vivre le siecle

set of six hand decoupaged, artist-signed animal plates

E 110 at siecle

for the love of découpage

The ancient art of decorating objects by applying layered cut-out paper and enamel or laquer, découpage got its first major recognition and name (découper = to cut out) in France during the 17th and 18th centuries.

Because there are no stead-fast rules of decoupage and because it does not require any specific equipment, it is viewed by many modernists as a hobby... they could not be more wrong. I attempted my first decoupaged jewelry box when I was in 8th grade, and it was tragic. The varnish I used (or the ill application) made the colored images bleed together in a muddled mess much to my dismay... I admitted defeat and have barely touched the beautiful medium since.

Mostly due to my own failed attempts, I have a weakness for the illusive art... so I could not be more thrilled that certain connoisseurs have started a revival. While in Paris, I stopped by Siecle, the wonderful atelier of Philippe Chupin and Marisa Osorio-Farinha in St. Germain des Pres. The store is an entertainer's paradise... a mix of fine embroidered linens, horned serving pieces, and one-of-a-kind hand crafted decoupage plates and platters. As I gazed admirably at each item, I realized that the congenial man keeping the shop that spring day was M. Chupin himself... only in Paris would you have such an opportunity!

Recently, he has been diligently working on setting up an international website for the wonderful company, so most of the design work is completed by his wife and business partner Marisa Osorio-Farinha, who he met at the Ecole du Louvre in Paris. The company's name, which means century in French, reflects Philippe and Marisa's "eclectic taste for different cultures and times" is reflected in the varied style of their products. It really is a must for any well-versed international shopper. I fell in love with the exquisite plates and pretty serving sets packaged in purple and green silk boxes...

Siecle Paris

24 Rue du Bac

Paris, France

www.siecle-paris.com

lacquer and horn salad set, $96 (tax free)

siecle paris

for the love of vivre

Vivre, a online and printed magazine of wonderful artisans, is the brainchild of "mail order magnate" Eva Jeanbart-Lorenzotti and the epitome of style. A unique selection of the finest in ready-to-wear, housewares, and fine art, Vivre redefines luxurious living purposeful shopping. There are no "filler" items... just pages and pages of unique and exquisite European luxury. A superb source of inspiration and wonder, even the Queen of England will wish she had a larger bank account while thumbing through the pages...

interview with Philppe Chupin in Vivre

floral illusion

west elm chair reimagined by robba for a charity auction, 2007

emilio robba, sculptor of flowers

"I always knew that nature would be the guide in my life..." 

Born into a family of Italian artists residing in Paris, Emilio Robba knew from a very young age that his artistic roots would guide his life. He began with painting and studied form and color at the prestigious Beaux-Arts school. His fascination with nature led him instinctively towards the art of floral design, where he rapidly pushed the frontiers...

In 1980 Pierre Cardin asked Robba to create a retail store specializing in fine and unusual flowers. Robba quickly developed his own aesthetic, creating the first "flowers of illusion" collection. The result was an outstanding collection of synthetic flowers that

 offer unprecedented beauty with absolutely no management... perfect for any person who loves beautiful arrangements, but was born without a green thumb.

I was blown away by the flagship store in Paris, located in the charming (and fashionable) Saint Germain des Pres. The two-story boutique was cluttered with unusual and artistic arrangements -- ranging in size from shot-glass sized vases holding a single orchid stem to enormous metallic pots containing exotic cacti, succulents, and palms -- resting atop sleek acrylic tables and carefully lit against metallic pewter walls. The boutique exudes luxurious ambiance and feels more like a museum of flowering plants than a 

retail outlet, a reflection of Robba's joie de vivre.  

inside the beautiful Paris boutique

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I found several must-haves to bring back to the states (without breaking the bank)... a sculptured glass vase encasing a vine of thistled wild roses acts as a modern candelabra, holding four votive tea-lights adds effortless elegance to any table and looks dashing when lit... glass tea light candles filled with Robba's signature illusion florals make a lovely gift or a savvy paperweight... and a beautiful arrangement of pink phalaenopsis orchids alongside a succulent tree is a wonderful investment for anyone who likes to be continually surrounded by nature's beauty (and these squared-off jet black vases are the oh so in-the-moment in Paris)... So go ahead and indulge yourself with an artful arrangement:

