just between us (a little monkey business)

we really shouldn't post things like this because it is sure to send any potential new clients running away from us as fast as they can, but when we got back from PS last week, we promised to share our wacky palm springs purchase with y'all, and a promise is a promise, so here's what we bought.... just keep it between us, though, k?

crazy, right?

we saw a pair of these monkey statues mounted on big plaster plinths two years ago in palm springs, and we were seriously fascinated by their 80's goodness (or badness, depending on your POV), so when we found the above solo number for a bargain price (sans plinth), we knew we had to have her. of course, a bargain price means there is work to be done as she needs to be repainted,and her face needs re-gilding to get rid of the ghastly painted on eyeballs, but still, we are highly amused with our purchase, and can't wait to give her the makeover she deserves.

we saw these 2 years ago, and thought they were both horrifying and fabulous, all at the same time...

now remember, let's keep this post on the downlow- like we said, we fear potential clients might be skurred maison21 will force monkey statues on them (promise, we won't- unless you like ginormous 1980's money statues, and in that case, call me! we'll get down to a 'lil monkey business!)
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some like it hot

please forgive our lack of posting of late- we are enjoying a few days of rest and relaxation in deliciously hot palm springs.  shopping, drinking, eating, and swimming- summer just doesn't get any better!

hope you are enjoying your summer as well!
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getting 'ahead' (kelly wearstler bust lust in palm springs, amongst other flights of fancy)

as usual,on our most recent visit to palm springs, we stopped into the estate sale to see what we could see, and while there, spent at least half an hour captivated by this ginormous bust of david, wondering where in the heck inside the atelier we could place this campy, yet fabulous sculpture (ala ms. wearstler, of course). try as we might though, we have no grand spaces like the lobby of the viceroy miami to hold a giant classical bust, so our $300 bargain david had to stay put, waiting for the next lucky (or crazy) decorator to give it an appropriately grand home...

the object of our wearstler inspired 'bust lust': this awesomely big n campy 4 foot tall bust of 'david' (sitting on a dining table base to give you an idea of its scale)

the only spot we could possibly work such a beast, the base of the stairs in our entry hall, but, no go- too stoney and austere (not to mention stage-settish). excuse our poor photoshop skills- we promise not to quit our day job to become a professional photo retoucher!

the lobby of the viceroy miami, m21's inspiration for his bust lust. photo is from ms. wearstler's fabulous HUE from AMMObooks (via habitually chic. ps- stop by chic's blog TODAY as she is giving away a copy!)

more of ms. wearstler's classical statuary obsession (via the daily mail)

we also thought these highly figured marble stools/tables @ the estate sale, would fit in a kelly wearstler inspired space- kinda awesome.

we also loved this pagoda mirror, an incredible bargain at $150.00, and we were shocked to see it was by the fabulous 'chinoisophiles' @ jardins en fleur, and is included in the latest sale from one king's lane- we assumed it was vintage! (ps, speaking of giveaways, if you stop by velvet & linen, brooke is having a sweepstakes for a $250.00 OKL shopping spree- you could get the same pagoda mirror- in the color of your choice- for FREE! that's an even better incredible bargain!

we loved these vintage twin headboards- wouldn't you love to see the original room these came out of? if the fabric is any indication, it was eye-searingly awesome!

last, the object(s) we were truly obsessed with from the estate sale, even more so then 'david', were these fantastically chic (imho), larger-than-life, plaster monkey statues on matching plinths- so beyond 80's fabulous, we really can't stand it! we hesitate to mention our love for them, as potential design clients would be rightfully scared if we were to suggest putting them in their homes; but if we could put them in our home, we'd do a whole room of late 70's- early 80's fabulousity around them: think parchment covered walls, with a gilt ceiling (cove lit, 'natch), avec lots of shiny ecru lacquer and brass furniture (think gabriella crespi and karl springer). we'd probably have to toss in a little leopard print too, because in anticipation of bringing our monkey friends home, we've already nicknamed them "joan" and "jackie" (collins)- no offense to the lovely collins sisters, of course- it's a compliment... swear!

so 80's haute safari chic...

