White House entry halls

Last night I had the opportunity to tour the White House for the first time and see all of the holiday decor.

Everyone knows this iconic building and the history is taught to school children the country over. I was embaressed to admit I had never visited given that it's a mere 4 blocks from my apartment!

Everyone says their first impression is that it's small, but that was not mine. It's a BIG house! However, I thought it felt sort of institutional and not residential at all, did anyone else ever get that impression? It could have been the crowds of tourists that led me to feel this.

Today I'm going to show some of the details I noticed in the entrance and cross halls - probably my favorite parts of the house; certainly the most elegant that I was able to see.

The space was dramatically lit, which probably helped my impression! I loved the uplit tree branches in the oversized urns.

The first of many trees greets you, flanking the colonnade.

I thought these drapery rods were unusual and interesting!

A portrait of Bill Clinton above an empire daybed sits on the right of the entry beside the fireplace -certainly a place of honor?

Across the entry hall from the fireplace is the grand staircase where we have all seen pictures of our many presidents before formal occasions, draped in poinsettias for the season.

Directly across the hall from the front door is the seal of the president over the blue room. As the hall is relatively monochrome, it really makes a statement!

The cross hall was probably the most beautiful room in the house. The pink and white marble checkered floor really gleamed in the light. No wonder so many presidential press conferences are held in the East Room with the hall as a backdrop.

I think these photos say more than a thousand words on how multiple lighting sources create a good effect!

A detail of the urns.

These chandeliers which line the cross hall really are stunning!

More poinsettias drape the entry to the State Dining room.

The mouldings are all intricate and obviously well cared for. They could have been made recently -no gloopy paint in sight!

Behind the main staircase was this empire settee. Now, the White House is full of Empire furniture, which I'm not a huge fan of -does anyone know why? A piece or two mixed in is great but a whole house full?

A bust of George Washington lies in the niche between the entrance hall and state dining room.

On the opposite side of the Cross Hall, Lincoln lies in the niche right before the East Room

Lafayette is in a niche in the overdoor of the beautiful cherry doors which lead to the back staircase.

Stay tuned tomorrow for more interiors from the White House!

Textile Museum

Located above the Museu de Arts Decoratives in the Palau Reial de Padralbes is the Barcelona Textile Museum.

Not where you would probably expect me to be spending time, but honestly, we had some time to kill! What a pleasant surprise I had in store.

The amazing collection traces the evolution of fashion: providing interesting 'how tos' such as how the 'new look' bust was created, seen above, and contrasting elements of different styles.

The patterns of these victorian skirts below were contrasted to a much later 20th century version.

And just how are those hoop skirts held high? Well, here's how! Seeing the clothing in person and relatively close up was much better than reading about them in a book or magazine.The workmanship and details on some of the pieces were amazing, especially loved this flapper look. Notice the white suit in the background, so Gatsby'esque!

Examples such as these mid 19th century Empire styled dresses were in such immaculate condition with such vivid colors you would have thought they were just sewn yesterday.Seeing this fairly recent dress compared with an Edwardian train was another example of a great pairing.And just how are those bustles kept up (throughout different periods)?The layout of this exhibit really is impeccable. I always say the right presentation can make the most mundane exhibit interesting (I recently saw a fascinating exhibit on parking garages at the NBM. Come on, I mean...they made parking structures interesting!).These bodices were in such beautiful colors.More amazing beading work.This is a whole lot of look, but in the right situation, pretty fabulous!Spain's own Balenciaga is of course represented. I loved all of his clothing they showed. Some more bizarre pairings showing yet again how things never change; they just come in and out of fashion, nothing is ever 'new'. These body conscious dresses below come from all different styles and time periods.Not everything is so beautiful, will these ever be back in style? That red men's polyester number really made my skin itch!Make sure to stop by this amazing museum, right on the metro line. You can't beat 3 museums in 1: Textile, Ceramics and decorative arts.

Katherine Hepburn

While going through some pictures I took, I came across this photo of Katherine Hepburn's portrait at the National Portrait gallery along with 4 of her oscars. I love that you can see how the Oscar has changed over the years since its' beginnings in 1927; larger as time has passed (much like our nation's cars and waist bands!). Stamps with Hepburn's image are currently available at the USPS HERE. I used them on my Christmas cards this year and have already had a lot of comments about them! I may have to stock up again.

