Les Demoiselles of Rochefort is a technicolor bon-bon of a musical and a fun example of French cinema of the 1960s. At its core, it’s a paen to the relief dreams can bring you as well as reminder that true love depends on chance just as much as it does circumstance, looks and charm.
The film centers around Delphine (Deneuve) and Solange (Dorléac), twins “born under the sign of pisces” (Deneuve and Dorléac were sisters in real life as well. Tragically, Dorléac was killed in a car accident shortly after filming wrapped) who teach music and singing (Solange) and dance (Delphine) to the children of the town. The twins feel stifled and dream of making it big in Paris — and of course, finding love.
While I love a great 60s-era music and dance production as much as the next person, what really drew me into the dilm by Jacques Demy is is obvious love and understanding of the use of color.
Stephanie Zacharek said it best in her review of the film for Salon:
For Demy, the arrangement of colors, their saturation, their movement, were vehicles to move the story along, ways to tell small secrets about his characters. His love affair with color is one of his greatest legacies, which is why it’s so fitting (and such a relief) that two of his most ravishing color films have now been restored. If a movie’s colors could make you cry, surely it would be these: There’s so much deliberate care in the way, say, a basket of vibrant yellow lemons contrasts with the raspberry of a woman’s dress, and yet the composition also seems completely organic, a simple reflection of the wacky contrasts found all over nature. At the end of the movie, when all the lovers finally pair off, you realize their outfits all color-coordinate perfectly, a sign from the heavens that they were made for each other. For Demy, romance and color were inseparable, and as elemental as air and water.
Demy also understood color as sheer entertainment, and that’s probably why, if you can let yourself sink into the plush hues and visual lyricism of “The Young Girls of Rochefort,” its various little problems shrink away.
After watching the film, how can you not want to put on a brightly colored outfit (or a scarf if you are a little color shy) or paint a room an invigorating shade of lemon yellow?
Paen: A song or hymn of praise, joy, or triumph, originally sung by Greeks in gratitude to Apollo.
Huge thanks to Adrian How of How’s House – Malaysia’s Design Blog for featuring DB’s article on questions to ask when looking for an interior designer. If you missed the post the first time around, you can find it here.
Bon weekend!
{I wish I could be celebrating with some of those decadently divine looking treats pictured below!}
One of my favorite rooms to design is the bedroom. It should be a sanctuary and a lot of thought should be placed into the design as you will likely spend a lot of time there.
A component of bedroom design that is often overlooked is bedding. People tend to focus on the fixed finishes, like flooring, paint color or wall paper as well as furnishings, but if you are going to go all-out on your bedroom design, why would you leave bedding decisions to the end? Well-designed bedding can really pull a bedrooms design together and should be an integral part of the design process.
Photo: Elle Decor
{Note in the above photo how the box spring cover, bolster pillow and window treatments are made out of the same fabric, which visually pulls the room together, as does the consistent use of blue on the coverlet, bedside table lamp and Chinese Chippendale chair.}
Chaz Stevens started Chaz Stevens Design in Los Angeles when he realized that there was a real need for custom bedding in Los Angeles. Bedding was either generic and available in a handful of colors, or overly expensive and fancy. Chaz Stevens Design is To-The-Trade-Only, but Western Interiors magazine featured Stevens and his “Ten Things to Know Before Designing Your Bed” which I’ve included for you below:
Chaz Stevens’ Ten Things to Know Before Designing Your Bed
1. Start Early.
Don’t wait!! Every bedroom has a bed, so when you’re planning the space. do the linens as well. At the end of a two-year design process, people are tired of writing checks. The bedding then becomes an afterthought. It doesn’t get done properly, and correcting it can end up costing even more. {DB Note: Remember anything custom has a lead-time and depending on how busy the workroom is, your bedding could take weeks if not months so plan accordingly!}
2. Thread Count is a myth.
This is a huge, confusing mystery to people. Americans have come to equate thread count with quality, but the reality is that it’s not that important. The finish and the yarn are what matter. A thousand-thread-count sheet can feel like sandpaper because of the way it was woven and finished. So don’t choose by thread-count. Choose by what you like.
3. Understand the language of bedding.
It’s important to make sure everyone is on the same page so that you don’t think you are ordering one thing but in actuality getting another. How big is a California King versus an Eastern King? One person’s coverlet is another person’s duvet, so be sure to do your research.
