE this new opportunity to use a fabric that is both beautiful and durable and WASHABLE. L.A. RESTAURANTS We never go to L.A. without driving out the Pacific Coast Highway to have dinner at Giorgio Baldi. They have the most incredible Italian food I've ever tasted outside of Italy. It is owned, operated and run by the Baldis. Giorgio is the chef/owner and his daughter Helena runs the front and is the ultimate pro. It is worth a trip to L.A. to eat here and is in my top 5 favorite restaurants in the world....can you tell I like to eat?! Even though I wouldn't classify it as a see and be seen place, I always seem to see someone like Nicole Kidman or Benecio del Toro or Ridley Scott having dinner in their neighborhood. The bar at the Bel Air is one of my favorites. We've been staying there since the 70's. We enjoyed having dinner there one night with David Phoenix, a wonderful designer from L.A. INTERESTING BLOGS AND WEBSITES It's fun to get links to these. Hope you'll enjoy them....not all are just design. GOOP---Gweneth Paltrow's website. I like the format and most of the time, the content. THE SARTORIALIST----this one is primarily fashion, with great photos taken around the world when there are fashion weeks and events. This blog has won all kinds of awards. PIGTOWN DESIGN----I like this blog as she has such a love for really good architecture. The site's author, Meg Fairfax, also has great book recommendations that are primarily design related. REBECCA SHERMAN'S "HOUSES, GARDENS, PEOPLE"----former editor of Dallas Papercity and D Home is now on her own writing pieces for national and local magazines. I love her writing and her blog. THE DEVINE LIFE----a blog about design events and happenings in New York. ON MY MIND THIS MONTH...... CRUSHES A COLOR THAT HAS NO NAME----I started to call it lavender, but that will bring the color of the lavender flower to mind and it's not that color. It is really a mixture between lavender and lilac. I was inspired by this photo of Carla Bruni in the one of the rooms of the Ellysee Palace. A few days later, I found these lamps (click below to see them on 1st Dibs) and we did a room in my showroom with this color, gold and ivory. Yummy! IVORY---Love all shades of it and especially combined with white. Donald Kaufman #3 is a great ivory and so it Benjamin Moore Lancaster Whitewash. EMILY BLUNT---She stole every scene in Devil Wears Prada and is one of the 3 best young actresses working today----Anne Hathaway and Amy Adams are the other two....in the mold of Cate Blanchette and Meryl Streep....all chameleons. WHITE COWHIDES---they freshen any room in the house and add a sensual element. Use several in one grouping for impact. GRACIE WALLCOVERING---always incredibly pretty---it is shown here installed on a project in Dallas. TOMMI PARZINGER----I always love lamps and chandeliers designed by him. Found these 3 pieces when in L.A.. He also did small, interesting tabletop pieces. They have such presence no matter how small. BEL-AIR----Probably the prettiest neighborhood anywhere---it's magical. MARCH ISSUE OF ELLE DECOR----great projects! PEEVES CABLE NEWS----I am a news junkie but the repetition and negativity are not helping the economy, rather, hindering it. There should be more creative programming on these channels. There are exceptions, of course. For instance Fereed Zakaria's GPS on CNN Sundays at noon. He and his guests discuss foreign affairs and policies that shape the world. ROOMS THAT HAVE NOTHING BUT FULLY UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE----so boring! BIG SHOULDER PADS---oh no---not again! Just take a look at any photo from the mid 80's----not a great look then and certainly not now. BAD ARCHITECTURE---I know, I say this a lot, but it bears repeating because I just keep seeing it in every city when I travel. That's it for this month!