Did you remember?

I love this poster from the National Museum of American History, a branch of the Smithsonians.

Produced during war time in the 1940s, home gardens have seen a resurgence in recent years, even at the White House! I can think of nothing better than opening up a can of pears in syrup right now in this snow but sadly, no garden here. Do you save your summer crops?

Cold as ice

This cold weather has me seeing ice everywhere. My favorite Thai restaurant in NYC, Room Service, has this enormous crystal chandlier (floor to ceiling) in a mirrored box as the focal point in the center of the restaurant.

My coffee table at home is no less frosty; Crystal, mirror and glass aren't doing much to warm up my apartment (but sure look pretty!).

A foodie holiday

I just spent an exciting weekend visiting friends in New York. One of my favorite things about the city during the holidays are the window displays. My favorite this year are probably the windows done by the amazing Simon Doonan at Barneys (which just happens to be one of my favorite stores in the city!).This years theme was a foodie holiday. Hilarious caricatures of everyone's favorite foodie hosts participated: from Martha Stewart and Rachel Ray (grimacing from a clock!) to Paula Deen with her pockets filled with sticks of butter (I loved that one!).

Mario Batali was unceremoniously stuffed like a pig on the dinner table in one window while a glamorous evening gown reminicent of Grace Kelly in the masked ball of To catch a Thief was created from Illy coffee bags in an adjacent display.

Nothing beats New York for getting one into the holiday spirit (and spending more money than you mean to!). What do you do to get into the holiday spirit?

Did you know Barney's has a blog? It's really fun, check it out HERE.

Saturday Color

I hope everyone is having a great (cold) Saturday. I thought this dreary weather could use a dose of Barcelona color. I love the ancient stained glass found in all of the local churches. Somehow, the older the better; the colors are just that much more vivid!

The stucco facade on the buildings surrounding the Placa de Santa Maria were the perfect shade of ochre, esp with the greenery for contrast!

Istanbul not Constantinople

Not only does my friend Marisa currently live in India, she is a world traveler! Along with the Indian pictures she provided me with yesterday, she sent these enticing photos from her recent trip to Istanbul.

The tile and detail work in these 2 photos really stunned me. I mean, whats not to like here? That ceiling above alone (no pun intended) is a work of art!The colors in the skyline photograph surprised me. I think I always pictured the city as dry and dusty, not lush and green. But what the city is most well known for are its' mosques. Dominating the skyline is the Blue Mosque, or Sultan Ahmed Mosque, which dates back to 1609. The blue in the name refers to the blue tiled interior.

More famous is the Hagia Sophia, dating from 532. It began life as an Orthodox Basilica, was converted to a Roman Catholic Cathedral in 1204, was later converted to an Islamic Mosque in 1453 and since 1935 has been a museum.

Because of its' rich history, the iconography on the interior is all over the map: Christian, Islamic and everything in between.

The size of the space is immense -just look at those tiny people on the floor below! I love this shot with the chandeliers dangling below the viewer: it reminds me of views of land from an airplane between the clouds.And what is a trip to Turkey without a Turkish bath? Great architecture, beautiful views, fascinating history and a spa trip rolled into one. This just may be another destination to add to the list after India!

An amazing opportunity.

You may have noticed on her blog that Dominique Browning is leading a trip through India as part of her Slow Love Life tour. Talk about the trip of a lifetime! read the itinerary here. Who hasn't been fascinated by this exotic country and I for one can think of no better place to travel to with the fascinating Browning; I only wish I could go!

India is a study in contrasts, according to a good friend of mine who has lived there for the past 2 years and who provided me with these photos. Incredible wealth and incredible poverty coexist in a land rich with tradition and beauty but rife with problems facing many developing nations. Her monthly emails of her encounters and trials keep me fascinated with this exotic country.

I hope someone will go on this tour and report back to me their many experiences!

Clean and white, pure and bright

As I've said before, there is nothing as satisfying as a white bathroom. This example by Paul Vincent Wiseman from the book House Beautiful Color fits the bill nicely. I especially love the use of frosted glass at the window (instead of fussy curtains) and echoing these with mirror around the tub makes for a great enclosure.

White doesn't date; this photos spread is 20 years old but, in my opinion, is timeless. You can't miss with the classics!

Photographs by John Vaughan