The World Wasn’t Ready for Oscar Wilde’s Fearless Illustrator

Here at MessyNessyChic, we love digging up long lost illustrations of the past to inject some creativity into our day. From the forgotten artwork found in lost Art Nouveau and Art Deco magazines to the drawing boards of the Ballets Russes; Heath Robinson’s peculiar art of over-complicating things to Errol Le Cain’s fantasy illustrations or…

Greetings, from Home Sweet Hole ‘N the Rock

We interrupt your life above ground for some unsolicited subterranean splendour. It’s just a quick pit stop off the humble Highway 191 in Southwestern Utah. But poke your head inside, and you’ll discover a 5,000 square foot home fully equipped for life beyond the Stone Age. It goes to show that just when you think…

What’s the Paris Opera House Doing in New York City?

Paris, is that you? All signs would point to yes in this building, a bite sized double if ever there was one for the Opéra Garnier. Y’know, the one of Phantom of the Opera fame? With a dramatic double staircase made for cape swooshing, cinematic lamp posts and marble for days? Although the Beaux Arts…

13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. CDLXXVII)

1. Juni Ludowici’s ‘Round House’ on the River Thames, 1958 ‘Cause tiny house have been around forever. In 1959, a designer named Juni Ludowici made his own Rundhaus (Round House). Found via Tumblr 2. Inside a $5.5M Floating Mansion in Miami 3. The Perfect Little Cabana in South Pasadena, California Found via Stamps and Stamps.…

We Went to a Parisian Sex Club for Swingers So You Don’t Have To

It’s a phone-less world down there in the underground lair of Les Chandelles, the infamous “club échangiste” – and something to be appreciated in itself before we get into the stuff you really want to know about. Inhibitions (and Instagram) are to be left above ground, and your time spent down there is intended exclusively…

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The Off-Beat New York City Winter Guide

Sweater weather is officially underway in New York City, which means the holiday season is upon us! As the nights wax longer, and the subway lamps get a first dusting of snow, you’re likely to wonder where to cozy up with a fireside pint, or get in the holiday spirit? From activities with friends and…

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Saving Sobański Palace

We thought we knew how the story would end. After all, we’ve seen our fair share of crumbling castles here at Messy Nessy Chic – chateaux holding on for dear life in the final hours of their swan song, left to the whims of nature and urbex explorers. Restoring them is a near anachronistic quest,…

We took the Liberty of Scouting the Perfect East Coast Winter Weekend Escapes for You

We take our motto, “Don’t Be a Tourist in New York,” very seriously – which is why we’re taking our own advice this November. Fall has arrived, Central Park is ablaze with shades of yellow, red and orange, but you’d be doing yourself a huge disservice if you didn’t venture out of town to see…

There might be a Secret Painting Hiding in that Old Book of Yours

Books can be magical things, but some as it turns out, may be more magical than others. They might look like ordinary old books, but they’re hiding a curious little secret in plain sight. A fore-edge painting is a scene painted on the edges of the pages of a book; invisible when closed. The technique…

13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. CCLXXVI)

1. Nylon Vending Machine in the Paris Metro, 1955 Print available from the RATP website. 2. The Instagram Account of a Pigment Collector At her cabin in the woods of Washington, Heidi Gustafson is creating a many-colored library of one of mankind’s first pigments. Heidi Gustafson, found on Instagram. 3. A Beguiling “Secret Garden” Apartment…