perfect bench

one of maison21's favorite decorating tricks is to include a pair of benches or ottomans whenever possible- in living rooms by the fireplace, in entry halls tucked under a console or in bedrooms at the foot of the bed- they are versatile, portable seating, and work well as an alternative to a chair where space is short or a view would be blocked. chic and interesting versions can also be quite hard to find, so maison21 thought he'd share this perfect bench recently spotted at jayson home and garden website (based in chicago). love the finish and the fabric, so this little guy is ready to buy and use as is! neta bench, $895.00.

come see comme ça!

maison21 is certainly glad he overcame his fear of weather and braved the elements (stormwatch!) to join my brother and his lovely wife for an early dinner yesterday evening. he's also quite glad he was unable to score reservations at pizzeria mozza- open for a year now, and still only had openings at 4:00 or 11:00 when i called 2 weeks in advance- otherwise he might not have ended up at comme ça, a french brasserie opened this last october by david myers (of sona & boule). much as we love the mozza, we we were thrilled to try something new (to us anyway).

as soon as we pulled up to the valet, maison21 knew he was going to enjoy the restaurant- a crisp black and white facade had replaced the mouldering wood exterior of the last restaurant on the site, a dreadful mediterranean/middle eastern concoction that had somehow managed to stay open for about 50 years past it's 70's heyday. maison21 went there once in his deep, dark past, on a first date that m21 knew would also be a last date, when his date proclaimed it to be "his favorite restaurant in l.a.". how anything with hanging baskets of over-grown spider plants and half-dead pothos vines dropping diseased leaves into your (not very good) hummus could be anyone's favorite, is beyond maison21's comprehension. funny- i couldn't tell even tell you what my date looked like, or what his name was, but i sure do remember that hideous 70's moldy patio inspired interior!

anyway, enough about the ghosts of restaurants past- as i said, i knew i was going to like the place the minute i saw it- like the exterior, the interior is a simple palette of black and white, and a well done combination of casual and sophisticated. the ebonized wood paneling is a sleek take on traditional brasserie style, and the tufted white leather banquettes are a luxe contrast to the glossy white plastic-y chairs- similar to the ultra bellini chairs from design within reach. we love the fact that WHITE was used for restaurant seating upholstery, something you don't often see because of the wear and soiling factor (even when it's a durable leather, as in this case). even the mis-matched collection of mirrors on the wall didn't bother maison21 as they worked with the updated traditional meets modern vibe of the place (they are a little rachel ashwell-esque, no?). the restaurant was designed by the KAA design group, a very full service firm judging by their website (architecture! landscape! web design! interiors! branding!).

our dinner was early (probably the reason m21 was able to get the reservation) and the restaurant was almost as empty as the above photo when we arrived but despite the torrential downpour happening outside, which normally should keep sane angelenos like moiself safe at home (stormwatch!), the restaurant was soon completely packed.

the thankfully adult crowd was as good the interior (and the food)- handsome, well dressed men and chic women- who somehow all seemed to know how to dress to perfectly fit the vibe of the restaurant- casual yet sophisticated, nothing glittery or flashy (which believe me can sometimes be hard to escape here in l.a.). maybe everyone looked especially good because of the deliciously dim lighting that regular readers know maison21 finds to be vitally important. anyway, the whole vibe worked. it reminded maison21 of balthazar or pastis in new york, and as l.a. didn't really have anything like them until now, comme ça is a trés welcome addition.

as for the food, maison21 is no food critic, but the menu is all brasserie classics (absolutely perfect comfort food for our rainy evening). standouts from our meal included the roasted beef marrow with oxtail jam appetizer and a crispy skate grenobloise entree that was absolutely perfect. the steak frites served to the table next to us looked pretty fab as well (though doesn't it always? anywhere?) and the fruits de mer platters looked spectacular too. maison21 really wants to visit next for lunch, to try the luncheon menu only cheeseburger that pulitzer prize winning l.a. weekly food critic, jonathan gold, raved about not so long ago.

all and all, a delightful evening- thanks for dinner, big brother- and your better half, too!

stormwatch 2008!