"joan"

"jackie"

alas again, even though at $700/pair, the monkeys were inexpensive enough to have some 80's decorating fun with, joan and jackie had to be left behind at the estate sale- until we have a larger than life home in which to indulge such flights of fancy (you know, like kelly's hillcrest estate), we'll have to stick to simpler, less grandiose, ways to get our 80's on...

as always, we look forward to your comments- we know after ginormous plaster 'david' heads and haute 80's monkey statues, they're gonna be good! fire away! ;-)

maison21, america's next top model (sunset magazine photo shoot)

this past september, maison21 had the fun opportunity to be a model for a sunset magazine photoshoot! one of the editors at sunset saw the palm springs house m21 helped his bff, rudy decorate, when it was published in ty pennington at home magazine last june, and rented it as a location for a holiday party feature. they then asked rudy if he had any friends who would be interested in being photographed as party guests: the magazine would feed us and liquor us up, and in return we'd laugh and have a good time, plus get our pictures published in a magazine- a no brainer! and for maison21, it was a triple no brainer: have fun, have a project he worked on photographed and published, and get a blog post out of it too? you'd have to pay to keep him away!

the intolerably cramped dressing room. (supermodels from left: jamie, jane, brad, yvette, jeff and will)

but all was not fun and games, and we have a new respect for models- modeling is hard, hard, work!

the problems began when the editors didn't read m21's contract- we were supposed to get our own private dressing room, stocked with the three C's of a supermodel's diet: champagne, cocaine and cigarettes; but somehow we ended up sharing a room with EIGHT other models, and being forced to survive on a steady stream of home made taquitos, chips, salsas and guacamole, along with yummy mexcan themed hors d'oeuvres, and all washed down with frosty cranberry margaritas (everything freshly prepared and served to us by chef/food stylist, valerie aikman-smith, mind you). well, it was inhuman and demeaning, and the nightmare of being forced to consume all that delicious food and drink will stick with us for a long, long, time... (all recipes available in the december issue of sunset, btw- on newsstands now!)

lots of downtime on the set- two of the models jane, and jamie, discuss techniques for snagging rockstar boyfriends.

now maison21 knew from intensive watching of america's next top model that a good model, like an actor, emotes for the camera by playing a role, and tells a story to the camera with only his or her eyes. m21 kept hounding the sunset staff for his motivation to emote for the camera, and they just stared at him blankly! do they even watch tyra & co? i mean, how could i know what story to tell, and emotion to project, without some sort of direction? so masion21 reached deep into his soul (or his inner tyra), and came up with his own character and backstory: maison21 would be "happy guy at party with drink". we think the results were incredibly successful, and the emotions expressed with my eyes alone will leap from the page and sear into your soul...

more downtime- two supermodels, sam and mona, discussing emoting with 'only their eyes'...

by far, the most grueling part of the day was having to pretend we were having fun hanging out with a bunch of other models- i mean, four whole hours hanging out with witty and engaging friends, eating awesome food and and having drinks practically forced down our throats? while relaxing and observing the workings of a entertainment feature photoshoot, and not having to worry about styling it or making it look good ourselves? it was brutal, we tell ya, brutal, and we will NEVER work under such onerous conditions again!

even more down time- the photographer and her assistant set up a shot, while supermodel rudy points out he "has a party to go to- can they speed things up?" and supermodel alison is just languorously bored.

in all seriousness, as you can tell, the shoot was a blast- the staff from sunset was great to work with, everyone had tons of fun, and the results speak for themselves (below). we will model again in a heartbeat, if asked! (exotic foreign location shoots preferred, of course)...

the finished product, from the december issue of sunset magazine

(feature produced by laura dye lang & amy machnak, photos by andrea m. gomez & styled by miranda jones)
the money shot- a double page intro to the article
supermodels (from left): jane, yvette, rudy, moi, alison, jamie, will and jeff

supermodels jamie, rudy and yvette, pretending to like each other...

supermodels jeff, jane, m21 & alison- can you feel me in my role of "happy guy at party with drink"? i totally nailed it!

now run to the newsstands and buy the magazine! the photos shown are just part of the feature- there's lots more about holiday entertaining, including decor ideas and recipes (trust us- it's worth buying for the cranberry margarita recipe alone), plus all the rest of the "best in the west" you expect from sunset magazine!

look at the pictures- we'll talk later...

palm springs vintage furniture resource: the estate sale

in a recent post teasing about our then-upcoming mention in "ty pennington at home" magazine (on newsstands now!), maison21 promised to reveal a source for vintage furniture in palm springs, so today we'll take you on a mini- tour of one of our must-stop-shops when out in the desert.

the estate sale is a series of 4 buildings, one of them warehouse sized, along with a courtyard of outdoor furniture, located at 4135 e. palm canyon dr.- kind of in the no-mans land between palm springs proper and cathedral city- not much to see in the immediate vicinity outside of car dealerships, but it's definitely worth a stop. individual consignors bring in their finds to the estate sale (including a selection of art and jewelry), so furniture styles vary wildly (as do prices) and though it can be heavy on baaaaaad furniture from the 1990's, there are for sure gems to be found. as a matter of fact, with the demise of the late and lamented 111 antique mall, it may be maison21's new favorite bargain shopping in the desert! (and boy, are we bummed the the 111 mall is gone- like a stake through the heart, it is- click here to see why).