4. Know how things fit.
Take into account the drops and the relationship of the headboard to the pillows as well as the scale of the bed frame and the linens. A pillow-top mattress can gobble up the headboard if it isn’t measured properly. {DB Note: accurately measuring the drop is key — I once made the mistake of letting a client measure the drop for me and the drop of the custom coverlet was too short to cover the mattress’ profile and I had to have it remade. Insert grimace here.}
5. Down isn’t pretty.
With down, it’s important to know what you’re getting, because it’s a horrible, smelly product. If the down shows up to the store even a little dirty or if it hasn’t been washed properly before going into that pillow, then the dust mites have already been breeding in it for some time {ick} . Our down is thoroughly cleaned. Ask questions about the down so that you know what you are putting your head onto eight hours a night.
6. Don’t shop by price.
When it comes to bedding and even the mattress, higher prices don’t make things nicer. But you also shouldn’t skimp. Your bed should be the one place in the house where you always buy what you like and what feels good to you, no matter the price.
7. Do your research.
The information and the technology are all there. You can’t always count on people in stores to give you the information you need.
8. Know how to care for your bedding.
Don’t use traditional soaps and detergents on your bedding, or it won’t last. Detergent is a heavy cleaning agent. I always suggest spending a little more on non-commercial detergents, which are available at places like Williams-Sonoma or at linen shops.
9. Be aware that retailers often discontinue products.
Upscale linen shops sometimes operate as design houses, so they tend to stop producing their collections. If you decide in another six months that you need an extra set of sheets, love the duvet and want more towels, chances are they’ll be gone. Find out if the linens will be available later on.
10. Thicker doesn’t always mean better.
Again, go by the feel and what you like. For example, the best cashmere is very thin. A thick cashmere blanket shouldn’t cost you more.
While in Paris for Maison et Objet this January I had the pleasure of meeting Katja Behre, the woman behind Elli Popp. Her booth was part of an exhibit of emerging designers, many of which were English, so not only was I excited about Ms. Behre’s beautiful designs, I was able to converse in my native tongue. Don’t get me wrong, I eagerly practiced my French with the vendors in other halls, but let’s put it this way – my French design vocabulary still needs a little help.
Elli Popp's Booth at Maison et Objet, January 2009
Back to Elli Popp — Elli Popp was founded in 2007 and features wallpapers with neo-romantic designs that use traditional, and some not-so-traditional color combinations. One of Elli Popp’s goals is to create products and designs that meet their specific client’s needs — this bespoke philosophy allows Behre to explore changing themes, sizes, colors and repeats.
In addition to wallpaper, Elli Popp also offers fabric, wall stickers, cushions, ceramics, tiles and rugs.
Elli Popp has been featured in Elle Decoration Germany (March 2009), Ariadne at Home – Holland (April 2009), idFX (September 2008) and Elle Decor Italia (October 2007) among others.
Here are some of my favorite papers pictured on Elli Popp’s website, but I highly recommend you check the site out for yourself!:
Foxy Flowers
I think the Foxy Flowers pattern would look divine near a woman’s vanity or in a powder bath — just a sprinkle of sass, not a huge dose!
Crazy Ostrich
Crazy Ostrich is rather clever in that, from far away, it looks like an abstract repeating pattern, but close up it becomes, well, a crazy ostrich!
Haiku
Haiku in the Berries colorway is hands down my current favorite. Could it be because the colors are the same as Design Babylon’s? You be the judge. {*wink*}
Spring Flowers
Spring Flowers is magical — I would love to see it in a dining room or a long hallway.
If you like what you see, be sure to contact Katja Behre at info@ellipopp.com or +44(0)7957135041 !
I am so infatuated with all wallpaper that I am sure this will not be the last swoon-worthy wallpaper vendor that I will profile, so stay tuned!!!
“I drink champagne when I’m happy and when I’m sad. Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I’m not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise I never touch it – unless I’m thirsty.”
The cocktail called the French 75 is believed to have been created at Harry’s Bar in Paris around World War I — the creator liked champagne, but wanted something with more of a kick — he mixed the champagne with cognac (which was readily available during wartime.) The resulting “kick” was said to feel like being shelled with the French 75mm howitzer artillery piece, and thus the cocktail was named “The French 75″. It is also known as a “Soixante Quinze,” or “75″ in French. The cocktail was also popularized in America at the Stork Club.
There is some controversy as to whether or not the drink should be made with gin or brandy, but I prefer the brandy version (Corridor 44 in Denver has an excellent version — I highly recommend a visit for the libations, decor and amazing bartenders).
The recipe:
1 oz brandy
3/4 oz simple syrup
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
Champagne
Lemon twist for garnish
Pour brandy, lemon juice and simple syrup over ice in a cocktail shaker and shake well.
Strain into a large martini glass and top with champagne and lemon twist.
