Bloomsbury & Battle

Wanderlust: La Colombe d’Or

October 12, 2018

A Calder mobile by the pool, a Picasso in the dining room…if the walls of La Colombe d’Or, a rustic, family-run inn on the French Riviera, could talk, anyone who visits would leave a world class artist. I’ve been aching to visit the tiny hotel since I first saw pictures of its crumbly walls and modern art collection.

La Colombe d’Or, translated “The Golden Dove”, is perched high on the hills of Saint-Paul-de-Vence, a medieval town near Nice in the South of France. The hotel and its leafy grounds look unspoiled by time.

Opened by the Roux family in 1931, the hotel became a haven for artists like Braque and Matisse who fled south during WWII and continued to attract creatives like moths to a flame through the 1970s. A sign at the hotel’s entrance still reads “here we lodge those on foot, on horseback, or with paintings” and, in fact, most of the La Colombe’s impressive art collection was donated in exchange for a meal or short stay.

Since inception, La Colombe d’Or’s purpose has been for good food and company – a place to laze away a day with friends and enjoy the beautiful landscape. Art is displayed haphazardly on the walls with no plaques or pamphlets in sight. The food looks exquisite, the hotel rooms charming. The lobby bar is worn and loved in a way that I only dream of for my own home.

I love this quote from sculptor César Baldaccini on the magic that is La Colombe d’Or:

It has the precious scent of thyme and nostalgia and the golden color of olive oil and happy days. The Colombe is a part of my life. For me, it’s a place that’s as full of promise as of magnificent memories.

So here it is: I hereby do solemnly swear that I will spend a day of my life relaxing on the terrace of La Colombe d’Or, glass of rosé in hand, enjoying the delicious food and company of my loved ones.

[the dreamiest vingette via @chezdede, lead image of the well loved lobby bar via @jaoven]

[actor and singer Yves Montand mid jump in front of a Braque mosaic via NYT]

[from left: a painting Picasso gave Paul Roux, the founder of La Colombe; a hotel suite via NYT]

[a mobile by Alexander Calder hangs out poolside via Pinterest]

[Picasso at La Colombe d’Or]

[a Fernand Léger mosaic above the dining terrace via @lana.amsy]

Join me?
-Laura

Paradise Found: Valentino Spring 2019

October 3, 2018

I love that apps like Instagram and Vogue give us instant access to Fashion Month, the trail of fashion shows that take place from New York to Paris twice a year. When I interned for 3.1 Phillip Lim in college, I remember pouring over entire magazines devoted to Fashion Week the month after it took place. These days, thanks to Instagram, etc., we can be front row next to LSD from the comfort of our cozy beds. I’m hooked.

A few Spring 2019 shows/presentations caught my eye – Ralph Lauren’s 50th anniversary show, Brock Collection (dreamy per usual), Oscar de la Renta, and relative newcomers Beaufille and Simone Rocha – but nothing compared to the Valentino Spring 2019 ready-to-wear show that I woke up to the other morning.

Designer Pierpaolo Piccioli had escapism and the exotic artist colonies of Gauguin and Matisse in mind when he designed the exuberant Spring 2019 collection. A series of all black looks, one paired with glittery red lips, were followed by feathered, embroidered, and sequined numbers in white then saturated island tones. It was unmistakably Valentino – the vivid red, heavily decorated column gowns, and tulle confections are all signatures – but it felt fresh and cool in addition to pretty. I’m dying over the hats, the gold tribal earrings, and the touch of red on handbags (mental note: not a RockStud in sight!).

Enjoy a few of my favorite looks below.

[all images via vogue]

On island time
-Laura

Special Somethings

September 27, 2018

It’s been raining for weeks in Dallas. My plants have never looked better but all this rain is making me feel a little glum. I need crisp, sunny fall days to brighten my spirits (a new sweater, leaves turning, my favorite soup recipes…sigh) but I think they’re still weeks away. You know what’s helping to cheer me up on so many grey days? Adding a few special somethings to my closet. It’s cliche but true: when you look good, you feel good. I always feel my best wearing one standout piece and keeping everything else fairly simple. Whether it’s the perfect red lipstick (try this one and only buy the refill to save a few – PERFECTION) or killer statement earrings, we need the special somethings to jazz up the old faithfuls in our closet. Here are a few special somethings I’ve been eyeing, I hope they bring a smile to your face like they do mine!

a classic print and a date night dream

[Elizabeth & James via netaporter]

love that these hang on a little chain – librarian chic!