during our last visit to the estate sale, we forgot our camera during our first visit, so returned again just before closing at 4:00 on a sunday afternoon to snap these hurried pictures for y'all. we warn you, go at least an hour and a half before they close, as they start pulling the furniture overflow from the parking lots back inside, so things are crowded and chaotic! not ideal shopping conditions, or picture taking conditions either!before we even got in the front door, we spotted all kinds of goodies, including the above mid-century slipper chairs which we immediately scooped up for a client. recovered in a jewel tone silk or velvet, they will be stunning, and we might lacquer the frames in black so they look more asian-y and less danish-y (don't you love our technical design terms)?

how about this thick legged lucite table? so cheap at under 400 bucks if we remember correctly...

why we didn't buy this tesselated stone and brass maitland-smith mirror we'll never know... we've regretted it ever since, and if it's still there on our next visit, it's ours!

this pair of settees of recent vintage was perfect for one of our clients, but was part of a larger suite of furniture we didn't need- while we were working with one salesperson to see if the consignor would split it up, another salesperson sold the whole set out from under us! drat! but there is always more goodness out there, so c'est la vie...

they have a courtyard full of outdoor furniture, in varying states of use. resprayed, the woven fiberglass peacock chairs could be fabulous, and the 60's modern fiberglass game table set next to them was awesome as well.

we thought those lattice panels (the 3 with the finaials) could be good for something, and if there was a pair of the wicker onion dome etageres, they would be home with us right now!


we loved, loved, loved this pair of orange lacquered chinoiserie chests, but sadly don't have a client who could use them at the moment. at $800.00 they were a deal, but a bit outside of our comfort zone to buy them on spec.

another item we should have snapped up- a vintage 80's lightolier chandelier for dirt cheap. again, if it's still there on our return, it's ours!

maison21's next post will be before and after photos of the palms springs home just published in ty pennington at home (we know, again with the plugs- tsk, tsk- but we don't get something we worked on published everyday, ya know!) so be sure to check back in- it's quite the amazing transformation! really!

run to the newsstands!

maison21 would like to congratulate his bff, rudy calvero, on having his palm springs weekend home published in the new issue of ty pennington at home- on newsstands today!

the house, as photographed by the talented john ellis and styled by sunday hendrickson, looks amazing! not only do the interiors look terrific, but so does the impossibly cute sam, rudy's & his partner, will stewart's comically adorable jack russell terrier (an m21 foundling, btw).

maison21 would also like to personally thank rudy for making sure our name was mentioned in the article as well "with help from designer friend, christian may". rudy and i had a blast over the years collecting the cast-off, thrift store, yard sale and ebay finds that comprise the interior, and it was truly a labor of love- for example, the sofa was a gift from my old boss- the catch being that it had to be removed from a garage on a sold property by midnight, as escrow was closing! cut to sneaking around the empty property at 11:00 at night with flashlights, trying to load a ginormous old sectional onto a truck and hoping not to be caught by security patrolling the tony neighborhood! worth it in the end, as if we actually had to pay for a sofa, a milo baughman original was probably not in the budget...

again, congrats rudy (and will, and sam)! and thanks for letting us be a part of the project- it was blast! let's do it again after you sell this one, ok? (more pictures at reality link too!)

now, run to the newsstands to get your copy before m21 buys them all up!


ps- congrats to rudy and will on their 7th anniversary- i'm honored to have you (and sam) in my life!

really...

m21 is coming back- but first, he'll be here for a few:

palm springs abode of m21's BFF- soon to be featured in a national publication. watch this space for details!

p.s. i love you (trina turk residential, if i remember correctly)

