Huffington Post: Paris Love Locks

While Paris has long been the idyllic destination for lovers, it is the Pont des Arts pedestrian bridge over the Seine River that has recently become the place to symbolically leave your heart in the city of romance.

During a recent trip to Paris, my husband and I discovered 'love locks' on the Pont Des Arts Bridge. Hundreds of padlocks in various shapes, etched with dates and couples' initials, have been affixed to the railings of the wooden slatted bridge. For the past few years couples have been attaching engraved padlocks to the bridge and throwing the keys into the Seine as a sign of never-ending love...

You can read my article in full on the Huffington Post. Happy Valentine's Day.

Hipstamatic Paris

I am in love with the Hipstamatic app for iPhone. Modeled after the ill-fated 1982 Hipstamatic camera, the app creates nostalgic, vintage looking photos. The photos have become so popular that a Hipstamatics exhibition is now on display at The Orange Dot Gallery in London until the end of January.

My husband captured some fun photos while we were in Paris visiting friends and attending Déco Off 2011 and Maison&Ojet over the weekend.

The French Love Michael Devine Fabrics

A much deserved congratulations to my friend, fabric designer, Michael Devine. The French edition of Elle Decoration has named Michael’s fabrics as one of their favorites in their Best of the International issue.

The hand printed linen fabrics are now available in France. If you are in Paris this week for Maison&Objet and/or Paris Deco Off, you can see Michael’s fabrics at Holland & Sherry 17 rue de l'Echaude paris 6. I will be stopping by the showroom!

Bonjour!

I will be on a blogging break for a few days. I am in Paris with SFERRA to scout seasonal trends and attend Maison&Objet. I will try and post photos over the next few days. Be sure to let me know if you are attending Maison&Objet as well.
All the best,
Ronda

Le Petit Saint-Benoît

click photos to enlarge

This will be my last post on Paris, but before I close the week I have to do a post on my favorite meal in Paris. Yes, there are many wonderful restaurants and our dinner with Michael and Thomas at Brasserie Balzar was amazing. But the place that won my heart and tummy was Le Petit Saint-Benoit. A Paris restaurant dating back to 1901 the interior seems equally old, right down to the tin ceiling and tarnished mirrors. The daily menu is handwritten and then duplicated using the old dittomaster method of the 1960s.

We walked in an hour before closing, as did a very large group of locals. A few people were seated before us, but we took it in stride and with a smile. Obviously the right tactic. A very kind waitperson brought us a glass of wine and assured us she would seat us as soon as possible. I will add that the house red was extremely drinkable and we were shown extreme patience with our less than stellar French (we can order wine, say hello and count to ten…with help!)

We each ordered a large steaming bowl of Beef Bourguignon, easily the best we have ever eaten. A delicious mélange of flavors, the tender beef fell apart in the rich deep broth. We kept ordering more bread just to soak up the juices. If you go to Petit Saint Benoit do get there when they open to get a table, as it usually fills up quickly. And just as in 1901, they still do not take credit cards.

I will end by saying that our first trip to Paris was sheer bliss and I cannot wait to return in July. For all the Parisian stereotypes one sometimes hears we had nothing but pleasant encounters.

Photos from Le Petit Saint-Benoît website

L'Hôtel

Our first night in Paris we had drinks at the famed L'Hôtel located on the rue des Beaux-Arts in the 6th arrondissement. It was at this Paris establishment, while lying on his deathbed, Oscar Wilde exclaimed: 'My wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death. One or the other of us must go.' When he realized it would be him, he concluded: 'I suppose I shall have to die above my means.' The rates are still quite superior but the atmosphere of L'Hôtel is enchanting.

The 20 guestrooms, each with its own unique character and designed by the fashionable interior designer Jacques Garcia, are centered around an impressive atrium that rises up through all six floors.

The hotel's bar is overflowing with plush velvet chairs, original Cocteau drawings and handwritten letters from Oscar Wilde. We sat in a dark, quite corner that was both intimate and discrete. But perhaps the most surprising feature of the hotel is the steam room and swimming pool in the cellar—an unheard of luxury in the 6th where space is at a premium. In keeping with the general air of privacy, only two people are allowed at one time and staff will surround the pool with candles on request. Very romantic!

Maison&Objet

I will start by saying that if you attend Maison&Objet do be sure to wear comfortable shoes! I on the other hand opted for cute and new. New being the operative word. Not a bright idea. Had I fully realized and appreciated the sheer size of Paris-Nord Villepinte Exhibition Center I would have worn my Ugg boots.

Overwhelming, awe-inspiring and exhilarating best describe my first visit to Maison&Objet. I quickly realized this event is much more than just a trade show, it is a magnetic pole for designers, artists, editors, media, buyers and design lovers. There is a profusion of materials, patterns and colors available at every turn and in very large quantities.


One of my very favorite vendors was Jacques Pergay. Their chandeliers are gorgeous, massive and lust-worthy! Founded over 30 years ago in Limoges, France Jacques Pergay beautifully mixes modern and traditional elements. I only wish I had a room large enough to accommodate one of these beauties.

Just one of the many, many, many beautiful and stunning showrooms.

This is the first year Michael Devine showcased his striking hand blocked fabrics at the prestigious Maison&Objet Editeurs. To the far left is one of my favorite fabrics (Garden Folly) and to the far right is the gorgeous fabric used in Aerin Lauder's Long Island master bedroom.
The fabrics were displayed as canvas, highlighting the fact that they truly are beautiful works of art. My husband and I have been thinking that hanging Micheal's "canvasses" in our entrance hall would make a fun, yet dramatic statement.

Fun and fanciful feather lamps, Mat & Jewski have been designing decorative home objects and lighting since 1999. Their style is both humorous and provocative.

a casa k. a Florence based company creates beautiful, colorful, contemporary and very affordable glassware. I would love to have a few of these in my collection.

Paris Itinerary

We leave for Paris on Saturday and I feel as though I am hardly prepared. Of course it is a very short trip, only three day and two nights, but I want to make the most of our time in the City of Lights. Maison&Objet will dominate the day on Sunday. However, Saturday is still open for suggestions. I’ve included few options below:

This legendary hangout in St-Germain-des-Prés is a tourist favorite in summer, but the neighborhood regulars reclaim it in the off-season. Les Deux Magots was once a gathering place of the intellectual elite, such as Sartre, de Beauvoir, Oscar Wilde, Picasso and Giraudoux. Inside two large statues of magots (Confucian wise men) give the cafe its name.

Brasserie Lipp is a Left Bank institution. On the day of Paris's liberation in 1944, the late owner Roger Cazes welcomed Hemingway as the first man to drop in for a drink. Then, as now, famous people often drop by for beer, wine, and conversation. Since its acquisition a few years ago by members of the Bertrand Group obtaining a table in this cultural monument is said to be much easier, and a lot less arbitrary than when Cazes granted or denied a table based on what he considered to be your worth.