[LeSpecs via netaporter]

day, night, dressy, casual

[reformation fauna dress]

have the silver, now eyeing the crushed velvet

[Loeffler Randall Coco mule]

the prettiest pink

[Veronica Beard dress]

for just a hint of polka dot above your boots

[Hansel from basel via Need Supply]

the perfect size

[Ann Mashburn tote]

a top? a dress? who cares, it’s a statement maker

[Caroline Constas via shopbop]

the “it” skirt gets a floral makeover

[realisation par skirt]

prairie perfection

[Ganni dress via Intermix]

leopard from head-to-toe

[Veronica Beard mules]

perfectly priced polka dots

[Zara top]

As if!

[Loeffler Randall feather bag via netaporter]

forget the sleeve, wear your heart(s) on your ears instead

[Rebecca de Ravenel earrings]

just yes.

[Ganni top]

Later loves
-Laura

P.S. I love you, Lotion P50

September 18, 2018

How do I love thee, let me count the ways!

The one beauty product I would take to a desert island is, hands down, no question, Biologique Recherche’s Lotion P50. I’m far from the first to wax poetic on their love for the exfoliating toner dubbed “Jesus in a bottle” (here), and “the best beauty product in the world” (here) but it really is SO GOOD that I had to share. For those closest to me who have already heard me preach on it, I apologize and feel free to skip to the next post! For the rest of you, let’s get started…

I stumbled on Biologique Recherche and the miraculous Lotion P50 when I visited The Joule Spa in Dallas a few years back. I’ll never forget the way I looked when I left that facial, and every facial I’ve had using Biologique products since, YEARS younger, with brighter, healthier skin. All Biologique Recherche products are phenomenal but it’s the pièce de résistance Lotion P50 that I’m so hooked on. Lotion P50 actually isn’t a lotion at all, it’s a toner that you press onto your face and neck using a cotton pad between cleansing and serum/lotion both morning and night. There are seven different formulas (read about them here) but unless you have really sensitive skin I’d go straight to the classic P50.

Y’all – this one product has single-handedly changed my skin. I mean I spent so much time at the dermatologist’s office in high school that I seriously considered inviting him and his nurse to my graduation party. The one product that’s consistently kept my skin clear over the years is Lotion P50, even through changing hormones, excessive travel, exercise, you name it. In addition to keeping breakouts at bay, it’s also evened my skin tone and shrunken my pores. It’s not a prescription, it’s natural-ish, and it doesn’t break the bank ($27 for the smallest, $98 for the largest size). There’s one caveat I should mention…it smells…maybe like vinegar? I can’t put my finger on what the smell is but do not be deterred. No pain (or smell), no gain. I use it as a spot treatment for body breakouts and on the backs of my hands to hopefully prevent wrinkles. Hell, I’d bathe in it nightly if I could.

They like to keep it exclusive but you can order Lotion P50 online at Rescue Beauty Spa or call The Joule Spa and they’ll ship it to you.

Thank me later!
-Laura

Louboutin’s Lovely Chateau

September 12, 2018

I was meandering online the other day and came across the most EXQUISITE photos of Christian Louboutin’s home and gardens in France that are too good not to share. The iconic shoe designer has owned the 13th century Château de Champgillon for over 25 years and has been steadily turning it’s 17 acres into a floral oasis. Who knew that Christian Louboutin almost made his career in landscape design? Yep, he briefly designed topiaries and gardens in the late 80’s before opening his eponymous shoe store in Paris in 1991. I love what Louboutin had to say to The Telegraph about how gardening and design are intertwined for him:

“When you’re a designer you look at the line structures, forms and color combinations of everything you see…Many designers think of paintings, but if I close my eyes I would see nature. The colors and the textures just add up for me. A magnolia is a thick leather, probably patent. A pansy is definitely suede or velvet. When I think of what colors look good together on a shoe, it’s usually ones that I have thought look good together in the garden. I don’t make moodboards, this is how I research.”

