I had planned to blog over the Thanksgiving holiday but then decided to take some much needed time off. But I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge how thankful I am for all the wonderful new people that I have met this year and for everyone who reads my blog and takes the time to leave comments. I really do appreciate your support and encouragement.
The holiday windows at Bergdorf Goodman were still not quite finished the other night when I went back to photograph them, hence the little man in the corner of the photo above, but even in their unfinished state, they are spectacular! Part of the reason they took so long was that David Hoey and his team went way over the top this year with their theme of all The Seasons entirely in white. When I met him this summer, he was just starting to think about the holiday windows and since then, they've spent many months crafting cakes out of styrofoam and bathroom caulk and other crazy things. What I love best is that even though there are a few coats and dresses in the windows, Bergdorf's isn't trying to sell anything but rather is giving away a magical experience for free. Something we can all definitely use these days!
The Domino holiday issue is a present unto itself. Inside is their great gift guide and lots of fabulous interiors too! Happy Holidays!
The Thanksgiving holiday brings not only turkey and football but blockbuster movies. The one I am most excited to see is Australia staring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman and directed by Baz Luhrmann. It looks a bit like Out of Africa but who cares. If you ask me, there aren't enough movies about aristocratic European ladies who travel with too many fancy suitcases to dusty foreign countries where they ride horses and drive cattle and fall in love with hunky men. Australia arrives in theatres November 26th. Happy Holidays!
I've been a bit obsessed with foreign design and interiors lately and my internet research led me to a beautiful book entitled Living in Flanders by Piet Swimberghe with photos by Jan Verlinde. It seems to be out of print so it would be worth keeping an eye out for a used copy. The architecture and interiors are stunning. 
I think I have found my all time favorite interior to date! The apartment belongs to Calvin Klein designer Francisco Costa and his partner John De Stefano, a horse trainer and manager. It feels very European to me with a perfect mix of minimalism and interesting details. The couple didn't use an interior designer but did have a little help from their friend Mark Cunningham.
"It really was a quest to find things that suggested a permanence to our lives," said Costa. "But I think that's the fun part, making the place feel like it belongs to us. We wanted every single piece to remind us of somebody or something or sometime important in our lives." The artwork above is by Enrico Castellani.
In the den, a mid-century bench sits in front of very perfectly organized book shelves. You don't even notice the small flat screen television at first!
The horse photograph was a gift from Linda Fargo of Bergdorf Goodman and the bed linens are from Calvin Klein Home. I love to mix gold jewelry with grey clothing and the same mix works in the home. I think the gold lamp pops against the grey walls and lends richness. 
The minimalist kitchen also hides a bar while the whole apartment is painted in various shades of grey. I wish my kitchen looked that clean!
I love the sculptural quality of the two concrete benches and the juxtaposition of them with the pastoral painting. It also reminds me of a wall in the Metropolitan Museum of Art! 
Flush doors with an edge pull blend into the woodwork and add to the European ambiance, as do the chevron patterned wood floors. There is even perfection in the bathroom below. The next time I paint my apartment, I may to go grey! 
Photos by Martyn Thompson
Looks like Bergdorf Goodman was dreaming of a white Christmas too. The holiday windows aren't quite finished yet but I did get a little sneak peek this week and they are well on their way to being spectacular as usual. Check in a few days for photos of all the windows. 
