Book Roundup 2: Electric Boogaloo

Yesterday, when I asked Molly what her blog post was going to be about, she said “all the new books coming out.” I then asked her if she was mentioning the new Oliver Messel and Gucci books, and she said “no, why don’t you guest blog about those tomorrow?” So here I am! (oh, this is Kate, BTW)

I first heard about Oliver Messel when I was in design school and looking for an interiors icon to do a project on. At that time, I couldn’t find enough on him to do the project, so this book, Oliver Messel: In the Theatre of Design, is long overdue. He was sort of the Tony Duquette of the Caribbean (as he was involved in many realms of aesthetic design) crossed with Slim Aarons (hanging out in jet-set island locales with royalty and other peeps living the good life.) The ‘tropical’ angle always tickles my fancy.

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Martyn Lawrence-Bullard for Schumacher

I just got back from a presentation of Martyn Lawrence-Bullard’s new line for Schumacher and I must say, that swishy, ascot-wearing decorator has got it going on. As a person who does not watch reality tv (unless it is Project Runway or So You Think You Can Dance), I missed the sensation that was Million Dollar Decorator. However, my fellow M. Designers, Kate and Amy, watched it weekly and Marty (as they affectionately refer to him) was the hands down, standout star of the show. After this morning’s presentation, I see why they are such fans.

Not only was he wearing a faux ascot a la Mick Jagger circa 1972, but he has a faaaaaaabulous accent and a terrific sense of humor about himself and the world around him. And most importantly, the man has balls which he backs up with rather good taste. His fabric collection is inspired by his travels and vintage textiles from around the world and like me, he never met a brightly colored pattern he didn’t like. Please enjoy a sampling of his wares below. My personal favorite is his reimagining of a traditional Indian “Tree of Life” pattern in pumped up scale and palette. It feels fresh and current and traditional all at once.

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