it's a dark and stormy day here in los angeles, and maison21 wants to stay inside under the covers, cozy and warm. well, dark and stormy is a bit of an exaggeration- more like overcast with the threat of rain. los angeles is scheduled for 3 days of rain, which to us angelenos is an impending disaster, the equivalent of a blizzard in less temperate climes (the local stations will be blaring "stormwatch 2008!" promos for the evening news every commercial break- ugh). but maison21 wasn't exaggerating about his desire to stay inside, safe and dry. having been raised here in southern california, m21 is a weather-phobe, anything other than sunny and 80 degrees is an anomaly and probably best avoided. extreme weather, like rainstorms or god forbid, snow, is something one visits while on vacation, not something one lives with regularly. i don't know how you people do it in colder climates... :)

but alas, maison21 must face the day- stormwatch! or not- my brother and his delightful new bride of 2 years are driving up from san diego, and we are going to spend the afternoon at lacma viewing the currently running dali exhibit, followed by an early dinner at comme ça, a new french brasserie. as my brother's wife lives in connecticut the majority of the time, and he spends a good portion of his time on business in northern europe, i doubt i can convince them that it's positively dangerous to venture out on such a stormy day and to instead join me in enjoying some delivered food and a bottle of wine in front of the fire. oh well, maison21 will have to brave the stormwatch! i know- rough life, eh?

the photo is of the stormwatch! view out of one of my upstairs windows. the 1930's french normandy building across the street just spent the year being remodeled from a triplex into a duplex by it's owners. if you follow a line down directly from the tallest peak of the building, you'll see where the front walk splits and half of it ends at a blank wall where another front door used to be. i wonder if they are going to leave the front walk like that, or re-landscape? time will tell. maison21 is just thankful they didn't mess with the exterior of the building (much), as it really is a great example of the architecture of los angeles in the 1920's and 1930's. we don't respect our past much in los angeles, so maison21 is thrilled when buildings aren't just razed and macmansions or minimalls erected in their place.

ps- this post was put up in honor of my sixty day blog-aversary. i promised myself that i would do at least a post a day for the first 2 months to build some back content before i got lazy and slacked off. well, with this post, i hit 50 posts in the first 60 days, shy of my goal, but pretty impressive follow through for a full-time procrastinator and some-time slacker such as moiself.

learning new things on the internets (about line vautrin), then maison21 goes off on a tangent (about c. jeré)

maison21 is always surprised out the amount of information that's out there on the internets- it really is so overwhelming, that's why i love all the other design blogs for filtering out just the interesting bits for me, and adding their own great observations. this week while going through all the incredibly sweet comments left on my new year's post, (really, you guys are too nice!), i read a comment by topsy turvey, a name i hadn't heard before and visited their great blog out of tampa. while there, maison21 learned something new! yay! we love the learning of the new things on the internets!

maison21 has been around the world of vintage fineries and the decorative arts for a loooonnng time, so had seen the name "line vautrine" attached to some pretty fab sunburst mirrors. in fact, he has even used it in his own ebay auction descriptions for a chic sunburst mirror or two. but he was using the name in ignorance- he always assumed that " line vautrin" was a company (i guess because of ligne roset, maybe) but topsy turvy set maison21 straight with a great post about the woman line vautrin, who was a talented french sculptor and jewelry designer (go read topsy turvy's bio of line vautrin here to learn more). maison21 then visited the website dedicated to line vautrin where he saw all kinds of great examples of her work, such as the sunburst mirror below, and the duck lamp (we didn't know she did anything other than mirrors, so thanks topsy!):

while visiting the line vautrin website, maison21 also saw how her work has been very influential in the work of others. here is an original line vautrin mirror:

now doesn't it look a lot like this c. jeré mirror that hung in maison21's own dining room several years ago?

now here is where maison21 had a moment of personal irony, and maison21 is not talking about the ironic fact that maison21 sold his mirror- probably the finest example of it's type he's ever seen- for about the same price as artisan house reissue, whereas now, just a few years later, c. jeré originals are fetching many times that price (there is a similar mirror on 1stdibs right now for $10,000).
the irony that maison21 is referring to, is that he had always thought line vautrin to be a large-ish manufacturer of decorative accessories, where in fact it was a single artist producing limited editions of her works in a small workshop, and c. jeré, who was riffing on line vautrin with the above mirror, is assumed by almost everyone to be single prolific artist working in metal, but in fact, there was never an artist named c. jeré at all- the name c. jeré is a pseudonym front for a large manufacturer of metal based decorative accessories! see the irony?