These photos are by photographer Jane Hilton and are part of a series commissioned by Rakesprogress for their magazine and a pop-up exhibit in London late last year. Jane’s photography and Louboutin’s home and gardens are an absolute DREAM. Chinese and Japanese wisteria trail the property, a 19th century orangerie grows kumquats and mandarins, and I read that there’s even an archive holding 8,000 pairs of Louboutin’s creations.

all images by Jane Hilton via House & Garden UK

Ooo la la!
-Laura

On the Radar: Brinker & Eliza

September 9, 2018

I say that I have a love/hate relationship with social media but, let’s be honest, I do love Instagram for keeping me up to speed on trends and emerging brands. I fell down the rabbit hole yesterday when I stumbled upon a Brinker & Eliza chain link bracelet in one of my #girlcrush Pandora Sykes’ instagram stories (@pandorasykes). I’m a big fan of gold jewelry so have been digging the layered gold chains that it girls like Pandora wore all summer. Want to try the trend? Slip on Brinker & Eliza’s The Best is Yet to Come necklace or, even better, layer it with their turbo shell Pass the SPF pendant while the weather’s warm. The In a NY Minute Y-Necklace or the Muse Earrings will jazz up a midi dress at weddings this fall. I’m not big on spending on trendy pieces and Brinker & Eliza jewels don’t break the bank. Also, something about all the gold chains takes me back to the rap music videos of high school in a really good way.

Here are a few of my favorites by Brinker & Eliza or shop the collection here.

The Best is Yet to Come Necklace

Brinker & Eliza The Best is Yet to Come Necklace

Pass the SPF Necklace

Brinker & Eliza One in a Million Necklace

In a NY Minute Y-Necklace

Brinker & Eliza The Best is Yet to Come Necklace

Muse Earrings

all images via Brinker and Eliza

Bling, Bling
-Laura

Recipe: Buvette’s Walnut Pesto

September 6, 2018

It’s been five years since I called New York City home and, while I am glad to live elsewhere, I always feel nostalgic for places, things, and even smells that remind me of the city. Tiny cafés on tree lined streets in the West Village make my heart skip a beat and I long to transport to one, with Jordan and Ina, for a Saturday morning coffee or late night dessert. My favorite of all the village spots will always be Buvette, the itty bitty bistro on Grove Street by chef Jody Williams. Since I can’t snap my fingers and visit Buvette DAILY, I get by on Williams’ cookbook Buvette: The Pleasure of Good Food. There are so many amazing recipes and ideas in this book but I particularly love one for walnut pesto tartinettes. Serve a bowl of this walnut pesto to spread on fresh, lightly toasted country bread as an appetizer and your guests will be RAVING. It’s perfect paired with hard cheeses, Italian olives, and a glass of rosé. I can also imagine it would be delish tossed with linguine or as a topping for grilled chicken. Best of all – it takes minutes to whip up!

The recipe is below, along with a few more pics of the restaurant Buvette to make your heart flutter.

walnut pesto

1 cup raw walnuts

1/4 cup packed Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, coarsely grated

1 small garlic clove, roughly chopped

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon sherry vinegar

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes (either packed in oil or softened in hot water for 10 minutes; either way, be sure to drain them)

coarse salt

few slices of country bread, toasted

In a food processor, pulse the walnuts, cheese, garlic, and thyme with the sherry vinegar until coarsely chopped. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the olive oil and tomatoes. Season with salt and serve with toasted bread. The pesto will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Meet me at Buvette?
-Laura

Buckle Up

August 28, 2018

One thing on my fall shopping list is a crocodile belt – one that sits high enough on the waist for high rise jeans and can be worn with everything. My twin sister Dabney has always known that it’s the third piece (be it a blazer, a bag, or a turtleneck layered under a dress) that brings an outfit together so, keeping this in mind, I am trying to up my accessories game. Mock croc (aka faux crocodile) is big for fall and when I saw the belts mixed with Brock Collection’s Fall 2018 florals and knits, I was hooked. I know Gucci belts are still EVERYWHERE but I think a classic crocodile belt is more discreet and versatile.

My favorite belts have always been vintage, swiped from my mom’s closet (some from the late 70s) or picked up in college when we had time to pour through the racks at vintage stores. While I am keeping my eyes peeled for vintage croc, below is a roundup of my favorites in stores and some inspiration on how to style. I can’t wait to wear one of these gals over a blazer, with a midi skirt to jazz up the work week, or with jeans 24/7.