maison21 recently spent his birthday weekend in his favorite southern california spot, palm springs. normally, when maison21 is in the desert, it's all about the shopping, but this trip was really all about friends and fun- we spent most of our time eating, drinking and laughing. in fact, maison21 was only able to squeeze in one brief shopping adventure, and was even thwarted on that trip by having forgotten his wallet at home. in his last post, m21 talked of how happy he was to be turning another year older. well, here's one of the downsides of aging, kiddies: your ability to remember the simplest of things- like a wallet- is gone. life becomes a game of "what did i do with that?". it's a minor annoyance comparatively, but m21 has to be honest to all you kids he got all excited about turning 45- there are trade-offs to everything in life! (yet another piece of wisdom that comes with age).
on maison21's one brief, and sadly purchase-free shopping adventure, he spotted that the new trina turk residential boutique had finally opened, so he had to duck in... the boutique is just what resort shopping should be: a sleek, modern and bright space filled with colorful tchotchkes, at price points from from a little to a lot, but nothing so crazy that you could never imagine spending that kind of money on an impulse buy. the interior is pretty darn fab as well- worth a visit even you have no intention of buying a thing (or like m21, couldn't buy even if you wanted to, due to the infirmities of old age). unlike the trina turk clothing boutiques- both next door in p.s. and here in los angeles, designed by our hero, kelly wearstler- the trina turk residential boutique was designed by phil smith of the art office. you can see some great photos of the space before the merchandise was moved in, at phil's own blog here.
ms. turk has filled the boutique with a selection of gift items from other lines to compliment her own line of signature brightly colored textiles, with which she has covered some fun vintage furniture, as well as sewn up into pillows and throws. we were told that the fabrics will be available by the yard as well, so you can bring a little fun trina turk resort ethos into your own decor!if maison21 had remembered his wallet he might have bought one of the below awesome volcanic glaze ceramics by josh herman, and he knows he would have bought one of trina's new scented candles. the "beach" scent was pretty terrific, so m21 will be returning for one soon- he meant to return for one before he left town, but of course, he forgot...

(ok, maison21 has to be honest here, and quit blaming old age for the wallet being left at home- it was a hangover that made him forget it, alright? see old age is good, whereas hangovers at any age are bad!)the trina turk boutique is on the same block of palm canyon as house 849 (one of maison21's faves) and fitzsu society (a great modern gift store- think moss without all the scary zeros on the price tags), so he recommends a stop for anyone doing a little shopping tour of the area- maybe you'll run into maison21 buying a candle or two- and if he's forgotten his wallet, would you mind spotting him for one? he'll pay you back- he swears! if he remembers, that is...

p.s. i love you (new retail crush)

last sunday, maison21 and his friends took an early morning stroll down palm canyon drive in palm springs (ok, it was around 11:00 am, but for m21, that's early! especially on a sunday). and boy, is he ever glad he was dragged out of the house for that early bird walk! otherwise he never would have wandered into the wonderland that is house 849, his newest palm springs retail crush!
m21 had driven past the house 849 building scores of times while zipping from one consignment shop to the next, and he had always studiously ignored it. he saw the large scale stainless steel sculptures out front and assumed it was one of those resort town art galleries- you know stores that fancy themselves "galleries", and sell over-priced "art" to over-privileged tourists with more cash than taste. well, this just goes to show that you can't judge a book by it's cover, or a store by the sculpture out front, because the minute he crossed the threshold into house 849 and saw the ginormous cascading crystal chandelier hung over a table piled with buffalo horn obelisks, well, maison21 knew this was a store for him!
his initial shock and awe grew, rather than faded, as maison21 explored the mammoth store- it is truly a modern day version of ali baba's cave- treasure stacked upon treasure, as far as the eye can see! literally, room after room, all bursting with pretty things.
the owners have amassed a stockpile of antique, vintage and brand new pieces in a variety of styles- styles so diverse that there should be no way they can meld together, but somehow house 849 has made it all work...
look at the above picture with the pair of super glammy 1970's lucite lamps on top of a dark wood antique italian commode. then check out the 4 foot porcelain greyhounds peeking behind it, who flank a giant concrete grecian statue. all this in front of silver-leaf chinoiserie wallpaper screen, which in turn is in front of a wall of antique paintings. this mish-mash of over-abundance shouldn't look good at all, but it does...maison21 fell for these black lacquer klismos chairs- and the black lacquer deco console behind the chair and the cast aluminum grape vine candelabras on the console, and on and on... this polished steel mirror with a horn frame is spectacular...
a pair of chic parchment chests- maison21 doesn't know if they are vintage pieces, or newly made reproductions, and he doesn't care. he just wants them...

m21's favorite items were probably these vintage phyllis morris-esque gilt and carved stools, which house 849 has updated by covering them with antelope hide- from gaudy to fabulous with one simple animal hide! (of course, it helps if you don't think of bambi while looking at them- cruella de maison21 wants a pair anyway. sorry, bambi). oh yeah- loving the lacquered goatskin console the stool is perched under, too!
this giant porcelain tiger is part of a pair- maison21 LOVES them (the pair- flanking an entry? perfect!). he also thinks they would be ideal for his good friend anonymous' home! we know how anonymous loves an animal figurine! should maison21 place them on hold for you, anon?last photo- this is just one room in the store, of which there are many- 8 rooms? 10 rooms?- all overflowing with finds. much too much muchness! really, house 849 is rather overwhelming, but then, maison21 lives to be overwhelmed by fabulousness, and can't wait for a return visit on his next trip to the desert!