Time Travelling to Charleston House

5/13/11 Editors Note:

The Blogger.com website crashed last night and my original post about this seems to be lost in the ether. I copied this from my RSS feed (thank God Heather from Habitually Chic told me to always sign up for your RSS feed!) ; alas, your lovely comments are missing.

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Wondrous thing, life.

I woke up in LA yesterday morning, but by noon I found myself deep in the heart of the English countryside at Charleston House.

Don't look at me like that.

You know Charleston House.

I'm sorry to press the point, but yes, you do.

Home (and living canvas) to the Bloomsbury Group?

Who moved there in 1916 to live a life devoted to art, friendship and emancipated pleasure?

Ah, it's coming back to you now, is it?

Good.

Anyway, I was there yesterday.

And the crazy part is, I didn't have to go all the way to Sussex, England.

I just had to drive down to 819 N. La Cienega Boulevard.

Let me explain.

May 12-14th marks the annual Los Angeles Design Quarter "Legends" event which celebrates style and design. There's lots of free lectures and fun cocktail parties (click HERE for details) but the real excitement is always reserved for the spectacular windows created by prominent designers in honor of legendary artists.

Well, this year designer Schuyler Samperton chose Bloomsbury artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant as her inspiration. (FYI, she's just as gorgeous in person).

And Dan Marty, designer/owner of Maison Au Naturel, kindly lent her his showcase window.

~ And Now A Brief Aside ~

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Speaking of Dan Marty, have you been to his store? Europe meets California. Old World meets new. Crazy meets fabulous. I highly recommend thou get thee there now.

Maison Au Naturel.

Maison Au Naturel.

19th c. French post office desk with built-in chair. Maison Au Naturel.

Vintage horsehair salon ottoman, into which I carefully stuck a finger.

(Because I've always wanted to touch horsehair, that's why.)

I hereby declare that this chair wins the award for Best Name ever.

"Man Plus Dog."

Am I right or am I right?

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~ And Now, Back To What I Was Saying

Before I So Rudely Interrupted Myself ~

Back in March, Schuyler Samperton emailed me. (A big hug to designer Diane James, who connected the two of us. Meeting her has been such a thrill, Diane.)

Hi Lisa,

I wanted to let you know that I'm going to be a part of the LCDQ event in May, and my window design at Maison Au Naturel will be inspired by the Bloomsbury Group! Anyway, I know you're a fan, and wanted to pass that along. We're having the best time recreating the mantel, stenciled walls and painted vases of Charleston.

You can imagine my excitement. But even all of my anticipation didn't prepare me for the incredible spot-on reproduction that Schuyler created. Everywhere your eye lands, there are painstaking details that makes Los Angeles feel six thousand miles away:

A handwritten postcard.

A faded photo of Vanessa.

A reproduction Duncan Grant painting.

Some crinkled-up tubes of oil paint.

Some perfectly imperfect flowers.

Some intricate paintwork on the mantel.

Painter Katie Golden worked her magic on the mantel, the stenciled wallpaper, the planters, the painted pots and the "Duncan Grant" painting. Touché, my dear. Touché.

It's not just an art installation.

It's a time capsule.

At one point as I was standing there, I thought I was growing a goiter. I then realized this was because I kind of wanted to cry. In an "I'm so grateful to be alive to see this" kind of way.

Confession: I made a very small contribution to Schuyler's window. Something I made about ten years ago and which, for at least the last three, has been living a quiet and blameless life in my upstairs closet.

Yes, the pillow.

It's a reproduction of one designed by Duncan Grant and needlepointed by his mother, Ethel.

Thank you, Schuyler, for giving it a beautiful moment in the sun.

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Editor's Note:

I made the pillow from a pattern I found in the book "Bloomsbury Needlepoint" by Melinda Coss. If you would like a less arduous option, Charleston House sells ready-made pillow kits (complete with instructions and materials) on their lovely website.