Emilio Robba Paris (St. Germain des Pres)

63 Rue du Bac, 75007 Paris

emiliorobba.com

Emilio Robba Miami

358 San Lorenzo Avenue

Coral Gables, Florida 33146

Emilio Robba Palm Beach

333 South County Road

Palm Beach, Florida 33480

sculptured vase with roses (around €60) 

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medium glass t-light with white poppy ($45)

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phalaenopsis orchid and succulent tree in black glass vase, $95

emilio robba usa

macaroons

a box of assorted macaroons from laduree

macaroon (en.), macaron (fr.), maccarone (it.)

I fell in love with baking sometime during high school. I watched marathons of the old Food Network stars... Sarah Moulton, Ming Tsai, and (of course) Martha Stewart. I became a bit of a cookie monster, constantly baking and nibbling on all sorts of concoctions from shortbread lemon "scotty" dogs to enormous glazed sugar cookies and crunchy chocolate chip cookies with coconut... fortunately I had quite a metabolism. I still have a sweet tooth, and I make it my business to find the best sugary confections everywhere I go... which brings me to the macaroon.

The delicious little European confections have a somewhat mysterious (and confusing) history, as the definition and ingredients vary depending on locale. Most Americans are familiar with the coconut macaroon, a super-sweet and dense confection of flaked coconut commonly dipped in chocolate. In Europe (France and Italy) macaroons are almond-flavored cookies or biscuits made from almond powder and meringue. They are light and fluffy on the inside with a flaky exterior... a work of art.

According to legend, the macaroon originated in an Italian monastery and was brought to France during the French Revolution by two nuns living in asylum known as the "Macaroon Sisters" who paid for their living expenses by selling the treats. Fact or folklore, Parisians are serious about their cookies. 

For the ultimate macaroon experience Ladurée, the historic tea salon, can't be beat... The establishment at 16 rue Royale in Paris dates back to 1862 and is where Louis Ernest Laduree first conceived the ganache-filled cookie. The shop is traffic jam of hungry locals and bewildered visitors... but it's worth it. The boxes are gorgeous (famous textile designer Tricia Guild of Designers Guild just designed a new line) and the cookies are spectacular. They are the perfect souvenir if you can avoid eating them on the way home...

inside the famous Laduree

www.ladure.fr

traditional flavors: chocolate, dark chocolate, vanilla, coffee, rose petal, pistachio, salted butter caramel, cherry amaretto, raspberry, orange blossom, and liquorice

special flavors: lemon, praline, ice mint, coconut, grenadine, java pepper, indian rose, aniseed, champagne, orange-saffron, lily-of-the-valley, white amber, strawberry-poppy, gingerbread, candyfloss, havana, and muscovado

pretty packages by textile queen Tricia Guild

www.designersguild.com

flower girl

shades of grey 2008

I just took an AMAZING trip to Paris where I attended floral design school at L'ecole Artistique de Catherine Muller at La Belle Ecole. Most people go to law school; I go to flower school. I try to avoid late-night cram sessions and standardized tests whenever possible. It's much more entertaining to hang out with crazy French designers than a Kaplan softback. The school was founded by floral master Christian Tortu, who has been called the "Yves Saint Laurent of flowers." Catherine Muller is fabulous rising talent and prodigy of Tortu whose avant-garde desings have earned her accolades in Tokyo, Seoul, and New York.

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We worked on everything from traditional round bouquets to large-scale floral installations... all while sipping tea from tiny green mercury glass cups. That's my kind of continuing education. These are just a few of my creations...

shades of grey 2008

The best part of the trip was, of course, Paris. Everything seems better in Paris. The streets are cluttered with flower markets and exquisite boutiques and boulangeries that showcase artisan breads executed as carefully as a Rodin. I met a fabulous French designer named Georges at the lobby bar of the posh Hotel Georges V (I was there to see the flowers, I swear). He told me that "Paris was the only city created for woman" in a thick French accent while he sipped on a beautiful French rose from the Loire valley. I didn't disagree. Instead, I traded in my cosmo and followed him and his entourage of elite Parisians doe-eyed for a splendid night out on the Champs-Elysees.