most people think c. jeré as an artist of the 60's and 70's who created sculptures, and decorative accessories for the home, like these:



but c. jeré (full fake name: curtis jeré) is a actually a play on the names of jerry fels and kurt freiler, founders of the los angeles based metal working company "artisan house". legend has it that the two combined their first names to form the name of the imaginary artist, and added the accent so the artist sounded french (read "fancy"). the company, artisan house, behind the name was actually composed of many metal workers, some of whom were indeed artists in their own right, but many of whom were merely welders and machinists. while many of the items produced by artisan house are indeed "art", the goal of artisan house was never really about fine art, but more about commerce. some of the items produced by "c. jeré" are really quite unique and stunning and do rise to the level of fine art and high design, but lots of the items produced were more in the line of "dogs playing poker" like this train station wall sculpture (image lifted from ebay):
whether stunning or kitschy, all of the items produced by c. jeré and artisan house were made by hand, and while they can't quite match the level of craftsmanship as those of a real artist, like line vautrin, they are works of art in their own right and as such, deserve to be collected and admired. if you look at the c. jeré mirror i once owned, and compare it to the reasonably priced reissue, you'll see why the originals deserve to get the big bucks, and even the less spectacular pieces still deserve to have semi-hefty price tags due to their handmade nature and limited numbers. still, it cracks maison21 up to see c. jeré items sold in some very expensive galleries as "signed by the artist", because yes, they are signed, but there was no artist!

by the way, artisan house is still in existence and churning out the metal art, but no longer owned by jerry and kurt or based in southern california. most of the current items offered are pretty dreadful in maison21's opinion but there are occasionally some pretty cool pieces in the mix too. go check it out for yourself at their website: artisan house online.

thus concludes today's episode of "learning new things on the internets"- maison21 learned something and he hopes you did too!

2008 is going to kick ass. for real.

the holidays often leave maison21 more than a little worn out. so much preparation, so much anticipation, so much WORK (and so much fun, too), and of course, so much money spent! by the time new year's finally rolls around, m21 is pretty much burnt out, and this year was no exception.

m21 had planned to spend new years in palm springs with a group of his nearest and dearest. even had plans for more palm springs blog posts while there. but when it came time to load up the car and hit the road, m21 just couldn't muster up the energy. so instead of indulging in frolic and frivolity as planned on new years eve, maison21 instead spent the evening reflecting on the year that was, and planning for the year to come. those palm springs posts will have to wait...

now don't go feeling sorry for maison21- he spent the evening with his 2 most favorite people (that aren't people), mona and richard, and he ordered in the best chinese food in los angeles, from the delicious mandarette.

while m21 enjoyed the yummy food and the furry companionship in front of a roaring fire, he thought about the year that had just passed: 2007 got off to supremely rotten start (we're not going to go into it- it's both boring and a downer), yet somehow the year finished with a positive vibe. yeah, maison21 is a little worn out from the build up to the holidays (it is the busiest time of the year for us business-wise) but outside of that, 2007 ended on a high note and 2008 is looking pretty exciting as well!

this blog, though started very late in 2007, certainly turned into one of the bright spots of the year. the amount of satisfaction i've received from it, and the speed at which it's readership has grown, have been real surprises. the fact that the blogging world has so quickly embraced me and made me feel at home, has truly touched me, and the regular comments that i receive, as well as the mentions i've received on blogs i admire (habitually chic, desire to inspire, all things bright and beautiful and things that inspire), are things i couldn't have anticipated, nor could i have predicted how good they've made me feel. even when i post an embarrassing picture from my past, you guys go and compliment me on it- all this blog love is going to give maison21 a swell head!

