Visual Vamp Report

I imagine by now most of you who are still reading magazines, have seen the latest issues from the big three that are still left standing: House Beautiful, Elle Decor, and Veranda. Architectural Digest is still here too, but it is not really as relevant most of the time due to its stagnant, but well financed editorial view.

Of the big three, House Beautiful is by far the best of them this month. Elle Decor fell flat again, and seems to really be struggling with content. Veranda fell ever flatter.

Maybe the big shake-up of moving Stephen Drucker to Town and Country, and replacing him with Newell Tucker will be good for T & C, because this the last Drucker issue is another great one in a series of them that he has been producing lately.

Veranda is getting ex Domino star Dara Caponigro at the helm of the luxury brand Veranda, though I have no issues with the stellar Leslie Newsom's excellent stewardship . I hope she is going to bigger and better projects. You just can't have a knock-out issue every month can you, and maybe this being Newsom's last issue gave it that "I'm over it" vibe.


The cover story from House Beuatiful is girly gorgeous. You can see all the photos and read a terrific back story about at The Style Saloiniste HERE

I was especially delighted because I have the same mid century chest that wunderkind Mellisa Warner has in her posh and pretty apartment!

I snapped a quick photo of mine for you this morning and styled it in the same vein.

I grabbed some flowering branches outside my door. They are so cool. I don't know waht they are. They look like mini passion flowers, but they are growing on a huge tree like bush instead of a vine.

For a moment I wanted to repaint my chest! The white and blue looks so fresh.

My piece is actually three of these chests hooked together, with a long pecan wood top. I have often thought about separting them, and making three new tops so I could use each of them in a different way.

The piece is vintage Baker, and when I bought it in a thrift store years ago, no one was attributing these Baker pieces to the pedigree they are now enjoying on sites like 1stdibs.

I repainted mine, but it is still close to the original color. I aged it a bit which fits with the faded decadence that is New Orleans. I think if I painted it a slick white (with possibly lime green insets) it would not work for my room. The beautiful hardware on my piece is also not modern like Melissa's, but more baroque.



Other news is that Amanda Talley just sent off the painting to the winner of the first The Visual Vamp Giveaway.

I think it is going to look wonderful in Kristen's space, don't you?! Amanda actually did TWO paintings for her! I thank Amanda again for her generosity!!!!


Via the giveaway, Amanda was commissioned by The Zhush to do a painting!
Contact Amanda if you would like her do one for you HERE

I hope they both post soon and show us where they are hanging their fabulous ATs!


Lastly, we are dog sitting our next door neighbors' dog Coconut. She is adorable and Cholo is smitten.