A COMMON OLD LADY

We all know how common a red poinsettia is, and have heard, it's kind of old lady to grow one. Well, I like old ladies, and one of them is growing and blooming in my back patio. It's  twenty five feet tall, old as the hills, scraggly most of the time, and it always, every year reminds me it's Christmas. So call me an old lady, I don't care.
      
                  HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYBODY!







UNTIL NEXT TIME, TOUR, STORE 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Here we are at the entrance to two show rooms Quatrain and Therien. Elegant and refined and oh so continental is all I can say. Oh, and also very, very beautiful.

I love a good bust, I know, pretty wonderful, huh. I loved this show room it was like a museum without the entrance fee. If you like European antiques, rock crystals, and some gild, this is your kind of place.

I have to confess I had never been in the Lee Stanton's showroom, which makes no sense to me at all, seeing how every piece in the store had my name on it. By the way Santa Baby, for me, the miniature swing set. 

I know what you are thinking, a box of doll parts, you are right of course, I was thrilled. But I'm jumping a head. Ralf above, was a delight and gracious enough to give us some cheese and crackers, as you can see from the above photos our blood sugar was dropping fast. Ralf's showroom was like a handsome English manor house minus the pipe tobacco smoke. Our next showroom is Pat McGann. Pat is hip and chic and has just enough bohemian style to make her shop a one of a kind on La Cienega.

Hollywood at Home has the finest fabrics in the city, but my favorite item in the store is a peculiar chair. If you recall in the movie How To Marry A Millionaire, the girls pawn off all the furniture in the apartment except some chairs. Well, Peter Dunham the owner of Hollywood at Home brilliantly remade those very chairs. The picture above is the bar stool version. Santa Baby are you listening.

                                                                                                                             

So this is the end of a wonderful day full of some wonderful people. Thanks to everyone who was gracious enough to spend time with us and show us around. And thanks to my group of troopers who made it so much fun for me. I am going to leave you with some beauties from Quatrain and Therien show rooms. Please check back, I have more tours planned. Until then Happy Holidays!

MORE FUN, TOUR, AND STORE 2 & 3 & 4

Here we are at Dragonette Decorative Arts, the second store on our tour. More glamour and more style, we were all giggling when walked in, we were so excited.

Owned by Mr. Decorative Arts himself, Patrick Dragonette. No one has more knowledge of Hollywood Regency, Hollywood glamour, and Hollywood gossip than Patrick. His store has a mind blowing selection of the best of Hollywood's past. The ghost of Tony Duquette glows through Mr. Duquette famous snail light, not to mention his sunburst sculptures. Bette Davis and Joan Crawford were heard arguing while we were there, I swear.

Santa Baby, I want this Lana Turner chair. Did I see this chair in the movie Imitation Of Life?  Talk about Technicolor!

You are, seeing this correctly, these are the world largest lamps and they are fantastic. I think they were in the second act of Auntie Mame, if they were not, they should have been. It's amazing how Patrick finds these pieces. He is like a curator in a museum acquiring the best of the best. Thanks Patrick.

     

Our third stop is Ferus Gallery which is owned by Sam Freeman Gallery. The Ferus Gallery got it's start in the late 1950's, showing young emerging California artist. Take a look at the link http://www.ferusgallery.com/

and check out the history of this gallery and the who's who of the art world, the names are impressive. Our host that day was Raymond Lee. Raymond, if don't know is representing a line of men shoes by Dragan-MRDJA (and by the way Santa Baby, I would like the orange pair, please). Raymond Lee is talented beyond words. If you ever looked at Interview magazine during the eighties, chances are you saw his stylish work gracing the cover. Thanks Raymond, now please go tell Santa about the orange shoes.

 Our next stop was Morateur Gallery. Please click to enlarge so you can get the most of an otherwise dark photo. Phillippe Morateur is the owner and could not have been be nicer and lets not forget patient. I asked him so many questions I forgot to take pictures so you will have to go and see for yourself his fabulous store. Phillippe specializes in French art deco and boy, does he have enough to swoon over. Speaking of swooning, how about that chandelier! Thanks Phillippe for teaching us all something about French art deco. You guys these last two pictures are the end of this part of the tour, so please return for more, we have a lot more people to see and places to go.

TOO MUCH FUN, THE TOUR, AND STORE 1

When I sent out  the word I was starting a tour, the idea was to start small with six or seven people. I was so surprised by the overwhelming response, I promise, I swear, I'll make the next one larger. Thank you to everyone who wanted to come but couldn't. I did get my six people with two last minute cancellations, which gave me four of the coolest people. We have Shawnda, the actress, Michael, the art collector, Jenny, the writer/ artist, and Cori, the designer and blogger from Pretty Haute Mess. If you have never seen her wonderful blog you have to check it out at http://prettyhautemess.blogspot.com/. This group were so diverse and so interesting I could not have been

happier. Thanks you guys you are the best.  There was so much to look at and report back that I going to start with the first stop, Downtown and it's a adjoining store Outside Downtown.

 

David Serrano, one of the owners, and myself. David was amazing, gracious, and answered every question we threw at him with patience and wit, and believe me we asked a lot questions. Thanks David.

Style, Glamour, Energy, this store has it all.

The always helpful Hector showing us a Billy Haines chair.

The lighting in Downtown is beyond words and this is one good

reason why this store has been around all these years.

I really want this mirror for Christmas, Santa Baby

The is the green metal garden chair brought to you from heaven through Downtown.

What did I say about the  lighting?

Murano, Murano, Murano, and more

What's good about this tour is the opportunity to see and to be shown certain pieces, by certain people, in this case the late great, Billy Haines.

 This light fixture in my dining room, yes?

Or maybe the starburst?

Did I mention that David Serrano, among all his other talents, is an artist. This picture is of a wire sculpture  made by him. It's like a line drawing, a beautiful line drawing.

Downtown not only carries vintage designer pieces, they have a large line of custom made furniture and lighting. The beautiful mirrored sideboard is a good example.



The Henri Matisse lamps. 

   Here is the gracious and brilliant Robert Wilson, the second owner of Downtown with the gang. Thanks Robert and David for letting us crash the store and being so welcoming. So you guys that's it on this part of the tour stay tuned we have seven more stores to go.