2007 didn't set any records for maison21 (the business), but with the housing market tanking, the u.s. economy as whole being not so hot, and the ripples from the writers strike affecting almost all businesses here in los angeles (my local sales are waayyy down), things certainly could have been worse, so i'm very grateful for just an average year. and once again, the year ended on a surprising up-note, as there are some exciting professional prospects on the horizon for 2008 (one, a direct result of this blog). i don't want to invest too much in these prospects just yet, as nothing may ever come of them, but they are fun to think about, and believe me, if they come to fruition, you'll definitely be hearing of them on these pages!

on the personal side, i was thrilled to reestablish a couple of friendships during the last few months of the year. the love and support of my friends, family and pets are the most important things to me, so to have these people back in my life means a lot.



i also spent a portion of new years eve reading a book recommended by a fellow design blogger, the talented patricia gray, called "write it down, make it happen". i figure based on the picture of patricia's own recent lovely kitchen renovation alone (below), that the book must work, so maison21 is definitely going to give it a shot!

in the spirit of "write it down, make it happen" and honoring new year's tradition, maison21 is posting his 2008 resolutions for all to see- let's see if writing them out for you (and the universe) will strengthen my resolve and "make them happen"!

maison21's 2008 resolutions:

1. maison21 vows to be a little more social in 2008. just a little bit, though- don't want to go overboard with this resolution and end up in rehab or anything, but i have to admit, i did get a little reclusive in 2007, so that trend must stop.

2. i will use my passport! i dream of spending my next birthday in paris, but if the dollar keeps sliding, that may become too expensive (it really already is), but i will go somewhere that results in a stamp added!



3. maison21 will finish painting his kitchen in 2008! preparations to paint started two years ago, but after painting most of the rest of the house, m21 was way over it by the time he reached the kitchen, so he's been living with color test patches on the wall and windows with partially stripped trim. hiring out the job is not an option- maison21 can be a bit perfectionist when it comes to the work of others- every time he looks at a sloppily painted edge, or opens a stuck cupboard, m21 would resent having written that check and curse the poor painter something serious, but if he does the job himself, m21 is a very forgiving boss, i.e. "damn, i worked sooooo hard- f*ck it if that line ain't straight"! m21 already has the paint- the same perfect, happy blue-green as his adjacent dining room, pratt & lambert's "angelic blue" (above) with their blinding "designer white" for the trim and cabinets, so no excuses on this one!



4. m21 will finally put his book in order, instead of having to sort through a box o' stuff every time he wants to show something! i haven't updated my book since the first project i worked on was published way back in 2005 (above). and when i say "book", i mean "portfolio", not a glossy coffee table compendium of maison21's work, unfortunately. i can't take credit for the overall look of the beautiful room shown- my former employer, the incredibly talented and chic vance burke, was largely responsible for that- but i was directly involved in the design of the major upholstered pieces, as well as the chandelier, bolection mantle and accompanying surround for the dubuffet painting (as you can see from my sketches). btw, i am for reals hoping vance doesn't read my blog- he is far, far, too tastefully refined to be associated with maison21 and his bedazzled zebra statues...

5. i vow to finish my business plan to take maison21 (the business) to the next level. the eventual goal is a brick and mortar store showcasing my vintage finds as well as a complimentary line of maison21 originals, based on a classic 20th century design vocabulary. the store might not happen in calendar 2008, but the business plan WILL! "write it down, make it happen"!

6. and last, since all the other resolutions are "me, me, me", i figure i need to do something to benefit the planet, even if it's a small thing, so i vow to stop using plastic bags completely. i probably use 4-5 a day when i take mona out, so i'm guilty of asking for "plastic" every time i go to any store (yes, she poops a lot- it's her high fiber, low calorie dog food). i vow keep canvas bags in my car, and to actually use them, even if i have to go back outside to my car every freakin' time i'm about to hit the checkout line and realize i've forgotten them (and please, no slams for using the car for trips to the grocery store. much as i would love to take a bus or ride a bike, it's los angeles, so that's just not an option). as for the poo problem, i just ordered biodegradable bags online here, and i pray they are sturdy enough to shield my hands during the actual "pick-up". yuck.

assuming some of you made it to the end of this super-lengthy post before the start of 2009, maison21 would love to know what your new year's resolutions are for 2008?

it's going to be a kick-ass year, i swear!