[Anderson’s at netaporter]

[perfect belted blazer via vogue.com]

[j.crew embossed belt]

[love the contrast of leather and silk via Erdem PF18]

[W.Kleinberg at shopbop]

[Anderson’s at netaporter]

[Brock Collection F18 via vogue.com]

After while!
-Laura

Wicker Wonderland

August 24, 2018

I’ve been drooling over fashion editor turned farm girl Amanda Brooks’ new store Cutter Brooks and Co. on Instagram (@cutterbrooksshop) since it opened this summer. I’ll write more about the little slice of retail heaven that is Cutter Brooks in a later post but for now I want to share my current obsession, thanks to Amanda and Cutter Brooks: Atelier Vime.

My obsession began when Amanda posted this pic on Cutter Brooks’ Instagram:

[Amanda Brooks in her new store Cutter Brooks and Co.]

Obviously I couldn’t get enough of the blooming branches, the faded, barely pink wall treatment and the matchstick blinds, but what really did it for me was the wicker pedestal and vase. It’s height! It’s shape! I can imagine it in so many spaces – in a bright sunroom filled with ferns, weathered by the elements on a covered porch, or as a pair in a dressy dining room for contrast. Pedestals are some of my favorite accessories as they add height and interest to unused corners – make them out of wicker and I’m literally LOSING SLEEP in love.

[Atelier Vime’s Medici Pedestal and Vase]

Atelier Vime (vime is French for wicker) creates the pedestal and vase of my dreams, among other woven wonders, from a crumbly hotel particulier in Vallabregues, a small village in southern France. [googled hotel particulier: a grand, free-standing private townhouse] During the 18^th century, 450 of 1,800 of Vallabregues’ inhabitants were wicker workers. The historic trade was extinct when Atelier Vime’s founders Anthony Watson and Benoit Rauzy purchased the home although they found wicker baskets literally strewn over the property. They soon started collecting important wicker and rattan from the 20^th century then hired designer Raphaelle Hanley to create original pieces using local materials and artisans. Et voilà! Atelier Vime was born.

It’s the Medici pedestal and vase I love most but I’m also enamored with their lighting.

[Atelier Vime’s Gabriel Suspension Pendant]

I mean, just take a look at this spread from House & Garden UK featuring Atelier Vime shot at the founders’ home and tell me it isn’t PERFECTION. Crumbly walls, French fabrics, antiques for days – dying.

I did some Instagram detective work and discovered that Atelier Vime is being carried in Nashville interior designer Sarah Bartholomew’s new showroom @sb.sarahbartholomew. If that’s home for you, check it out and report back ASAP!

While I dream of a home filled with Atelier Vime, in the meantime here are a few of my favorite woven and rattan pieces to satisfy my case of wicker wants.

[Celerie Kemble for Arteriors]

[vintage Roland Kentfield rattan scroll console table]

[Amanda Lindroth Seagrass Island pitcher]

[vintage Neoclassical wicker settee (this is in ATLANTA, someone please buy it!)]

[vintage wicker elephant – darling in a nursery!]

[Serena & Lily Riverwalk mirror]

[Amanda Lindroth buffet tent]

[mid-century rattan armchair]

Au Revoir!
-Laura

What’s in a name?

August 21, 2018

I’m sure you’re wondering about the name Bloomsbury & Battle. It’s a combination of two different sounding words – one soft and floral, the other sharp and tailored – that together represent my aesthetic and what I’d like for this blog to represent. Bloomsbury is for the Bloomsbury Group, a group of English writers, thinkers and artists active in the first half of the 20^th century; Battle is for Peachtree Battle, the street in Atlanta that we know and love. So what do an English artistic movement and a street in Buckhead have in common? Actually not a lot! It’s more about what these things call to my mind…Bloomsbury is the perfect floral chintz fabric, a faded English country house, a sunny impressionist painting…Battle is ivy covered white brick, the Allman Brothers, and the fits-like-a-glove button downs at Ann Mashburn. It’s the English with the Southern, the old with the new, and the traditions of both places that I want to convey. I know the word tradition can sound stuffy but I promise I’ll keep things fresh.