Sneak Peak: Planet Tango Dance Studio

Planet Tango dance studio

The home studio of Alberto Paz and Valorie Hart

Alberto is feeling really good these days, and we are officially giving tango classes again. To celebrate, I did a little refurb on our dance studio at home for him. A few little things can really add freshness and energy to a room.

I added lime green silk drapes to replace black and tan check curtains. The same lime green drapes are in the living room, which adjoins the dance room, so the continuity of this luscious color is great.

I painted all the mirrors white, and filled an entire wall with them floor to ceiling. We actually use the ones at mid level to check our steps and posture. I also grouped all the tango art on another wall, floor to ceiling. These are vintage sheet music covers of famous Argentine tangos.

Another burst of color is introduced with the orange chandelier. It was our old dining room chandelier that I spray painted this wonderful color.

A bench for changing shoes is at the upholsterer. It's being covered in white patent leather. You know I'll show it to you when it's done.

We are teaching our first tango workshop of the new year this weekend, and the first after the incident in Canada. Wish you could be here for it!

The view from the living into the Planet Tango dance room

Lime green and orange and white in the living room
These colors are repeated in the dance room
The colors are soooo 2009 ha ha - Will I repaint this year???!!!!

Planet Tango dance studio then...

Planet Tango dance studio now...

Another view from the living room into the dance room

A little vignette in the Visual Vamp living room
I spy an Anne Harwell painting

Bryan Batt used lime green and an orange chandelier in is old house
He's moved onto the world of greige in a new home

Win A Trip To Spend Christmas In New Orleans!

Christmas is just around the corner–and where better to spend the joyous season than in the most joyous city – New Orleans! But don’t take it from me, take it from one of our favorite local actors and Mad Men star Bryan Batt. Plus, this holiday, you could win a $4000 shopping spree, plus a three-night stay at the Loews Hotel, free airfare, and two Reveillon dinners. Very jolly indeed! Go HERE to enter, and happy holidays!

via GoNOLA.com

On Location With Bryan Batt

See the details about Bryan Batt at 1stdibs

Bryan Batt is a busy man these days. He's on a whirlwind book signing tour for his wonderful memoir of New Orleans, "She Ain't Heavy She's My Mother". If you haven't read it yet, go pick it up. It is a great coming of age story, and would make a great movie with Bryan cast to play his father. It is one of New York Times book critic Janet Maslin's Summer picks.

Garden District Book Shop

If you are in New Orleans, he will be doing a reading at The Garden District Book Shop on Saturday June 19 at 1 PM, and if you are in New York go see him tonight June 15, 5:30 - 8:30 PM at The Interior Design Building, 506 East 61st Street. Tell him The Vamp sent you!

Vamp Digest - Going Into The White!

Lots of projects going on. Getting ready to repaint the kitchen, so it's time to change out the cabinet fronts that we did six years ago. The cabinets are in great shape, but the doors are outdated and fugly. We did witty wallpaper on the original laminate doors, but now Alberto is making new wood doors. We don't have the budget or inclination to rip out perfectly good cabinets. The upper cabinets are getting new doors with chicken wire insets so you can still see the white ironstone.

We will rip out the lower cabinets, get a new ones, and a new sink, and new counter top, which we think will really give the kitchen a boost.

This is a work in progress that I'll share as it it develops.

Another project involves more going into the white!!!!

I repainted the cabinet in the living room white! Many of you weighed in on this HERE

Mellissa Warner has this chest in the May issue of House Beautiful -
Which gave me a kick in the butt to finally repaint my chest!

I loved the first paint job I did on this vintage Baker cabinet seven or eight years ago, but I was ready for a change.

I had to scrape of the decoupage suns I applied. I just spritzed them with water, and used a putty knife to remove them.

Then I sanded and primed the cabinet. I used Kilz 2 primer.

I couldn't remove the handles. They have a bolt system and I didn't have the right size wrench, so I left them on and used a teensy brush to paint around them.


I used Kilz cabinet paint in white, and I love the finish.
I think the white looks great against the deep brown walls. I haven't decided if I will paint the inset part yet. I want to live with it all white for awhile. I left the beautiful pecan wood top alone.



I took a break because Bryan Batt had a book signing at Octavia Books in New Orleans this past weekend.


He calls the book a "momoir".



It's all about him growing up in New Orleans, and about his mom, Gail Batt. Bryan's dad owned an amusement park, and the family is as colorful as most families are in New Orleans.

Brian read excerpts and told many stories, and answered a ton of questions the audience had for him. He's working on a second book called "Mad For Design"!


A huge crowd came out to hear Brian read, and to get their book signed.

He was so happy with the turn out of local folks who know and love him.

Anne Tuennerman from Tales of the Cocktail provided the libation for the book signing.

Tales of the Cocktail is what happens when a love for well-crafted cocktails and the city of New Orleans meet a relentless entrepreneurial spirit. Ann Tuennerman organizes the nation's premier cocktail festival (in July), bringing together the world's foremost experts on everything alcohol for a week-long libation celebration.

The Vamp with Anne Tuennerman founder of Tales of the Cocktail

Bryan's partner Tom Cianfichi was on hand to cheer Bryan on and to help get those books sold.

It was a wonderful weekend, topped off by a poolside dinner party on Sunday night to watch Treme, and I spent my day off on Monday gardening, until Alberto pulled me away for dinner at Coquette.

