Modern Memphis

I can't believe it's been almost four years since I first wrote a post about Memphis design... At the time I felt like I was standing on the edge of a cliff, leaping into the void. There was still something so raw and surreal about all those sharp edges and blazing bright colors. Fast forward to the riot of color that is the 2014 Pantone Palette, and Memphis seems old hand. Maybe.

Modern Memphis is still playful, but a lot more polished. These sculptural lamps by Damm Design provide the perfect foil to old, dark, and dirty (You know I'm down with ODD).

That's not to say that Modern Memphis is totally tamed... it still has all the angular bite of the original iteration.

Maybe with just a little less color.

Get all the flavor and only some of the crazy with pillows by Safe House USA, a Kelly Behun style supergraphic, or Christian May's appropriately titled Memphis wallpaper produced by Black Crow Studios.

Or don't hide your love for the Memphis... trick it out a la Kelly Wearstler. Hello venus flytrap lamp! That thing is a man eater for sure.

Perhaps you're feeling a little gun shy about reliving the Esprit era? Don't get your graffiti tights in a wad. Relax. There's something for everyone.

Gray Malin's photography is pretty.

Robert Couturier also loves my favorite Clarence House fabric ever.

And Kelly Wearstler is pretty much just Ettore Sottsass with high heels.

My own brush with Memphis? Just this pair of Beetlejuice chairs I bought in the middle of a dirt field, strapped Beverly Hillbillies style to the top of my car, and drove 100 miles home to meet my husband who was SO HAPPY to see them.

Ok, that last part is a lie but the rest is truth. Commitment is what it's all about. Do something outside of your comfort zone. Push it. Push it real good.

Just don't get divorced in the process.

It's a Mod World

Sorry for the late and light posts, but I'm still feeling a bit jet laggy. I've decided to give myself a wild and crazy pep talk to help me power through the week with style (I also need a pep talk to help me power through my dirty laundry but that's another post). These pictures are telling me to go check out a Warhol exhibit, or maybe to grab a martini at the Highball. I think they are also telling me to ditch the rest of today's responsibilities and go swimming...

Well, they are definitely not telling me to do my MF laundry, but I am very adept at selective hearing. Later, dudes. Hope you manage to squeeze some good times into today!

[Florence Lopez, Urban Modernista, Met Home, Roger Davies, Jeffrey Campbell shoes, Mod Rockers]

Superflossy Superfly Supergraphic

I'm taking a breather from publicly flipping out over the house hunt today, but that doesn't mean I'm not feverishly searching for inspiration just in case we do sign on the dotted line. It's a safe bet that whatever we buy will need renovation. Most houses we like were built in the 70s and have remained in museum like condition -- carpet, faux wood paneling, and drop down ceilings included. I found this sweet little apartment in AD and first glommed on to the walls, then moved on to the floors.

It would be really helpful if I read cyrillic so I could tell you who is responsible for this hottie, but I'm a romance language only kind of a girl. When I see all those squiggly lines, I just want to bust out my calculator and solve for X.

Damn you, American language skills! Who are you people? In completely unrelated news, I think I spy her underpants. Ok, enough with the non sequiturs. Back to the apartment.

Check out those floors! They look like cerused oak, but I'm guessing not since ceruse is apparently some kind of toxic lead based chemical. A two step stain and wax, maybe? Whatever the case, I adore them. Dark and sexy, but not overpowering. Plus I think they would hide dust fairly well. Bonus!

Those chairs... sucker punch to the love gut. I also like how there's no molding in the space -- everything is super crisp and clean, and the paint heightens the arty architectural feel. The floor provides the perfect textural foil.

So good. The color palette is uber unique.

Sorry this picture is wee (and that there's a weird cutoff letter at the bottom of the frame), but check out the spacey bathroom. So awesome.

What do you think about the floors? Do you think an ordinary house could handle this kind of wall treatment? Do you think you could be comfortable in a space like this?

Why isn't this place for sale?