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Tag / decorating

The Man Who Lived in a Jewellery Box

He was the man with the thriftiest of Midas touches, and the only decorator who could spend $999 at a 99-cent store thanks to one mantra, seek “beauty, not luxury.” Tony Duquette was a Renaissance man of film, theatre, interior and jewellery design in Hollywood– if you name it, he probably built it and dipped…

A Brief Compendium of Crazy Kitsch Lighting

The Southern Belle. The Moon Beam. The Serenade. We’re not spitting romance novel titles, honey – we’re talking lamps. Kitschy, retro lamps. Lamps with names worthy of their painstakingly groovy macramé. Novelty TV lights in the shape of an elephant. Lamps made of yesteryear’s synthetics (ex. lucite, fiber glass, popcorn acrylic) and design gimmicks that…

The Art of Homemaking in a World War Dugout

It all started with one photograph that caught my interest, and then through the course of today, I think I’ve easily gone through about 10,000 photographs, searching through various archives for another glimpse into how soldiers made a home for themselves on the front line. Above: A French WWI dugout called “The Chalet” (c) Denise…

We Could all Use a Good Conversation Pit Right About Now

It’s 1976. You kick off your platform clogs, pour a brandy, and snuggle up with your moustached companion in the cutting edge of groovy hangouts: the conversation pit. Arguably one of the most divisive home design features of our time, the conversation pit holds a very special place in our kitsch little hearts. If you’re…

The Paris Dandy Bringing Back Art Nouveau with a Bang

You know Pierre Marie, even if you don’t think you do. You know the arabesque curves of his tiles, the vegetal motifs reminiscent of Guimard and Rousseau. You know the feel of his rattan and tapestry creations as if they came from your great aunt’s attic. You know his universe, because it’s one in which…

Our Glorious, Gaudy Dinner Date at America’s Kitschiest Restaurant

Free for a dinner date tonight? We’ll cosy up under the palm trees, beneath the eyes of Grecian statues and the bubbling of waterfalls; we’ll stroll amongst Medici-inspired gardens and socialise with 200-and-something other guests who’ve ordered a Delmonico steak, or triple-decker monte cristo sammie. Because this is the grande dame of fabulously kitsch American…

Sleep inside a Designer’s Cabinet of Curiosities Boutique

Here’s how it usually works with me on the internet. I’ll stumble upon a single photograph of something that looks curious and intriguing and I’ll follow that image down the rabbit hole to the other end of the earth, literally. Today I came out the other end of the rabbit hole in Australia after finding a…
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Mum & Dad named me Vanessa, but you can call me Nessy.

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