Bryan is traveling around the country doing book signings HERE

The book is wonderful - pick up a copy for your Summer reading!

Bryan Batt: Life After Sal

Say it isn't so. Bryan Batt's character Salvatore Romano is not coming back for season 4 of Mad Men.

Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner makes it sound even more dire: "We don’t murder people on our show, but for there to be any stakes, there have to be consequences ... I know how people felt about Bryan. I obviously love working with him, and he has been an indelible character since the pilot. But I felt it was an expression of the times that he couldn’t work there anymore. It’s the ultimate case of sexual harassment."

Bummer.

But don't worry about Bryan! Lots of good things are happening for him here in New Orleans.

Such as, he and his partner Tom are moving into a new house.


And their shop Hazelnut is going great guns into year 8!

They have the cutest shop boys at Hazelnut!

Bryan has been writing during his hiatus from Mad Men and his book is coming out on May 4, a memoir of his childhood growing up in New Orleans. It's called "She Ain't Heavy, She's My Mother". You can pre-order it on Amazon.com now.

Bryan with his mother and muse Gail

Right now there are two scheduled book signings at Barnes and Noble:
Monday, May 3rd, 7:30 pm at Lincoln Triangle, New York City
Monday, May 10th, 7 pm in Metairie, LA
Go and say hello to him, and tell him the Vamp sent you!

There's also a buzz around town that there's a design book in the works. Bryan and Tom are excellent interior designers, and Bryan has been writing ID articles, so it makes sense that they would do a design book.

Bryan Batt designed this snazzy luxe sofa for Playboy

Bryan has designed a sofa for Playboy. Only 50 of these exquisite love seats will be custom produced - each signed by Hugh Hefner - making this a special collector's item. "The Hef" features luxury materials like grey mohair upholstery, nail head detailing, and rosewood side panels, and is sold exclusively through Hazelnut in New Orleans.

The 1960’s is where American style reigned and Playboy established its place in American culture.

“It was one of the last real iconic design eras”, said Batt, “Everything was streamlined, like the fins on the back of a Cadillac.”

Inspired by the Playboy lifestyle and the legacy of Hugh Hefner’s vision, Batt has designed a loveseat that represents timeless modern style, class and functionality for the 50th Anniversary of the Playboy Club.

Cultivating the design elements of the early 60’s and incorporating contemporary flair, this limited edition piece, hand signed by Hugh Hefner, will be a highly sought after item by collectors and aficionados.

Superb Design and Custom Workmanship Click for more information on the manufacturing of "The Hef."

Dimensions:
Width 68" Depth 36" Arm Height 31" Back Height 31"
Seat Depth 30" Seat Height 18"

$15,000

"The Hef" Loveseat ships via freight with White Glove Delivery (inside delivery with setup). The cost of freight is $1,000.

Do You Love Your Bed?

The 13th moon is waning.

New Years Eve 2009 going into 2010 via The Huffington Post

The fireworks are over. The old year is gone. Time to take a little break.

Do you love your bed? Do you work on the computer there? Our furnace was out all week, and we barricaded ourselves in the bedroom with a space heater, our lap tops, snacks, and TV. It was great.

Read more about Bryan Batt HERE

Anyway we're all moving forward.

J Lo HERE
Toss me my Louboutins - I feel like dancing!

Wishing you and your loved ones all the best.

Hope to spend time with you in 2010.

Happy New Year.

Happy Hazelnut Christmas Coming Soon!

The entry hall display at Hazelnut in New Orleans

I stopped by one of my favorite shops anywhere, Hazelnut (5515 Magazine St., New Orleans).

Handsome Tom Cianfichi getting his store Hazelnut ready for
Magazine Street Retail Relief and the holiday season

Co-owned by Tom Cianfichi and Bryan Batt, it is one of the chicest stores around.
Tom was busy putting the final touches on this season's Christmas decor in time for this year's Magazine Street Retail Relief taking place this weekend.
Bryan is home in New Orleans on hiatus from shooting Mad Men, and sequestered somewhere in a secret location trying to meet the deadline for a book he's writing. It's a collection of short stories and memoirs, and I can hardly wait for it to come out.

Martini olive and sushi ornaments at Hazelnut! So cute!

Tom's Christmas windows have become THE shop windows to see in New Orleans. I can only compare it to the unveiling of Barneys windows in New York.

Some say napkin rings are out, but who could resist these black buckles at Hazelnut?

The staff (Katy and Ramsay) along with Tom haven't quite finished the windows. You know I will go back when they are and show them to you.

Foo dogs out? Not on your life when they are reinvented at Hazelnut in glam silver and gold

In the meantime the store is stocked with so many gorgeous, fun, and glam things for the holiday season.

Love these glitter reindeer wearing a fur piece around their necks!

I especially love the martini olive and sushi ornaments!

Sparkle plenty at Hazelnut in New Orleans

I just had to buy a little something, so I picked up this very spiffy peace sign cuff. Anything with a peace sign on it seems to be the gift to give this season. This bracelet was only $24.

Peace sign cuff I purchased at Hazelnut - only $24.
They also have peace sign earrings and rings

Call the folks at Hazelnut for prices on the things I've shown you (504) 891-2424, or check their web site HERE

Click on image to see more details.